From the better-late-than-never department, it's time for Memories of the Futurecast.
Memories of the Future, Volume One, covers the first 13 episodes of TNG, so each week, I'm choosing something from one episode, and performing an excerpt for you. It will mostly be from the synopses, which is where I think the real humor of the book lives, but from time to time, I may work in some things from the other parts.
Two important things:
- This does not mean the book comes out in 13 weeks. It comes out much sooner than that.
- These are not excerpted from an audiobook. These are recorded specifically for this podcast. I'm not sure if I'll do a full-length audiobook, yet, but I'm open to the idea.
Episode Notes:
- The Memories of the Futurecast works hard to earn its [EXPLICIT] tag. You have been warned.
- This week, I shared an excerpt from the synopsis of Code of Honor. Yes, I also quoted the line.
- This week's theme music comes from The Seldon Plan's 2007 release, The Collective Now. The song is called Going Nowhere Slow, and is used under Creative Commons license from Magnatune.
- Let's see what happens if I embed the album:
The Collective Now by The Seldon Plan - Memories of the Futurecast is just under 16 minutes long this week.
- Memories of the Futurecast weighs in at 14.6MB.
- Memories of the Futurecast dreams of wrapping the bulldozer in explosives and throwing the switch itself.
- Wait. That's what I dream of. Sorry.
- Memories of the Futurecast is one month old. Yay!
- Memories of the Futurecast is crisp and clean, with no caffeine.
- Memories of the Futurecast did not ask the genie for a tiny piano player.
ZOMG! I got first post on a WWdN blog post! W00T!
Now that I got that out of the way, I’m looking forward to listening to this on my lunch hour 🙂
I want to listen to this RIGHT NOW! Unfortunately I’m in class. Maybe I can sneak out?
I was just wondering, is there a release date for the book yet? Because from this podcast, it sounds absolutely amazing. Thanks!
Indeed, yesterday was “off” [insert choice words regarding certain bulldozer here]. Now today is better, thanks for recording and kudos on the awesome timing. Looking forward to the book.
Great podcast Wil! I can’t wait for this book! Sorry about the bulldozers but they gave me a great B-Day present by delaying you for a day:-)
From now on whenever I read your writing, instead of hearing your real voice, I am going to hear your Lutan voice. Dude, that was awesome.
Since this episode was caffeine free, I am going to have extra caffeine today.
And Wesley rocks. The end.
Hey Wil,
Am anxiously awaiting MotF. I loved your reviews of the eps and I can’t wait to read the enhanced version.
Thanks for doing the audiocasts–they’re fun and funny.
But I have to register a request/complaint. You said that “as always” we can go to wilwheatonbooks.com to buy your books. I hadn’t seen/read mention of that before, but I may have just missed it. OK, fine, it’s an easy web site to get to and easy to spell got it.
However…wilwheatonbooks.com fails to achieve its primary purpose. I can’t find anywhere on the page a LIST of books in all formats so that I can check off ones that I do have and make pricing decisions about buying the ones I don’t. There’s ads to buy books down the sides, and blog-style ads for books in the middle…but it’s far too diffuse for me to figure out what I have and don’t.
I suggest that you make a link near the top of the page that says “products” or “list of publications” or something, that’s something like:
title format price download?
Dancing Barefoot softcover 7.99 no
Just a Geek hardcover 20.00 no
Just a Geek (AB) MP3 5.00 yes
Memories of the Future hardcover 25.00 no NOT YET AVAILABLE
with links to various ordering pages or whatever.
Sorry; I think that in the process of putting together the spiffy web site listing it, you’ve forgotten to list everything together.
Will be ordering MotF the moment it comes out. Keep up the good work!
Craig Steffen
Please do an audiobook for Memories of the Future.
Sincerely,
Olivur Fans
The Seldon Plan… what a freakin’ GREAT name for a band! Thanks for exposing us to that. Podcast was great too.
Seconding the request for an audiobook! Even if you just read the book straight, without your podcast embellishments, I’d buy it in a second.
I was also intrigued by your pronunciation of “amok” as “uh-MOCK”, whereas most people say “uh-MUCK”. I don’t think I’ve ver heard it pronounced your way, but my dictionary does show it as an alternative (\É™-‘mÉ™k, -‘mäk\).
Do you pronounce it the same way when saying “running amok” as when saying “Amok Time”?
Total hilarity and a great glimpse of an episode that, even as a 10 year old white kid went “Ya know, I’m pretty sure Dr. King might be a bit put out that Lutan and Company.”
Last Outpost next week! Squee!
I, being the L33T HAX0R that I am, was only able to snatch Volume 3 using my superior intellect. Would you be able to pass along links for V1 and V2??
Thanks, you rock!
C_Doc
aka MrMrSpock
So, I have to admit something here. It’s an episode late, but…
I LOVE The Naked Now.
And you have very much pointed out why in this podcast.
MST2K, all the way. The Naked Now, for me, is wonderful because it’s terrible. (As opposed to The Last Outpost, which is, well…just terrible. Thank Roddenberry for Armin Shimmeran on DS9, right?)
Anyway…preach on, Mister Secretary!
Wil, I had to share what my internet friend AmandaFrench has done. This song that she wrote and sings and stuff (I hear this in Wesley’s voice) http://allmyinternetfriends.com/. I LOVE all that you write and podcast and, um well, you know. Keep up the fantastic work! Thanks for the Leverage and Big Bang Theory recommendations too! Love em!
l33t g33k:
Episode 1: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2009/09/memories-of-the-futurecast-episode-one.html
Episode 2: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2009/09/memories-of-the-futurecast-episode-two.html
and I bet you can find the rest 🙂
Once again another great Futurecast. I can totally relate about the GD MF bulldozer. I live on the seawall (its my back fence) and the Corps of Engineers is making improvements: bulldozers, dump trucks, and cement trucks going through the back of my yard every day, starting at 6:30am INCLUDING Saturday.
Can’t wait for The Last Outpost Futurecast, nor can I wait for your episode of Big Bang Theory. Monday is “Sheldon Night” at my house: my friends come over for pizza, beer, and BBT.
Bulldozer screwing with you in the morning, eh? Did you by any chance put on a bathrobe and then lie down in the mud in front of it?
The voice cracks while putting a rant in Picard’s mouth really sells it. I bet Mr. Stewart would have taken that speech in the same direction.
*ducks*
I’ve heard you trash Wesley Crusher a number of times, and I keep thinking that I should mention something when I see you dissing your teen-aged televised self.
I totally understand the hate-mail. I’ve re-watched most of TNG at some point or another during my life, and these days, I cringe when Wesley shows up.
BUT, I cringe not because he’s a Mary Sue. I cringe because Wesley is a reminder of an uncomfortable time in my youth when the Starship Enterprise was more real to me than the real world.
I wanted to be Ensign Crusher. I thought he was the greatest guy in the world. He was awkward, but no one cared because he was so damn smart. So the smart, awkward kid sitting in front of the set dreamed of a time when he too could be respected for his mind, when he wouldn’t be mocked, when brainpower alone could equate to equality.
Oh yes, I cringe now. I understand now. But I had to say it at least once: To a generation of young teens and tweens, you were a GOD. TNG will always be “my” trek. I grew up with it, and Memories of the Future reminds me that – in a way – TNG grew up with me.
By all means, mock freely of thine own youth. I just thought you should know, to those of us young enough to appreciate Wesley’s perspective, you were our bridge into Sci Fi fandom.
I really love this podcast. I have Radio Free Burrito Episode 11 in my Ipod (coincidently, this is the podcast that I cracked up at while paying for Star Trek TNG season 3 in HMV)and I listen to it all the time. I do think that the delivery in the Radio Free Burrito podcast was a little more amusing, but I’m sure the bulldozer had an effect on this one. I’m glad you finally beat it.
No matter how many times I hear it, I still love it. I really can’t wait for the book release and I agree with i38warhawk (comment above) I think you should evenutally do an audiobook version of Memories of the Future volume 1. The humour when you talk about these episodes is great and I would love to add it to Just a Geek and Happiest Days of Our Lives in my audiobook section on my Ipod.
Can’t wait for Episode 5. Finally, a reason to enjoy Mondays!
Congrats on your offer from Bill Prady.
You know, I’m surprised you haven’t Arthur Dented that bulldozer.
I’m game! We’ll see who rusts first!
Amen.
Thanks for making lunchtime awesome and my work day tolerable.
Wil, I have so far enjoyed the podcasts, but I do have to comment on the self-deprecation of Wesley.
Wesley was not and never will be the most annoying child role on a science fiction series. That honor must always be reserved for Boxey and Muffit from the original BSG. Even as a child near the same age as Boxey, I, nor any of my peers, identified with the character and found the role the most annoying part of that low budget, high imagination experience. Rest assured that even though you may have tapped the honor for a later generation and the personal experience heightens your perception, there will always be another character less useful and more annoying than Wesley Crusher.
Break a leg and keep up the great work. You have come a long way and I, at the least, very much enjoy what you are doing these days.
Ah, “The Last Outpost”… We never do get to see those phaser whips again in the Star Trek universe, do we?
Damn It Wil! Now I NEED to download The Seldon Plan’s “The Collective Now”. What a great sound!
Thanks, I was thinking the same thing. I thought Wesley was cool at the time too.
Reason #I lost count why I love Wil? “This episode finished recording just before the GDMF bulldozer started. Take that, b*tch! For more information…” Thanks for starting my morning off with a laugh!
Also, Wesley Crusher was my bridge into the Enterprise. My dad was a huge Trekkie, and TNG was one of the few shows we could both enjoy when I was little. I didn’t understand any of the technobabble, but I could understand Wesley’s character. As I grew older, I got into it more and more. And now I’m just a big ole nerd. All because of those horrible sweaters.
A suggestion. (Forgive me if it has already been made.)
I think it would be a good idea to mention in the podcast that what is being read is only a short excerpt from the full text. I would hate to think you might move fewer books because some people are not aware that there is much more to the material than what they are hearing.
I enjoyed very much the TV Squad articles, and look forward to the book.
j.
What can I say? A truly excellent podcast effort. Epic win for the combined Lutan/Seven Up guy impression. I join my voice to those previous posters calling for an audio version of the book. Not that I’m knocking your prose style, which I quite like, but I think the material will just seem more ALIVE if we’re hearing it in your own voice.
As for all the Wes-hating stuff, it’s time for an apology I’ve been meaning to make for quite a while. Wil, you and I are almost exactly the same age, meaning that when you were doing the first part of STNG I was a pissy high school kid. I hated Wesley with the white-hot heat of a thousand exploding galaxies, and I spent just about every second you were on screen trying to use any latent psychic powers I might have had to make your head explode.
With a couple more decades of age and wisdom under my belt, I now realize that your were just an actor hitting his mark, saying his lines, and doing the best he could with the often-ludicrous material you were given. It wasn’t your fault at all, and I’m sorry for all that misdirected psychic fury. So if you were plagued by any inexplicable headaches during the STNG years, my bad.
Anyway, keep up all the great work. Long live Acquisitions, Inc.!
I thought I’d made that clear, but maybe I’m confusing earlier podcasts with recent ones.
Thanks for the suggestion; I’ll be sure to make it super clear in the next episode.
Yeah, even as a kid myself watching it I thought that the Enterprise crew came off as a bit smug and condescending towards the Ligonians treating them sorta like primitive children.
For a crew whose mission was to “seek out new life and new civilizations” they seemed to be continually shocked or smug about less-developed worlds they encountered.
I am addicted to these podcasts. Now I know what Americans in the 30’s felt like tuning in to Roosevelt’s fireside chats. It’s like story time with Uncle Wil. Good show, dear boy.
The Seldon Plan sounds just like Imperial Teen. A band that should rule the world.