Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009Okay, so the aforementioned book i paid for, but then couldn’t listen to immediately was by “Gordy Lachance.”
Eight or nine some-odd hours later having this on whilst i did my house-ly chores and in the short lulls at work, I listened to 10 minute tracks, batched into chapters of some IRL lolling but mostly just relating goodness. I vaguely remember sitting back home in Surrey and watching Stand By Me back in 2002 or so after catching it on TV during one of the many 10min/2hr breaks I took to relieve stress from cramming for tests. Ahh, how I don’t miss those days. It was then that I *really* realized that Gordy was actually Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: TNG.. i mean, i’d known before but it just never clicked. Being the total geek I am, I searched for web presence and I found WWdN. I remember reading it and totally relating to his shitrials and tribulashits with my own and also having an internet boner for his writing style which I felt was similar to mine.. which was really me trying to be cool like Rain Noe.
I read his stuff for the good part of that year until I got bored and sick of what seemed like just bitching and complaining. I thought I could see where he was coming from, but it always felt like everything he wrote came with such a giant chip on his shoulder and it was all I could do to not fall into that hate-gap with him. I had my own shit to deal with, and though it was cool to hear he was having shit too, it got tiresome to hear him weblog about the shitty end of his stick. I take that back, I didn’t get “tired” it was probably more that I interpreted it like he was taking short internet jabs back at these people who were treating him like shit. So, I stopped.
It wasn’t again till this year where I searched out his site again and found that the books he’d written had been translated into audio in a very easily accessible format that I could multitask with other shit I had to do. I always wanted to read it because I felt i could relate, but was afraid to read hours of what i thought would be pettyish “eat that $asshole.” I’m happy to say that I finished his book in nearly single sitting and am more glad to be proven wrong. It’s different hearing the emphasis he puts to the words so I could put the sarcasm in the right spot.. it doesn’t change the fact that some of the parts i thought he was acting like a dick, but hey, who hasn’t been.
Overall I liked the book a lot and it basically chronicles his life and the lies he told himself that brought him from Stand By Me’s Gordy to TNG’s Wesley back to an IRL Gordy all the while dealing with the blurred line between Wheaton and the characters he’s played. Those “lies” I think are something we all tell ourselves at one time or another so you can easily relate, and it’s totally cool to see his transformation over the 2-4 year span and get a glimpse of what the TNG cast was like. Note: I always thought Frakes and Stewart would be star trek jerks, but it’s cool to read that they’re not.
Anyway, I recommend the book.. but only if you’re into this kind of stuff: If you’ve been angsty, felt incredibly bitter about life and convinced yourself time and time again to stick it out and go for it.. this is a book for you. If you’ve read the blog and think some of his remarks are snide or petty.. this was a nice surprise and might change your mind.
If you hate Star Trek: TNG.. this is not the book for you. If you dislike optimism and that burning, squinting eye feeling when you get totally into a book and read for 5 hours straight.. this book is not for you. If you just suffer from the latter, the audiobook may be for you.
Edit:
At any rate, i was promptly emailed half a day later and the link problem is fixed. I now have my legit copy of the book.
