7 reasons we love the Sheldon Coopers of the world (Bazinga!)

As geek lovers the world over bask in the glow of last night's season premiere of The Big Bang Theory, we at HEA are asking the question: Why do geek heroes make us so happy? Rhoda Baxter, author of Doctor January, explores …

Rhoda: I'm going through a phase of reading books that have geeks as heroes (and heroines) at the moment and I'm loving it. I started to wonder what it is that makes geeky heroes so appealing. Here's what I think:

1) They're witty. Most geeks aren't exactly buff. Nor are they popular at school. They've had to rely on their wit and brains to get out of sticky situations (usually involving the aforementioned buff and popular types). You've got to love a man who can talk his way out of a problem. My favorite fast-talking, supersmart guy is Dr. Who as played by David Tennant. (Oh boy!).

2) They're all superheroes inside. They know their limits, but they also know that every shaky exterior hides something special. They may need some help to find that superhero, but there definitely is one. This means that they're willing to believe that their loved one is a superheroine inside too. That is pretty much the crux of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

3) Glasses. Granted, not all geeks wear glasses, but let's call them a symbol of geekdom — like sweater vests or long hair. Take their glasses off or stick 'em in a tux and Bam! — you see the handsome man inside. Please don't take this to mean that glasses and a suit are an effective disguise (Lois Lane didn't recognize him? Seriously???). There's something cute about a smart man who is totally unaware of the fact that someone finds him attractive. I think it's cute.

4) They can (sometimes) be practical. Give a geek a problem, and he'll work away at it logically and solve it. So if the microwave is making a funny noise, he can probably fix it even if figuring out how to separate the dark wash from the light wash is still beyond him.

5) They're unsuspecting about love. There's something satisfying about watching love creep up on an unattainable geek — a man so involved in his mental world that he's lost touch with his emotional side. Think Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Spock (Star Trek) and Sheldon Cooper (TBBT). We love this guy because it takes so much to make him bend. The love story of Sheldon and Amy is one of the greatest storylines on TBBT. Imagine how much less exciting that first kiss with Amy would have been if it hadn't been so hard-won.

6) There's always the chance that they'll turn evil because they just don't understand what these "emotion" things are. Or they could start off evil and turn good through love — one of my favorite plot lines. The only example I can think of right now is Topher Brink from Dollhouse. He starts off without two morals to rub together and by the end of it he's got a conscience and a heart (and he's totally mad, but let's gloss over that, shall we?). And yes, I likeDollhouse.

7) They understand passion. Being a geek is all about passion. You have to love something so much that you are willing to go against the mainstream in order to declare how much you love it. So when a geek does something, he gives it his whole heart. Oh, and there's the attention to detail. Good geeks are very thorough in what they do. Hmmm … passion and careful attention … now where else could that come in handy?

All of the above are stereotypical geeks. But let's not forget the stealth geek. He wears a suit, can pull off shades effortlessly, appears to be a normal member of society … but is a geek inside. Think Fox Mulder. Or Richard Castle. "But he doesn't look like a geek," you say. "He's ruggedly handsome!" Ah, but he knows ever such a lot about crime and murder. He is TOTALLY a crime geek.

I love a good geek story and I was surprised to find so many books with geeks as heroes and heroines. My favorites are The Girl From Mars by Julie Cohen (comic book geeks), Sweet Nothing by Alison May (mathematics geeks), Persuade Me by Juliet Archer (Russian lit and marine biology geeks) and Here's Looking at You by Mhari McFarlane (Roman history geek).

How about you? Do you think smart is the new sexy? My reading is mainly British fiction, so if you have any recommendations for geek heroes from your side of the pond, I'd love to hear them!

Find out more about Rhoda and her books at rhodabaxter.com.