New Book Series On Original Star Trek to Receive Saturn Award

LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- It is rare when an award from The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films honors a book series, but that's exactly what is happening on June 26^th at the 40^th Annual Saturn Awards (http://www.saturnawards.org/ ) in Burbank, California.

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Marc Cushman, author of the new books These Are the Voyages – TOS: Seasons One, Two and Three, will be honored for his exhaustive three-part behind-the-scenes look at the making of Star Trek: TOS (The Original Series).

Robert Holguin, president of the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films, says that Cushman's books constitute "one of the greatest achievements in the world of literature [in] the past year." Holguin says, "The level of research in writing these books are of the highest order."

Cushman met Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in the 1980s and was given carte blanch access to tens of thousands of memos and documents. While working as a screenwriter, Cushman moonlighted doing research and interviews, spanning 25 years, leading to the publication of these books. Among others who contributed materials and recollections were Star Trek co-producer Robert H. Justman, Associate Producer John D.F. Black, and Script Consultant D.C. Fontana, as well as numerous production crew members and series performers. 

In his three volume book set, Cushman dispels many rumors about Star Trek that had become regarded as truth, such as the belief that it received poor ratings while on NBC in the 1960s. Cushman investigated by licensing the Nielsen ratings reports for every episode of Star Trek and has published the information in his book series. According to the reports, as well as other ratings surveys from the 1960s, such as TvQ (from Home Testing Research), Star Trek was often NBC's top-rated Thursday night show, and, after being moved, was frequently the network's top-rated Friday night show.

Along with extensive research, Cushman has pieced together memos, documentation, and interviews in a way to make the reader feel they are in the room alongside the series writers and producers, and even the show's original owner, Lucille Ball, who went against the advice of her Board of Directors by backing the chancy venture, then lost her studio, Desilu, as a result. 

Leonard Nimoy, the original Mr. Spock, calls the research "astounding." Family Guy Executive Producer David Goodman says, "This book is filled with one revelation after another."

And Mark Altman, publisher of GEEK Magazine and writer/producer of Free Enterprise says, "…the best book written about Star Trek, and the best book ever written about the making of a television series – period."

As of this writing, Volumes 1 & 2 (Season One and Season Two) of These Are the Voyages have been published by Jacobs Brown Press (http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/), with the third volume (documenting Season Three) due out in November.

Learn more at www.thesearethevoyagesbooks.com 

For review copies, to interview the author, or for additional information contact:

Susan Templeton
(818) 634-5835
Email

SOURCE Marc Cushman