Phasers on Stun!

April 4, 2022
“The number one rule of Star Trek is that the good guys out there boldly going are not racist colonizers,” writes journalist Britt (Luke Skywalker Can’t Read) in this entertaining tour through the sci-fi franchise’s expanding galaxy. “Obsessed with Trek” since age six, Britt plumbs his fanatacism, as well as his archive of interviews with the show’s stars, to map the history of the Star Trek universe, from the original 1960s TV series to the show’s sundry spin-offs and films. He highlights the progressive politics of the “OG Trek” (it was the first show to air an interracial kiss on network television); recounts the 1968 uprising that saw thousands of fans demanding, via impassioned letters, that NBC execs give the show a third season; and elucidates how the controversial decision to kill off Mr. Spock in 1982’s The Wrath of Kahn made the movie a “massive crossover hit.” While megafans will find some of the trivia familiar, Britt’s scrupulous, often funny, and sometimes controversial zeal breathes new life into the canon’s obsessive discourse, as when he delivers the droll hot take that “Janeway’s preference of black coffee versus Picard’s love of Earl Grey tea is the perfect microcosm for understanding why Voyager has a greater social and political impact than Next Gen.” Whether or not they agree, Trekkies will tear through this at warp speed.

April 15, 2022
Star Trek expert Britt takes a deep dive into the history and cultural impact of the mighty franchise, still thriving 56 years after its debut in 1966. He explores the well-trod ground of the early years of the series by delving into the origins of its most iconic character, the Vulcan, Mr. Spock, as well as its influence on NASA, including how the actor who played Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, pushed to get more women and people of color into the astronaut program. Britt devotes a chapter each to the franchise's four spin-offs that ran from 1987-2005 as well as several segments on the movies, from the franchise's first outing on the big screen in 1979 to the J. J. Abrams films that made Trek ""cool"" and paved the way for a small-screen revival. Britt doesn't shy away from criticism of the franchise, particularly in its slowness to depict LGBTQ characters, something finally course-corrected on one of the newer shows, Star Trek: Discovery. Both long-time Trek fans and those new to the franchise will find this to be a thoroughly entertaining and informative read.

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Starred review from May 1, 2022

Britt combines his extensive knowledge of the Star Trek franchise with interviews conducted over the past decade to craft a thoughtful exploration of the show's history. His narrative bridges fact with fandom and is packed with fun anecdotes, such as how Spock's famous ears were first hastily made of papier-m�ch�. But the book's ultimate mission is highlighting why Star Trek continues to be a groundbreaking series. From Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura to Michelle Yeoh as Captain Georgiou and beyond, Britt shows readers how Star Trek has always been at the forefront of representation and the effect those efforts have had on television and in popular culture. Footnotes throughout the text provide additional entertaining insights, and the bibliographical references for each chapter are useful for further research. Britt's lively writing style will engage newer fans and confirmed Trekkies alike. VERDICT While Britt's insightful and entertaining history may not take fans where no one has gone before (considering there have been decades of books written about the expansive Star Trek franchise), he still offers a fun ride that few fans will be able to resist.--Claire Sewell

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