Print-on-demand retrospective TOS book forthcoming

[BillJ]

Cushman was a personal friend of Gene Roddenberry and has the endorsement of his son. What more does he need?

This explains alot. Roddenberry never had any issue with withholding credit and payment for the work of others. Seems Cushman is simply following his lead.

It's not about whether it's illegal or not. Just because an action may be purely legal, doesn't make it right. If this guy is using images that were refurbished by TrekHistory and others, then he should give them credit for their work.

It's as simple as that in my book.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

OK, now THIS is interesting. There's a list of story assignments made during Season One. It includes a number that were abandoned and never produced (at least, not under the given name).

So, in some alternate universe, TOS Season One included:
Warrior's World by Stephen Kandel
The Machine That Went Too Far by A.E. van Vogt
Chicago II by George Clayton Johnson (an early attempt at A Piece of the Action?)
Alien Spirit by Norman Katkov
Untitled by Jack Guss (I'm willing to bet that wouldn't have been the final title)
Journey to Reolite by Alfred Brenner
Rites of Fertility by Robert Sheckley
From The First Day To The Last by John D.F. Black
Sisters in Space by Robert Sheckley
Portrait in Black and White by Barry Trivers
Rock-a-Bye Baby or Die! by George Clayton Johnson
The Squaw by Shimon Wincelberg
Accident of Love by Allen Balter & William Woodfield
Dreadnaught by Alf Harris & Jeeli Jacobs
World of Warriors/Tomorrow the Universe by Paul Schneider(another attempt at Kandel's earlier Warrior's World?)

In all, there were 45 assignments handed out for the 29 episodes produced in Season One (several stories turned up in later seasons, like The Omega Glory, Amok Time and Friday's Child)

From The First Day to the Last was the title of John D.F. Black's version of the envelope for the first pilot. Credit for the final episode went to WGA arbitration; Black didn't submit a statement (believing the script drafts stood for themselves) and was denied credit.

Probably in the book, but thought it was worth pointing out.

Would love to read a treatment of what Black's envelope story and how different it was to what actually aired.

 

[Ktrek]

It's not about whether it's illegal or not. Just because an action may be purely legal, doesn't make it right. If this guy is using images that were refurbished by TrekHistory and others, then he should give them credit for their work.

It's as simple as that in my book.

I see a lot of claims about these pictures belonging to StarTrekhistory.com but I have not seen one bit of hard evidence that that is the case. Have any of you even seen any comparisons that prove images were gleaned from their site without credit? I have looked and cannot find it. It seems all unsubstantiated so far. I think StarTrekhistory.com probably wishes they had published the book instead.

Kevin

 

[BillJ]

It's not about whether it's illegal or not. Just because an action may be purely legal, doesn't make it right. If this guy is using images that were refurbished by TrekHistory and others, then he should give them credit for their work.

It's as simple as that in my book.

I see a lot of claims about these pictures belonging to StarTrekhistory.com but I have not seen one bit of hard evidence that that is the case. Have any of you even seen any comparisons that prove images were gleaned from their site without credit? I have looked and cannot find it. It seems all unsubstantiated so far. I think StarTrekhistory.com probably wishes they had published the book instead.

Kevin

Which is why I put "if".

 

[Daddy Todd]

Would love to read a treatment of what Black's envelope story and how different it was to what actually aired.

Sadly, there's no details about it in the book. There's mention of Black's WGA action against Roddenberry over "The Menagerie" wrap (which Black lost) but no details at all about what was in Black's version. A curious oversight. And if Black (who was interviewed for the book) asked him not to reveal any details, then Cushman should've said so. Instead, it appears he just "forgot" to include it. There are details of every other purchased treatment and/or teleplay that could be found, as well as details of some that were never even purchased (like unsolicited treatments from Philip Jose Farmer) but nothing of Black's final work as Star Trek story editor. Perhaps it's lost forever.

 

[trevanian]

Don't you think it is probably just being held back for Black's own book? Supposedly it has been finished for awhile and I think there were excerpts published in ST the mag a long while back.

 

[Daddy Todd]

Don't you think it is probably just being held back for Black's own book? Supposedly it has been finished for awhile and I think there were excerpts published in ST the mag a long while back.

That what I kind of assumed; Cushman might've included a sentence to that effect.

I hope Black's book finds a publisher one day, or he publishes it himself.

 

[Harvey]

It is possible Black wants to include it in his own book, although those excerpts where published so long ago I assume his plans for it fizzled. I suspect Cushman doesn't write about it much because the only draft at UCLA is missing a lot of pages, to the point that it is hard to glean much about what his envelope would be.

Are the WGA arbitration files sealed or unavailable to the public?