Beyond Uhura - Star Trek and Other Memories

Nichelle Nichols, originally named Grace, knows from an early age that she wants to perform. Originally a singer and dancer, she marries early despite parental disapproval and quickly regrets everything about that union except the son it produces. Her life on the road, as a Black performer during the 50s and early 60s, evokes an America in transition. It's an exciting time, but a dangerous one, too. Eventually she relocates her entire family (the support system she needs in order to keep raising her son) to Los Angeles, and lands her first television role in The Lieutenant - a series produced by Gene Roddenberry, who becomes her close friend. When Roddenberry casts her as a member of the bridge crew aboard the starship Enterprise, in what critics call the first intelligent science fiction series on television, she finds herself filling another role on which she didn't bargain: that of role model for an entire generation of American young people. Especially for small girls, young women, and minorities. This is not just another Star Trek memoir, although I'll admit I picked it up with that expectation. I was pleasantly surprised to find much more than that in its pages: the autobiography of a woman living through a time of extraordinary changes, who not only survived those changes but helped to shape them. The Star Trek reminiscences, my original reason for buying this book, wound up being the least interesting part of it for me. Instead, I found myself intrigued by the actress's pre-Star Trek career and - especially - by her work for NASA, in the years after the TV series ended. To me it reads like a volume of transcribed oral history instead of a celebrity tell-all. --Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of HIGH PLACES and 2005 EPPIE winner REGS

My review is more from the memory of reading this book years ago than from any current readings. The short & sweet of this autobiography is that Nichelle writes about her life before, during, & after Star Trek. Rather than go the same route as other ST alumi, she tries her hardest to avoid badmouthing the Shatner (even though he makes it VERY hard for her to stay neutral) which she mostly succeeds at. Miss Nichols has lead an amazing life. She not only starred in one of the most popular & well known series ever, but she's met famous political figures & Hollywood stars. She's gone through incredible hardships in order to get where she is today, and she writes a fantastic book to boot! The autobiography is easily accessible to both fans of ST & those who just want a nice book to read. Unfortunately this book has gone out of print, but it's well worth the time to track down a copy to own. The book has to be one of the most well written autobiographies I've read in a while, and that includes the ones I've read in the years since. 5/5

I really enjoyed this book. Nichelle tells lots of great stories. A couple of times it would get a little bogged down in details about all her various gigs, but for the most the book moved quickly. She begins with her multi-racial family living thru segregation. She goes on to tell stories about how her carreer evolved, her brush with gangsters running the entertainment industry, her relationship with Gene Roddenbery, how insensitive Bill Shatner was to his cast mates, and by contrast, how egalitarian Leonard Nimoy was, and about her work with NASA recruiting astronauts. There are many, many fascinating stories in this book.

This is a fascinating read from beginning to end! Ms. Nichols struggle to achieve success as a black woman in a white-male dominated industry is enlightening and inspiring. She is a talented, compassionate, giving person which shines forth from the written word. I encourage you to purchase her cd as well, "Out Of This World" to hear her lovely voice and one of the best interviews I've heard. Also, check out the animated star trek series from the 70s where Lt. Uhura gets to finally serve as Captain (The Lorelei Signal episode)! She is also prominently featured in "The Slaver Weapon", "Once Upon A Planet" and "The Practical Joker" episodes and yes, it's her voice as the character. I read she and George Takei (Sulu) almost weren't a part of the animated series until Leonard Nimoy went to bat for them. My fantasy is to see Nichelle get a leading role in a movie, "Uhura's Song" (one of the Star Trek novels by Janet Kagan) perhaps? : - ) All hailing frequencies are eternally open for this dynamic lady.

If you want 400 pages of Star Trek, this may not be the book for you. If, on the other hand, you want to read a biography of a woman who has broken down barriers and lived a life few people even dream of, this book will have you enthralled. Nichols has done so much in her life, and rubbed elbows with so many incredible people--Maya Angelou, Duke Ellington, the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger--that she's lived far beyond her role as Uhura on Star Trek. She does talk about her Star Trek career, but there's so much more to her than that. This memoir is inspirational, sometimes hysterical, and always a great read. You won't be disappointed in this book!