Just a Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise

The back cover of Just a Geek, by Wil Wheaton, says "Biography/Science Fiction", which makes it sound as if it were going to be something like "I, Robot". But this is not a book about Star Trek, although Wheaton does discuss the time he spent playing the character of Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation". It's not a typical Hollywood celebrity gossip book, either. For a former child star, Wheaton seems to have led a life remarkably free of drug problems and felony convictions. What it is, is an insightful, humourous, beautifully written look at Wheaton's journey from, as he puts it, "That Washed Up Guy Who Used To Be An Actor When He Was A Kid" to "That Guy With The Cool Weblog Who Is Just A Geek Like The Rest Of Us". By turns hilariously entertaining and deeply moving, Wheaton with brutal honesty shares the pain of pursuing his increasingly unsuccessful acting career, and his coming to terms with what Star Trek meant to him. It's a funny and bittersweet account of his growing up, his discovery of the power of blogging, his love for his wife and sons, and his realisation that writing was what he really wanted to do. He intersperses excerpts from his weblog, (www.wilwheaton.net), a very effective way of showing us what he was thinking and feeling at the time. I found it thoroughly enjoyable to read, and I'll be looking forward to his future writing. The back cover also shows Wheaton at his desk. The books visible include "Running Linux" and "Learning Perl", and there is a stuffed Tux perched jauntily on top. Writer, actor, poker player, husband and father, Wil Wheaton is also a Linux geek and proud of it. Mariette

Mostly known from the movie "Stand By Me" and TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Wil Wheaton presents this memoir as a glimpse at the impact that leaving Star Trek, then at its height in popularity, had on him and how he eventually came to terms with his choice. He offers as evidence of his growth as a person excerpts from his weblog, which are peppered throughout to give the reader a comparison of his "gut reaction" at the time with his more analytical remembrances in the rest of the book. The book is divided into three acts, starting from his decision to leave Star Trek behind and figure what he really should do with his life. We come back to him a couple of years later, now married with children, as he sets out to prove he's more than a former child actor by building a website. The project gets a lukewarm reception until he starts opening up his personal life to the public at large. As his audience grows, he is established as one of the more well-known voices within the "blog-o-sphere," not for reporting gossip or breaking hot news stories, but for simply showing that fame in Hollywood truly can be fleeting or, at the very least, can change into something unexpected. In the final act of the story, Wheaton relates his growth from acting to writing as the central focus of his career. In addition, he finally makes his peace with having been Wesley Crusher, equally loved and despised by fans of Star Trek (and himself), and reconnects with his former castmates in some really touching moments. Of special note is Chapter Eleven, titled "The Wesley Dialogues," in which Wheaton has several humorous tête-á-têtes with his fictional counterpart, who is embodied by a collectible action figure he is forced to sell to help pay the bills. As it states in the subtitle on the cover, the rather long "Unflichingly honest tales of the search for life, love, and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise", Wil Wheaton gives a refreshing and truthful look at the frustrations of being a working actor within Hollywood. Star Trek fans will delight in learning more about the man behind of one the more well-known characters in that universe. Even people who have never heard of him will be drawn to his frank and honest writing style, even when he derides his own misuse of English in early weblog entries. From ill relatives to a Las Vegas adventure to his own reflections on the September 11 attacks, people from all walks of life can find something in "Just A Geek" to relate to.

Yesterday I had a package from O'Reilly awaiting me on the porch. It was Wil Wheaton's Just A Geek. Since I've been doing little but reading and reviewing tech books of late, I decided to take a break and dive into this one. I am so glad I did. It's quite the read... Wheaton, as many probably know, played Wesley Crusher in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and starred in the movie Stand By Me. He was a teen actor at that time, and decided that TNG was holding him back from moving on to feature films. When he left the series, little did he know that his acting career would never be the same. He resented and hated how people defined him as Wesley, not as Wil, and struggled hard with what role TNG should have in his life. During that angst-ridden time, he got married, became a father to two stepchildren, struggled to find acting jobs, and most importantly, started a blog before blogs were all the rage. His site, www.wilwheaton.net, became a hit and attracted a loyal following. While many readers were trekkies, there was also a large audience of people who visited due to his writing, his comedy, and his ability to open up his life and share his feelings and struggles with others. This book tells the story, through blog entries and vignettes, of his transformation from child actor to budding writer. The style is raw, comedic, emotional... While most of us don't come from his background, all of us can relate to the constant companions of Doubt and Self-Loathing, two creatures who question our every move and live to make sure they're having more fun than we are. I'm not a big Star Trek fan, and mostly got this book due to having some fellow colleagues who know Wil. After reading the book, I've added his site to my list of must-read blogs and look forward to reading his other book. Wheaton has found his life's calling... he's a writer. And those of us who are his readers are better because of it.

Although Wil draws on his experiences during and after Star Trek for this book, it's not a celebrity memoir or similiar plea for attention. Just a Geek is a real-world story of one guy's struggles to be a good person/husband/father/actor/blogger/geek -- basically what we all deal with to some degree or another -- but funnier than heck. Wil Wheaton has great comic timing and a refreshing willingness to poke fun at himself and his mistakes. And even though Trek isn't all this book is about, if you've ever attended a SF convention or watched Trekkies read this book for a glimpse of the actor's lives behind the scenes. I never bother to get writers to sign their books, but if I ever get the chance to meet Wil, I'll ask him to sign my copy. Brilliant stuff.

This book is a frank, straight up look into Wil Wheatons life and transformation from actor, to writer (and believe me there is a lot that happens in between that transformation). I highly recommend this book, whether you are a Star Trek fan or not, its a book about simply being a loving, caring, individual.