These Are the Voyages

These Are the Voyages is a comprehensive reference series documenting the creation and production of Star Trek: The Original Series and its aftermath. The six-volume collection draws from production documents donated by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and producer Robert H. Justman to the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The first three volumes examine Star Trek: TOS season by season, providing detailed accounts of the show's development, production challenges, and behind-the-scenes dynamics. Each book contains extensive research, production memos, ratings data, and first-hand accounts from cast and crew members who worked on the series. The latter three volumes focus on Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek's evolution throughout the 1970s. These books track the franchise's growth from a cancelled television series to a cultural phenomenon, covering the development of the animated series, early film proposals, and the path to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The series presents a historical chronicle of one of television's most influential shows, examining how creative vision, network politics, and cultural forces shaped both Star Trek and the science fiction genre as a whole.

Readers praise the depth of research and behind-the-scenes details in These Are the Voyages, particularly the production documents, memos, and first-hand accounts from Star Trek's creation. Many note the books reveal new information even longtime fans didn't know. Readers found value in: - Day-by-day production timelines - Budget breakdowns and ratings data - Interview excerpts from cast and crew - Script development history - Network correspondence Common criticisms: - Repetitive writing style - Too much focus on Nielsen ratings - Some factual errors and typos - High price point for the series - Dense, textbook-like presentation Ratings: Amazon: 4.7/5 (289 reviews) Goodreads: 4.4/5 (156 ratings) "Like accessing NBC's filing cabinets from the 1960s" - Amazon reviewer "Sometimes gets bogged down in minutiae" - Goodreads review "The definitive account of TOS production, despite its flaws" - TrekMovie.com comment

Inside Star Trek by Herbert F. Solow The producers of Star Trek provide first-hand accounts of the series' creation, production challenges, and behind-the-scenes decisions from 1964-1969.

Star Trek: The Real Story by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman This production history chronicles the business dealings, network politics, and technical innovations that shaped the original Star Trek series.

The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield Written during the show's original run, this book documents the production process through script development, casting, and daily operations.

The Star Trek Interview Book by Allan Asherman Cast and crew members share their experiences through interviews covering all aspects of production on the original Star Trek series.

Star Trek Sketchbook by Herbert F. Solow, Yvonne Fern Original production sketches, costume designs, and storyboards reveal the visual development process behind Star Trek's first series.

🚀 The original Star Trek pilot episode "The Cage" cost $630,000 to produce in 1964 - an unprecedented amount for television at the time. ✨ Gene Roddenberry donated over 50 boxes of original Star Trek production documents, memos, and correspondence to UCLA's archives, forming the foundation for this book series. 🎬 NBC executives initially rejected Star Trek's first pilot for being "too cerebral" but took the unusual step of ordering a second pilot - a practice almost unheard of in television. 📺 During the show's original run, Star Trek's Nielsen ratings never placed it higher than 52nd out of all television programs, yet it became one of the most successful syndicated shows in history. 🖋️ Author Marc Cushman spent nearly 30 years researching and writing These Are the Voyages, conducting over 500 interviews with cast, crew, and production staff members.