The City on the Edge of Forever [Hardcover]

The story behind TOS most beloved episode narrated by the screenwriter himself, the legendary Harlan Ellison. A colorful memoir filled with newspaper clips, drafts of the original screenplay, and commentary by some of the major players of that time period. His tone ranges from bitter to ambivalence back to bitter, and ending on indifference, painting a vivid portrait of being a writer for television and working with Roddenberry back in the mid 1960's. Brilliant nontheless, this episode through countless second and third party rewrites and proprietorship still holds the some of the magic and vision of Ellison's orginal concept. I would love to see a film made of the original work which still holds up! Hey JJ, check this out!!!

The book was well designed and allows you to start from any point. Now you must purchase the episode (28) also and see that the changes were necessary to keep within the TV parameters. The sleeve on the VHS box suggests that you count the number of people beaming down and the number of pads on the transporter. I thought it was interesting that everyone was addressed as his or her position (MOS).

I will not go through every change as that is the fun of reading the book; however to keep the story and characters consistent with the TV shows several changes have been made. Whether these changes are for good or evil you must decide. Some of the obvious is when Kirk and Spock have to steal close to be unconscious in their new environment. Harlan said whatever you do not make them fit. Sure enough they look like designer duds that were will tailored. The worse case is the final interaction with Edith Keeler. The whole prime of the story is changed in one moment.

Other books/movies that work well to compare are "The Razor's Edge"; see how Larry Darrell changes from the book to Tyrone Power to Bill Murray and Bill pushes Somerset Maugham completely out of the story. I also enjoyed reading about the controversy over the original "Six Days of the Condor" that was changed by Robert Redford to fit his criteria in "Three Days of the Condor." Drugs are out and oil is in. Three days fit better on a two-hour tape.

Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 28: The City On the Edge Of Forever [VHS]

This book has over 70 pages (in the hardcover edition) of introductory essay in which the author complains about Gene Roddenberry "and his minions," the "Bimbo Queen Joan Collins," and the Star Trek universe in general, and how they mistreated his screenplay by revising it. The intro is not particularly well-written, coherent, or entertaining. He is just mad, and the essay is just sad and bitter. The original screenplay is interesting to read, to see what all the fuss was about.

The original screenplay does not fit in the Star Trek universe very well, and does not make a very good story for a number of reasons. Here are the reasons in order of importance (spoilers follow, if you can spoil something that started off this bad): 1. A drug dealer who is killing people while trying to evade capture by Kirk and Spock would not suddenly and in the presence of Kirk and Spock attempt to save Edith Keeler. Supposedly Kirk and Spock prevent Beckwith from saving Edith, and the timeline is restored and all is well. 2. The explanation given for the fate of Beckwith when he escapes from Spock and jumps back into the time vortex is just plain stupid. You can't dial in the same exact time when you go back into the vortex or you'll create a fracture and end up burning repeatedly and eternally in a supernova. Come on! 3. The crew calls up to the Enterprise to ask to beam up, they are beamed up to a ship called the Condor, and the Condor captain says "Welcome to the Condor. Whoever you are, you shouldn't have come aboard." Well how dumb is that. How about if you didn't want us on board, you shouldn't have beamed us up. In two separate shifts. 4. Rand uses her tricorder to produce feedback and blows up the transporter console with a shower of sparks that throws the technician "half across the room," and yet after a short fight where the Enterprise crew locks the Condor crew out in the corridor, Rand is able to repair the damage she caused in a few seconds. Ridiculous. 5. The scenario with Rand defending the transporter room while Kirk and Spock go back to the planet and back into the vortex was cut back to one time, but was never resolved. 6. A suitable explanation of why Edith must die was not covered adequately. The conjecture was simply too thin and unsubstantiated. Beckwith never established a relationship with Edith.

With more holes than a block of Swiss cheese, I don't know how this script could have received a Writers Guild award. It must have been pretty slim pickings that year. If it was the "Readers" Guild maybe they would have actually read it, and decided not to give out an award that year at all.

Everything about the final televised version was much better. The final televised version was not included in this book.

I'm glad I bought a used copy.