PopCultHQ

PopCultHQ received a review copy of Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast Vol. 1 from Titan Comics. The deluxe book went on sale July 30th in bookstores & July 31st in comic book shops.

Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…

For 25 years, the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise kept audiences enthralled across three television seasons, two season of animation, and six blockbusting motion pictures. Now, the cast and crew behind the show that launched the enduring phenomenon tell their story.

Gene Roddenberry, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig, along with guest stars, writers and directors, reveal the story behind a pop culture legend.

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Space…the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Fifty-eight years ago, those words heralded the introduction of a brand-new TV program. Throughout three seasons, it brought viewing audiences into the lives of the crew of a space-faring vessel, intending to offer something new and exciting that people had never seen before. What came from that is a franchise recognized worldwide for its excellence in storytelling and special effects and for breaching the gap between fiction and reality. Take a journey now back to where it all began, and set a course ahead for adventure. Warp factor two, engage!

Writing:

The writing itself is delightful. By cultivating quotes and snippets from the cast and crew throughout Star Trek: TOS and its subsequent spinoffs, fans are given an opportunity to peek into the minds and know the thoughts of all involved. From the Great Bird of the Galaxy (Gene Roddenberry) himself to the stalwart and stoic Mr. Spock, the late great Leonard Nimoy, no verbal stone is left unturned. Additionally, thanks to this book’s superb organization, everything flows elegantly, starting at the pilot episode ‘The Man Trap’ to Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country.

Art/Photos:

In addition to the text, every page of this book is chock full of terrific photos, movie stills, and animation artwork. I can not even imagine how long it took to select these images. Furthermore, assembling these visual elements as part of the final product deserves praise, too. Without them, this is just a bunch of words, with nothing to accompany them or add a sense of gravitas. Over three decades, a staggering amount of material was created on and off-screen and utilized herein. Star Trek fans, old and new, will no doubt get a proper kick out of this.

Overall Assessment:

What more can be said about this excellent hardcover companion book that I haven’t already? I have been a Star Trek fan since I was a kid; my earliest years were filled with re-runs of TOS on the SciFi network (pre-SYFY) and renting the movies with my dad from our local Blockbuster. Star Trek means a great deal to many people. It goes without saying that dispatching an Away Team to pick up a copy is in the best interests of any Starfleet officer.

PopCultHQ’s Rating:

5 Out of 5 Stars

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