
Member Reviews

Fan Fiction is a fun play on the expectations of what we think a TV start with a passionate and nerdy fan base must be like. Spiner does a great job capturing a madcap version of his life, with great cameos by Patrick Stewart and other costars. Go for the audiobook, with his and their actual voices, for an added treat. Very funny caper. |

I just can't finish Fan Fiction. I thought it would be clever and enjoyable, but this feels like some self-indulgent white male mid life crisis, complete with an obsession with sex with attractive younger women who are twins and descriptions of drug use. the mystery is middling. the humor is lackluster. Spiner, as portrayed by himself, comes across self-absorbed and difficult to like. the Star Trek content is not enough to make finishing reading this mess worthwhile. Sir Patrick Stewart would never. |

Wow! Being a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation and also a voracious reader, it was logical that when I saw a book written by Brent Spiner I would want to read it. And it was lucky, since it has made me spend several of the most pleasant hours that I have dedicated to reading this year! Fan Fiction is a story full of humor, written in an agile, sharp and light way, which deals with a topic that is completely unknown to the common person: bullying by fans. As a great and sensational bonus, the book includes among its characters, the most beloved actors of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, among others. A great read, taking readers ad astra per librum. I recommend it to readers both from the United Federation of Planets and from any other galaxy. I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry: I'm a trekkie, ok? I want to thank Mr. Spiner, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book. |

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here. |

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own. Having not watched Star Trek very much (yes, I know I am in the minority) and only hearing about him when he made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory, I was dying to read this book. Like some others, this memoir was written in the unconventional yet brilliant style in the point of view of a fan while Brent Spiner was uncovering the nitty gritty details of all that has happened on screen and off screen. It was a thrill yet a joy to read this book and learn all about Brent Spiner without watching any episodes of Start Trek: The Next Generation. if you have not watched the show, you'll watch the show now after reading this book. This book also includes forwards and excerpts from Lavar Burton and I just thought he did Reading Rainbow. Learning new things is what I love about reading books no matter the content of subject matter even if it's Star Trek. A personal, in-depth look into the life of Brent Spiner on screen and off screen. He is not just Lt. Data. This book deserves 5 stars. |

I didn't actually finish this book, and not entirely sure why. I'm definitely a fan of Brent Spiner and Star Trek. The book itself, though, just didn't work for me - undoubtably due to pandemic angst. Will try again sometime later. |

I didn't like this as much as I had hoped. I watched STNG and this sounded like a lot of fun. But it was a little too weird for me. And my favorite genre is weird. This one just seemed to go "out there" in really odd ways. |

Fan Fiction is a funny, often punny, fannish modern mystery with memoir overtones by Brent Spiner. Released 5th Oct 2021 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook format (paperback out in Oct 2022). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. This is such a trippy blend of fictionalized memoir and could-have-happened and is genuinely funny a lot of the time. There's a mystery subplot alongside the general reminiscence and interaction and dialogue between the cast of Star Trek: TNG (for people who stumbled into the book without much introduction, the author is also the actor who brought the android Data to the series, movies, video games, and spinoffs). The unabridged enhanced audiobook has a run time of 6 hours and 53 minutes and is capably narrated by the author himself alongside many of his fellow former cast members voicing themselves. I particularly adored hearing many of my old "friends" including Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, and of course, LeVar Burton (I admit I squealed like the middle-aged fangirl I am). The sound and production quality was very high throughout. I highly recommend the audiobook. It's often genuinely funny and well written. Mr. Spiner has a talent for comedic timing. Four stars, Five for the audiobook. Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. |

This Trekkie thanks Brent Spiner for his love letter, memoir/autobiographical story. I am not as obsessed as some of his deranged fans, although me and mine are watching the Picard series right now. Just a fun, fun read. PS: The audio book is read by the real actors from the show. My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. |

This book was definitely an experience, but it wasn’t one that I could really enjoy or connect to. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was not quite it. I know I sound very vague, but honestly, I’m still not sure how to describe this. I would recommend that people try it out for themselves, if they’re interested to read a story that focuses on an actor dealing with obsessive fans in a mystery setting. |

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel. Love Data on Star Trek, so figured this would be an interesting read. It just wasn't for me. I think I was figuring it would be like the Star Trek books I used to read, but it's not. I'm really not sure what genre to even classify it. Take a chance, you might love it. Just wasn't my cup of tea. |

This was an interesting read. I highly recommend to fans of the genre and to Brent Spinner fans. Will be purchasing. |

I really wanted to like this book but just couldn't. Die-hard Star Trek fans will enjoy looking for easter eggs of truth, but the plot reads like a mid-life crisis dream fantasy in parts. If you aren't going to be interested in one of the main plotlines focused on trying to date attractive, identical twin sisters, then this one probably isn't for you. |

This is an entertaining mash-up of autobiography, mystery, and on set memoir. Spiner has a subtle and almost whimsical sense of humor that, coupled with a self-deprecating style, both charms and amuses. |

What does Data, a set of twins, a crazy fan, and several very weird relationships have to do with Bret Spiner? I could just say, read the book and find out, but I won't. Unless you lived under a rock during the 1980s-1990's, you would know that Brent Spiner was Data, the android on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Fan Fiction is set during the time Brent was playing Data and involves his daughter, Lal, threatening notes, strange packages, identical twins, the cast and crew of and a delve into the insecurities that have plagued Brent Spiner his whole life. The subtitle claims that it was inspired by true events and this being Hollywood, I can believe it. So if you are prepared to delve into the life of an actor, take the plunge and enjoy the ride! |

I was really excited for this one, but it wasn't what I expected. Mostly I couldn't tell what was real. I could tell when something was overtly fake, but blurring the lines between fact and fiction didn't enhance the story. Most of the point seemed to be "Brent Spiner is NOT Data and subverting that characterization at every possible turn. |

It's odd to write fan fiction about yourself. And it's creepy to include so many sex scenes. But hey, you do you Mr. Data. As a mystery, this is only passable. Not great. Not good. But not horrible. The killer is introduced early in the book, but solving the mystery is done off-stage. Two pages of action at the end sews up all plotlines very neatly. As Star Trek TNG fanfiction, it's pretty good. I'm very thankful Spriner was self-aware enough to recognize how weird this book endeavor was. Cuz it's a little odd. The writing is what saves it: clever wordplay and over-the-top characters reminiscent of any hard-boiled noir. I especially liked LaVar Burton's character as a woo woo sage burning, crystal enthusiast. Not sure if this is a true telling or made up for dramatic effect. Either way, well done! I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. |

One day Brent Spiner receives a package at work that begins series of events resulting in the entrance of an FBI agent and her twin sister as well as a couple of deaths. The title is perfect for this book. It reads like fan fiction and is just as crazy as most. It was an okay read but nothing great. This is a book you pick up when you need fun, quick non-romantic beach read. |

Don't you always wonder how celebrities deal with fans? This novel takes the real-life situation of Spiner's role as data onStar Trek as the starting point for the novel. Although the main plot involves stalking on the part of a couple of possibly deranged fans, many of the folks the author meets are fans of various kinds. It makes for a delightfully humorous novel. |

I was granted eARC access to Fan Fiction via NetGalley but unfortunately ran out of time to review it before publication. Unfortunately, that it, for the publisher, but as it turns out quite fortunately for me. Since it was already out when I got around to it I was free to borrow the audiobook version from my library and I regret nothing! Fan Fiction is a stalker-flavoured thriller by actor Brent Spiner of Star Trek fame (and yes that's why I picked it up in the first place!) and although it's not entirely true, Brent has borrowed a lot from his real experiences working on Trek sets over the years. A stalker who has taken on the persona of Lal, Data's daughter from Next Generation's 16th episode, The Offspring, is sending Data's actor Brent all sorts of... "interesting" fan mail. Some of it's rather stinky. Most of it is ominous and threatening. When things just keep on getting ever more "interesting" to the point that the CIA get involved, Brent finds himself in a love triangle between his case agent and his new personal bodyguard, who happen to be twins. I sincerely think that the lower-starred reviews on this title are from people who were under the false impression that this was a factual autobiography or who couldn't handle the over-the-top love triangle. Everything about this story is over-the-top and it's supposed to be. It's very tongue-in-cheek. It's Brent having a good laugh at himself and his Trek friends while he writes the sort of detective thriller his character would have both revelled in and been utterly perplexed by had it been a holo-novel (revelled in the mystery, perplexed by the romance.) I am so glad I decided to borrow the audiobook in order to get this review done because Brent Spiner himself narrates it with guest contribution by most of the cast members he worked into the story. This Trekkie is so happy! This Trekkie will also be re-borrowing the audiobook over Christmas to give it a second listen along with her Trekkie mother. I find myself wondering how early in this process did Brent approach everyone else about the narration and whether or not fictionalized Wil Wheaton was really left out of the cast meeting because he was too young (or to play into the "Shutup Wesley" meme) or if the real Wil Wheaton wasn't going available to record lines and got written out in the early stages. If you're a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation and you're up for a fun thriller that doesn't take itself seriously, this is the ideal book for you, and I highly recommend the audiobook in particular. |