Cirroc Lofton played Jake Sisko on Deep Space Nine. I played Wesley Crusher on The Next Generation.
And before this week, he and I never talked about it, which is something that’s been on my mind since we saw each other at the Star Trek: Picard season 3 premiere.
This week, things finally lined up and I was a guest on his show, The 7th Rule. We talked about The Game, our space families, and what it means to be the og star trek kids.
I’ve embedded it below, or you can follow this link to watch it.
And while I have your attention, I wanted to share this exciting bit of news: I narrated Bill Gates’ memoir, Source Code.
Here’s the description:
The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age
The business triumphs of Bill Gates are widely known: the twenty-year-old who dropped out of Harvard to start a software company that became an industry giant and changed the way the world works and lives; the billionaire many times over who turned his attention to philanthropic pursuits to address climate change, global health, and U.S. education.
Source Code is not about Microsoft or the Gates Foundation or the future of technology. It’s the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits. It’s the story of his principled grandmother and ambitious parents, his first deep friendships and the sudden death of his best friend; of his struggles to fit in and his discovery of a world of coding and computers in the dawn of a new era; of embarking in his early teens on a path that took him from midnight escapades at a nearby computer center to his college dorm room, where he sparked a revolution that would change the world.
Bill Gates tells this, his own story, for the first time: wise, warm, revealing, it’s a fascinating portrait of an American life.
I didn’t want to let the work get dry and academic, which is a real possibility when doing someone else’s memoir, so I treated it as if I were playing a character, the character of Bill Gates, who is telling you this story of his remarkable young life, and the founding of his company. I got into his head, into his character, and did all the work I would have done if I were playing him on camera or on stage. I’m so proud of how it all turned out. I would never be cast to play him on camera, and it’s the kind of work that isn’t really recognized in my industry the way on camera is, but that doesn’t diminish it in any way. I am so grateful that I got to do it.
It released last week, and I am intensely proud of it. We talk about it a bit in this podcast, that I feel like I leveled up my skills when I was doing Source Code (and Picks & Shovels, and When The Moon Hits Your Eye), and it’s some of the best work I’ve ever done.
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I’m proud of you, Wil. I’ve been reading your blog nearly since you started publishing it (after Geocities?). And now I’m interested in reading Source Code because it’s only proper for it to be read by a real computer geek.
OMG Geocities! That’s a long damn time. I’m so glad you’re still here.
I loved this episode of the 7th Rule with you and Cirroc. Learning about your latest audio project was frosting on the cake.
You just filled up my watch and listen list for the next week. Once I finish listening to Ready Player One … again. I come back to it about once a year or so as a palette cleanser of sorts. It’s such an easy listen. Well done. Clean. And a good story. Back to listening. And thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed the 7th Rule episode with you and Cirroc Lofton so much. It was like watching two brothers separated at birth being reunited. I wish it was 3 hours long.
As to Bill Gates’ memoir, I honestly would never have thought about reading it or listening to an audio book of it – until you talked about your process of recording it. Now it feels like it would be totally mesmerizing and insightful.
Thank you for hanging in there through your struggles. It is inspirational to know a person can make peace with the past and rebirth themselves into who they want to be so successfully!
Dude. Massive congrats! Can’t wait to hear them both.
Part of me is trying really hard to be envious or jealous, but the happiness, and also my pride in you, wins by a country mile. Plus, there’s the simple fact that I’d suck at doing what you’ve done, so there’s that.
Each time you share a new major achievement, I do a trip down memory lane, remembering where I was and what I was doing for many of your prior achievements. I also revisit your Wikipedia page, only to again rile against having my edit to add “Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout” to your record be repeatedly rejected! (FMI: https://www.stonebrewing.com/beer/stone-collaborations/drew-curtis-wil-wheaton-greg-koch-stone-farking-wheaton-w00tstout-1)
Cool on both things! Tha k you for sharing.
Both of your news bits sound cool and wonderful. I think I’ll listen to the podcast before bed tonight.
Colleen Mc
I’m so glad to see you flourishing in a creative field Wil.
I was looking at my outstanding book orders for my local library the other day, and couldn’t remember how I’d heard about the Cory Doctorow books – and here you are, reminding me! 😉 I’m looking forward to reading them (sorry, audio books are great, but I get distracted and stop listening – that will have to wait for a long journey one day). I enjoyed this chat, thanks to you and Cirroc for sharing with us.
Two things: First, what is “og” star trek kids?
But secondly, and more importantly, I am So Excited to hear you narrated Bill Gate’s book!!! I just bought the hard copy and now I will certainly buy your narration!!! Presumably I can find it on Amazon? Every time I think you can’t get more awesome, you come up with something new!❤️❤️❤️
I’m excited to listen to this. I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks and you are the absolutely one of the best. You know that, right? Don’t ever let your brain tell you that you’re not.
Three paragraphs in and I’m already googling “Ferengi 7th rule”. Obviously not a total geek (because I haven’t gone into the attic to find my Ferengi Rule book, which maybe makes me a total geek after all?) but…and I’ve lost my train of thought (thank you third glass of cardboardeux). Anyway, I haven’t read your entire post and am already enjoying the hell out of it!
OMG: “I don’t wanna mess up!”
I just want to send you my heart.
way to go! So glad that you are proud of your work. 🥰
What a fun and touching conversation to watch! I hope they do bring you back to talk about “The First Duty.” And “weirdly horny” is a perfect two-word summation of “The Game.”
Appreciate you and all your work Wil. Keep at it. Looking forward to listening to this story!
Really enjoyed and maybe a little jealous of those shelves behind you.
Is narrating easy or difficult? Just curious. Does it require a lot of time and focus? How much preparation do you have to complete before a session? What happens if you— and how often do you—make a mistake? Does it take long to reset?After an entire day of doing this, I would imagine you would have a relentless stream of words bouncing around in your head all night…
Every project is different, and they all demand a different amount of preparation and work when I’m in the booth.
I make mistaeks all the time, and when I do, we just go back and pick it up. We always miss things, and I come back after we’ve finished primary recording to fix those things, as well.
I work for about 4 hours before my voice can’t do it any more. I used to be able to do five hours, but age has taken its toll. I used to be able to work on a book all day, and then do a show at night, an audition in the afternoon, etc. But these days, when I wrap for the day, I go home and try not to talk at all if I don’t have to. I know it’s been a good day when my entire body is tired from the performance effort.
There’s a cosmic irony in that the narrator chosen Gates’ autobiography is a known Linux user.
Yeah, it’s not lost on me. It’s an Easter egg for a small number of people who will hopefully appreciate the irony.
Just ordered Source Code on Audible ONLY because you are reading it. Love your narrations!
Neat! I’ll check out 7th Rule. And since you’re narrating it I’ll get source code too. Should be fun. Thanks!
Love your newsletter!~!!!!!
Imagine in the late 90s early 2000s Wil reading a book by Bill Gates. How the times and what we consider enemies have changed.
Yeah, I’ve thought about that quite a bit. It has been an interesting journey for me, to be sure.
I’ve done a few books for him, and though I have serious issues with so much of his business practices, I’ve found his books interesting and thought-provoking.
I’m still a die hard Open Source and Linux advocate, and I have also greatly enjoyed the work I’ve done with his books.
I have severe ADHD (I’m medicated but it’s still a struggle) and I have a hard time with podcasts and audiobooks but I want to check this out. I actually think what would really work for me is to read it WHILE hearing you narrate. I’ve never done that before and I kinda want to experiment with this and see what kind of experience I get out of it.
Absolutely loved seeing you and Cirroc comparing and relating your time on Trek as kids. As I am in the age bracket as you it was nice as a kid to have a character to relate too on some level.
Side ?, any chance you would consider bring back some WWDN merch, maybe for a cause or something even it was limited?
I haven’t made any merch in a long while, but I’ve been talking with my friends at Stands about doing something cool in the near future. Website merch will be on the table!
Thank you so much for sharing your chat with Cirroc, Wil. Wonderful to see you both doing so well. Just found the blog and am looking forward to reading through it.
The Game freaked me out when I was little because everyone was falling under the influence and changing, but watching it now it is absolutely hilarious. Great to hear about the making of it.
It was special seeing TNG and DS9 as a teen and having Wesley, Jake and Nog on screen to relate to a bit. I’ve always felt it was so important that both Jake and Wesley are shown as having lost a parent and being raised by their surviving parent. You didn’t really see many situations like that on telly back in the 1990’s.I hope this helped children and teens watching who were in that situation themselves and maybe didn’t feel so alone seeing Wesley and Jake on screen each week. I liked your scene in The Bonding where we realise that Wesley knows exactly what Jeremy is about to go through after losing his mum.
I love the change and growth that both Jake and Wesley go through on DS9 and TNG. I think my favourite episode with Wesley is Final Mission. Some very moving scenes between you and Patrick. I though you were brilliant at conveying Wesley trying to stay strong, save Picard and keep calm, despite being so frightened himself.
My favourite Jake episode is Nor The Battle To The Strong. Cirroc did such an incredible job of conveying Jake’s PTSD and shock at what he is seeing around him. I think that’s the moment where Jake truly grows up and changes as a person, perhaps even more so than when he lost his mum.
I was wondering if you have a particular favourite episode of TNG?
Trek is so special to me and it has helped me get through a lot over the years. I am Autistic. Seeing all the Trek series and films was the first time that I ever saw characters on screen who reminded me so much of myself. I didn’t feel so alone or “odd” after seeing characters like Saavik(especially as seen in Wrath Of Khan), Data, Spock and Seven. I also related to Wesley being so academic and being closer to adults than people his own age. I suffered horrendous bullying during my school years and have always felt more accepted and valued by older people.
I still hold out hope that one day our species will wake up and start working on being our best selves and put aside all the hate, tyranny and bigotry. Fingers crossed that we will reach Gene’s vision for the future at some point.
Kind regards,
Maddy
Disappointing. Bill Gates is a nepo baby who dropped out of Harvard (which means that his parents could afford to send him there) and he only managed to sell IBM-DOS because his mother was on the board of IBM. He’s not the hero you think he is.
Also, I constantly have to opt of a pop-up every time I visit this site. Apparently you are not the hero we think you are. I’m sad and disappointed. I expected better. But like Dewey, I expect nothing and I’m still disappointed.
Well, I hope your day improves, friend.