Fans love hearing Star Trek actors in new roles, yet it may be ignored how several Trek stars brought some classic sci-fi tales to life in audio dramas!
Star Trek actors are known for their variety of roles outside the franchise, which includes voice work in animation. Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis reunited for the beloved Gargoyles animated series, and other actors excel, taking on a wide array of voiceover roles.
However, one special audio project that brought together several notable Trek actors has fallen to the wayside of fans. It was short-lived when there was so much potential left, but what we got were some great adaptations of some classic sci-fi works, including Alien Voices.
It’s a project made as a love letter to both sci-fi and old radio shows, and it provided wonderful entertainment for the fans. It’s worth tracking down to see these Trek actors pay homage to the stories that inspired the series.
The short history of Alien Voices
Alien Voices came about as John de Lancie and Leonard Nimoy hit it off during the various fan convention circuits. The two shared both a passion for sci-fi and old-fashioned radio plays, with de Lancie suggesting they work together to combine the two. The pair approached Simon & Schuster, who agreed to back the project.
The duo worked on five specials overall, released on cassette, with each production just over an hour long. They had good production values, each boasting some great Trek actors in some prime roles: The First Men in the Moon, Journey To The Center Of The Earth, The Invisible Man, The Lost World, and The Time Machine.
Nimoy and DeLancie were the main stars, of course, but backed by some voices well known to Trek fans: Ethan Phillips, Dwight Schultz, Armin Shimerman, Roxanna Dawson, Kate Mulgrew, Nana Visitor, and yes, William Shatner as the “Moon Emperor” in First Men in the Moon.
The programs were a delight, using excellent effects and music to bring these landmark sci-fi tales to life. Like the best radio plays, it left a lot to the imagination, letting the listener picture what was happening, which was better than a filmed version.
It should be noted that the Sci-Fi Channel did arrange for live filmed productions of Moon and The Lost World, which were fun before an audience. They also did a special Halloween program of short stories. Also, Nimoy and de Lancie provided fans with two “Spock vs Q” performances at conventions, which were fun as well.
The productions were popular among fans, and supposedly, Disney was interested in a live-action film based on Moon. It didn't come off with Disney wanting to "update" the tale. However, it was a hint for why Alien Voices didn't last long.
Why did Alien Voices end?
With so much care and production put into these, one would think Alien Voices would go on for a long time, adapting more sci-fi books. Instead, after the Spock vs Q programs, the line ended in 2000. De Lancie would explain it was just too overwhelming for him to handle.
“The problem with Alien Voices was we had four really terrific years. And then it began to be about selling: Simon & Schuster wanted whatever, 40,000 units sold a year. And what we wanted to do was create really well-produced shows and have a library so that people in the future will simply know to come to an Alien Voices production that will always be good. And they didn't see it that way, and I thought, 'Oh my God, what am I doing? I'm going around peddling audiobooks! This is not what I want to do.' I loved writing them and directing them and doing them live, but I just didn't want to get involved any more.”
As de Lancie explained, while the tapes sold well (about 25,000 copies per production), they'd have had to sell at least twice as more to recoup the production costs. That, combined with the various cast schedules and worry on waning interest, ended the entire line after just five books.
It’s a shame, as there were still so many great novels to adapt. Having them tackle The War of the Worlds, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and more would have been wonderful, especially working with other Trek actors doing it. As it stands, the Alien Voices works are worth tracking down somehow to listen to these Trek stars paying homage to the tales that inspired the franchise and a delight to any sci-fi fan.