A destructive menace is heading directly towards Earth, and the Enterprise is the only starship in interception range. Admiral James T. Kirk must once again assume command to take on this threat and solve the mystery of "Veejur" before it destroys all life on Earth. The film that launched the Star Trek movie series has mixed reviews, but the novelization of that movie offers us a glimpse into the mind of the creator of Star Trek!

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther are joined by "Dr. Trek" himself, Larry Nemecek, to discuss the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry. We talk about differences between the film and the novel, the persistent "Alan Dean Foster myth," Kirk's subtextual relationship with Spock, the story from Veejur's perspective, Decker's ultimate fate, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings.

In the news segment, we report on the announcement of Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Inside the Art & Visual Effects by Jeff Bond & Gene Kozicki, coming in March of 2020. We also respond to listener feedback from the Babel Conference for Literary Treks 283: Everyone's Tilting at Windmills.

News

ST:TMP Inside The Art & Visual Effects (00:03:40)

Listener Feedback (00:04:40)

Feature:The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition

The Motion Picture (00:10:39)

Different Iterations (00:20:53)

The "Alan Dean Foster" Myth (00:24:24)

T'hy'la and New Humans (00:31:32)

Mining TMP for Future Star Trek (00:46:48)

Canon Has Evolved (00:55:09)

"In Thy Image" (01:01:55)

V'Ger's Perspective (01:08:26)

Additional Scenes (01:12:42)

Epsilon Nine or IX (01:20:46)

Marriage Contracts (01:24:06)

Ratings (01:28:17)

Final Thoughts (01:37:58)