In my recent review of Miasma by Greg Cox I mentioned that this year (2016) is the 50th anniversary of the first episodes of Star Trek being shown in the US. Here is part of the British celebration, even though the British experience is a little different to the US one. (I also wrote about this in my article written on the sad death of Leonard Nimoy in 2015.) This book reminded me further that us Brits were relative late-comers to the the Star Trek party – the first episodes were shown here in September 1969, three years after the series was started and, rather poignantly, after the series had already been cancelled in the US.
Set Phasers to Stun is the first non-fiction description of the phenomenon I’ve come across this year, and one that gives a uniquely British perspective to the programme. This may or may not be a good thing. In that traditional British way of culture, the book is chatty, catty and even rather childish, whilst at the same time having that degree of distance cross-Atlantic, creating a more irreverent and yet more critical view of the phenomenon.
Marcus is an analyser of culture, having written for the Independent and the Daily Mail newspapers on such matters and in the Spectator magazine as a pop critic for nearly thirty years. You might therefore expect the book to be opinionated and quite lively, and so it is. Marcus gives each programme in the Original Series and The Next Generation a rating of up to five-stars, with the cautionary comment, “There are no half-stars, because I have a life to lead.”
Though much of the book is about how Star Trek became popular, in terms of writing, the book is kept lively by having lots of amusing comments and amusing anecdotes about the author’s experiences of Star Trek. Many of these will sound familiar to UK readers, and perhaps give an alternative viewpoint to those readers overseas wishing to discover how Star Trek was received elsewhere.
There is a lot to like. As Marcus goes through each episode there’s a cheerfully irreverent tone to the proceedings – the arrival of Ensign Pavel Chekov is referred to as “played by Walter Koenig in an unfortunate Beatles wig.” There’s talk of such weighty issues as “What are the Shatnerest episodes?” and grumbling about the lack of logic in some of the series’ fine details (such as star dates.) Slightly more seriously, Marcus highlights some of the many issues and challenges that the franchise faced. The importance of Bjo Trimble, fan-organiser, is emphasised in its resurrection. I agreed with Marcus that the imperialist phase (where it could do no wrong) of the Original Series are the episodes produced with the presence of Gene L. Coon part of the way through Season One until his departure at the end of Season Two. Gene Roddenberry generally comes off badly, something I personally doubt would happen in a more deferential US book. (William Shatner’s not too well-liked, either*.) The producers of the Next Generation, Michael Piller and Rick Berman, are generally well-received. JJ Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness is ‘a travesty’.
Marcus uses common and contemporary reference points to affirm his opinions and as a result makes his opinions understandable to both the layman and the fan. Personally I found myself identifying with many of the views and opinions given by Marcus – as well as vigorously disagreeing with other points. Such is the nature of discussion and the book could create debate amongst those who are fans and those who are not.
Whilst the book has tales to tell (did you know William Shatner sold a kidney stone for $25 000?), its biggest problem for me was that it seems to sit between audiences, and as a result I’m not quite sure who would want to read it. Understandably, the book has to try and explain to newbies the importance of Star Trek and the context of its production to people near to the experience, but on the other hand as someone who has followed the franchise for most of his life I found myself reading a lot of things I know already. Consequently, as a result the effect of the commentary is that it may be too much for those with a general passing interest in Star Trek but not original enough for those who, like Marcus, have been along the ride for pretty much most of the journey so far (or at least watched the movies, the VHS’s and the DVD’s.)
The balance between knowledgeable fan and un-initiate is a difficult one to maintain, and I am not entirely convinced that the book entirely manages it – I had a feeling at the end that it may fall somewhere between the two audiences.
I can also see that some readers may feel that the book is not as full as it should be. The focus is on the Original Series and The Next Generation as well as the movies pre- JJ Abrams, and whilst there are brief mentions made of Voyager, Deep Space 9 and Enterprise, and the Abrams movies, you will be disappointed if you were looking for a detailed complete picture. I can see the point though that it is the impact of these two iconic series and the original movies that are under debate here as a celebration of the franchise fifty years on.
To its credit Set Phases to Stun is not a cynical cash-in designed to fleece fans (or, at least, interested parties) of money. It is instead an entertainingly anecdotal study of what made the series live beyond its expected life span. And as a celebration of the franchise it may be endearing enough for your attention. Fun, if not (for me) quite stun-ning.
* An example, just for show: ”William Shatner was notorious for counting his lines, for bigging up his role and making sure he was at the centre of everything, and the ill-feeling this generated with his fellow cast members resonated down the decades.” (page 232)
Set Phasers to Stun by Marcus Berkmann
Published by Little, Brown, March 2016
312 pages
ISBN: 978 1 4087 0683 1
Review by Mark Yon
