This isn't strictly a Trek centric subject although Trek can be heavily represented among tie-in reference books.
Recently there was a lot of discussion, and general disappointment, with the Haynes' U.S.S. Enterprise Operator's Manual (or whatever it was called). Generally a lot of folks thought it was poorly put together and essentially a shallow rehash of previous work with little fresh to recommend it.
So here we could discuss previously released books we've liked (or not) and why, and they needn't necessarily be Trek oriented works. We could also cover what we like to see and don't like to see in such books. We could also cover books we'd like to see done.
Recently I purchased a non Trek reference book called Lost In Space: Jupiter 2 Technical Guide. While one might quibble over the overall result it's quite apparent that this book was a labour of genuine interest and devotion.
Recently I received the new release of a reference book to another television series. It is the Lost In Space: Jupiter 2 Technical Guide.
Although some might scoff at mentioning LIS in comparison to Star Trek here is what I thought of the book:
Having just finished going through the book I quite like it overall.
I'm impressed with the technical background and explanations. Granted you can see some of this has been retconned with a current understanding of sciences over what was known back in the '60s, but it doesn't seem to contradict or invalidate what was shown onscreen. Indeed I quite like this approach of using genuine science and plausible theory to make the show's science and technology more credible. I didn't get much sense of handwavium while reading the text. Overall this is the kind of thinking I'd like to have seen applied to some of the Trek reference guides I've seen and in this respect this LIS book and its companion(s) impress me as better than the Trek related counterparts.
In terms of images I found this book to be a mixed bag. I really liked the schematics although I felt there could have been more. I would like to have seen schematics of the Chariot, the Space Pod and the B9 Robot, but in fairness this is a reference book and not a set of general plans. I liked the use of actual photographs along with plan drawings in conjunction with the technical exposition detailing each aspect of the Jupiter 2. Candidly, though, I did not care for the 3D animation images and for me they looked out of place in an otherwise excellent book.
For the material contained in this book it is very fairly priced and well worth the purchase for anyone interested in science fiction speculative science and technology as well as fans of the Lost In Space television series. I also think it is a far superior work compared to the recent Haynes' Trek reference book.
The quality of this book is a reflection of genuine interest and fan devotion as opposed to just cranking out tie-in merchandise.
If curious then go here:
Jupiter 2 Technical Guide
Lost In Space Design
In years past I've collected quite a few reference books (Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5). In truth they all left a bit something to be desired, but the best ones conveyed the impression that the creators really gave a damn about the subject matter and the fans who would be interested in these works.
Anyone else?
Recently there was a lot of discussion, and general disappointment, with the Haynes' U.S.S. Enterprise Operator's Manual (or whatever it was called). Generally a lot of folks thought it was poorly put together and essentially a shallow rehash of previous work with little fresh to recommend it.
So here we could discuss previously released books we've liked (or not) and why, and they needn't necessarily be Trek oriented works. We could also cover what we like to see and don't like to see in such books. We could also cover books we'd like to see done.
Recently I purchased a non Trek reference book called Lost In Space: Jupiter 2 Technical Guide. While one might quibble over the overall result it's quite apparent that this book was a labour of genuine interest and devotion.
Recently I received the new release of a reference book to another television series. It is the Lost In Space: Jupiter 2 Technical Guide.
Although some might scoff at mentioning LIS in comparison to Star Trek here is what I thought of the book:
Having just finished going through the book I quite like it overall.
I'm impressed with the technical background and explanations. Granted you can see some of this has been retconned with a current understanding of sciences over what was known back in the '60s, but it doesn't seem to contradict or invalidate what was shown onscreen. Indeed I quite like this approach of using genuine science and plausible theory to make the show's science and technology more credible. I didn't get much sense of handwavium while reading the text. Overall this is the kind of thinking I'd like to have seen applied to some of the Trek reference guides I've seen and in this respect this LIS book and its companion(s) impress me as better than the Trek related counterparts.
In terms of images I found this book to be a mixed bag. I really liked the schematics although I felt there could have been more. I would like to have seen schematics of the Chariot, the Space Pod and the B9 Robot, but in fairness this is a reference book and not a set of general plans. I liked the use of actual photographs along with plan drawings in conjunction with the technical exposition detailing each aspect of the Jupiter 2. Candidly, though, I did not care for the 3D animation images and for me they looked out of place in an otherwise excellent book.
For the material contained in this book it is very fairly priced and well worth the purchase for anyone interested in science fiction speculative science and technology as well as fans of the Lost In Space television series. I also think it is a far superior work compared to the recent Haynes' Trek reference book.
The quality of this book is a reflection of genuine interest and fan devotion as opposed to just cranking out tie-in merchandise.
If curious then go here:
Jupiter 2 Technical Guide
Lost In Space Design
In years past I've collected quite a few reference books (Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5). In truth they all left a bit something to be desired, but the best ones conveyed the impression that the creators really gave a damn about the subject matter and the fans who would be interested in these works.
Anyone else?
