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The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition. 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)

Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson

Guest Larry Nemecek

Production Bruce Gibson (Editor and Producer) Dan Gunther (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)

“Exile” 20th-anniversary reflections

Contacted telepathically by an alien who says he might be able to help find the Xindi, Hoshi decides to take advantage of the opportunity by packing her nicest dresses and high heels for a stay at his mysterious castle. At first she’s happy to be his guest and even enjoys a lavish dinner of her Earth favorites—despite being creeped out by his mind-reading. But the mood is soured when she discovers the graves of past guests just outside, leaving little more to do until the Enterprise returns but translate a book written in an undecipherable alien language while staying comfortable in leisure wear.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Exile” as we discuss Star Trek's attempt to do Beauty and the Beast in space.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Be Our Guest! (00:02:25) Mixed Signals (00:07:43) An Unnecessary Pit Stop? (00:16:01) An Uneasy Feeling … or Sphering (00:20:58) Visual Effects (00:24:06) Mind Games and Plot Holes (00:28:19) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:35) Closing (00:41:16)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Eye of the Needle” 30th-anniversary reflections

The discover of a wormhole gives the Voyager crew hope that they might soon be home. But there's a catch: the wormhole is just 30 centimeters in diameter. Determined to make use of the anomaly, they figure out how to send a message in a bottle and hope for a response. The answer surprises them. Not only is it from the Alpha Quadrant, it is from a Romulan. Eventually, Janeway convinces the adversary to help them. But their hopes of being rescued are dashed by one more scientific twist.

In this episode of To The Journey, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Voyager, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Eye of the Needle,” the story's scientific underpinnings, the crew's hopes of getting home, and the unexpected twist.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) She Blinded Me with Science (00:02:31) Inner Thoughts (00:07:03) Jeri Taylor's Janeway Influence (00:13:42) Size Matters (00:15:48) No Doctor Left Behind (00:23:01) Message in a Bottle (00:35:54) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:52) Closing (00:50:20)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Impulse” 20th-anniversary reflections

A distress call leads the Enterprise to a derelict Vulcan cruiser trapped in an asteroid field. When the crew boards the ship to mount a rescue, they find not the calm and cold Vulcans they’re used to but rather scary and cold zombies. As they attempt to get off the ship, whatever has transformed the Vulcan crew begins to affect T’Pol. And as her behavior becomes more and more irrational, a new threat to survival comes from within the landing party itself.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Impulse” as we discuss how the story flips the Human–Vulcan narrative and accelerates T'Pol's character development.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Flipping the Vulcan-Human Narrative (00:02:10) Suspicious Minds (00:12:34) One Long Chase Sequence (00:17:19) Jolene's Brilliant Performance (00:21:56) Remembering Who We Are (00:28:13) VFX Advancements (00:34:01) Shortest Cold Open (00:37:24) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:39:34) Closing (00:45:27)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

Gateways: Doors Into Chaos.     The early aughts were an intriguing period for Star Trek books, as shows like DS9 concluded, Voyager continued to air, and TNG continued to produce films. The literary landscape truly embraced experimentation and explored new avenues.

In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan continue the Gateways series with Doors Into Chaos. We discuss this feeling like a beginning, getting lucky, crew movement, used well, Riker, connections, Picard, the conference, building excitement, our ratings and final thoughts. 

In the news we talk about the Ring of Fire blurb, comic news, Lower Deck comic reviews and some sad news.    News Ring of Fire Blurb (00:02:33) Comic News (00:07:06) Lower Decks Comic Reviews (00:11:59) Sad News (00:22:24)               

Feature: Doors Into Chaos Feels Like the Beginning (00:27:16) Getting Lucky (00:37:18) Crew Movement (00:38:18) Used Well (00:41:12) Riker (00:43:37) Connections (00:47:05) Picard (00:51:57) The Conference (00:55:15) Building Excitement (01:01:39) Ratings (01:06:39) Final Thoughts (01:08:54)     

Hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan 

Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)

“The Cloud” 30th-anniversary reflections

Several weeks into their journey home, both Janeway and Voyager find their energy reserves running low. For the captain, a simple trip to what used to be her private dining room for a cup of Neelix’s even better than coffee substitute might be all that’s needed. For the ship, however, a trip into a mysterious nebula is required. Voyager is hungry for omicron particles, and there seems to be a rich supply just ahead. But this cloud is not what it seems, and Janeway may need to turn to her animal guide to save the crew.

In this episode of To The Journey, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Voyager, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Cloud” and how the science-heavy plot wraps a character-focused story.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) How Do Starfleet Ships Run? (00:03:03) We Are Family (00:12:05) How Many Torpedoes? (00:18:29) Back to Family (00:21:25) Tiptoeing around Chakotay (00:23:34) A Poor Man's Quark? (00:35:02) Strange New Life Form (00:43:17) Sandríne‘s (00:47:27) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:54:44) Closing (00:57:24)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)

“Rajiin” 20th-anniversary reflections

While the Xindi Council continues to debate how best to destroy Earth, the Enterprise welcomes aboard a beautiful passenger. Archer rescued the lingerie-clad alien from a slave market on the Xanathan planet where he, Tucker, and Reed sought clues about the Xindi and a way to synthesize trellium-D. It turns out that the freed woman may not have the information they need, but she does have ulterior motives … and the hots for everyone. Things take an even weirder turn when the Xindi Reptilions and Insectoids show up looking for their electric Barbarella.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Rajiin” as we discuss Xindi motivations, Rajiin's reality, Archer's hard knocks journey, and how this installment advances the overall story.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Xindi Motivations (00:02:14) Archer Learns Star Trek Tropes (00:07:16) Should Rajiin Have Returned? (00:14:46) Muddy Powers (00:18:58) Susceptible to Abuse? (00:23:36) Managing Time in Storytelling (00:28:03) Advancing Trip and T'Pol (00:31:45) A TOS Vibe (00:37:26)   Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:39:52) Closing (00:44:07)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Phage” 30th-anniversary reflections

Chakotay, Kim, and Neelix beam into caves on a rogue planetoid to search for dilithium; but they come back empty-handed. Not only do they have no dilithium, Neelix left something even more important behind: his lungs. With these vital organs now in the possession of mysterious aliens, the ship’s new self-proclaimed chef will have to postpone the opening of his kitchen and stay in sickbay, where the Doctor has fitted him with holographic lungs. As the crew search for the aliens and try to retrieve Neelix’s organs, Janeway is confronted with an unexpected moral dilemma. After being stalked by Vidiians, you may never listen to that famous song by The Police the same way again.

In this episode of To The Journey, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Voyager, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “Phage” and the introduction of a fascinating alien race in a story that hits right at the heart of Star Trek.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) A Species with Depth (00:02:52) A Neelix Problem? (00:08:34) Cooking Up Storytelling (00:17:01) Ripe for Serialization? (00:21:07) Real-Life Science (00:25:30) Wrath and Compassion (00:28:05) The Doctor and AI Evolution (00:36:02) Kes Finds Purpose (00:42:44) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:26) Closing (00:48:22)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer)