Printed Resources: Essential Guide?

[bjj8383]

Star Wars has/had an incredible series of "Essential" guides, the most comprehensive of which were the Essential Atlas and Essential Guide to the Force, which together pretty much give a complete comprehensive overview of the fictional setting and history of the setting. Does Star Trek have anything similar? A detailed illustrated guide chronicling the entire history of the federation and a large number federation worlds?

 

[Starborn Dragon]

Well, there are some books that are similar, but they are not essentials. They have different names. Here is the wiki for you:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Trek_technical_manuals

The ones I'd recommend most are:

Mister Scott's Guide To The Enterprise
Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual
The Star Trek Encyclopedia
Deep Space Nine Technical manual
Worlds OF The Federation
Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual (1973)

 

[bjj8383]

It's depressing that not many wide-view, world-explaining guides exist; Worlds of the Federation is ancient, and that Star Charts is pretty old too and not nearly as comprehensive as it's possible to go. So I guess my follow up question would be are there any high-quality fannon guides of a more comprehensive nature?

 

[Starborn Dragon]

If you like role playing games, the games from FASA, Last Unicorn Games, and Decipher have more up to date information, but not by much.

 

[Albertese]

The Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future by Michael and Denise Okuda. Published by Pocket Books in 1996. ISBN: 0-671-53610-9. It is a comprehensive look at the setting up to Voyager year 2.

For something more up to date, Google "Memory Alpha."

--Alex