Next Gen’ star has an amazing idea for a new spinoff

Might James Bond play Jean-Luc Picard?

Inside the creativeness of Brent Spiner — the actor well-known for his place as Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation — the reply is bound. On this hypothetical miniseries, all his beloved TNG actors could be recast, not as their Trek characters, nonetheless as an alternative, as themselves.

“I’m already contemplating Daniel Craig performs Patrick,” Spiner says.

It appears to be like like he’s joking, nonetheless he’s actually not. Due to his new novel Fan Fiction, Spiner has woven an alternate mannequin of the Nineties, a spot the place he and his fellow TNG buddies are fictional characters.

Ahead of the publication of his hilarious and slickly intelligent new e-book, Inverse went deep with Spiner regarding the skinny line between fantasy and actuality, the pleasures of writing a fake mannequin of himself, and why he doesn’t perception people who don’t like slapstick comedy.

From St. Martin’s Press, Spiner’s debut novel, Fan Fiction, tells the story of a 30-something actor named “Brent Spiner,” who’s immediately thrust into world stardom all on account of he’s having fun with a loveable android on a TV assortment known as Star Trek: The Subsequent Period in 1991.

Positive, all of those particulars check out with actuality in our universe, nonetheless as an alternative of writing “some dry memoir,” Spiner opted as an alternative to utilize the true events of 1991 and mold it proper right into a full-on darkly comedic funhouse mirror. It results in a murder-mystery caper equal components Coen Brothers and Charlie Kaufman. Spiner cites the meta-fictional of the films Adaptation and Being John Malkovich as just a few of his stylistic inspiration.

“It’s not really me,” Spiner says with a wry smile. “It’s a heightened-for-comedic-effect mannequin of me. I don’t assume I took myself as considerably as this man takes himself. However it was gratifying to take myself once more in time slightly bit bit and be that man as soon as extra versus the person I’m now. Which, by the best way wherein, if I’ve been writing myself now, it wouldn’t be any further lifelike. It’s the kind of the piece that will let you already know further about who I’m than one thing inside the e-book.”

The story of Fan Fiction follows a “Brent Spiner” fearful for his life when he begins receiving fan mail from someone claiming to be “Lal,” Data’s (deceased) daughter on The Subsequent Period. This crazed fan mannequin of Lal wishes to hurt him, which sends Brent into the form of neurotic match which can remind you of Curb Your Enthusiasm or Seinfeld. He calls the FBI. He hides on the home of Jonathan Frakes. He drops quaaludes whereas driving at evening time. He worries if twin sisters — one an FBI agent, the other a contract bodyguard — are actually the similar explicit individual.

The comedy inside the e-book is as darkish as a result of it comes, nonetheless Spiner talked about he was way more excited by this form of story than doing one factor that will solely please Star Trek followers. In actuality, on account of Lal is such a beloved character on TNG, Spiner is conscious of that a few of these issues may rub positive followers the mistaken technique. Nevertheless he insists that the message of the e-book isn’t a unfavorable one about any form of fandom, least of all Trek followers.

“I do know it’s going to piss off people,” Spiner says. “Nevertheless I really feel it’s going to amuse plenty of individuals, too. And that’s really what I wanted to do; entertain people,” Spiner explains. “I didn’t want to write about my less-than-interesting life. I wanted to current them a piece of leisure. So, I didn’t worry about it. That’s type of the best way wherein I see points — in a darkly comic type of technique.”

For hardcore Star Trek people, Spiner is acutely aware of the power that Data has had on the world, and inside the pages of Fan Fiction, you’ll discover the proof. When Brent attends Gene Roddenberry’s memorial service in the direction of the tip, he writes warmly of his love of silent comedians from a bygone age of earlier Hollywood, like Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel.

“I stop in entrance of Stan’s and Buster’s gravesites for on the very least twenty minutes each,” Spiner writes. “Merely smiling, my technique of thanking them for all of the enjoyment they’ve given me.”

Later within the similar scene, Brent encounters two Star Trek followers, who, like him, are on their method to Roddenberry’s memorial service. After the followers thank him and promise to keep up the hopeful Trek flame alive, Spiner writes, “I respect their dedication to at least one factor better than them, and positively better than me.”

Positive, Brent Spiner is having a good time with fandom and darkish comedy on this e-book, nonetheless he’s moreover writing about why followers are primarily good.

“It wasn’t until this e-book that I discussed [publicly] my very personal fandom. My love of Earlier Hollywood. My love of the silent comedians.” Spiner explains. “As soon as I say inside the e-book I don’t perception people who don’t love Laurel and Hardy, I really don’t. I might not want to know any particular person who wouldn’t respect Laurel and Hardy, or Buster Keaton or Chaplin. Nevertheless I really feel we’re all followers. We’re the invisible lots who help and respect and put people on pedestals and in some situations, knock them off pedestals as properly.”

Clearly, the good reminiscences of excellent followers and his supportive co-stars seem like true, nonetheless what else is precise on this e-book? Was Brent Spiner really stalked in 1991? How a number of the events of this e-book really occurred?

“Plenty of it occurred. Nevertheless, it didn’t happen like that,” Spiner says. “That’s why I say it’s impressed by true events. There have been plenty of ‘stalking incidents.’ And by the best way wherein, I’ll have taken a quaalude once more then. The creative license half is that I solely took one.”

So, what’s subsequent? Spiner says he considerably hopes that Fan Fiction might presumably be grew to become a “miniseries,” and like The Crown, take inventive liberties of casting the entire Subsequent Period actors to make them age-appropriate for the Nineties as soon as extra. That’s the place Spiner’s pitch for Daniel Craig to play Patrick Stewart comes into play. When you concentrate on that’s primarily a comedy, he’s perhaps onto one factor.

“I really feel it may be good if it was a set,” Spiner says. “I like this metafictional world. And I like being Brent Spiner as a lead character. I acquired to do points I’ve not at all achieved.”

Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Impressed by True Events is available now from all important booksellers.