Future Perfect : How Star Trek Conquered Planet Earth (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Kurt Vonnegut, who is interviewed in this volume, has said many times and in many ways that humans are always seeking extended families. Author Jeff Greenwald looks into one of the largest artificial families ever created, the legion of Star Trek fans who know each other by secret signs, symbols, and addictions, and who turn out to be one of the most interesting subjects for sociological study ever invented by a major movie studio. Greenwald travels the globe, interviewing Klingon clans from Germany, Trek-heads in an English pub, and dozens of Americans who find fulfillment in the wearing of funny ears. Of extreme interest is the section on the Klingon Language Institute, an actual organization of linguists and scholars who are translating the Bible into Klingon. There's already a splinter group who've decided to do their own Bible translation that will be truer to Klingon culture. There's also a delightfully eclectic assortment of celebrity interviews, some of which are eye-popping. The final chapter, I swear to Kahless, is a talk with an unlikely Trek fan: the Dalai Lama. An engaging read for Trekkers, sociologists, and Buddhists alike. --James DiGiovanna

From Publishers Weekly

Greenwald's (The Size of the World) subtitle may be a bit of ironic hyperbole, but the ensuing text is right on target, offering an enjoyable journey through the global pervasiveness of American pop culture via one of the most enduring TV concepts ever. More than a Trekkie ode to Kirk, Spock, Picard and their ilk, this book provides a deconstruction of the worldwide appeal of the series and movies through interviews with cast members, writers, directors, fans and a variety of ancillary subjects, including Arthur C. Clarke, Kurt Vonnegut and the Dalai Lama. Roughly following production of the movie Star Trek: First Contact, Greenwald's own trek takes him to Hungary, Japan, India, Italy, England and other far-flung Star Trek outposts to meet with fans possessing varying degrees of dedication to the show. There are would-be Klingons picnicking in Germany; engineers at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif., trading one-liners from the show; and Hungarian enthusiasts meeting at a Kentucky Fried Chicken. No doubt hardcore Trek aficionados will find much of interest here as key actors, such as Patrick Stewart, and others involved with the series and movies expound on their characters, plots and the reasons for the three-decade popularity of the Star Trek franchise. Even readers of a less zealous bent will likely find fans' unwavering loyalty to Roddenberry's original vision a wonder to behold. Photos throughout.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670873993
• ISBN-13: 978-0670873999
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,666,645 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful contribution to Gene Roddenberry's vision, June 12, 1998

By	Steve Brant ([e-mail]) (New York City, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is full of very useful insights into the effect Star Trek has had on humanity in the last 32 years. By reporting on Star Trek's impact on so many different cultures, Jeff Greenwald is following in Gene Roddenberry's footsteps. He is helping his readers see not just themselves, but the diversity that exists among Star Trek's fans world-wide.

Patrick Stewart is quoted in the book as saying how very valuable it is to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to see their point of view (not just your own). If this book helps this happen for its readers, it will have served a very valuable purpose - not just providing a behind the scenes look at Star Trek, but a view of how people of other cultures see themselves as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate book on Star Trek Fandom, June 22, 1998

By A Customer

Jeff Greenwald observes and interviews various Star Trek authors, producers and TV Stars as well as Star Trek Fans all around the world. What is the result of that? The answer is: amazing! I can't remember having read anything like it before!

First of all, he has a very fluent, easy-to-read writing style. You just sit there, flip over one page after another and get sucked into the book. After ten pages, I was unable to put the book aside for anything else but work, food or sleep. But the book does not stop there. Jeff Greenwald has written a very thoughtful, very reflective book on the Star Trek Fandom. No matter which facet he meets - may it be authors, producers, stars or the common Trekker - he shows a insight about how Star Trek gives each personal dream and hope a shape.

Jeff tells us those stories of hopes and dreams - but always with a twinkle in his eyes, ready to catch remarks of people who may have hopes, but are as well capable to laugh about themselves.

Oh boy - I waited long for such a book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant, and sometimes baudy, look into the ST world, January 3, 2000

By	Kent Culberson (Central, Fl United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Future Perfect: How Star Trek Conquered Planet Earth (Paperback)

To start off, I would not recommend this book to pre-teen readers, or anyone whose beliefs lean more toward the prudish side. Greenwald occasionally spins explicitly saucy yarns about various interviewees. The use of quoted explicatives is also prevalent.

Aside from the above, "Future Perfect" is a decidedly informative behind-the-curtain book that details both Trek's worldwide fan-base and the lives and thoughts of its creators. On the whole, nothing ground-breaking is discovered or brought forth that any left-of-casual fan wouldn't already be aware of. However, the MTVesque way the author abuts divergent ten page chapters against one another is refreshing for a non-fiction book.

My only true reservation about "Future Perfect" is that Greenwald seems to abandon interesting events, incites, and people just at the moment the reader becomes entranced. Depth obviously was sacrificed for the sake of slap-dash page turning.

If ratings allowed, I would give the book 3.5 stars.