Brent Spiner

This book was ridiculous, zany, and a riotous good time. Taking place in the in the 1991 heyday of the filming of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it blurs the line between truth and fiction, combining completely outlandish noir tropes and events (sexy mystery twins!) with possible, but too-dramatic-to-be-believed situations (gun play! multiple, competing stalkers!), hilarious statements from and "facts" about Spiner's fellow Star Trek castmates, and true details about the year's events, the show more work of making a TV show, and Spiner's life and childhood. It's faithful to the noir and mystery genres while being very, very funny. show less

WHAT'S FAN FICTION ABOUT?
During the filming of Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Brent Spiner starts receiving threatening (and disturbing) packages and letters delivered to his trailer. They're purportedly from "Lal" (Data's daughter from episode 3.16 "The Offspring").

Those aren't the only interesting letters he's receiving, there are also a series of letters from someone claiming to speak to Spiner on the phone at night while her husband is out of town on business. These show more conversations are apparently quite graphic and sexual in nature, while the letters that are in response to them are very benign, and maybe a little tragic.

Spiner gets help from the LAPD, the FBI, a personal bodyguard, and fictionalized versions of his ST:TNG costars as the threats increase in intensity. This assistance bounces from comical to incredibly effective, while Spiner's worry and stress (and increasing lack of sleep) start to spiral out of control and his grasp on sanity starts to slip.

FAN CONNECTION
When it comes to his stalker, the late-night phone call recipient, a law enforcement officer/would-be-TV-writer, a pizza delivery man—and a few others, the relationship between fan and performer is clearly unhealthy.

But throughout there is a thread of meaningful connections being made through Spiner's performance to the audience. There were a couple of really sweet moments we see because of this—in the midst of the satiric madness, they really ground the work and help you remember that Spiner was more than someone suffering from a sleep-deprived paranoia.

I'M LIKELY TO BE THE ONLY ONE BOTHERED BY THIS, BUT...
We spend a lot of time with ST:TNG and have references to other parts of Spiner's career before that, but not one single nod to Bob Wheeler?

That's the role that made me a fan of Spiner—probably would've found another 1/2 Star or so if there'd been a quality joke about him.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FAN FICTION?
I don't remember the last time I had this much fun reading a book—it was just a blast. I laughed and/or chuckled frequently, cringed a couple of times (in a good way), and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

That starts with the characters: Spiner's antics and reactions to his situation were great. The comically-exaggerated versions of the ST:TNG cast were fantastic—I wouldn't mind reading a series of Spiner's adventures just to see those again. The Bodyguard and FBI officer rounded out the cast of characters in an entertaining way that also provided the lethal abilities required to keep Spiner alive in the face of the threat.

The stalker's actions in other settings would be hair-raising and chilling—but given the comic tone, they become ridiculous. And you can't wait to see what extreme "Lal" will go to next.

Spiner's humanity (depicted as very flawed) shines through in the midst of the madness. When that's combined with the heartwarming fan connections, they make this surprisingly sweet as much as it is comically dark. All in all, a real winner.

Fans of Star Trek or Hollywood satires need to get their hands on it. show less

When I was fourteen I decided it was time to give up my addiction and turn my life around.

I committed to giving up television.

I was a TV addict. I started with Romper Room and Howdy Doody and went on to the Mickey Mouse Club and Sky King and Lassie. By the time I was nine, Twilight Zone was my can’t miss show. I watched Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Man From Uncle. When I turned eleven I discovered classic movies on Bill Kennedy Showtime.

I needed an intervention. I gave up the sitcoms show more I watched with my little brother, with witches and genies and prison camps with inept Nazis. I gave up the late night movies with Mom. But one thing I did not give up was a new television show called Star Trek.

Yes, I am a Trekkie. I watched Star Trek with my mom. I watched all the subsequent Star Trek series, including the new ones on cable, and all the movies. My husband is a Trekkie. My son was raised a Trekkie. (Somewhere, stored in the basement is his Data figurine, along with the rest of the crew.)

How could I resist reading Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner, who played the android Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation? It is set in 1989 during the production of the series.

It is hilarious. It is an insider’s look at fame. It features the Star Trek actors. It’s a mystery.

I enjoy dipping into a book that is pure entertainment in between heavier reads. This one had me laughing constantly. What more could I ask for? We don’t know what is fact and what is fictionalized for zany comedy, but a few things struck me as honest.

About the cast of TNG, Spiner writes, “The long hours and repetitive work either forge lifelong mates or create bitter enemies.” Spiner makes it clear that the cast had great friendships.

The ordeal of turning “a Texas Jew into an android from Omicron Theta” involved lots of gold makeup that wrecked havoc on his skin and floated onto the contacts and obscured his vision.

“Most of my family has been a part of the [family] business,” he explains, but he “was much more attracted to being a starving actor and facing a daily wall of rejection.”

The novel is a humorous retelling of his early career and life on TNG, with the ‘noir’ of the ‘mem-noir’ being central to the plot. Spiner receives death threats from someone who calls herself his daughter Lal, based on one of the episodes where Data creates an android daughter. He enlists the help of Cindy Lou, a detective, and her twin sister Candy as his hired protection. This turns into a complicated romantic triangle. Suspects include a fan who believes is making racy calls to her.

After the killer is identified and Spiner’s life returns to normal, he concludes that the episode has made him a better person and a better actor. “I’ve come to understand so much about the fear that has dominated my life,” he writes, and he advises letting our fears go and to live your life. His step-father was harsh and punitive, the foundation of his fear. Then, the deranged fan mail from Lal sent him into isolation, anticipating threats everywhere he went.

It’s good advice. Sure, we are going to die and there are forces and people out there who threaten us. But living in fear is not really living.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased. show less

Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner is a strange, comic mix of fact and fiction. It is Brent’s homage to his well meaning fans as well as a slap at the fanatics. This wild ride reads like a book written by Data on overload. Well, perhaps it was. Brent blends facts and fiction much as many of his fans. This madcap trip provides a satisfying glimpse into the darker side of Hollywood stardom through the eyes of young man who seems to lose control of his own life, as for millions of fans he takes on show more the role of a fictional character. This quizzical, thoroughly enjoyable romp was provided by St. Martin’s Press for review. show less