Most of us know Wil Wheaton as the writer kid from Stand By Me or Wesley Crusher from the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. After he left TNG to pursue a film career, Wheaton seemed to fall off the map, but now he’s back, with a successful weblog and a career as a writer.

Just a Geek is the story of the transition from struggling actor to writer that Wheaton made. It’s candid, it’s enlightening and it’s unflinchingly honest. We watch as Wheaton makes peace with his decision to leave Star Trek, we see his inner struggles to find a job to help support his family, we get a look inside the mind of Wil Wheaton. Wheaton pulls no punches and puts himself fully on display for the world to see. He may be just Just a Geek, but he’s a human being and after reading this, you may see Wesley Crusher in a new light.

This is a great book and one I recommend to anyone who feels lost in your life’s search or was just a fan of Wheaton’s work on TNG. Even if you hated Wesley, give this book a try and I think you might be surprised by the man behind the uniform.

I adored this book—even on its THIRD reading.

Growing up on Next Gen (and being a few years younger than Wil), I enjoyed the stories of him with Next Gen. cast members. However, what really got me is the humanizing his writing does. He’s not just a celebrity, he really is “Just a Geek,” like so many of us. I hope he continues to write for many more years.

Not a usual autobiography, but a great collection of memories and stories to explain how Wil Wheaton went from child star to nobody to internet geek celebrity. I really really enjoyed reading this!

Completed on March 3, 2005.

Wil Wheaton’s book allowed me to see beyond the character of Wesley Crusher. I’ll admit that I used to dislike (I wouldn’t say “hate”) his character, and I made the foolish mistake of conflating Wheaton and Crusher. (Gimme a break, I was 12.) Wheaton’s prose, while not the most elegant or flowing, serves its purposes. This is definitely a worth-while read for any Star Trek fan, or anyone who wants to understand that “Actors are people too.”