TREKKIE BOOKS

1. Star-Trek Encyclopedia-Paperback.

I can't imagine being a die-hard Trekker without this book: the ultimate reference to people, places, things, events in the entire Star Trek universe from the original series warping back to 1966 through all the movies and series right up to Voyager. I think I know a lot about Star Trek, but oh my lord! This is a great reference book for fans. It literally has EVERYTHING except Enterprise NX-01. Did I get the registry right?

Star Trek's Encylopedia covers planets and stars, aliens, starships, characters, baseball cards, scientific terms, inside gags, YOU NAME IT! Its astounding how much work and effort has gone into this book. The book itself is beautiful. Its illustrated with color pictures from the show and technical illustrations done by the authors. The pages are glossy and laid out beautifully. It also serves as an episode guide, covering up through the release of "Star Trek: Insurrection".



STAR TREK, THE ORIGINAL SERIES: 365 is the Ultimate Star Trek TOS book! Published by Abrams Books, Star Trek 365 has 744-pages of Star Trek literature in the Prime Universe with "a visual celebration of the original voyages of the Starship Enterprise."

How well do you know your original galaxy of Star Trek episodes, characters, facts, figures, behind the scene histories, interviews with writers, cast, crews and fan data, Star Trek fandom to present day culture, models, starships, props, collectibles, costumes, with a treasure trove of imagery spanning 79 episodes? The 6 ¼" x 9 ¼" hardback is written by CBS insider Paula Block, and her husband Terry J. Erdmann who had this to say about her project's awesome creation:

"The mission directive from our editor was to find a high quality, never seen photography from the original series. Fat chance, we thought, given that the show is 44 years old and the photography has been heavily "mined" for books and magazines for decades. Still, we knew those images exhisted, and that rarities were out there.... Things that hadn't been seen for years, maybe not at all by much of the potential readership."

What a wonderful labor of love this book is. It entertaining and informative, and for any fan of the series, what are you waiting for?

2. Star Trek Starfleet Technical Manual: Training Command Starfleet Academy (Paperback)

Franz Joseph's STAR FLEET TECHNICAL MANUAL includes many design elements that should raise questions in your trekalog mind. Is the Enterprise's bridge really rotated 36 degrees off the ship's centerline? Does the Federation really have a starship with three warp nacelles? Answer: duh, dum, dum, Yes! Sorry.... I just couldn't help myself. Is Starfleet's 23rd century shuttlecraft really too small to allow its occupants to stand up and walk around?

3. Ships of the Line (Star Trek) (Hardcover)


The vessels portrayed in Ships of the Line cover the length and breadth of the Star Trek universe. Arranged chronologically, from the earliest warp vessels to the futuristic Enterprise-J and darn near everything in between, this is a book you'll never get bored looking at.

Images of the U.S.S. Enterprise dominate this wonderful collection but there are also plenty of other equally fascinating Starfleet ships, as well as vessels associated with both friends and foes.

The quality and variety of images will blow you away. Battle shots, alien landscapes, illustrations depicting the wonders of the universe and images that commemorate some of Star Trek's most memorable moments can all be found within the pages of Ships of the Line.

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (Star Trek Next Generation (Paperback)


If you're a TNG Trekker then you'll just soak up all the information about life aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D. Mind you'll have to stay awake 'cos theres alot of technical trivia in this book which should appeal to trek geeks.This book coveres Warp Drive, Turbolifts, Bio-beds in the Sickbay, Tricorders, Hull Material and construction, Holodecks, impulse drive engines, phasers, facts about the Utopia Planitia shipyards, and even the system of addressing crew quarters and such. Theres so much information here part of the fun is figuring out how the treknology runs aboard the ship, poor Geordi.

The book also has footnotes throughout about different happenings on the set of ST:TNG. Its well organised with diagrams and plans for many of the parts of the Enterprise. This really shows the planning incorporated into the world of Star Trek. Writers do their level best to make sure these stories run smoothly with the technical operation of Captain Picard's flagship.

5. Star Trek: Starfleet Survival Guide (Paperback)


This book contains a great deal of factual information, but makes you yawn a little while attempting to absorb the details. Star Trek's survival guide is a collection of Trek trivia, in terms of equipment, creatures, and medical techniques, from the shows.

One can clearly picture a Starfleet officer actually reading and using this Guide. The descriptions are concise, clear and interesting. One of them - Section 1.11, "Surviving Atmospheric Re-entry in a Pressure Suit" - is fascinating. The mental picture of each step is incredibly vivid, and so involving, that one can actually feels worried when reading the fatal consequences of anything going wrong.

Starfleet's Survival Guide is a sweet piece of writing and good entertainment. For someone starting to collect Trek trivia books and/or manuals, consider adding this to your trekking list.

6. Klingon for the Galactic Traveler (Star Trek) (Paperback)


"A warrior fights to the death." That quote alone speaks volumes about "The Klingon Way." Star Trek Klingon for the Galactic Traveler is an excellent addition to your Star Trek library. Not long after reading through this book, I almost felt as if I were experiencing real Klingon culture. Some Star Trek "extras," were expendable characters in the shows. That is not the case in this book. If you're even vaguely curious by the Klingons, this book is worth spending a few bucks on.. My only complaint is that it's peppered with black and white photos. A not so smart move on the authors part..

7. The Klingon Way: A Warrior's Guide (Star Trek: The Klingon Book of Virtues) (Paperback)


Star Trek the Klingon Way is the ultimate Klingon book! It brilliantly weaves the tapestry of Star Trek's Klingon history, through to its publication date in May of 1996. Its written both in English and Klingon but again the photos are black and white which may not appeal to you. Each page contains a quote in both languages and a detailed explanation of the Klingon terminology. If you haven't picked it up for your Star Trek collection, let me quote a Klingon phrase for you, "qoH vuvbe' SuS" ("The wind does not respect a fool"). If you can still find a copy of this, enjoy it!


8.Legends of the Ferengi (Star Trek, Deep Space Nine) (Paperback)


"Legends of the Ferengi" is a hilarious spoof on fairy tales and folklore anthologies. As a avid trekkie, I found dozens of its in-jokes that had me literally doubled over with laughter. In the DS9 episode "Rules of Aquisition," the Ferengi Pel claims to know all 285 Rules of Aquisition. This book gives you some of those commentaries..... at least, for the 70 Rules that were actually revealed on the series. The authors, Ira Behr and Robert Wolfe, wrote most of the DS9 Ferengi episodes. Now they give you the story behind each of the Rules, including #113, the "Rule that dare not speak its name."

You will also discover the first two words that any Ferengi learns in the Hew-Mon language ("No refunds"), The ten most famous insults in Ferengi history (see p.32) and the story of the infamous villain Drek, M.H.N.L.I.I. (May His Name Live In Infamy), who actually cut his prices and gave his customers BARGAINS, thereby causing the Ferengi economy to crash. Today of course every Ferengi child is warned about the dangers of Real Life through supernatural horror stories about that bogeyman of bogeymen -- the Smiling Partner! I enjoyed this book, which has lots of black and white stills from the series, too. Drek was right --- some things really ARE bargains!

9.The Starfleet Academy Entrance Exam: Tantalizing Trivia From Classic Star Trek to Star Trek: Voyager


How well do you know your Star Trek legend, culture, and heritage? For over forty years and through five totally different television shows and eleven major motion pictures, a complete galaxy of Star Trek characters, facts, figures, and stories have been spun to the delight of millions of viewers and dedicated fans.

More than just a trivia book produced by the seventh major motion picture so it is a little dated but you'd hardly notice.. If you want to sit Starfleets Academy Entrance Exam in a series of quizzes testing your knowledge of classic Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager, then go for it..

Tests are organized into thematic categories, such as:
- Aliens
- Captains
- Engineering
- Gadgets and Weapons
- Love and Romance
- Medicine, Health, and Bioengineering
- Quotations
- Space Ships and Other Vessels
and many more

Comments:

Basically just another trivia quiz book, this one adds one thing to the mix: a collection of Top Ten lists and similar examples of Star Trek "humor."

10. Star Trek Chronology -- the History of the Future (Paperback)


The authors of this book certainly had a daunting task, namely to put all of the events in Star Trek: The Original Series, the first six Star Trek feature films and the first five years of Star Trek: The Next Generation in chronological order. Some of the events are mentioned only on passing in episodes, yet they have managed to tie all of it together into a surprisingly coherent whole.

There are of course places where a consistent chronology is just not possible, and those situations are identified as such. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Star Trek and are interested in what happened where and when, then I recommend this book to any true Star Trek fans!

11. Star Trek Lives!

Last but not least, in 1975 the reference book "Star Trek Lives" was written by three Trekettes. Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Sondra Marshak and Joan Winston. The book analyses aspects of the classic Original Series, and discusses the fandom which developed as a result of the show. Written especially for fans, Star Trek Lives is packed with revealing accounts about the creators, the stars and Star Trek's journey which became a reality and spread throughout the stars! Remember who said that? The same guy that coined the phrase "Trekettes!" William Shatner. The book really is a fascinating story and well worth the read. Star Trek's return, goals and achievements are all covered.

Star Trek Lives!!! 

Will we see anything like Star Trek ever again? 

Continue to make it so!


Read Long and Prosper,  Trekettes, Trekkies, Trekkers and Niners!

P.S. You'll find lots more books in my Star Trek Paperbacks Section.

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