I honestly didn’t know what to expect upon opening this book. Like many other people I knew Wil Wheaton for his stint in Star Trek The Next Generation, which I enjoyed, but what about the man himself and not his Star Trek character?
This book wasn’t just about Star Trek, but it did have a strong influence on Wil’s life during the show and after he chose to leave the show. The books follows a struggling actor, trying to come to terms with his his old role, decisions he made, his current circumstances and trying to turn a new chapter in his life, not just for his sake, but for his family’s as well.
For this is Wil Wheaton grown up, family man and geek with a dog. I will admit I spent the majority of the time reading the book, feeling sorry for him, until I gained perspective and realised he didn’t have to be a struggling actor, he could of ventured off into other avenues of employment a long time ago, so it was tough going reading about the coping with bills etc. It showed though that a man who knew he had talent as an actor, didn’t want to give up, and felt he had something to offer.
Even though this wasn’t a book solely about Star Trek, there was a healthy dollop of Trek contained within the pages, including his time working on the STTNG movie ‘Nemesis’ and attending Trek events. It was very interesting reading about some of the ex-STTNG actors working together at Star Trek events years after their time on the TV show.
Unlike some others, I had enjoyed his role as Wesley Crusher on STTNG, but this book showed you who the man is behind his roles, shows you how much he cares about acting, and the amazing preparation he puts into auditioning, plus how Hollywood treats struggling actors. This books also gives you insight into a struggling actor’s life and how it impacts his family.
Yet this book also showed the development and turning point of not just Wil’s career choices, but progress as a family man. For those who follow his blog, it tells the story of how is blog got started and thus his writing career was born. The book shows that Wil is indeed a geek, but also an intelligent and caring geek, who has much to offer, both creatively as an actor, writer and more.
I’m not going to say this was a must read for geeks or Trek fans, but it was a good read. You do really need to know quite a bit about Star Trek – The Next Generation to truly enjoy this book, but this book is more than another Trek book, it is a book by a Geek, for Geeks.
So where did this book leave me, after I had read the last page? Recently I had seen Wil’s acting on ‘The Guild’ (an online geek tv show), which I thought was top notch and fun. Plus after reading this book I’ve taken a look at his blog, plus he has his own online tv show on the ‘Geek and Sundry’ channel, which I’m going to watch.
If you choose to read this book and then watch his online tv shows or read his blog, reading this book should enrich those experiences.
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