Memories of the Future - Volume 1

In 2006 Wil Wheaton was hired to write humorous reviews of Star Trek: The Next Generation for TVSquad. Unfortunately the gig fell through before all the reviews for the first season were published. What's a guy to do? Publish them as a book, of course!

Wheaton brings his own perspective as a cast member and fan of ST:TNG to bear on the episodes, as well as his unique voice as a writer. The result a humorous look back at the rocky beginnings of the show. (The book covers the first half of the first season; since this is marked as "Volume 1," we can assume that future books will cover more episodes.) Each episode gets a synopsis, a piece of notable dialog, some fun technobabble, a behind-the-scenes memory and an overall grade.

Wheaton show more doesn't pull any punches on either the poor production (writers and directors are particularly in his sights) or his own portrayal of young Wesley Crusher, and his behind-the-scenes memories say a lot about the pressure those involved in show were under to live up to the Original Series. As Wheaton points out, however, his criticism is tempered with great affection, and he is quick to point out the glimpses of brilliance that would come to fruition two seasons later.

One note: this book is definitely NSFW due to language and "adult situations." That aside, it's a fun look back at the early days of what became the greatest sci-fi show of the 90s. I can't recommend it enough to any fan of ST:TNG.

N.B.: If you'd like to "try before you buy," Wheaton is releasing excerpts from each episode as podcasts: http://memoriesofthefuturecast.com/ show less

Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation and therefore provides a unique perspective into the episodes of the program. This volume covers the first half of the first season. Each chapter is one episode and includes an "episode summary," "quotable dialogue," "obligatory technobabble," and "behind the scenes memory." These articles started out life on the TV Squad website but when funding went under, Wheaton realized he still wanted to write these articles, which are full of snark and tend to be fairly critical of the writers on the show. More on that later.

I first read the articles on TV Squad and then listened to Wheaton's Memories of the Futurecast where he read each article in a podcast format. That had the show more benefit of him occasionally adding some extra tidbit of behind the scenes memory. Later, when the book was published I decided to watch each episode and then read the corresponding chapter. This was an awesome plan: I haven't seen some of these episodes in about 15 years, so even though I sometimes recalled the plot from the podcast episodes, they were still fresh to me. Reading the book this way meant that the episodes were still at the forefront of my mind as I read each chapter, which made for greater impact in understanding the failings that Wheaton pointed out as well as sharing with him those sweet moments of a great scene.

Do not mistake this as a tell-all book about his experiences on the set. That's not the point of this book, but rather to have a look at each episode and poke a bit of fun at it. The fact is that most of these episodes suck. As a fan I still enjoy even those that aren't so good, just for the nostalgia, and Wheaton often puts the snark on hold to point out that a particular scene is very good or very well-handled by the actors given the crappy dialogue, etc. Despite the general poor quality of these episodes, Wheaton's jokes and perspective make the book highly enjoyable, i.e. we can laugh at the bad episodes because we know the show will get better. Next Generation fans will definitely find something to enjoy in this book, and then they will join me in my impatience for the next volume. show less

When I first obtained my copy, I shook it a bit disappointedly and thought - gee, it's kind of thin. I read the first episode recap, and thought - ok, that was mildly amusing, but I feel a little disappointed. By the time I read the second, I was smiling, and at the fourth, I had to put the book away because I was in public and the unstoppable laughter was causing people to back rapidly away from me.

Memories of the Future is a series of snarky, funny episode recaps cum criticisms of episodes from the first season of Star Trek: the Next Generation by Wil Wheaton. If you loved that show, chances are, you'll love the book too. Wheaton doesn't back away from pointing out how completely ridiculous much of the show really was - but interlaces show more it with moments of admiration and appreciation for his fellow actors and intelligent criticism that keep the pace interesting. If you're the kind of geek who loves The Simpsons (inside references laced throughout), vintage comedy, gaming, and other nonsense, this book is for you. Also possibly good for those who don't care for Star Trek and want someone to have done the mockery work for them.

I can't wait until the next one comes out. show less

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed so much while reading Memories of the Future, more than I have for any other book in recent memory.

The episode recaps are the real stars of the book, and I would often stop to read a particularly hilarious passage out loud to my girlfriend. However, this isn't just a book of condensed snark; Wheaton's love of Star Trek TNG comes through on every page. His profound respect for his fellow actors, and his affection for what the show will become gives the recaps a humane quality. As a result, the snarky episode recaps, feel less like a nasty internet posting (the natural habitat of undiluted snark), and more like the playful ribbing of a friend at the dinner table, while reminiscing about that show more embarrassing event that everyone had to go through back in high school.

It's a great book, but I do have a tiny niggling complaint. There's a lot of references in the recaps to later episodes by their title, which I wouldn't mind if the recaps of those episodes were in the same volume, however a few of them are slated for volume two, and since I don't have the 1st season of TNG around the house to figure out what Wheaton's referring to, I felt left out of a joke that probably won't make sense to me until the second volume comes out (soon, I hope).

There were also a couple episodes where Wheaton didn't actually recall anything from behind the scenes, so for those entries the "Behind the Scenes Memory" section would be a little weak.

To sum up: I loved this book and can't wait for volume two. However, I knock off one star for the two small complaints I mention because I am a bit of a prick despite Wil Wheaton's sage advice: "Don't be a dick!" show less

Wil Wheaton reviews the first half of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He writes a summary of each episode, infused with his memories and insider view of what was going on at the time.It's very interesting, insightful, and incredibly funny. And I hope he'll keep going and review all of the episodes.My problem with it that reduces it a star is that he's really down on Wesley and makes jokes like 'and all fans everywhere gave a cheer' when Wesley's killed or told to shut up, or whatever. And once or twice is fine, but he keeps doing it. And I was one fan who was not annoyed by Wesley Crusher. He was one of my favorite characters.My more rambling thoughts on this book are up at Triple Take -- show more target="_top">http://www.flaminggeeks.com/tripletake show less

An entertaining review of the first half of the first season of TNG (and *total* snarkfest). As Wil's synopses show, many of the episodes have not stood the test of time even when the writing wasn't decidedly ropey to begin with... Relive: Wesley's sweaters! Troi not doing much! ("Pain! Pain!") Annoyingly precocious Wesley! 80s hair! Annoyingly precocious Wesley! Wearing sweaters! Wil's love for the series is clear and the fact that he doesn't approach it from a perspective of everyone involved being infallible is quite refreshing.

This is a compendium of reviews of the first half of season 1 of Star Trek: Next Generation by Wil Wheaton. I take it that no volume 2 is forthcoming as volume 1 was published 4 years ago. Each episode gets a recap, some quotable dialog, Wheaton's personal memories of filming, and a critical "bottom line" for the episode.

I think that Wheaton is at his best when he is direct and airing his own views, and not writing so that he will be "liked" by all his fans. (I understand where his impulse comes from, but it really isn't his best work.) The recaps are snarky, but often feel forced; his pop culture references are sometimes non sequitors and date the book unnecessarily (especially considering that TNG aired over 20 years ago). By far the show more best parts of the reviews are his recollections and reflections, which are entertaining and thoughtful. A modest and mostly entertaining book. show less