Product Description

Product Description

A living pop culture legend and one of American film and television's most enduring stars, William Shatner will forever be associated with the role of James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise. Star Trek Memories is Shatner's classic behind-the-scenes look at the legendary series that continues to put forth movies, books, and series spin-offs decades after the last episode aired. A television phenomenon that suffered from shaky ratings from its first broadcast in 1966 through its entire run, Star Trek nevertheless exploded into a worldwide, billion-dollar industry. Avid Trekkers who were onboard at the launch, as well as fans of the later Trek incarnations, will be delighted with this eye-opening, eminently fascinating "captain's log" from James Kirk himself.

Customer Reviews (31)

surprisingly modest, fun inside trivia
If you are the kind of ST fan that I am - growing up on it, surviving for many years on re-runs alone, then delighted when the show re-booted with the first film- you will enjoy this book.Shatner, who will forever be my favorite scifi character on TV, gives his point of view on the making of the show.While he can be quite critical and revealing, such as Roddenberry's omnivorous sexual appetite, throughout he strives to sound nice and even to reconcile with fellow cast members who cannot stand him.Indeed, he admits that "actors are children" and jokes about himself as well.Of course, we know he isn't all that nice a guy, but he tries.

When I was young, I wanted to be Captain Kirk, as silly as that sounds.Here you get a wonderful behind-the-scenes peek, not too deep but interesting enough.It is strictly perishable stuff, with a lot of fun tidbits, the kind of thing you might pick up while procrastinating or over a glass of wine for a few minutes on a Sunday afternoon.It is fun for die hard fans.Recommended.

...can't think of a title....
William Shatner does his usual good job of gettng you involved in the story. He is funny and quirky-using Star Trek technobabble to describe waking up in the morning and first thinking about this book-I loved it.Some of the various stories here from other people involved I've heard before but he William Shatner doesn't draw it out word for word so it's diffferent enough in those instances when he does quote people that it's not boring and feeling re-hashed.I just can't believe at the end of the book, he talks with his cast mates and he didn't seem to have any idea until he wrote this book that he was revilved by some and mildly tolerated by others within the cast-I thought he had learned that at a convention from some fans in the bathroom.All in all, a great read-or audio read in this case.If you haven't read or heard this one b4 and you've only gotten Star Trek movie memories, this is a nice companion piece.

Happy
This movie and case were perfect.Not a thing wrong with them.Glad to have it in our collection.Thanks.

The Welcome Reprint of Shatner's ST Experiences...
With the amazing longevity of William Shatner as a media celebrity, and the release of the reimagined "Star Trek" in theaters and on DVD, it's a pleasure to see Shatner's own insights of his best-known television series back in print. "Star Trek Memories" may be the chattiest, most entertaining of all the "Trek" books, with Shatner's wit, understanding, and, occasionally, his ego, wonderfully unrestrained!

To the movers who made "Trek" happen, he is remarkably fair and supportive, particularly to those who have passed away. While Gene Roddenberry is de-mythicized (his errors and often bizarre quirkiness are not glossed over), the vision and legendary audacity that created a unique series is not shortchanged, either...and the vital importance of Gene L. Coon, Robert H. Justman and Matt Jeffries in making a nearly impossible concept 'work' on a weekly basis is gratefully given the attention it deserves.

Shatner is magnanimous in sharing the performance credit with his castmates (particularly Leonard Nimoy and Dee Kelley), but admits it could be a battle getting screen time and scripts that played to the actors' individual strengths. He acknowledges that he could 'walk over' others in this, but I suspect it was more of an issue than he presents it, on the basis of the ill will James Doohan, George Takei, and others, had, and in some cases, still have towards him (and in his revelation of Nichelle Nichols' affair with Roddenberry before her own book was released, he effectively broadsided the actress, which reveals a lot about his being occasionally self-serving). Still, you end up feeling that Shatner, by and large, is a pretty terrific, likable person, and deserves the credit he's received for the show's extraordinary longevity. He never 'signed on' expecting the series to become the touchstone of his 50-year career as an actor, but has come to accept it with humor and grace.

This is certainly a 'must have' book for "Trek" fans!

Fascinating (Pun Intended)
I began reading "Star Trek Memories" after recently bearing witness to J.J. Abrams truly awful reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise. Eager to resurrect the memories of the "Star Trek" of my childhood, I ploughed into William Shatner and Chris Kreski's memoir of the creation, production and eventual cancellation of the series with gusto, and, in so doing, discovered a story that is worthy of a HBO miniseries all of its own. Seriously, the shenanigans that occurred in the course of attempting to get the "Enterprise" off of the ground would give anything that you've seen on Mad Men - Season One a run for it's money.

From traffic-cop-and-wannabe-screen-writer Gene Roddenberry's subtle menacing of legendary Hollywood producer Irving "Swifty" Lazar in order to break into the TV writing industry, through to the notoriously troubled production of the third season of the show, it is a story which is never less than fascinating, and one which takes in nervous breakdowns, network plagiarism, egomania, bicycle theft, alcoholism, racism, some truly chilling allegations of rape, and a grinding Sisyphian production schedule which would have tested the diplomacy of Kofi Annan and the patience of Job.

Roddenberry, who had passed on by the time the book was written, is an intriguing figure who appears to have been equal parts visionary, workhorse, genius, egomaniac, huckster, philanderer, shill and skinflint; a man who aspired to produce a television show which celebrated the loftiest ideals of human ambition whilst indulging in, shall we say, the slightly more baser elements of human nature himself. Suffice it to say, prior to reading this book I had always considered Leonard Nimoy to be somewhat curmudgeonly in his attitude towards "Star Trek", but after learning what he went through during and after the production of the series and subsequent films (which are chronicled in the follow-up to this book, " Star Trek " Movie Memories, which I'm currently reading), one wonders how he didn't take to going to the set with a gun. Similarly, debts of honour are also repaid to the likes of Gene L. Coon, Robert H. Justman and Matt Jeffries (unsung heroes of "Trek" who were apparently as intrinsic to the series as Roddenberry himself) and amends are made to Fred Freiberger - the man who was wrongly vilified and maligned for the death of the series.

As a narrator, Shatner is conversational and avuncular and clearly attempts to play the diplomat. That said, he is completely open about his fraught relations with the rest of the cast, and the fact that James Doohan refused to be interviewed for the book, in its closing chapters.

If you haven't read it and are intrigued by the history of this classic series, I doubt you'll find a better account. Similarly, if you're only looking for a lightly humourous and scandalous insight into the world of television in the sixties, I suspect you'll thoroughly enjoy it.
... Read more

Product Description
William Shatner gets the joke about William Shatner. In fact, most of the time he's the one telling it. His self-effacing attitude, so perfectly parodied in the bombastic character he now plays on Boston Legal, Denny Crane, is one of the reasons for his huge popularity. While best known for his creation of Captain James T. Kirk on "Star Trek", William Shatner has been a working actor for more than half a century. He has experienced all the ups (the awards and acclaim) and the down (having to live for a time in the truck bed of his camper when he couldn't get work) that are a part of the actor's world.In "Up Till Now" he tells us about his remarkable life, from training as a Shakespearan actor to his time on Broadway, his movie career and, of course, his successful tv series. He writes, with glee, about some of his less successful ventures, including Incubus, the only feature ever made entirely in Esperanto. As funny and charming as the man himself, this book will delight his many fans of all ages. 'Crammed full of anecdotes from a long and full life, and infused with a self-deprecating humour' - "Private Eye". ... Read more

Product Description
Following the explosive events of Star Trek® Nemesis, the Romulan Star Empire is in disarray, and Ambassador Spock attempts to render aid by launching a last-ditch effort to reunify the Romulans with their distant forebears, the Vulcans. But when Spock is publicly assassinated at a Romulan peace rally, Starfleet and the Federation are unable to search for the criminals responsible without triggering an intergalactic war.

Thus, it falls to James T. Kirk, now retired, to investigate his beloved friend's murder. Given clandestine assistance by Captain Will Riker of the Starship Titan, and accompanied by his good friend Jean-Luc Picard, Kirk travels to Romulus as a civilian, along with his five-year-old child, Joseph, the cantankerous Doctor Leonard McCoy, retired Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, as well as several members of Picard's crew, still waiting to return to duty on the badly damaged U.S.S. Enterprise^TM NCC-1701-E. But on Romulus' sister world, Remus, Kirk unexpectedly encounters an alluring enemy from his past as Picard and he discover that Spock's apparent murder hides an even deeper mystery, literally reaching beyond the limits of the galaxy.

Trapped on a deadly, alien world on the eve of a Romulan civil war that could plunge the galaxy into a civilization-ending conflict, Kirk's investigation at last brings him to the heart of a staggering conspiracy. Now, he discovers the true threat facing the Romulans, and is forced into the heartrending realization that for peace to prevail, he must sacrifice the freedom of his son, whose very blood holds the secret to his startling destiny.

Captain's Blood is a return to the sweeping action of William Shatner's greatest Star Trek adventures, bringing together both generations to face an unstoppable enemy in a battle for the existence of all life in this galaxy, and beyond. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Captain Kirk Murder Mystery
This story is set in the period following the movie Nemesis, about 6 years after his marriage to Teilani, narrated in the story Star Trek:Ashes of Eden.This story takes a turn form the traditional starship battled and Kilingon intrigues.There are diplomatic intrigues and hidden Federation agendas, of course, but the story puts Kirk in a new role.

Kirk is recruited by Star Fleet Command to perform a civilian murder investigation after Spock is reported killed in a bomb blast assassination at a Romulan Peace Rally on Romulus.

The Next Generation crew join the mission as support for the mission in a disguised ship, though thing get confusing and the story becomes puzzling when their additional role of watchdogs becomes apparent.An old opponent shows up to plague Kirk, and his son is in danger from an unstated plot the crew and Star Fleet Command are unaware of.

A good murder mystery with interesting turns, much in the vein of Sherlock Holmes.Even non-SciFi fans will enjoy this story.

Take it with a grain of salt and you will probably enjoy it
This book is the seventh original Star Trek novel penned by Shatner and the Reeves-Stevens couple.As with most books in the series, it brings Jim Kirk into the 24th century and puts him in the thick of things, being heavily involved with contemporary galactic events, and hanging out with the TNG crew like they're old friends.To me, it takes a bit to get over this premise, but it's not especially worse in this book than it has been in Shatner's past forays into Trek writing.

However, I did find that this book took a long time to get going.Even though it is in many ways a plot continuation of the last book "Captain's Peril," it develops an entirely new storyline of its own, one that I did not at first find especially interesting.I believe this in large part due to its focus on a murder mystery that the reader will probably solve long before the protagonists of this book.Although the book is slow at first, once it got going, I was hooked.About halfway through this novel, I couldn't put it down any more.The book leads directly into a cliffhanger at the end, providing a segue to the next book "Captain's Blood," although I can't say it was entirely effective in its climax.I'm not especially convinced that I care enough to read the next one and find out what happens.

Although the beginning and end of this novel didn't really do it for me, the middle was good enough that I am glad I read it.And, if you've enjoyed Shatner's other books, this one will probably be no different.

One of the Best Kirk stories in a while...
Captain Kirk seems to be able to draw out action and adventure wherever he goes in the galaxy. In fact, in the last two books I have read, he draws it from even outside the galaxy!!

No wonder this book betters the first one in the "Totality" Series.

The book starts with an innocent battle between Kirk and his five-year-old son Joseph, who has a genetic code mixture fed into him from his mother's side, which Kirk has been trying to decode with help from McCoy but to no success so far. Right away you get an inkling - Joseph is going to be central to the plot of this book. And boy! are you right or what!!

The story begins with Spock being killed in a bomb blast that rocks the Federation to its core, and they realize something big is afoot in the Romulan star system. The Romulans and their estranged and enslaved brethren Remans have never been on good terms, and things have just taken a turn for the worse.

Spock is killed while trying to convince the warring factions of Romulans and Remans (and Vulcans) to reunite and bring their ancient common ancestry together once again. Kirk is asked by Admiral Janeway (from ST VOY) to go in to investigate along with Picard and a small crew hand-picked on a ship specially retro-fitted with secret weapons by Starfleet. Kirk has nowhere to leave Joseph behind, so he takes him along. How wrong can a murder investigation go, when its being carried out by two of the most celebrated and best Captains the Federation's ever had!

Kirk is in for a big surprise, as things go wrong from the beginning.

Kidnapping, murder, double-crossing, double-dealings, hidden agendas abound aplenty in this story and will leave you satisfied in the time you spend to understand the complex plot, and see the real villain behind the carnage that threatens to soon engulf the entire galaxy in it's wake - painfully reminiscent of the Dominion Wars.

The plot is well crafted, the twists and turns well executed and I almost felt as if Shatner has learned from his earlier writing exercises and grown to be a mature and big-picture writer. No doubt there are some (gaping) holes in the plot, but if you disregard them, the book is well written and I really liked the fact that, for a change, even though Kirk is the center of the universe, he is not it's master!

Well worth the 4 / 5.

Kirk's Up To His Old Antics Once Again
Getting into (and out of) a seemingly impossible situation, griping with McCoy, being overprotective of those he loves and always itching for one last fight is exactly what you'll find Captain Kirk doing in "Captain's Blood," the second book in William Shatner and Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens' "Captain's" trilogy.This is actually the first "Trek" story that I've read by Shatner and co.I did not read "Captain's Peril" yet, but this book did whet my appetite for it and the third book in the series, "Captain's Glory."

In this go round, Kirk finds himself as a pawn for the Federation.He's being used to investigate the assassination of a key Trek figure.Tagging along with him are McCoy, Scotty, Captain Picard, La Forge, Dr. Crusher and his own son, Joseph.The group finds themselves taken prisoner by Remans, caught on the cusp of a civil war and facing off against the harbinger of an enemy known as the Totality.

It's all done at an excellent, action-packed clip.Sure, Kirk moves pretty good for being an elder stateman, but he's Kirk.He's supposed to do that sort of thing.The rest of the cast, including Worf, Riker, Troi and Admiral Janeway, are drawn out in a manner that regular fans of Trek can see as normal behavior for each of them.

Without giving away too much, just know that Spock is at the center of a lot of the chaos that happens in this book.Kirk's son is also a primary catalyst for what happens in the tale.

As stated before, this book did make me wonder what happened in the other two novels.It's a very good read for fans of Trek as well as fans of sci-fi in general.I especially recommend it to fans of sci-fi with a good dose of action thrown in for good measure.It's fun, quite unbelievable, and enjoyable all at the same time.Recommended.

Wake me when it's over...
There are two Kirks.The Kirk from the original series, and the Kirk from "ST III:The Search for a Script" and beyond.The Kirk in this novel is the latter.As such, he is superior to all others in the novel and represented as the guy who knows the truth and Starfleet is in his way.Part of this Kirk is having no depth.He is a cardboard hero who solves all the problems with little difficulty.

What is more annoying is the premise, from Spock's ideas to StarFleets.I'll not give anything away, I'll just say I had a few roll my eyes moments.

Now, if you can get past the innane plot, and the shallow characters, you definitely have an ok read that is really the prologue to the next book. ... Read more

Product Description
With the civil war on Romulus averted, Kirk is finally free to seek out the truth behind the death of his oldest and closest friend. Was Spock killed by the shadowy organisation known as the Totality? A generous offer from Starfleet provides him with the starship he needs in order to reach his goal. Their only proviso: that they can call on his help if they need him. But what happened to Spock is not Kirk's only worry: Joseph, his son, is rebelling wildly against the restrictions placed on him as the price of Romulan peace. Is the Totality somehow also linked to Joseph's rage? But before he can find the answers to either troubling question, Kirk receives a call from Admiral Janeway, telling him she needs him to save the Federation. Torn between his mission and his duty, the cause of the Federation must claim him one more time before he can turn his attention either to his friend or to his son.

Pop culture icon William Shatner returns with another breathtaking Star Trek adventure in which both generations must battle an unstoppable enemy for the existence of all life in this galaxy -- and beyond. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

What glory?
William Shatner is my favorite audio book author.That stated, even he couldn't bring me to like this audio book like he did the first 4 starting with The Return.The storyline just seemed to be missing something and I was bored.Don't bother getting this if you want to be enthralled and captivated by his words-get the earlier audio books-not this or Captain's Blood either.

another success
Bill Shatner has proven time and again that he is an author.His novels are easy to read and very enjoyable

Very generic.
Though I don't like to give books bad reviews, I must with this one.It is the same old story (Kirk saving the day, etc.).I HATE the way that Janeway acts in this book (very annoying and pompous) and am very glad that the Totality storyline is over.It is also ridiculous that McCoy is still alive (though a nebulous explanation is given for the reason why).Naturally, Spock is not dead either.I tend to place WS's books in an alternate TREK universe, myself.Buy this book only in a bargain bin sale, etc.

Pretty Good!
Star Trek: Captain's Glory by William Shatner and his long time companion writing duo the Reeves-Stevens is the third and final book in the "most recent" trilogy that puts the former Captain of the Enterprise (Kirk) and the current Captain of the Enterprise (Picard) against various threats, each other and time. Again.

If you don't follow Shatner's Star Trek books the entire series starts with "Ashes of Eden" and ends with this book. It's not necessary to read those books, although I highly recommend it.

For those of you who DO follow Shatner's books then you'll appreciate that this is a return to the strengths of the previous six books. It doesn't leave you waiting around hoping that "something happens soon" as the action starts fast and keeps going. The book is fast paced with little downtime, so you'll finish it quickly.

The first book of this trilogy was "Captains Peril" and had Kirk and Picard vacationing on Bajor. There was a lot of downtime compared to the previous six books and that let a lot of people down. The middle book, "Captains Blood" was more of the same - as if the first book was just a prelude. Which it was.

The first two book were just a round about way of bringing the bad guys in this book to light - the Totality.

The Totality are shape shifters, of a sorts, but worse than the ones on Deep Space Nine, if you follow that series. They're kind of like organized religion - you're a terrible person and you're going to suffer all eternity, but they love you. Go Figure.

Overall, this book will leave you satisfied and wraps up most if not all of the plot lines left open in the other 8 books.

Shatner (and Reeves-Stevens) do a great job with the Kirk and Picard characters, and while some of the other crew members such a Worf are fairly flat, they don't have a lot to do with this story so it's no big deal. The Riker character (and his new wife) were handled well.

Overall this book is enjoyable and if you suffered through the first two of this trilogy, then you'll be happy to know that you didn't waste your time, this book makes reading the first two worth it.

Another good reading experience
Anyone who enjoys StarTrek books will most certainly enjoy this one. William Shatner does an excellent job of keeping his readers captivated throughout. ... Read more

Product Description
The sequel to the bestselling Star Trek Memories, documenting in deliciously lurid and candid detail all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans in the making of the six Star Trek movies, with on-the-scene reporting from the set of the seventh in which...Kirk dies!

Star Trek Movie Memories recounts all the chaos, creative turmoil, backstage politics, power plays and production nightmares that permeated every one of the six Star Trek movies, including the accumulated grudges that haven't yet mellowed with the passage of time. And the stories... Nicholas Meyer writing the script for Star Trek II in twelve days... Kirstie Alley doing her Leonard Nimoy imitation in an audition... How Kirk's love interest in Star Trek IV began as a role for Eddie Murphy, and you can imagine the rest (or maybe not).

With stories and quotes from the principles that have never before been uttered in public, this will deliver a truly unprecedented behind-the-scenes view of the Trek films that will amaze even the most avid Trekker. And on top of it all, the hardcover will be published in time for the seventh film, which will present the perfect opportunity to tie the old crew and stars including Robert Wise, Ricardo Montalban, Christopher Lloyd, Christopher Plummer, Christian Slater to Patrick Stewart and the cast of The Next Generation. The torch will be passed, and William Shatner will tell us all about how it feels as his character is killed off in the film's finale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Easy to pick up...and put down...and pick up...
I picked this up at the library because I enjoy reading the behind-the-scenes of movies & TV shows. Star Trek Movie Memories takes us into the offices and minds of those involved with Paramount and the Star Trek movie franchise.

After reading this book, I can only say, What a bunch of whiny cry babies. If it isn't some studio exec, it's Leonard Nimoy wanting more power or money.

William Shatner and his co-author did a good job bringing in all the minds and ideas behind the controversies and little-known facts of Star Trek movies.

Very entertaining
I bought this book when it originally came out, and at the time, I couldn't really get into it. Like some other reviewers mentioned, I was disappointed that it dealt so much with studio politics, and the rememberances of producers I had barely heard of.

Either I've matured a lot since then, or I have different tastes now, but I was desperate for something to read, so I dug this out. I loved it now, the studio politics are actually pretty intriguing, and you can't help but get into the drama of how friendships lived and sometimes died as a result of those politics.

From what most of the producers, and Leonard Nimoy, had to say, Gene Rodenberry didn't come off well, but even if everything they said about him was true, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy, having his creation wrested from him, and being shut out of the creative process, even though I usually agreed with the suits, it was still kind of sad.

The chapter about the making of Star Trek V was especially interesting, William Shatner wrote and directed it, and you could feel his disappointment at how it turned out, he writes about it in an honest and clear eyed way, he doesn't try to white wash his own failures, but it seems there was plenty of blame to spread around.

Of course, Star Trek fans will enjoy the behind the scenes look at the making of these films, but really, anybody that's interested in the process of filmmaking should really like this book.

I'm an Actor, not a Writer!
William Shatner's STAR TREK MOVIE MEMORIES can be looked at one of two ways. Way # 1 is as a stand-alone book about a classic television series, told from the POV of its biggest star. An by those lights it's not bad. A bit superficial, and at times overly ambitious, but entertaining and informative nonetheless. Way # 2 is as a very derivitive retelling of two much older, and frankly better books. THE MAKING OF STAR TREK by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry, which came out while the show was still in production (1968 or so), and THE WORLD OF STAR TREK by David Gerrold, which came out a few years after its cancellation (1975).

If you go only by the Shatner version (1993) ghostwritten by Chris Kreski, you won't fail to be entertained. The book opens with an aged Shatner waking up early for his last day of shooting on the very last (so he believd) STAR TREK film, THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (he actually appeared again in GENERATIONS, of course, never say never in the TREK-verse!). He's conscious that his life-defining role as James Tiberius Kirk was coming to an end, that he's old and tired, and that he's kind of sad about it. He gets reflective about the phenomenon that he has been part of for the last 30 odd years, and starts to do some thinking about it. That thinking, as it's examined in the book, goes along a couple of different lines:

1. The backstory of TREK - which is to say the biography of Gene Roddenberry and the long, painful, years-long process it took to get the show on the air.

2. The day-to-day mechanics of the show - how it was written, produced, executed, etc. Who did what, and how they did it.

3. Shatner's own memories of getting cast as Kirk, what it was like to be a part of the phenomenon, the internal cast dynamics, his relationship with Gene Roddenberry and with the other cast members, etc.

4. The battle with the networks in regards to the show's cancellation, and the efforts of the fans to keep it on the air. Its legacy.

As far as 1, 2 and 4 go, if you haven't read the Whitfield-Roddenberry or Gerrold books, it's pretty interesting stuff, explaining not merely how TREK came to be and was, but how it "died" and how its death contained the seeds of its ultimate rebirth. If you have, it's a boring and unimaginative retelling of something told much earlier, and much better, by insiders - Roddenberry (the creator of the show) and Gerrold (who wrote "The Trouble With Tribbles" and, while possessing many opinions vis-à-vis TREK I think are wrong, certainly understood its nuts and bolts).

It's # 3 that sells the book. Shatner has some interesting anecdotes and memories pertaining to the show, although one suspects that time, and his relative disinterest in TREK (by which I mean the fact that he's always viewed it as a job and nothing more), have dulled his memory. Kreski seems to rely heavily on the afformentioned books for source material, and Shatner is basically reacting off that material rather than doing a lot of brain-wracking himself. And the book's tone tends to mute its impact. Bill is reasonably frank about being disliked by Walther Koenig (Chekov) and George Takei (Sulu), and hated by Jimmy Doohan (Scotty), but I often got the sense his true attitudes, the ones that led to these bad feelings, are not reflected in this work. My personal take is that he was incredibly insensitive to some of his co-workers, but that he also regarded some of them (Takei, for example) as being delusional about their own place in the scheme of things...only at this age, he's too dignified to say so. He's being polite and political where some really self-scouring honesty would have made for better reading. The real problem witH MEMORIES is that memories are only a quarter of the book -- too much time is spent laying the groundwork for them, and notwhere near enough time talking about them. I don't want a biography of TREK, I want Shatner's personal take on what he experienced.

Don't get me wrong. I like Shatner a lot, and I enjoyed the book, especially when his memory was sharp and his opinions unguarded. I would recommend it to any fan of TREK or to anyone who wants an inkling of why the show refuses to die even after 40 years off the air. But I would qualify it by saying that a great deal of what the book attempts to do - tell the story of the show rather than Shatner's story - has been done before, and better, by other men.

Too much studio politicking - not enough amusing anecdote
The term memoir is a misnomer. It's more a background history of the Star Trek movies. Shatner and Kreski have spent far too much time delving into the backroom fighting and creative disagreements, and not enough time reminiscing. As a useful study on what actually goes into the making of individual episodes of a major motion picture franchise, this book surely has few equals, and I hope it appears on the shelves of all important film schools. It has indeed been well researched. But really that should be a book with Kreski's name alone on it.

Surely what we want from William Shatner, actor, director and Star Trek star, is more a true memoir of his own personal relationships with the other members of the cast (good or bad), and to recall some of the laughter as well as the tears that took place while they were filming. The most we get of this is the tale of how the only two of the original cast to join Shatner in "Star Trek Generations" were his two greatest critics, Walter Koenig and James Doohan, and how Shatner, attempting to rebuild bridges, eventually persuaded them to pose for a photo, all holding hands. Koenig remarked that "a photo of the three of *us* holding hands must be worth at least $500, fifteen hundred if it was signed." Apart from that and one story from George Takei about being referred to as "Tiny" in Star Trek III, the rest is all about Harve Bennett, Nicholas Meyer, Leonard Nimoy (with his director and producer hat on) and (via memo) Gene Roddenberry, all of whom ended on very bad terms with each other. As to the cast, Nichelle Nicholls scarcely features at all, and neither does De Forest Kelley.

"Star Trek Memories", this book's predecessor, managed a better mix of stories from behind and in front of the camera, although in fairness there is already an inherent romanticism about the 1960s television industry which was to that book's advantage. "Movie Memories" generally leaves one with a nasty taste in the mouth.

William Shatner waxes nostalgic about the "Star Trek" movies
After writing "Star Trek Memories" with Chris Kreski in 1993, William Shatner came back a year later with "Star Trek Movie Memories."Whereas Shatner was uncertain as to the fate of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship "Enterprise" at the end of the first book, by the time he wrote the second the character had officially died in "Star Trek: Generations."This provided an obvious stopping point for Shatner's memoirs and gives this book more of a sense of finality than the first one, especially since the book's epilogue is about shooting the death scene.There are less "Star Trek" movies to have memories about than there were television episodes and all of the films were made more recently so that the memories are fresher.Shatner also becomes more than just an actor when he directs "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and is one of three writers who came up with the story.

The format is the same, so that "Star Trek Movie Memories" combines his own reminiscences with in-depth interviews with other actors and various people associated in one way or another with making the movies.As was the case last time, Leonard Nimoy is always thoughtful and insightful, and he shares his feelings on having to shoot Spock's death scene in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and his anger at the machinations of studios and guilds (it is dangerous to let Nimoy speak for himself because he is always captivating, but clearly Shatner does not mind letting his co-star take the stage to talk about things in his own words).Perhaps the most interesting stories come from David Gautreau, the actor who never really got to play Xon, the Vulcan science officer in the first film (it is a long story and a classical example of the sort of sick joke that happens in the wacky world of Hollywood).The narrative actually picks up after the original "Star Trek" is cancelled in 1969 as Armstrong and Aldrin are walking on the moon.Shatner covers the highlights and lowlights of his career and persona life, played against the undercurrent of fans support for the show that ultimately manifests itself as the space shuttle "Enterprise" and the first "Star Trek" movie.

If you know anything about Shatner it is that he has an omnipresent sense of humor, which is clear from the titles given each chapter devoted to a "Star Trek" movie.The seven films become, in order, "Star Trek: The Emotional Picture," "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Bennett...and Meyer, and Montalban, and Diller, and Eisner, and Katzenberg, and....," "Star Trek III: The Perch for Spock," "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Roams," "Star Trek V: The Frantic Frontier," "Star Trek VI: Discovered Country," and "Star Trek VII: Regenerations."Shatner does devote due consideration to what it was like to be a movie director, but clearly he is much happier talking about his ploy to get Nicholas Meyer to stop smoking his stinking cigars.The book is filled with dozens of black & white photographs throughout and eight pages of color photographs in the middle. However, the attraction here for fans of "Star Trek," whatever nomenclature you feel best describes the group, are the behind the scenes stories, like when Nimoy and Shatner talk about Kirk's finest moment on celluloid in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" when he learns his son David has been killed.I always find it interesting to see how happenstance plays a role in memorable movie moments.So while this book is not definitive, it is an enjoyable read and you should learn enough after the making of these movies to feel it was worth the time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A book made to be read late at night
This is the third novel in Shatner's Tek series and while the specific actions of the main characters are a bit different, the plot is rather similar. Jake Cardigan and his partner Sid Gomez are hired to investigate a brutal murder. The victim was carved into four pieces by the murderer using a laser gun to draw an X on his body.
Their investigations lead them to Europe and a series of adventures through the dark underside of the societies. There is a bit of social comment, the government of England now is led by a president and the members of the royal family are just common people. However, there is a group that would like to restore the monarchy, but they are rather inept and inconsequential.
Shatner paints a bleak picture of the future; the Tek drug is powerful and generates enormous profits. It is a poison that permeates all societies. Entire sections of major cities are lawless, controlled by rival gangs that engage in brutal and deadly raids against each other. Cardigan's son Dan enters one of those sectors searching for a girlfriend and Jake and Gomez follow the trail. Of course, they manage to free Dan and solve the crimes.
This is not high-minded science fiction, the plot moves from action to action involving shoot-outs where even though Jake and Sid have only stun guns and the enemy has killing weapons, they always manage to emerge victorious in the gun battles. This is one of those books that you read late at night when you are not yet tired enough to sleep yet don't want to read anything that will get your brain excited and keep you awake.

Cardboard � Smardboard This stuff is fun and fast Paced.
This is book 3 of the series that became a TV show for a short time.If you read and enjoyed the first 2 (Tekwar and Tek Lords) you will probably like this one also.This is as formulaic as a hit TV series, but you gotta love Jake and his friends as written by Shatner and his friends.

You might laugh about the plot idea for restoring the English monarchy, but I work with a salesman once who had a PHD in medieval history who felt the world would be better off under a single monarchy.He was serious.Votes straight dem to.

Anyway, I think Plots are like eating a food preparation for the first time. I don't mind trying it as it was intended to be eaten.A plot should be allowed to be developed, and only if it trips all over itself do I conclude that it was stupid in the context of the story being told.Of course the plot is stupid.That is why it must be stopped.

What do you expect?
Teklab was a fast, fun read from the infamous William Shatner. Don't go into this book expecting anything great and you won't be disappointed. The pace is quick and the action furious. The characters are however, lacking in personality. Jake Cardigan is your basic hard-nosed detective type, with his Latino sidekick Gomez. They are assigned to investigate someone's murder which ends up involving them once again in the web of the Teklords. Anyway, it's a fun read if you're looking for something quick and light. Popcorn reading.

Another quick, enjoyable read in "Tek" world
Yes, I bought the first Tek book, TekWar because it was written by William "Captain Kirk" Shatner. But I've continued buying the rest of the series because I actually enjoy the novels. They are fun to read, interesting characters, enough plot twists to keep interest but also simplistic enough to not lose you. They are also very quick reads which are always nice. I always feel like I'm sucked in quickly, experience the book at high speed, and then finish it off feeling resolved and pleased to have enjoyed it so quickly. Some people might feel ripped off for going through it so quickly, but not me. I enjoy it and will continue to buy all of Shatner's future Tek books. This is the third novel in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
If you think you know how it all began, think again...

Young Jim Kirk wants nothing to do with Starfleet, andnever wants to leave Earth. In the summer of 2249, he's a headstrong seventeen-year-old barely scraping by in San Francisco, haunted by horrific memories from his past.

In the same city, a nineteen-year-old alien named Spock is determined to rise above the emotional turmoil of his mixed-species heritage. He's determined to show his parents he has what it takes to be Vulcan -- even if it means exposing a mysterious conspiracy at the heart of the Vulcan Embassy, stretching to the farthest reaches of the Federation's borders. There, a chilling new threat hasarisen to test the Federation's deepest held belief that war is a thing of the past and that a secure future can be forged through peaceful means alone. But it is in San Francisco, home to Starfleet Academy, where that threat will be met by two troubled teenage boys driven to solve the mystery that links them both.

In time, the universe will come to know these young rebels as Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock...two of the Federation's greatest heroes. Yet before they were heroes, they were simply conflicted teenagers, filled with raw ambition and talent, not yet seasoned by wisdom and experience, searching for their own unique directions in life -- a destiny they'll discover on one fateful night in San Francisco, when two lives collide, and two legends are born.

Star Trek: Academy -- Collision Course sets the stage for an exciting new era of Star Trek adventure, and for the first time reveals Kirk and Spock as they were, and how they began their journey to become the Kirk and Spock we know today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Great Story
I have been waiting years for this story.I hope I don't have to wait too long for more books in the series.(The story starts just before Spock and Kirk meet.)

Classic
I loved this book and couldn't put it down.The insights into the minds of Kirk and Spock as they first met each other are precious... and totally on target! I caught myself looking around while reading it... looking for someone to tell: "Here's why he did that!"Great book. Go get it!

Top Notch entertainment - really groovy book!
In this very entertaining page-turner, we meet Kirk and Spock when they are just teenagers (17 and 19 respectively), trying to decide what to do with their lives and taking part in the typical teenage rebellions.Yes, you heard it here - Spock is a total juvenile delinquent - who'd have thought it?

Kirk, of course, has noble reasons for breaking the rules, but he just keeps getting almost caught and digging himself in deeper.Fortunately, that is how I like my stories - keep me guessing, keep the pressure on - BUT ... provide plenty of comic relief, which this book definitely did.

Providing all the humor and action of the old series with the pressure and excitement, which is really my preferred method of absorbing the information of books (reading and discussing), with thought-provoking themes about family and ethics, this is just a fabulous bookvvvv.If you are a fan of Star Trek: TOS, do NOT miss this chance to take a peek into the teenage years of two of Star Trek's most beloved characters and see the mold that they had to break to make them what they are

Great read!
It is a great intro into the Star Trek saga. I loved it and I am waiting for the next installment but I do not know if there will be one?

Uninspiring Trek fare
Much as the recent Star Trek film gave us a slightly off canon version of Star Trek, this book does likewise, having Kirk and Spock meeting and joining Starfleet at the same time.Kirk has anti-Starfleet baggage and Spock is trying to find his true identify and path in life.The story is spun around Kirk and Spock doing their own investigations into a smuggling ring, both coming at it from different directions and eventually working together.
Well, Mr Shatner knows his character and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens know how to churn out a good Trek novel, but in the end, this didn't really work for me.Having said that I am a Trek fan of old, but gave up on the books a few years ago, only occasionally dipping into one, so maybe I am asking too much.
With this one, the target audience seemed to sit between YA Trek fans and adult fans, but sat uncomfortably on the fence between the two.Kirk is portrayed as a young technological genius (never saw that in the series or films!) and it didn't sit right with the Kirk we eventually saw on screen.Spock is better in the way he is pitched although some of the Vulcans (including some Vulcan bad guys) just did not feel right with what we know about the Vulcans.
So Kirk and Spock scamper through the story, brushing against both Starfleet, assorted family and the bad guys and (in Kirk's case) the trauma of a past incident.Obviously the climax takes place on.... well you can guess where before we slip back into Trek Canon with our heroes joining different branches of Starfleet.
This just felt very average, and I was never really engaged and in summary, it did remind me why I gave up reading Trek books..... ... Read more

Product Description
During James T. Kirk's five-year mission as captain of the Starship Enterprise,™ a mysterious alien threat called "The Totality" commenced its invasion, intending to conquer the Milky Way galaxy as it had conquered the Andromeda. A war unlike any other is about to begin -- one that threatens to destroy the Federation.

Captain Kirk has encountered the Totality before. It took the beguiling form of Norinda, an irresistible alien who becomes the woman each person most desperately desires. In his first encounter, Kirk almost lost the Enterprise. In his second encounter, he almost lost his child, and watched in horror as the Totality absorbed Spock in its monstrous dimensional tendrils. But now, Kirk faces an even more devastating personal challenge. The battle lines have been drawn, and he and his friend Captain Jean-Luc Picard are on opposite sides.

With Captain William Riker of the Starship Titan caught in the cross fire of the conflict between Kirk and Picard, and with Kirk's own child poised on the brink of a startling destiny millions of years in the making, Kirk must prepare for his final encounter with the Totality. But how can Kirk fight an enemy whose greatest weapon is love? And how can he triumph, when the price of victory is the life of his only child? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not as good as I hoped
The reviews were really good and I love William Shatner so I bought the book. The premise is great, but somehow lacked in substance. I was hoping for a great "can't put it down" summer read and was disappointed.

Some background info for lightweight ST fans... like me!
First, a little bit about myself just so you know where I'm coming from.I'm a fairly lightweight ST fan.I've watched all the movies, but I've only watched the various TV series off and on.I can't even claim to have watched all the episodes of TOS and TNG, let alone Voyager or DS9.I've only read one (maybe two) TOS novels in the late-80s, when TNG was just starting out.And given that I barely remember what those novels were about, this book is, for all practical intents and purposes, my first ST novel.

And that brings me to how I came upon this book.Prior to picking up Captain's Glory, I had absolutely no clue what has been going on in ST timeline in terms of novels.So when I saw William Shatner's name on the cover and read the introductory passage on the book's first page at a local bookstore, I was pleasantly surprised to see Kirk speaking with Janeway.I was intrigued to know how Kirk came to be in that era, hence the purchase.

But after only a couple of dozen pages, it became very apparent that Kirk being in post-TNG/Voyager/DS9 era was an established fact, and further that this book was a sequel to a series of previous books.

A quick search on the web revealed that this book is a part of what is unofficially known as "Shatnerverse," which began with the Odyssey (Star Trek) trilogy.Furthermore, I learned that this book was the third and final book of the "Totality" trilogy -- the first two being Captain's Peril (Star Trek) and Captain's Blood (Star Trek).

I considered finding and reading those previous books first, but I decided to just keep on reading this book, as I was already hooked by its story.And now that I'm done, I can say that I've been thoroughly entertained.This is a well-written, fast-paced work of fiction.I very much enjoyed seeing Kirk, Bones, Scotty, Picard, Riker, Janeway, and other familiar faces all working together (and sometimes against each other) to save the universe once again.

If I could start over, I would probably start with the first book of the Totality trilogy, Captain's Peril (Star Trek).Captain's Glory makes several references to past events covered by previous books, and by reading the final book of the trilogy first, I feel I may have irrevocably spoiled myself of the events of the first two books.

Of course, you can simply read this book by itself as I did.The book does a good job of quickly summarizing the past events (with inevitable spoilers), and I can definitely attest that, while knowledge of events in prior books might be desirable, they are certainly not required for getting enjoyment out of this well-written book.

Also, I must note that I do *not* feel spoiled of the events in other Shatnerverse books.On the contrary, I am actually more intrigued by the glimpses and quick references I've gotten from reading this book.In fact, I hope to be able to track down a copy of the Odyssey trilogy books (which unfortunately seemed to have gone out of print), and perhaps check out the Mirror Universe trilogy.

Captain's Glory may not have been the most optimal entry point into the Star Trek novels (or more specifically, "Shatnerverse"), but I can't say I regret it one bit.I look forward to finding and reading other books in this series.

Shatner is showing real growth as a writer.
This book is much better than Shatner's previous books in many ways. I still was a little disappointed with how it ended; a little too much deus ex machina for my taste. Still, it's a very good book; for one thing, Shatner seems to have finally outgrown the tendancy to make Kirk into a demigod; in some of his previous books, it seemed that there was absolutely nothing that Kirk couldn't do, and even when that wasn't the case, he was always showing up Picard, Janeway, and any other Trek character about as thoroughly as a major league ballplayer would show up a minor leaguer. In this book, Picard battles him to a draw in a strategic contest, and given the circumstances, Picard could actually have been said to "win" the draw. Riker was the most level-headed captain of the three of them, and ultimately, Picard pulls Kirk's buns out of the fire. Given all that, I'm willing to accept Janeway being written as a largely irrelevant admiral.

There were a few places in which I felt that Kirk acted out of character, and that combined with the previously mentioned quibbles are why I only rate the book at 4 stars. Still, Shatner has always had good story ideas, and he tells this one better than he's ever done before. His pacing has improved, for one thing. Definitely worth the read.

The Totallity
Having recently just lost Spock, Kirk will struggle to find out just exactly what happened to him and where he went.The Totallity has begun it's invasion of our space and is apparently worse than the Dominion.Atleast you could hurt the Dominion, nothing appears to be able to stop these guys...it seems like Shatners version of the Dominion war except worse and it'll only be up to Kirk to figure out how to save the day, as it always is.Great book and story... I just don't like how Kirk has to be the #1 Hero of all time all the time.

How much of this did Will really write.
The collaberation between Will Shatner and the duo of Reeves-Stevens has been phenominal.They are by far the best novels in the Star Trek library.I really thought they painted themselves into a corner with the totality but in the end they pulled it out again.Its by the seat of your pants, roller coaster sci fi at its best.I absolutely love how they pull in happenings from old shows in all their novels.
If I am not mistaken it was Reeves Stevens who wrote the best Enterprise (starring Scott Bakula)episodes that went into why the klingons once had no ridges as well as into a Vulcan conspiracy, both of which were 2-3 show story arcs that were out f'n standing.
I want more.Of course I am curious how much Will contributes given his Tek War novels were solid B level work at best and this is A+ stuff. ... Read more

Product Description

Get A Life! with the possible exception of "Beam me up, Scotty," is clearly the most repeated catchphrase in the history of Star Trek®. 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 had his 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.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 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

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. In it, he plays a man recovering from a nervous breakdown that is with his wife on an airplane. The character is afraid of flying, so his presence on the plane is part of his recovery. As Shatner explains, those expressions of fear in the episode did not require a great deal of acting, for the fearless starship captain flying across the galaxy heedless of the danger is a man that gets frightened when he is in a plane.
This book is about Shatner's relationship to Star Trek fandom, how for years he went to conventions, was hustled in the back door, did the gig and then left as quickly and as quietly as possible. Through these years, Shatner never developed any form of a bond with those loyal fans, so he never understood the depths of the social phenomenon that was taking place.
Fortunately for him, Shatner reached the point where he became curious about the emotions of the gigantic and extremely devoted fan base, so he began donning a very ugly mask and going incognito to Star Trek conventions. These actions allowed him to understand what Star Trek means to so many people, everyone from the casual fan to the devoted fan(atic).
Ironically, the most moving story features the most disturbed individual. Shatner came into contact with a woman expressing multiple personalities, some of which are characters from the original series. The woman is undergoing therapy and the expression of the personalities is a way the woman copes with the abuse she suffered as a child. Her father would go into rages and her mother would hand her over to her father in order to protect herself. By becoming a Star Trek character, the woman could express feelings of being capable and in control, even when the world degenerated into chaos and danger.
William Shatner will forever be "Captain Kirk" in the minds of Star Trek lovers, the lady-killing hero that could not possibly fail. In this book, Shatner expresses a very human side as he leaves stardom aside to explore the reasons why Star Trek was such a powerful and positive force in the lives of so many people. It is a book that fills a void in the Star Trek universe.

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.It was like finding an old friend.

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. Love Star Trek? Read this book. Hate Star Trek? Read this book. It's really that much fun!

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. If you have ever wanted to know the workings of and behind the scenes stories of Star Trek conventions, then this is for you.

In "Get A Life!", William Shatner gives the history of the end of Star Trek (which is just a retelling of the story that is in his other book "Star Trek Memories") but it sets up the story of how the conventions began beautifully. Not only that, but Shatner interviews cast members as well as those who worked behind the scenes of the series, fans and conventioneers who run the conventions. Needless to say, you get an insight into this world.

If you loved other books that he has written on Trek, then this is no exception. I'm telling you, it is just a real page turner because you can relate to these people in the interviews if you are a Trekkie. Shatner literally goes undercover in make-up at a convention to get the true feel of a Star Trek convention, so this is also first hand experience speaking the entire time. The best thing is that by the books end, you get the feeling that Shatner (finally!) understands the fans and knows why we love it so much. Overalll, really fun! Definitely a must have in your Star Trek library

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 himself.

This late 1990's book takes the reader through a wide variety of emotions, knowledge and underground information when dealing with all things that go on at the various and too many to count "Star Trek Conventions" around the country and even the world. William Shatner has always been facinated by the type of people that show up at the various conventions, dressed up like characters on the show and worshipping every word he has to say as if it was from the mighty ship captain himself. But one thing Mr. Shatner never did, was actually focus on what was going on around him. He would fly into the location, quickly be escorted in right before he was to speak, do his 45 minute talk to the crowd quickly, wave goodbye and get his pay check and head back home and do it again when he was up to it. That was all it was to him. But suddenly the Captain was killed off in Star Trek: Generations and had no more TV shows to do. Now he was being booked to more conventions then ever, and thats when he realized, that he had never even understood the people that he was addressing all of these times. That was until he decided to write this book and quite a book it is.

You will go through the entire gambit of emotions with this book. It is never nasty or spiteful. If anything William is very humble and seems to be genuine in his hopes to learn about the fans and the conventions that he has always thought was just full of crazy fans who need to "Get a Life" as he famously said on the just as famous Saturday Night Live skit so many years ago. Mr. Shatner has a way of being friendly, down to Earth and talks in this book not as a serious author, but as the same William Shatner we have always seen and heard everytime we see him. He learns everything there is to learn about the people who go to these conventions. The types of things they buy. The types of costumes they wear. The history of how the conventions started in the first place. Talks a lot about things that he himself has to deal with when associating with the fans. Answers a lot of questions he has been asked over the years. And even has some very touching and deep moments when some of the fans are explaining why they love Star Trek so much. It is quite surprising when you hear some of the answers they give and how much the show and entire series really means to them.

This is a must read to anyone who is into Star Trek, gone to a convention or just enjoys learning more about the Star Trek fan base and history. It is quite informative and just very interesting. William even goes undercover in a mask at various points so no one will know that thier beloved captain is walking amongst them and has some interesting revelations as he observes first hand what is going on at the various tables, shows and speaker sessions that each convention is made up of. I really couldn't put this book down. The moment I started reading it I was hooked and I'm not even that big a Trekie. I never even been to a convention and still haven't even seen every episode. But something drew me into this book which really just had a very high intrest level that won't bore you for a moment. The interviews are short and sweet and the humor constant and even gets in a few moments to poke fun at a certain Mr. Nemoy who Shatner has kept close contact with over the years.

I really was quite surprised in all honesty at how good this book was. We all know the image we have of Shatner. Being a hammy, over acting so and sowho steals lines, talks in huge pauses and seems to eat up the screen time. And he freely admits to or even tries to explain all of these views people have on him without holding back any shame of admiting truths or non-truths to us. But after reading this book you are almost humbled and regretful that you even thought of him in that way. He truly shows a new side of him that you never expected. It is not often that actors on a TV show would even care to learn more about their fans or the people that worship them so dearly. I will definitely be reading this book again soon enough just to see what I missed and to laugh yet again. Some of the stories and situations are just laugh out loud moments that you can't believe you are reading. He doesn't hold anything back and you really get a new respect for the man we had watched in various movies and television episodes over the years. Most of all he has always cherished and loved the fact that he played Captain Kirk and doesn't run away from the fact of what people percieve him as any longer.

Anyone who is into Star Trek or even those non-Trek fans who want just a nice light read when they have read all the deep Non-Fiction pieces out there.. has to read this book. I can promise you, it will be a pure enjoyment and enlightening experience that will break some of the images and stereotypes the majority of people have had over the fanatic fans who frequent these conventions. The only complaint I had was I wanted even more. It just never seemed enough. The captain may have died in the movies but this book is proof enough he isn't going anywhere any time soon. He will be with the Trek fans for a very long time to come. And I think we should all be very nervous for that fact as he will be watching from now on. ... Read more

Product Description
If you think you know how it all began, think again...

Young Jim Kirk wants nothing to do with Starfleet, andnever wants to leave Earth. In the summer of 2249, he's a headstrong seventeen-year-old barely scraping by in San Francisco, haunted by horrific memories from his past.

In the same city, a nineteen-year-old alien named Spock is determined to rise above the emotional turmoil of his mixed-species heritage. He's determined to show his parents he has what it takes to be Vulcan -- even if it means exposing a mysterious conspiracy at the heart of the Vulcan Embassy, stretching to the farthest reaches of the Federation's borders. There, a chilling new threat hasarisen to test the Federation's deepest held belief that war is a thing of the past and that a secure future can be forged through peaceful means alone. But it is in San Francisco, home to Starfleet Academy, where that threat will be met by two troubled teenage boys driven to solve the mystery that links them both.

In time, the universe will come to know these young rebels as Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock...two of the Federation's greatest heroes. Yet before they were heroes, they were simply conflicted teenagers, filled with raw ambition and talent, not yet seasoned by wisdom and experience, searching for their own unique directions in life -- a destiny they'll discover on one fateful night in San Francisco, when two lives collide, and two legends are born.

Star Trek: Academy -- Collision Course sets the stage for an exciting new era of Star Trek adventure, and for the first time reveals Kirk and Spock as they were, and how they began their journey to become the Kirk and Spock we know today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good read from William Shatner's view
This is an important book for at least two reasons.First, it fills in much detail of the events on Tarsus four and Kodos the executioner.The original series was written so well and with so much imagination that entire novels are spun from just the background information of a single episode.This is one such example, Burning Dreams is another.

Second, it is written after all by William Shatner and portrays a young James Kirk as Shatner would like to have him seen.It is in a sense Jim Kirk through the eyes of Shatner with all his cynicism, strength, humor, and flaws.It also gives a good deal of background about Kirk's brother Sam, father Joe, and the familial relationships at play.

I give it four stars cause the action takes a while to get started, but for the reasons above it takes on an importance all its own, and is almost a necessary reference work.

This Book is Cool, but Star Trek XI is Better
It's really hard to say what this book is. A joke? The truth? Another parallel universe?

The story is about teenage James T. Kirk and his first encounter with Spock. It explains how a brash and confused Jimmy Kirk ends up at Starfleet Academy after fighting a criminal gang with his newfound Vulcan friend.

The first thing I noticed was that the writing was just all over the place. The narration bounced between great and ugly, exciting and boring, and witty and dull. Classy dialogue was followed by tacky sentences. It was as if the novel had schizophrenia...guess that's what happens when you have three authors for a single book.

Also, the Trek in this book didn't ring true. Come on, "bicorders" are the commercial version of tricorders? And speaking of money, it seemed like Earth was far too commercial for Star Trek of the 23rd-century.

On the other hand, it was nice to see that the writers included historical tidbits about the Star Trek universe. But then they went overboard, and I got really tired of how every building or hall in Starfleet Academy was named after characters on Star Trek: Enterprise or Zefram Cochrane or Lily Sloane (both from ST: First Contact).

Overall, the plot was compelling and exciting. The portrayals of Kirk and Spock were done well, but the other characters did not have very distinct or memorable voices. It was enjoyable to read, but definitely less entertaining than the new 2009 Star Trek movie.

Good but not great
A fun novel for teens.Not as good as the rest of the Shatner Reeves Stevens collaberations.
Lots of plot holes but good spirited fun, adequately written and some more background about what happened on Tarsus IV

An enjoyable start to a promising series
As a previous reviewer has noted, this novel is not intended to be great literature, but it is far more fun to read than that stuff anyway!It is obviously directed to fans of the Original Series, so my comments are only applicable to those readers.Yes, you will be required to suspend your disbelief in some parts, but if you do you will greatly enjoy the ride.I was very pleased that the events and characters hold very closely to canon, and any deviation was not enough to distract me.In reading Trek novels, I will generally put them down if they take too much liberty with the canon history or characterizations, but in Collision Course I repeatedly found myself smiling at familiarity and a uttering few "ahs" at how the authors wove canon history into this invented history.

I will culminate my opinions on the book with this: I hated to reach the end and I am anxious for the next in the series to be published.What better positive comment can a book of this type receive?To my fellow OS Trek fans, read and enjoy!

for the fan star trek classic
It is a super novel all fans of star trek classic will read it with pleasure ... Read more

Product Description

The Mirror Universe is a dark and twisted reflection of our own, where all that is noble and compassionate is instead cruel and barbaric. Now our universe has been invaded by that other reality's most feared tyrant: the dreaded Emperor Tiberius, the Mirror Universe counterpart of James T. Kirk. Just as Kirk survived his own era to live into the 24th century, so has Tiberius returned from the past to menace a new generation of Starfleet heroes.

And only Kirk can stop him.

With Spock, McCoy, and Spotty at his side, and teamed Jean-Luc Picard and the valiant crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701-E, Kirk is propelled into his most personal and dangerous mission yet as he fights to uncover the secret of Tiberius' return and learn the terrible truth behind the madman's nightmarish plans for the Federation.

But how can he defeat an enemy who knows Kirk's mind as well as he knows his own? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

Better than Spectre...
This novel is the 2nd in William Shatner's Mirror universe trilogy. And I must say that it was better than the first. Dark Victory doesn't have as much action as Spectre but the story is a lot better. Kirk is now chasing Tiberius all over two universes. Tiberius who you find out has cheated death in his universe at the end of Spectre (sorry if I ruined the end for you) is not happy with his universe so tries to take over Kirk's. Kirk not only is trying to stop him but he is also trying to save the life of the woman that he loves. Meanwhile, Dr. M'Benga has made an interesting discover as well. It is this discovery that actually makes the book so good. The 3rd book in the trilogy is The Preservers, and this novel gets you set up for that novel. Shatner uses the next generation episode "The Chase" from season six and from the first season of the original series "The Corbomite Maneuver" to create a very interesting story that he will continue in his next novel.

A lot of critics don't like how Shatner writes "the Shatnerverse". If that is a problem that you have had with Shatner's books in the past then you will probably have the same problem with this book. This universe revolves around Kirk just like the mirror universe revolves around Tiberius. That is just the way that it is. Kirk is overall my favorite character of the Star Trek universe and even I sometimes think that Shatner's ego gets in the way of his novels. However, great story telling with all of your favorite characters which are written brilliantly what more could you want?

Grade: A

Part V of the Kirk Saga.Twists and turns are an understatement.
Up to this point William Shatner has thrilled us with new adventures of Captain James T. Kirk that we have all thirsted for for so long.Dark Victory continues that with exactly what the title says...A darker and grittier Star Trek story.

The Evil Tiberious' plan begins to take great shape in this the second novel of the mirror universe trilogy, and as you read along it looks as if he might even win.

William Shatner does an excellent job making Tiberious (Kirk's mirror self from the mirror universe) everything Kirk is not.He is clearly his polar opposite and down right evil to the core.

One of the highlights of the story is how Tiberious steels the Enterprise NCC-1701-E and plans to rule the mirror universe with it.Exciting!Again, a must read for all Star Trek fans and a definite must read for Kirk Saga fans.The ending is gribbing and pulse pounding.I recommend purchasing this book and Preserver (the third and concluding chapter to the mirror saga) because if you don't you'll be making a second trip back to the book store to pick it up.It's that good!10/10

Contrived and pedestrian
Clearly the middle book in a series, this book seemed more than a little contrived on many levels.Is it really necessary to combine characters from four different Star Trek series (the original, TNG, DS9, and Voyager)?Kate Janeway, especially, seems to be present merely to lend her name to the book.Her presence doesn't seem to impact the story in any way, and it her role really isn't well defined.Its almost like she's included merely to tie Voyager into the mixture.Maybe some of this disjointedness results from the location in the series, as the book really doesn't stand well on its own.

The writing is pedestrian, and the characters feel a bit flat and predictable.While some of the dialog does recall the amusing banter of the original crew, that really is about the only highlight in an otherwise mediocre work.This certainly hasn't inspire me to go out an find the other books in the series.

Good but Agreed, this is just a filler
Eh. This book in itself is good, but a little less exciting than the previous "Spectre". It's pretty much a continuation in the trilogy but only serves to connect the first and last in this trilogy. So it's ok, not as good as Spectre, but in my opinion a lot better than "Preserver".

I would still recommend reading this book, Shatner's Mirror Universe trilogy is a very great story and a must read. It just seems that all of the good stuff in this trilogy was put into the first book.

Entertaining - But Essentially A Filler
This story, the second of the "Mirror Universe Trilogy", continues right where "Spectre" (the first book in the series) left off. The story takes place in 2374 initially and then jumps forward about eight months later into 2375, placing it at least after the events of the movie "Star Trek: Insurrection".

Here we have Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Picard (and his crew), and the "Mirror Universe" counterparts setting off to save the day. And this highlights some of my issues with this book: there are a lot of characters and a lot going on. You have secretive Starfleet organizations in this universe and two fighting factions in the "Mirror Universe" plus various members of both the Original Series and the Next Generation showing up (not to mention a few Deep Space Nine and Voyager personnel) and I just get this feeling of not really caring about the plot, per se - just letting the story carry me forward.

And that brings up another point for me which is that a lot is happening here from a human angle. Dealing with counterparts from another universe; the possible death of loved ones; the loss of limbs and abilities; the chain of command and when it should and should not be followed; different command styles for different time periods; being out of place in a new time period; bitter regret at apparent betrayal after services rendered in the line of duty. All these things are alluded to, in passing, but none are really explored. They are subsumed under the general plot. Whole areas where human angst would come into play are usually glossed over in a page or even just a paragraph. I know that in-depth exploration of these issues is not the point of the story: but then the brief focusing on each of them is, to me, more distracting than engaging.

"Spectre", in my opinion, was saved from avoiding many of these same kinds of issues by the pace of the action *and* by the continuity of the action. To be sure the same sense of pace is in "Dark Victory" and that pace is just as fast in some ways, but, for me, not as continuous. Too much of the action struck me as episodic to the point of being a bit too fragmented. Certain events just seemed to happen without a lot of context behind them, the idea being just to keep the pace going. Characters would just turn up or say things or know things and, again, sometimes a context seemed to be lacking. What saved the book for me is that it is the second of a series. So if you are reading it you are (presumably) already curious about how the story continues and thus a little more forgiving than you might be with a stand-alone story. Overall, "Dark Victory" was a moderately interesting story for me in the Star Trek mythos but I really only found myself plodding through it to make sure I would have a context for the third in the series ("Preserver"). I would prefer a story that is not trying so hard to interweave so much Star Trek history and instead explores the characters in a given setting that allows us to come to understand them and their motivations better.

I gave this three stars because it kept me reading - but only by rote. It was not a boring read by any means but a lot of characterization was subsumed under the plot as the mysteries and secrets kept piling on leading to the inevitable cliff-hanger that would take us to the final book of the series. ... Read more

Product Description
Searching for the missing daughter of the world's wealthiest robotics industrialist, Jake Cardigan locates his target at the Mentor Psych Center where she has been brainwashed to prevent her from telling about a murderous plot. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Shatner's Cyber-Tech Crime World
This is one of the books in the Tek War series developed by Shatner, and made into a movie and TV series.I was aware of only three books in this series, but this book is the 6th Tek book.These books are mystery novels, along the line of murder mysteries.But the focus is not murder, though sometimes that occurs and adds to the mystery to be revealed.

The events revolve around the 22nd century problem of addiction to an electrical ecstasy called Tek (from "technology").This has been criminalized in the future era, and there is a special Tek police force that attempts to enforce the ban, deal with the victims, and ferret out the criminal syndicates that manage the trade in Tek instruments.This is a somewhat complicated plot that maintains the reader's interest and keeps the story moving.

The details of the future world in which the story takes place transports the reader into that future world and the events unfolding.Suspense is maintained even as the mystery unfolds.

Plot is repetitive if you have read other books in the Shatner "Tek" series
The Tek series of books by Shatner tend to be repetitive in plotline. Jake Cardigan and Sid Gomez are private detectives employed by the Bascom Agency. In this episode, Alicia Bower, the daughter of the owner of the world's largest company that manufactures androids and robots has disappeared. Since she has a reputation for being wildly promiscuous, the common opinion is that she has run off with another man.
However, her current boyfriend believes that this is not true and when he tries to find her, he receives a vicious beating and is given a warning not to pursue it further. This brings the Bascom Agency into the case and Jake and Sid go their separate ways searching for Alicia. In action that is typical of that in the other Tek books, there are stungun battles, fistfights, con games, slinky women, quality androids, sin palaces, tough women and evil government operatives. Jake and Sid are often captured by the evil side, only to be freed in a manner similar to the way it is done in the other books. Fortunately, in this installment, Jake stays away from the Tek brainbox and Gomez can concentrate on solving the case rather than rescuing Jake.
As science fiction goes, this is largely opera; there is no great and complicated plot that must be followed in order to arrive at the unmasking of the villains. It all moves in a predictable manner with Jake and Sid solving the case over the bodies (virtual and real) of an assortment of typical evildoers.

An enjoyable read in the world of "Tek"
This is another of Shatner's Tek novels and like his previous ones, it too is enjoyable. We continue the adventures of Jake Cardigan and Sid Gomez and the rest of the continuing characters. Since this novel takes place after Tek Vengeance, we have Jake dealing with the death of his lover. This was handled quite nicely and was not dwelled upon. New readers will understand what has happened and longtime readers will see the continued natural progression and growth of the character. In fact, all readers will be able to see the growth of all the characters, including a few new ones that are added to the array. Shatner has built up a world that is believable, interesting and populated with a wide array of characters. This is the fifth novel in the series. ... Read more

Product Description

For three full decades, on television and on film, actor William Shatner has portrayed one of the most dynamic heroes of science fiction: James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise™. Now Shatner brings his distinctive blend of talents as actor, writer, director, and producer to reveal the saga of Kirk's second life in three complete novels.

THE ASHES OF EDEN

His voyages over, facing retirement at last, Kirk encounters a beautiful and mysterious woman who lures him into a search for new adventure -- and his lost youth!

THE RETURN

The Borg and the Romulan Empire have joined forces against the Federation, and their ultimate weapon is none other than James T. Kirk, resurrected by alien science to destroy the Borg's most formidable enemy: Jean-Luc Picard.

AVENGER

Kirk and Spock, together again, must join forces to save a new generation from an awesome menace unleashed by a ruthless interplanetary conspiracy. And the only man who might be able to stop them is the captain of the Starship Enterprise.

Three powerful stories that only William Shatner could tell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Hard to Read
I have previously read The Return, which is the second novel included in this volume.The Return was predictably Kirk-centered, portraying him in gleaming masculinity, which I was expecting, given the author.

However, I have only just begun to read Ashes of Eden, the first novel in this volume, and I find it hard to read more than a few pages at a time (highly unusual for me, no matter the theme or the author) because the plot is so transparent and the representation of Kirk is simply atrocious.He is the "conquerer" of some ethereal, indescribably beautiful alien woman, and the book so far has basically comprised their romantic encounters and his complete idiocy about everything else.The action scenes are few and far between, and, worse, the writing has an arrogant tone that reminds me of someone who feels that he is a brilliant author, and that his continuous search for "unique" ways to describe things only engages the reader, and doesn't distract from the story or bore the reader to tears (which, at least for me, is not the case).

Overall, The Return is a good (not great) novel, and I cannot speak for the third novel in the volume.However, Ashes of Eden seems to be nothing but a collection of Shatner's amateur, sadly self-centered wishes.Truly a disappointment.

Shatner's Odyssey
I give it three stars not because it was not good, but simply because it is not great literature.However, it is a ripping great yarn.It's true to the Star Trek spirit.Anyone wanting to slip into a quick read where you already know everyone will have no difficulty reacquainting yourself with the cast of characters.

Like many Trek books there are many loose ends to tie together from TV shows and movies.Having tried my hand at plot development I can tell you how fun that is.Thus we find in book 3 (Avenger) why Sarek never melded with Spock as is traditional with Vulcan fathers and sons.There are other loose ends and the knot-tying is imaginative and believable.

But when it all gets down to it the stories are good.That, along with believable dialog and solid prose, are what make a book worth reading.This has all three.Shatner has done well by Star Trek fans.

James T. Kirk lives
Like so many original Trekkers, I found the attempt by the "new generations" to kill off the Kirk character thoroughly appalling. Shatner's resurrection of Kirk, while an amusing conflict of interest(!), is a wonderful "take that" that undoes all of the damage. The series is actually really good science fiction adventure which captures the epic spirit of the original TV and film series extremely well. Aspects of "Ashes of Eden" smack of romantic cheese, but once into "Return", we get down to business. There is only one Star Trek captain, and it is Kirk. Long live.

This is great writing......
Ashes of Eden is my favorite of these 3, such an excellent story I feltthat I was watching a Star Trek movie in my mind.... The Return was slow tostart, but really picked up and merged Kirk into the Next Generationuniverse, ended with a bang! Avenger was very cool, and it had some awesomereunitings, the Virogen plague was very interesting. But of all of this, Iwas surprised at how good of a story-teller Shatner was, he gets into theplots right away without boring the reader with useless details, all thatmatters it seems with these books are that they are fun, fun, fun!! I am ahuge Star Wars fan, but these books are making my Star Trek desire come tolife, Shatner needs to get into having these books developed into a filmthat incorporates The original series, The Next Generation, Deep SpaceNine, Voyager, and the mirror universe (I am currently reading Spectre-Itis soooooo cool!)

Get this book, it will take you very little time toread all three stories, I read them all in 6 days, and I usually take acouple of weeks to a month to read just one novel. A+++++++

Wonderful Story
I found this story to be quite captivating, and all three books almost inpossible to put down.I read all three, in one sitting each.These books, I must admit are not masterfully written, but are so filled withadventure that the writting just melts away. I geatly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Uncovering a treacherous plot to replace the president of the United States with an android replica, investigator Jake Cardigan, the sworn enemy of the evil Teklords, is stunned when the plot is carried out before his very eyes. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not A Bad Try
This is one of Bill Shatner's "Tek War" series' books. It is not bad, but also not particularly memorable. For all those Star Trek fans out there, don't bother, as this is nothing like Star Trek . . . although ifShatner hadn't been riding on his Star Trek fame, this book would haveprobably never have been published. His writing style is very gritty,something like Robert Heinlein, although not quite as bad. The book isreally more of a detective/police story (the "T.J. Hooker"influence, no doubt) set in the future. If you like police stories, youmight like this, but frankly, I was not much impressed.

Tek is back
This book makes a great edition to the world of Tek, Shatners flair for writing is expressed and it does more for the imagination than the TV series could! ... Read more

Product Description

Retired and happily in love, James T. Kirk believes his adventuring days are over. But as he returns to Earth for the first time since his apparent "death" upon the Starship Enterprise™ NCC-1701-B, events elsewhere in the galaxy set in motion a mystery that may provide Kirk with his greatest challenge yet.

The U.S.S. Enterprise™, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is exploring an unstable region of space on a scientific mission of vital concern to Starfleet when they discover the last thing they ever expected to find: a lonely, battle-scarred vessel that is instantly recognizable to every member of Picard's crew. Five years after being lost with all hands in the Delta Quadrant, the Starship Voyager™ has come home!

The commander of Starship Voyager, one Tom Paris, explains that Captain Kathryn Janeway and half of the original crew is dead, but if that is true, who is the mysterious woman who has kidnapped Kirk back on Earth, pleading with him to assist her against a threat to the entire Federation?

All is not as it seems, and soon Kirk is forced to confront the hideous consequences of actions taken over thirty years before, as well as his own inner doubts. After years of quiet and isolation, does he still have what it takes to put things right -- and save the lives of everyone aboard a brand new Starship Enterprise? Can he still become the man he used to be?

An unforgettable saga peopled by old friends and ancient enemies, Star Trek® Spectre propels Kirk on a journey of self-discovery every bit as harrowing as the cataclysmic new adventure that awaits him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (127)

Shatner's take on the mirror universe
Even though I thought Avenger sucked out loud I was still looking foward to this Shatner novel.I must say it started out with a bang.Lots of action from the start.As Kirk is making his way back to earth to meet up with Scotty he gets kidnapped by Kathryn Janeway, T'Val and Spock from the mirror universe.At the same time Picard and the Enterprise get taken captive by what appeared to be the Voyager only to find out that it was a replica and there were some mirror counterparts from the Voyager teaming with Klingons and Cardassians.

As usual Shatner rights his original series comrads very well.He basically knows them as well as any other writer.All the characters for the most part where written very well.However as for the story, it kind of slowed down a little.There is about fifty pages in the middle of the book that are almost a chore to read.You are just reading and hoping that this will get better.It does... as the end, even though a cliff hanger for the next book, is very exciting.

Shatner has the same ego that he does in the rest of his books.The universe still counldn't exist without James T. Kirk.Kirk even says it in the book. Something along the lines of Kirk knows he has to continue to save the universe because no one else can.Shatner still has very little respect for TNG members and that is certain.One other thing that I noticed was it was mentioned that since Kirk, Spock, Scotty and McCoy didn't know whether they could trust T'Val, the mirror Spock and Janeway that a mind meld should be done to make sure they were telling the truth.Scotty mentioned it to Kirk and Kirk said that he couldn't do it but Spock could.However, Kirk learned how to do the mind meld from Hugh when he rescued Kirk from the Borg world in Avenger.He then used it on Spock's assistant to find out that he was the one that killed Sarek.Has he forgot how to do it?Not sure what happened there.

They are also a lot of good things about the book.First of all, it is better than Avenger.I was getting worried, Ashes of Eden was great, The Return... still pretty good, and then Avenger was not good at all.So I was worried that if the trend continued that this book would be bad. Another interesting fact about this story was that there was an exact time that the mirror universe went bad.There was a certain event, unlike Duane's Dark Mirror in which she had that universe bad from the beginning of time.They will probably continue the idea through out the rest of the books.

This book was a good read with lots of action, several surprises, and good story telling.If you are an OS fan it is a must read.

I have a baby due in 10 days I am going to try to get The Vulcan Academy Murders read before that.After that it might be a while before I get to read anymore.

Grade: B (maybe B+)

Part IV of the Kirk Saga.Excellent beginning to the Mirror Universe trilogy.
I have always enjoyed the story of the mirror universe in Star Trek, and wish that it had been explored more in the t.v. series.William Shatner fulfulled my mirror universe lust with a trilogy that takes us the reader in to a spectacular story.Spectre is the first chapter of the mirror universe trilogy that informs us that Captain James T. Kirk's mirror counterpart "Tiberius" is wanting to take over both universes.The Mirror universe Spock returns as well as the mirror version of Captain Janeway, telling Kirk how grim and bad the situation has gotten in their universe.With the help of Kirk's greatest allies (McCoy, Our Spock, Scotty, and the next generation crew)one of the best adventures of Star Trek begins.

Highly recommended and very fun to read.The book is fast paced and a sure joy for any Star Trek fan or none Star Trek fan looking for a great read.10/10.

A review of 'Spectre'
I was hesistant to pick up this book for I am NOT a fan of the 'Mirror Universe'. This is Shatner again writing about 'Capt. Kirk' trying to live a private life in the 24th century.

Con: What bothered me was Kirk is described as a man whom wants to live his 'private life' in retirement,with wife on a remote world. Then for NO reason,(from what I see) Kirk gets this 'bug' to exit routine life and visit earth. His own wife just 'understands' and allows him to pursue this whim!! [This was non-sensible to me] But I suppose it is the platform from which to launch the story. Kirk is hooked up with old colleges and when he no sooner arrives on earth, Kirk is kidnapped and whirled into an adventure.

Pro: Capt.Picard and another 24th Century character get involved as well. The story informs the reader on things that happened after a TV series star trek episode was told. Action picks up the pace and just keeps going. Good swash buckling.

Con: Book ends in a cliffhanger in which some details will be explained in the next novel. If you are a 'Mirror Universe' fan you'd probably want to obtain that book as well. Sense I'm not- I'll wait until new ground is explored before I read another Shatner Novel.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Shatner's Best Trek Novel!
This is my absolute favorite in Shatner's Trek series. "Spectre" is the first book in what would become the "Mirror Universe" Trilogy. You see the return of Tiberius and Spock's mirror-self from the TOS episode "Mirror, Mirror".

What makes this book so interesting is that you find out what has happened in the mirror universe after Kirk and his crew left. And let's just say that things have taken a turn for the worse. Tiberius has a partner, none other than Picard's mirror self. Kirk discovers again that his worst enemy is in fact himself. A great read indeed!

Very good book indeed!
I enjoyed the TOS,TNG,Voyager & Mirror crossovers in this story quite a bit! Was suprised at the love of Kirk's life being of Klingon/Romulan heritage concidering his history with them. I guess it show's even Kirk's never to old to chnge for the better,huh?
I couldn't help saying "Oh, that's cold!" with the way it end's (in being a cliff hanger). Look forward to finding the next book in this story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A convoluted book that is best read right before bed
Once again Jake Cardigan and his partner Sid Gomez are on a case that ultimately involves the Tek cartel. Tek is an electronic drug that connects directly to the brain and when overused, leads to death by the user wasting physically and mentally wasting away. The members of the Tek cartel that manufacture and deliver the illegal drug are ruthless in the pursuit of their business interests.
Jean Marie Sparey is a young woman dying as a consequence of her use of Tek. Jean Marie and her father know Jake and her father was reported as having been killed years before. Her last wish is to see her father again and she believes that he is still alive. She contacts Jake and he is the only person that she will talk with concerning news she has about her father. This takes Jake away when he was scheduled to escort Beth, the woman he loves to a conference in Berlin. Beth is working on an antidote to Tek, so she has been targeted for assassination.
When an explosive android duplicate of Jake kills Beth, he naturally seeks revenge. At this point, the story goes extremely convoluted, plot lines bounce from one location to another, Jake and Sid follow distinct tracks, people are introduced and the conversations seem to be slightly modified repeats. It closes with a "climactic" scene that is not worthy of the word.
This book is one of those that is just interesting enough to read yet not so interesting that it will keep you up reading it. I read it over several nights as the book that I read in the last few minutes as I am winding my mind down so that I could go to sleep.

Yet another enjoyable read in the world of "Tek"
I'll give this to William Shatner, he does pull a surprise or two out of his hat at times. This started out as another normal Tek novel and I thought that it was going to be another semi-predictable yet still enjoyable story. But then he pulls a major event about a quarter of the way through the book that was hard to believe. For the rest of the book, I kept waiting for him to explain how what was done was not really the truth. I expected him to undo it. In fact I expected it so much that I never really believed it was real until I finished the novel. At that point, I believed it and was shocked. I was also pleased, pleased that he did not cheapen his plot nor did he patronize the readers. Good job! This is the fourth novel in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
When his son is accused of murder, Investigator Jake Cardigan must clear his name, but the truth about the crime will push Cardigan to the edge of his wits, and beyond. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another formulaic Tek story that you read in bed when you are winding your mind down
Once again, Shatner weaves a simple tale around the same general characters. Jake Cardigan and his loyal pal Sid Gomez, Jake's son Dan, various and nefarious rogue government agents that operate somewhat out of the bounds of agency propriety but within a set of rules, ruthless Tek lords that do not hesitate to kill their opposition, journalists with a love-hate relationship with Sid and various new bad guys thrown intro the mix. This book is formulaic of the Tek series by Shatner, it is not a deep story, and I characterize them as the type that you read in bed as you are winding your mind down for sleep.
A Tek user is killed outside Dan's home and since he is a former friend of Jake, the inept police suspect that Dan and/or Jake committed the murder. It is quickly clear, even to the incompetent police, that neither Dan nor Jake was responsible and the victim's wife hires the Bascom agency to investigate the murder. The investigation involves the loss of a set of weapons so vicious that the U.N. has banned them and it is believed that they were smuggled into Spain to be used in a coup attempt. After a journey, several pointless deaths and some of the standard harrowing escapes, Jake and Sid manage to solve the crime and recover the weapons. There are no surprises in the story.

COOL BOOK!
Great book, but doesnt cut it for me so I give it the 4 *'s ... Read more

Product Description

Veridian III: A world has been saved, the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D lies in ruins, and one of the galaxy's greatest heroes rests beneath a simple cairn of rocks on a lonely hillside. But as a legendary Vulcan ambassador comes at last to the grave of his best and dearest friend, the adventure is only beginning.

The Borg and the Romulan Empire have joined forces against the Federation, and their ultimate weapon is none other than James T. Kirk, resurrected by alien science to destroy the Borg's most formidable enemy: Jean-Luc Picard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (160)

One of the best Sci-Fi Books Ever!
This has GOT to be one of the best sci-fi books ever. I picked this up because I was having a blast reading all the new Star Wars books that started to come out in 1991 and figured that since this one picked up after Generations and I'd heard that Shatner was a very good writer I decided to give it a try...and couldn't put the book down.

He did an absolutely superb job in this book. I kept saying that I would read just one more chapter and I was through half the book by the time that came simply due to sleeplessness. All my brothers were into sci-fi like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc... I gave it to two of them and they both raved about it as much as I did.

Later I gave it to some friends who were also seriously into the Star Wars books and again they were blown away by it. Shatner is a faaaar better writer than he ever was an actor that's for sure. I've read a few more of his books and all were very good too but this one simply blows the others away.

Of the more than 80 Star Wars books I've read since 1991 only a few single books come close to matching how great this book was. I just ordered it again since I don't know where my copy is as I loaned it out so many times I want to make sure I have another hard copy in my library as I've been wanting to read it again.

There are many new revelations in this book and the way that he wove the story together, kept you wanting more and more, added action with suspense, revelations and plot twists was just masterfully done.

Without question one of the best sci-fi books I've ever read or heard about and probably one of the best books ever written period. I was never bored at all with this book and of the 10 people I gave my copy to all came back with the exact same praise, raves, amazement and compliments for this book...so this is not just my opinion alone and judging from the reviews and 5 stars I've seen on other sites for this book like Amazon I can see that many other people feel the exact same way as I do.

If you like Star Trek or sci-fi in general and have at least seen the Star Trek movies and want to know more...get this book..you'll be glad you did!!

Kirk Resurrected and Angry
Following the success of Ashes of Eden, publishers asked if William Shatner could write additional books for the Star Trek line. The answer was The Return.

Taking place immediately following the events of Star Trek: Generations, Captain Kirk's body is stolen by Romulans who have allied themselves with the Borg.

They insert nanite technology into Kirk's body, resurrect him and program him to destroy Captain Picard.

Picard happens to be on a top-secret spy mission deep into the heart of enemy territory. He is used to undermine the Borg.

Shatner brings both crew together as he did with Ashes with Spock, McCoy, Riker, Data and the rest of the Next Generation characters.

I'm not pleased with how this book developed. I wasn't happy with the idea of Kirk being brainwashed to kill Picard.

What was interesting was the explanation of of V'ger (from The Motion Picture) as originating from early Borg technology.

They seem to truly kill Kirk on the Borg home planet in this story, however he returns for another adventure in Avenger.

A review of the audiobook
The audiobook lasts about 3 hours and is read by William Shatner.

I admit, I picked this up on a whim - the fact that it was read by Shatner himself was a big plus. Shatner is nothing, if not interesting. His book is much like the man himself (at least his well-known public persona) - lots of action, bluster, bravado, noise and Shatner's well-known and unique speaking style.

This book takes place immediately after the events ofthe "Star Trek: Generations" movie. If you haven't seen the movie lately, don't fret. Shatner uses it as a launching point only and goes on his own way. Of course, Kirk is featured prominently throughout, but it's an entertaining listen. Three of the movies are tied together in a neat little bundle (Movies 1, 7 & 8) enjoyed it during my commute for a few days.

Star Trek 7.5: The Return
Why oh why was this not turned into a movie??? This is a fantastic story, the best Trek novel I've read so far. It blends between ST Generations & First Contact effortlessly. The only question I asked myself is (forgive me for being picky) "how does the USS Monitor/Enterprise get back to Federation Space again?" Did they fix the transwarp drive? It never tells you! We are left to assume that (obviously) they got back. Otherwise, a faultless story!!!

I highly recommend this book to any fan of either TOS or ST:TNG

The Return
James T. Kirk is dead right?Nope, he didn't die alone.Don't forget in The Final Frontier he did say, he would die alone.He "died" with Picard standing there with him.Therefore I see where he was going.Despite some of his writing seeming a little on the corny side, it was still a great book and took a lot of imagination.I just don't see how the Borg would've cooperated at all with the Romulans and help to bring a Human back to life.Not to mention the Borg Dogs, that was a little... strange. ... Read more

Product Description

After defeating the dreaded Hunnza fleet, Jim Endicott wants a "normal" life. But his wish is not to be, for a new and even more terrible conflict is stirring. Earth's former ally, the Alba Packlord, suspects that humans are about to "Leap"--transcend to another level of existence in a process that will sweep away star systems, laying waste to the universe. To eliminate the human threat, the Packlord has made a secret alliance with the Hunnza--but not if the mysterious immortal known as the Outsider can stop them using Jim as a weapon. First, though, the Outsider has to find his embittered hero. Distraught over the death of his father, Jim has plunged deep into the underground, where danger of another kind lurks in the shape of a girl as bad as she is irresistible. But the Packlord will stop at nothing to succeed, including assassination. Jim's only hope for survival lies in making the Leap himself: taking the step into chaos that will save humankind or turn the universe into a graveyard of burned-out stars.

Customer Reviews (1)

Pulp...fairly fun pulp, but pulp nonetheless.
Don't get me wrong--I've been keeping up with this series and I intend to keep doing so. But it's Sci Fi Channel Rocketship Avengers fare--the MTV fare of fiction--and meant to be approached as such. I'm reading comparisons to Heinlein in other reviews--well, yeah, but it's the Heinlein of teenage heroes for teenage readers. Shatner's hero Jim is a bit older but is cut from that mold. Shatner tries to bring the feel of these books into adulthood by giving them the noir aspect of his Tek series, but that doesn't make them literature by a country mile. I've been a Shatner fan for decades, but I have to admit that he is narcissistic--and it's that trait that he gives to his heroes: grandiose and "misunderstood". Decent light reading, but don't expect more than that. After all, there are only so many Donaldsons and Herberts. ... Read more