Planned as the first volume of a duo of books about Star Trek, Tom Salinsky offers commentary, analysis, and ratings for episodes across the original series, animated series, and the Next Generation.
Despite the subtitle focusing on the television version of Star Trek, attention is also paid to the movie spin-offs up to and including The Undiscovered Country (1991).
This is a valuable resource for the dedicated fan while allowing a way in for the curious or casual viewer. It includes thoughts and comment from a variety of authors, actors, and broadcasters picking their favourites.
As an episode guide it is very much a fan’s perspective, but refreshingly often from a first time viewing, as Salinsky tells us TNG and beyond, plus the original series movies, are ‘his Trek’.
To complete this project took two years, analysing one episode per day. It’s an honest labour of love from a lifelong sci-fi specialist, and even gives the episodes that fail a fair hearing.
Star Trek – Discovering The TV Series is not authorised in any way and contains no illustrations within the text. However, it is an interesting, quick read on a series (and spinoffs) that deserve their place in TV history and pop culture.
It’s not blind to its faults, either, whether racist, misogynist, or in the cast of William Shatner’s acting, can’t care less-ist. But it could also be groundbreaking, thoughtful, or inventive, and the book teases out these contradictions with a keen eye.
I am looking at an unedited proof, so it is possible some stylistic changes may be made before final publication, but this is a perfectly functional book with strong typesetting and a comprehensive index.
While I am not particularly a fan of any of the series covered here – like Salinsky, it is fair to say TNG was my Trek, so many bits of script and characterisations have become commonplace.
As a fan of classic TV in general, this book appeals because it places the three series in a wider context and comments on things like set design, guest actors, and recurring casts and issues.
It will go on my shelf next to Richard McGinley & Alan Hayes’s With Umbrella, Scotch and Cigarettes (about The Avengers series 1) and Andy Davidson’s Carry on Confidential (about the Carry On film series), which are also written in episodic style.
Star Trek – Discovering The TV Series is published by Pen & Sword Books and is available to preorder in hardback format here.