A collection of interviews of Star Trek actresses and a partial memoir by Nana Visitor, who played Kira Nerys on Star Trek DS9. The interviews vary in length; many are pretty short and brief in isolation, some of the longer ones focused on Visitor and other DS9 alums where she had more insight. They're organized over time starting from the 60s (The Original Series) to the modern Treks today (Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks). The chapter devoted to herself was the most in-depth; I was horrified, having watched reruns of the show years later with no idea she had gone through such traumatic events while still actively filming, and I admire the dignity she displays in dealing with horrific circumstances and the strength she's shown in healing over time. There are a few Star Trek actresses which Visitor wasn't able to get in touch with, where she pulled from existing interviews and reviewed select show episodes themselves to provide insight. I read that all of the interviews were recorded and a documentary might be coming together, which might give us more details of the conversations when that comes out.

The book overall is focused on the actresses' collective experiences with working in a male dominated industry and how that has changed over time; within Star Trek specifically but also in Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general. An example: Visitor sets a lot of the tone within the context of what she herself has experienced, one being a reoccurring criteria of being "fuckable" being passed down by producers; something that was a given for the 60s actresses, less blatant but still prevalent for Visitor's era, and the idea treated with shock and surprise by Jess Bush from Strange New Worlds in 2020s. Star Trek always being somewhat of an attempt to reflect on that era's current cultural issues, there's also some additional insight (on top of the main focus on women) on how representation, sensitivity, and understanding has improved since the 60s and what problems still persist. Finally, the book includes some short interviews with a few fans near the end, centered around the impact and inspiration Star Trek provided their lives and careers.

I found the book to be fascinating. I think Visitor did really well with the focus on the topic, and managed to show some insightful changes in expectations and culture over 60 years of the franchise. I was always a big fan of her and Major Kira, as well as a fan of many other actresses interviewed, and I learned a lot about all of them and gained a ton of respect for what they had to deal with and fought for. I thought some of the interviews were unfortunately short; I'm not sure if there's more to pull from the documentary if and when that happens, but I would love to see more. This book doesn't dive super deep, but for fans, especially those who want to learn more about the actresses in the franchise and their experiences, this is a worthwhile read.