Boarding the Enterprise: Transporters, Tribbles and the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek (Smart Pop series) (Paperback)

~ David Gerrold (Editor), (Editor), Allen Steele (Collaborator), Norman Spinrad (Collaborator), Lawrence Watt-Evans (Collaborator), Michael A. Burstein (Collaborator), Lyle Zynda (Collaborator), D.C. Fontana (Collaborator), Eric Greene (Collaborator), Robert A. Metzger (Collaborator)
Key Phrases: fanfic writers, android body, matter stream, Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **

Trekkies and Trekkers alike will get starry-eyed over this eclectic mix of essays on the groundbreaking original Star Trek series. Star Trek writers D. C. Fontana and David Gerrold, science fiction authors, such as Howard Weinstein, and various academics share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, discuss the show's enduring appeal and influence, and examine some of the classic features of the show, including Spock's irrationality, Scotty's pessimism, and the lack of seatbelts on the Enterprise. The impact of Star Trek on subsequent science-fiction television programs is explored, as well as how the show laid the foundation for the science fiction genre to break into the television medium.

About the Author

David Gerrold is the author of the Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated The Man Who Folded Himself, When Harlie Was One, and the Chtorr, Dingillian, and Star Wolf series. He also wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of Star Trek, which was voted the most popular Star Trek episode of all time. He lives in Northridge, California. Robert Sawyer is the author of several science fiction novels, including the Nebula Award–winning The Terminal Experiment and the Hugo Award–nominated Calculating God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Benbella Books; anthology edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932100873
• ISBN-13: 978-1932100877
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #406,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #3 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( E ) > Evans, David
  #12 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( G ) > Gerrold, David
  #12 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Steele, Allen

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking book on the original Star Trek, April 1, 2009

By	Anton Karidian (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm amazed that there are not more reviews of this terrific book about the original "Star Trek" TV series. Does that mean that not many people are reading BOARDING THE ENTERPRISE? Fans should definitely read this book, because it's a great anthology of perspectives about the show, mostly positive, but since it's "completely unauthorized," some negative views as well. Most of the authors are, like me, clearly fans of the original "Star Trek" and have been much influenced by it, but are willing to admit that it had its shortcomings too. These essays are very wide-ranging, from D.C. Fontana's "I Remember Star Trek" that is largely behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the show, to "What Have You Done With Spock's Brain?" by Don DeBrandt about Vulcan society and identity, to "Who Killed the Space Race?" by Adam Roberts that looks at the relationship between science fiction and real space travel, to "The Prime Question" by Eric Greene that ponders meanings behind various episodes and aspects of "Star Trek," and so on through 15 usually fascinating essays.

Greene's "The Prime Question" was helpful to me in pointing out that the show's inconsistences in applying the Prime Directive (which advocated non-interference with alien societies) reflected a difference of opinion between two of the show's producers, Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon, and those inconsistencies actually provide an interesting debate on the pros and cons of interference. Another of my favorite essays was "Star Trek in the Real World" by Norman Spinrad, in which the famous sci-fi author argues that the alien Mr. Spock was important to our society in promoting the acceptance of other ideas and cultures. Another well-known sci-fi writer and media professor, Paul Levinson, points out in "How Star Trek Liberated Television" that the show's success in syndication was the first salvo in the struggle to liberate us from the dominance of the big three TV networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. Some essays I found less enlightening, but one must remember that from infinite diversity comes infinite combinations! Notice too that this is NOT a book intended to provide a huge amount of detail about the original Trek, but rather is perspectives about the meanings and impact of the show. I have read a substantial amount about "Star Trek," especially the original series, and BOARDING THE ENTERPRISE is the most interesting book of such perspectives about the show that I have come across.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boarding the Enterprise, March 26, 2007

By	Linda Bak Fan "Picky Reader" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I enjoy this book because its like a bible of the 'inside information' on the specs and technical info about the Enterprise and the Federation. I enjoy writing fan-fiction, so this is a treasure chest of info.