"Shatner Rules": William Shatner's new book tells readers how to live as he does
Ever wondered how to play a starship captain, become famous for your spoken-word renditions of well-known songs, amass more than 750,000 Twitter followers, and then win the part of a clueless dad on a new sitcom?
William Shatner鈥檚 here to tell you. The sci-fi icon鈥檚 new book is titled 鈥淪hatner Rules: Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large.鈥� The book details his life rules, sharing along the way stories about 鈥�Star Trek鈥� and other Shatner experiences as well as some serious reflections on life. There are also a few barbs directed at his 鈥淭rek鈥� co-star George Takei, in addition to asides from Shatner labeled 鈥淣otes鈥� and 鈥淔un Factners.鈥�
Shatner soared to fame playing Captain James Tiberius Kirk in the first iteration of the science fiction TV series 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� (and he points out in his new book that no one ever actually said the phrase 鈥淏eam me up, Scotty,鈥� on the show). He also became famous for his pause-inflected speech patterns on the show.
鈥淭heoretically, it's dramatic," he said about his well-known halting speech cadences in . "Did you receive that information? Hang on a second. Here. Comes. Another."
He later became known for his unusual takes on famous songs, including 鈥淟ucy In The Sky With Diamonds鈥� and the Bob Dylan song 鈥淢r. Tambourine Man,鈥� which he performed on 鈥淭he Johnny Carson Show鈥� to confusion from the audience and Carson. Shatner says in an interview with ABC that the song was supposed to be a two-part piece about drugs and that the song as he performed it doesn鈥檛 make sense without the second part.
鈥淵ou need to hear the two pieces," he said. "[People] don't get it in context.鈥�
After he became the face of Priceline, a website that gives users discounts on travel expenses, Shatner's wacky personality in the commercials inspired TV producer David E. Kelley to cast him as 鈥�Boston Legal鈥� and 鈥淭he Practice鈥� character Denny Crane, Shatner explains in the book.
Shatner won two Emmys and a Golden Globe. He now stars on the sitcom 鈥�$#*! My Dad Says,鈥� a CBS show inspired by a Twitter account where a son tweeted ridiculous things his father said.
Of his feud with 鈥淭rek鈥� co-star George Takei, who played Sulu in the original series, Shatner writes in his book that Takei has been 鈥渟aying mean things about me for nearly forty years now.鈥� Shatner says in the book that he wasn鈥檛 invited to Takei鈥檚 wedding (Takei says he sent an invitation) and that the only reason Takei asked Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on 鈥淪tar Trek," and Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, to be in the wedding was for publicity.
Shatner鈥檚 book is out now and he will also be releasing another spoken-word CD, titled 鈥淪eeking Major Tom,鈥� which explores what Shatner thinks happened after the David Bowie song 鈥淪pace Oddity.鈥� It will also include the actor鈥檚 rendition of 鈥淏ohemian Rhapsody.鈥�
Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.
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