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I Am Spock is an autobiography by Leonard Nimoy. In it, he wrote as an entertainer, starting with his early school-age acting roles. As the title suggests, the book focuses on Nimoy's involvement with Star Trek as a director and as the portrayer of Spock. He chronicled his involvements with the creation of Spock, his acting choices regarding Spock, and his relationship with Spock (played out with a series of dialogues). One of his core objectives was to undo the effects of I Am Not Spock, an autobiography he had published in 1975, which had left fans with an impression that he was bitter at the character.

Summary[]

Audiobook blurb
Best known to the world as the actor who created the legendary Mr. Spock in the cult television series that launched the Star Trek phenomenon, Leonard Nimoy has written the definitive Star Trek memoir. In this long-awaited autobiography, Nimoy opens up to his fans in ways the Vulcan never could.
Having played the pivotal role of Mr. Spock in the original series, in six motion pictures, and in a special two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as having directed two of the movies, Nimoy is well suited to tell the true story behind what was seen by the public. He provides an intelligent and insightful audiobook about the creative process and the actor's craft – and gives his own unique insider's view of the creation of both the character, Mr. Spock, and the Star Trek phenomenon.

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Contents[]

  • Acknowledgments
  • Foreword
  • Human Versus Vulcan or Of Luck and Probability
  • Conception and Gestation
  • Birth of a Vulcan
  • Vulcanalia or The Vulcan Grows Up
  • Spockamania or It's Pear Blossom Time in Medford
  • The Star Trek Family
  • Premature Burial
  • From Five-Year Mission to Mission: Impossible
  • Identity Crisis
  • Thank You, George Lucas
  • Movie Madness or If It's Tuesday It Must Be Beijing
  • Remember
  • Rebirth or What I Really Want to Do is Direct
  • I, Spock or "The Final Plain" on the Streets of San Francisco
  • Three Men and a Good Mother
  • The Final Frontier – And Beyond
  • Star Trek VI and "Unification"
  • Live Long and Prosper
  • Index

Background information[]

  • In this book, Leonard Nimoy additionally told a bit of behind-the-scenes information regarding the creation of the six original crew feature films, particularly Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, both of which he directed. He also told the story of the prep work for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and his role in its story.
  • Many more of Nimoy's anecdotes regarding all of the films can be found in William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories and it is in this regard that it is remarkable and perhaps somewhat ironic that he did, for that book, go into considerable more detail on the more contentious aspects regarding his involvement with the original crew films, conceivably as not to upset the more upbeat nature of his own autobiography. A notable example is his deteriorating relationship with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, which turned out to be a major factor for him holding out so long on being re-signed as Spock on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, eventually leading up to his co-participation to have Roddenberry removed from creative control over the movie, for the time being ending the latter's Hollywood career. Another example is his bitter legal fight over writing credits for The Undiscovered Country with the Writers Guild due to unsavory studio politics. As such, the memoirs of his friend, which was incidentally published one year earlier, can therefore be seen as complementary to his own.
  • Nimoy also used this book to address the first two films he directed after the wild success of Star Trek IV, Three Men and a Baby and The Good Mother, before wrapping up with a description of his involvement in TNG: "Unification II" and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, finally ending with a story that hammers home the point Nimoy wanted to make – that he was Spock.
  • In an episode of The Simpsons, "Comic Book Guy" purchases Leonard Nimoy's three autobiographies, I Am Not Spock, I Am Spock, and I Am Also Scotty (where the last one is a fictional book).

Cover gallery[]

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