Star Trek FAQ: Everything left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (Unofficial and Unauthorized) (FAQ (Applause)) [Paperback]

Mark Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2012 | Series: FAQ (Applause)

This book is not endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures, or the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek FAQ tells the complete story of Star Trek , from the before the beginning (the books, films, and TV shows that inspired producer Gene Roddenberry to create Star Trek ) until after the end (when the show emerged as a cultural phenomenon in syndication), and including dramatic behind-the-scenes stories (e.g., Leonard Nimoy's struggle with alcoholism and actress Grace Lee Whitney's controversial firing) often omitted from "authorized" histories of the program. Along with in-depth looks at the pre- and post- Trek careers of the show's iconic leads, Star Trek FAQ includes profiles of guest stars and "redshirt" extras alike, as well as the many writers, technicians, and artisans whose efforts enabled Star Trek to take flight. The book also explores the show's unprecedented resurgence in the 1970s with chapters devoted to early Star Trek fiction, merchandising, and the short-lived animated series. Combining a wealth of fascinating information about every facet of the show's production with original analysis of Star Trek 's enduring appeal and cultural influence, Star Trek FAQ goes where no Star Trek book has gone before.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I wrote Star Trek FAQ, in part, because there are so many other Trek books already out there. The sheer, dizzying multitude of Trek literature can be daunting for casual fans - that silent legion of viewers who love Star Trek but don't speak Klingonese or go to the grocery store wearing a Starfleet uniform (not that there's anything wrong with that). These fans don't regularly attend conventions, may not consider themselves Trekkers, and don't have time to sift through the mountain of Trek-themed works at the local book store or library. Yet their patronage of Star Trek TV series and movies has made the franchise a cultural touchstone. Star Trek FAQ is aimed primarily at this audience, distilling the overwhelming volume of Trek scholarship into easily consumable sips.
However, I'm confident that diehards who purchase every new Star Trek book that reaches the market (may the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your souls) will find much of interest in Star Trek FAQ.  I spent eight months fishing into the nooks and crannies of Trek lore for revealing yet underreported stories and illuminating minutiae. Applause Books' FAQ format enables me to combine this material with more familiar elements of the Star Trek story in unconventional ways, smashing them together in the literary equivalent of a super-collider to produce fresh insights. I'm convinced you'll find the results exhilarating whether this is the first Star Trek book you've read or the fiftieth.

About the Author

Author and film historian Mark Clark writes about classic movies and TV shows. Star Trek FAQ is his third book. A sequel, Star Trek FAQ 2.0, is forthcoming in 2013. Mark is a graduate of the University of Louisville and a former film critic for the Louisville Courier-Journal. He now resides in Mentor on the Lake, Ohio.

Product Details

• Paperback: 414 pages
• Publisher: Applause (June 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557837929
• ISBN-13: 978-1557837929
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > Reference

More About the Author

I'm Mark Clark and this is my Author Central page. If you've clicked to this screen, you're either curious about my work or afflicted with a twitchy mouse finger. On the off chance that it's the former, here's the lowdown:

I'm an author and film historian who writes about classic movies and TV shows. My most recent work is STAR TREK FAQ: EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIRST VOYOAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE (2012, Applause Books). I'm now working on the companion volume, STAR TREK FAQ 2.0: EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FEATURE FILMS, THE NEXT GENERATION AND BEYOND (2013, Applause).

My previous work includes SIXTIES SHOCKERS: A CRITICAL FILMOGRAPHY OF HORROR CINEMA, 1960-69 (2011, McFarland, with Bryan Senn), and SMIRK, SNEER AND SCREAM: GREAT ACTING IN HORROR CINEMA (2004, McFarland), both of which earned Rondo Hatton Award nominations for Book of the Year. (Not that I'm bragging. Much.)

I've also contributed essays and articles to many other books and magazines including the excellent SCIENCE FICTION AMERICA: ESSAYS ON SF CINEMA (McFarland, 2006), which Amazon won't let me add to the list below because it was edited by my friend David Hogan and by not me.

I'm a proud graduate of the University of Louisville (Go Cards!) and a former film critic for the Louisville Courier-Journal. I now reside in beautiful Mentor on the Lake, Ohio, with my highly indulgent wife and two unfortunate children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Be An Educated Star Trek Fan! June 17, 2012

By Jym Cherry

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been a fan of a few things in my life, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Doors, and I think I'm educated in the fan(aticisms) of my choice. The one common factor I'm finding in reading books in the FAQ series is that I'm discovering new things on subjects I thought I knew well and "The Star Trek FAQ" is no exception.

The "Star Trek FAQ" takes you from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's life through every aspect of the original 79 episode Star Trek series that ran from 1966-1969. I was especially intrigued by the early years of Roddenberry's career, how he went from Los Angeles cop to TV producer, and of the pre-history of Star Trek. Not only reading the biographies (and the post Star Trek lives) of the actors, but also the histories of the shows producers and writers and the input they had under their names and pseudonyms makes you feel you can be a more educated Star Trek viewer.

Author Mark Clark will take you through the trials and tribulations (not tribblations) of Roddenberry's getting Star Trek made from casting to pilots, to the struggles of getting good scripts to the screen, the chemistry of the show's stars and some of their disagreements, the aliens the crew of the enterprise met, the problems and issues the show tackled, as well as the highpoints and low points of the series. The "Star Trek FAQ" also goes into post series life of the animated series, the conventions, the novels and novelizations, Roddenberry's post Trek TV series' and the attempts to revive a Star Trek series and leading right to the movies, inspired as much by Star Trek fandom and being Paramount's antidote to the success of "Star Wars."

There are a couple of minor caveats of the "Star Trek FAQ." One is the repetition of certain Star Trek episodes as being models of the best episodes of Star Trek, writing, acting, or production such as "The Menagerie," "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "The City on the Edge of Forever," "Arena," "Devil in the Dark," and their repeated synopsis'. And the reverse of that is the interjection of the author's vociferous opinion on the worst episodes that descends into opinion such as "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" which cleverly makes its point at the end of the episode.

Even if you're a Star Trek fan you'll discover new things about the series, and if you're not a fan of the series by the end of the book you just might find yourself a Star Trek fan, and maybe a fan of the FAQ series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, enjoyable look at Star Trek June 16, 2012

By B. A. Connors

Format:Paperback

YES! YES! YES!

See those three guys on the cover? Bones, Spock, and Kirk? My first tv crushes, my first real celebrity crushes. Now, Scotty is actually my favorite, but he didn't make the cover, boo hiss. Bones is my second favorite and it's a close call, they're practically tied for favorite. I have a photo of James Doohan as Scotty, SIGNED! Heck, Scotty is one of my nicknames (despite my utter lack of mechanical ability). So, yeah, when the egalley of this book became available for review, requesting it was only logical. :) I also ordered a print copy.

Call me a Trekkie, Trekker, Trekaholic, whatever. I'm not too picky about the term used. I'm a fan; not one who knows every last detail down to Zefram Cochrane's birthday (if I did, I wouldn't need the book, lol.) but more than just a casual fan, who, say, knows the names of the big 3 stars but none of others. I'm in the middle. I had a fair amount of knowledge already. That was a pretty good starting base for this book. Actually, this book would be good for the casual fan who wants to know more about the series, and also for the committed fan who wants or needs a new reference source.

This is a comprehensive book that looks at just about everything related to the show (there may be some things forgotten or left out but nothing comes to mind.) Clark made each chapter stand-alone so that the reader can easily skip chapters if they decide:

"While it's perfectly acceptable to read this book front to back, Star Trek FAQ has been designed for nonlinear consumption. Each chapter functions independently. Although this inevitably results in some duplication of information between sections, I have tried to minimize repetition. So feel free to flip around."

This format works well, and I recommend it over reading straight through as I did.

David Gerrold, who wrote the classic episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles" (or DID he? Read and find out.), in his forward to the book, talks about how much has already been written about Star Trek:

"Maybe it's time to call in the EPA. A new Star Trek movie or TV series will cause whole forests to be plowed under, cause the sea level to rise, and the deplete the oxygen levels of this planet. I fear for the future of humanity!

Okay, and maybe I had too much coffee this morning, too.".....

"The important thing here is that a lot has been said about Star Trek and a lot of the stuff said about Star Trek has been like a game of Russian Telephone."...

The point being of course, that much has been written and said and passed on, but much of it is inaccurate. Clark pulls together numerous sources (there's a comprehensive bibliography), from the actors, the studio, producers, series writers, even TV Guide, and presents the facts. He does so in a chatty, easy to read, sometimes humorous, way that felt like I was talking about the show with one of my ST loving friends. He also goes beyond details such as who wrote which episode but gives us the behind the scenes info: in many instances Roddenberry re-wrote episodes, some so much so that it bore little resemblance to the script submitted by the credited writer. He also looks at the acting careers of the ST actors, all of them, before and after their stints on ST, looks at the various conflicts amongst actors and producers, talks about why ST had the impact it did, how it fits into TV's history of science fiction shows, influences, awards, Roddenberry's inspiration, etc. As I said, it's comprehensive.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone who has any interest at all in the original Star Trek show. Clark is at work on a sequel, Star Trek FAQ 2.0, scheduled for 2013, that will look at the growth of the ST franchise, including the movies and the TV spin-off, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

I received an egalley from the publisher for review and own the paperback.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars STAR TREK...And Now You Know the Rest of the Story! June 14, 2012

By Michael OConnor TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

If any television show deserves the "FAQ Treatment," it's Gene Roddenberry's STAR TREK. Who could have conceived that a show that struggled through three seasons would rise from the ashes of cancellation to become a franchise juggernaut? Mark Clark provides a warts-and-all history of the original ST series in this 2012 Applause Theatre & Cinema Books release.

The sub-title of author Mark Clark's book claims it includes EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIRST VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE and that's a fair statement. Clark does an excellent job of relating the creation, development and evolution of the show, the pre- and post-STAR TREK careers of the many talented people who shaped and contributed to the show's rich legacy, rivalries and feuds that plagued the show, equipment/props/special effects/costumes that helped create the ST world, notable guest stars, the "new life and new civilizations" encountered on the ship's three-year journey, etc.

STAR TREK FAQ is a wide-ranging, critical yet affectionate and balanced summary of the original STAR TREK world. Along with profiles of the main ST movers and shakers, for instance, it also includes a chapter on "Little-Recognized Contributors." Chapters on Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley are matched by others on "the Shining Moments" of Doohan, Takei, Nichols, Barrett, Whitney and Koenig. And even those poor Redshirts that bit the big one are chronicled! Likewise, chapters examining the dramatic themes and controversial issues the show explored are balanced by a section on "Goofs and Gaffes" that made it into the final cut and one on TV shows that beat ST in the ratings games; one case in point: GOMER PYLE, USMC! Clark's book also details the animated STAR TREK shows, early ST novels, ST comics, Trekkies, ST quotes/mis-quotes and so on. The book is illustrated throughout with vintage b&w photographs, posters and memorabilia.

Two points in passing. Thumbs up to Clark for the chapter entitled "Captain's Log, Evidence that William Shatner Was Really Quite Good." I always felt Shatner did marvelous work in STAR TREK but never got the credit for it. Whatever you thought of his stop-and-start delivery, Shatner turned in fine work throughout ST's three seasons. Thumbs down to Clark for omitting a major "Unforgettable Guest Star." Though Michael Ansara, who played Kang, is profiled, fans were first introduced to Klingons courtesy of John Colicos who portrayed Kor in "Errand of Mercy." Colicos was magnificent; a swaggering, in-your-face warrior who lived only for battle. When the Organians denied him the chance of a Klingon-Federation war, Kor's face flushed with disappointment and he could only longingly comment: "It would have been glorious." Colicos should have made the final cut for STAR TREK FAQ.

In any case, STAR TREK FAQ will appeal to all STAR TREK fans. It ranks up there with Farraland's NITPICKER'S GUIDE FOR CLASSIC TREKKERS, Gerrold's WORLD OF STAR TREK and INSIDE STAR TREK by Solow and Justman as an essential ST purchase. Highly recommended.