There’s an instinctive recoil when you see that a young celebrity has written an autobiography, but Felicia Day’s You’re Never Weird On The Internet (Almost) falls into the ranks of Tina Fey’s Bossypants and Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind Of Girl: a witty, honest and often moving account of how they came to find their place in pop culture.
After initially struggling to get past small acting roles, Day became a nerd culture icon when she created The Guild, a no-budget web series about gamers.
Day takes us through her home-schooled childhood, which started her love of gaming, and how her desire to succeed led to her early entry to the University Of Austin.
Once in Hollywood, she struggles to find a niche that she realises is limiting, and her desire to create something leads to The Guild and her company Geek & Sundry.
Readers expecting to hear Buffy The Vampire Slayer-era Whedon anecdotes or tales of Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog may be surprised by their near-total exclusion, but the focus is certainly one of the book’s strengths.
It’s by turns hilarious, honest, affecting and insightful about being a part of a major industry change.
Finally, though, it’s not just a clever title; it’s inclusive and encouraging, while being honest about depression, anxiety and the urge to live online.
