Just a Geek Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life Love & Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise

Wil Wheaton has never been one to take the conventional path to success. Despite early stardom through his childhood role in the motion picture Stand By Me, and growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil left Hollywood in pursuit of happiness, purpose, and a viable means of paying the bills. In the oddest of places, Topeka, Kansas, Wil discovered that despite his claims to fame, he was at heart Just a Geek.

In this, his newest book, Wil shares his deeply personal and difficult journey to find himself. You'll understand the rigors, and joys, of Wil's rediscovering of himself, as he comes to terms with what it means to be famous, or, ironically, famous for once having been famous. Writing with honesty and disarming humanity, Wil touches on the frustrations associated with his acting career, his inability to distance himself from Ensign Crusher in the public's eyes, the launch of his incredibly successful web site, wilwheaton.net, and the joy he's found in writing. Through all of this, Wil shares the ups and downs he encountered along the journey, along with the support and love he discovered from his friends and family.

The stories in Just a Geek include:

• Wil's plunge from teen star to struggling actor
• Discovering the joys of HTML, blogging, Linux, and web design
• The struggle between Wesley Crusher, Starfleet ensign, and Wil Wheaton, author and blogger
• Gut-wrenching reactions to the 9-11 disaster
• Moving tales of Wil's relationships with his wife, step-children, and extended family
• The transition from a B-list actor to an A-list author

Wil Wheaton — celebrity, blogger, and geek — writes for the geek in all of us. Engaging, witty, and pleasantly self-deprecating, Just a Geek will surprise you and make you laugh.

From the author of Dancing Barefoot — blogger, geek, and Star Trek: The Next Generation's Wesley Crusher — comes his own personal story, to be promoted in both traditional "geek" and entertainment and sci-fi circles.

Wil Wheaton may be one of the most unusual celebrities of our time. Born into stardom with the movie "Stand By Me", and then growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Wil was in the spotlight nearly his entire childhood. Instead of burning out as a child star, he left fame behind and became a computer specialist in what Hollywood might consider the middle of nowhere: Topeka, Kansas. Now, Wil considers himself "just a geek", and both Dancing Barefoot and the forthcoming biography Just a Geek are about his journey in rediscovering himself and coming to terms with what it means to be famous, or, ironically, famous for being previously famous.

Foreword
A Note to the Reader
Introduction: This Monkey's Gone to Heaven
ACT I
one. Where's My Burrito?
two. WIL WHEATON dot NET
three. SpongeBobVega$ Pants
BREAKING NEWS
The World Has Turned
ACT II
four. Stop Me if You Think That You've Heard This One Before
five. Last Place You Look
six. Balance
ACT III
seven. A Sort of Homecoming
eight. April's Fool
nine. Alone Again, or...
ten. "You're Gonna Be a Great Writer Someday, Gordie"
ACT IV
eleven. The Wesley Dialogues
twelve. All Good Things...
epilogue. Hooters 2: Electric Boogaloo
appendix a. The WWdN FAQ
appendix b. Selected Interviews
Acknowledgments
Further Reading