Neil Shurley

Muḩāfaz̧at Abyan

Writer. Actor. Musician. Nerd. Theatre evangelist. Coffee achiever. Wears a Dr Who scarf while writing a Star Trek newsletter: https://t.co/3hsOWeC3U1

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Articles

Unification

Dec 2, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. I know you’ve seen it. I don’t get it. What is happening? Why? What is the point of this? What does Gary Mitchell have to do with it? Is this all taking place in heaven? Is Saavik dead? Are they all in the Nexus? How did Gary get there? Did Saavik and Spock have a kid and now that is canon and oh by the way the kid and Saavik are dead?
The Lost Time Travel Episode

Aug 13, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. Remember that time Spock and Bones time traveled back to the 1870s and found themselves in all sorts of Wild West frontier trouble? This was a new one to me. And as Neil S. Bulk replied when I shared this pic with him, “HOW DID WE NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?”Some quick research on his part also uncovered the delicious fact that one of the episode’s writers was John D.F. Black.
Good grief!

Aug 6, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. There’s an old rule in journalism. If your headline asks a question, the answer is always “No.”And so it is with my headline question “Is this the lowest point in Star Trek fandom?”If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you may remember the art of Lee Sargent.
To Starve A Fleaver

Jul 22, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. There’s an old saying: “Feed a cold and starve a fever.” I think I remember old commercials that tried to teach the controversy - is it starve a cold and feed a fever or feed a cold and starve a fever? I have never questioned which saying is correct because I know which saying is correct. Because I owned 45 rpm records (complete with storybook).
The Spock of Theseus

Jul 9, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. You know the ship of Theseus, right? Today I was listening to a podcast and the idea of transporters came up. I think we’ve all considered the basic idea/nightmare of how the transporter works. By breaking you into your constituent atoms and then reassembling you, are you still the same person? Is there a continuation of consciousness?
Star Trek's Decicentennial?

Jul 4, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking, my attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier. Today we’re revisiting the past. A couple years ago, I sent out a description of the Bicentennial and a related artifact I found. Here is that info, followed by my AMAZING NEW DISCOVERY. The year was 1976, and here in US America we were primed to celebrate the country’s Bicentennial. I rode the Freedom Train. I collected coins. I watched Bicentennial Minutes.
Strange New TVs

Jun 24, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking — random intersections in the final frontier. I was walking through the new TV section at a local store, for reasons, and I saw this. Whoa. Star Trek as consumer attractor. Sweet. Also, maybe I should give SNW another chance.
Every Star Trek Story Ever

Jun 18, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking — random intersections in the final frontier. First off, a note about the subtitle. This has nothing to do with Star Trek, by the way. I trust you are familiar with a little 70’s ditty entitled Kung Fu Fighting. Well, one day, back in the 90s, I was trolling through a used record store, as one did back then, and came across an LP that immediately seized my imagination. I had never considered, in the past, that Carl Douglas’ classic had originally been released on an LP.
"Computerrrr..."

Jun 7, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

Welcome to Star Trekking — random intersections in the final frontier. Sometimes you take a break from catching up on your technical journals and enter “Star Trek TOS displays” into a search engine and click around for a bit and suddenly you strike gold. This is the Star Trek TOS Displays Project and I have no idea who puts it together but it is my new favorite thing. I mean, come on, look at this:And this:And this:And these are just from the page about the Communications Station.
The Trouble with Cultural Memory

May 14, 2024 | startrekking.substack.com | Neil Shurley

This. This is exactly the problem. This popped up in my Facebook feed, an ad. “Channel your inner Trekkie while catching some waves with our vibrant Star Trek Hawaiian shirt.”Okay, fine, I understand the concept, sure, let’s make a retro-feeling aloha shirt. But. Just look at it. Especially look at the insert, the close up. Captain Kirk surrounded by swingin’ alien babes. This. This, my friends, is what the culture thinks is the original Star Trek. To me, it looks more like the Jetsons. Or worse.