Reviews

Phasers on Stun!: How the Making--And Remaking--Of Star Trek Changed the World by Ryan Britt

osborne2read's review

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

hollandvk's review

5.0

4.5

gillthequill's review

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.75

 Phasers on Stun! is a love letter to Trek. But it is an uneven love letter, with the bulk of the praise aimed towards The Original Series. It is also uneven in its anecdotes, with later sections (such as Picard and The Lower Decks) hyper focusing on only specific aspects whereas The Original Series took on a more broad and nuanced approach. But as a Trek fan, I still enjoyed reading it and learned something new. The first half of the book, focusing on the myths of Star Trek's making, were a delight, along with the times in the latter half it interrogates fan reactions to Trek. But ultimately, I still think it's a good read, if a long one. 

siobhanward's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.0

 

The secret is, if you speak kindly of Voyager, I'm probably going to like what you're writing because I have a soft spot for that series. That aside, this was a fun read and Britt clearly knows his Trek. I appreciated how much detail he went into about some of the less mentioned series, like Voyager and DS9. While there was a lot of focus on TOS, it made sense since it gave the context for everything that came after. I loved how Britt covered what was happening in the world at the time of each series and how it fit into historical context (including that - GASP - Trek wasn't always as cutting-edge and pro-social justice as we make it out to be). This was a fun read - dense if you're not into Star Trek, but definitely a fun one.

lserver362's review

5.0

While I haven't seen more than TOS, this book provided such a loving history of the franchise and its impact. This book made me tear up in a couple places. I love being moved by media and you can see that that's what happened here. Fantastic read.

montigneyrules's review

3.0

#readingchallenge2023 (my book set in Hollywood)

A casual fan; watching Star Trek was a late night bonding activity for my mother and I- we enjoyed the distinctive characters-the complex stories-and engaged with the dream of adventuring the deep scope of space. Re-watching as an adult, I found there was so much more to discover within episodes, more complex and intellectual. Though I never ‘hardcore’ dove into everything, but this novel made me want to start a re-watch binge.

The historical context was interesting- the author presented his insider information in a timeline pacing- starting at the beginning and walking the reader through the development evolution of the universe- a fascinating look at why the franchise has endured and how it has adapted and changed over time.

Overall, very resonating enjoyable nerdom; my only mild woe-there was a lot more opinionated aspects compared to arbitrary backstory, by which I mean in some areas the author tended to talk more about himself-and his preferences for the Star Trek universe than just unopinionated facts on the subject, which I feel led to more of a memoir nerdy small talk about a shared love vibe than deep non-fictional look at the highlights of the franchise.

But I loved the touchstone highlights for Trekkie pop culture. Again, the book made me want to re-watch-then newly watch things within the franchise I haven’t given a chance.

jordanrhirsch's review

funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.5

croissanti's review

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

nerdbrarian's review

4.0

Fans will love this love letter to the fantastic world of Star Trek, from The Original Series through Strange New Worlds and beyond. Much of the book focuses on The Original Series and movies, but every era is covered, with a multitude of interviews from actors, writers and producers who all brought Star Trek to life. If you haven't watched all the shows, keep in mind that Britt includes some spoilers, but as this was clearly written for fans, I will give him a pass. Tons of behind-the-scenes nuggets and controversies are also covered. Fans will come away remembering why they love Star Trek in the first place, and perhaps willing to give some of the shows they haven't tried yet a chance. As Britt writes, "The power of Star Trek is that it teaches you, over and over again, how to live better. How to be a more thoughtful and kinder person."

merryberries's review

3.0

(3.25/5 stars) I enjoyed this on audiobook, and learned a lot about how Star Trek has constantly evolved and cemented its place in pop culture for generations. Ryan Britt is clearly a very knowledgeable Trekker/Trekkie (you choose), and this book is great for casual fans and superfans alike. There are extensive interviews included and it's truly fascinating to look behind the scenes at one of the biggest nerd fandoms out there.