Whenever a STAR TREK actor's name appears on a book it's normal to question whether that actor actually wrote it or not. This is a tradition that dates back to the early days of Shatner's fiction (remember the rumors surrounding the first TEKWAR novel?). But there's something about Robert Picardo's hilarious new book, THE HOLOGRAM'S HANDBOOK, that just makes you believe that it could only have been written by someone who had really lived with, and loved, the character for the better part of a decade.
The book claims to be created by "the Doctor, EMH U.S.S. Voyager, as told to Robert Picardo." The entirety of the slender volume is written in the voice of the Doctor as if he were attempting to impart some important experience to his fellow holograms, but winds up often getting off track; usually onto some amusingly self-aggrandizing topic.
The conceit of a distracted Doctor, with an attention that always wanders onto the topic of his own ego, functions very well for Picardo as he works it into some really great character comedy.
For example: "Lt. Commander Data," remarks the Doctor/Picardo at one point, "is also an advanced Artificial Intelligence. He is, of course, an android, and not a hologram...as I've said in Mr. Data's presence on more than one occasion, I am, quite simply, an improvement over him: 'the Next Generation' of Artificial Intelligence, to coin a phrase. He's reasonably on-the-ball so I assume he concurs."
Robert Picado plays the Doctor one more time in STAR TREK: VOYAGER: THE HOLOGRAM'S HANDBOOK
© 2002 Pocket Books
Chapters in the book address topics like, "why organics resent holograms", "the road to 'Selfhood'", and hologram sexuality (which will "no doubt elicit titters from our younger organic readersand a few older ones who suffer from arrested adolescence)."
Admittedly, if you don't get into it, the whole thing could wind up being a little tedious; but taken in the right spirit, this is a charming little book. It's nice to see a performer who doesn't take his character too seriously.
The publication is lushly illustrated with several photos in each chapter and plenty of cartoons by artist and supporting TREK actor, Jeff Yagher. These cartoons, unfortunately, are pretty hit or miss, but one or two will make you smile.
The book even ends with the "Song of the Hologram", a stirring anthem that reminds us "jealous organics/who suffer from panics/before you can blink/you will all be extinct/and my kind will the cosmos acquire."
This is a definite recommendation to any fan of the Doctor, as well as to VOYAGER fans, and to most STAR TREK fans in general.
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