You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), Felicia Day’s memoir, was released today and is the perfect book for every geek. It’s available in hardcover, Kindle, and Audiobook, narrated by Day herself with an audio foreword from Joss Whedon.
I’m sure anybody reading this already knows Felicia Day, internet and media darling to the geeks that she is thanks to The Guild, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog, Supernatural, and Geek & Sundry just to name a few. Most of her fans will buy her book without caring what people like me have to say about it, especially since my recommendation is that you must read this book if you self-identify as a geek or a nerd, regardless of what “kind” of geek you are.
It’s very rare that fans get a glimpse of the reality behind their favorite celebrities, yet with You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), Day not only gives her fans a glimpse, but completely pulls back the curtain on her whole life, from her most awkward and embarrassing moments to her rise to fame and glory as the Queen of Geeks. She shares all the details of not only her triumphs, but her fight with anxiety and depression along with her experience with Gamergate (including being doxxed).
The best part about Day’s book is that she constantly reminds us that, despite where she is today, she is and always has been just like all of us. Fans often forget that celebrities are also real people, and Day helps remind us that she’s a real person with thoughts, feelings, and weirdness, just like the rest of us.
I’ve long been a huge fan of The Guild, but didn’t realize the long and sordid story of how it got made. Day shares the huge ups and downs, pitfalls and triumphs of starting work on The Guild and finally getting it done. She reinforces a lesson I’ve taken to heart from Chris Hardwick and Wil Wheaton–do what you love, enjoy doing it, and don’t ever stop creating. You can make something you’ll enjoy, and, even if nobody else likes it or you don’t become famous, you still will have made something and put it out into the world.
From being in love with Commander Riker to obsessively playing online games (even before there was an “online”) to Geocities websites to fangirling when meeting Nichelle Nichols, Day’s stories are our stories. She is able to connect with her fans and geekdom in such a real and touching way that it’s no wonder she really is the Queen of Geeks.
At least once every other page I found myself nodding and saying “Me too!” Especially all of those memories of early gaming–hint lines, dial-up modems, and Prodigy. And that’s the real point of You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)–that today, with the shrinking of the world, thanks almost entirely to the internet, our geekdom allows all of us to be weird together, and when we’re all weird together, we’re not really weird anymore.
Head over to Felicia Day’s book site to order your copy, enter into the Embrace Your Weird Sweepstakes to win a prize pack of goodies, and find a location near you on her book signing tour!
I started the audio book version of this on my drive home from the airport today and highly recommend the audio version. I typically prefer reading and I will definitely read a couple chapters as well, but hearing it straight from Felicia’s mouth makes it, I believe, even better.
I’ve heard that from other folks as well. I may have to ‘read’ it again as an audio book!
Totally agree with Ryan. Having her read it made the emotions so much more immediate. Several times I caught myself responding to her in my brain like we were having a conversation and then I’d remember that she’s not really there and I am maybe becoming a crazy person….
Talking to an imaginary Felicia friend is totally not weird 🙂 even reading the book I was ‘talking’ back to her and sharing high fives. It really is like having a conversation with a long lost best friend.