STAR TREK SPEAKS

by Susan Sackett, Fred Goldstein, Stan Goldstein

Purple Book ISBN 0671790919

Genres: Star Trek, Reference, Science Fiction, Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...Concurrent with this development on the individual level is the society's need for a morality awareness, the prime moral conviction being the sanctity of life, which must be guaranteed to all. The taking of life, causing harm, pain or suffering to others is contrary to universal moral laws, and often we find that the eternal conflict of good an evil may be the underlying theme of an entire episode."

That's from the introduction to the first chapter of Star Trek Speaks, by Susan Sackett, Fred Goldstein, and Stan Goldstein. It's followed by dozens of quotations from Star Trek episodes, such as:

"Insufficient facts always invite Danger." -Spock in Space Seed.
"Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity there is no life." - Kirk, The Return of the Archons.
"There are always alternatives." - Spock, The Galileo Seven,

and many, many more in each chapter.
This is a great book to keep handy to find appropriate Star Trek quotes for facebook comments, tweets, essays, etc. Recommended to serious Star Trek fans.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over some seventy-one episodes, “Star Trek” advanced various insights to a legion of enthused viewers. Speaking about the society of the day, about life and death, about the human condition, it offered its universal perceptions in a way that television had never before embraced.

Within the pages of this little tome are the pearls of wisdom dispensed via the episodes aired during the show’s original three-year run. If you’re looking for a specific quote, the appendix offers them catalogued by episode. It a pleasant trip down memory lane, complete with pictures from the show.

Highly recommended.

[Tracy Poff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is just a book of quotations from Star Trek: The Original Series . Might have been neat, in the days before home video or streaming simplified access to the episodes, and the internet obsoleted paper collections or quotable quotes. The introductions to the themed chapters don't really add anything, so this book has no particular value today.

[Renee Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was basically a book of quotes made by various characters in the Original series grouped together by theme. You are given the quote, source episode and who said it and under what circumstances. Fun to try to remember and guess the episode before looking at it.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snippets of great dialog from the original series

The original series of Star Trek was more than just a television show, it was a positive vision of the future. To the extent that he could while under fairly rigid rules, both written and unwritten, Gene Roddenberry stretched the limits. He placed women, blacks and Asians in positions of power and influence, believing that this would be the way it would be in the future. His vision of diversity has proven to be correct. Sometimes lost in this is the quality of the dialog, where the characters often uttered significant statements about how humans interacted with each other, the universe and other creatures in the galaxy. This book is a collection of many of the best lines in the series.
The subject matter is broad and often based on the dynamic between Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. They were three very different personalities that complemented and reinforced each other, so even when they conflicted, there was respect and a willingness to suffer for the other.
Roddenberry’s positive vision for the future is very apparent in these snippets of dialog, even some of the worst episodes, such as “Spock’s Brain” contained memorable dialog worthy of quoting. This is a fun book to read, demonstrating in another way how prescient the series was. It is easy to see why it could launch so many sequels in print and film.

This review also appears on Amazon

[Bruce Stephenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excellent collection of quotes from the original Star Trek series organized into 12 different categories with introductory commentary. The quotes demonstrate the philosophy behind Star Trek, insights into the nature of humanity, as well as the high quality of writing for the series. A few small errors in the transcription of the quotes, but overall, a pleasant journey down memory lane. A few favorite examples:

"Joy can be many things." Dr. Miranda Jones - Is There in Truth No Beauty?

"What is loneliness?"
"It is thirst... It is a flower dying in the desert..." Reena Kapec and Flint - Requiem for Methuselah

"If I let go of a hammer on a planet having a positive gravity, I need not see it fall to know that it has, in fact, fallen." Spock - Court Martial

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Star Trek. I love quotes. What could be better?