'Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History' goes behind the scenes with the eclectic crew of the original Enterprise

Jeff Spry
·2 min read
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The cast of the original star trek on the cover of a book.
The cast of the original star trek on the cover of a book.
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For most Trekkies, classic "Star Trek" begins and ends with the eclectic crew of "Star Trek: The Original Series."

NBC's pioneering sci-fi show ran from 1966 to 1969. But its essence continued in 1973's "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and ran through a half-dozen "Star Trek" big-screen feature films, which rolled out in theaters between 1979 and 1991.

The iconic series — which broke many boundaries involving race, sex, politics and religion — has had a tremendous resurgence lately, in the form of IDW Publishing's "Star Trek" comic books, Paramount+ offerings such as "Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Picard," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," in addition to animated fare including "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and bite-sized "Short Treks." And don't forget the dynamic new gaming options like "Star Trek: Resurgence!"

Related: 'Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

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seven 'star trek' characters stand in uniform with a planet in the background
seven 'star trek' characters stand in uniform with a planet in the background

To reflect on the complex origins of it all and pay homage to Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train To The Stars," London-based Titan Publishing is delivering a new 96-page hardback volume tracing "Star Trek's" deep imaginative roots in "Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast."

images of four pages from an upcoming book, which features text and photos from old
images of four pages from an upcoming book, which features text and photos from old

Here's the official description:

"The story of 'Star Trek' as told by the people who know it best: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and the cast and crew! This lavishly illustrated oral history of the 'Star Trek' phenomenon covers the exploits of the original crew across three seasons of live action television, two seasons of animated adventures and the six movies.

"Featuring interview material with all seven regular cast members — William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols — this volume also includes contributions from guest stars, writers and directors."

another set of imagery of four pages from an upcoming book, which features text and photos from old
another set of imagery of four pages from an upcoming book, which features text and photos from old

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— How NASA is making 'Star Trek' tech a reality

This upcoming release pulled straight from the glossy pages of "Star Trek Explorer" magazine is a reference manual that could help refresh your memory regarding the genesis of "Star Trek," as explained by the wealth of talented creators of this influential and inspiring sci-fi media franchise.

"Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast" lands on Dec. 12.