- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd (7 Jun 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0671021311
- ISBN-13: 978-0671021313
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.5 x 3.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
66,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #44 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > Film Genres > Science Fiction
- #54 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Television > TV Genres > Science Fiction
- #61 in Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Film > History of Film > United States
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
"Get A Life!" with the possible exception of "Beam me up, Scotty," is clearly the most repeated catchphrase in the history of "Star Trek(R)." Poking fun at "Star Trek's" gung-ho fans and conventions in a now infamous "Saturday Night Live" sketch, William Shatner's comic rallying cry has been indelibly emblazoned into the collective psyche of trekkers everywhere. Through the years, the phrase has spurred laughter, anger, controversy, and far more than its fair share of debate. It's now also given birth to an honest, sentimental, insightful book.
Uncomfortable with speaking onstage, William Shatner had spent the better part of the previous quarter century steadfastly avoiding convention appearances. However, to publicize the release of "Star Trek Generations," Shatner agreed to a rare series of speaking engagements at "Star Trek" conventions around the globe. He was jolted by an unavoidable dose of reality.
Shatner was met with wild enthusiasm, love, and good humor at convention after convention. Touched and fascinated, he was overwhelmed with the realization that in almost three decades of starship hopping, he'd never really taken the time to enjoy or understand "Star Trek's" fans or their conventions. That's when the light bulb clicked on; that's when "Captain Kirk" dove headfirst into action.
For the past several years, William Shatner has been treating each "Star Trek" convention like an enormous research project. Interviewing fans, dealers, fellow castmembers, convention organizers, and promoters -- even going undercover beneath alien makeup -- Shatner's been scouring convention floors. Having grilled trekkers and trekkies in all corners of the planet, Shatner's hadhis eyes opened and his mind boggled. He's amassed a small mountain of research material, and cultivated his findings in "Get A Life!"
This is a first-person journey of discovery told with self-deprecating wit, unflagging honesty, and his trademark enthusiasm and humor. "Get a Life!" tells William Shatner's own story of how the actor who played the now deceased starship captain, James T. Kirk, can finally come to grips with his past, his fans, their love, and his own intergalactic legacy.
About the Author
William Shatner is known to millions as the actor who played Captain James T. Kirk throughout the original Star Trek television series and several movies. He is now a bestselling science fiction author.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is not a vendeta against fans or fellow cast members, so if you expect him trashing star trek actors or us fans, this is not the book for you, youll want to read George Takei's book.
This is a look at the convention, its fan base and a few personal stories of no particular relevence to Star Trek added for fun. I really enjoyed Shatners honesty and how early on in his career he never interacted with his fans, and as he grew older, he started to appreciate his position and absorb the love and what star trek means to a lot of the fans. There is an example of Shatners interest to interact in the convention, when he wears a mask as a disguise and walks around talking to stall owners, fans, and no one being the wiser that its him. There are some good interviews with some die hard fans, and with Leonard Nimoy, and Takai.
It was nice to read the closeness that Shatner and Nimoy have and the practical joke they play on each other.
This is a great read, and Shatner does not put down anyone and manages to come across as a warm, gentle person, who has mellowed out as he gets older and wiser. There have been comments that Shatner was somewhat rude to his fans when interviewed by Howard Stern, but if you actually listen to it youll find him constantly sticking up to the fans by the constant onslaught from Stern. Funny interview though. Check out Howard Stern interviewing George Takei, its great.
This is a look at the convention, its fan base and a few personal stories of no particular relevence to Star Trek added for fun. I really enjoyed Shatners honesty and how early on in his career he never interacted with his fans, and as he grew older, he started to appreciate his position and absorb the love and what star trek means to a lot of the fans. There is an example of Shatners interest to interact in the convention, when he wears a mask as a disguise and walks around talking to stall owners, fans, and no one being the wiser that its him. There are some good interviews with some die hard fans, and with Leonard Nimoy, and Takai.
It was nice to read the closeness that Shatner and Nimoy have and the practical joke they play on each other.
This is a great read, and Shatner does not put down anyone and manages to come across as a warm, gentle person, who has mellowed out as he gets older and wiser. There have been comments that Shatner was somewhat rude to his fans when interviewed by Howard Stern, but if you actually listen to it youll find him constantly sticking up to the fans by the constant onslaught from Stern. Funny interview though. Check out Howard Stern interviewing George Takei, its great.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was a bit dubious about buying this book, as I am not a die hard trekkie. But by the first few pages I was hooked and laughing. William Shatner's style is really funny. I like the colour pictures in the centre of the book. It also gave me a look into what conventions are like. I wasn't too sure how William Shatner was really like as an author but now I know he's a really funny guy and he CAN WRITE.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
55 reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Witty, funny, heartfelt!
21 Jun 1999
Format:Hardcover
Wow! I sat down at a local bookstore waiting for my wife with "Get A Life" in my hands thinking I'd read a few pages to pass the time. 5 chapters later, my wife was waiting for me--I had to buy it and read the rest at home. This book makes me laugh out loud (aforementioned wife thinks I'm nuts). I'm happy to see that Mr. Shatner enjoys the love, affection, and Star Trek subculture which he had a hand in creating. His self-deprecating humor is funny and refreshing, his insights (and those he interviews) are heart-warming and dead-on. Kudos to Mr. Shatner!!!!! This book should be interesting to even "casual" Star Trek fans.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Finally, Bill Shatner "get's it"!
23 May 2000
Format:Hardcover
It took the death of James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations for William Shatner to finally become -- oh no! -- a TREKKIE! In this candid and hilariously self-depreciating book, Shatner admits that, for all those years as a cast member, he had been totally clueless about what Trek fandom was all about. To find out, he dons a really tacky rubber alien mask in order to mingle anonymously with the crowd. (The book has photos of him wearing it -- I wonder how many fans will see them and think, "Oh no! I was standing right next to Bill and never even got his autograph!") When the undercover experiment is over, he has a new respect for what happens at a Trek convention. And when he asks the fans what to call the book, they suggest, "Get a Life!" So he did.
One of the funniest parts of the book is in the first chapter, where he describes going to a typical speaking engagement, from panic on the plane (this ex-starship captain hates flying!) to being met at the airport by an enthusiastic fan who invaribly can't find the car, then being driven at top speed to the convention, where he is smuggled in the back door past the smelly garbage dumpsters, through the hotel kitchen, then along the "secret" passageways used by the cleaning staff, to emerge backstage -- all choregraphed by security teams using codes like "The Eagle has landed" to try to keep his exact arrival time a secret from the crowd. Whew! No wonder he had to put on a mask to enter the real Trek universe! I, for one, am glad he did, because this is a very entertaining book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Funny book about facing reality
6 Oct 2004
Format:Hardcover
William Shatner's love hate relationship with the show that made him famous or notorious depending on his mood under went a strange metamorphic change that came ironically after his character was killed off in Generations movie (Star Trek VII).
Shatner's book tell that story of his changing attitude toward Star Trek, its fanatic fans and the phenomenon that the show created all over the world. Its well written, often filled with humor as he reflects on what he have learned since his changed of heart. It also a great book since it deal with coming to terms with his past and how it was all catching up to him. I think Shatner finally began to realized that no matter what he does for the rest of his life, he will always be connected with Star Trek, always be known as "Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise" and that the way it will be long after he's dead and buried.
So with that in mind, this book comes recommended. Its story of William Shatner and not Star Trek in general. He writes on his experiences regarding the phenomenon he helped create over 37 years ago and how he think about it when he wrote the book. (I thought his impression on autographs was very interesting.)
Shatner's book tell that story of his changing attitude toward Star Trek, its fanatic fans and the phenomenon that the show created all over the world. Its well written, often filled with humor as he reflects on what he have learned since his changed of heart. It also a great book since it deal with coming to terms with his past and how it was all catching up to him. I think Shatner finally began to realized that no matter what he does for the rest of his life, he will always be connected with Star Trek, always be known as "Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise" and that the way it will be long after he's dead and buried.
So with that in mind, this book comes recommended. Its story of William Shatner and not Star Trek in general. He writes on his experiences regarding the phenomenon he helped create over 37 years ago and how he think about it when he wrote the book. (I thought his impression on autographs was very interesting.)
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