I’m ashamed to say that I, lifelong Trekkie that I am, had not heard of these Mission books until Cannonballer narfna pointed them out to me. At 560 pages, Volume 1 is a great big book. I bought both volumes from ebay and doubted I’d get either of them read in time for this year’s Cannonball.
Although I wasn’t sure about the format, I found it an amazingly fast read. The two authors do little writing; the book is quotes from everyone who ever heard of Star Trek. Each paragraph is identified by the orator along with the quote. It sounds (and looks) confusing, but the writers have done a great job of putting the quotes in chronological order with explanations. For example, the planned spinoff for Khan is included in the “In Search of…” chapter. The tome’s subtitle is The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek. Although it’s not shocking in any sense, it is interesting to hear the person’s recollections in their own words. Roddenberry is painted with several different brushes by people who worked with him. Some hated him for being a megalomaniac and some worshipped him.
From the time when Star Trek was just a glint in Gene Roddenberry’s eye to The Undiscovered Country (Star Trek VI), we hear from producers, directors, associates, actors, makeup artists, special effects people, finance, and secretaries about the unbelievable evolution of a sixties TV show. There are also insights from early convention arrangers, fanzine writers, and professional writers. As a Trekkie in the sixties, I’ve attended those cons, met the actors, and wrote in those fanzines. I had heard many of the behind the scene stories but discovered new ones in this cornucopia of information from the early days to the nineties.
I’m reliving my childhood here. Thanks, narfna! Now onto the next 25 years