The sad news this week of the death of American actor Leonard Nimoy (Spock in Star Trek) transported me back to my days of rubber Vulcan ears and plastic phaser guns, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about then maybe you need to delve into some of the treasures listed below……
I am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
Like just about every other actor connected to one of the central characters in Star Trek, Leonard Nimoy’s life became inextricably entwined with his alter-ego. Unlike some of his colleagues however, he seems to have genuinely cherished both the role of Spock and the opportunities it brought him throughout his life, including going on to become a successful film director in his own right. He lived long, and he prospered.
Get a life! by William Shatner with Chris Kreski
Speaking of which, William Shatner (aka James T. Kirk) has also lived long and prospered, however his relationship with both the show and the character he portrayed has been somewhat more fractious. This book is essentially a journey of discovery Shatner took as he slowly but surely started coming to grips with the adoration of a fanbase he really didn’t understand, until he started meeting them and hearing their stories that is.
Fan Phenomena: Star trek [electronic resource] edited by Bruce E. Drushel
This ebook (a very Star Trek concept by the way) explores the phenomena of the Star Trek fanbase (aka Trekkies), something almost as remarkable as the show itself. An early indication of how people-power can overide commercial imperatives and industry decison making, Trekkies continue to wield enormous influence over their now very commercial series and its countless spin-offs.
100 science fiction films by Barry Keith Grant
The fun thing about a book like this is finding (or not finding, even more fun) your favourite film in amongst the canon. With such a huge genre to choose from, the very idea of selecting just 100 films to best represent science fiction cinema seems rather wishful, but the author here gives it a pretty good shot, and I was pleased to see one of my own favourites in amongst the chosen; the remarkable Dark City by Greek-Australian director Alex Proyas. Now, what did he leave out…..
British science fiction film and television: edited by Tobias Hochscherf and James Leggott
Worth putting here for the cover alone (does anything date faster than futuristic fashion?), but any nation that can come up with Doctor Who, Gerry Anderson and Hammer Films certainly deserves some serious attention.
They say that “in space no one can hear you scream”, but you certainly get some pretty great music, which you can listen to here courtesy of the Naxos Music Library
Lots more like this if you check our catalogue