The Happiest Days of Our Lives 149
If you've ever read Wil Wheaton's blog (clevernickname to us), you know he's not afraid to put everything on the table. One of the things I've always admired about his writing is his willingness to talk about his kids. On the internet. With ... people. Despite the obvious problems that could cause, Wil has been sharing anecdotes about his adventures in parenting since the early days of WWDN. His newest book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, talks about growing up geek and what it means to be a nerd and a father at the same time. Read on for my review.
| The Happiest Days of Our Lives | |
| author | Wil Wheaton |
| pages | 136 |
| publisher | Monolith Press |
| rating | 8/10 |
| reviewer | Zonk |
| ISBN | 0974116017 |
| summary | Wil Wheaton's recollections of growing up, and parenting, as a nerd. |
That the bones of the book's content comes directly from Wil's website shouldn't distract you. Whether you've been a reader all along (and might recognize some of these stories) or not, they've all been expanded and clarified for inclusion in the book. That clarification is something that comes across very strongly in Happiest Days, especially if you have read any of his previous work. Wil has put a great deal of work into the craft of writing over the past few years, and it shows. Some three years have passed since his sophomore effort in Just a Geek, and even more since Dancing Barefoot.
Where once it seemed as though Wil had something to prove in his writing - that he was over showbiz, that he was over Star Trek - Happiest Days is full of simple stories. The day he bought a Lando Calrissian action figure essentially by mistake, a simple outing for ice cream with his sons; they're everyday events but artfully told. In total he has about thirteen short tales in the chapbook-sized novel, ranging from just two pages long to a few dozen.
Some of his most evocative stories (and the reason this review is here) are all about Wil's growth as a nerdling. The most evocative for me was the chapter 'a portrait of the artist as a young geek', which details Wil's introduction to tabletop roleplaying. From his first brush with the infamous 'red box' D&D set at Christmas 1983, to his experience teaching his kids how to roll up characters under the 3.0 rulesset, the story reminds me (and may remind you) of a D6-laden past.
And really, that's what Wil makes this a book about. It's about his own past, his troubles, his triumphs, but in reality this is meant to be a book that reaches out to you as a reader. If you see something of yourself in the kid who agonized in the toy aisle, if you see something of yourself in the dad who argues with his kids over the radio station (and rocks out to 80s synth-pop), then the purpose of the Happiest Days has been fulfilled. Or at least, as I see it.
And, of course, if you like Wil's discussion of Star Trek there's some elements of that there as well. The difference, again, is that instead of pining for Trek itself, Wil reminisces about the impact Trek has had upon him. Great experiences talking like adults with Jonathan Frakes, the chance to speak to Ron Moore backstage at a con, and the recording of a documentary are what makes for stories from Wil in the here and now.
Probably the book's strongest element is also its biggest drawback. Wil's vicious editing and strong prose makes for an incredibly short book. The amount of story and emotion packed into the bare 136 pages is impressive. But ... it's still just 136 pages. And for $20, that seems a bit steep. For me, though, it was worth it to support an author that's been a pleasure to watch grow over the last several years. From blogger to published writer, Wil Wheaton's journey is laid out in miniature in the pages of Happiest Days. With the sour taste of Just a Geek washed out of his mouth, my hope is that we'll see more long-form work from Wheaton in the future. In the meantime this is a worthy 'sequel' to Dancing Barefoot, and well worth a look by fans of the well-placed word.
You can purchase The Happiest Days of Our Lives from Monolith Press. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Really very good (Score:4, Interesting)
The one thing I'm hoping for is a work of fiction next... I know it's an extra-daunting task, but I'm sure it'd kick ass.
Re:Really very good (Score:4, Interesting)
For me, I can't write about my life without collapsing into a puddle of trembling self-doubt, but I can make stuff up about invented people without breaking a sweat. I wonder if your talent in that area stems from being an actor, and being more comfortable "putting yourself out there".
Very much looking forward to your short story! Good luck with the 300!
Re:Really very good (Score:5, Interesting)
It's the exact opposite for me, or at least it has been to this point. When I write narrative non-fiction, I know the whole story arc and all the characters, because I've experienced it all firsthand already. All I do is try my best to recreate as vividly and simply as possible what's already happened. To be honest, though, I'm starting to get bored telling stories about my own life, and if I'm getting bored with it, the audience can't be far behind (if they haven't gotten there ahead of me.) So now it's time to focus on writing fiction, which is sort of like moving from the outfield to third base for me.
Until recently, when I've sat down to write fiction, I've gotten tremendous performance anxiety about creating something almost entirely out of whole cloth. I've felt like, "Hey, look at me! I. Am. A. Writer. I. Am. Writing. Now." (That works if you say each word out loud and make exaggerated typing motions with your hands, and use a dumb guy voice.) I'm still not entirely over that self-consciousness, but it's getting easier with each attempt. I think the key for me (at least right now -- I'm still at that point where it's easy to level up quickly) is coming up with a beginning and an ending, and using a couple of characters I care about to tie them together. The real trick is not being afraid to suck, because it's easier to fix something that sucks than it is to fill a blank page.
A Great Geek Read (Score:2, Interesting)
I enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps this was partly because I grew up in the town neighboring his so those stories had extra meaning to me. However, I think any geek will enjoy it, as someone else said in the comments, he's "one of us".
My formal review is on my blog: http://www.offlinetshirts.com/blog/index.php/2007/11/20/book-review-happiest-days-of-our-lives/ [offlinetshirts.com]
As a disclaimer, I must admit to having met Wil in person and to getting my copy for free (which was a very cool surprise).
Re:What "obvious problems"? (Score:3, Interesting)
I will state that if a person (whether it be you or Wil Wheaton) writes about their kids, then they should discuss this with their children first and get their permission. Otherwise it is just gossip, whether it be written or oral in nature. If one wants to talk about their kids while at the same time protecting their anonymity, then this would be acceptable to me.
People should have etiquette and show respect for their children. In respects to the original poster:
D6? Oh please. (Score:2, Interesting)
D6?? I associate D6 with Monopoly and Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone Fighting Fantasy [wikipedia.org] books, not D&D. I think I still have my d20 (if I can still call it that without getting permission from Hasbro ;P) from my first edition of D&D.
...+1 Pedantic nerd?