Trek 101 and other non fiction books

[DimesDan]

I've just read the preview of Star Trek 101 over on Trek Movie and even though I can access the interweb when ever I want and I have the Star Trek Fact Files plus most of the Star Trek Magazines back issues, I find such books, detailing the whys and hows of film production fascinating (which is why I still watch Doctor Who Confidential even though after four years it's a bit samey) I will place my order with my local indie bookshop in the morning, but, and this is to do more with the Voyager Companion, does anyone else think the reviewist hasn't really read it?

Although lacking in behind the scenes photos (there are plenty of episode pictures here, though), Paul Ruditis’ text is a marvel of behind the scene information and trivia. Each episode includes lists of "Sensor Readings" (science featured in the episode), "Damage Reports" (what damage is suffered by the U.S.S. Voyager), "Delta Quadrant" (what the episode teaches about the Delta Quadrant), "Alpha Quadrant" (how the episode is connected with the Alpha Quadrant and how close the crew is to home), "Personal Logs" (what the episode teaches about the characters), "Episode Logs" (generic trivia about the episode), and other fun discussions. The text includes the original Star Trek Voyager’s guide which shows how the characters changed from their original designs. Tuvok, for example, was supposed to be a Yoda character, much older and a calming influence on the crew. Each of the crew is given a few page tribute with quotes from the actors about their characters and how that character thought of other characters. This is a great book for fans of Kathryn Janeway and her crew.

Now I will admit having the writers guide as a form of prolouge to the text is nice, and that the character "tributs" is ok, but please, there are no discussions on how or why x,y or z were decided on upon, it is all pretty much dry data which can be honed by just watching the fraking show. And the pieces of anicdotal text there is just feels like it was taken straight from either a press release or a third party interview.

Compare that too what was written for both DS9 and The Next Generation, the Voyager Companion is an embarresment and I'm not amased that sales were so low that Enterprise has never reseaved a companion.

Even though the reviewist was in my eyes so fundamentally wrong with the Voyager Companion, I hope he was right about Trek 101 and Mr Erdman and Ms Block have scored yet another century.

 

[Therin of Andor]

And the pieces of anicdotal text there is just feels like it was taken straight from either a press release or a third party interview.

It's not always possible to be on the set, and in the production offices, when a TV show is being produced. That's what makes books like "The World of ST", "The Making of TMP" and "DS9 Companion" seem more "there" than other making of books.

Having said that, I wasn't all that disappointed by the "VOY Companion". It wasn't as fascinating as the "DS9 Companion", but then neither was VOY itself when compared to DS9. It seems like people wanted dirt.

IIRC, Paula Block has warned that "101" won't go into too much detail, although it attempts to cover everything. It's more a "primer" or an overview to ST than a detailed encyclopedia.

 

[PaulSimpson]

IIRC, Paula Block has warned that "101" won't go into too much detail, although it attempts to cover everything. It's more a "primer" or an overview to ST than a detailed encyclopedia.

Paula and Terry go into some detail about the lack of detail (er...) in their interview for the latest issue of the mag - my reading between their lines is the idea of the book is that it gets you wanting to dig the episode off the shelves and experience it for yourself.

Paul

 

[DimesDan]

IIRC, Paula Block has warned that "101" won't go into too much detail, although it attempts to cover everything. It's more a "primer" or an overview to ST than a detailed encyclopedia.

Paula and Terry go into some detail about the lack of detail (er...) in their interview for the latest issue of the mag - my reading between their lines is the idea of the book is that it gets you wanting to dig the episode off the shelves and experience it for yourself.

Paul

Ah cool, I think with that and the Destiny extract I'll actually buy the magazine for the first time in a year or two instead of getting a cup of tea and flicking through it!

 

[Starlock]

Trek 101 is out in stores now. Aside from a number of inconvenient grammatical errors, from what I've read so far, it lives up to its job as a "primer".

 

[ronny]

Saw it on the shelf today. Thumbed through to see what the the Spocks Brain episodes were for the other series but nothing else in the book really screamed out "buy me". I'll give it a 2nd or 3rd look but I'll probably be passing on it. Didn't look like a bad book, I'm just not the target audience.

 

[Ktrek]

All I can say about this book is that I am glad I can afford to throw away $15.00 and not miss it. If I wasn't a collector I would probably have passed as I have not seen anything in the book that hasn't been said before elsewhere and in more depth. Not that it's a bad book or even a bad presentation for what it is, it's just that anyone who has been a fan for a long while might just pass this one by. For a newbie I am sure it will give the basics. Whether it will encourage a newbie to inquire further is another consideration.

Kevin

 

[Dayton Ward]

Well, there is a reason it's called Star Trek 101

 

[startrekfiero]

I love the Star Trek 101 book. It gives you exactly what it is meant to give you and nothing more. I would agree that it would have been nice to have some more info on some of the characters/aliens. For example the TOS Menagerie section for the aliens like the Gorn and Tellarites was more than a bit lacking in detail/descriptions I thought, but overall the book is very cool and well done.
I also would have liked to have seen more pictures used and in color and not B/W.
I agree that it is more aimed towards the more casual viewer and obviously non die hard Trekker. When the new movie comes out it is quite possible it may cause many people both young and old who never really got into Trek before to give at least the TOS series a better look. This book would be perfect companion for them as just one good example.

 

[PaulSimpson]

I love the Star Trek 101 book. It gives you exactly what it is meant to give you and nothing more. I would agree that it would have been nice to have some more info on some of the characters/aliens. For example the TOS Menagerie section for the aliens like the Gorn and Tellarites was more than a bit lacking in detail/descriptions I thought, but overall the book is very cool and well done.
I also would have liked to have seen more pictures used and in color and not B/W.
I agree that it is more aimed towards the more casual viewer and obviously non die hard Trekker. When the new movie comes out it is quite possible it may cause many people both young and old who never really got into Trek before to give at least the TOS series a better look. This book would be perfect companion for them as just one good example.

Bear in mind that publication date was almost certainly set before the change in date of the movie release, and I would have thought that that was one of the reasons for the book!

 

[Therin of Andor]

"ST 101" arrived Down under yesterday. Another handy book to sit alongside the computer, with "Voyages of Imagination". For when Google lets you down, or when the wiki you wanted has been sabotaged.

 

[KRAD]

Bear in mind that publication date was almost certainly set before the change in date of the movie release, and I would have thought that that was one of the reasons for the book!

This is, in fact, the case -- the intent was to release it in time for the prerelease buzz of the movie, when the movie was scheduled for December 2008 release.

 

[danjamesb]

This is, in fact, the case -- the intent was to release it in time for the prerelease buzz of the movie, when the movie was scheduled for December 2008 release.

Wasn't the book first announced in 2005, for release in late 2006?

 

[KRAD]

It was originally intended as a 40th anniversary book, yes. I'm not sure what caused the delay, but when it was rescheduled, it was done to tie into the movie.

 

[ronny]

When I stopped in my local independent book store, where I got my copy of Destiny 1 this morning , I noticed both copies of ST 101 that were there a couple days ago are now gone so someone is buying them.

 

[ronny]

oh never mind. i went back at lunch, hey, it's only a block from work, I go there a lot, and ST 101 hasn't sold yet, they just moved them from the fiction shelves to the TV and Movie section...