Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration, a new book from Hero Collector marks twenty-five years since the show first appeared on our screens and the official Star Trek site has an extensive excerpt available online.

Who better to help understand one of the show’s key characters, than Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan? In the excerpt we learn a lot about how the part was developed, Jeri’s initial reaction to the role and how Seven of Nine was received by audiences. The book then covers how she developed over the run of the show and provides some interesting insight. The power of the character is enduring, and Seven of Nine reappeared in Star Trek Picard and looks set to be in season 2. We learn how supervising producer Brannon Braga was happy with Voyager except for one thing:

“…just didn’t have that one science-fictiony character. Someone Janeway wanted to understand but couldn’t understand; someone who would be a thorn in her side; someone who was invaluable. Janeway didn’t have a Spock or a Data.”

It’s fair to say Seven of Nine filled that role, and Jeri Ryan found many ways to make the part her own, and noted that “Her backstory was: she was Borg. That’s all she knew.” This allowed her to focus on the part as written, but as Seven settled into everyday life onboard ship, she built important relationships with many of the crew, including Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). This allowed her and the viewer to gain new perspectives on characters they’d already met. The ratings may have dipped over the seasons, but left behind a legacy whose influence can be seen on the show’s current renaissance, not only in Picard, but also Discovery.

Star Trek Voyager is over a reappraisal, and this book is a good beginning to the process.

Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration is available to buy from Hero Collector, and the excerpt discussed is on the Star Trek site here: EXCERPT: Star Trek: Voyager – A Celebration. You can watch all seven seasons on Netflix.