Another of those James Van Hise/Hal Schuster unlicensed Trek books, this time in the form of travel guides. The first, Let's Trek: The Budget Guide to the Federation 1995 covers Federation and non-Federation planets from TOS, TNG and season one of DS9. The author adds in some fun details about some worlds, like Sha'Ka'Ree having rock monsters, or Talosians being hermaphrodites, or some of the other pleasure of Argelius II as well as following up on what's happened to some TOS worlds by the time of TNG/DS9. Even the Klingon homeworld (here called Klinzhai from J. Mike Ford lore) is featured. There are also pages of space phenomena.
Unfortunately though, it reads like a very rough first draft. There are formatting errors, typos and factiods dropped in that make no sense in the context of a travel guide. There are pages of generic sci-fi illustrations (uncredited), including a pleasurebot, some aliens and alien landscapes, spaceships, a submarine and a car. Later photo pages consist of cast photos from TNG and DS9.
Let's Trek: The Budget Guide to the Klingons 1995 focuses on Klingon planets, plants, food and rituals, and instead of the generic sci-fi art or cast photos of the Federation book, has pages of photos of fans in Klingon cosplay (credited, this time). There are also descriptions of Klingon legends, with stories from various houses.
They're fun, but very rough around the edges. And it's cool that recently the concept has been used by the Hidden Universe Travel Guide to Vulcan and The Klingon Empire. I'd love to see an official take on a book covering the whole Federation.
Anyone else have these? Fond memories or foul?
Unfortunately though, it reads like a very rough first draft. There are formatting errors, typos and factiods dropped in that make no sense in the context of a travel guide. There are pages of generic sci-fi illustrations (uncredited), including a pleasurebot, some aliens and alien landscapes, spaceships, a submarine and a car. Later photo pages consist of cast photos from TNG and DS9.
Let's Trek: The Budget Guide to the Klingons 1995 focuses on Klingon planets, plants, food and rituals, and instead of the generic sci-fi art or cast photos of the Federation book, has pages of photos of fans in Klingon cosplay (credited, this time). There are also descriptions of Klingon legends, with stories from various houses.
They're fun, but very rough around the edges. And it's cool that recently the concept has been used by the Hidden Universe Travel Guide to Vulcan and The Klingon Empire. I'd love to see an official take on a book covering the whole Federation.
Anyone else have these? Fond memories or foul?
