star trek books written by william shatner

William Shatner Books In Order

Publication order of quest for tomorrow books, publication order of tekwar books, publication order of war books, publication order of zero-g / samuel lord books, publication order of star trek: the original books, publication order of star trek: academy books, publication order of star trek: the mirror universe trilogy books, publication order of star trek: odyssey books, publication order of star trek: totality books, publication order of standalone novels, publication order of non-fiction books.

William Shatner William Shatner is a science fiction author best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek series and subsequent movies. The talented actor also played a leading role in Boston Legal, and this has already earned him two Emmys. Away from the screen, Shatner has also made a name for himself in the writing world. He has an impressive collection of science fiction novels and a few memoirs to his name. Shatner’s rise to the top hasn’t been easy. He has had to make sacrifices to ensure that his art stands out in a world filled with talented actors and highly experienced writers.

Up Till Now Up Till Now is a biography of William Shatner and his close to sixty years in the acting industry. Today, Shatner is one of the most respected entertainers. He seems to be everywhere, whether it is the Emmys or your favorite show. In this book, Shatner lets the reader into his life, detailing how the journey has been up until his current position. The book also covers Shatner’s early life in Canada and a bit about his grandparents, who were Jewish immigrants. While his parents dreamt that he would one day take over their clothing manufacturing business Shatner knew from an early age that he wanted to act, and he took any chance that pushed him closer to his dream.

Shatner rose to fame thanks to his Star Trek series. His work was later made to film, which only made him more famous. All of a sudden, everyone knew his name, and his face was recognizable throughout the world. However, Shatner’s career did not start with the star trek films. He had made a point of using his acting skills whenever possible, and this paid big time in the end. Whether it was acting Shakespeare’s Henry V to taking a leading role in Boston Legal, the author put his all in his acting. He also went on to get other remarkable roles after Star Trek.

In a funny yet touching way, Shatner reveals the many behind-the-scenes decisions that shaped his career. What comes clear is that he has always been a risk-taker where his acting is concerned. Where others played safe, Shatner took a bold step without worrying how the fans would respond or what effects his action would have on his career. Following his revelations, it is easy to see how the author became a worldwide star. It may come as a surprise for many Sar Trek fans that this series was considered a flop by the time it was canceled. The author confesses that he was ready to forget about the series. However, thanks to broadcast syndication, the series became such a hit a few years later. His character in the series, Kirk, charted the way for numerous other opportunities for this talented actor.

Up Till Now is an honest account of actor William Shatner’s acting career. Like most actors, Shatner feared that he would not find an acting job that would sustain him. Due to this fear, he took any job that came and did not take holidays until his star started shining. His dedication to his career is evident from the start, and, amazingly, he has maintained his enthusiasm throughout his acting. Shatner’s rise has been steady, and through this memoir, he shows other upcoming actors that it did not all come easy. There we setbacks and disappointments, but he never took his eyes off his goal.

Leonard Leonard is a deep biography where William Shatner details his five-decade friendship with fellow actor Leonard Nimoy. These two first crossed paths when they both acted in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. What they did not know is that their next roles would shape their lives in ways they would never have thought possible. During the 79 episodes they acted together in Star Trek, Leonard and Shatner become close friends. Their bond grew beyond Star Trek, and for over half a century, they celebrated their highs and went through their lows together. If you heard about Leonard and Shatner’s friendship speculations, this book would provide some light on what these were all about.

In this emotional book, Shatner shares anecdotes about their shared moments. a good portion of these stories have never been told, and it is intriguing to read how life was for these legendary actors before they became famous. These two friends related more like brothers, and things were not always great between them. Shatner talks about his failings, where their friendship is concerned. He touches on some of their troubles and the competitiveness that saw them act like strangers in some instances. The author is quick to confess that he always had a hard time making friends. This remained even when he got into adulthood. He met people, started friendships, but he couldn’t sustain them for long.

While this book celebrates a great man, any Star Trek fan will find it intriguing. The author talks a lot about this show where their friendship started. Shatner also documents their struggles with alcohol, nicotine, and balancing work and family when their careers were at their peak. Leonard is often said to have been a great man, and the author states this a few times. Shatner shares his experiences from the heart, and his honesty and the depth in this story will keep you reading the memoir to the end.

Leonard is a candid and heartfelt read. A part of it reads like a love letter, while the other bit sounds like an apology for all the times the author acted inappropriately. Shatner wrote this book shortly after Leonard died as his tribute. It is amazing how similar these actors’ lives were. Their upbringing was similar, and they both came from Jewish immigrant families. They were also great actors, but, in the beginning, they had to live paycheck to paycheck to continue doing what they loved most. Shatner admits to being jealous about Leonard’s role in Star Trek, but it is amazing how these thespians handled their insecurities until Leonard’s death.

Leave a Reply

The links beside each book title will take you to Amazon where you can read more about the book, check availability, or purchase it. As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases. If you would like to link to us, Get the Code Here .

I often get asked by readers if they can donate to the site as a thank you for all the hard work. While I appreciate the offer – please support one of these great causes instead (list rotates monthly): Your local humane society Ronald McDonald House Camfed The Life You Can Save

Are you a fan of psychological thrillers? A big fan of authors such as Gillian Flynn? These are our most recommended authors in the thriller genre, which is my personal favourite genre:

• Freida McFadden
• Linwood Barclay
• Megan Goldin
• Peter Swanson
• Sarah Aldersom
• Shari Lapena
• Jack Reacher
• Court Gentry / Gray Man

I just want to thank everyone for visiting the site. Any issues at all don’t hesitate to use the contact form. To read more about the site or if you want a graphic to link to us, see the about page for more details.

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/StarTrekShatnerverse

Literature / Star Trek Shatnerverse

Edit locked.

The Shatnerverse is a series of Star Trek Expanded Universe novels written by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

The series (there's ten in all) tries to reconcile what Shatner wanted to happen with the main Trek continuity.

The novels are split into trilogies:

The Odyssey trilogy:

• The Ashes of Eden (published 1995) (set in 2293, after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , but told primarily as a flashback set after Star Trek: Generations )
• The Return (published 1996) (set in 2371, just after the events of Star Trek: Generations )
• Avenger (published 1997) (set in 2373)

The Mirror Universe trilogy:

• Spectre (published 1998) (set in 2375)
• Dark Victory (published 1999) (set in 2375)
• Preserver (published 2000) (set in 2375)

The Totality trilogy:

• Captain's Peril (published 2002) (set in 2378)
• Captain's Blood (published 2003) (set after 2379)
• Captain's Glory (published 2004) (set in 2381)

and his last work to date,

• Academy: Collision Course (published 2007) (set in 2249)

These books provide examples of:

• Aborted Arc : Academy: Collision Course was to be the first in a new series set during Kirk's Academy days. The new films are pretty clearly the reason this series was retired early.
• Action Mom : Teilani, after she gives birth to her and Kirk's son Joseph in Preserver .
• Alternate Continuity : To the main Star Trek Novel 'Verse .
• Androvar Drake serves this role in The Ashes of Eden .
• Salatrel is the primary 'face' of the Borg/Romulan alliance in The Return .
• The Mirror Universe trilogy focuses on Emperor Tiberius, Kirk's counterpart from the other reality.
• Complexity Addiction : At least one of Salatrel's subordinates tries to point out to her that her plan to use Kirk to assassinate Picard is purely intended to satisfy her own twisted desire for 'revenge' on the Federation, when it would be far simpler for her to have dispatched a conventional assassin against Picard.
• Continuity Snarl : While (naturally) fairly faithful to the TV series, the books contradict other Expanded Universe works a couple of times. The most visible example is probably that Shatner's version of the Tarsus IV massacre, and Kirk's role therein, is notably different (to the point of irreconcilable) from the way it was portrayed elsewhere in the Star Trek Novel 'Verse .
• Daddy's Little Villain : Ariadne Drake, Androvar Drake's daughter, in The Ashes of Eden .
• Salatrel, the main Romulan villain in The Return , and the granddaughter of Keras (the Romulan commander from " Balance of Terror "); Salatrel is utterly convinced that the Federation are ruthless murderers, which causes her to make various flawed assumptions about how her enemies will act at key points.
• When Picard meets his Mirror Universe counterpart in Spectre , Mirror-Picard is convinced that Picard killed his brother and nephew and just made it look like it was a fire because Mirror-Picard did basically that in his own universe, the mirror version incapable of comprehending that Picard isn't like that.
• Expendable Alternate Universe : The Mirror Universe versions of Kirk and Picard both refer to the 'prime' reality as the "ghost" universe, acting as though their counterparts are just weak imitations, in contrast to how the prime reality treats the Mirror Universe as an equal.
• Half-Human Hybrid : Joseph Kirk, the son of Kirk (a human) and Teilani (a Klingon/Romulan/human hybrid).
• Heinz Hybrid : Kirk's son Joseph has 1/4 Klingon, 1/4 Romulan, and a strange mix of human ancestry from Kirk and his Chalchaj'qmey mother (an artificial Klingon/Romulan hybrid race with the addition of human organs). Additionally, according to Spock, the boy's Romulan ancestry also makes him part-Vulcan. Interestingly, Joseph Kirk's unique genetics make him an Ancient, among those who seeded most of the galaxy with life .
• Hoist by His Own Petard : In Spectre , the Alliance manage to recreate Voyager from plans stolen from Starfleet, but do such a good job that they copy the ship's command protocols. As a result, Picard is briefly able to take control of the ship by issuing an emergency directive, and later the mirror Janeway (who is working for the Terran rebels) manages to take full command of the ship by using the default captain codes, once instructed in them by Kirk and Scotty.
• Honorary Uncle : Spock and McCoy both become this to Kirk's newborn son Joseph at the end of Preserver .
• Androvar Drake is so certain of his superiority over Kirk that he continually refers to himself as being 'better' than his rival even though he has never clearly proved himself superior.
• Emperor Tiberius has the view that he is the pivot point of the entire universe - his AND the Prime universe. Turns out he's not entirely wrong - James Kirk will either preserve or destroy the universe. Of course, James Kirk exists in both universes.
• Landfill Beyond the Stars : One is featured in Avenger , as the location where the Borg send their discarded drones.
• Ludicrous Precision : Spock, as always; when McCoy bemoans that it's been eighty years since Spock last saw Kirk and he's just saying that he is "most pleased" to see his old friend, Spock's immediate response is to correct McCoy that it was actually "Seventy-eight point four years".
• Meaningful Rename : In The Return , when the Defiant-class USS Monitor is transferred to Kirk and Picard for their assault on the Borg homeworld, the ship's usual captain has his ship temporarily renamed Enterprise for the duration of the mission, even though he acknowledges that it will not be recorded as such in history.
• Multistage Teleport : In Spectre and Dark Victory , Kirk is kidnapped and beamed through numerous transporter stations (he briefly sees them while he's being transported) all the way to a distant location outside normal transporter range, where he meets his Mirror Universe counterpart, Emperor Tiberius.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much : There's a female Orion scientist in The Return who has Federation citizenship and makes a point of dressing un-sexy.
• Not Proven : Ashes of Eden reveals that following the events of the Genesis Trilogy, Starfleet launched an investigation into how David Marcus had acquired the Protomatter he secretly used in the Genesis Device. The official investigation concluded it had come from black market channels, but Kirk wasn't satisfied with these findings and had Chekhov quietly pursue his own independent investigation. Pavel eventually discovered that the protomatter had actually come from Starfleet's advanced strategic weapons research and development division, which was headed up by Kirk's old rival Admiral Drake. In other words, Drake was using the Genesis Project as a secret and illegal test-bed for potential protomatter WMDs. However, the failure of the Genesis Technology scuttled those plans and Drake covered his tracks before Starfleet's investigation began. So, Kirk and Chekov know he's guilty and had a role in David's death, but they can't officially prove it.
• In The Return , when Spock learns that McCoy and Kirk are on board the "Challenger", Riker thinks that he actually sees Spock smile for a moment at that news.
• In Avenger , Spock joyfully hugs Kirk when he is first reunited with his old friend (although this can be attributed to Spock suffering a loss of emotional control after he has been afflicted with a poison simulating the effects of Bendii Syndrome ).
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist : In The Ashes of Eden , for all that Androvar Drake claims that he wants to secure the Federation's future by using the resources on Chal, his plans will still lead to war because he considers that the only way the Federation can survive. Kirk explicitly informs Drake that if his plan is the only way the Federation can survive, it doesn't deserve to.
• Poor Communication Kills : The Return would be a much shorter story if everyone just talked to each other (although most of this can be justified as Kirk being brainwashed and other parties bound by confidentiality warnings).
• Remember the New Guy? : Androvar Drake, the villain in The Ashes of Eden , has been a rival of Kirk's since they were in the Academy together, instigated the brief Federation/Klingon war that was ended by the Organian Treaty, and provided David Marcus with protomatter to complete the Genesis Device, and yet he has never appeared in any media before now. This is at least consistent with the Original Series, where Kirk constantly was running into old flames and old friends who were never mentioned before or after their plot-relevant episode.
• Shout-Out : Naturally, the books are loaded with references to Star Trek: The Original Series and the subsequent films.
• Small Name, Big Ego : Salatrel is so certain of Romulan supremacy that she believes the Romulan Empire could even defeat the Borg on their own.
• Wham Line : From The Return : "We are V'Ger ."
• Ship of the Line
• Franchise/Star Trek Expanded Universe
• Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars
• Star Trek Novel 'Verse
• Franchise/Star Trek
• Star Trek: Discovery

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

Hi, what are you looking for?

TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion

New photos from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 “Face the Strange”

Star Trek: Discovery “Under the Twin Moons” Review: Clues among the moons

New photos from the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5

First Photo from Star Trek: Section 31 revealed, legacy character confirmed

New Star Trek: Discovery posters revealed ahead of final season premiere

Star Trek: Discovery “Face the Strange” Review: Embarking on a Temporal Odyssey

Star Trek: Discovery “Jinaal” Review: One step forward, two steps back

Star Trek: Picard — Firewall Review: The Renaissance of Seven of Nine

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premiere “Red Directive” Review: In Pursuit of Legacies

Strange New Worlds director Jordan Canning talks “Charades,” the versatility of the series & Star Trek fandom

‘Star Trek Online’ lead designer talks the game’s longevity, honoring the franchise, and seeing his work come to life in ‘Picard’

Gates McFadden talks Star Trek: Picard, reuniting with her TNG castmates, InvestiGates, and the Human Condition

Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating talk ‘Enterprise’, their relationship with Star Trek in 2023 and their first live ‘Shuttlepod Show’

John Billingsley discusses what he’d want in a fifth season of Enterprise, playing Phlox and this weekend’s Trek Talks 2 event

57-Year Mission set to beam 160+ Star Trek guests down to Las Vegas

Veteran Star Trek director David Livingston looks back on his legendary career ahead of Trek Talks 2 event

ReedPop’s Star Trek: Mission Seattle convention has been cancelled

56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention

7 new photos from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 “Jinaal”

2023: A banner year for Star Trek — here’s why [Op-Ed]

‘Making It So’ Review: Patrick Stewart’s journey from stage to starship

54-Disc Picard Legacy Collection, Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Complete Series Blu-ray box sets announced

Star Trek: Picard series finale “The Last Generation” Review: A perfect sendoff to an unforgettable crew

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD this December

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Hegemony” Review: An underwhelming end to the series’ sophomore season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finale “Hegemony” preview + new photos

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 “Subspace Rhapsody” Review: All systems stable… but why are we singing?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” preview + new photos

Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals

Paramount+ Launches with 1-Month Free Trial, Streaming Every Star Trek Episode

Paramount+ to Officially Launch March 4, Taking Place of CBS All Access

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Season 2 Now Streaming For Free (in the U.S.)

[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations

‘U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook’ Review: A must-read Star Trek: Lower Decks fans

New photos from this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale

Star Trek: Lower Decks “The Inner Fight” Review: Lost stars and hidden battles

New photos from this week’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy begins streaming December 25th on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy lands at Netflix, season 2 coming in 2024

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 sneak peek reveals the surprise return of a Voyager castmember

Star Trek: Prodigy canceled, first season to be removed from Paramount+

Revisiting “Star Trek: Legacies – Captain to Captain” Retro Review

The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film Review: A gem for your Star Trek reference collection

The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to continue in new IDW miniseries “Echoes”

Star Trek: The Original Series “Harm’s Way” Book Review

William Shatner’s New Book ‘Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder’ Review: More of a good thing

Star Trek: Infinite release date + details on Lower Decks­-themed pre-order bonuses

‘Star Trek: Infinite’ strategy game revealed, set to be released this fall

‘The Next Generation’ cast is back on the bridge of the Enterprise-D in new ‘Star Trek: Picard’ photo gallery

Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection

New Star Trek Docuseries ‘The Center Seat’ Announced, Coming This Fall

Star Trek Designing Starships: Deep Space Nine & Beyond Review: a Deep Dive Into Shuttlecraft of the Gamma Quadrant

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Illustrated Handbook Review: Terok Nor Deconstructed in Amazing Detail

Robert Beltran Is Officially Returning to Star Trek as Chakotay on ‘Prodigy’ + More Casting News

Robert Beltran Says He’s Returning to Star Trek in ‘Prodigy’

John Billingsley Talks Life Since Star Trek: Enterprise, Going to Space and Turning Down Lunch with Shatner and Nimoy

Star Trek: Enterprise Star John Billingsley Talks Charity Work, Upcoming TREK*Talks Event

The Shat is back… with an all-new memoir.

Review: William Shatner’s Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder

William Shatner is back on bookshelves with an autobiography that feels a bit too familiar to his previous literary effort , but ultimately includes fresh-enough insights and recounts from his 91-year-long life to warrant an entertaining readthrough.

Generic title aside, the extraordinary thing about this book is that you don’t need to be a Star Trek fan to appreciate Shatner’s thoughts – in fact, precious little of this book actually discusses or references Star Trek at all. This paragraph from our review of his aforementioned autobiography fits perfectly for Boldly Go:

“ Don’t expect the book to be a look back at his time in  Star Trek . There are plenty of books that already do that (including  Up Till Now ). Instead, Shatner opts for the same conversational approach to life advice and wisdom that his character, Denny Crane, did on  Boston Legal . Imagine yourself on a balcony with Shatner, with cigars and drinks in hand, and just… sharing. He isn’t on the bridge of a starship this time. He is on a balcony, and he’s peering out not the ups and downs of buildings on a city skyline, but the ups and downs of his life. That’s what reading this book is like, and there are plenty of memorable stories and lessons in the book’s 200+ pages to make it worth the read.”

Actually, most of our review about the style and substance of that 2018 book could fit this new release, so you could tell what we mean when we say the two books are quite similar. In both releases, Shatner compiles his thoughts on various topics and uses his own life to explain why he thinks or feels a certain way.  For what it’s worth though, Shatner has been quite active in the three years since his previous book. As he structures this new book around particular themes, such as our place in the universe, the binds that draw families together, his mortality, his love of music and making music, etc., he often draws on fresher experiences and some rarer recollections from across his life to illustrate his view of the world.

“We are often reminded to stop and smell the roses. I have to go further. Stop and smell everything. Smell the roses, smell the grass, smell the weeds.” Shatner in Boldly Go

An example of these fresher recollections includes leaving Earth. Likely the most impactful event for him in the last few years (and certainly also his entire life) was seeing Earth from space, as he did in 2021 (which was chronicled in a documentary ). Shatner elaborates at length about his space-going experience in this new book, and uses that extraordinary encounter to frame and contextualize his well-thought and well-articulated views on life, Earth, and the interconnectedness of all living things. And boy does he have some thoughts about this interconnectedness.

Shatner’s self-described spirituality, developed over the course of his life, is a cornerstone of this book. The man has had a couple of lifetime’s worth of experiences from which to populate his existence, and seemingly one of the most notable evolutions as a human being through all those decades is his oneness with the Earth and its living things. This theme permeates the book. In fact, Shatner describes how he is such a nature lover, such an admirer of the universe, and such a believer that all living things can coexist, that the moment in his life he regrets the most is when he shot a bear with a bow and arrow on an episode of The American Sportsman back in the 1970s. Think about that: the thing he regrets most in life was killing another animal purely for sport, once. If that’s not an indication of his life’s passion, we don’t know what is.

If there’s one description that can be attributed to Shatner after reading this book, it’s aware . He is aware of the fragility of life and his precious place in it. Painfully aware that he has far more days behind him than ahead. And aware of himself: he is a man who enjoys challenges, seeks out knowledge, and is never satisfied with staying still. As he describes, “Knowledge feeds me. It’s as necessary to my existence as oxygen.” At 91 years old, we imagine one would know themselves pretty well, and it’s to his credit that Shatner opens up so much about who he is and his experience living the human condition.

Those who have kept up to date with Shatner’s autobiographies will feel like they know the man, and this book only adds to this perception. He doesn’t shy away from airing his thoughts for all to hear or read, and oftentimes it’s easy to take his wisdom as having a lot of weight; after all, he states early in this book, “Well, I’m ninety-one years old; how old are you?”

So, it’s easy to recommend Boldly Go to those who take value in Shatner’s experience, and to those who haven’t read his previous autobiographies. The conversational nature of this book, no doubt thanks to co-author Joshua Brandon, makes it an easy and quick read. There are plenty of noteworthy memories Shatner draws upon to help the reader absorb the man’s learnings and thoughts, some of which are new to this book, including thoughts about why he had a strained relationship with Leonard Nimoy in the actor’s final days, and fresh recollections about the passing of his wife, Nerene). Shatner plumbs the depths of his considerable life to engage the reader – from his childhood and earliest days of acting to living in a pandemic world – to explain the life lessons he has learned, how people should view the Earth, and why it’s important to love and cherish each together.

“My point is there is beauty all around us, and there is something ineffable about taking it all in – including the weeds – especially when you stand back to contemplate that those weeds are made of the exact same ‘star stuff’ as we are…” Shatner in Boldly Go

As much as Shatner asserts he has learned and done so much in his life, he also isn’t content to rest. While he maintains in this book that his most recent album, Bill ( which we praised ), is a perfectly illustrative capstone to his life, he uses lyrics from yet another upcoming album to further describe his personal beliefs and experiences – including what he has planned for when he dies. So, those hardcore fans who track every one of Shatner’s works can rest assured there’s another album in the works – although is anybody surprised?

Boldly Go was an enjoyable read that Shatner fans will certainly gain value in picking up. If it’s not clear by now, Shatner is much more than just an actor from Star Trek. His life has brought him all over the world for a near-unmatched breadth of experiences. Yes, this book does repeat some well-known stories Shatner himself has told, but it also introduces new stories into the Shatner mythos. These new tidbits, along with Shatner’s inspirational and influential continued awe at the world we live in, makes Boldly Go worth a look.

You can buy Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder on Amazon now.

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek merchandise, along with details on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and more.

You can follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending Articles

Review: Star Trek: Picard – Firewall Seven of Nine, a heroine who has resurged in popularity thanks to Jeri Ryan’s return to the franchise...

An article celebrating the longevity of the Star Trek franchise has given us our first look at Michelle Yeoh’s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31...

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 stumbles with “Jinaal” Discovery’s voyage to the ultimate treasure brings Captain Michael Burnham and her crew to Trill, where...

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 trailer teases Burnham & crew’s final mission

With the launch of the final season of Star Trek: Discovery right around the corner, Paramount+ has released an official trailer for the series’...

Customer Login

If you are already registered, please log in.

Create your account and enjoy a new shopping experience.

New Items Arriving All the Time. Keep checking back!

Need Help? - Click to email

Most popular searches: Star Trek, Boston Legal, TJ Hooker...

What Is the Story of Captain Kirk Book - Special Library Binding

Journey to deep space and learn how James Tiberius Kirk became one of the greatest space heroes in the Star Trek universe in this addition to the New York Times bestselling series. From appearances in live action and animated...

Star Trek Book of Lists by Chip Carter

The NOOK version of this book sells for $12.99 at Barnes and Nobles in the US.   Spanning the epic science fiction franchise’s fifty-one-year history, a breathtaking collection of the most compelling Star Trek facts and trivia, including...

Exclusive Edition: Leonard Hardcover Book with Mr. Shatner's Personal Bookplate

Mr. Shatner's hardcover book on his friend Leonard Nimoy with Mr. Shatner's personal bookplate in the book.  Mr. Shatner has allowed us to sell a limited number of Leonard Books from his archive with the bookplate.  Exclusive to this store only...

The William Shatner Store

The Shatner Show Hardcover Book - Out of Print

This coffee table book was only available during 2007 at Uppercase publications and gallery event in Canada."The gallery's self-proclaimed mastermind, Janine Vangool, came up with the idea of a Shatner show after listening to the actor's CD while...

Zero G: Green Space Hardcover Book

    In the second installment of William Shatner’s Zero-G series , Director Samuel Lord must identify a mole sabotaging the top-secret NASA project aboard the US space station Empyrean, while also fighting a fast-replicating virus that threatens...

Sh*t My Dad Says Hardbound Book with TV Show Tie In Designation on Cover

This version of the book tied into the William Shatner TV Series by a round sticker showing Mr. Shatner informing of the upcoming Thursday Night at 8:30pm on CBS promotion. This version of the well known book was only in print for only a short time.

Out of Print: The Black Pearl - Graphic Novel Paperback by Mark Hamill

Out of Print Paperback Graphic Novel of The Black Pearl by Mark Hamill and Eric Johnson.  From 1997 Dark Horse Books.  Luther isn't a hero. He isn't motivated by honor or justice - at mest he's a regular guy.  He went out one night: he followed that...

Live Long And ... by William Shatner Hardbound Book

Star Trek legend and veteran author William Shatner discusses the meaning of life, finding value in work, and living well whatever your age. "I have always felt," William Shatner says early in his newest memoir, that "like the great comedian George...

Shatner Archives: Avenger Audio Book Cassette Edition

From Mr. Shatner's Archives - Avenger Audio Book on Two Cassette tapes. This is an abridged audio of his book Spectre.  The box is still sealed in plastic and affixed with the Shatner Archives sticker. Synopsis: A lethal virus, inimical to all...

Shatner Archives: Step into Chaos Quest for Tomorrow Hardcover First Edition

Book #3 In the Quest for Tomorrow Series:   After defeating the dreaded Hunnza fleet, Jim Endicott wants a "normal" life. But his wish is not to be, for a new and even more terrible conflict is stirring. Earth's former ally, the Alba Packlord, suspects...

site categories

Daytime emmy nominations: eric braeden earns first nomination in 20 years for ‘the young & the restless’ (updating live), bill maher uncovers the truth behind william shatner’s most famous ‘star trek’ kiss.

By Bruce Haring

Bruce Haring

pmc-editorial-manager

More Stories By

• No Doubt Joined By Surprise Guest Olivia Rodrigo For Coachella Headlining Set
• Ron Thompson Dies: Actor In ‘Baretta’ And Ralph Bakshi’s ‘American Pop’ Was 83
• L.A. County Public Health Warns About Traveler With Measles Visiting Local Attractions, Including Universal Studios And Santa Monica Pier

When you have William Shatner , aka Captain James T. Kirk, on your show, you get to ask the Star Trek questions you’ve always wanted answered.

That’s what Bill Maher managed to do on Friday’s Real Time , as he probed one of pop culture’s most interesting moments — the interracial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura.

Related Stories

Bill Maher Rounds Up The Usual Suspects In 'Real Time' Focus On Phones And Woke

Bill maher to launch podcast network, sage steele to host first show.

Maher also marveled how far Shatner fell from grace after the first run of Star Trek was canceled after three seasons. Shatner talked about watching the actual moon landing from a pasture while in his truck, his base of operations after a divorce and a lull in work.

How did you fall so fast? Maher asked. “With great precision,” Shatner joked, adding that it was just “circumstances of life.”

Of course, those days are gone for Shatner. He is the subject of the new documentary,  You Can Call Me Bill, and the artist behind the upcoming digital album, So Fragile, So Blue, which he recorded live with the National Symphony Orchestra.

He’s also planning a trip to Antarctica, another of his efforts to explore and spotlight his efforts in climate change.

Of the latter, “There’s no way out except through technology,” Shatner said. “There’s a wave coming.” It’s one reason he may consider once again going into space, he said, as a way to “promulgate the idea that there’s so much going on by science and scientists to correct global warming.” He added, “There’s an element of hope I will cling to.”

Maher wrapped up the segment with a mention of Shatner’s age (93) and compliments on how well he looks.

“I don’t mind when you say my age,” Shatner said. “But when they clap…”

After Shatner, Maher had a panel discussion with Piers Morgan ,  New York Post  columnist and host of the YouTube channel’s P iers Morgan Uncensored , and  Gillian Tett , provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and columnist at the  Financial Times .

They also talked about a protest in Dearborn Michigan that featured chants of “Death to America.” Maher pushed back on those at the protest who said, “The entire system has to go.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Maher countered. “I like our system. I’ve always liked America and thought death to it was bad.”

In Maher’s “New Rules” editorial, he pointed out the falsehoods about Canada and some progressive European countries where the idyllic myth doesn’t jibe with reality, resulting in what Maher termed “zombie lies.”

Maher pointed out several ways that these countries are faring worse in housing, health care, and on immigration issues

“I need to cite you as a cautionary tale: yes, you can move too far left, and you push others to the extreme right,” he said. “Calling something racist doesn’t solve the problem,” Maher said. That opens the door to someone conservative who will act, and “Who I promise, you’re not going to like.”

Must Read Stories

Q1 revenue & earnings beat street; streamer to stop reporting subs numbers.

Sony In Talks To Team With Apollo In Bid For Paramount Global

Wb lands ‘keeper of the lost cities’ rights; emma watts producing potential tentpole, ‘kingdom of the planet of the apes’ stalking $54m u.s. bow next month.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Screen Rant

Star trek’s famous kirk & uhura kiss “would not have got done” without william shatner.

Star Trek: The Original Series' most famous kiss might not have happened if not for Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner.

• Shatner's insistence ensured Kirk and Uhura's iconic kiss stayed in Star Trek, a groundbreaking moment for diversity on TV.
• Despite NBC's concerns, no backlash was received for the interracial kiss, a memorable scene in a mediocre episode.
• Shatner's determination during filming made TV history by ensuring Kirk and Uhura's kiss was included on-screen.

Star Trek: The Original Series ' iconic interracial kiss between Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) would likely not have happened if not for William Shatner. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry wanted his series to push boundaries and depict a future where everyone was accepted for who they were. While Star Trek: The Original Series remains a product of its time, it undoubtedly helped pave the way for more diversity on television. Kirk and Uhura's iconic kiss, while not technically the first interracial kiss to air on television, was a monumental moment and received very little backlash from viewers despite the worries of NBC.

Kirk and Uhura's kiss happens in Star Trek: The Original Series season 3, episode 10, "Plato's Stepchildren," an otherwise mediocre episode about halfway through TOS' final season. "Plato's Stepchildren" begins when the USS Enterprise answers a distress call from a people known as the Platonians. The Platonians possess telekinetic powers and the leader, Parmen (Liam Sullivan), wishes Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) to remain on the planet as their doctor. When he refuses, Parmen humiliates Kirk and his crew by forcing them to perform for them. In one instance, Parmen forces Kirk and Uhura to kiss in what would become one of Star Trek's most famous scenes.

Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

William shatner says star trek’s first interracial kirk & uhura kiss would not have happened without him, shatner made sure kirk's kiss with uhura stayed in the final episode..

William Shatner appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher to promote his autobiographical documentary, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill . Maher took the opportunity to ask Shatner about Star Trek's most famous kiss , and Shatner admitted it likely would not have happened if not for him. Read their conversation below:

Bill Maher: That moment, you were brave because from what I understand, NBC, of course, was nervous about it. I mean, we had seen before when Southern stations would cancel shows or not show them over something like that. And you kind of stuck to your guns and did the kiss.

William Shatner: Yes, I puckered up my lips and [makes kissing motion]... Like that. I mean, [Nichelle Nichols is] no longer with us, but in her lifetime, she was a remarkably attractive lady.

Bill Maher: Yes, but that’s not really the issue. I want to know, if you hadn’t insisted on doing it, would it have not got done?

William Shatner: It would not have got done. That’s bad English.

According to some of his fellow Star Trek cast members, Shatner was not always the easiest to work with, but he made Captain Kirk one of the most iconic television characters of all time. The legendary actor, who celebrated his 93rd birthday on March 22, 2024, ensured Captain Kirk and Uhura's kiss made it into the final cut of "Plato's Stepchildren." The late Nichelle Nichols has also spoken about the kiss scene in various interviews, and she, too, credits Shatner with making sure the scene made it to air.

William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill will be available for video-on-demand rental or purchase everywhere on April 26th.

How Star Trek’s First Interracial Kiss Happened

Despite nbc's worries, there are no records of any complaints about the kiss..

When it came time to film the kiss scene in "Plato's Stepchildren," both the Star Trek episode's director, David Alexander, and studio executives at NBC were hesitant to show the full kiss, fearing it would anger certain viewers. The kiss was filmed as the last shot on the final day of shooting, and Gene Roddenberry was brought in to discuss how the scene should be shot. ​​​​​​Nichelle Nichols, who famously remained in Star Trek because of Martin Luther King, Jr. , was not always respected on set. Roddenberry generally sided with Nichols when it came to Uhura, and he decided to shoot a take with the kiss and one without. William Shatner, however, had other ideas.

Shatner insisted on multiple takes, causing the shoot to run even further over schedule. Finally out of time, the director insisted on a no-kiss version of the shot, but Shatner wasn't done. This time, Captain Kirk leaned Uhura back to imply a kiss without it being on-screen, but Shatner deliberately looked into the camera and crossed his eyes. The director was unable to see this from his point of view and, believing the take to be a good one, he called cut. Of course, as the footage was reviewed later, the shot without the kiss was unusable, ensuring Kirk and Uhura's Star Trek: The Original Series kiss made television history.

Source: Real Time With Bill Maher

Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Delivered a New Take on a Classic Next Generation Episode

Star Trek: Discovery did its own version of the Next Generation finale, highlighting the differences between the two shows.

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Whatever the problems in its first two seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in perfect fashion. “All Good Things…” saw Captain Picard become unstuck in time, visiting the past, present, and future of his ship.

“All Good Things…” allowed the show and fans to see just how far TNG had come over the years. It revisits the clunky inaugural season via Picard’s interactions in the past with Tasha Yar, whose death midway through season one only underscored the tumultuous first two years of the series. And by going into the future, checking in on Professor Data, Captain Beverly Picard, and journalist Geordi La Forge (married to Leah Brahms, for some reason), the show imagined future adventures beyond the series finale for our favorite characters.

By the time that present tense Picard joins his crew at the poker table, “All Good Things…” confirms what we fans always felt. This was an ensemble show with a wonderful cast, and we like seeing them all together.

Ad – content continues below

That feel-good ending is actually representative of some of the criticism surrounding Star Trek: Discovery . Instead of continuing the ensemble approach that TNG and all of its followers took ( Enterprise , to a lesser extent), Discovery has a single protagonist in the form of Michael Burnham . Burnham serves as the main character in every storyline, in a way not seen since the days of William Shatner stealing his co-stars’ lines for Kirk. The bridge crew of Discovery have names, a few facial expressions, and that’s about it.

So when the fourth episode of Discovery ‘s final season, “ Face the Strange ,” gives Burnham a chance to revisit her own crew’s past as well as see the Discovery’s possible distant future, it’s a take on TNG ‘s “All Good Things…” idea that hits very differently. But there’s no denying it’s also true to the ethos of what Discovery is versus The Next Generation ‘s approach to storytelling in the ’90s.

In “Face the Strange,” Burnham and her new First Officer Commander Rayner are sent time jumping around the Discovery. The episode involves the treasure hunters Moll and L’ak distracting the Discovery on its chase for the Progenitor tech by infecting Burnham and Rayner with a device that thrusts them into ship’s past and future.

The episode resolves when Burnham and Rayner convince members of the Discovery crew from season one to jump to warp, which allows Stamets (whose Tardigrade DNA puts him outside of time) to remove the infecting time bug and send the duo back to their time. To do so, Rayner and Burnham have to prove that they know the bridge crew, who do not recognize Rayner and see Burnham as a mutineer.

Of course, they succeed, but not in a manner that will satisfy most viewers who remember Picard’s trip down memory lane in TNG . The crew interactions just don’t hit the same way in the Discovery version of this concept. Rayner wins over the crew not by pointing to qualities that viewers have seen by watching every season of Discovery , but by repeating exposition from the previous episode. Even many of Burnham’s pleas fall flat, heightening only the surface level of even well-developed characters like Tilly.

But then there’s the crux of Burnham’s argument. When her younger, angrier self storms onto the bridge, the current Burnham gets desperate. Her only recourse is to reveal details about the death of Ariam, the android member of the crew who sacrifices herself at the end of the season two episode “Project Daedalus.” Discovery handled Ariam’s death in the most clunky way possible, only giving the character any attention in the previous episode, manipulating audiences into caring about her sacrifice.

However, when Burnham revisits the moment in “Face the Strange,” she doubles down on the emotional appeals. Burnham tells the crew about how Ariam chose to die to save the ship, and while Tilly and Owo insist that they would never let that happen, Ariam interjects. She would gladly sacrifice herself for the others, if that was the only way to save them.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

In other words, Burnham doesn’t make a logical argument about the science behind her arrival from the future, nor does she assert her authority and commandeer the ship to do what needs to be done. Rather, she leans heavy into the emotion, tugging on everyone’s heartstrings as a solution to the problem they face.

If you like your Star Trek to be logical and professional, then Burnham’s solution is just one more example of the shortcomings in Discovery . But then again, why are you watching Discovery at this point if you’re not down with that approach?

In the same way that “All Good Things…” gave TNG a victory lap to celebrate everything that the once ill-advised show was and had become, “Face the Strange” embraces Discovery ‘s own unique identity. This is a show in which things happen not because they make logical sense, but because they make emotional sense.

As Discovery comes to an end, “Face the Strange” highlights the show’s unlikely path from oddball prequel to an exploration of the future of Star Trek . But as much as the show has changed cast members and settings, it’s always been about solving problems through emotional intelligence. The “All Good Things…” riff in “Face the Strange” proves that if Discovery was ever going to be the show that some Trekkies want, it should have changed a long time ago.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

• Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Science Fiction

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $13.93 $13.93 FREE delivery: Thursday, April 25 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Aurora-Originals

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Buy used: $9.99

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Star Trek: Spectre Hardcover – May 1, 1998

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 384 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pocket Books
• Publication date May 1, 1998
• Dimensions 5.75 x 1.25 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 0671008781
• ISBN-13 978-0671008789
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly

Editorial Reviews

About the author.

WILLIAM SHATNER is the author of three previous Star Trek novels: Avenger, The Return, and The Ashes of Eden. In addition to his ongoing role as Captain James T. Kirk, he has also appeared in such hit plays as The World of Suzie Wong and A Shot in the Dark, in such notable films as The Brothers Karamazov and Judgment at Nuremberg, and on television in T.J. Hooker and Rescue 911. He is also the author of several other novels, including the popular TekWar novels, which inspired a hit television series. Shatner lives in Los Angeles.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pocket Books; First Edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0671008781
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0671008789
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.25 x 9 inches
• #27,653 in Science Fiction Adventures

About the author

William shatner.

William Shatner has cultivated a career spanning over 50 years as an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, and horseman. He is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures and a major philanthropist.

His accomplishments in television, film, and stage would take a great deal of time and more space than allotted here.

In 1966, Shatner originated the role of “Captain James T. Kirk” in the television series Star Trek. The series spawned a feature film franchise where Shatner returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies, one of which he directed.

Shatner played the title role in the hit television series T.J. Hooker before hosting television’s first reality-based series, Rescue 911.

He won Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of eccentric lawyer “Denny Crane” on both The Practice and Boston Legal. He received four more Emmy nominations as well as other Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.

Shatner's Raw Nerve, which aired on Bio, was his own edgy, celebrity interview series. Each episode showcased Shatner getting to know his guest on an intensely personal level, touching upon subjects not normally visited on other talk shows. Guests have discussed topics such as addiction, grief, childhood, marriage, combat and parenthood.

Mr. Shatner was cast in the NBC hit show Better Late Than Never in the late Summer 2016 and that show will be returning with a second season in 2017.

His love of music inspired him to record the critically acclaimed album Has Been. The Milwaukee Ballet performed “Common People,” a dance presentation set to several numbers from the record; the event and its preparations are featured in the documentary Gonzo Ballet, which played to sold out houses at film festivals worldwide.

Shatner’s musical project, Ponder The Mystery, with lyrics by William Shatner and music by Billy Sherwood was released October 2013. It followed the well-received, space-inspired album Seeking Major Tom, which featured songs by U2, Frank Sinatra, Queen and Pink Floyd and was released in October 2011.

Off the screen and broadcast waves, Shatner has authored nearly 30 best-sellers in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. His autobiography, Up Till Now, was a New York Times best-seller and was followed by Shatner Rules which was released in October 2011. William Shatner’s book, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, was released in February 2016 appearing on the NY Times Bestseller list. William Shatner’s newest book, Spirit of the Horse: A Celebration in Fact and Fable, will be released in May 2017.

In April 2011, Shatner launched his hugely popular one-man show, Shatner’s World in Australia and New Zealand, followed by tours in Canada and over 50 cities in the United States. The show is currently touring again in the United States and abroad.

Shatner has been successful in another area — horse breeding. A longtime dedicated breeder of American Quarter horses, he has had enormous success with the American Saddlebred, developing and riding world champions and has won numerous world championships in several equine events. His passions for horses and philanthropy were united when he started the Hollywood Charity Horse Show (http://www.HorseShow.org), which benefits Los Angeles-based children’s charities.

Shatner continues to act, write, produce and direct while still making time to work with charities and further his passion in equestrian sports. He and his wife, Elizabeth and three married daughters live in Los Angeles.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Giant Freakin Robot

William Shatner Nearly Returned To Star Trek As A Villain

Posted: April 10, 2024 | Last updated: April 10, 2024

In Star Trek: The Original Series, William Shatner portrayed not only sci-fi icon Captain Kirk but, in the memorable episode “Mirror, Mirror,” his evil twin from a different dimension. Sadly, we never saw “Mirror Kirk” onscreen again, but that almost changed in a big way almost two decades ago. Originally, Shatner was going to appear as his dark doppelganger in Season 4 of Star Trek: Enterprise and that cameo would have changed franchise history forever.

Enterprise Heads Into The Mirror Universe

As longtime fans already know, Enterprise had a two-part episode that memorably explored the Mirror Universe, but it didn’t feature Kirk. Instead, that episode gave us a better glimpse of what life was like in this evil universe as Mirror Archer and crew tried to secure some Tholian technology. This episode also confirmed the fan theory that the first USS Defiant from The Original Series had fallen into the Mirror Universe through a rift in space, a plot point that Star Trek: Discovery would later build on.

The Tantalus Field

Originally, though, showrunner Manny Coto wanted to bring William Shatner back for this episode so the veteran actor could bring Mirror Kirk back to life. The story would have involved the Tantalus Field from the original “Mirror, Mirror” episode actually transporting people back in time where they would be deposited in a penal colony in “our” universe. After Mirror Spock used this device to send Mirror Kirk to the penal colony, the cunning captain ended up taking over the colony.

Kirk Vs. Archer

How, though, would Mirror Kirk’s story have intersected with Captain Archer and the crew of the Enterprise? After discovering the existence of the penal colony, Archer and his crew were going to focus on freeing the prisoners. This would lead to Mirror Kirk battling Archer and trying to take control of his starship, proving perhaps that even for his evil mirror counterpart, commanding a starship is the “first, best destiny” for Captain Kirk.

Came Down To Money

After meeting with Manny Coto, William Shatner seemed keen on coming back to Star Trek (again), so why is it that we never saw Mirror Kirk make an appearance? Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to money: Shatner wanted a hefty amount to return as Kirk, and while the amount was less than Coto thought it would be, it was still more than Paramount was willing to pay. While that may sound like executives being cheap, Paramount claimed to have some numbers backing up their decision.

Kirk Deserved Better

Coto said that Paramount crunched the numbers and found that the rating boost Shatner would have given UPN wouldn’t have justified Shatner’s payment. Between this and Coto’s impression that Paramount would have said no even if it was a lower rate, the dream of Mirror Kirk’s return died. That’s a shame because even if it was going to be a portrayal of his evil counterpart, a cameo on Enterprise could have given William Shatner a better farewell than he got in the eminently forgettable film Star Trek: Generations.

Discovery And The Mirror Universe

For better or for worse, an Enterprise cameo by Mirror Kirk could also have changed how the Mirror Universe was portrayed in Discovery. Instead, Paramount keeping him away is what led to those crazy plot points about a mustache-twirling Lorca, a Saru-snacking Georgiou, and dominatrix Tilly. Given how fun all of these characters were and how the Mirror Universe arc was an early standout for Discovery storytelling, maybe it’s for the best that Mirror Kirk never appeared again.

More for You

Judge Agrees to Give Donald Trump Access to Private Information

29 Ridiculous Lies That Hollywood Has Managed to Mainstream

Don’t pack these 9 TSA-prohibited items in your checked baggage

The Best All-You-Can-Eat Buffet in Every State

Top 20 Saturday Night Live Sketches That Broke the Whole Cast

The obesity rate in America is the highest in these cities, according to data

10 Countries To Live Outside the US That Are So Cheap You Could Quit Your Job

7 CDs You Probably Owned, Threw Out and Now Are Worth Bank

Panned M. Night Shyamalan Sequel Becomes Netflix Hit Five Years Later

Not so bad: 20 movie villains who weren’t actually villains

How Do I Know If My Dog Is Happy? 12 Signs of a Happy Dog

Restaurants We Didn't Realize Were Owned By The Cheesecake Factory

I moved from California to Tennessee for my husband's job. We can finally save money, but it's been a major culture shock.

Buffalo Nickels Could Be Worth Thousands — How To Spot One

Iranian-American lawyer whose response to anti-Israel protesters went viral predicts new 'world war'

Map reveals best places to live in the US if nuclear war breaks out

15 pairs of movies with almost the exact same plots

I’ve Worked on Cruise Ships for 10 Years—These Are 18 Mistakes Every Traveler Should Avoid

40-year-old delivers for DoorDash to help pay down her $100,000 student loan debt—on top of her full-time job

The Best Local Ice Cream Shop in Every State

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

William Shatner’s Next ‘Bold’ Adventure: Facing Death

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

William Shatner has spent a lifetime “boldly going” where maybe not no man, but few have gone before.

The phrase—“to boldly go where no man has gone before”—was, of course, popularized in the original Star Trek series, which debuted in 1966 and starred Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, the principled shepherd of the starship Enterprise. Shatner narrated the famous line during each episode’s opening credits, indelibly tying his voice not just to pop-culture iconography, but to an ethos that has inspired generations of fans.

A new documentary, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill , which is now in theaters, charts Shatner’s career and the philosophies he’s developed about life and the world over the course of his 93 years on Earth—and a short spell in a spaceship above it . In the film, we learn that the phrase has also given him marching orders as he navigated a lifetime’s triumphs and tragedies. It served him well in a career spanning seven decades, including studio-system films of the ’50s and ’60s, rebounding from joblessness after starring on Star Trek , and rebranding as one of Hollywood’s most self-aware—and self-effacing—celebrities, always in on the joke of what it means to be William Shatner. (There’s a reason so many of us have booked trips through Priceline.com.)

You Can Call Me Bill features Shatner recalling that experience going where, truly, few men have gone: his 2021 spaceflight where, at age 90, he became the oldest human to fly into space. Shatner’s sense of wonder mixes with melancholy as he looks back at that feat in the film, in which he is startlingly, profoundly candid about his mixed feelings about a life well-led and his inevitable next bold adventure: death, and what that might mean.

William Shatner, circa 1988

“I’m 93, so there’s an end of the road there,” Shatner told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed in a Zoom interview about You Can Call Me Bill . He recounted a scene from a movie he had watched recently. He couldn’t remember the title, but he remembered the sequence: A car is speeding down a Florida causeway that connects its southern islands. A plane had blown up a part of the road miles ahead of the car. “The car is racing towards the hole in the causeway. We know they’re going to go over, unless they see it. And they’re not going to see it.”

“That’s what I’m thinking of in my life,” he added, looking wistful. “There’s a hole in my causeway, and I don’t know when it’s going to hit, but I haven’t got that long.”

‘Civil War’ Director Alex Garland Isn’t Shocked by the Discourse

A nonagenarian with a prodigious career and pop-culture legacy, this is obviously not the first time Shatner has been approached to participate in a documentary about his life. He’s always turned the offers down. “It seems so final,” he said. “It seems like you make it, and then you die.”

William Shatner in Star Trek

The difference this time was how the film was made. Production company Legion M financed much of the documentary through crowdfunding, allowing fans to receive a percentage of any profits the film makes. “I’ve never crowdfunded anything,” Shatner said. “It seemed like begging.” But he found something innovative and intimate about this being a shared project with the fans, those who have invested in his career and to whom he can now return that investment by giving them access to his story and beliefs through his interviews in the film.

There was another convincing factor: “This documentary is my love letter to my family,” he said. If he ever was going to do a project like this, he didn’t want it to be one of those superficial pop documentaries where the subject gate-keeps any deep or dark anecdotes or thoughts. “I wanted to be honest with them about how I felt about what I did, and answer the questions from my soul. I’m not sure that other people who do this have that attitude. This came from deep within me. It’s kind of like I’m naked in a way, but I thought that was the best way to go.”

William Shatner and Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality

So You Can Call Me Bill doesn’t just have Shatner waxing poetic on a rundown of his IMDb page . The opening moments find him marveling at the “preciousness” of a world that has evolved over billions of years, then decrying its “extinction” that is happening “by mankind’s own hands.” He talks almost immediately about death: “The occasion of your death is meaningless. You’re one of billions upon billions who lived and died on earth.” And, perhaps of most interest to Star Trek enthusiasts, we quickly learn his thoughts about whether we’re alone in this universe: “Our ignorance is so profound. And the more we know the more we realize how stupid and how egotistical human beings are thinking we’re the only ones.”

It’s not that the documentary eschews biography, the stories of how he was cast in Star Trek , or how he feels about people imitating his speaking voice: “People’s supposed imitation of me… I don’t hear it.” (He still, though, has a sense of humor about it.) But these are plot details, bullet points onto which he colors his most intense thoughts about mortality—musings that are almost brutal in their bluntness, yet also refreshingly sage in their honesty about what it means to have lived a life.

William Shatner, circa 1975

“If we consider that we’re born all alone, we all die alone.” Shatner told Obsessed. “Do we ever find a partner in life that is so close and meaningful that you’re not alone? Or is our condition to be alone and to endure it, because that’s part of the pain of life? There are enjoyments, which abound: good food, good company, good work. I mean, there’s so much joy waiting for us. Can we mix the two together and participate in all of it? Can we participate in the sadness and loneliness that we all feel and still vibrate to the magic of life?”

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Finale: The Story Behind the ‘Seinfeld’ Twist

We stare at each other quietly for a beat—stunned silence on my end, and him understanding that questions like these need time for rumination. After a few seconds, he looks out the bright window over his left shoulder and looks back into the camera, smiling.

“I’m looking out a window right now as I talk to you,” he said. “I see green trees. I see a city. I see mountains. I see the sky with the birds, that the Earth is throbbing with life, and it’s waiting to be discovered. What makes me so sad, which was brought to mind when I came off of the spaceship that I went on, was the absolute realization. I’ve known this, but it was dramatically shown to me when I looked down at the planet [from space]: how intricately connected everything is.”

Blue Origin vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers, William Shatner, Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Medidata Solutions co-founder Glen de Vries wave on the landing pad of Blue Origin’s New Shepard after they flew into space on October 13, 202.

So what does “to boldly go” mean now, then? What does it mean for someone who has been saying it for over half his life—someone who has legitimately been where none of us will ever dream to go? Now, as Shatner faces down the last stretch of the causeway, does it mean something new?

“I always meant to go boldly into life as best you can,” he said.

There are so many people “that you and I know,” he said, that face disappointment, tragedy, or heartbreak, and wallow in the negativity, stalling their lives. “It’s so easy to hide in your bed and not participate in life.”

What a waste.

“I don’t think you come back,” he said. “I don’t think there’s life after death. I think this is it. This is the journey you take. This is the sadness, the joy, the ecstasy, the love that you feel in this one participation in life. So you have to take the bad with the good. Let the bad wash over you. And I’m saying this theoretically, because so many times in the bad parts, it’s awful. It’s hard to do. But if you keep that in mind—I will do this; I will participate in life and not hide; I will boldly go into that hurt locker again—that’s the only way to do it. The only way to live.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.

Recommended Stories

Travis kelce takes on new role as host of 'are you smarter than a celebrity' he joins a roster of athletes helming game shows..

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end joins the popular spin-off series that will air on Prime Video.

Trump trial update: Trump rebuked by judge for speaking during jury selection — and 7 jurors are seated

On Tuesday, the second day of former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, Judge Juan Merchan rebuked defense lawyers after Trump was heard muttering his disapproval of an answer given by a potential juror in the case.

Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter retiring this summer

Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter retires this summer after 47 years with GM and 18 years running the Corvette program.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder are returning to Miami for one final college basketball season

Twin sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder are returning to play college basketball at Miami after sitting out last season.

Ravens WR Zay Flowers avoids suspension after NFL finds 'insufficient evidence' from domestic assault investigation

Baltimore police suspended their investigation into Flowers two months ago.

Deion Sanders denies he made list of NFL teams he'd let his kids play for: 'That's a stupid lie'

Sanders supposedly said he'd only let Shedeur and Shilo play for the Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Commanders, Cowboys and Ravens. That appears to be false.

Netflix is done telling us how many people use Netflix

Although subscriber metrics are an important signal to Wall Street that show how quickly a company is growing, Netflix isn't the first company to do this.

Mercedes CLE 450 Cabriolet First Drive Review: Best luxury convertible for most drivers

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet replaces the old E- and C-Class convertibles. It's available in CLE 300 4Matic and CLE 450 4Matic models.

Trump trial updates: 'We have our jury,' Judge Merchan declares after turbulent day in court

Six alternates still need to be selected before opening arguments.

Taylor Swift made her songs available again on TikTok. What the move says about how she sees the social media platform.

While Swift's label, Universal Music Group, continues to battle TikTok, the pop star made her own deal with the platform ahead of her newest album drop.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

ISBN: 0671008781

ISBN13: 9780671008789

Spectre Star Trek

(part of the the shatnerverse series , star trek: the mirror universe trilogy (#1) series , and star trek classic (#103) series ).

Select Format

Select condition, recommended.

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Book Overview

Retired and happily in love, Kirk believes his adventuring days are over. But as he returns to Earth for the first time since his apparent "death" upon the Enterprise-B, events elsewhere in the galaxy... This description may be from another edition of this product.

Related Subjects

Customer Reviews

*captain kirk and the kitchen sink*, the begining of it all, wonderfully expands the star trek universe, this is one of shatner's best yet, great book, popular categories.

• Teen and Young Adult
• Literature & Fiction
• Mystery & Thriller
• Sci-fi & Fantasy
• Large Print Books
• Rare & Collectible Books
• ShareBookLove
• Educator Benefits
• Librarian Benefits
• e-Gift Cards
• View Mobile Site
• Shopping Cart
• Order History

Partnerships

• Library Program
• Help & Support
• Shipping Costs
• Return Policy
• Website Suggestions
• Our Purpose
• Social Responsibility
• Testimonials

William Shatner Recalls Pushing for Star Trek's Interracial Kiss Scene

William Shatner looks back upon making television history with Star Trek co-star Nichelle Nichols.

William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols made history when their characters kissed in an episode of Star Trek in 1968. Now, Shatner has done some more reflection on the big moment, reaffirming how it wouldn't have happened if he wasn't pushing to make it so, even with some reluctance from the network.

In a new interview on Real Time with Bill Maher , Shatner was asked about the famous kiss scene. Bill Maher described the big scene as a "major moment in American culture," noting how "it was the first time, in a scripted moment, a white man had kissed a Black woman." Maher goes on to commend the Star Trek actor for being "brave," pointing to the well-documented story of how Shatner had insisted upon doing the kiss scene, despite any controversy that it may have caused at the time.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Gets Renewed, Lower Decks to End With Season 5

"NBC, of course, was nervous about it," Maher said. "I mean, we had seen before when Southern stations would cancel shows, or not show them, for something like that. And you stuck to your guns and did the kiss."

Miming the kiss, Shatner said, "Yes, I puckered up my lips , and [kissing motion]. She's no longer with us, but in her lifetime, she was a remarkably attractive lady."

When asked what would've happened if Shatner hadn't insisted upon doing the scene, Shatner added, " It would not have gotten done ."

Star Trek Origin Movie Confirmed by Paramount, Logline Revealed

Nichols passed away in 2022, though she previously had addressed the major kiss scene in various interviews. She recalled how Shatner refused to film any takes of the scene where he wasn't actually kissing Nichols, even with the director requesting him to fake it for the camera.

"It had been OK'ed, script-wise, and we went into production for that episode," Nichols said in a 2012 interview . "After the first take, the director yelled 'CUT!' and came over, saying, 'Bill, what are you doing? You actually kissed her!' And Bill said, 'Yeah, I can't get her to let me do it any other way except that it was written in the script. So, what's the problem?' And the director said, 'The South -- they'll kill us.'"

Nichols added, "Bill would say, 'Just once more. I feel there's an intensity that we're not getting because (the aliens) are causing us to do it with their telekinetic powers.'"

Nichelle Nichols Passed Away in 2022

" I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle ," Shatner said in an X post in 2022 after Nichols' death was announced. "She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family."

The new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher featuring William Shatner is streaming on Max. Meanwhile, the new documentary about Shatner's life and career, called You Can Call Me Bill , hits VOD on April 26.

Source: Real Time with Bill Maher

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.