Review of Oh Myyy! (There Goes The Internet) by George Takei

George Takei, of Star Trek and social media fame, is the self-proclaimed naughty eccentric gay uncle that we all wish we had.  And unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably been the viewer of George Takei’s many humorous memes on Facebook.   Now, taking his career a step further, he has written a book titled after his catch phrase, “Oh My (There Goes the Internet)”.  How does the book measure up?

Book Review of Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

Many of you may probably know Wil Wheaton from his early appearances on Star Trek as Wesley Crusher, his board game reviews on Geek and Sundry, or his cameos on Big Bang Theory.  In addition to this impressive line of geek show TV appearances; Wil is also an accomplished author.  With that said, Just a Geek: Unflinchingly honest tales of the search for life, love, and fulfillment beyond the Starship Enterprise written by Wil Wheaton is an informative biographical novel littered with comic relief and poignant stories that give a subjective perspective into the not-so-glamorous dark side of Hollywood. 

Written by everyone’s favorite geek, Wil Wheaton explores his entire career transition from being a successful Star Trek cast member to becoming a successful writer.  On a whole, Just a Geek is an honest emotional roller coaster that takes its readers through the ups and downs of Wil’s life and acting career.  After reading this book, I found myself respecting Wil for not holding back and being absolutely honest about his few successes and many failures.  As a result, I couldn’t help but perceive Wil Wheaton as the underdog who had risen up against a large and corrupt entertainment industry.   In my mind, he had become the Browncoat, the rebel, and the rogue that I had admired so much in every science fiction and fantasy book that I have ever read.  This fact alone is what I thought made this book so compelling.  I found myself rooting for Wil at every step of the way.

Overall, I gave this book 3 and a half stars out of 5.  Some parts I found myself skipping through because it was a little too wordy.  Other parts I found a little whiny.  In retrospect, if I were unemployed for several years like Wil Wheaton was (due to the whims of Hollywood), I would probably be whiny too.  Despite these imperfections, I still highly recommend Just a Geek to all my geek friends out there in cyber space.  This book is especially recommended to those of you with any interest in a behind the scenes look at Star Trek or comic book conventions.

Book review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Written by Ernest Cline, and published in 2011, Ready Player One is a science fiction dystopia novel that is slowly making its way through the geek circuit and gaining the popularity it so widely deserves.  If you have not yet read Ready Player One, put down your game controller, get off your gamer seat and head to your nearest bookstore right now.  No excuses. Filled with plenty of 80s nostalgia and gaming memorabilia, both gamers and Gen X’ers alike will find themselves loving this book.

Book Review of Redshirts by John Scalzi

Comedic novels in the science fiction genre are few and far between.  However, John Scalzi was able to pull this off with surprising genius.  Not since A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy have I read a book with such hilarity and geeky fun.