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Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman's Trek
Nana Visitor, Star Trek's Kira Nerys, explores how the series has portrayed and influenced women. Interviews with the stars, writers, producers, and celebrity fans reveal the struggles and triumphs of women both behind and in front of the camera throughout the sixty-year history of Star Trek, and how they have mirrored the experiences of women everywhere.
The groundbreaking casting of Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura in 1966 took women and people of color into a newly-imagined future. But it was the 1960s and she had to do it in a miniskirt.
Since then, each Star Trek show has both reflected the values of its time and imagined a more future in which all genders were equal. In her first book, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Nana Visitor sets out to discover both how Star Trek led the way for women, and how it was trapped in its own era.
For Visitor, this is more than a book about Star Trek. It's about how society and the stories we tell have evolved in the last 60 years, and how the role of women has changed in that time.
STAR AUTHOR: Written by Star Trek actor Nana Visitor, famous for playing Major Kira Nerys. This is both her story and her journey through the stories of other women involved with Star Trek from the 1960s to the 21st century.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: Features interviews with almost every woman who has starred in Star Trek, including Kate Mulgrew, Terry Farrell, Denise Crosby, Mary Wiseman, and Rebecca Romijn.
INSPIRING STORIES: Explore how Star Trek has influenced women in the real world, including soldiers, scientists, and even astronauts. In one remarkable episode, author Nana Visitor interviewed astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti while she was in orbit around Earth on the International Space Station.
PIONEERING SERIES: Star Trek has often taken a leading role in promoting women on both sides of the camera. It had women writers when they were rare, and it introduced female captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager in 1995.
The groundbreaking casting of Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura in 1966 took women and people of color into a newly-imagined future. But it was the 1960s and she had to do it in a miniskirt.
Since then, each Star Trek show has both reflected the values of its time and imagined a more future in which all genders were equal. In her first book, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Nana Visitor sets out to discover both how Star Trek led the way for women, and how it was trapped in its own era.
For Visitor, this is more than a book about Star Trek. It's about how society and the stories we tell have evolved in the last 60 years, and how the role of women has changed in that time.
STAR AUTHOR: Written by Star Trek actor Nana Visitor, famous for playing Major Kira Nerys. This is both her story and her journey through the stories of other women involved with Star Trek from the 1960s to the 21st century.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: Features interviews with almost every woman who has starred in Star Trek, including Kate Mulgrew, Terry Farrell, Denise Crosby, Mary Wiseman, and Rebecca Romijn.
INSPIRING STORIES: Explore how Star Trek has influenced women in the real world, including soldiers, scientists, and even astronauts. In one remarkable episode, author Nana Visitor interviewed astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti while she was in orbit around Earth on the International Space Station.
PIONEERING SERIES: Star Trek has often taken a leading role in promoting women on both sides of the camera. It had women writers when they were rare, and it introduced female captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager in 1995.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2024
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October 24, 2024
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) remains my favorite Star Trek series, and Kira Nerys, as portrayed by Nana Visitor, remains my all-time favorite Trek character. Several years ago I was excited to hear that Visitor was going to be interviewing women who had appeared on various Trek shows and writing a nonfiction book. The result of her dedication and hard work are evident in the recently-published Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek. It’s one of the most interesting and significant nonfiction Trek books in a long time–essential reading.
Visitor appeared in all but two of the show’s 176 episodes, in itself a notable accomplishment. During these seven years she delivered knockout performances that, while memorable individually, accrue even greater luster when seen as pearls woven together to shape her character’s long-term arc, one of the richest and most satisfying on television. Yet, it’s the impressive work Visitor has done outside of her own acting that makes her book so remarkable.
Over the course of an Introduction, thirty-nine main chapters, a Conclusion, and a bonus “Inspired and Inspirational” section delving into some of the life stories of notable women who saw female Trek characters as role models, Visitor has simultaneously written a compelling mosaic history of a modern pop culture phenomenon fast approaching its sixtieth year, a well-researched chronicle of changing social values and attitudes related to gender, and a moving work of self-reflection. One of the book’s recurring questions, as she writes in the Introduction, is “What were the cultural currents flowing against women?” Part of Visitor’s work revolves around examining the “cultural amber” of each of the time periods she explores, from the early 1960s through the latest, still ongoing, productions. The farther back she peers, the seemingly easier the currents are to spot, though her own process of self-assessment adds fascinating interrogative layers along the way. While Visitor often has a clearly defined point of view, rooted in facts and documented accounts, she concludes her Introduction by saying: “There are too many women’s voices out there to think there won’t be different opinions on all of this. Writing the book has changed me in a palpable way, but this is only one woman’s eyes and ears on the subject. Think of it like this: I’m opening a channel. Let’s talk on the bandwidth that for me, through all these years, has started with a smile of recognition for each other.”
Starting with a general setting of the Trek stage, and offering some concise thoughts on women characters as depicted in original series episodes such as “Elaan of Troyius” (an admittedly atypical representation), “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, “Space Seed”, “Turnabout Intruder”, “The Cage”, and “Mudd’s Women”, Visitor introduces several concepts that prove important throughout, including that of performative sexuality, how women were actually lensed (and, later, whether or not they were given the same types of “hero shots” as their male counterparts), and where the emotional focus was drawn for viewers, namely the man’s experience or the woman’s. The significance of Nichelle Nichols’ iconic role as Lt. Uhura–which inspired astronaut Mae Jemison, politician Stacey Abrams, actor Whoopi Goldberg, and many, many others–, awarded its own chapter later, cannot be overstated and is rightfully mentioned repeatedly in the remainder of the book. In the volume’s early chapters Visitor explains how Lucille Ball not only owned and ran the studio that created Star Trek (and supported it through two pilots), but that Ball backed it as a candidate for reruns, thus helping to ensure its longevity. Visitor considers the women who appeared in the classic show as guest stars, relays thoughts shared by Andreea Kindryd, Gene L. Coon’s then assistant, and examines the significance of Dorothy Fontana’s numerous contributions. Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry and Grace Lee Whitney are also discussed in individual chapters.
The following main point of focus is The Next Generation–which almost never came to be, as Visitor notes, save for Lucie Salhany’s suggestion that it could be made for first-run syndication as opposed to straight network television. TNG was birthed in the 80s, and Visitor helpfully reminds us of what the times were like: “Popular TV offered us Designing Women, The Cosby Show, and L.A. Law. Oprah’s daytime talk show gave us women who questioned the patriarchy they lived in. More women were graduating college than ever before, and as a result, the Eighties saw a lot of progress for women. Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman on the Supreme Court, Geraldine Ferraro was nominated to run as a vice presidential candidate in 1984, and Sally Ride became the first American woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova had become the first woman in space, in 1963, but was not trained as an astronaut. It seems that this was a publicity opportunity for the Soviet Union).” This type of attention to historical detail is consistently helpful as Visitor moves through the decades. Her approach to TNG follows the pattern established with TOS: a general introduction and then dedicated deep-dives for each female lead, in this case Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, along with Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry in her second Trek incarnation, and Alice Krige. I enjoyed learning, among numerous other facts, that Tasha’s eulogy in “Skin of Evil” was written by Hannah Shearer.
When Visitor asked Gates McFadden what she wanted young people to learn from her, McFadden provided a beautiful response: “To find the strength to be the best of themselves, to not be held back by society, and to really look at themselves like a scientist. Why do I feel that way? Why does this upset me? Always remain curious, always wanting to learn.” This questioning spirit is later amplified by comments made by Mike McMahan, creator of Lower Decks, and several other interview subjects. Visitor often references the stereotypical categories women were placed in, as in for example, Denise Crosby’s “Female Warrior” box, and the difficulties in breaking beyond these externally-imposed limitations. When examining each character, Visitor provides a survey of their most important episodes, and probes the evolution of the character from their inception to their final appearances. The trajectories of Crusher and Troi make for excellent analyses, particularly in their relationships with other female characters. “Dark Page,” for instance––again, an episode written by a woman, in this case Hilary J. Bader–adds wonderful depth to Troi’s dynamic with her mother. Regarding Troi’s influence, Visitor remarks: “As I was writing this book, countless women came forward and told me that Troi’s calmness, kindness, and confidence inspired them to become therapists themselves. Counselor Troi is a large stone thrown into the global lake, whose positive ripple effect continues to this day.”
As we enter the franchise era in which Visitor herself became a series regular, we see the influx of other female perspectives in various production capacities, including those of Jeri Taylor, Lisa Klink, Wendy Neuss and Merri Howard. We learn of Visitor’s professional background, how she internalized certain assumptions about the kinds of roles she would get to play, and various personal lifelines, like her friendship with makeup artist Camille Calvert. Visitor uses the recounting of her early experiences, both in acting and her personal life, to think back on her own actions from a critical stance informed by her recent studies and re-evaluations, as for instance when she candidly says, “I would take it on as my responsibility to manage a man’s ego and make myself smaller, in order to be loved.” Visitor’s account of her transition from film to television, the direct result of negative experiences at the hands of men, including extreme verbal denigration and sexual assault by a director, is disturbing. Her later kidnapping, rape, and trial participation while in the midst of DS9 are viscerally difficult material, told in an unvarnished way. How challenging it must have been for Visitor to articulate these experiences as she does; kudos to her strength and vulnerability, as well as for modeling a behavior that could help inspire others tell their own stories. Pertaining to DS9, Visitor observes that it was making Terry Farrel’s Dax an alien that gave the character, as with Kira, full human experiences. “Star Trek allows aliens to be the leads of their own stories,” Visitor writes. “Since most of us feel like aliens at one point or another in our lives, this is a very hopeful message.” Mentions of nurturing relationships between women, such as the mentorship of Penny Johnson Jerald, who played Kassidy Yates, by Sally Feinstein, add another positive note.
Visitor’s astuteness, and deep engagement with her material, continue to shine through in her coverage of Voyager, with Kate Mulgrew’s pivotal portrayal of Captain Janeway inspiring legions of girls to later become scientists working for NASA or the ESA. Visitor makes frequent reference to the Bechdel test, as when for instance she talks about scenes between Kira and Dax on DS9, or Janeway and Seven of Nine on VOY; it’s a useful marker to measure progress from series to series. Janeway’s maternal role with Seven of Nine is grounded in plenty of episode specifics, and Seven herself is described in a truly eye-opening way: “an avatar many different groups of people could claim as their own in the same way that Spock, Data, and Dax were, but maybe for even a wider group: She was an abused child; she was a survivor of trauma; she was a victim of a cult; she was queer; she was neurodiverse; she was every woman who has been valued for her appearance but is so much more; she was anyone who struggled to find their true self and fit into a world where they felt othered.” Further chapters on Jennifer Lien as Kes and Roxann Dawson as B’Elanna Torres (a character who inspired, among others, Andrea Boyd, “professional engineer, mining control system specialist, and International Space Station flight controller”) are handled sensitively and with great insight. The intelligence, grit and work ethic of Roxann Dawson, who has become a successful and celebrated director in her own right, come through in vivid and admirable colors.
While Enterprise’s treatment of women–why don't fans, Visitor genuinely wonders, cite T’Pol and Hoshi as inspirational characters?–didn’t seem to advance the cause, it does usefully anticipate an important truth Visitor shares towards the book’s end: “...what has been achieved can very quickly be taken away, and that all the accomplishments can be buried.” As TNG’s “The Drumhead” eloquently put it, “Vigilance […] that is the price we have to continually pay.” Indications of renewed forward movement can be seen in the chapters on Sonequa Martin-Green’s work as Michael Burnham, number one on the Discovery call sheet, and in the leadership role she assumed not just as her character, but in her taking on producer responsibilities by the fourth season, as well as via Sylvia Tilly having a “reverse-engineering effect” on actor Mary Wiseman. More gains are evident in Visitor’s interviews with Christina Chong, Melissa Navia, and Jess Bush (playing a new version of Nurse Chapel) from Strange New Worlds.
The “Inspired and Inspirational” section includes pages on Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, U. S. Army Chaplain Major Mel Baars O’Malley, and other women with remarkable stories of their own. Phrases used for personal motivation or to summon ethical courage, like “Do it for Beverly”, or “What would Guinan do?”, add personal pathos to these narratives of grand accomplishment. Visitor’s “Thank you,” as well as the text itself, mentions Jessica Nordell’s The End of Bias: A Beginning and Jess Zimmerman’s Women and Other Monsters, clearly transformative to Visitor and worth citing here. Credit is also due to Malea Clark-Nicholson for the book’s interior design; the layouts are tasteful and visually striking, the photographs and their legends tell their own story, and the whole book production is of superior quality. (I did notice the copyeditor let slip through a few minor repetitions, for example the duplication of the text starting with “As Laura Behr, physicist, ballet dancer, choreographer, and wife of Ira Steven Behr told me…” on separate pages, which can hopefully be emended in future editions).
Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek is alive not only by dint of the diverse voices it records, but by Nana’s lived framework of self-examination, and by her willingness to challenge herself with a variety of perspectives. It’s not hard to think of many other women of Trek, in front of and behind the cameras, who could contribute their intersectional truths to a second volume along similar lines: Alfre Woodard, who played Lily Sloane, for example, in First Contact; Zoe Saldana, the Kelvin timeline version of Nyota Uhura in recent films; Michelle Hurd, Alison Pill and Isa Briones from Picard, and countless others who have contributed to Trek’s vitality and success, such as Bjo Trimble, Lolita Fatjo, Denise Okuda, Kirsten Beyer, Gabrielle Beaumont, Dawn Velazquez, Maria Jacquemetton, Paula M. Block and Judith Reeves-Stevens. Visitor has shown the way. While in real life it can at times feel daunting to exemplify Trek’s aspirational values in a way that measurably brings us closer to Gene Rodenberry’s utopian vision, books like this provide a concrete example of how to inch towards that goal. This kind of striving also reaffirms our humanity. As Janeway herself said to Seven of Nine in “Day of Honor”: “Unexpected acts of kindness are common among our group. That’s one of the ways we define ourselves.”
Visitor appeared in all but two of the show’s 176 episodes, in itself a notable accomplishment. During these seven years she delivered knockout performances that, while memorable individually, accrue even greater luster when seen as pearls woven together to shape her character’s long-term arc, one of the richest and most satisfying on television. Yet, it’s the impressive work Visitor has done outside of her own acting that makes her book so remarkable.
Over the course of an Introduction, thirty-nine main chapters, a Conclusion, and a bonus “Inspired and Inspirational” section delving into some of the life stories of notable women who saw female Trek characters as role models, Visitor has simultaneously written a compelling mosaic history of a modern pop culture phenomenon fast approaching its sixtieth year, a well-researched chronicle of changing social values and attitudes related to gender, and a moving work of self-reflection. One of the book’s recurring questions, as she writes in the Introduction, is “What were the cultural currents flowing against women?” Part of Visitor’s work revolves around examining the “cultural amber” of each of the time periods she explores, from the early 1960s through the latest, still ongoing, productions. The farther back she peers, the seemingly easier the currents are to spot, though her own process of self-assessment adds fascinating interrogative layers along the way. While Visitor often has a clearly defined point of view, rooted in facts and documented accounts, she concludes her Introduction by saying: “There are too many women’s voices out there to think there won’t be different opinions on all of this. Writing the book has changed me in a palpable way, but this is only one woman’s eyes and ears on the subject. Think of it like this: I’m opening a channel. Let’s talk on the bandwidth that for me, through all these years, has started with a smile of recognition for each other.”
Starting with a general setting of the Trek stage, and offering some concise thoughts on women characters as depicted in original series episodes such as “Elaan of Troyius” (an admittedly atypical representation), “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, “Space Seed”, “Turnabout Intruder”, “The Cage”, and “Mudd’s Women”, Visitor introduces several concepts that prove important throughout, including that of performative sexuality, how women were actually lensed (and, later, whether or not they were given the same types of “hero shots” as their male counterparts), and where the emotional focus was drawn for viewers, namely the man’s experience or the woman’s. The significance of Nichelle Nichols’ iconic role as Lt. Uhura–which inspired astronaut Mae Jemison, politician Stacey Abrams, actor Whoopi Goldberg, and many, many others–, awarded its own chapter later, cannot be overstated and is rightfully mentioned repeatedly in the remainder of the book. In the volume’s early chapters Visitor explains how Lucille Ball not only owned and ran the studio that created Star Trek (and supported it through two pilots), but that Ball backed it as a candidate for reruns, thus helping to ensure its longevity. Visitor considers the women who appeared in the classic show as guest stars, relays thoughts shared by Andreea Kindryd, Gene L. Coon’s then assistant, and examines the significance of Dorothy Fontana’s numerous contributions. Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry and Grace Lee Whitney are also discussed in individual chapters.
The following main point of focus is The Next Generation–which almost never came to be, as Visitor notes, save for Lucie Salhany’s suggestion that it could be made for first-run syndication as opposed to straight network television. TNG was birthed in the 80s, and Visitor helpfully reminds us of what the times were like: “Popular TV offered us Designing Women, The Cosby Show, and L.A. Law. Oprah’s daytime talk show gave us women who questioned the patriarchy they lived in. More women were graduating college than ever before, and as a result, the Eighties saw a lot of progress for women. Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman on the Supreme Court, Geraldine Ferraro was nominated to run as a vice presidential candidate in 1984, and Sally Ride became the first American woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova had become the first woman in space, in 1963, but was not trained as an astronaut. It seems that this was a publicity opportunity for the Soviet Union).” This type of attention to historical detail is consistently helpful as Visitor moves through the decades. Her approach to TNG follows the pattern established with TOS: a general introduction and then dedicated deep-dives for each female lead, in this case Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, along with Majel-Barrett-Roddenberry in her second Trek incarnation, and Alice Krige. I enjoyed learning, among numerous other facts, that Tasha’s eulogy in “Skin of Evil” was written by Hannah Shearer.
When Visitor asked Gates McFadden what she wanted young people to learn from her, McFadden provided a beautiful response: “To find the strength to be the best of themselves, to not be held back by society, and to really look at themselves like a scientist. Why do I feel that way? Why does this upset me? Always remain curious, always wanting to learn.” This questioning spirit is later amplified by comments made by Mike McMahan, creator of Lower Decks, and several other interview subjects. Visitor often references the stereotypical categories women were placed in, as in for example, Denise Crosby’s “Female Warrior” box, and the difficulties in breaking beyond these externally-imposed limitations. When examining each character, Visitor provides a survey of their most important episodes, and probes the evolution of the character from their inception to their final appearances. The trajectories of Crusher and Troi make for excellent analyses, particularly in their relationships with other female characters. “Dark Page,” for instance––again, an episode written by a woman, in this case Hilary J. Bader–adds wonderful depth to Troi’s dynamic with her mother. Regarding Troi’s influence, Visitor remarks: “As I was writing this book, countless women came forward and told me that Troi’s calmness, kindness, and confidence inspired them to become therapists themselves. Counselor Troi is a large stone thrown into the global lake, whose positive ripple effect continues to this day.”
As we enter the franchise era in which Visitor herself became a series regular, we see the influx of other female perspectives in various production capacities, including those of Jeri Taylor, Lisa Klink, Wendy Neuss and Merri Howard. We learn of Visitor’s professional background, how she internalized certain assumptions about the kinds of roles she would get to play, and various personal lifelines, like her friendship with makeup artist Camille Calvert. Visitor uses the recounting of her early experiences, both in acting and her personal life, to think back on her own actions from a critical stance informed by her recent studies and re-evaluations, as for instance when she candidly says, “I would take it on as my responsibility to manage a man’s ego and make myself smaller, in order to be loved.” Visitor’s account of her transition from film to television, the direct result of negative experiences at the hands of men, including extreme verbal denigration and sexual assault by a director, is disturbing. Her later kidnapping, rape, and trial participation while in the midst of DS9 are viscerally difficult material, told in an unvarnished way. How challenging it must have been for Visitor to articulate these experiences as she does; kudos to her strength and vulnerability, as well as for modeling a behavior that could help inspire others tell their own stories. Pertaining to DS9, Visitor observes that it was making Terry Farrel’s Dax an alien that gave the character, as with Kira, full human experiences. “Star Trek allows aliens to be the leads of their own stories,” Visitor writes. “Since most of us feel like aliens at one point or another in our lives, this is a very hopeful message.” Mentions of nurturing relationships between women, such as the mentorship of Penny Johnson Jerald, who played Kassidy Yates, by Sally Feinstein, add another positive note.
Visitor’s astuteness, and deep engagement with her material, continue to shine through in her coverage of Voyager, with Kate Mulgrew’s pivotal portrayal of Captain Janeway inspiring legions of girls to later become scientists working for NASA or the ESA. Visitor makes frequent reference to the Bechdel test, as when for instance she talks about scenes between Kira and Dax on DS9, or Janeway and Seven of Nine on VOY; it’s a useful marker to measure progress from series to series. Janeway’s maternal role with Seven of Nine is grounded in plenty of episode specifics, and Seven herself is described in a truly eye-opening way: “an avatar many different groups of people could claim as their own in the same way that Spock, Data, and Dax were, but maybe for even a wider group: She was an abused child; she was a survivor of trauma; she was a victim of a cult; she was queer; she was neurodiverse; she was every woman who has been valued for her appearance but is so much more; she was anyone who struggled to find their true self and fit into a world where they felt othered.” Further chapters on Jennifer Lien as Kes and Roxann Dawson as B’Elanna Torres (a character who inspired, among others, Andrea Boyd, “professional engineer, mining control system specialist, and International Space Station flight controller”) are handled sensitively and with great insight. The intelligence, grit and work ethic of Roxann Dawson, who has become a successful and celebrated director in her own right, come through in vivid and admirable colors.
While Enterprise’s treatment of women–why don't fans, Visitor genuinely wonders, cite T’Pol and Hoshi as inspirational characters?–didn’t seem to advance the cause, it does usefully anticipate an important truth Visitor shares towards the book’s end: “...what has been achieved can very quickly be taken away, and that all the accomplishments can be buried.” As TNG’s “The Drumhead” eloquently put it, “Vigilance […] that is the price we have to continually pay.” Indications of renewed forward movement can be seen in the chapters on Sonequa Martin-Green’s work as Michael Burnham, number one on the Discovery call sheet, and in the leadership role she assumed not just as her character, but in her taking on producer responsibilities by the fourth season, as well as via Sylvia Tilly having a “reverse-engineering effect” on actor Mary Wiseman. More gains are evident in Visitor’s interviews with Christina Chong, Melissa Navia, and Jess Bush (playing a new version of Nurse Chapel) from Strange New Worlds.
The “Inspired and Inspirational” section includes pages on Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, U. S. Army Chaplain Major Mel Baars O’Malley, and other women with remarkable stories of their own. Phrases used for personal motivation or to summon ethical courage, like “Do it for Beverly”, or “What would Guinan do?”, add personal pathos to these narratives of grand accomplishment. Visitor’s “Thank you,” as well as the text itself, mentions Jessica Nordell’s The End of Bias: A Beginning and Jess Zimmerman’s Women and Other Monsters, clearly transformative to Visitor and worth citing here. Credit is also due to Malea Clark-Nicholson for the book’s interior design; the layouts are tasteful and visually striking, the photographs and their legends tell their own story, and the whole book production is of superior quality. (I did notice the copyeditor let slip through a few minor repetitions, for example the duplication of the text starting with “As Laura Behr, physicist, ballet dancer, choreographer, and wife of Ira Steven Behr told me…” on separate pages, which can hopefully be emended in future editions).
Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman’s Trek is alive not only by dint of the diverse voices it records, but by Nana’s lived framework of self-examination, and by her willingness to challenge herself with a variety of perspectives. It’s not hard to think of many other women of Trek, in front of and behind the cameras, who could contribute their intersectional truths to a second volume along similar lines: Alfre Woodard, who played Lily Sloane, for example, in First Contact; Zoe Saldana, the Kelvin timeline version of Nyota Uhura in recent films; Michelle Hurd, Alison Pill and Isa Briones from Picard, and countless others who have contributed to Trek’s vitality and success, such as Bjo Trimble, Lolita Fatjo, Denise Okuda, Kirsten Beyer, Gabrielle Beaumont, Dawn Velazquez, Maria Jacquemetton, Paula M. Block and Judith Reeves-Stevens. Visitor has shown the way. While in real life it can at times feel daunting to exemplify Trek’s aspirational values in a way that measurably brings us closer to Gene Rodenberry’s utopian vision, books like this provide a concrete example of how to inch towards that goal. This kind of striving also reaffirms our humanity. As Janeway herself said to Seven of Nine in “Day of Honor”: “Unexpected acts of kindness are common among our group. That’s one of the ways we define ourselves.”
October 7, 2024
'Star Trek' has existed in one shape or form for almost sixty years and, in this interesting book, Nana Visitor looks at how the role of female characters has evolved over three distinct generations.
Confidently written, this not only works for media studies but also gender studies, as well as being partly biographical.
Recommended.
Confidently written, this not only works for media studies but also gender studies, as well as being partly biographical.
Recommended.
October 10, 2024
Obviously, this is a book intended for Star Trek fans. But it's an illuminating view of the changes in the profession of acting for women in series television.
This book seems half memoir, half interviewing and reporting of other women who have acted in the Star Trek franchise. It's a lot more memoir than I expected, which is not a bad thing but it isn't packaged that way. Just so you know.
Nana Visitor played Major Kira on Deep Space Nine, and recounts her own acting history and how she got the job. It's the strongest role she was ever offered and she knew it, nervous for awhile that she would be fired because her strong character didn't sit well with many fans. But others loved it, and she worked well with her colleagues.
The book is mainly structured in separate chapters focusing on each woman and her role. It's a lot of insider information that is catnip to Star Trek fans. Unfortunately, Visitor was unable to interview a few of the women and so has to rely on secondary sources that are probably already known to ardent fans. She covers the entire TV franchise from the original show in the 1960s to the most recently aired series (including the animated 'Lower Decks'). So it covers over 50 years of TV history of a single franchise.
The book is enhanced with a number of good photographs, mostly of the actors in character. They aren't intrusive but add to the interest, especially if you are unfamiliar with some of the actors as I am with some of the most recent shows.
On the memoir side, Visitor talks about working in the business starting in the 1970s, and how it used to be. The exploitation and intimidation was severe if not too surprising. Visitor seemed to be on the cusp of the change with DS9 in the early 1990s, and marvels at the progress for women in the past decade or so, as represented by the experience of those women in the shows. It's still Hollywood, but it's apparently better. In a world where many women have become producers, directors and writers, Visitor ascribes much of the change to that change in leadership which ended the reign of men who came of age in the early or middle 20th century.
In addition to dealing with the harshness of the treatment of women in her early career, Visitor recounts her harrowing experience of being kidnapped and raped while she was working on the series (but unconnected with the series so far as I can tell). She has told this story already on podcasts, but readers should be aware that there is a very difficult section of the book, but an honest one, that Visitor includes.
This book seems half memoir, half interviewing and reporting of other women who have acted in the Star Trek franchise. It's a lot more memoir than I expected, which is not a bad thing but it isn't packaged that way. Just so you know.
Nana Visitor played Major Kira on Deep Space Nine, and recounts her own acting history and how she got the job. It's the strongest role she was ever offered and she knew it, nervous for awhile that she would be fired because her strong character didn't sit well with many fans. But others loved it, and she worked well with her colleagues.
The book is mainly structured in separate chapters focusing on each woman and her role. It's a lot of insider information that is catnip to Star Trek fans. Unfortunately, Visitor was unable to interview a few of the women and so has to rely on secondary sources that are probably already known to ardent fans. She covers the entire TV franchise from the original show in the 1960s to the most recently aired series (including the animated 'Lower Decks'). So it covers over 50 years of TV history of a single franchise.
The book is enhanced with a number of good photographs, mostly of the actors in character. They aren't intrusive but add to the interest, especially if you are unfamiliar with some of the actors as I am with some of the most recent shows.
On the memoir side, Visitor talks about working in the business starting in the 1970s, and how it used to be. The exploitation and intimidation was severe if not too surprising. Visitor seemed to be on the cusp of the change with DS9 in the early 1990s, and marvels at the progress for women in the past decade or so, as represented by the experience of those women in the shows. It's still Hollywood, but it's apparently better. In a world where many women have become producers, directors and writers, Visitor ascribes much of the change to that change in leadership which ended the reign of men who came of age in the early or middle 20th century.
In addition to dealing with the harshness of the treatment of women in her early career, Visitor recounts her harrowing experience of being kidnapped and raped while she was working on the series (but unconnected with the series so far as I can tell). She has told this story already on podcasts, but readers should be aware that there is a very difficult section of the book, but an honest one, that Visitor includes.
June 1, 2025
[3.5/5] This large book is an exploration of the women who have been involved in Star Trek. Written by Deep Space Nine actor Nana Visitor (who, on that show, portrayed one of my favourite fictional characters in anything I've ever seen), it attempts to examine the industry around Trek and its treatment of women over the decades. It doesn't hold back on some shocking material, including the expectation of sexual favours and rape.
But it also highlights the changes that time has brought, how female actors have a lot more agency now than they once did. Visitor interviews a vast number of women who appeared on the various shows and they all have stories to tell. Some of them are empowering, but a sadly large amount of them are heart-breaking. Even into the 1990s and 2000s, the actresses on the Star Trek shows were expected to be defined by their attractiveness and to do as they're told, whereas the male actors had a lot more freedom and creative input.
The book itself has some issues. Mostly, its format lets it down. This is a text-heavy and detailed book which is presented in a large coffee-table format. This makes it hard to read, physically. For the amount of reading required, holding the book isn't much fun and the layout of the text is actually quite tiring to get through. I'm not sure if the separate sections divided by series and then by actor were quite the right approach.
I'd have liked this much more as a standard paperback with fewer, if any, pictures. Visitor's writing is heartfelt and powerful, but I can't help but wonder if something went a bit awry in the editing phase, because at several points she repeats herself with paragraphs that are almost word-for-word the same as a few pages before.
But it also highlights the changes that time has brought, how female actors have a lot more agency now than they once did. Visitor interviews a vast number of women who appeared on the various shows and they all have stories to tell. Some of them are empowering, but a sadly large amount of them are heart-breaking. Even into the 1990s and 2000s, the actresses on the Star Trek shows were expected to be defined by their attractiveness and to do as they're told, whereas the male actors had a lot more freedom and creative input.
The book itself has some issues. Mostly, its format lets it down. This is a text-heavy and detailed book which is presented in a large coffee-table format. This makes it hard to read, physically. For the amount of reading required, holding the book isn't much fun and the layout of the text is actually quite tiring to get through. I'm not sure if the separate sections divided by series and then by actor were quite the right approach.
I'd have liked this much more as a standard paperback with fewer, if any, pictures. Visitor's writing is heartfelt and powerful, but I can't help but wonder if something went a bit awry in the editing phase, because at several points she repeats herself with paragraphs that are almost word-for-word the same as a few pages before.
October 11, 2025
Lovely treatise on the portrayal of women in the various Star Trek series over the years. Fun interviews and cool insights. Nice to look at something that's so familiar, but through a feminist lens. The prose isn't the greatest, but I really enjoyed the content
December 20, 2025
I heard about this book at a Star Trek convention, and I’m really glad I was able to get my hands on a copy. Nana Visitor, who played Major Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, takes a closer look at important female characters from the various Star Trek TV shows. She does so through the lens of her own career as an actor.
Star Trek really does stand apart as a franchise that has included strong women (and others usually shut out by white men, but this book focuses on women). It was amazing to read about all the real people who were inspired by these characters. Visitor often brings up the Bechdel test, and I’ve never really thought about it in context with Star Trek because so many scenes pass. The book is as much memoir as it is a catalog of the women of Star Trek. It’s also a little uneven because Visitor was not able to interview everyone she wanted. (She wasn’t able to talk to Michelle Yeoh about Captain Philippa Georgiou, for example.)
Star Trek: Voyager used to take a lot of flak, and I was really happy to read the sections about the characters on that show, especially B’Elanna Torres. Visitor doesn’t shy away from characters who weren’t allowed to shine, like Grace Whitney’s Janice Rand, Jennifer Lien’s Kes, and Linda Park’s Hoshi Sato.
If you are a Star Trek fan or if you enjoy learning about influential women in pop culture, I recommend Star Trek: Open a Channel.
Star Trek really does stand apart as a franchise that has included strong women (and others usually shut out by white men, but this book focuses on women). It was amazing to read about all the real people who were inspired by these characters. Visitor often brings up the Bechdel test, and I’ve never really thought about it in context with Star Trek because so many scenes pass. The book is as much memoir as it is a catalog of the women of Star Trek. It’s also a little uneven because Visitor was not able to interview everyone she wanted. (She wasn’t able to talk to Michelle Yeoh about Captain Philippa Georgiou, for example.)
Star Trek: Voyager used to take a lot of flak, and I was really happy to read the sections about the characters on that show, especially B’Elanna Torres. Visitor doesn’t shy away from characters who weren’t allowed to shine, like Grace Whitney’s Janice Rand, Jennifer Lien’s Kes, and Linda Park’s Hoshi Sato.
If you are a Star Trek fan or if you enjoy learning about influential women in pop culture, I recommend Star Trek: Open a Channel.
Read
October 23, 2024OK, another book that I picked up because Matt Colville mentioned it. I probably wouldn't have read a book on this topic written by anyone other than Nana Visitor--the actor of the best woman character (Kira Nerys) on the best Star Trek show (DS9). Visitor talks about the major woman characters in Trek shows over the years, often but not always via interviews with their actors. (The facts of which actors did and did not talk with her is itself kind of interesting.) So the book also doubles as a sort of history of being a woman actor in TV-Hollywood, 1960s to the present. The main takeaway for me was mostly how little the industry's sexism problems had improved by the 1990s. It's an issue that I didn't think about when I was a kid watching the shows, and obviously Me Too only happened in the 2010s, so it shouldn't be a surprise, but it kind of was. Visitor acknowledges some positive steps taken by the original Trek, DS9, and Voyager, but highlights that the problematic aspects really stuck around until Discovery in 2017.
I did skip the sections for shows I haven't watched any of (Enterprise, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds), but appreciated the sections on the other shows. If I could change one thing about the book, I wish Visitor had spent more time on her own experience as an actor on DS9.
I did skip the sections for shows I haven't watched any of (Enterprise, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds), but appreciated the sections on the other shows. If I could change one thing about the book, I wish Visitor had spent more time on her own experience as an actor on DS9.
April 24, 2025
Fantastisk bok för alla oss Trekkers. Så oerhört välskriven och informativ. Framförallt kul att läsa. Och det är guld värt med en bok som hyllar och belyser alla kvinnor, somliga mer än andra men ingen nämnd så ingen glömd, som är en sådan stor del av allt som gör Star Trek bra. Väldigt intressant inblick i hur det är att spela en karaktär i dom olika serierna och även en inblick och personliga anekdoter om deras upplevelse. Man väjer inte heller för att ta upp en del problematik som uppstår när man som kvinna ska ta för sig i ett annars rätt så mansdominerande yrke. Jag kan varmt rekommendera att man läser den här boken om man gillar Star Trek rent generellt och om du, likt mig själv, har flera favoriter bland dom olika kvinnliga skådespelarna som på ett eller annat sätt har figurerat i en eller annan av serierna, så är det här en bladslukare som är svårt att lägga ifrån sig.
February 4, 2025
Impressively sized book written impressively about the impressive women of Trek and their lasting impressions. #LLAP 🖖✨
November 20, 2024
Nana interviewed many Trek women and told their stories. It's too bad the publishers wanted such a short book. If it was longer Nana could have included actual quotes from her guests. As it was we got a limited view of each guest. I would have liked to know more about each woman.
It was a very compelling book. The stories were great.
It was a very compelling book. The stories were great.
January 9, 2026
If you are a Star Trek fan or a fan of women, mandatory read.
If you are not a fan of either of those, mandatory read.
If you are not a fan of either of those, mandatory read.
May 9, 2025
I love Star Trek, have witnessed conversations over the years about whether it was too "woke", the evolution of the property from syndicated TV that was parodied (and still is!) to moving into the streaming era. In this book, Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) talks about the history of women in Star Trek and how they've changed and evolved. In a mix of memoir, interviews, character profiles, this is a fun overview.
Going in chronological order, Visitor breaks down the various major women characters who were on the bridge and/or had a significant role (so Uhura and Number One for TOS and then Troi, Crusher and Yar for TNG, etc.), etc. We even get a profile of Lucille Ball, who was instrumental to the survival of the original series. Each character gets a profile plus details of what went into the role by the women who played them. I don't know if there are insights that aren't already known (I enjoy the shows but wouldn't consider myself an expert) but it was fun and interesting to see all these women in a collection like this.
At the same time, there are some disappointments. Not all of the women were willing to talk to Visitor (which she respects and is gracious about it because she understands the reasons) and some were not available. I was pleased to see even people like Roxann Dawson appear to have given at least some info, as I understand she has moved on from Star Trek. And there are certainly some painful and awful moments: sexual harassment and assault was common (Visitor shares her own experience, although it was unrelated to DS9). Sexism and misogyny unfortunately affected the final products (Gates McFadden leaving TNG, Kate Mulgrew and the other cast members not being told *why* Seven of Nine was being added in the catsuit, ENT's women getting less development because the creators felt they had done that already with VOY, etc.).
I was also extremely disappointed that neither Star Trek: Picard nor Star Trek: Prodigy were covered (it would have been super fascinating to read what the younger actors had to say! I wanted to know more about what McFadden felt about expanding Crusher's character in PIC vs. TNG! PRO might have been too recent/late and Visitor already writing this book but it was a missed opportunity. Would also say that as a book the writing sometimes isn't great and what kept me going was my interest. While I think this would have benefited from a ghostwriter or co-writer, I also respect that this might have been something Visitor wanted to do as her own.
Overall, though, it is worth your time. You can see how Star Trek has adapted and evolved when it comes to portraying women (and any other group but this is very much about women in Trek) through these profiles and as mentioned, it was great to see a book like this: I would love to see something similar for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ representation, etc. (although to be fair they might be shorter books and/or open conversations that maybe many aren't ready to have).
If you love Star Trek and are interested in the topic of the women of Trek and how they've changed and evolved with the times, this would be a great book. If you're just a casual fan (maybe you only like the streaming era of Trek or only TOS, etc.) then you can always check out the specific profiles (which are chronological by show) by the library or whatever. I borrowed this from the library and that was fine (I really wanted to read it) but it might make for a fantastic gift for the Trekkie in your life.
Going in chronological order, Visitor breaks down the various major women characters who were on the bridge and/or had a significant role (so Uhura and Number One for TOS and then Troi, Crusher and Yar for TNG, etc.), etc. We even get a profile of Lucille Ball, who was instrumental to the survival of the original series. Each character gets a profile plus details of what went into the role by the women who played them. I don't know if there are insights that aren't already known (I enjoy the shows but wouldn't consider myself an expert) but it was fun and interesting to see all these women in a collection like this.
At the same time, there are some disappointments. Not all of the women were willing to talk to Visitor (which she respects and is gracious about it because she understands the reasons) and some were not available. I was pleased to see even people like Roxann Dawson appear to have given at least some info, as I understand she has moved on from Star Trek. And there are certainly some painful and awful moments: sexual harassment and assault was common (Visitor shares her own experience, although it was unrelated to DS9). Sexism and misogyny unfortunately affected the final products (Gates McFadden leaving TNG, Kate Mulgrew and the other cast members not being told *why* Seven of Nine was being added in the catsuit, ENT's women getting less development because the creators felt they had done that already with VOY, etc.).
I was also extremely disappointed that neither Star Trek: Picard nor Star Trek: Prodigy were covered (it would have been super fascinating to read what the younger actors had to say! I wanted to know more about what McFadden felt about expanding Crusher's character in PIC vs. TNG! PRO might have been too recent/late and Visitor already writing this book but it was a missed opportunity. Would also say that as a book the writing sometimes isn't great and what kept me going was my interest. While I think this would have benefited from a ghostwriter or co-writer, I also respect that this might have been something Visitor wanted to do as her own.
Overall, though, it is worth your time. You can see how Star Trek has adapted and evolved when it comes to portraying women (and any other group but this is very much about women in Trek) through these profiles and as mentioned, it was great to see a book like this: I would love to see something similar for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ representation, etc. (although to be fair they might be shorter books and/or open conversations that maybe many aren't ready to have).
If you love Star Trek and are interested in the topic of the women of Trek and how they've changed and evolved with the times, this would be a great book. If you're just a casual fan (maybe you only like the streaming era of Trek or only TOS, etc.) then you can always check out the specific profiles (which are chronological by show) by the library or whatever. I borrowed this from the library and that was fine (I really wanted to read it) but it might make for a fantastic gift for the Trekkie in your life.
October 14, 2025
I have to admit, I stopped reading after the DS9 chapters. While I'm a bit curious how the representation of women, and the creative opportunities and basic respect due actresses, has evolved over the last couple decades in the context of the Star Trek universe, in the end, my overall lack of awareness of Star Trek made this a little bit of a slow burn for me.
See, here's the thing - I've watched most of the Trek films, (TOS 1-4, TNG 1-4, reboot 1-3), largely because I've historically been friends with tons of Trekkies and I've watched the films with them, but despite my friends' best efforts, I've only successfully been indoctrinated into one Trek TV series. Yeah, I've seen random episodes of TOS, TNG, and Voyager, but I can't say I ever cared much for any of them. Yeah, they mean well, but they've always been a bit clunky and I've never been able to generate the interest in seeing more.
Then came DS9. Holy shit! See, the thing that is "wrong" about DS9 for Star Trek is EXACTLY what makes it such a compelling show. They don't interact with a species, change something, and RUN THE FUCK AWAY TO NEVER DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. No, the people on Deep Space 9 stay there and live in their decisions for seven full years. It's endlessly compelling. I've watched the entire DS9 series through three times, while I've probably watched less than a single season of TOS, TNG, and Voyager COMBINED.
So look, I really appreciate what Visitor is doing here. And she does it very well. The interview details are compelling and well framed. Her own story is devastating. (I had NO idea. I know little of any of these actors outside this series.) I enjoyed reading the accounts from the DS9 women. I read through the accounts from the TOS and TNG women as well, although a lot of it went over my head. I simply have no awareness of the episodes being described, but I'm at least aware of the characters conceptually. Voyager ... I mean, I might've seen two episodes ever. Maybe three? And the post-Voyager shows, I'm just totally clueless, so yeah, I would up closing the book after DS9, because I just have no frame of reference for those characters/actresses or the stories they participated in. I'm interested in how the experience of women has changed, but I just don't have enough concept of or interest in those series to follow the narrative.
All that ambling said, Visitor does a strong job walking through how these women's characters are portrayed and how the women themselves struggle with the sexist challenges of the film industry. Definitely recommended (I did give four stars), particularly for Trek fans and anyone interested in the intersection of feminism and the entertainment/film business.
See, here's the thing - I've watched most of the Trek films, (TOS 1-4, TNG 1-4, reboot 1-3), largely because I've historically been friends with tons of Trekkies and I've watched the films with them, but despite my friends' best efforts, I've only successfully been indoctrinated into one Trek TV series. Yeah, I've seen random episodes of TOS, TNG, and Voyager, but I can't say I ever cared much for any of them. Yeah, they mean well, but they've always been a bit clunky and I've never been able to generate the interest in seeing more.
Then came DS9. Holy shit! See, the thing that is "wrong" about DS9 for Star Trek is EXACTLY what makes it such a compelling show. They don't interact with a species, change something, and RUN THE FUCK AWAY TO NEVER DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. No, the people on Deep Space 9 stay there and live in their decisions for seven full years. It's endlessly compelling. I've watched the entire DS9 series through three times, while I've probably watched less than a single season of TOS, TNG, and Voyager COMBINED.
So look, I really appreciate what Visitor is doing here. And she does it very well. The interview details are compelling and well framed. Her own story is devastating. (I had NO idea. I know little of any of these actors outside this series.) I enjoyed reading the accounts from the DS9 women. I read through the accounts from the TOS and TNG women as well, although a lot of it went over my head. I simply have no awareness of the episodes being described, but I'm at least aware of the characters conceptually. Voyager ... I mean, I might've seen two episodes ever. Maybe three? And the post-Voyager shows, I'm just totally clueless, so yeah, I would up closing the book after DS9, because I just have no frame of reference for those characters/actresses or the stories they participated in. I'm interested in how the experience of women has changed, but I just don't have enough concept of or interest in those series to follow the narrative.
All that ambling said, Visitor does a strong job walking through how these women's characters are portrayed and how the women themselves struggle with the sexist challenges of the film industry. Definitely recommended (I did give four stars), particularly for Trek fans and anyone interested in the intersection of feminism and the entertainment/film business.
October 24, 2024
I think this book is essential reading for anyone who cares about Star Trek, anyone who wants a highly-focused look at how attitudes toward women as characters and in the working world of television production has shifted during and since the 1960's, and/or anyone who sneers at feminism, diversity, and equity.
Gene Roddenberry set out to create a vision of the future in which equality was assumed: equality of race, species, and gender. The fact that the original Star Trek was created and financed in the 1960's compromised his vision, but it has always been part of Star Trek's DNA. Nana Visitor's deep and insightful assessment of Star Trek's female characters - both primary cast and guest stars - is illuminating, and her conversations with the women who played them are even more so. I've been watching Star Trek since I was an adolescent, and I kept getting new insights and learning new things.
Nana Visitor is slightly older than I am, but we are close enough in age for me to have had a similar experience first existing blindly within and then slowly coming to awareness of the biases against women in our culture as well as the vectors of privilege. Visitor shares her own personal and professional story as her life unfolds in parallel with Star Trek, unflinchingly revealing some truly horrendous experiences and the previous limitations of her perspectives.
Reading the chapters about "Discovery" and "Lower Decks" was a joyous experience, highlighting how very far Star Trek has come, not just in its storytelling but also as a workplace. The chapter after that, in which Visitor shares the stories of women whose lives were shaped by Star Trek is deeply moving and inspirational.
If you care about Star Trek, you should read this book.
Gene Roddenberry set out to create a vision of the future in which equality was assumed: equality of race, species, and gender. The fact that the original Star Trek was created and financed in the 1960's compromised his vision, but it has always been part of Star Trek's DNA. Nana Visitor's deep and insightful assessment of Star Trek's female characters - both primary cast and guest stars - is illuminating, and her conversations with the women who played them are even more so. I've been watching Star Trek since I was an adolescent, and I kept getting new insights and learning new things.
Nana Visitor is slightly older than I am, but we are close enough in age for me to have had a similar experience first existing blindly within and then slowly coming to awareness of the biases against women in our culture as well as the vectors of privilege. Visitor shares her own personal and professional story as her life unfolds in parallel with Star Trek, unflinchingly revealing some truly horrendous experiences and the previous limitations of her perspectives.
Reading the chapters about "Discovery" and "Lower Decks" was a joyous experience, highlighting how very far Star Trek has come, not just in its storytelling but also as a workplace. The chapter after that, in which Visitor shares the stories of women whose lives were shaped by Star Trek is deeply moving and inspirational.
If you care about Star Trek, you should read this book.
February 13, 2025
This was an amazing read.
Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys herself, goes through all the Star Trek shows from the 60s to Strange New Worlds and looks at the women in all of them. One aspect is, of course, the characters in the context of the times the shows were made in, but also the actresses and the world they played these characters in. She does not mince words here. There is a lot to be seen critically. And some of it is downright horrifying. But there is also a lot that stood out at the respective times. And over the decades, while there are still lots of problems, true progress in how women are portrayed and how the actresses were treated can be seen in these chapters. I have been watching Star Trek since TNG premiered and I was in my teens and twenties for the golden age of 90s Trek. From todays point of view I can absolutely see many of the issues. But I don't think I was very aware of them at the time. We are all formed by the times we live in and Nana Visitor says repeatedly that she herself often discovered only much later, that certain things were not okay, just because it is "just what happens".
And what really brought this home for me was the "open channel" at the end. The impact that many of these characters had and have is part of the discussion throughout the book, but here several women outside of Star Trek get to tell, what role it played in their life. There it is easy to see: With all these problems and challenges with how women were portrayed, Star Trek still often was ahead of what other media did and managed to be a guiding light to many. It is easy to see how Uhura had a huge impact. Or Janeway. But there are many more stories of women who took to different characters for different reasons. And that made happy.
Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys herself, goes through all the Star Trek shows from the 60s to Strange New Worlds and looks at the women in all of them. One aspect is, of course, the characters in the context of the times the shows were made in, but also the actresses and the world they played these characters in. She does not mince words here. There is a lot to be seen critically. And some of it is downright horrifying. But there is also a lot that stood out at the respective times. And over the decades, while there are still lots of problems, true progress in how women are portrayed and how the actresses were treated can be seen in these chapters. I have been watching Star Trek since TNG premiered and I was in my teens and twenties for the golden age of 90s Trek. From todays point of view I can absolutely see many of the issues. But I don't think I was very aware of them at the time. We are all formed by the times we live in and Nana Visitor says repeatedly that she herself often discovered only much later, that certain things were not okay, just because it is "just what happens".
And what really brought this home for me was the "open channel" at the end. The impact that many of these characters had and have is part of the discussion throughout the book, but here several women outside of Star Trek get to tell, what role it played in their life. There it is easy to see: With all these problems and challenges with how women were portrayed, Star Trek still often was ahead of what other media did and managed to be a guiding light to many. It is easy to see how Uhura had a huge impact. Or Janeway. But there are many more stories of women who took to different characters for different reasons. And that made happy.
October 13, 2024
When we look at Star Trek, it's easy to simply pat it on the back for all the progress it made. But this book is grounding and reminds readers that even with progress, things were not always perfect. Behind the scenes, there were people who did and said awful things that fed into the normalcy that was instilled. Over time, women have had to fight for better. Nana Visitor goes character by character, going over strengths and where things could have been done better storywise. There were some tidbits I was not fully aware of. And during the DS9 portion of the book, Visitor opens up about a time when she survived a kidnapping and SA. It was a tough read, but to be able to share her experience is bold. Some might question its inclusion, but I think it helps illustrate the struggles of women at large, which this book touches on very much. Visitor does acknowledge there were a couple others she didn't get to speak to for the book, but I think she did a great job putting this all together. It makes one grateful that things have gotten better, and hopeful that things will continue to get better.
November 24, 2024
Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek show, and Kira Nerys is any extremely important character to me. When I read that Nana Visitor, the actor who plays Kira, would be writing a book on all the women characters in Star Trek, I knew it would be a must-read.
From interviews I’ve watched of Nana, I know her to be a thoughtful, deliberate, and compassionate person. She brings all of those qualities to her writing in this book. Nana eloquently combines character analysis with cultural analysis to show how these women characters and their actors were shaped by the social values of their times. Reading this book, it’s both distressing to hear the horrible and objectifying experiences these women actors experienced in the earlier shows, and uplifting to see clear proof that attitudes towards women have changed so dramatically for the better in the recent Trek productions. I also loved the last chapter highlighting women Star Trek fans, and how these shows have influenced their lives.
It’s clear that Nana put so much careful thought, research, and reflection into this project, and I’m so proud of what she and this book have accomplished.
From interviews I’ve watched of Nana, I know her to be a thoughtful, deliberate, and compassionate person. She brings all of those qualities to her writing in this book. Nana eloquently combines character analysis with cultural analysis to show how these women characters and their actors were shaped by the social values of their times. Reading this book, it’s both distressing to hear the horrible and objectifying experiences these women actors experienced in the earlier shows, and uplifting to see clear proof that attitudes towards women have changed so dramatically for the better in the recent Trek productions. I also loved the last chapter highlighting women Star Trek fans, and how these shows have influenced their lives.
It’s clear that Nana put so much careful thought, research, and reflection into this project, and I’m so proud of what she and this book have accomplished.
January 30, 2025
I finally finished a book! Hooray, me!
Now, anyone who knows me know that I'm a huge Trekkie. So when I was able to learn more about Star Trek (especially the good stuff) from a woman's perspective, I was all for it.
Nana Visitor takes you through the years starting from the beginning to unfortunately Nu Trek. I loved reading about each woman's journey especially the stuff from the 60s and 80s. The only down side is that she couldn't get new interviews so she had to write chapters based on previous interviews.
But that's not the only problem.
The strength AND weakness of this book is that it's a memoir, it's an interview, and it's a history lesson. I would have preferred it mainly focus on one of them. Like I would have loved reading a book about Visitor's life. It probably would have been like I Am Spock, which I enjoyed. Conversely, I would have also enjoyed reading (or maybe watching) a interview book about all the women in Trek.
That said, it's not a bad book but it's not as strong as it could have been.
Here's to DS9, the best Trek, and to Kira Nerys: terrorist, freedom fighter, religious follower, commander, fighter, warrior, and lover.
Now, anyone who knows me know that I'm a huge Trekkie. So when I was able to learn more about Star Trek (especially the good stuff) from a woman's perspective, I was all for it.
Nana Visitor takes you through the years starting from the beginning to unfortunately Nu Trek. I loved reading about each woman's journey especially the stuff from the 60s and 80s. The only down side is that she couldn't get new interviews so she had to write chapters based on previous interviews.
But that's not the only problem.
The strength AND weakness of this book is that it's a memoir, it's an interview, and it's a history lesson. I would have preferred it mainly focus on one of them. Like I would have loved reading a book about Visitor's life. It probably would have been like I Am Spock, which I enjoyed. Conversely, I would have also enjoyed reading (or maybe watching) a interview book about all the women in Trek.
That said, it's not a bad book but it's not as strong as it could have been.
Here's to DS9, the best Trek, and to Kira Nerys: terrorist, freedom fighter, religious follower, commander, fighter, warrior, and lover.
October 10, 2024
Wow. I knew Nana would create something amazing when this book was announced, but I was even more impressed when I held this work in my hands. All the stories were excellent, Nana's writing is incredible, the pictures, the work and research put into this. All incredible. I especially loved the stories from the women who weren't actors in Star Trek, who were influenced by the female characters to find careers in STEM. How inspiring that these real people were so inspired by this franchise, that it shaped their career choices. I loved that Nana reached out for interviews with the actresses across the entire franchise, from the original series to Voyager to Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, and Discovery. I loved reading her story and about her process in her own words. Thank you, Nana, for this contribution to Star Trek, for this gift you've given the fans, and for the inspiration, always.
January 14, 2025
Wonderful book!! I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Star Trek! It was very interesting and provided a glimpse into the experiences of women in trek and how that has changed throughout the years. Nana Visitor does a great job juxtaposing the experience of women in trek as well as the episode content with the eras they were released in and what was "normal" at the time.
Honestly, I'd have loved it if she were able to talk to even more people because it felt like the later series (Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks) were a little under covered considering they all have a LOT more women at the forefront. Which interestingly was a point she definitely made, so it was surprising that she only was able to speak to a few people.
Overall, it was a captivating and insightful read, which I very much enjoyed. I finished it in a few hours over a few days!
Honestly, I'd have loved it if she were able to talk to even more people because it felt like the later series (Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks) were a little under covered considering they all have a LOT more women at the forefront. Which interestingly was a point she definitely made, so it was surprising that she only was able to speak to a few people.
Overall, it was a captivating and insightful read, which I very much enjoyed. I finished it in a few hours over a few days!
January 14, 2025
Just finished **Star Trek: Open a Channel: A Woman's Trek** by Nana Visitor (aka Major Kira from Deep Space Nine) -- it's a look at the women of Star Trek and how the actors were shaped by their times, as well as how they helped shape how women perceive themselves. She interviewed nearly all of the main players and shared her own experience extensively (including a horrifying B&E/kidnapping and assault). Not surprisingly, Visitor approaches the topic from a third wave feminist viewpoint, with a focus on the women of color as well as the queer-coded (and actual queer) characters - starting with TOS through SNW, and yes, Upper Decks is included, but not Star Trek:Prodigy, which is a shame. It's a fascinating read, and has definitely given me some food for thought.
December 21, 2024
This is a big book, so I thought it would take me weeks to read. Instead, I could not put it down and finished in just one. My family is tired of me saying, “I’m reading a book about Star Trek!” It’s just so good though! I was pleasantly surprised to see she gets to Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds too.
Star Trek has not been perfect, but has done so much to help us look forward in our culture—how to see things differently, through the eyes of someone other than yourself and people like you. And that’s what Nana does in the book. It gives us insight into all the series through the eyes of women—the actors, fans, and Nana herself.
Star Trek has not been perfect, but has done so much to help us look forward in our culture—how to see things differently, through the eyes of someone other than yourself and people like you. And that’s what Nana does in the book. It gives us insight into all the series through the eyes of women—the actors, fans, and Nana herself.
January 13, 2026
Nana Visitor's book STAR TREK: OPEN A CHANNEL: A WOMAN'S TREK is a fascinating but depressing read for those who love the franchise. Basically, it shows the progress of the role of women in the franchise from the original series to Lower Decks. Frankly, some of the stories are horrifying as we learn of the treatment of Grace Whitley to the home invasion as well as assault of Ms. Visitor herself. Those looking for a congratulatory treatment of Star Trek's environment alongside the inspiration should look elsewhere. I think there's some holes in the treatment (like no handling of Tendi in Lower Decks) but still a powerful fascinating book.
January 18, 2026
A book with an excellent intention, however, I was disappointed with its execution. The book relies heavily on episode/series/character synopses that drag on for the familiar fan, but would lack information for the casual one. Trigger warnings are absent for sensitive subjects. I found myself wishing that the format provided the actual interviews of each actor, rather than the author’s retelling of each. Ultimately, I think the fault lies in the editing of both structure and writing.
For academic, sensitive, and eloquent analyses of feminism and intersectionality in Star Trek, I’d recommend the Women at Warp podcast over this book.
For academic, sensitive, and eloquent analyses of feminism and intersectionality in Star Trek, I’d recommend the Women at Warp podcast over this book.
December 12, 2024
Visitor's writing is sharp, insightful, and incredibly passionate as she "opens a channel" on how women in Hollywood, and specifically women in Star Trek have been treated over the decades. Weaving her personal experiences and examining her own biases throughout, Visitor walks through the impact of the women who make Star Trek have had on the culture at large.
Let's face it, I'm a huge Star Trek geek but even still, Visitor's prose was immaculate and her analyses drew on a wide range of sources that made this book feel so much larger than just Star Trek.
Let's face it, I'm a huge Star Trek geek but even still, Visitor's prose was immaculate and her analyses drew on a wide range of sources that made this book feel so much larger than just Star Trek.
December 28, 2024
Kind of bummed the section on Alice Krige and the Borg Queen was so short. The Queen is a major Trek player and a villain on a scale we don't often see for women in sci-fi/fantasy. The text barely addresses her later appearances on Voyager and Picard and basically (and ironically) reduces her to just another seductress who got what she deserved in a patriarchal narrative.
Seven of Nine's section, on the other hand, was excellent and did a great job exploring how she transcended that stupid costume.
Seven of Nine's section, on the other hand, was excellent and did a great job exploring how she transcended that stupid costume.
February 7, 2025
I cannot praise this book highly enough. I am a lifelong fan of Star Trek and the female characters in it inspire me. I am aware that the actors who played them struggled against the very prejudices that were overcome in the Star Trek future. Nana Visitor has deepened my understanding and awe across the board. I have to stop and think, sometimes for days, after reading just a few pages. The challenges that these women have overcome, the men who shackled them and the men who welcomed them, and the real-life women they inspired are all powerful stories. Get this book!
June 11, 2025
The cultural criticism of Star Trek that we all deserve but never had until now -- This is a lovingly-crafted work by and about the women of Star Trek, for everyone who respects what Star Trek says not only about the future we could have, but the present in which it is made.
This book is a narrative timeline of the evolution of women in arts, science, and leadership as told through Star Trek characters, the women who have written, produced, and portrayed them, and those inspired by their stories. Star Trek is the perfect vehicle for this exploration, spanning every decade from the 1960s to today, portraying a vision of a more inclusive, self-actualized future that looks different degrees of inclusive and self-actualized depending on the frame of reference.
There are parts that are challenging to read, and Nana Visitor doesn't shy away from being critical of the ways in which the Star Trek franchise has contributed to the marginalization of women, both in fiction and in real life. That said, it's clear that this book is written with appreciation for the ways in which times, and media, have changed for the better. In the end, there's a lot of room for the optimism that Star Trek has worked so hard to impart.
Apart from the subject matter, this book is beautifully bound and laid out. I promise this isn't a sales pitch, but I highly recommend the print edition for anyone who is able to obtain it.
This book is a narrative timeline of the evolution of women in arts, science, and leadership as told through Star Trek characters, the women who have written, produced, and portrayed them, and those inspired by their stories. Star Trek is the perfect vehicle for this exploration, spanning every decade from the 1960s to today, portraying a vision of a more inclusive, self-actualized future that looks different degrees of inclusive and self-actualized depending on the frame of reference.
There are parts that are challenging to read, and Nana Visitor doesn't shy away from being critical of the ways in which the Star Trek franchise has contributed to the marginalization of women, both in fiction and in real life. That said, it's clear that this book is written with appreciation for the ways in which times, and media, have changed for the better. In the end, there's a lot of room for the optimism that Star Trek has worked so hard to impart.
Apart from the subject matter, this book is beautifully bound and laid out. I promise this isn't a sales pitch, but I highly recommend the print edition for anyone who is able to obtain it.
December 29, 2025
Open a Channel is a hybrid of three types of books:
1. A glossy, photo-rich coffee table book
2. A sit-down-and-read memoir
3. A collection of showbiz discussions.
The hardback is beautiful. It's lovely to hold while you browse the photos and captions. The prose content would be better suited to a paperback, which you can take to bed and read comfortably in different environments. Nana Visitor poured her heart into the book, you can tell. I enjoyed it well enough, but I'm not sure that I would buy it for keeps. At times, I grew weary of what felt like episodes synopses.
1. A glossy, photo-rich coffee table book
2. A sit-down-and-read memoir
3. A collection of showbiz discussions.
The hardback is beautiful. It's lovely to hold while you browse the photos and captions. The prose content would be better suited to a paperback, which you can take to bed and read comfortably in different environments. Nana Visitor poured her heart into the book, you can tell. I enjoyed it well enough, but I'm not sure that I would buy it for keeps. At times, I grew weary of what felt like episodes synopses.
October 16, 2024
To start with, the book itself is absolutely gorgeous. It’s full of wonderful pictures of the amazing women of Star Trek and some of the fans they’ve inspired. Nana Visitor does a great job talking about the women who worked on Star Trek, the characters they played and the women they’ve inspired over the last 60 years as well as doing some reflecting on her own experiences. I highly recommend this book for any Trekkie read.
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