#the autobiography of james t kirk

[autisticlegolas]

i will beat his ass

[woman-of-many-fandoms]

It's really odd that I seem to find two different takes over how TOS Kirk was when young. In various novels from the 80s he portrayed at a goody two shoes who studies all the time and obeys every rule.

In 'modern' novels, even Shatner's own Star Trek Academy, Kirk is a too smart for his own good bad boy. (not quite AOS level but still)

The autobiography of James T Kirk does break that in that it's a more recent book and Kirk is obedient and smart.

I'm wondering if part of the reason is people think it's better storytelling or that it makes Kirk more interesting that way (maybe Kirk drift though I will argue a lot of how Kirk is known in pop culture didn't come out of a vacuum, feminist my ass). I personally do see TOS Kirk as a goody two shoes even if it is kind of boring.

And (oddly) I am enjoying Shatner novel (no, I know he didn't write it) but I feel it fits more as a AOS Kirk and Spock if Nero never happened. ( I mean they met as a strip club.)

[tostrekkiegirl]

I thought that Kirk probably gave McCoy the nickname "Bones" because he was old-fashioned, but according to Kirk's autobiography, he saw McCoy actually cut Gary Mitchell's arm off!

Then McCoy tries to reject the nickname! Sorry buddy, you're stuck with it now.

[nevinslibrary]

Make It So Friday

Yes, yes, two autobiographies in a row.... (there may be more too, these are super interesting). This was both the same and different from the Picard and Janeway biographies that I had previously read.

It’s the same in that still gives us insights into some of the parts of their lives that we hadn't known before. But it’s slightly different because James T. Kirk has been around for so long as a character, that, much more of his life has been revealed during the actual TV and movies.

Still, it was interesting to read some of the events that I have watched on the show/movies, ‘in his own words’. And, honestly, my favorite part was the afterword by Spock. On the one hand, we know that he's still alive after the "publication" of the book after the Enterprise B in Generations. But, it breaks the fourth wall if that is said, so, how they used Spock to sort of hint that he was still alive was inventive and in canon-ish even. Fun book. And I’m definitely looking forward to finally getting to the Spock Autobiography, (and then the Sisko Autobiography is coming out in December as well!!)

You may like this book If you Liked: Confessions of a Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain, Pawnee by Leslie Knope, or Let Me Off at the Top! by Ron Burgundy

The Autobiography of James T. Kirk by David A. Goodman

[woman-of-many-fandoms]

That letter took my heart off and stomped on it. Also, what is the sign off before the signature where love is crossed out. I'm sure it's not Butt, (is it best?)

I'm currently reading The Autobiography of James T. Kirk and it has pictures!

This looks like a family photo tbh.

This is so cute. I love Edith.

A letter to David that Kirk never sent. He mentions that kid in A Piece of The Action. Sorry it's kind of blurry.

Kirk's travel pass for his trip to Tarsus IV.

A picture of Carol Marcus and David when he was two and the camping trip in The Final Frontier.

[space-dog-from-space]

That one bit in The Autobiography of James T Kirk where T'Pau finds out that Jim did not, in fact, die during the events of Amok Time:

[smilingscully]

Star Trek after dropping the most important part of Kirk’s backstory in one episode and never bringing it up again 😹

[stardotnet]

"captain, you almost make me believe in luck."

"why, mr. spock, you almost make me believe in miracles!"

[theemomarshmallow]

I’M SCREAMING PLEASE

[pyjamacryptid]

Emma & Mr. Knightley from 'EMMA' || Spock & Jim Kirk from 'STAR TREK' || Parallels

This was inspired by the similarity I noticed between the last two quotes.

S1 E16: The Galileo Seven, Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) // EMMA, dir. Autumn de Wilde (2020) // S3 E24: Turnabout Intruder, Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) // Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, dir. Nicholas Meyer (1982) //Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, dir. Leonard Nimoy (1984) // EMMA, Jane Austen (1815) // The Autobiography of Mr. Spock, Una McCormack (2021)

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

"I recall that Jim's face lit up, like the sun."

". . .How do you write about someone that you have so deeply loved?"

- Spock, The Autobiography of Mr. Spock.

[leyenarsinterests]

ah, love!

ok I just received the Autobiography of Mr. Spock and holy fucking shit

the section about kirk fully made me throw the book down, walk away, and lay on the floor for about 5 minutes

we have obviously "I have tried on many occasions to write about Jim Kirk. This seems to me an increasingly impossible task. Jim Kirk lies at the very heart of this account; he is present on every page, the ink in which these words have been written...How do you write about someone you have so deeply loved?" Which is just the most romantic and beautiful thing I have read in my life.

we also have "He changed the rules so that people would live. Jim was very bad with rules. Sometimes that could be irritating. More often than not, it was exhilarating."

the one that made me bawl "That letter took a while to reach me, and I often think of it, in transit, containing the news that Jim was both alive and dead. That was the only time that I regretted my mission to Romulus, and I did regret it, bitterly. If only I had been present, somehow. Perhaps I might have saved his life, again (although he told me, once, that he would die alone). Was that not what we did, after all-save each other's life, again and and again? At the very least, I might have seen him, one last time. I have not been to see his grave. I believe I can permit myself one illusion in life." which just...holy FUCK

(you will see him again spock I swear 😭)

and the one that hit me like a brick, referring to the first time he met Jim, "I recall that Jim's face like up, with a smile like the sun. 'I think,' he said, 'that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.' He was not wrong."

these motherfuckers i need to be sedated like yesterday

[woman-of-many-fandoms]

Yeah, this sounds like the start of a 3 some

[torsamors]

“There are always possibilities, Spock said. And if Genesis is indeed life from death, I must return to this place again.” Unification // Afterword by Spock of Vulcan, The Autobiography of James T Kirk

[frogayyyy]

[ID: But his story is not over, because, as I said earlier, he is not dead.

This is not the first time I have said this, and many individuals believe that I have no proof, and that I am indulging my human half's need for "wishful thinking."

But it is not. I know this logically; it is actually my Vulcan half that has the proof.

One of the effects of my peoples ability to mind-meld is a permanent connection between the mind of the Vulcan initiating the meld and that of the subject. From moment to moment, I am only vaguely aware of these connections; our mental disciplines keep them compartmentalized and away from our daily thought processes.

But one thing we are always certain of is when a connection is lost when someone dies.

Over the years, I have experienced the death of the Horta on Janus IV, and of Dr. Simon Van Gelder, and of Gracie the whale. The experience was akin to a building at night with its windows lit. And then one light goes out. You know whose light it is; you feel them gone.

I had mind-melded with James T. Kirk on several instances over his lifetime. His light still burns. He lurks in the recesses of my mind.

Sometimes, I try to focus on him, to try to determine where he is. I do not believe he knows, but I can sense his emotional state. Wherever he is, he is happy.

I do not believe in an afterlife, but I will let my human half indulge in some wishful thinking.

He will return.]

Afterword by Spock of Vulcan, The Autobiography of James T Kirk by David A. Goodman

[spoonatic]

reading the ‘autobiography of James T Kirk’ rn (AMAZING book love his characterization and how the authors use his ‘voice’ essentially very nice) and he describes his childhood as a lot of time spent in a idealistic sort of crafted environment on his family farm with his brother and how he always felt safe and loved it there and how his brother was always very logical and withdrawn and his mother left to do space work and his father was just cold and distant and anyways got me thinking abt how when Kirk went through all this shit (amazing book, have I mentioned that already? Here it is again.) so anyways all of this got me thinking that when Kirk went to space and went on his first 5 year mission he was probably naturally drawn to Spock’s coldness and harsh nature and it probably felt very homey and comfortable for him which is also why he navigates it so well and can read Spock so well and also and also and also and also erm getting my phd in devastating yaoi studies rn