It might not seem like that long ago to some of us, but the Internet of 2001 was an entirely different Internet from today’s. Social media was almost literally nonexistent. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, not even MySpace yet. There was no Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. Forums existed, but there was no Reddit yet. YouTube was still four years out. Amazon was but a humble bookseller. Google had already pulled out to the front of the search engine pack, but was also still—at least nominally—trying to Not Be Evil.
Another major difference was that blogs had a lot more cachet in those days. I speak mainly of blogs that were on their own websites, though LiveJournal and Xanga added their own flavor to the online stew by bringing the concept to a less tech-savvy crowd, giving those who fancied themselves the stars of their own lives a spotlight to shine on themselves.1 But a blog that was on its own website was a different animal. You weren’t yet able to do what I did, which was find a website that would accommodate your modest hosting needs, pay a year upfront to gain access to the WordPress suite, find a layout you like, maybe tweak it a bit, and start pounding out the words. You either had to build the thing yourself from the ground up, or have someone who could do that do it for you.
And in the almost incomprehensibly different world of 2001, that’s exactly what Wil Wheaton did.
This week, when a scientist of questionable repute dies, the powers of the galaxy race to bid on his creations. But when Wesley stumbles on a way to make gold-pressed latinum grow on trees, the invention falls into the hands of the last people you’d want that sort of thing to. What is Geordi’s major malfunction? Can we break the Bing Klingon translator? And has Data been running a long con this whole time? All this and more in Balance of Power, the book that dirties up nicely.
This week, the Enterprise picks up a face from the past who seems to have found his groove in the future. But when a scheme by the Ferengi shows a conspicuous lack of profit motive, more than a few people start to wonder who its true masterminds are. Where did Geordi learn to suppress his VISOR pain? Which sitcoms will survive into the 24th century? Will Wes get the win he needs? All this and more in Debtors’ Planet, the book that brings back the energy whips!
This week, the lights are on at Domarus IV, but no one’s home—or so the Enterprise thinks. A jalopy from the Teniran Echelon shows up to call dibs on the planet, but Picard wants to see some license and registration. But when shuttles and captains start to disappear in Laser Floyd clouds, the two crews demand answers. While Data and Deanna try to keep the campers happy, Picard and the Teniran captain are stuck playing Darmok and Jalad at Minecraft. But will Picard open his arms wide? or will the walls fall at Domarus? All this and more in Perchance to Dream, the book that teaches us that sharing truly is caring.
This week, Wesley takes inspiration from his childhood nightmares to conjure opponents for command scenario practice. But when a scientist friend of Picard’s is desperate to go off the grid, his plan coincides with Wesley’s holodeck creations in the worst way. How often do they update the replicator drink list? Isn’t the Kobayashi Maru supposed to be a secret? And who among the crew needs to brush up on their Microsoft Word shortcuts? All this and more in Boogeymen, the book that gives new meaning to “brain power”.