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The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Readers of Wil Wheaton's website know he is a masterful teller of elegant stories about his life. Building on the critical success of Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek, he has collected more of his own favorite stories in his third book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives. These are the stories Wil loves to tell--the ones closest to his heart: stories about being a huge geek, about passing his geeky hobbies and values along to his own children, and about what it meant to grow up in the '70s and come of age in the '80s as part of the video game/D&D/BBS/Star Wars figures generation.Within the pages of The Happiest Days of Our Lives, you will find: "The Butterfly Tree" How one back-to-school night continues to shape Wil's sense of social justice, thirty years later"Blue Light Special" The greatest challenge a ten-year-old could face in 1982: save his allowance, or buy Star Wars figures?"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Geek" Why fantasy role-playing games are such an important part of Wil's past--and his present"The Big Goodbye" A visit to Paramount gives Wheaton a second chance to say farewell to Star Trek ... properly, this time"Let Go" A moving eulogy for a beloved friendIn all of these tales, Wheaton brings the listener into the raw heart of the story, holding nothing back. You are invited to join him on a journey through The Happiest Days of Our Lives.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Wil Wheaton
89 books199k followersWil Wheaton loves to tell stories. He’s been doing it his whole life.
By age ten, he had already been acting for three years. In 1986, at age 12, he earned critical acclaim as Gordie Lachance in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me; at 14, he began his four-year turn as Wesley Crusher on the hit TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Since then, Wil has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, with recurring roles on TNT’s Leverage, SyFy’s Eureka, and the hit webseries The Guild. He is the creator, producer, and host of the wildly successful webseries Tabletop, credited with reigniting national interest in tabletop gaming. Most recently, he played a fictionalized version of himself on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, one of the most highly rated and watched sitcoms of the last decade.
An accomplished voice actor, Wil has lent his talents to animated series including Family Guy, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His video game credits include four installments each of the Grand Theft Auto and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, as well as Fallout: New Vegas, DC Universe Online, and Broken Age.
His audiobook narration of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and was one of Goodreads’ 10 Best Narrator and Audiobook Pairings of All Time. He has also lent his voice to titles by John Scalzi, Randall Monroe, and Joe Hill.
When he isn’t acting, narrating, or podcasting, Wil Wheaton is writing.
A lot.
He is the author of Just A Geek, Dancing Barefoot, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Hunter, and Dead Trees Give No Shelter, plus a forthcoming novel, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything. He has contributed columns to Salon.com, The A.V. Club, LA Weekly, Playboy, The Washington Post, and the Suicide Girls Newswire.
In recent years, Wil has earned recognition as an outspoken mental health advocate, chronicling his own journey in his blog and as a public speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. His powerful, candid essay about his struggle with chronic depression and anxiety garnered national attention.
Wil lives in Los Angeles with his badass, irrepressible wife Anne, two rescued dogs, one cat, and two vintage arcade cabinets. If you’re not a robot, you can reach him at: wil at wilwheaton dot net.
By age ten, he had already been acting for three years. In 1986, at age 12, he earned critical acclaim as Gordie Lachance in Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me; at 14, he began his four-year turn as Wesley Crusher on the hit TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Since then, Wil has appeared in dozens of films and TV series, with recurring roles on TNT’s Leverage, SyFy’s Eureka, and the hit webseries The Guild. He is the creator, producer, and host of the wildly successful webseries Tabletop, credited with reigniting national interest in tabletop gaming. Most recently, he played a fictionalized version of himself on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, one of the most highly rated and watched sitcoms of the last decade.
An accomplished voice actor, Wil has lent his talents to animated series including Family Guy, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His video game credits include four installments each of the Grand Theft Auto and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, as well as Fallout: New Vegas, DC Universe Online, and Broken Age.
His audiobook narration of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and was one of Goodreads’ 10 Best Narrator and Audiobook Pairings of All Time. He has also lent his voice to titles by John Scalzi, Randall Monroe, and Joe Hill.
When he isn’t acting, narrating, or podcasting, Wil Wheaton is writing.
A lot.
He is the author of Just A Geek, Dancing Barefoot, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Hunter, and Dead Trees Give No Shelter, plus a forthcoming novel, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything. He has contributed columns to Salon.com, The A.V. Club, LA Weekly, Playboy, The Washington Post, and the Suicide Girls Newswire.
In recent years, Wil has earned recognition as an outspoken mental health advocate, chronicling his own journey in his blog and as a public speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. His powerful, candid essay about his struggle with chronic depression and anxiety garnered national attention.
Wil lives in Los Angeles with his badass, irrepressible wife Anne, two rescued dogs, one cat, and two vintage arcade cabinets. If you’re not a robot, you can reach him at: wil at wilwheaton dot net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
July 27, 2009
Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook version. Wil is a great storyteller, getting better with each passing year. This comes across through his writing but is all the more powerful, laugh-out-loud funny, and touching (as in he might make you cry near the end; I did) when he tells you himself. Note that I say "tells you." Wil doesn't just read his words but adds weight and emotion. Now if only he could add sound effects like C-3PO's storytelling on Endor... :)
May 21, 2009
Wil sent me a signed early release under the condition I reserved its reading for my flight home from Iraq. I did, and it was well worth the wait.
Wil has such a great storytelling voice. I truly hope we see some more of these in the future.
Wil has such a great storytelling voice. I truly hope we see some more of these in the future.
December 28, 2008
I listened to the audiobook version of this book while wrapping gifts and getting ready for the holidays. The book is a series of brief autobiographical essays and the audiobook performed by the author brings the stories to life. The audio version is occasionally interrupted by asides that are not in the printed version and discussion between the author and his friend the recording engineer -- these departues from the printed book add to the charm of the audio version and provide additional insight into the stories or updates on events since the book went to press. (As of now, the audiobook is only available as an mp3 download at this link: http://10quicksteps.com/index.html#ju... )
It is brief, about three and a half hours, but it's a nicely polished gem of a book.
The stories covered range from humorous, nostalgic memories of childhood in the late 70's and early 80's (the age of Star Wars Action Figures, D&D, and the birth of the personal computers), to memories of working as an actor as a teenager on a successful TV show (you may have heard of it), to more recent memories of raising two step-children. As the title would indicate, these are mostly happy stories, though some were also touching -- perhaps because I recently lost a beloved pet cat, his story about saying goodbye to the very special cat who adopted his family had me in tears.
While listening to this audiobook, I succumbed to the oh-so-subtle suggestion to buy his previous book, Just a Geek, and I'm listening to that now. I also received a copy of Dancing Barefoot, his first book, for Christmas. I'm reading the books in the wrong order, but it highlights how much the author has grown as a writer in a relatively short time. I look forward to watching him boldly go (sorry, couldn't resist) further with his writing career.
It is brief, about three and a half hours, but it's a nicely polished gem of a book.
The stories covered range from humorous, nostalgic memories of childhood in the late 70's and early 80's (the age of Star Wars Action Figures, D&D, and the birth of the personal computers), to memories of working as an actor as a teenager on a successful TV show (you may have heard of it), to more recent memories of raising two step-children. As the title would indicate, these are mostly happy stories, though some were also touching -- perhaps because I recently lost a beloved pet cat, his story about saying goodbye to the very special cat who adopted his family had me in tears.
While listening to this audiobook, I succumbed to the oh-so-subtle suggestion to buy his previous book, Just a Geek, and I'm listening to that now. I also received a copy of Dancing Barefoot, his first book, for Christmas. I'm reading the books in the wrong order, but it highlights how much the author has grown as a writer in a relatively short time. I look forward to watching him boldly go (sorry, couldn't resist) further with his writing career.
December 29, 2009
I started to write this review last night, and went looking for Wil Wheaton's blog, where many of the stories came from, so I can link to it from my review.
It was getting late, I was tired, and so I was a bit disoriented for a few seconds when I saw my own words flash up on the screen. At the time, his most recent story had excerpted my review of paper books. Wow, I thought. This never happens when I'm about to review Dickens. And actually, it's never happened before, ever. I'll admit to owning a big grin when I saw that one of my favorite authors liked one of my blog posts.
And Wil Wheaton is one of my favorite authors for sure. I enjoy reading others too, of course, but Wil's writing is something I can really identify with like no other. My parents were never in a London debtor's prison like Dickens' were; I was never a promising medical student like A. C. Doyle. But I was, and am, a geek, and Wil Wheaton captures that more perfectly than anyone. After I read Just a Geek a few years ago, I gave it to my wife to read, claiming it would help her understand me better. I think it did.
In The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Wil recounts memories of his childhood, and of more recent days. He talks of flashbacks to his elementary school days, when he and his classmates tried to have the coolest Star Wars action figures (for me: calculator watches). Or how his aunt introduced him to D&D, which reminded me of how my uncle got me interested in computers. Teaching himself D&D was an escape for the geeky kid that wasn't good at sports, as teaching myself Pascal and C was for me. Between us, the names and activities are different, but the story is the same.
I particularly appreciated Wil's reflections on his teenage years. Like him, at that age, I often found myself as the youngest person in a room full of adults. Yet I was still a teenager, and like any teenager, did some things that I look back on with some embarrassment now. Wil was completely honest with himself -- he admitted crashing a golf cart on the Paramount studio lot, for instance, but also reminds me that he was a teenager then. He recognizes that he didn't always make the best choices and wasn't always successful with what he did, but isn't ashamed of himself either. That's helpful for me to remember; I shouldn't be unreasonably harsh on my 16-year-old self, and need to remember that I had to be a teenager too.
I also identify with him as a dad. He wrote of counting the days until he could teach his boys about D&D, about passing on being a geek to his sons. I've had a similar excitement about being able to help Jacob build his first computer. Already Jacob, who is 3, loves using the manual typewriter I cleaned up for him, and spent an hour using the adding machine I dug out on Sunday while I was watching the boys. (I regret that I didn't have time to take it apart and show him how it worked right then when he asked). And perhaps his 2nd-favorite present of Christmas was the $3.50 large-button calculator with solar cell power I got him as an impulse buy at the pharmacy the other day. He is particularly enamored with the square root button because a single press replaces all the numbers on the screen with completely different numbers!
I can't find the exact passage now, but Wil wrote at one point about his transition from a career in acting to a career in writing. He said that he likes the feeling he gets when his writing can touch people. He's been able to redefine himself not as a guy that "used to be an actor on Star Trek" but a person that is a good author, now. I agree, and think his best work has been done with a keyboard instead of a camera.
And that leaves me wondering where my career will take me. Yes, I'm an author, but of technical books. Authors of technical books rarely touch people's hearts. There's a reason we read Shakespeare and Dickens in literature classes, but no high school English teacher has ever assigned Newton's Opticks, despite its incredible importance to the world. Newton revolutionized science, mathematics, and philosophy, but Opticks doesn't speak to the modern heart like Romeo and Jiuliet still does. Generations of people have learned more about the world from Shakespeare than from Newton.
I don't have Wil's gift for writing such touching stories. I've only been able to even approach that sort of thing once or twice, and it certainly won't make a career for me.
Like Wil, I'm rarely the youngest person in the room anymore. His days of being a famous teenage actor on a scifi series are long gone, as are mine of single-handedly defeating entire teams at jr. high programming contests. (OK, that's a stretch, but at the time it sure felt exciting.) But unlike him, I'm not completely content with my niche yet. I blog about being a geek in rural Kansas, where there still aren't many. I'm a dad, with an incredible family. And I write about programming, volunteer for Debian and a few other causes, and have a surprisingly satisfying job working for a company that builds lawn mowers. And yet, I have this unshakable feeling of unsettledness. That I need to stop and think more about what I really want to do with my life, perhaps cultivate some talents I don't yet have, or perhaps find a way to make my current path more meaningful.
So I will take Wil's book as a challenge, to all those that were once sure of what their lives would look like, and are less sure with each passing year: take a chance, and make it yours.
And on that score, perhaps I've done more than I had realized at first. Terah and I took a big chance moving to Kansas, and another one when we bought my grandparents' run-down house to fix up and live in. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to pause every few years and ask the question: "Do I still like the direction I'm heading? Can I change it?"
Wil Wheaton gives me lots to think about, in the form of easy-to-read reflections on his own life. I heartily recommend both Just a Geek and The Happiest Days of Our Lives.
(And that has nothing to do with the fact that the Ubuntu machine he used to write the book probably had installed on it a few pieces of code that I wrote, I promise you.)
(This review was first posted on my blog)
It was getting late, I was tired, and so I was a bit disoriented for a few seconds when I saw my own words flash up on the screen. At the time, his most recent story had excerpted my review of paper books. Wow, I thought. This never happens when I'm about to review Dickens. And actually, it's never happened before, ever. I'll admit to owning a big grin when I saw that one of my favorite authors liked one of my blog posts.
And Wil Wheaton is one of my favorite authors for sure. I enjoy reading others too, of course, but Wil's writing is something I can really identify with like no other. My parents were never in a London debtor's prison like Dickens' were; I was never a promising medical student like A. C. Doyle. But I was, and am, a geek, and Wil Wheaton captures that more perfectly than anyone. After I read Just a Geek a few years ago, I gave it to my wife to read, claiming it would help her understand me better. I think it did.
In The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Wil recounts memories of his childhood, and of more recent days. He talks of flashbacks to his elementary school days, when he and his classmates tried to have the coolest Star Wars action figures (for me: calculator watches). Or how his aunt introduced him to D&D, which reminded me of how my uncle got me interested in computers. Teaching himself D&D was an escape for the geeky kid that wasn't good at sports, as teaching myself Pascal and C was for me. Between us, the names and activities are different, but the story is the same.
I particularly appreciated Wil's reflections on his teenage years. Like him, at that age, I often found myself as the youngest person in a room full of adults. Yet I was still a teenager, and like any teenager, did some things that I look back on with some embarrassment now. Wil was completely honest with himself -- he admitted crashing a golf cart on the Paramount studio lot, for instance, but also reminds me that he was a teenager then. He recognizes that he didn't always make the best choices and wasn't always successful with what he did, but isn't ashamed of himself either. That's helpful for me to remember; I shouldn't be unreasonably harsh on my 16-year-old self, and need to remember that I had to be a teenager too.
I also identify with him as a dad. He wrote of counting the days until he could teach his boys about D&D, about passing on being a geek to his sons. I've had a similar excitement about being able to help Jacob build his first computer. Already Jacob, who is 3, loves using the manual typewriter I cleaned up for him, and spent an hour using the adding machine I dug out on Sunday while I was watching the boys. (I regret that I didn't have time to take it apart and show him how it worked right then when he asked). And perhaps his 2nd-favorite present of Christmas was the $3.50 large-button calculator with solar cell power I got him as an impulse buy at the pharmacy the other day. He is particularly enamored with the square root button because a single press replaces all the numbers on the screen with completely different numbers!
I can't find the exact passage now, but Wil wrote at one point about his transition from a career in acting to a career in writing. He said that he likes the feeling he gets when his writing can touch people. He's been able to redefine himself not as a guy that "used to be an actor on Star Trek" but a person that is a good author, now. I agree, and think his best work has been done with a keyboard instead of a camera.
And that leaves me wondering where my career will take me. Yes, I'm an author, but of technical books. Authors of technical books rarely touch people's hearts. There's a reason we read Shakespeare and Dickens in literature classes, but no high school English teacher has ever assigned Newton's Opticks, despite its incredible importance to the world. Newton revolutionized science, mathematics, and philosophy, but Opticks doesn't speak to the modern heart like Romeo and Jiuliet still does. Generations of people have learned more about the world from Shakespeare than from Newton.
I don't have Wil's gift for writing such touching stories. I've only been able to even approach that sort of thing once or twice, and it certainly won't make a career for me.
Like Wil, I'm rarely the youngest person in the room anymore. His days of being a famous teenage actor on a scifi series are long gone, as are mine of single-handedly defeating entire teams at jr. high programming contests. (OK, that's a stretch, but at the time it sure felt exciting.) But unlike him, I'm not completely content with my niche yet. I blog about being a geek in rural Kansas, where there still aren't many. I'm a dad, with an incredible family. And I write about programming, volunteer for Debian and a few other causes, and have a surprisingly satisfying job working for a company that builds lawn mowers. And yet, I have this unshakable feeling of unsettledness. That I need to stop and think more about what I really want to do with my life, perhaps cultivate some talents I don't yet have, or perhaps find a way to make my current path more meaningful.
So I will take Wil's book as a challenge, to all those that were once sure of what their lives would look like, and are less sure with each passing year: take a chance, and make it yours.
And on that score, perhaps I've done more than I had realized at first. Terah and I took a big chance moving to Kansas, and another one when we bought my grandparents' run-down house to fix up and live in. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to pause every few years and ask the question: "Do I still like the direction I'm heading? Can I change it?"
Wil Wheaton gives me lots to think about, in the form of easy-to-read reflections on his own life. I heartily recommend both Just a Geek and The Happiest Days of Our Lives.
(And that has nothing to do with the fact that the Ubuntu machine he used to write the book probably had installed on it a few pieces of code that I wrote, I promise you.)
(This review was first posted on my blog)
March 31, 2014
Meh, a disappointment. The Happiest Days of Our Lives is a collection of perfectly mundane Wil Wheaton stories about his family. I should say families to be more precise, since about half of them include Wil's childhood memories.
Picture this: you take your kids out to a fast food joint for an ice cream. One of them says something mildly amusing (I am being generous here) and you flirt with the cashier a little. The end.
The other half of the stories are mostly about his incredibly first-world childhood problems, like that one day when his mom took him to the toy store and he could not for the life of him decide which of the $1.99 Star Wars toys to get.
Although I realize this book is just a collection of blog posts, the stories are just too boring to be worth of anyone who is not a major Wheaton fanboy's time. This is nothing like Just a Geek which is an honest, pour-out-your-heart autobiography in which Wil critically examines his own life and the Hollywood industry. If you collected ten people off the street and told them to write a couple of stories about their family, I wager about eight of them would be more interesting than this.
Too bad, because Wil Wheaton is actually a good writer and he shows flashes of it in The Happiest Days, too. But even a very good writer can't make a completely boring story interesting. Fortunately, this is a pretty short collection.
Picture this: you take your kids out to a fast food joint for an ice cream. One of them says something mildly amusing (I am being generous here) and you flirt with the cashier a little. The end.
The other half of the stories are mostly about his incredibly first-world childhood problems, like that one day when his mom took him to the toy store and he could not for the life of him decide which of the $1.99 Star Wars toys to get.
Although I realize this book is just a collection of blog posts, the stories are just too boring to be worth of anyone who is not a major Wheaton fanboy's time. This is nothing like Just a Geek which is an honest, pour-out-your-heart autobiography in which Wil critically examines his own life and the Hollywood industry. If you collected ten people off the street and told them to write a couple of stories about their family, I wager about eight of them would be more interesting than this.
Too bad, because Wil Wheaton is actually a good writer and he shows flashes of it in The Happiest Days, too. But even a very good writer can't make a completely boring story interesting. Fortunately, this is a pretty short collection.
November 20, 2014
I'd always thought it would be unfair to judge Wil Wheaton harshly just because he played Wesley Crusher. It's not like he is Wesley Crusher, that's just a fictional character from TV. But it turns out that Wil Wheaton is just as insufferable as Wesley Crusher.
He's a grown adult with special D&D dice that no one else is allowed to touch. He uses the words "grok" and "frak" in everyday conversation. He really cares about video game achievements. He's one of those people who say "dogs have owners, cats have staff". Every chapter made me dislike him more. Except the last one (about poker), that was actually OK, and apparently it wasn't even in the original version of the book.
And even when he's not being obnoxious, his stories are just so ordinary. I don't understand why anyone would want to read this stuff. It's not noteworthy or interesting. It's like reading the diary of an ordinary, middle-class father. At least it was short.
He's a grown adult with special D&D dice that no one else is allowed to touch. He uses the words "grok" and "frak" in everyday conversation. He really cares about video game achievements. He's one of those people who say "dogs have owners, cats have staff". Every chapter made me dislike him more. Except the last one (about poker), that was actually OK, and apparently it wasn't even in the original version of the book.
And even when he's not being obnoxious, his stories are just so ordinary. I don't understand why anyone would want to read this stuff. It's not noteworthy or interesting. It's like reading the diary of an ordinary, middle-class father. At least it was short.
July 10, 2008
A short little read, it took me all of about three or four hours over the course of a couple of days while on vacation. It can easily be put down and picked up at a later time without losing a bit of the story. Essentially, Wil took various posts from his blog and published them together as a longer novella. Lots of nostalgia for the 80's as well as heartwarming stories about his family, life in California, and his career as an actor. I had already read many of the stories from his blog, but it was nice to reread them in book form as well as some of the newer (to me anyway) stories. It includes a very emotional tale about a stray cat he and his family kept for a few years which tugged at my heartstrings. Definitely a must read for anyone who loves games, remembers the 80's, or just wants to have a fun time reading.
June 4, 2018
3.5 Stars
This was another entertaining and poignant memoir collection by Wil Wheaton. Personally, I preferred the geeky stories over the parenting stories. Like with his previous collection, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version which was narrated by the author.
This was another entertaining and poignant memoir collection by Wil Wheaton. Personally, I preferred the geeky stories over the parenting stories. Like with his previous collection, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version which was narrated by the author.
May 3, 2022
Great audiobook, narrated by Mr. Wheaton.
November 9, 2015
Wil Wheaton tells stories of his childhood and his fatherhood, tying these together with a strong geek thread throughout. Even though I doubt I’ve seen half of Wil’s episodes on Star Trek, I do enjoy an occasional read of his blog, finding him interesting in his trying things out and talking about the process, be that acting, writing, visiting conventions, or talking to kids. This book is similar to the blog in the stories, although these tend to be longer. I most enjoyed his behind the scenes stories about being a star and his story about being singled out by an unthinking teacher when younger (been there, dude), but I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. Sometimes, though, his brand of geekiness got to be too much, like when he was telling about his personal stash of D&D dice that he wouldn’t allow anyone else to touch. That one moved beyond the “I’m such a geek” story into the “cry for help” realm. Wil, if you are reading this, I’m sure there’s an 800 number you can call, probably staffed in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
December 11, 2008
Well, I've been a fan of Wil's blog for quite some time now, but this is the first actual hard copy book of his I've read. As with his blog, I just love how clearly he is able to articulate his experiences and insights. He has some keen observations on the human condition, and relates them so skillfully that I can literally go from tears during one story to laughing out loud in the next. I think maybe that's partly because I can relate to a lot of the things he refers to. I was a child of the 80s as well, although I am a few years younger. The nostalgia is still there.
Not really sure what else to say about this. It was a great little book, one that is inspiring for anyone who keeps a journal of any kind. I'd definitely recommend it to any child of the 80s or sci-fi geek. :)
Not really sure what else to say about this. It was a great little book, one that is inspiring for anyone who keeps a journal of any kind. I'd definitely recommend it to any child of the 80s or sci-fi geek. :)
March 8, 2008
Wil's third book (I've only read this and his second) is awesome. Like his other books it consists of a series of short true stories, generally based on blog entries. Some stories had me close to tears - particularly the story of the loss of his cat. Another, one of which I'd recently read an excerpt of, tells of his introduction to D&D. There's only one story that really relates to Star Trek (another sad story), so if you aren't a fan of Star Trek you don't have to avoid it.
Wil is one of those authors who makes me green with envy. If only I could write half as well as he does.
Wil is one of those authors who makes me green with envy. If only I could write half as well as he does.
May 22, 2010
I have to admit that I never liked Wil Wheaton as an actor (or maybe it was just the roles he played), but his writing is powerful and heartwarming. A great book that speaks to the geek inside everybody ;)
(... and since he appeared as himself in The Big Bang Theory I even like his acting :D )
(... and since he appeared as himself in The Big Bang Theory I even like his acting :D )
April 26, 2017
I loved all those geek bits in it :).
April 2, 2010
The Happiest Days of Our Lives continues the tradition that Wil Wheaton started in the Audiobook version of Just a Geek Audiobook with what he and his friend David call "The Super Annotated Version" of the original printed version and more importantly it is Wil Wheaton's memories from his life (the way he remembers them, which I hear is different from how Wil Wheaton's mother remembers them...).
He starts us off with a nice introduction to his family and the dedication to his two sons, two boys who are in themselves portraied in such an awesome way that you feel like you start to know them as well as the author himself.
In fact, Wil does such a great job that after a while you know what to expect to a certain degree, his love for his children and the way he reminds us parents that we should cherish every moment with our own kids has more then once gotten me to ignore my migraines (imagine someone is trying to hammer their way out of your skull, that's a migraine) to sit by the fire and play puzzles with my youngest or play Mario kart on Wii or DS with my oldest.
This book is filled with these kinds of stories, None of them more then the story of Felix but all of them filled with elements that really show him as a person, a guy you'd wish had been in your classroom at school so that you could have joined his adventures, playing D&D or GURPS, avoiding the dodge ball and gaining nerd HP for the everyday drains.
But since you can't go back and join him and since joining him might have changed the stories or even prevented them from happening, you still don't feel like it's a loss or like ones own past stories pale in comparison.
His "I'm just a guy, you know?" attitude makes you see that these kinds of stories are the kinds of stories you yourself experience, only in a different packaging so to speak.
I love spending time with my wife and kids but after becoming a fan of Wil Wheaton's work I try to make sure that our time together can become memories for the future, being a fan of Wil Wheaton really gives you something, it makes you see the importance of the tiny things that might have passed you by otherwise.
His tosses with David are very funny, he states on his website that he wants it to feel like he's reading to you but together they make it feel like you're among friends and the way they kid with each other and the way David points out minor logical flaws makes it an even greater experience to listen to.
For a tiny sum at Lulu.com, I got to share some of the happiest days of his life, and boy am I glad I did!
He starts us off with a nice introduction to his family and the dedication to his two sons, two boys who are in themselves portraied in such an awesome way that you feel like you start to know them as well as the author himself.
In fact, Wil does such a great job that after a while you know what to expect to a certain degree, his love for his children and the way he reminds us parents that we should cherish every moment with our own kids has more then once gotten me to ignore my migraines (imagine someone is trying to hammer their way out of your skull, that's a migraine) to sit by the fire and play puzzles with my youngest or play Mario kart on Wii or DS with my oldest.
This book is filled with these kinds of stories, None of them more then the story of Felix but all of them filled with elements that really show him as a person, a guy you'd wish had been in your classroom at school so that you could have joined his adventures, playing D&D or GURPS, avoiding the dodge ball and gaining nerd HP for the everyday drains.
But since you can't go back and join him and since joining him might have changed the stories or even prevented them from happening, you still don't feel like it's a loss or like ones own past stories pale in comparison.
His "I'm just a guy, you know?" attitude makes you see that these kinds of stories are the kinds of stories you yourself experience, only in a different packaging so to speak.
I love spending time with my wife and kids but after becoming a fan of Wil Wheaton's work I try to make sure that our time together can become memories for the future, being a fan of Wil Wheaton really gives you something, it makes you see the importance of the tiny things that might have passed you by otherwise.
His tosses with David are very funny, he states on his website that he wants it to feel like he's reading to you but together they make it feel like you're among friends and the way they kid with each other and the way David points out minor logical flaws makes it an even greater experience to listen to.
For a tiny sum at Lulu.com, I got to share some of the happiest days of his life, and boy am I glad I did!
February 21, 2008
I just finished reading this, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm no book reviewer, but I found so many parallels between Wil's stories and my young life, growing up in the late 70's / early 80's in Westwood and Ayer, Massachusetts.
Full disclosure: I was not a Star Trek fan. I really don't know why. I've had many exposures to geekdom, but for some reason, I was not attracted to it, in any of its forms. Yes, I watched all of the full length motion pictures, and occasionally found myself watching an episode or two of Star Trek. My Dad watched a lot more Star Trek than I. Also, I have the pleasure of working with Wil on the social news site Propeller.com.
On the "blue light special" chapter/post: I can totally relate. Star Wars figures were very close to me, and I remember my plastic Darth Vader bust case very well. Inside, I had a C3PO that disassembled, a Yoda that I always seemed to lose the snake that was wrapped around his neck, a Luke with an unreliable lightsaber appendage, and a few others. I didn't have many of the vehicles, so my adventures mostly took place in the Dagobah bogs, or were simple Mortal Kombat-style deathmatches, sans accessories.
I loved the "exactly what I wanted" story. I can't wait until my now 5 month old son makes fun of me for being old and out of touch. :-)
From "close your eyes and then it's past", OMG, Atari 400 and Star Raiders. Star Raiders was awesome, did not get quite as much play as Defender or Miner 2049er. And Poltergeist is still the scariest for me, as I grew up with a tree right outside my window. I really thought that the movie was made to scare me. Now, at least, I know I was not alone.
I know my future will hold a day like "suddenly it's tomorrow".
Now, I was not into D&D as a kid. Its another "not sure why I didn't get into it". I asked my parents if they bought into the claims in the early 80's of the game being Satanic, and they assured me that no, they weren't bothered by that. They just said I never gravitated toward it. I did dabble in the Marvel RPG for a bit, but never got enough friends interested to make it a regular happening.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope to read Wil's other books.
Full disclosure: I was not a Star Trek fan. I really don't know why. I've had many exposures to geekdom, but for some reason, I was not attracted to it, in any of its forms. Yes, I watched all of the full length motion pictures, and occasionally found myself watching an episode or two of Star Trek. My Dad watched a lot more Star Trek than I. Also, I have the pleasure of working with Wil on the social news site Propeller.com.
On the "blue light special" chapter/post: I can totally relate. Star Wars figures were very close to me, and I remember my plastic Darth Vader bust case very well. Inside, I had a C3PO that disassembled, a Yoda that I always seemed to lose the snake that was wrapped around his neck, a Luke with an unreliable lightsaber appendage, and a few others. I didn't have many of the vehicles, so my adventures mostly took place in the Dagobah bogs, or were simple Mortal Kombat-style deathmatches, sans accessories.
I loved the "exactly what I wanted" story. I can't wait until my now 5 month old son makes fun of me for being old and out of touch. :-)
From "close your eyes and then it's past", OMG, Atari 400 and Star Raiders. Star Raiders was awesome, did not get quite as much play as Defender or Miner 2049er. And Poltergeist is still the scariest for me, as I grew up with a tree right outside my window. I really thought that the movie was made to scare me. Now, at least, I know I was not alone.
I know my future will hold a day like "suddenly it's tomorrow".
Now, I was not into D&D as a kid. Its another "not sure why I didn't get into it". I asked my parents if they bought into the claims in the early 80's of the game being Satanic, and they assured me that no, they weren't bothered by that. They just said I never gravitated toward it. I did dabble in the Marvel RPG for a bit, but never got enough friends interested to make it a regular happening.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope to read Wil's other books.
May 25, 2018
Wil Wheaton was one of my first Goodreads friends and one of the first people I followed on Twitter so admittedly I am a complete fan girl. When he was part of Felicia Day’s web series, The Guild, I was in geek heaven.
I should also say that I actually and literally ran into him at Greenspoint Mall in Houston, Texas, in the early 90s when he was making a celebrity appearance. I knew he was in the mall and had cleverly arranged a separation from my mom so that I could look for him. As I left the store at a brisk clip, I nearly ran Wil and his staff over. I was too shy and starstruck to say anything, and they walked on. Damn my teenage angst and inability to speak.
On to the book... it was short and humorous and emotional and every bit a success as a memoir. Wil is self-deprecating and very open to showing his vulnerability as a stepdad, spouse, actor and human being. The essay on Felix the stumpy Cat was so touching. I cried like a baby, and I don’t even like cats!
Highlighted quotes include:
“This volume can safely be called The Author’s Preferred Edition That Is Totally Awesome And Has All The Stuff He Shouldn’t Have Cut In The First Place. Or, I guess, you could just call it the expanded edition, which doesn’t sound nearly as impressive, but is easier to write on a single grain of rice at the county fair.”
“Still Ill” by The Smiths—When I was in my very early teens, I had one of those massive teenage crushes that consumes your every waking moment and requires you to listen to endless hours of The Smiths in your bedroom wondering why she doesn’t like you “in that way.”
“I should have been freaked out when a guy sat down a few rows in front of us and lit a cigarette, in total violation of the theater’s rules, but being rebel-adjacent excited me.”
“You’ve got to watch for drivers like that,” I said. “And remember my fundamental rule of driving, which is…?
Nolan scrunched up his face like he was thinking and said, “Don’t be a dick?”
“That’s my fundamental rule for life,” I said. “My fundamental rule for driving is—”
“Oh, everyone on the road is an idiot, and they’re actively trying to kill you.”
“That’s the one.”
“I got it,” he said.
“But, you know, you can use them both,” I said.”
I should also say that I actually and literally ran into him at Greenspoint Mall in Houston, Texas, in the early 90s when he was making a celebrity appearance. I knew he was in the mall and had cleverly arranged a separation from my mom so that I could look for him. As I left the store at a brisk clip, I nearly ran Wil and his staff over. I was too shy and starstruck to say anything, and they walked on. Damn my teenage angst and inability to speak.
On to the book... it was short and humorous and emotional and every bit a success as a memoir. Wil is self-deprecating and very open to showing his vulnerability as a stepdad, spouse, actor and human being. The essay on Felix the stumpy Cat was so touching. I cried like a baby, and I don’t even like cats!
Highlighted quotes include:
“This volume can safely be called The Author’s Preferred Edition That Is Totally Awesome And Has All The Stuff He Shouldn’t Have Cut In The First Place. Or, I guess, you could just call it the expanded edition, which doesn’t sound nearly as impressive, but is easier to write on a single grain of rice at the county fair.”
“Still Ill” by The Smiths—When I was in my very early teens, I had one of those massive teenage crushes that consumes your every waking moment and requires you to listen to endless hours of The Smiths in your bedroom wondering why she doesn’t like you “in that way.”
“I should have been freaked out when a guy sat down a few rows in front of us and lit a cigarette, in total violation of the theater’s rules, but being rebel-adjacent excited me.”
“You’ve got to watch for drivers like that,” I said. “And remember my fundamental rule of driving, which is…?
Nolan scrunched up his face like he was thinking and said, “Don’t be a dick?”
“That’s my fundamental rule for life,” I said. “My fundamental rule for driving is—”
“Oh, everyone on the road is an idiot, and they’re actively trying to kill you.”
“That’s the one.”
“I got it,” he said.
“But, you know, you can use them both,” I said.”
April 27, 2011
Wheaton, former cast member of the Star Trek: The Next Generation and unofficial Grand Marshal of Emerald City Comicon, is back with another collection of nerdish memories and musings. Although I admit to being an eager fan-boy of his devoted affection for the popular arts, I was a tad disappointed by a few of his entries; if not a little perplexed by the poor editing – at least compared to Just a Geek.
“Blue Light Special”, which I heard Wheaton read live and on-stage at ECCC a few years back, is one of his gems; as it centers around his indecision on which Star Wars action figure to buy when standing in the toy aisle of Kmart. And it cleverly ends on one of the most universal and unanimous sentiments regarding the Star Wars prequels. (All I will say is, “Damn you, Jar-Jar Binks!”)
Outside of his wistful memories about growing up a gamer geek, as well as being the youngest cast member of the greatest sci-fi series in the late 80s/early 90s (with the exception of The X-Files), Wheaton does manage to break the mold by penning a remarkably moving piece about the loss of his cat, in “Felix the Bear.” One particular part I will never forget, which is his observation that “Dogs have master. Cats have staff.” So true, that.
After having finished this – in mere hours, as it comes in at just over 150 pages (and small ones, at that) -- I’m surprised that after having listened to him in person, and having read all three of his books now, I still haven’t checked out his website. And that’s something I plan to correct forthwith. (Two clicks to save it as a “favorite”. I’ve no excuse now.)
“Blue Light Special”, which I heard Wheaton read live and on-stage at ECCC a few years back, is one of his gems; as it centers around his indecision on which Star Wars action figure to buy when standing in the toy aisle of Kmart. And it cleverly ends on one of the most universal and unanimous sentiments regarding the Star Wars prequels. (All I will say is, “Damn you, Jar-Jar Binks!”)
Outside of his wistful memories about growing up a gamer geek, as well as being the youngest cast member of the greatest sci-fi series in the late 80s/early 90s (with the exception of The X-Files), Wheaton does manage to break the mold by penning a remarkably moving piece about the loss of his cat, in “Felix the Bear.” One particular part I will never forget, which is his observation that “Dogs have master. Cats have staff.” So true, that.
After having finished this – in mere hours, as it comes in at just over 150 pages (and small ones, at that) -- I’m surprised that after having listened to him in person, and having read all three of his books now, I still haven’t checked out his website. And that’s something I plan to correct forthwith. (Two clicks to save it as a “favorite”. I’ve no excuse now.)
January 8, 2015
I had the pleasure of meeting Wil at the Phoenix Comicon this year and I won't lie he was definitely the determining factor that made me force my I-don't-understand-this-sci-fi-business fiance into going with me last minute after all my friends bailed on me. I'm a huge fan of his blog, books and while I'm not a trekkie (it's all about the Wars) I love watching him act. I, not so secretly, wish that Wil was my stepdad. A girl can dream, because even if he claims to be "lame", I think he is the coolest father ever. Wil is one of the nicest people you could ever meet and is one of the very few celebrities, from my small list of ones that I've met, that can genuinely make you feel very honored to be in their presence. He was incredibly down to Earth and allowed me to go fangirl on him with a huge smile on his face. Meeting Wil in person made reading these short stories about his life that much more incredible to me. Wil's writing is hilarious. If you are a fan of Wil, Gordie Lachance, Wesley Crusher or can appreciate the musing of a fellow nerd I strongly encourage you to read this book. My signed special edition will always be a staple in my book collection.
July 20, 2018
As a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the late 80’s, I hated Wil Wheaton. Later in life, I realized, no, I hated Wesley Crusher, Wil Wheaton is a swell guy, entertaining, and a fellow nerd.
This memoir, the third of which I’ve read from Wil (Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek being the other two) confirms my belief that a memoir is best as an audiobook when it comes from a genuine good person and is read by the author. It feels like having coffee with them.
Unfortunately, I often felt that while the slices of life Wil gives in his book are enjoyable and fine for blogging, as a true memoir, he too often stops a story short of the finish line. Many tales ramble and just stop anticlimactically, which, while true to life, do not make for great memoirs. He needs to take his time and give more.
That being said, this was not a waste of time. It was great entertainment on a rainy morning and I’m glad for it.
This memoir, the third of which I’ve read from Wil (Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek being the other two) confirms my belief that a memoir is best as an audiobook when it comes from a genuine good person and is read by the author. It feels like having coffee with them.
Unfortunately, I often felt that while the slices of life Wil gives in his book are enjoyable and fine for blogging, as a true memoir, he too often stops a story short of the finish line. Many tales ramble and just stop anticlimactically, which, while true to life, do not make for great memoirs. He needs to take his time and give more.
That being said, this was not a waste of time. It was great entertainment on a rainy morning and I’m glad for it.
June 29, 2009
I have to admit: I'm reviewing this based on the audiobook version. This is my first exposure to Wil Wheaton's writing (although like most of the world, I follow him on Twitter and through his blog).
This collection of stories about family, love, and all-out geekery is funny, poignant, and so relevant to my own 1970s/1980s experience, I could have hugged the author.
If you've read the book, definitely seek out the audio version. It has added "audio footnotes," in which Wheaton speaks off the cuff about people and events in the stories. He's an honest and funny guy, and his reading is engaging and heartfelt.
This collection of stories about family, love, and all-out geekery is funny, poignant, and so relevant to my own 1970s/1980s experience, I could have hugged the author.
If you've read the book, definitely seek out the audio version. It has added "audio footnotes," in which Wheaton speaks off the cuff about people and events in the stories. He's an honest and funny guy, and his reading is engaging and heartfelt.
November 19, 2008
I am reading this book little bit by little bit. It is a compilation of several short musing stories about growing up in the 1970-1980's. Like Just a Geek, this is a good night stand book or waiting room book. Chapters are short and read quickly in the few minutes before bed time or waiting for your name to be called.
Wheaton has a way of bringing back my own memories of childhood by telling stories of his childhood. And the best part is, since he is sharing HAPPY memories I tend to reminisce about my own happy childhood memories (no bad ones).
Wheaton has a way of bringing back my own memories of childhood by telling stories of his childhood. And the best part is, since he is sharing HAPPY memories I tend to reminisce about my own happy childhood memories (no bad ones).
May 19, 2008
Its a short book of recollections of his childhood, his family and his experiences working on Star Trek. His stories are funny and his senese of humor about his life is really amusing to read, particularly his interactions with his stepsons. The entires were taken from his blog. He has a few other books published as well, Just a Geek, and he’s collaborated on a few comic books and mangas. He has some fiction work pending in the next couple of years, including a wholly original comic book. I can’t wait to see what he puts out there.
November 9, 2010
This is a collection of Wil's blog entries. I actually read the Subterranean edition, which contains some extra commentary by Wil. I'm not sure if it contains more stories or not.
I took my time reading this one. It was nice, you can read a chapter, put it down for a while, and come back later to a new story. Wil is a wonderful story teller. Some of the stories are about his childhood, others his Star Trek past, and my favorites are the ones that center around his family. While I borrowed this one from the library, I plan on buying it because I liked it so much.
I took my time reading this one. It was nice, you can read a chapter, put it down for a while, and come back later to a new story. Wil is a wonderful story teller. Some of the stories are about his childhood, others his Star Trek past, and my favorites are the ones that center around his family. While I borrowed this one from the library, I plan on buying it because I liked it so much.
May 18, 2010
I'll have the fancy-schmancy Subterranean Press edition, expanded from the version Wil released himself, to include additional essays, and a photo section. And it's signed. Neener neener neener.
***
This came in the mail two days after I met the amazing Mr. Wheaton at PAX East.
Check out his blog at www.wilwheaton.typepad.com to see how fantastic his writing is, then buy his books. Support the geeks!
***
This came in the mail two days after I met the amazing Mr. Wheaton at PAX East.
Check out his blog at www.wilwheaton.typepad.com to see how fantastic his writing is, then buy his books. Support the geeks!
June 12, 2010
I sat down an hour ago and started this book, not intending to read it straight through, but that's what happened. I got sucked into Wil's wonderful world of wonderings/memories/blog entries. His recollections of growing up in the Star Wars action figures era made me laugh, cry, and think back on my own childhood. The guy's got a great, warm, charming writing style. Can't wait to read more of his stuff, and maybe someday I'll meet him at a geeky convention of some sort.
November 17, 2009
I started reading this book right after Phx Comicon 2009...I read through "let go- a requiem for Felix the Bear". It broke my heart as I had just lost my own cat to illness. I put the book down.
Even in picking it back up, seeing the last page of the Felix story caused me to tear up slightly, but I focused on the next story and kept going.
It's an awesome book and definitely worth a read, especially if you have even an ounce of geek in you.
Even in picking it back up, seeing the last page of the Felix story caused me to tear up slightly, but I focused on the next story and kept going.
It's an awesome book and definitely worth a read, especially if you have even an ounce of geek in you.
May 29, 2010
Like his other books, The Happiest Days of Our Lives is a collection of stories from his blog. Short ones, long ones, and in between length ones. Wil Wheaton writes in such a way that despite the fact that he's simply writing stories about himself and his family, you genuinely care about Anne, Ryan, and Nolan. I look forward to whatever it is Wil Wheaton has on the go.
December 29, 2008
So cute! There's a lot about Wil's childhood, some amusing anecdotes about him making fun of Patrick Stewart's car, and some rather sweet (almost quite 'emo') moments of his as a father. I highly recommend this one.
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