These Are the Voyages: Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in the 1970s. Volume 3 (1978-1980)

It took years of hard work, perseverance, and jumping through private, public, and professional hoops to return Star Trek to the screen… but this time around, it was the silver screen, not the small screen. And if you thought it was a war to get the film greenlit, just wait for the battle to get it into theaters.

The third volume in Cushman’s These Are the Voyages is the most engrossing yet, exploring the chaotic and combative journey from script to cinema. The author takes the reader deep into the trenches, watching along as key figures battle over plot, presentation, motivation, special effects, budget, casting, and virtually every other aspect.

Cushman’s exhaustive research makes for a compelling read, and observing creative people overcoming obstacle after obstacle was a draining but worthwhile experience. The brief respite exploring how the music was created for the film was a personal highlight, a beautiful glimpse of professional collaboration for the greater good.

Closing out a trilogy of books with one great victory (the return of Star Trek) and one great defeat (the beginning of the end for Gene Roddenberry) gives this tome a weight and atmosphere befitting a historical text, and indeed, it absolutely fits the bill.