I’m really not sure what to say about this book… I did not enjoy it. I think I know what Brent Spiner was trying to do with this, but it just did not work for me. You can certainly tell that it’s written by an old-ish white dude, and while noir can be misogynistic/sexist, one written today really shouldn’t be. It wasn’t overly bad, but there were definitely some icky bits about women and mental health/addiction.
I was really disappointed that it wasn’t better. I’ve loved Star Trek forever and I had really hoped for more.

Ever been in the mood to read something different....something a bit off the usual beaten genre path? When I read the blurb for this book by Brent Spiner I was in that mood. I needed a bit of a genre palate cleanser....something odd....something wacky.....

And Spiner delivered just what I needed!

I read the first portion of this book in digital ARC format, then switched to the audio book. The story was fun to read ..... but even more fun having Brent Spiner read this tale of fame gone wrong. Had I not realized this tale was fictionalized to make it more entertaining, I would have been alarmed at the story. A stalker. Weird notes. Gross things in boxes. Fear. Body guards. STNG fans don't like to think about one of their fav actors being stalked by a wackadoo. But.....this book isn't alarming.....it's entertaining, witty and funny. And exactly what I expected from Mr. Spiner. I kept seeing the joyful look on his face in that episode of Big Bang Theory when he pulls open Sheldon Cooper's mint-in-package Wesley Crusher action figure saying "Remember how we used to make these things look like they were masturbating?'' LMAO. I laughed my way through this entire book.

I highly recommend this book / audio book for any Star Trek fan who doesn't take things too seriously. There's some great moments for Trek fans, but more of Brent Spiner just having fun telling a story. Just go with it.....

It's an easy reading or listening length. The audio is just short of 7 hours long and mostly narrated by Spiner, with drop-ins from fellow Star Trek actors and other familiar folks.

Fun, entertaining....and very very different. Loved it! It was nice to see Data finally get that android cob out of his butt... ha ha

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book (and listened to the audiobook). All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Quite the entertaining read! I know what my husband is getting for Christmas!

I am a Data fan and Brent Spiner as an actor. If the story he has written here is true, it’s amazing he wasn’t in a psych ward.

Even if you have no idea who Data or Brent Spiner is, you’ll still enjoy this story.

This is a very interesting mix of thriller and autobiography. Brent Spiner starts out by writing about how he got his acting career started, then it starts to go into what's truth and what's fiction territory with a tale of a fan stalking and threatening the actor during his days acting as Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's a story of obsession and how heavy a burden it places on the person at the center of it. You also get some fun insights into what it means to work in a legendary backlot on a popular series with a cast that is (seemingly) very close-knit and supportive.
I admit to spending a large part of the book wondering what parts of the story are true and what parts are pure fiction, and that question is a big part of why I enjoyed it. There's a little thrill of getting a behind-the-scenes look at a pop-culture classic that combines perfectly well with the I-can't-believe-it feeling of the actions of the stalker and those who are supposed to be protecting Spiner take.
The writing isn't particularly noteworthy, but it's also some of the best I've read from a celebrity. Spiner has a solid 'voice' and handles plot progression and character development well.
Overall, it's a good read and one that I'm sure bigger Star Trek fans than I will definitely get a kick out of.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the fun read!

One day on the Star Trek: The Next Generation set, Brent Spiner gets some fan mail that is pretty disturbing - a severed male pig part and a disturbing letter from Lal, Data’s daughter. As Lal’s threats intensify he turns to various people for help in tracking down the deranged fan while also lusting after both the gorgeous FBI agent assigned to his case and her identical twin sister who is a bodyguard. Throw in a screenplay writing detective, a mail room clerk with aspirations of being an agent as well as members of the cast and the stage is set for an interesting story.

I picked this up because of Spiner’s name and my love of all things Star Trek. Part autobiography (apparently) there are demonstrably true life events described - such as the announcement of Roddenberry’s death - and those one hopes were true such as the encounter Spiner has at the cemetery with two fans during Roddenberry’s funeral. And part fiction with the story of an obsessed and homicidal fan creating the setting for large chunks of retrospective anecdotes from Spiner’s childhood relationship with his stepfather and early pre-Star Trek life this is very much a celebrity fan fiction tale. This is very much a first person story told exclusively from Spiner’s point of view as every scene involves him center stage. If you are expecting a lot of tidbits involving the rest of the cast those are not here, the rest of the cast make very minor appearances in this tale. If Data or Brent Spiner were your favorites on the show then this, fiction as it is, may give some insight into the man, though not really any insight in to the character. If you are looking for a real understanding of the “phenomenon of Fandom,” I personally do not see a “love letter” and the closest any scenario comes to a real understanding is the, one hopes, real scene of the two fans in the cemetery just before Roddenberry’s funeral. Overall, not a bad story and one likely to sell on the strength of Spiner’s name but to my mind it would have worked much better with all fictional characters set in a totally different fandom.

What do you get when you combine an actor's experiences on a beloved TV show, a story of obsessed fans, elements of noir films, and a dash of self-deprecating humor? A fictional autobiography by Brent Spiner that still seems like a true story of Hollywood, fame, and stalkers. Appearances of his castmates and friends, icons such as Gene Rodenberry and Ronald Reagan, and totally fictional characters fill the pages with large personalities and plenty of opportunities for awkward moments and laugh-out-loud humor.

At times it seems that Spiner has turned the usual Sam Spade type mystery on its head. Brent himself is a dude in distress and the identical twins Cindy Lou and Candy Lou are the hardbitten FBI detective and bodyguard defending his life. Between the policeman who wants to be a script writer, the mailman who wants to be a talent scout, and a fan who claims to be Lal (the android daughter of Data), it is hard to be sure who anyone really is. Events swing from days on the set to appearances at conventions, funerals, and even the emergency room. Will studio security, the police, or the FBI ever discover who the stalker is and end the fear keeping him awake at night and too tense to memorize his lines?

When a guy has a fan threatening to help him into the afterlife, even lunch at Chasens with Jonathan Frakes can't lift his spirits. But the story of his troubles can entertain readers (and fans who are content to maintain a healthy distance).

I really wanted to love this and started to read it as soon as the e-arc was downloaded. I just couldn't stay with it and kept veering off to other books. I would come back, read some more, get frustrated with the oddness of it, and veer off again. I'm a big fan of odd but this was just ... it just didn't settle well. I'm a great admirer of Spiner as an actor and musician and, from what I have seen and heard, a human being in general. A novelist? I'm going to have to pass.

Brent Spiner is best known for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the android Data. During his years on the show, he had some intense fans. Now, he’s opening up about those years and telling us all about it, in a part-fictional, part-autobiographical story filled with inside views of Star Trek and Hollywood and becoming an iconic character in the minds of fans.

One day, the Paramount mail guy brings a box to Brent’s trailer as he’s removing the yellow Data makeup. The smell alone makes him worry, so he goes for backup—LeVar Burton. But even LeVar’s sage smudge stick isn’t enough to touch that, so he calls Paramount security to come and take a look. What they find is a severed pig penis, so the head of security takes that right away.

Brent is unnerved, but it’s not until he finds the letter the next day that he is truly worried. The letter—no return address, of course—is mildly threatening and signed, “Lal.” Fans of the show may recognize that name. There is an episode called “The Offspring,” where Data tries to create a child for himself. Sadly, the “child” ends up suffering systemic neural failure and cannot be saved. The fan writing this letter (and sending pig parts) thinks she is Data’s daughter and repeatedly calls him “Daddy.”

Eventually, the police get involved, and Brent meets Ortiz, the Head of Obsessives. He’s a big fan of the show, so he understands the significance of “Lal.” In fact, at the end of their meeting, he hands Brent a spec script he’s written for the show, “Ortiz and Data,” where Data time travels to modern day and solves crime with Ortiz.

But when one of the Lal letters includes a razor blade that ends up cutting a postal worker, the FBI gets involved. Agent Cindy Lou Jones shows up on Paramount’s set to talk to Brent and his co-workers about the stalker letters, and that’s how he finds out that Jonathan Frakes’ wife, legendary soap actress Genie Francis, has also received a letter from Lal.

Then Brent starts getting letters from Mrs. Loretta Gibson, who talks about the flirty phone call they shared, and he gets a mysterious phone message telling him to check with a psychiatrist in Duluth, Minnesota about the fan letters, Dr. Sandra Ogilvy from the Franklin Kurtz Mental Health Facility for Children. Brent talks to FBI agent Cindy Lou about how he’s getting worried about his safety, so she suggests a personal bodyguard, namely, her twin sister Candy Lou Jones.

As Brent tries to stay alive and navigate the strangeness that is Hollywood (the pizza delivery driver who steals a roof tile from his house, having famed neurologist Oliver Sacks suddenly appear in his trailer, embarrassing himself at the urinals of Chasen’s by saying the wrong thing to Gregory Peck, etc.), he is also dealing with nightmares that incorporate his present day situation with a time in his childhood under a physically and emotionally abusive stepfather.

As Brent’s stalker gets closer, he gets closer too, to the healing he’s been craving and the love he’s always wanted. But will they catch his stalker before she takes that future away from him?

Fan Fiction is Brent Spiner’s first novel, and it is a masterful blend of truth and fantasy. Getting to hear bits and pieces of his real life on the Star Trek set, including moments with each cast member that feel authentic and warm, is a bonus for any TNG fan, and his love of the show business comes through in each chapter. There are lots of references to old movies he loves, classic stars, and Frank Sinatra songs.

My favorite thing about this novel is the characters. Everyone is interesting, and it seems like each character is more interesting than the last. There are twists you can’t anticipate and will absolutely not see coming. But underneath the wackiness of the story, and this surprised me, was a bittersweet honesty about his personal struggles with inadequacy and childhood trauma. I’m not sure how much of that was true, but it reads as being believable to the main character.

This was a fun read that I couldn’t wait to dive into, and I was not disappointed. My only disappointment is that I got the book and not the audio version, which Spiner reads himself. Next time I read Fan Fiction, I will not make that same mistake. I will listen to the author read it to me as he wrote it, and I will enjoy every word.

Egalleys for Fan Fiction were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Fan Fiction is a book about Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek: TNG, written by Brent Spiner. It has a real setting and at least some real characters. It also is fiction, per its title and prologue.

Brent is being stalked by a person who represents herself as Lal, Data’s daughter on one of the show’s episodes, The Offspring. First up, a smelly pork gift. Then, increasingly threatening letters. Brent calls in the calvary: studio security, local police, the FBI, and a hired bodyguard. Complications ensue.

The plot itself is rather bland. However, it is intriguing to see the backstage life of Star Trek: TNG and television stars in general. Because I barely remember Star Trek: TNG, I did watch The Offspring episode just for some background. But that’s not necessary to enjoy the book. Overall, Fan Fiction will appeal to Trekkers and aspiring actors but not as much to mystery fans. 3 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

As the author, Brent Spiner, points out, this is not a memoir. It's a mem-noir - a fanciful whodunnit inspired by some real-life incidents. But it's not real-life. And that's a shame, because I really want to know which of the nicknames for himself and his Next Gen co-stars are really used: Dorny (Michael Dorn)? Burt (LeVar Burton)? Also, although they're obviously no longer shooting, where did they gather for drinks at the end of the week?

I found the writing to be engaging, lighthearted and entertaining. To label this 'noir' is not really that applicable, even when the fictionalized Brent is portrayed as getting a bit depressed and paranoid, it's shrouded in humor and self-deprecation. On the other hand, this is not quite the madcap adventure I had hoped for. It's not entirely over-the-top and not always funny. But it does provided a bit of mystery and diversion. Recommended for fans of Star Trek and celebrity.

I love Star Trek TNG - it was a staple of my childhood, and I still love it now. Genuinely I think it was ahead of its time, and I am very grateful I got to watch it. I am also a teenager of the late 90's/early 2000's and absolutely was of the fanfic generation. So this book was set up to win for me - and honestly it was largely really successful. It's an interesting concept, to take yourself as a real person and turn you into a fictionalized version - I think that rings true for a lot of how people observe/perceive actors in Hollywood.

The book was really well written, and was honestly a throwback to the kind of cheesy mystery books (and Star Trek episodes!) on the 90's, but with an added bonus of really sharp humor and really really subversive truth. It's ridiculous and outlandish in the best possible way - I sincerely can't tell what was real and what was fiction in some places.

This was a very unique book, and I'm very much into the Mem-noir idea - very much recommend this.

ARC received from NetGalley.

This was so disappointing. It is not in any way a memoir, just a silly story penned by an actor. The only thing that is any way tied to real life is that the story is peopled with Star Trek: Next Gen actors as side people. They are routinely portrayed as wonderful people, which I have no reason to doubt, so perhaps a true story would have been just as boring. I chose this because I assumed that Brent Spiner had probably led an interesting life. I was not expecting a tell-all, but I was led to believe that there would be some recounting of his life. There is not.

When I saw this book on Netgalley I requested it purely because of who wrote it, Brent Spiner. Of course I am a Star Trek fan, so choosing this book was a no brainer. What I wasn't expecting, was to be thoroughly entertained!

A cast of memorable Star Trek favorites, a fan that is a stalker and Brent Spiner's comedic timing made for a fast, entertaining story! 4⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Brent Spiner for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fun, funny book from a man I've loved since I first saw Star Trek: The Next Generation when I was 7 years old. The blend of memoir and fiction works well here (though I would also totally read a straight-forward memoir from Mr. Spiner. This was a quick, enjoyable read. I'm not sure how it hold up if you aren't a huge fan of Star Trek and Spiner's work, but for me, it was right in the sweet spot.

I'm a big Star Trek and Brent Spiner fan so I was excited to read this book. It just wasn't that interesting though so I just couldn't finish it. Big disappointment

This was a fun read. Although I wasn't familiar with Spiner or Star Trek, it was still enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it!

I'm a huge Star Trek and Brent Spiner fan so I was very excited to get the opportunity to read and review this book. Billed as "mem-noir,' the book is a combination of fact and fiction. I found the beginning forward to the book in which Mr. Spiner gave us a brief factual overview of his life to be interesting and entertaining. I wasn't so thrilled with the rest of the book. I'm a lover of mysteries, but I would have preferred a straight memoir, apparently. Definitely worth a read if you're a fan, but not my favorite.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St Martin's Press for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this mem-noir by Brent Spiner, or to those who live on another galaxy, Data from Star Trek. 5 absolutely hilarious stars for the most purely entertaining book I've read in a long time. However, the audiobook is an absolute must - once I started listening, I couldn't switch over to the digital copy because the narration made the book.

It's 1991 and the height of Star Trek The Next Generation, when Brent Spiner starts receiving death threats from an obsessed fan. He has to gather Paramount Security, LAPD and even the FBI to help investigate the situation. This is a look into the fandom world and how it can affect the actors.

While my husband loved the original Star Trek, we raised our boys on all of the Star Trek franchises to come - in the 1990s, it was about the only safe, family oriented, show with good values on TV and we couldn't get enough. My boys dressed as Star Trek characters every Halloween (Data, Worf and Spock) and our first email addresses were all Star Trek related. So this book satisfied all my Trek love. However, even someone not obsessed with Star Trek would love this book - it is absolutely hilarious. I listened to it while running errands and kept laughing out loud - it is just too good. Brent narrates the book with the help of all his TNG castmates which of course made it all that much better.

Do not miss this book - so hilarious! I hope this is not the last book Brent Spiner will write!

While I certainly enjoy watching the Star Trek movies and TV shows, and very much admire their philosophies, I’ve never been the kind of superfan who gets into the minutiae of the series universe. But when given the chance to review Brent Spiner’s debut novel, written in collaboration with Jeanne Darst and centering on his time as Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, I absolutely leapt at the chance. Readers, I was well rewarded, even with only my passing familiarity with the show.

For a start, this is one of the most laugh out loud funny books I’ve read in a long time. As a “mem-noir”, the novel’s narrative is based on true events, though Mr Spiner freely admits to playing fast and loose with the facts in the process of writing, often for comedic effect. Intriguingly, this playful subversion of the truth turns the story into a meta-commentary on the nature of fan fiction itself, as written by a man who lived through the incidents he’s describing but deliberately chooses to reframe them with himself not as victim but as hero, in a pulpy noir style. Granted, not even fictional Brent Spiner is as hardboiled or hyper-competent as many self-inserts might be, grounding the book in a perpetual state of pseudo-realism. Readers will constantly ask themselves “How true to life is this?” as the novel’s narrator interacts with his famous castmates in the wake of being stalked, as here where he’s discussing the situation with Sir Patrick Stewart:

QUOTE
“Yeah, it’s extremely creepy. Jesus, Patrick, I feel like I’m a character in some insane piece of fan fiction.”

“And yet, ironically, it is we who created the world this person’s imagination is currently inhabiting. We opened the door, and he or she walked right in. With all the psychodrama happening on the show, I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often. We should caution the writers to consider this going forward.”
END QUOTE

The responsibility of creators towards their fans is just one of the philosophical topics considered in this exceptionally witty novel. Set in 1991, fictional Brent is mostly enjoying his life as an actor on a hit television series, at least until a series of threatening letters and grisly gifts begins to show up in his mail. With the cops more interested in him reading their script treatments for possible Star Trek episodes than in actually investigating, the escalation of threats finally comes to the attention of the FBI, in the form of beautiful Special Agent Cindy Lou Jones. She recommends that Brent hire the services of her twin sister Candy, who left the bureau in order to run private security instead. As with most fan fiction, this leads to a budding love triangle, as well as a series of confrontations with potential suspects. Brent and his allies must race to figure out the identity of the stalker before they can make good on their threats to harm him or anyone who comes between them.

Being stalked is a nerve-wracking situation for anyone, and Brent copes by drawing on the characteristics of the role he’s most famous for to help him stay focused:

QUOTE
All day long I work in a nervous daze, but the hyperrational Data keeps pulling me through. The calm that envelops me when I assume his persona is like a balm to my tortured soul. I ask myself, “How would he react to this situation?” and I answer in his voice: “Analyze the problem. Search for abnormal patterns. Use the information to make an assessment and respond accordingly. Do not let fear lead you to irrational decisions.” Data will be my guide.
END QUOTE

Filled to the brim with probably mostly true anecdotes about life on the set of ST:TNG, as well as more than its fair share of wisecracks, this book will delight any Star Trek fan, or just anyone who enjoys humor in their crime novels. In fact, this book was so hilarious that I didn’t even realize during my first read-through just how profound it is on the topic of celebrity and metafiction. I felt compelled after reading this the first time to research the true events this book was based on, and found the ethical quandary raised thereby particularly thought-provoking. As the subject and victim of an unsettling fascination, Mr Spiner is well within his rights to reclaim and reshape the narrative that has been built up around him. That he further fashions this into a meditation on fandom and the relationship between celebrities and the people who support them makes for a surprisingly deep volume that is worth reading more than once to fully absorb both how thoughtful and dazzling it truly is.

A super fun read. I wasn't too familiar with Spiner and Star Trek but still enjoyed this one. A noir style comedy.