Star Trek Movies Books

I must first say that I have "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" on hardcover in perfect condition! The book, like its predecessors, Star Treks II and III is like an ongoing trilogy up to this point that follows the events starting with "Star Trek II." The story is very entertaining, humorous, and yet scientifically intriguing on whale biology, and ecology. I especially liked the action, and the literal, down-to-earth atmosphere of the novel. I also recommend readers to purchase the sequel to this book/movie, "Star Trek: Probe" which explains the origins of the mysterious probes that came searching for (and to make contact with) humpback whales. "Probe" also explain forecasting events of Earth's ecology due to the environmental damage the probe in "Star Trek IV" inflicted. Seems similar to the issues of today's global warming and El Nino and La Nina trends.

I wish I had toys like this when I was a kid! The phaser, tricorder and other Star Trek items are fun! Nicely made.

This book is one of the better for a Star Trek's fan. In their chapters are many sketches and original pieces of the series. The designs of Matt Jefferies for the sets, (Part1), the design of the original Enterprise, (- born almost like a Warbird?-, Parts 2,3 & 4), the shuttlecraft and the weapons (Parts 5 & 6). Brillant the Part 7 with The Lost Set and the original scale model of it, (great ! ). The following chapters show the wardrobe by William Ware Theiss in sketches and tests, the make-ups of Fred Phillips (the ears of Spock, the green skin and deformity of Vina, klingons, romulans, etc.), and the accessories created by Wah Ming Chang, (did you know that he received a payment of U$S 520.00 for the design of the original phaser ?). This book shows the courage and innocence of those first pioneers that created the most famous adventure of the Universe, Star Trek.

If you've ever been to a Con in Las Vegas, you'll know that you're not a big GOOB for wearing this uniform (I was unquestionably told that they were uniforms, not costumes!). I love mine, and will be wearing it for the next LV Con. Regards!

Well, okay, the first season had a lot of bumps and so did the second. But things picked up in the third season with the Xindi War, and in the fourth with all the triple episode arcs. Nice calendar, anyhow, representing all the cast members.

I owned this when i was younger, and have since lost my copy, but this story is by FAR one of my favorite marvel tales ever told. Its extremely dark, and the conclusion is perfect for the dark downward spiral that encompasses this story. If you like the Punisher this a MUST OWN.

The Crow is a masterpiece of love and the insanity it can cause when love is torn from us. Many say that this graphic novel is only in the range of interest of young goths, but then a person who has said this probably doesn't understand what love could do to a person. Usually when we find a piece of art to be good or even spectacular it's because we can relate to it. Basically what I'm saying is that if you want to read this book you must know what is to be madly in love with someone and then think what your reaction would be if they we're to be taken away from you. Your reaction might not be sane or logical, but it is The Crow. Common story line you might say, but the way it is told is beautiful and dark and would make any person who enjoys the romance of torn hearts fall in love with this book for the way Barr tells it in his demented fashion of words. I guess you have a little bit of a gothic feel to yourself, but hey, who doesn't like The Cure? ^_^

If you're a fan of The Crow but aren't aware of how this gothic masterpiece was created, then you owe it yourself to either rent or buy the collector's edition of the movie. On the special features disc there is a Profile of James O'Barr which is an interview. During this interview Mr O'Barr discusses the personal tragedy that he was dealt and how The Crow came to be. I love this novel, but it is not for mass consumption due to the graphic violence and drug references depicted in it. If you enjoyed the movie then I highly recommend the novel. The novel's contents are in black and white by the way, but in my opinion this does not detract from it's richness.

Like the movie of the same name, I was obsessed with this title for several years. While I was fortunate in that I had never experienced a tragedy like Eric Draven's, I came across The Crow just as I began struggling with my own battle with depression. The message of love transcending death was one that haunted and fascinated me, and I suppose that in some strange way all the pain that lingered in that work was something that I felt akin to for much of my adult life. While this may seem a bit extreme to some, there are many who can confirm how powerful the idea behind The Crow is to them in their own lives. Despite all that Eric endures, there is some hope at the end of it all. Love does transcend death. Some things never change. The Crow was a sort of spiritual / emotional experience for many and became the defining story for those who either lived or battled with the darker half of life. The art is exceptional, and each panel reveals so much detail and depth that sometimes it's hard to remember that you're reading a graphic novel. And though the book has little written compared to a standard novel, what is written is done so beautifully and it only compliments the images. A thought also to those who criticize this work, I must mention that there are many musical, literary, and artistic references through-out, and serves to remind readers that this work is more than just a haunting picture. The Crow is a love letter. Listen. Listen close.

The Crow is one of those graphic novels that is so renowned (The Dark Knight Returns, The Watchmen, etc.) that one often wonders if it's actually as good as its hype. In the case of The Crow, I think it certainly is.

It seems more people know the story of Erik Draven and even the life of James O'Barr than have actually read the original comic. Most of this comes from the wide popularity of the movie starring the late Brandon Lee, but it also has to do with two decades of word of mouth.

Despite working in a comic book store from 1993-1995, I actually first experienced The Crow through the movie and then sought out the comic. The movie was emotional, powerful, and consuming--pulling me entirely into its world from start to finish. At that point, I knew I had to go to the original source.

There are things in the movie that I loved that I did not find in the comic, but the same can easily be said vice-versa. The movie changed Sherry's name to Sarah, which for me weakened the idea of the Sherry-Shelly parallel, but I suppose it would help distinguish the two characters for some casual movie watchers. I did like that Erik and Shelly knew Sarah/Sherry previously in the movie, and that the young girl mourned them on top of her miserable home life. I missed this aspect in the comic.

***Mild Spoilers Ahead***
I did miss the crow (the bird) not talking/guiding Erik in his flashbacks in the film. I think O'Barr did a wonderful job with this in the comic. I miss the crow saying, "Don't look back" whenever I watch the movie. The pleading of the crow for him not to watch is a powerful element in the story. Erik had to know what happened to her in detail. He had to relive it to be able to get justice for her.

I also love that Erik was willing to lay down his life for her when the gang approached their broken-down car. He didn't seem to want to hurt anyone, but he wasn't going to let anyone hurt Shelly while he was still alive. Add to it all that he wasn't quite dead while she was being violated, and it makes the scene all the more tragic.

The graphicness of the rape scene (not nudity but the situation) is far stronger in the comic. The fact that Shelly is a continued victim of rape even after she is dead and half her face is blown off is necessary to fully feel the horror of the crime. For me, this leads to more sympathy for Erik and less (if there was any at all--there was none from me) for the rapists/murderers.

A cool, subtle part of the comic that is not explored in the movie is Erik's roughness in their relationship. He was a guy who sometimes had trouble with intimacy, but he loved Shelly so passionately that he fought it for her. I liked that his character is a little more complex in the comic; it makes him more interesting than being the flawless boyfriend as portrayed in the movie.

Erik is also compared to Christ at several moments in the comic that are not subtle at all. I didn't get this strong analogy in the movie, and I think it is an important element to the story. Erik is a martyr figure. He laid his life down trying to protect a woman whom he loved more than himself. The analogy to Christ strengthens this idea.

The interaction with Fun Boy is much deeper and a bigger part in the story than that it was in the movie. I did enjoy getting to know his sick character a little more. His conversations with Erik add another layer. Fun Boy is a junkie who is not in the least remorseful, but one who understands how Erik must feel and doesn't blame him for wanting revenge. It's interesting in that Fun Boy is a deplorable character, one that is nearly impossible to garner any sympathy from the reader. But, he knows that he is a monster and makes no effort to claim he is any better. Although his character is nothing like Hannibal Lecter, his awareness and acceptance of his innate evil is reminiscent of Thomas Harris's famous serial killer.

The Crow is a poetic, emotional journey that is beautifully depicted. The artwork is truly breathtaking and something beyond what is typically portrayed in comics. I'm a huge comics fan, so I'm not knocking the genre at all. I just found a bitter-sweet, melancholy feel to the art in The Crow that I haven't felt elsewhere.

If you're a fan of the movie, you have to check this one out. I'd recommend it to any comic fan who wouldn't mind the dark, graphic nature of the story. Its status as a modern classic is well-justified. Its appeal is in the emotion that is packed into every panel, every word, every drop of ink.

Both the graphic novel and the movie have been an influence on my creative life. If you appreciate lost love in a dark atmosphere (Poe's "The Raven"), The Crow is a sure hit for you.

Lewis Aleman, Author of Cold Streak

James O'Barr, The Crow (Pocket, 1995)

I always seem to be trying to turn sacred cows into shish kabob, and my latest target is The Crow, the James O'Barr graphic novel that, in 1994, became Alex Proyas' amazing debut feature film. I spent a few moments, after I finished this book, reflecting on the art of film adaptation. Sometimes you start with a brilliant book and end up with a mediocre (or outright horrible) movie. Sometimes you start with a mediocre (or outright horrible) book and end up with genius.

The Crow is not an outright horrible book, but the steps that horror novelists David J. Schow (The Kill Riff) and John Shirley (Wetbones) took in adapting the book to a script, and that Proyas took in bringing that script to life, were pretty severe. Pretty amazing, too. Small details were changed (the order in which Eric takes his revenge is slightly altered, for example, to make it more meaningful); large details were changed (the timeframe makes a whole lot more sense in the film). Some of them were missteps; changing Sherry's name to Sarah muddies the Sherry/Shelly link, but Sarah is a fully-formed character, whereas Sherry feels like a character who should be there a lot more, but ends up being window dressing.

The movie, on occasion, errs on the side of giving us too much, but the book's problem is the opposite: it never gives us enough. None of the characters except Eric is fully formed; his nemeses, with the exception of Funboy, are cardboard cutouts. Albrecht pops up for a few frames now and then, but never becomes a real part of the story. Etc.

The movie is on its way to attaining classic status, and that is well-deserved; the book went out of print for eight years after the film's release, and now I've got a pretty good idea of why. **

Star Trek Star Charts: The complete Atlas of Star Trek is a fantastic book. It is worth it to get this book, because it contains tons of information about the galaxy in Star Trek. From learning about planets and their characteristics to colorful, detailed maps and from learning about sectors to ship paths, this book is a great reference for any level of Star Trek fan.

For the hardcore Star Trek fan it might be a little lacking. If you read the negative reviews you can see what I am saying, but judge for yourself. I consider myself a semi-hardcore fan, and I thought this book was excellent. I learned more about the star trek universe than I ever had before. I would have liked to seen a few maps of the political boundaries from the original show, because I think the maps are mostly from Enterprise and TNG, but use your imagination. I found so many things from the show on the maps that I got geeked up. So, for the less hardcore fan, I believe you will enjoy this book.

Book give's a vieu on how the universe looks like seen from the eyes of the Star Trek crew.
It give's you an idea where you are by following the movie or dvd's
Hope you can make something out of it, not used to write english.
Enjoy it as mush as I do

I will be brief ....... this book is GREAT and shows a LOT of the maps and locations of planets mentioned in the star trek series and movies , but as some reviewrs said before it has some GREAT location errors and some thinks are missin. but i recomend this book to ANY STAR TREK FAN and people who like SPACE in general since most thinks mentioned in the book are cientifically based, and very interesting.

This is the first Star Trek themed reference book I have bought since the Star Trek Encyclopedia. Mainly because nothing has really been up to snuff since that one and because most things were not updated to include ENT.

This book is simple to use with astounding graphics. Every world from Classic Trek to Enterprise is referenced in it. It was definitely a good buy.

After reading "Elim Garak"s review I had to say
Geoffery Mandel is not 'new'. He's been around since the seventies,
worked with Andrew Probert, Rick Sternbach and Lee Cole.
Kind of wish he hadn't done this, contradicts some earlier work,
however I ditto Alex Rozenswieg's comments earlier here.

You can tell that a lot of research and time was put into making this book and it really shows because it is so hard to put down once it gets going. If you have ever wanted to know the workings of and behind the scenes stories of Star Trek conventions, then this is for you.

In "Get A Life!", William Shatner gives the history of the end of Star Trek (which is just a retelling of the story that is in his other book "Star Trek Memories") but it sets up the story of how the conventions began beautifully. Not only that, but Shatner interviews cast members as well as those who worked behind the scenes of the series, fans and conventioneers who run the conventions. Needless to say, you get an insight into this world.

If you loved other books that he has written on Trek, then this is no exception. I'm telling you, it is just a real page turner because you can relate to these people in the interviews if you are a Trekkie. Shatner literally goes undercover in make-up at a convention to get the true feel of a Star Trek convention, so this is also first hand experience speaking the entire time. The best thing is that by the books end, you get the feeling that Shatner (finally!) understands the fans and knows why we love it so much. Overalll, really fun! Definitely a must have in your Star Trek library

Funny, witty, creative, insightful, deep hearted, informative..etc. So many differnet terms you can use to describe this very enjoyable write up by the former Admiral Kirk himself.

This late 1990's book takes the reader through a wide variety of emotions, knowledge and underground information when dealing with all things that go on at the various and too many to count "Star Trek Conventions" around the country and even the world. William Shatner has always been facinated by the type of people that show up at the various conventions, dressed up like characters on the show and worshipping every word he has to say as if it was from the mighty ship captain himself. But one thing Mr. Shatner never did, was actually focus on what was going on around him. He would fly into the location, quickly be escorted in right before he was to speak, do his 45 minute talk to the crowd quickly, wave goodbye and get his pay check and head back home and do it again when he was up to it. That was all it was to him. But suddenly the Captain was killed off in Star Trek: Generations and had no more TV shows to do. Now he was being booked to more conventions then ever, and thats when he realized, that he had never even understood the people that he was addressing all of these times. That was until he decided to write this book and quite a book it is.

You will go through the entire gambit of emotions with this book. It is never nasty or spiteful. If anything William is very humble and seems to be genuine in his hopes to learn about the fans and the conventions that he has always thought was just full of crazy fans who need to "Get a Life" as he famously said on the just as famous Saturday Night Live skit so many years ago. Mr. Shatner has a way of being friendly, down to Earth and talks in this book not as a serious author, but as the same William Shatner we have always seen and heard everytime we see him. He learns everything there is to learn about the people who go to these conventions. The types of things they buy. The types of costumes they wear. The history of how the conventions started in the first place. Talks a lot about things that he himself has to deal with when associating with the fans. Answers a lot of questions he has been asked over the years. And even has some very touching and deep moments when some of the fans are explaining why they love Star Trek so much. It is quite surprising when you hear some of the answers they give and how much the show and entire series really means to them.

This is a must read to anyone who is into Star Trek, gone to a convention or just enjoys learning more about the Star Trek fan base and history. It is quite informative and just very interesting. William even goes undercover in a mask at various points so no one will know that thier beloved captain is walking amongst them and has some interesting revelations as he observes first hand what is going on at the various tables, shows and speaker sessions that each convention is made up of. I really couldn't put this book down. The moment I started reading it I was hooked and I'm not even that big a Trekie. I never even been to a convention and still haven't even seen every episode. But something drew me into this book which really just had a very high intrest level that won't bore you for a moment. The interviews are short and sweet and the humor constant and even gets in a few moments to poke fun at a certain Mr. Nemoy who Shatner has kept close contact with over the years.

I really was quite surprised in all honesty at how good this book was. We all know the image we have of Shatner. Being a hammy, over acting so and so who steals lines, talks in huge pauses and seems to eat up the screen time. And he freely admits to or even tries to explain all of these views people have on him without holding back any shame of admiting truths or non-truths to us. But after reading this book you are almost humbled and regretful that you even thought of him in that way. He truly shows a new side of him that you never expected. It is not often that actors on a TV show would even care to learn more about their fans or the people that worship them so dearly. I will definitely be reading this book again soon enough just to see what I missed and to laugh yet again. Some of the stories and situations are just laugh out loud moments that you can't believe you are reading. He doesn't hold anything back and you really get a new respect for the man we had watched in various movies and television episodes over the years. Most of all he has always cherished and loved the fact that he played Captain Kirk and doesn't run away from the fact of what people percieve him as any longer.

Anyone who is into Star Trek or even those non-Trek fans who want just a nice light read when they have read all the deep Non-Fiction pieces out there.. has to read this book. I can promise you, it will be a pure enjoyment and enlightening experience that will break some of the images and stereotypes the majority of people have had over the fanatic fans who frequent these conventions. The only complaint I had was I wanted even more. It just never seemed enough. The captain may have died in the movies but this book is proof enough he isn't going anywhere any time soon. He will be with the Trek fans for a very long time to come. And I think we should all be very nervous for that fact as he will be watching from now on.

The book title comes from a bit William Shatner performed on Saturday Night Live where he bellows out the line when the audience at a Star Trek convention gets a little....well, out of the galaxy.

It started an oftentimes silly debate on whether Shatner actually meant what he said, with fans lining up in several camps of thought. Shatner had avoided appearing at the ever-popular conventions and books by other castmembers were none-to-kind at times to the fine captain.

But as anything in the entertainment business, never means never doubt that things can change. Shatner agreed to promote Star Trek Generations through a series a speaking engagements. And this is where his humor takes over.

Shatner takes a basic premise - chronicling the phenomena of Star Trek through fans, castmembers, memorabilia dealers and convention promoters - and turns it into an event shrouded in mystery; he dons a monster outfit and sets out to interview folks at the conventions.

The pictures are priceless and the text not only gives the reader a true appreciation on what the series has meant to so many people, but how the research gave Shatner a vehicle to come to terms with the legacy he left through the TV series and movies.

This book is part biography & part the history of the "Star Trek" fans. Throughout you see Mr. Shatner as a driven & often anxious man who is in the pursuit of both critical & commercial success.

The first chapter where he describes the death of Kirk's character and the author's interviews were the most entertaining. The author using plenty of humor admits that for ages he was clueless about what "Star Trek" truly meant to the shows fans. This part gets a little erratic. But, he gives numerous examples of how he learned to appreciate both the fans and the show that made him famous.

The man who popularized the phrase, "Get a life!" writes a book to deal the dirt on those people for whom the expression most applies. It sounds like a wacky idea, but it actually turned out quite well. William Shatner and his co-author Chris Kreski have a pleasant, enjoyable, breezy prose style and what they're talking about it actually interesting. There's an entire strange sub-culture that goes on in science fiction fandom and it's fascinating to get a peek at it. Unfortunately, since this comes from William Shatner, it's not going to get at the darker side (through no fault of the author), but for what it is, it succeeds.

First of all, I should state that while I'm a fan of (a few of) the Star Trek series, I'm not terribly big into fandom. So while I'm certainly not ignorant of the vocabulary, I was a bit fuzzy on the details. But once the stories and the backstage secrets are revealed, well, it turns out there aren't that many big surprises. Shatner may have been astonished to learn that fans were as interested in hanging out with each as with the "stars", but it shouldn't come as a shock to most other people.

The book is more a journey of exploration than a straightforward journalistic look at fandom. The journey belongs to William Shatner. Apparently at one time he was famous among fan-circles for arriving shortly before his appearances, saying a few quick words and then counting his money on the next flight out of town. But after his character was killed off in one of the Star Trek movies, he decided to take a closer look at what went on at the convention scene.

GET A LIFE! begins with a potted history of organized Star Trek fandom. Given that Shatner freely admits to have had nothing at all to do with that, I can only assume that this portion of the book was researched by either Shatner or Kreski. Although the progression isn't exactly unexpected, I enjoyed reading about how it came about.

The book then moves into Shatner's relationship with fandom. Moving from his aforementioned "take the money and run" approach to gradual curiosity to understanding, reading his journey is quite interesting to see how someone from outside looks in.

Now, human nature being what it is, we can gather that not everything is warm hugs and embraces within fandom. I'm no fool; a quick look around the Internet can bring up thousands of flame-wars, feuds, angry grudges, various "he said / she said" battles and, in some extreme cases, lawsuits and restraining orders between various members of fandom. The book never gets into this topic, which I found a bit of a disappointment.

The portrayal of fandom is almost overwhelmingly positive. Lip service is paid to the looniest aspects - the folks who dress in Star Trek uniforms to inappropriate venues - but for the most part, anything negative is glossed over. The reasons for this rest on the author. I imagine it must be virtually impossible for William Shatner to go to a convention and not be greeted by a venerable wall of yes-men who happily tell him that everything is running fine, everyone connected with the organization is well liked and that there's nothing bad going on at all.

Still, despite possible inaccuracies and/or omissions, I did enjoy reading this one. It's funny, amusing and quick to read. There are numerous unrelated anecdotes, but I didn't find them at all distracting. Overall, I liked reading this. It's not the deepest sociological study you'll ever read, but the look it takes at certain individual fans is especially interesting. The thought of William Shatner donning a latex match and wandering through the dealers room to do research is certainly an amusing idea.

Good look at the man behind Spock. As someone who is a fan of the show and movies, it was interesting to see the process behind them. Nimoy takes himself a tad too seriously occasionally, but his anecdotes are cleverly told and engaging.

Ask anybody, old, young, family, friend...if he knows about Mr. Spock: the answer will always be yes. Not anybody has seen a Star Trek TV show or movie but anybody knows about Spock the alien. Why?
Why is star Trek the only serie that has become a legend and has been played for more than 40 years, hundreds of episodes with different casts ?
Because of their creator Gene Rodenberry, because its vison of the future and better world was loved by millions of people, because of the unicity of their actors, especially the first ones, responsible of the creation of this worldwide cultural phenomenon.
So it makes sense to read this actor and art director Leonard Nimoy: Mr Spock has a lot to say here and made a great book, with fun, emotion, philosophy and a mine of information about the creator of the serie, the directors, other actors, etc - must read !

Mr. Nimoy, are you Spock, or are you not Spock? You wrote this book and also wrote another book saying the exact opposite. To write a book saying one thing and to write a book that says the exact opposite is NOT LOGICAL!!! Logic, logic, logic. Fascinating. No, how about stupid. Vulcans don't show emotion, so you should not feel insulted by this review, or will you? Since you can't decide if you are Spock or not hahahaha.

Star Trek fans will love this book, and non-fans should like it as well. Many celebrity bio's are so Narcissistic you can't finish. Although there was some ego present here it was not overbearing. The first chapter was slow, but it picked up after that. The conversations between Spock and Nimoy are worth the price even to a modest fan of the original series. There were moments when you felt like you were on the set with him. Which made me feel like going back and re-reading all of the Star Trek novels. He also was kind to others in his industry who at times were rather nasty to him. I feel he is an underated actor. His two seasons on Mission Impossible and his episode on Columbo are worth viewing. I give it four stars.

Well written. Mr. Nimoy remains humble and grateful for the success of the show. I am impressed; the book was an easy and yet extremely interesting read. Coming from the perspective of someone who grew up with the show - I enjoyed the details I never knew. Also, growing up without much financial resources (money) Star Trek -for some reason- gave me hope. May you (Mr. Nimoy) and the rest of the crew - live a long and prosperous live. Thank you for the years. May God bless Scotty.