Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years

[Tommunist]

Since Trek reference books are few and far between these days (attributed to lackluster sales, if I recall) then I don't mind paying a little extra for this book. It's a very handsome volume, and while the pedestal is a gimmick, it would suit the decor of a Trek collector, although it really shouldn't be a 24th century style LCARS interface, but hey, maybe Memory Alpha was the first Federation organization to use that particular OS!)

Further, the retail price is almost never what is being charged, and for those who wait, you may find these discounted further in it's life cycle. Perhaps without the pedestal. But I believe this book is an Amazon exclusive, so unlikely to find in a store reduced somehwere like all DK visual guides seem to go the route of.

I have really enjoyed the book, and would gladly pay for another volume that covers the next 75 years or so (up to 2386, which should cover most of non-JJ Trek TV and movies, but might be just shy of the Hobus supernova, I think)

And while I have to say I appreciate the effort put forth in The Romulan War books to weave in all the little bits of Romulan War info put forth in the various Trek tv/movie productions (including TOS lore that is hard to rectify, such as no warp drive for Roumlan ships) the Federation book created a more believable (but different) summary of the events, even if they just flat out ignored/contradicted a few "canon facts". Since Trek itself has taken liberties with it's own established continuity, I can accept it without crying foul.

There's plenty of "easter eggs" or continuity porn here too, but since the book represents a broad history rather than the more detailed storytelling of a novel, they don't seem to stick out as much, but rather blend in more organically.

That said, I'm most interested in "The Rise of the Federation" next year, in the hopes that it further fleshes out early Fed history in an exciting way.

[Therin of Andor]

Tommunist wrote:

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it really shouldn't be a 24th century style LCARS interface, but hey, maybe Memory Alpha was the first Federation organization to use that particular OS!)

By the time Hikaru Sulu is an admiral, maybe there would be LCARS interfaces. It's a 24th century presentation of old history, as would be any Part 2.

When the book was first announced, I was reminded of the Memory Alpha briefings on (from memory) Vejur, Khan, Spock's Resurrection, the Whale Probe, Sybok, etc, on the most recent movie DVDs.

[Christopher]

Tommunist wrote:

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although it really shouldn't be a 24th century style LCARS interface, but hey, maybe Memory Alpha was the first Federation organization to use that particular OS!)

Included in io9's gallery of pages is an afterword by the author supposedly added 75 years after it originally came out, i.e. 2386. And there are some extra materials that wouldn't have been known about at the original publication date, like a diagram of a joined Trill's anatomy. So it seems the conceit is that this is the 75th-anniversary re-release of a book from 2311.

But I believe this book is an Amazon exclusive

Not in the US. I asked at a local Barnes & Noble, and they said they don't have it in the brick-and-mortar stores, but it is available for home delivery.

That said, I'm most interested in "The Rise of the Federation" next year, in the hopes that it further fleshes out early Fed history in an exciting way.

Not sure if "further" is the word, since from what you say, it sounds like F:TF150Y (or would that be F:TFCLY?) portrays a rather different version of history from what the ENT novels have shown. More like "differently," I guess. But in the novel format, I do have the room to explore that particular period in more depth, especially if there's more than one volume of ROTF.

[Ronald Held]

Has anyone gotten theirs yet?

[Therin of Andor]

Christopher wrote:

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if there's more than one volume of ROTF.

ROTFL.

[Christopher]

Therin of Andor wrote:

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ROTFL.

Okay, now I'm going to have to give Book 2 (if it happens) a title whose abbreviation is LMAO.

[Tommunist]

The afterword must not have registered correctly to me in regards to the dates, but I did see the "in universe" bibliography mention a book by Brian Griffin about the life of Captain Archer that was published in Quahog by Pewterschmidt Press.

[Tommunist]

Christopher wrote:

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Okay, now I'm going to have to give Book 2 (if it happens) a title whose abbreviation is LMAO.

Leveraging My Andorian Outrage?

[Markonian]

In one of the pictures, several Romulan birds-of-prey are seen gracing the sky above a Human city. They don't have birds painted underneath, do they?

[T'Ressa Dax]

Ronald Held wrote:

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Has anyone gotten theirs yet?

Got mine last week.

[CaptainDonovin]

T'Ressa Dax wrote:

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Got mine last week.

Mine was on the doorstep before I went to work, gonna dive into it shortly.

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

Tommunist wrote:

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The afterword must not have registered correctly to me in regards to the dates, but I did see the "in universe" bibliography mention a book by Brian Griffin about the life of Captain Archer that was published in Quahog by Pewterschmidt Press.

It's about time we got a Family Guy reference in Trek!

[Therin of Andor]

Markonian wrote:

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They don't have birds painted underneath, do they?

The birds had their cloaking devices operating.

[Ronald Held]

I expect to get mine today.

[Gotham Central]

King Daniel Into Darkness wrote:

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It's about time we got a Family Guy reference in Trek!

There is also a reference to Space 1999