http://www.treknews.net/2012/12/08/new-book-on-board-the-uss-enterprise/ Looks a bit fancier than the tech manual!
I don't wanna knock it. But the Ent-D has had a LOT of coverage over the decades. From the Tech Manual to the CD-ROM of the Interactive Tech Manual (which also had a virtual tour of the ship), to various books and blueprints and deckplans, posters, illustrations, not to mention tons of outstanding fan work on the internet. A LOT of material. Haven't we already seen all kinds of schematics, cutaways, and so on? What more can the Okudas bring to the table that we haven't already seen? Like I said, I'm not knocking their efforts. I'd love to see more new original Ent-D stuff. I'll be first in line to buy it. But I don't know if I need to see more plan/elevation views and cutaways that I've seen dozens of times in other materials.
This being the literature board, do you think the Okudas might include some nod to the Litverse, e.g. the name of the captain's yacht or a mission reference from a novel? Aside from that: Maybe a few years down the road, we'll get something covering the E? Would be nice but then they would have to include TrekLit because relying on a mere three movies does not fill a book.
Meh. I have the D Blueprints and tech manual and I doubt anything in this will be better than or add much to those. Make something like this on 1701-E, Voyager, Defiant, or NX-01 and I would buy.
If they did Voyager, I'd love to see the Litverse included, i.e. the QSD and the new saucer separation ability. If they did the NX-01, of course there should be Drexler's NX1.5 refit!
I'll admit I had the same thought as a lot of seem to have had. If had been one of the other ships other than the E-D I would be a lot more interested.
The Refit Enterprise/A would also be great. Other than Mr Scott's guide there really was not much dedicated to that ship. In fact, of the ships in Trek, the D is the one with the most coverage. I suspect that's why it was chosen for this project. The okudas probably have the most background materials on that ship which makes this easier to produce.
I want something on Ryan Church's nuEnterprise. As for the -D, it's been done to death. But I can see why they're doing this, to capitaize on the TNG Bluray revival. Makes sense.
I wish these deck plans would show up either in this book or another: Deck 7, USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D
^Deck plans for every deck were created and published in the Ent-D blueprints about 15 years ago. The fact that so much has been published on the D is why this book is pointless, not why they can/should write another one. There is nothing of consequence left to publish on that ship. If this is because of the blue-ray releases, make something on the E, the other ship the TNG crew uses. This is my problem with the trek reference works we've had in recent years, lack of anything, new, compelling, or inspiring. Just a bunch of repakaging of the same old stuff or little bits left out of previously researched books because they are of little interest.
I kind of wish this book was on the Enterprise-E...but I'll still pick it up. The CD-Rom thing is pretty funny though.