Phasers on Stun! by Ryan Britt is a look at the history Star Trek - and what makes the production and fandom of Star Trek unique amongst other enduring pop culture properties. The book is divided into essays - which can largely be read separately. Each essay tackles a series of the franchise - from The Original Series to Strange New Worlds. Topics range from the reboot movies and the question of recasting iconic characters, to the history of queer actors and allegories in Star Trek. Britt tackles the ideas of diversity of Star Trek in one of my favorite essays "Infinite Diversity, Finite Genes" - writing about Nichols (who played Uhura in The Original Series) and her experience as a black woman in the 1960's on television, and the politics of diversity in The Original Series.

As a fan of Star Trek, I enjoyed this book of essays - containing some information I knew, but some I didn't. Someone unfamiliar with Star Trek will get little out of reading this, but a fan of any Star Trek series will find something here to intrigue them.

This book is essential reading for die-hard fans of Star Trek, of course, but it's also suitable for anyone interested in television history, how media and Hollywood affect society, and American Studies students (although it does have some international reach). The author writes conversationally, interspersing a few personal anecdotes, and demonstrating his own love for Star Trek. It's essential to have an author really love their subject, but all too often popular history books are about topics the author can't really connect with - this is a clear exception.

As a major Star Trek fan, I was pleased to find there were tidbits in Phasers on Stun that I didn't know myself - little factoids I'd never heard before, from the production of most series. The interviews were also outstanding and I am impressed with the author's reach, interviewing even somewhat reclusive members of the Trek community. The analysis here is top notch, too, and I especially appreciate the deep focus on LGBTQ representation in Trek.

I genuinely don't feel there are flaws with this book, and although I received a copy from NetGalley to review, I am being quite honest. The book covers right up to its publication date, including the imminent debut of Strange New Worlds. Highly recommended for any Star Trek fan, and a must-read for the hardcore folks.

Being a trekkie (if you haven't realised it based on my Instagram handle...@theSGtrekkieReads then i am a tad speechless.

Such interesting facts were shared in this book and it excited me to read this that I inhaled it in a day!

Great way to start the year 2023:)

This is a fun book of essays (mostly original, a couple from online columns) about the STAR TREK phenomenon from the creation of the original series all the way to the newest series like PICARD and DISCOVERY (STRANGE NEW WORLDS is mentioned, but has not aired as of the publication). It, however, is not a history of the TREK universe as much as a study of aspects of the universe: for instance, the internet often promotes how progressive the original series was, but was it? Sure, it had an interracial crew, but how much did they get to do? Other topics: how STAR TREK and NASA became intertwined; how ENTERPRISE's much maligned theme song reveals what's wrong with the series; STAR TREK and time travel (and how much the series almost defined time travel more than DOCTOR WHO); how STAR TREK fans first reject and then accept newer series; LGBTQ+ characters finally appear on STAR TREK--and how the "death" of Hugh Culber ignited controversy; and a lot more TREK goodness.

Think of this as interesting footnotes to each stage of STAR TREK history. Worth the read for fans.

A thoughtful and comprehensive revisiting of Star Trek and its enduring mark on pop culture. I really enjoyed Ryan Britt's humorous and thorough take on ST fandom and its offshoots. While I'm not sure I can picture Deforest Kelley having a Carrie Bradshaw moment; overall, his irreverent musings did hit the mark.

So. Much. Fun. It was a rougher ARC than I was used to, but assume a lot of the editing issues were cleaned up in the finished edition. Britt's style was accessible and fun to read, he's talked to EVERYONE, and the perspective on how all the different iterations of ST were received by its epic fandom was really insightful and fascinating to learn about. Planning on buying a bunch of copies for all my Trekkie/er pals!

This book will appeal to hardcore fans of Trek, newbies to the show who are just interested in the history of television and pop culture, and everyone in between. This is much more than a history of Star Trek-- though it does that as well, entertainingly and comprehensibly. It's also a really insightful and engaging piece of cultural criticism examining Star Trek's legacy and impact on pop culture, real-life space exploration, and more. One of my favorite aspects of the book were the excerpts of interviews with cast and crew, gathered over many years-- everyone, especially some cast members, are extremely thoughtful, reflective, and insightful about the show and their roles on it. It is hard not to admire these people who brought this risky, plucky, and optimistic show about a better future to life, despite their own personal foibles and struggles. It's also very well written- Britt's writing is often laugh at loud funny, making this book a hard one to put down. I recommend it to everybody.

This seemed to me a pretty nicely written look at Star Trek, and I mean ALL the Star Treks. It's one on a huge shelf of writings around the series – not portraying the history of its on-screen arcs, starting with either the originals or a certain drunkard inventing the relevant space drive, or all about the production – "first they made this while this was being re-written, then Sulu went off to shoot a Western" – but discussing what was in the minds of the creators then and what we have thought of it since. This cultural history covers a lot of the expected beats, but seems to want to do them quite journalistically and in quite the informed way – so it's not just about the ethno-cultural milestones the originals showed, but the question of how intentional were they in the first place, especially in the light of two pilots that were utterly different (and white)? Just what was the head honcho thinking at the time, f'instance – when did Seven of Nine become gay? And as a side issue, still the timeless debate of is it 'Trekkie' or 'Trekker'?!

A lot of your thinking about a book like this boils down to the responses to the older movies, and yes I remain in disagreement with our guide here. He seems to accept the common thinking that because The Motion Picture tried a 2001/Solaris stateliness and didn't hit it, therefore it's a failure, and – just as heinously as anyone else – he mistakes the noodly piffle about whales for a classic. And let's face it, there are hard and fast rules about the older TV shows that should always be included here, but aren't, such as The Merit of the Show is Equal to the Merit of the Theme Tune, and the pseudo-babble thissytron, thattytron, anybloodytron science gobbledigook of Voyager being a step too far.

But as I say this is more regarding the franchise's legacy, and the process and fall-out from *that* first inter-racial kiss (enforced on one character by the other, let's not forget), and the diversity the later Captains represented. You don't need to get your head around a later main-arc film needing a bleddy dune buggy race to try and be exciting, for that's not the concern. However...

However, in concentrating on the diversity, ethnicity, whatever-ity of the series, the question of their quality is handily shelved at certain times. The book can convince me no end that Discovery has a diversity, but it never convinces me that any of the episodes will be remembered for anything else in years to come. Will it stand as a classic, rich series telling stories whose entertainment value demanded their existence, or is it a box-ticking exercise? What danger a series trying its damnedest to ignore straight white men, a la Torchwood, and go down the dumper as a result?

One other factor not talked of enough is the method of delivery – in the UK, Enterprise was the first series on Sky, and the recent efforts are all streaming service only. This matters, for the general populous to have an opinion about any of it, and for all the Trekkers lambasting people for thinking Voyager was the end of the 'real' Star Wars. To many Brits not willing to pay further for their TV, Voyager is the end, and if a tree goes woke with nobody in the wood to hear it it doesn't make a sound.

This is a discussion, post-wokeness, about Star Trek, and it remains a good one. It shouldn't be mistaken for a complete guide to every Trekking thing, nor one of those 'here's what I think of it all, like it or not' personal tomes. It is perfectly competent and academic in what it wants to do, hence the recommendation. Does it do the 'woke' thing of demanding the impossible of TV from generations back, and does it filter much of the appreciation through limiting, selective criteria that scarcely cross the minds of the general viewer? Damn right, it does. But it remains interesting in doing it.

Subtitled: How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World

For most of the last fifty years, Star Trek along with its television spinoffs and cinematic film franchise has played a dominant role in pop culture. In Phasers On Stun!, Ryan Britt examines Star Trek in its many forms from the creation and casting of the original series up to the present day.


Britt focuses on three concepts in the course of the book. In the early years, Spock was a major driver of the popularity of the original series and the associated films. Leonard Nimoy received the lion’s share of fan mail, so much so that William Shattner was jealous of it. Spock’s struggle to balance his Vulcan and human heritage and instincts played out in nearly every episode. The book also tracked the diversity of the crew from each series in racial as well as sexual preference and gender identification terms. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned a distant future with no discrimination where all beings could exist together in peace.

I gave Phasers On Stun! five stars on Goodreads. I learned a lot about the history of the original series, and a lot about several of the spinoff series that I’d never watched. I’m not foolish enough to attempt to binge watch all of the various Star Trek offshoots available, but I am going to check out Star Trek: Discovery before deciding whether to watch the others.

This helped me appreciate Star Trek more and carry my own in a few Star Trek conversations with friends.

I'm not a Trekker by any stretch of the imagination, but I have enjoyed elements of Star Trek for as long as I can remember. So it is that getting so much BTS info and a wider view of the importance of Star Trek in the wider sci-fi and IRL world was fascinating.
Britt goes deep into very specific elements of Star Trek, yet I love how it never feels like a casual watcher/reader is being pushed out of the narrative by a lack of knowledge. Now, I admit that this might mean that a hardcore fan might find that there is information that didn't need to be shared or obvious, but I loved how it made the deeper elements of Trek more accessible.
Overall, I'm walking away from this with a much deeper appreciation of everything Star Trek and curious to look up more writings by Ryan Britt.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and Plume Books for the interestingly educational read!

An absolutely fascinating romp, Phasers on Stun! by Ryan Britt cuts through much of the oft repeated mythology around Star Trek to get to the meat. Britt looks at how the series, in all of its iterations, has reflected pop culture, but also how pop culture has shifted as a result of the show. While the cultural impact of Star Trek is not necessarily new ground to trod, the interviews have an honest, even handed feel to them, looking at the subject matter critically instead of deifying the subject. The author's voice is strong and convivial, bringing the reader with him on a journey through time and space. Phasers on Stun! is a fun, bright read that adds positively to the Star Trek canon.

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Phasers on Stun!: How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World by Ryan Britt traces the reincarnation of the famous franchise from the original show, to today’s spinoffs. Mr. Britt is a journalist and writer of fiction and non-fiction books.

Even though I’m not a superfan of the show Star Trek, I do follow it and enjoy the universe. I even read several books and memoirs, my favorite is Walter Koenig’s Beaming Up and Getting Off.

Phasers on Stun! by Ryan Britt touches every aspect of the TV shows and movies of this beloved franchise, from the original show to the spinoffs, to the remakes, and cartoons. I was even introduced to the wonderful Lower Decks which I had no idea existed, but after watching a few episodes I am now a fan.

Much of the information was new to me, but I am not a die-hard Star Trek fan. I think much of the information in it is nothing earth-shattering. However, I enjoyed Mr. Britt’s assessments and commentaries throughout.

This is a solid piece of writing the author makes his case in a clear manner. I especially enjoyed reading his views on the new shows, such as Picard and Discovery. I’ve heard mixed reviews on them, but as always, it’s nice to read a refreshing (for me at least) take on them.

The one thing I didn’t see was a discussion on the fact that Paramount plagiarized the idea of Deep Space Nine from Babylon 5. J. Michael Straczynski discusses this in his book Becoming Superman, but I thought it deserved a mention

Mr. Britt discusses these subjects with passion and humor. I have to admit I’ve never watched the new streaming shows. After all, how many streaming services can one have? However, the thought-provoking chapters about them did convince me that, when I do sign up, to give them a chance.

Insightfully, the subtitle of Phasers on Stun! by Ryan Britt captures the essence of this latest Star Trek book. How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World is the basis of this franchise analysis. A well referenced tome that is based on hundreds of interviews including writers, actors and creators. It has numerous chapters including Star Trek shows from Discovery to Picard to Lower Decks, and even the new 2022 series, Strange New Worlds. A must have for Trekkies and a most valuable resource for those interested in the phenomena of Star Trek. With its rich tapestry of information and in depth analysis makes this is a five star must read rating. With thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

My thanks to Ryan Britt, the publisher and Netgalley for receiving a free copy of Phasers on Stun! I have not yet finished the book - - I was trying to finish it quickly but I decided that I had read far enough to review the book and I wanted to take my time in finishing it. I'm not sure if there's anything groundbreaking or earth shattering in this work. For a Trekker, however (yes, I prefer Trekker to Trekkie), anything about Trek is a good thing. It seemed to me that Mr Britt did his research well and this is a solid piece of writing. I would recommend this book to any Trekker (or Trekkie!) who is looking for something new in the nonfiction area. They should be aware that all versions of Trek are included-- this book is not limited to TOS, TNG, DSC or whatever. For non-Trek people, unless they're doing research on television shows or popular culture, they probably wouldn't be interested.

A delightful peek into what makes Star Trek so enduring and endearing.

Ryan Britt explores the 5+ decades of Star Trek history, including the risks the show took and the overall progressive approach to storytelling. He interviewed many people involved with Star Trek throughout the years and we get an inside look at the behind-the-scenes drama and challenges. The book also explores the choices made in each series and movie that shaped the show, pop culture opinion, and ultimately all of the Star Trek universe. Plus there's a handy guide at the end to all Star Trek iterations and the timeline for how they relate to one another.

Right off the bat, I feel it's important to mention that I'm a casual Star Trek fan. I grew up with my dad being a pretty big fan and now my husband is just as obsessed, but I watch much more irregularly and without as much dedication. However, I still absolutely enjoyed this book. I loved getting the history of the show and how it has impacted pop culture and science and how those parts of society have impacted the shows as well. It was interesting to see how actors used their (sometimes unexpected) fame from the show to make real-world impact. Plus, who can resist hearing about the drama going on during planning and production from the very beginning?

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of Star Trek, science fiction in general, or really any major fandom (Star Trek directly influenced most major film franchises since). It was very easy to read and had many moments that were funny, heartbreaking, or both. I definitely will be encouraging other people in my life to read this book soon.

Was happy to include this book in “Pop Goes the Culture,” my latest round-up for Zoomer magazine, highlighting spring cultural titles of interest (see mini-review at link).

Phasers on Stun, by Ryan Britt, is a breezily informative and fun look at the many (and I mean many) incarnations of Star Trek over the decades since it first appeared on television in the late 60s. While it’s true there isn’t a lot new to say about the original series, and to a lesser extent The Next Generation, Britt still manages for find a few nuggets to offer something fresh to fans, while the later materials covers ground that is far less trodden.

Moving chronologically, Britt begins with several chapters on the original series — its creation, the writing, its politics, and finally its cancelation and the “birth of Star Trek fandom.” From there he moves between the creative output of the franchise and its relation to American society (each being shaped by the other). Included in the discussion are all the films (though some get more time than others) and nearly all the TV shows (The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks), with only the most recent missing in action: the just released Prodigy and the yet-to-be-released (as of this review’s writing) Strange New Worlds. With regard to social critiques, Britt discusses politics, gender issues, representation of non-white and non-cis characters, and the mystery of Trek’s enduring “immortality.”

Besides the primary sources, and various secondary sources, Britt also calls upon the many interviews he’s conducted over ten-plus years with people connected in a host of ways with Star Trek: writers, actors, directors, etc. In fact, he begins with an engaging personal anecdote about his first interview with William Shatner that was interrupted by Britt’s crying baby daughter and peppered with parenting advice from Shatner. It’s an appropriate entry into his subject, given that he later argues that “Star Trek’s power is in its humanist strategy”, which he says is encapsulated in a quote from Captain Picard: “We are what we are … But we’re doing the best we can.”

One of the better aspects of the book is not what Britt says happened in the Star Trek universe but what didn’t happen. He does an excellent job of either debunking some of the lore that has grown up around the show or in taking a more nuanced look at some the praise its garnered over the years for just how progressive it was. As an example of the former, Britt notes that with regard to the network rejecting Roddenberry’s first pilot (later seen as “The Cage”), “the idea that Majel Barrett’s Number One was too feminist and too progressive for NBC is almost certainly a myth perpetuated by Roddenberry himself … It’s far more likely — as others have stated — that the network didn’t like the fact that Gene cast his mistress as one of the leads.”

As an example of the latter, Britt praises Roddenberry for the diverse casting of the original show, but accurately reminds the reader that the diverse cast showed up in the second version of his creation. The original pilot was nowhere near as diverse. He also highlights the more-than-a-little disturbing fact that the famous Kirk-Uhuru kiss, often lauded as the first interracial kiss on television, was not portrayed as voluntary (the two are forced to kiss by telekinesis). As Britt puts it, “Any way you slice it, a Black woman being forced to kiss a white man isn’t exactly progress.”

This willingness to cast both a laudatory and a critical eye runs throughout the book Roddenberry is rightly praised when appropriate, but this is no hagiography; Roddenberry’s addiction troubles, womanizing, self-mythologizing, and willingness to take credit for accomplishments not entirely his own are also well charted. In the context of Trek’s civil rights credentials, again, Britt gives credit when due, but also points to how long it took to arrive at some LGBTQ+ representation, pointing to how it appears Roddenberry himself killed a TNG script portraying gay crew members on the Enterprise. It took until 2005, nearly 40 years of Trek, to get “one explicitly gay character.”

Mixing fannish love of the show and its creators with journalistic detail and research, Britt offers up a work that is equally fun and informative and takes us all the way to the very chronological edge of the Trek universe, including the “non-heroic” Picard and Lower Decks. Given that Prodigy just may be my favorite new Trek since the original show, and that I’m eagerly looking forward to Strange New Worlds, and given as well that Star Trek shows little sign of vanishing into the black hole of canceled television anytime soon, I look forward to a revised edition in a few years.

I liked this book. I’m an old-time Star Trek fan and I enjoyed the parts of the book that discussed the shows of 2001 and earlier. I also liked the discussion about movies 1 through 6. Possibly not a surprise, but I did not like the parts of the book that discussed the newer series and movies. This corresponds exactly to how much I enjoyed or did not enjoy the various series and movies. Ryan Britt actually discusses this schism which is quite common. This told me that Britt really knows his stuff and discusses it in an erudite manner and with some humor. To say the least, the book is thought-provoking. So looking back, I now appreciate the value of Britt’s discussion of the newer Star Treks. The footnotes are worth reading as well, as is the convenient timeline. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group- Dutton for an advanced copy of this entertainment history book.

Star Trek has been responsible for many things in its almost sixty year of existence. Growth in the interest in science fiction as a genre, a rise in attention from media companies, a line of comics, toys and ears, soundtracks, a successful book series, with many bestsellers, role playing games and more. Also we can't forget the billions in lucre for Paramont. And fandom, with conventions, cosplay, and dictionaries of languages from the show, all due to a fans wanting more and more from their characters and franchise. Slash fiction too. Can't forget that. Science fiction writer and commentator Ryan Britt describes the humble beginning of this show, where it is going and the long shadow it has cast on fans and entertainment in Phasers on Stun!: How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World.

The book starts with a history of the creator of Star Trek, Gene, Roddenberry and his development of the show focusing on most of the creative people who had a hand in the show's birth. From there it follows the many iterations of the show, animated, movie, Next Generation with brief descriptions of the show, problems behind and in front of the scenes, and what was going on around the show that effecting its development. The book goes right to the present, covering the books, comics, movies, slash fiction and more. Fandom is a big subject, and also the role of representation in the shows.

A very well written book with a lot of new revelations and interesting side stories. Even as a longtime fan much of what I read was still new to me. The sourcing was interesting, and you could tell a lot of work and care went into this. Not a gossip or just a quick making of series, this is a very comprehensive examination of the show and its legacy, and Britt has a very good way of presenting everything.

I've read a lot of books about Star Trek, the Shatner books, the Mark Altman Books, most everything, but this one I really enjoyed, and got the most out of. Recommended for fans of Star Trek and for readers of cultural history and how a show that ran a short period of time sixty years ago could become so monumental.