My Star Trek Year

Books - Up Till Now/Get A Life!

Up Till Now: The Autobiography
by William Shatner, with David Fisher
Thomas Dunne Books, 2008

Get a Life!
by William Shatner, with Chris Kreski
Atria, 1999

You've gotta hand it to Shatner. He's made quite a cottage publishing industry for himself. Just at my local library alone, they list 52 items "authored" by him, although that does include some duplicates.

The latest work to ebb forth from the pen of yet another Shatner ghostwriter, Up Till Now will help the uninitiated reader to put the great one's life in perspective. Yes, as a matter of fact, Shatner did quite a lot of work both before and after Star Trek. Not that it will matter a century hence, for if he's remembered for anything at all, it will be as T. J. Hooker (kidding).

I skipped around a good bit in this book, mainly reading the Star Trek stuff and a few other bits and pieces. Given the quantity of stuff Shatner's "written" about Star Trek it's hard to imagine that he hasn't covered this junk in a host of other books. But I wouldn't know since I haven't read them.

I found it a little hard to swallow the premise of Get A Life, which Shatner came out with about a decade ago, but what do I know? It chronicles his alleged discovery of the vast world of Star Trek fandom, which he claims to have never really delved into previously. Well, maybe so and maybe not, but the result - as with Up Till Now - is an innocuous and reasonably entertaining way to while away a few hours.

For a good summary of Star Trek autobiographies, refer to this article at TrekMovie.

Book - Inside Star Trek: The Real Story

Inside Star Trek: The Real Story
By Herbert F. Solow & Robert H. Justman
Pocket Books, 1996

Before the universe comes to an end anyone with even the remotest connection to the original Star Trek series will take a crack at writing at least one book about it. Some - such as the esteemed Mr. Shatner and his tireless army of ghostwriters - have churned out a whopping number of them.

In Inside Star Trek, Solow - a former honcho at Desilu Productions, makers of Star Trek - and Justman - who played several behind the scenes roles on the series - give their take on how things went down. Not surprisingly, its a fairly straightforward look at the nuts and bolts of making a TV show.

Which serves as a reminder that, first and foremost, Star Trek was intended to be a moneymaking venture. Especially noteworthy here, the warts and all portrayal of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who seems more often to be treated with the reverence accorded to a minor deity.

Books - The Best Of Trek #3

The Best Of Trek #3
Edited by Walter Irwin and G.B. Love
Signet, 1980

A collection of highlights "from the magazine for Star Trek fans" that's sure to appeal to the more ardent of these fans. Coming out, as it did, around the time of the first Star Trek movie, it's no surprise that many of the pieces herein deal with that film.

There's also a fan fiction parody (not my cup of tea), an interview with Walter Koenig, an examination of Vulcan As A Patriarchy, A Trek Into Genealogy and more. A few interesting bits, but overall the tone was just a bit too fannish and gushing for my tastes.

Quotation - Becoming a Trekkie

"Becoming a Trekkie in 1991 was like signing up late for a college course or getting married to someone from a huge family--so much to memorize, so many new faces to familiarize myself with."

(Confessions of a Trekoholic - Hilary Palencar)

Books - The Meaning Of Star Trek/The Hologram's Handbook

The Meaning Of Star Trek
by Thomas Richards
Main Street Books, 1999

The Hologram's Handbook
by Robert Picardo
Pocket Books, 2002

I've only tackled three Star Trek books since starting this project, but have yet to find one that holds my attention long enough that I can finish it.