Star Trek FAQ
Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise (FAQ Series)
Mark Clark

Applause / Hal Leonard
June 1, 2012 / ISBN 978-1557837929
Nonfiction - Adult: Arts & Recreation: Performing Arts: Film & Television
Amazon

Reviewed by Linda Morelli

Forty-five years ago, Star Trek's first episode aired on television. I was hooked immediately, for the salient messages in the series are alive and well to this day. We all know the phrases "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Live long and prosper," but the show's meaning goes beyond a few phrases. Star Trek is part of our American culture. We may not have transporters - yet - but we have flip-open phones, wall-size TV screens and video communication, small disks that can hold megabytes of information and other technologies still in the making.

As this book points out, Star Trek served as a commentary on twentieth-century society. The show's authors focused on civil rights, the Vietnamese War, drugs, over-population and a host of other concepts in episodes that challenged the Star Trek crew. The crew juggled logic against emotion and thus led viewers to focus on the issues of the times. I'd often watch the series with friends and we would have long discussions regarding particular episodes. We were intellectually challenged by what we had seen, and realized that, though vaguely disguised a battle with an enemy, an episode revealed that man has the capacity for compassion, that we could hope for a better future.

Mr. Clark contends that the Star Trek series has long-lasting ramifications, and I agree. Star Trek FAQ is the best reference book I've seen yet on the show, its actors, authors and producers. I learned new tidbits about William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig, and the other actors, as well as the problems involved in getting the series off the ground. Every chapter had a new bit of information that makes this an enjoyable reference book, as well as great reading. Highly recommended.

Reviewer's Note: Author and film historian Mark Clark writes about classic movies and television shows. His books include SIXTIES SHOCKERS (2011, McFarland), SMIRK, SNEER AND SCREAM: GREAT ACTING IN HORROR CINEMA (2004, McFarland) and the upcoming STAR TREK FAQ (2012, Applause) and STAR TREK FAQ 2.0 (2013, Applause).