William Shatner Returns For New Star Trek 60th Anniversary Release November 10

While there have been numerous iconic characters to come out of Star Trek over the franchise’s 60-year run, William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk remains one of the most recognizable of the lot. When The Original Series premiered in 1966, Shatner introduced audiences to a charismatic, fearless Starfleet captain whose adventures aboard the USS Enterprise would help shape the future of science fiction television as we know it.

Although the original show lasted just three seasons, Shatner’s role took on a life of its own, with Kirk returning in seven feature films and becoming a permanent fixture of pop culture. His chemistry with Leonard Nimoy’s Spock and DeForest Kelley’s Dr. McCoy defined the series, and their legacy continues to influence Star Trek even today.

Now, as Star Trek celebrates its monumental 60th anniversary and honors the life of Sir Patrick Stewart, Shatner is officially returning to The Original Series in a new way. A brand-new release arriving November 10 promises to revisit the franchise’s earliest adventures, with Shatner himself helping celebrate the legacy of the show that started it all.

William Shatner is returning to Star Trek: The Original Series in November, though it sadly isn’t with another onscreen appearance as Captain James T. Kirk. Instead, the legendary actor has contributed an original foreword to The Original Voyages: A Visual History, an officially licensed book looking back at the series that started it all. With the franchise celebrating its 60th anniversary, it’s a particularly fitting way for the original Enterprise captain to revisit the adventures that helped make him a household name.

The Original Voyages is being published by Ten Speed Press and comes from authors Kyle Newman and Jeff Bond. Clocking in at a substantial 416 pages, the oversized hardcover is designed as a comprehensive visual history of the original show and its larger cultural impact. It covers the period from 1966 through 1991, taking readers from the series’ initial three-season, 79-episode run through the original cast’s movie era, which concluded with The Undiscovered Country.

The book also explores the people and production decisions behind the Enterprise. Alongside Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, it looks at the contributions of cast members like DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, and Walter Koenig, as well as creator Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators. Readers can expect hundreds of images, including rarely seen material and previously unpublished photographs, with original interviews offering additional context for the show.

There’s also a broader look at how a series that was canceled after just three seasons went on to become a multimedia phenomenon. The book traces the original crew’s influence across film, novels, comics, video games, and collectibles, looking at how Star Trek developed such a passionate fanbase long after its initial television run.

I got a hands-on look at the oversized hardcover and had a chance to read Shatner’s heartwarming introduction, paying homage to The Original Series and looking at its enduring impact on culture even today. “Even now,” he writes, “beset by all the problems the earth is facing … it is a part of the human psyche to look beyond the fireplace and into the stars. And perhaps that’s what Star Trek represents.”

Shatner’s participation will arguably be the biggest draw for longtime fans, though the stunning images and behind-the-scenes photos are like stepping into a time warp. While his foreword isn’t a return to acting as Kirk, it does give readers a new perspective from the man whose performance helped define the franchise.

The authors bring plenty of expertise, too: Newman directed the cult-classic film Fanboys and co-authored Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, while Bond previously wrote The Music of Star Trek and other books exploring the franchise’s production history.

You can pre-order Star Trek: The Original Voyages – A Visual History via Amazon William Shatner Returns For New Star.

Star Trek: The Original Voyages – A Visual History officially arrives November 10, 2026, and is available to preorder now through Penguin Random House and the Amazon link above. The hardcover is listed at $60 USD, with an ebook edition also available for preorder. Between Shatner’s original foreword, the archival imagery, new interviews, and more, this is yet another massive anniversary release for fans eager to revisit Star Trek’s beginnings.