What to get Dad for Father’s Day? If he’s a geek, look no further. We’ve got ideas for comic book nerds, gadget hounds, gamers and even LEGO dads. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, check out part one of this year’s gift guide as well as last year’s suggestions, part one and part two.
LEGO Star Wars Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker
Two incredible LEGO Star Wars vehicles in one! Flying through the skies of hostile planets, the Republic LAAT Dropship swoops down and deploys the AT-OT troop carrier for attacks on Separatist strongholds. Dropship features an opening cockpit, rotating front and rear cannons, auto-firing missiles and armament bay, and a fold-away handle on top. AT-OT features poseable legs, rotating cannons, crew compartment with weapon racks, and folding cockpit and boarding ramp. Drop ship automatically locks onto walker, then releases it with the push of a switch! This bad boy is 18″ long by 21″ wide, and packs 8 clone minifigs. Buy it on LEGO.com.
Getting Started with Arduino
Arduinos aren’t the first, or the only hobbyist microcontrollers, but they are arguably the most popular. This handy manual by Arduino co-creator Massimo Banzi gathers together a ton of helpful information into a book the size of a paperback novel. Buy it on Amazon.
Victorinox Swiss Army Knife
The original multitool, the Swiss Army knife is a sure bet. The model pictured here, the Champion Plus, features a magnifying glass, scissors, a true Phillips screwdriver as well as the classic blades. It’s also on crazy sale at Amazon, dropping from $78 to under $30! Buy it on Amazon.
Land of the Lost – The Complete Series
Hey, kids, want to scare your dad? If he was a kid in the 1970s, as many of us were, all you’ll have to do is remind him about the Sleestaks on Land of the Lost. Seriously: These things were spooky hissing nightmares that manifested themselves in nighttime bedroom shadows and unexplained bumps from the closet for weeks after showing up in an episode of Sid & Marty Krofft’s Saturday morning funtime. Time travel, dinosaurs and the mysterious, powerful Pylons also made this one a winner. And before you blow off this 43-episode set of the 1974-76 series as over-sugared cereal nostalgia, consider the science-fiction geek cred on the show’s script contributor list: Larry Niven, Norman Spinrad, Walter Koenig, Ben Bova, D.C. Fontana, Theodore Sturgeon and David Gerrold all wrote stories for Rick, Will and Holly Marshall, Cha-Ka and yes, those freaking Sleestaks. >shudder< Buy it on Amazon.
Star Wars Miniatures Starter Pack
Get Dad started on an awesome tabletop game — Star Wars minis. This starter set comes with six miniatures, stat cards, a rulebook and map, as well as a 20-sided die for resolving combat. Read our review or buy it on Amazon.
Electronics Kit from Adafruit Industries
More than a couple of GeekDad bloggers have bought kits from Ladyada and we’ve been pleased with the quality and quick delivery. Her products are geared for beginners with downloadable instructions and an online forum for help. (Dad need a soldering iron? Here’s a good ‘un.) Visit Adafruit.com and peruse their online store.
Absinthe & Flamethrowers
GeekDad Bill Gurstelle has long been fascinated with pyrotechnics, projectile launchers and other dangerous items. With this book, he takes that philosophy a step further. What are we missing, with our namby-pamby culture of risk-avoidance? Gurstelle talks about driving too fast, smoking cigarettes, M-80s, the Scoville scale of hotness, how to make gunpowder, and of course, the badass items mentioned in the book’s title. Buy it on Amazon.
Spy Camera Sunglasses
Unless your father’s name is Bond, James Bond, he likely doesn’t yet have the latest in awesome gadgetry. Be his Q this May with the 1.3 Megapixel Spy Camera Sunglasses from ThinkGeek. With polarized lenses and a built-in MP3 player, these sunglasses have a camera built into the frame and storage capacity for thousands of pics. It even comes with a tiny remote for your pocket for those subtle snaps. Buy it from ThinkGeek.com
Pizza Boss 3000 Pizza Slicer
The proper way to cut a pizza ought to involve power tools, but it might be hard on the pizza stone. The Pizza Boss 3000 looks the part without the risk to life, limb, or stoneware. Buy from Perpetualkid.com.
Star Trek Cuff Links
As geeks we’re continually struggling with the constraints the square community places on us. Gotta wear a tie? Bust out the Ties Suck Tie mentioned in our first gift guide. Forced to wear a button-down shirt? Show your nerd colors with some creative cuff links like these Delta Shield links straight outa Star Trek. You can also get ones sporting microchips, Guitar Hero controllers, and a lot more nerdiness. Buy the Star Trek Cufflinks on Amazon or check out all the offerings at cufflinks.com.
Learn to Program
Aspiring programmers can do worse than check out this book. The book got its start as a tutorial for newcomers to Ruby, but then author Chris Pine collected it into a book. While focused on Ruby, it covers many concepts found in every programming language. Buy it on Amazon.
Welcome To Tranquility, Volume One
Tranquility is a retirement community for superheroes. But superheroing is a tough job to walk away from and the past frequently catches up to our older heroes. The task of defending the elderly and the infirm falls to the non-powered sheriff of Tranquility, who is often as busy saving the heroes from themselves as from old enemies. Writer Gail Simone’s wild imagination and off-kilter sense of humor are in full force in Tranquility. As an added bonus, there are back-up features in the style of comics from the Golden and Silver Ages, which relate the adventures of the now-aging residents of Tranquility when they were in their prime. Buy it on Barnes & Noble.
SK Stubby Ratcheting Screwdriver
Every dad needs a stubby — a short screwdriver with swappable bits. And if it’s gorgeous, ratchets like a Swiss watch, and costs less than $20, you know you have a winner. Buy it on Amazon.
GeekDad Russ’s Fashion Corner
As seen on Twitter, the Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt lets the magic happen. Single (and married) men will find themselves surrounded by women, job promotions will abound, financial success is around the corner and Chuck Norris will bow to you. Be warned, it is not suitable for astronauts.
For the fashion trendsetters out there, you can’t beat the Zubaz Pants. Available in a multitude of colors to suit any wardrobe, the cotton/poly blend and baggy fit will bring comfort and style to a brand new level.
