TOS Behind the Scenes Reference books

[Jsplinis]

I'm looking for a recommendation for a TOS reference/ behind the scenes history book.

I've heard good things about Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. I've heard These are the Voyages reveals a lot of new material and challenges some facts (ratings for example). And I'm curious about the Star Trek FAQ and FAQ 2.0 because they come in an iBook version (which I prefer).

How do these compare?
How do they read?
How comprehensive is each?
Are there any others that are significant?

Thanks for any help,
jsplinis

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ I do not own them, and have not read them, but I've pretty much heard nothing but bad things about These Are the Voyages.

There are a number of threads about the series in the TOS forum, if you want to check it out there. Here's just one example.

I've generally heard good things about Inside Star Trek, although I've never read it either.

 

[Bibliomike]

I highly recommend Inside Star Trek. Straight from Solow and Justman, it was a real eye-opener for me when I read it, but it is not some salacious tell-all - it just lays out the facts as the producers saw them.

I've heard nothing but negative things about These are the Voyages, you should know the folks at the Trek.fm network, whose opinions I respect, are very bullish on that series. I read the first volume. I have heard complaints in this forum that it is poorly researched and inaccurate. I don't know the truth of those claims. I do know I caught several typos and errors in documentation that diminished the book in my eyes. I have not read the subsequent volumes.

What I really wish Trek fans had was a good docudrama about the making of the show for its 50th anniversary, the way Doctor Who got one for its!

 

[Harvey]

I've heard good things about Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. I've heard These are the Voyages reveals a lot of new material and challenges some facts (ratings for example). And I'm curious about the Star Trek FAQ and FAQ 2.0 because they come in an iBook version (which I prefer).

Inside Star Trek: The Real Story is terrific, although it is not error-free. I've fact-checked the book's information about music, for example, and am working on another piece (based largely on a conversation I recently had here) debunking Herb Solow's recollection that Star Trek was the #1 show in households with color televisions.

Star Trek FAQ (I haven't read the follow-up) is an adequate summation of the making of the series, based entirely on secondary sources. It reproduces a ton of mistakes from those secondary sources, so in its pages you'll learn that a network ordering a second pilot was unprecedented (it wasn't), that Desilu shopped the completed Star Trek pilot to all three networks (it didn't), and so on. In terms of new material, it doesn't have much of anything to offer.

These Are The Voyages is garbage. I've written extensively about these books on my blog (link below). Don't waste your money on them.

 

[Bibliomike]

These Are The Voyages is garbage. I've written extensively about these books on my blog (link below).

Your blog looks great, Harvey... I will look forward to reading through it! Thanks for the link.

 

[Christopher]

I still think the essential TOS behind-the-scenes book is The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry. It was written during the production of the series by an author who had extensive access to the show's makers, cast, production memos and materials, etc., so it's just about the most firsthand account out there. And it's also a great overview of the process of creating and producing television in general. It's not perfect, though. Roddenberry's input means it's probably somewhat biased toward his view of things, and it doesn't cover the third season.

There are also David Gerrold's two behind-the-scenes books, The World of Star Trek and The Trouble With Tribbles, which cover TOS from Gerrold's perspective as a writer. The former book is less about the behind-the-scenes stuff and more a general analysis of the Star Trek phenomenon.

 

[Bibliomike]

I still think the essential TOS behind-the-scenes book is The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry. It was written during the production of the series by an author who had extensive access to the show's makers, cast, production memos and materials, etc., so it's just about the most firsthand account out there. And it's also a great overview of the process of creating and producing television in general. It's not perfect, though. Roddenberry's input means it's probably somewhat biased toward his view of things, and it doesn't cover the third season.

There are also David Gerrold's two behind-the-scenes books, The World of Star Trek and The Trouble With Tribbles, which cover TOS from Gerrold's perspective as a writer. The former book is less about the behind-the-scenes stuff and more a general analysis of the Star Trek phenomenon.

Great choices. I was fortunate enough to have David Gerrold sign my copy of Tribbles at Philcon in 2001 (I think).

 

[jaime]

I still think the essential TOS behind-the-scenes book is The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry. It was written during the production of the series by an author who had extensive access to the show's makers, cast, production memos and materials, etc., so it's just about the most firsthand account out there. And it's also a great overview of the process of creating and producing television in general. It's not perfect, though. Roddenberry's input means it's probably somewhat biased toward his view of things, and it doesn't cover the third season.

There are also David Gerrold's two behind-the-scenes books, The World of Star Trek and The Trouble With Tribbles, which cover TOS from Gerrold's perspective as a writer. The former book is less about the behind-the-scenes stuff and more a general analysis of the Star Trek phenomenon.

I'd second that. I used to read my dad's copy of The Making Of Star Trek, and then over a decade later got my own copy, and read it cover to cover. It used to be referred to as one of the best books to study concerning TV production, which seems high praise and it seemed never to go out of print.

The Making of Deep Space Nine obviously isn't TOS, but is hugely informative and exhaustive on that subject too.

Sort of TOS, there was recently an indie press book that was an oral history of the making of TMP (whose title eludes me) which is also extremely in depth and covers a lot more of the personalities we are familiar with (it has DeForest Kelley's poetry in it) between that, Chekhovs Enterprise and Shatners two earlier autobiographies, it's like time travel and sitting on set. (though the 'oral history' suffers hard from a lack of illustration in the extremely technical sections around model filming. And it's an effing wrist breaker of a book even on thin paper.)

 

[Harvey]

I'd second that. I used to read my dad's copy of The Making Of Star Trek, and then over a decade later got my own copy, and read it cover to cover. It used to be referred to as one of the best books to study concerning TV production, which seems high praise and it seemed never to go out of print.

The Making of Deep Space Nine obviously isn't TOS, but is hugely informative and exhaustive on that subject too.

Sort of TOS, there was recently an indie press book that was an oral history of the making of TMP (whose title eludes me) which is also extremely in depth and covers a lot more of the personalities we are familiar with (it has DeForest Kelley's poetry in it) between that, Chekhovs Enterprise and Shatners two earlier autobiographies, it's like time travel and sitting on set. (though the 'oral history' suffers hard from a lack of illustration in the extremely technical sections around model filming. And it's an effing wrist breaker of a book even on thin paper.)

The title of the book is Return To Tomorrow. It's fantastic.

 

[jaime]

The title of the book is Return To Tomorrow. It's fantastic.

That's the one. First time I ever imported a book, waited eagerly, and while I couldn't keep my usual pace (kindle reading has clearly affected my reading powers in terms of weight) I enjoyed pretty much every word. I wish there were more books like it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

There are also Da vid Gerrold's two behind-the-scenes books, The World of Star Trek

His chapter on how to improve TOS is well-reflected in "The Galactic Whirlpool", and greatly influenced TNG's Writers' Bible. David updated/revised WoST in late 1983 to include commentary up to ST III. I was visiting Bjo Trimble at her house in LA in January 1984 when in walked DG carrying a box of Bjo's TOS film clips, having selected new images for the revised book.

 

[Christopher]

David updated/revised WoST in late 1983 to include commentary up to ST III.

I actually like the original version better. The revised version took out a lot of the stuff I liked. I still have both, though I haven't read them in ages.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I actually like the original version better. The revised version took out a lot of the stuff I liked. I still have both, though I haven't read them in ages.

Same here. In 1980, my second hand copies of his WoST and Tribbles books often made me feel like I was at Paramount watching the show being made.