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Boarding the Enterprise book cover

Boarding the Enterprise

Transporters, Tribbles, and the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek

Edited by David Gerrold

Edited by Robert J. Sawyer

With a new introduction from David Gerrold and afterword from Robert Sawyer for Star Trek: The Original Series’ 50th anniversary.

Trekkies and Trekkers alike will get starry-eyed over this eclectic mix of essays on the groundbreaking original Star Trek, one of the most culturally impactful science fiction series of the last 50 years. Star Trek writers D. C. Fontana and David Gerrold, science fiction authors such as Howard Weinstein, and various academics including Paul Levinson share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, discuss the show’s enduring appeal and influence, and examine some of the classic features of the show, including Spock’s irrationality, Scotty’s pessimism, and the lack of seatbelts on the Enterprise. The impact of the cultural phenomenon on subsequent science-fiction television programs is explored, as well as how the show laid the foundation for the science fiction genre to break into the television medium.

About the Editor

A Hugo and Nebula award winner, David Gerrold is the author of more than 50 books, several hundred articles and columns, and more than a dozen television episodes.

His books include When HARLIE Was One, The Man Who Folded Himself, The War Against the Chtorr septology, The Star Wolf trilogy, The Dingilliad young adult trilogy, and the award-winning autobiographical tale of his son’s adoption, The Martian Child. TV credits include episodes of Star Trek (“The Trouble With Tribbles,” “The Cloud Minders”), Star Trek Animated (“More Tribbles, More Troubles,” “Bem”), Babylon 5 (“Believers”), Twilight Zone (“A Day In Beaumont,” “A Saucer Of Loneliness”), Land of the Lost (“Cha-Ka,” “The Sleestak God,” “Hurricane,” “Possession,” “Circle”), Tales from the Darkside (“Levitation,” “If the Shoes Fit”), Logan’s Run (“Man Out of Time”), and more. David Gerrold is a figment of his own imagination.

About the Editor

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers ever to win all three of the science-fiction field’s top awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo (which he won in 2003 for Hominids), the Nebula (which he won in 1996 for The Terminal Experiment), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (which he won in 2006 for Mindscan). According to the Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards, he has won more awards for his novels than anyone else in the history of the science-fiction and fantasy genres.

The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on Rob’s novel of the same name. His other novels include Starplex, Frameshift, Factoring Humanity, Calculating God, Humans, Rollback, and Wake, all of which were Hugo Award finalists. His online home is at sfwriter.com and his physical home is in Toronto.

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Publication Details

Title: Boarding the Enterprise

Subtitle: Transporters, Tribbles, and the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek

editor: David Gerrold

editor: Robert J. Sawyer

Publication Date: May 17, 2016

Publisher: Smart Pop, an imprint of BenBella Books, Inc.

Price: $14.95 US

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 9781942952152