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Get a Life! [Hardcover]

William Shatner , Chrisk Kreski
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 1, 1999
"Get A Life!" with the possible exception of "Beam me up, Scotty," is clearly the most repeated catchphrase in the history of "Star Trek(R)." Poking fun at "Star Trek's" gung-ho fans and conventions in a now infamous "Saturday Night Live" sketch, William Shatner's comic rallying cry has been indelibly emblazoned into the collective psyche of trekkers everywhere. Through the years, the phrase has spurred laughter, anger, controversy, and far more than its fair share of debate. It's now also given birth to an honest, sentimental, insightful book.

Uncomfortable with speaking onstage, William Shatner had spent the better part of the previous quarter century steadfastly avoiding convention appearances. However, to publicize the release of "Star Trek Generations," Shatner agreed to a rare series of speaking engagements at "Star Trek" conventions around the globe. He was jolted by an unavoidable dose of reality.

Shatner was met with wild enthusiasm, love, and good humor at convention after convention. Touched and fascinated, he was overwhelmed with the realization that in almost three decades of starship hopping, he'd never really taken the time to enjoy or understand "Star Trek's" fans or their conventions. That's when the light bulb clicked on; that's when "Captain Kirk" dove headfirst into action.

For the past several years, William Shatner has been treating each "Star Trek" convention like an enormous research project. Interviewing fans, dealers, fellow castmembers, convention organizers, and promoters -- even going undercover beneath alien makeup -- Shatner's been scouring convention floors. Having grilled trekkers and trekkies in all corners of the planet, Shatner's hadhis eyes opened and his mind boggled. He's amassed a small mountain of research material, and cultivated his findings in "Get A Life!"

This is a first-person journey of discovery told with self-deprecating wit, unflagging honesty, and his trademark enthusiasm and humor. "Get a Life!" tells William Shatner's own story of how the actor who played the now deceased starship captain, James T. Kirk, can finally come to grips with his past, his fans, their love, and his own intergalactic legacy.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

For years, William Shatner's attitude toward Star Trek conventions was strictly professional: he'd typically fly in the day of his appearance, go straight from the airport to the stage, and then leave as quickly as possible. But when he went on an extensive tour to promote Generations, he became "Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning." Soon he was talking to fellow cast members, convention organizers, and the fans themselves, discovering how love of a science fiction show had helped create a tight-knit community.

In the course of this book, Shatner gives us a short history of Trek fandom, reveals the thinking behind Paramount's decision to kill off James T. Kirk, briefly explains the origins of the infamous Saturday Night Live sketch that gives the book its title, holds a seminar with the three other starship captains, and even takes lessons on the proper way to imitate Kirk from the master, Kevin Pollak, an actor/comedian. (Among the insights gained: those dramatic pauses in Kirk's speeches were the result of Shatner trying to remember his next line.) And there are plenty of jokes at the expense of Leonard Nimoy, as well as a few skewering Shatner. (The "elephant story" is a classic in itself. Once, when Shatner was on a photo safari in Africa, an elephant did number two on his head. He tells the story at cons, and the fans seem to love it, for some reason.) But the most touching segments of Get a Life! are Shatner's interviews with the fans, particularly those to whom the show and the fan community have given a social and emotional lifeline. Once you've read the conversations with the shy veterinary student who made friends by dressing his cats in Star Trek uniforms, or with a young woman whose severe emotional and sexual trauma had led to the development of multiple personalities that included three healing presences in the form of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, you will never be able to make a Trekkie joke quite so readily again. --Ron Hogan

About the Author

William Shatner has written numerous novels, including Star Trek: Ashes of Eden, Star Trek: The Return, Star Trek: Avenger, Star Trek: Dark Victory and Star Trek: Spectre. He lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 321 pages
  • Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (May 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0671021311
  • ISBN-13: 978-0671021313
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
(55)
4.6 out of 5 stars
This is a very fun book to read. luiv@gte.net  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement
This book should be interesting to even "casual" Star Trek fans. R. Johnson  |  6 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, funny, heartfelt! June 21, 1999
Format:Hardcover
Wow! I sat down at a local bookstore waiting for my wife with "Get A Life" in my hands thinking I'd read a few pages to pass the time. 5 chapters later, my wife was waiting for me--I had to buy it and read the rest at home. This book makes me laugh out loud (aforementioned wife thinks I'm nuts). I'm happy to see that Mr. Shatner enjoys the love, affection, and Star Trek subculture which he had a hand in creating. His self-deprecating humor is funny and refreshing, his insights (and those he interviews) are heart-warming and dead-on. Kudos to Mr. Shatner!!!!! This book should be interesting to even "casual" Star Trek fans.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, Bill Shatner "get's it"! May 22, 2000
Format:Hardcover
It took the death of James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations for William Shatner to finally become -- oh no! -- a TREKKIE! In this candid and hilariously self-depreciating book, Shatner admits that, for all those years as a cast member, he had been totally clueless about what Trek fandom was all about. To find out, he dons a really tacky rubber alien mask in order to mingle anonymously with the crowd. (The book has photos of him wearing it -- I wonder how many fans will see them and think, "Oh no! I was standing right next to Bill and never even got his autograph!") When the undercover experiment is over, he has a new respect for what happens at a Trek convention. And when he asks the fans what to call the book, they suggest, "Get a Life!" So he did.

One of the funniest parts of the book is in the first chapter, where he describes going to a typical speaking engagement, from panic on the plane (this ex-starship captain hates flying!) to being met at the airport by an enthusiastic fan who invaribly can't find the car, then being driven at top speed to the convention, where he is smuggled in the back door past the smelly garbage dumpsters, through the hotel kitchen, then along the "secret" passageways used by the cleaning staff, to emerge backstage -- all choregraphed by security teams using codes like "The Eagle has landed" to try to keep his exact arrival time a secret from the crowd. Whew! No wonder he had to put on a mask to enter the real Trek universe! I, for one, am glad he did, because this is a very entertaining book.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Funny book about facing reality October 5, 2004
Format:Hardcover
William Shatner's love hate relationship with the show that made him famous or notorious depending on his mood under went a strange metamorphic change that came ironically after his character was killed off in Generations movie (Star Trek VII).

Shatner's book tell that story of his changing attitude toward Star Trek, its fanatic fans and the phenomenon that the show created all over the world. Its well written, often filled with humor as he reflects on what he have learned since his changed of heart. It also a great book since it deal with coming to terms with his past and how it was all catching up to him. I think Shatner finally began to realized that no matter what he does for the rest of his life, he will always be connected with Star Trek, always be known as "Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise" and that the way it will be long after he's dead and buried.

So with that in mind, this book comes recommended. Its story of William Shatner and not Star Trek in general. He writes on his experiences regarding the phenomenon he helped create over 37 years ago and how he think about it when he wrote the book. (I thought his impression on autographs was very interesting.)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars OMG...what a hilarious book!!!!
If you are into Trek at all, this is a great read. We ordered this one as a reading copy and were surprised it is brand new or seems to be. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Softpaww
5.0 out of 5 stars Vital for Any Trekker!!!
If you're a Trek fan, this is a must read. So much incredible funny stuff in here and Trek history it's amazing. It's incredible to me how well researched this book seems to be.
Published 11 months ago by W. whitaker
5.0 out of 5 stars Still funny more than a decade later
I saw this book for a dollar in the "bargain bin" and picked it up to read on a cross-country trip. Once I started it, I couldn't stop! Read more
Published on May 15, 2011 by S. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars Shatner on the education of Shatner regarding the meaning of Star Trek
A few days ago, I watched the "Twilight Zone" episode "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" that starred William Shatner. Read more
Published on May 31, 2010 by Charles Ashbacher
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Captivating History of Conventions
This was a great book. Very funny and moving. I've drifted away from Trek over the years and this reminded me of why it had such an impact on my early years. Read more
Published on April 26, 2010 by nc guy
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarity in Prose
I love this book. I have read it quite a few times and it never fails to make me laugh. Silly stories and interesting people set to the background of a popular sci-fi show. Read more
Published on October 23, 2008 by Ed Nemo
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book That Knows How To Grab Attention And Doesn't Let Go
You can tell that a lot of research and time was put into making this book and it really shows because it is so hard to put down once it gets going. Read more
Published on October 25, 2007 by GameraRocks
5.0 out of 5 stars SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER! SHAT-NER!!!
Funny, witty, creative, insightful, deep hearted, informative..etc. So many differnet terms you can use to describe this very enjoyable write up by the former Admiral Kirk... Read more
Published on March 20, 2007 by Ramsis Lion
5.0 out of 5 stars Why Is That Monster Asking These Questions?
The book title comes from a bit William Shatner performed on Saturday Night Live where he bellows out the line when the audience at a Star Trek convention gets a little.... Read more
Published on October 5, 2006 by County Lineman
4.0 out of 5 stars Self Deprecating Prose, Or An Apology?
This book is part biography & part the history of the "Star Trek" fans. Throughout you see Mr. Shatner as a driven & often anxious man who is in the pursuit of both critical &... Read more
Published on April 5, 2006 by SUPPORT THE ASPCA.
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