Description
This article is from the Star Trek Tech
FAQ, by Joshua Bell inexorabletash@hotmail.com with numerous
contributions by others.
36 Episode Guides (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)
While Vidiot and Hackman have on-line (free) episode guides for both
TOS and TNG, you can't walk into a store and buy them printed and
bound (at least, in my part of the world). If you're looking to spend
money, these are the ones most bookstores will have.
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THE STAR TREK COMPENDIUM
Allan Asherman.
Pocket Books, 1993. ISBN 0-671-79612-7
In print. US$13.00.
"The complete reference book" to the Original Series, the Animated
Series, and the Film Series. Various editions exist; one including
Star Trek VI is the latest, and has a white cover. The author tends to
(IMHO) harp on minor items in Star Trek, and interprets everything
from the IDIC view, as if that drove the writers of every episode.
Each episode or film is given a short summary, and a behind-the-scenes
analysis about twice as long as the summary.
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THE STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION COMPANION
Larry Nemecek
Pocket Books, 1995. ISBN 0-671-88340-2
In print. US$14.00
A compendium for the Next Generation. I personally prefer this style
to Asherman's companion. Each episode is given a short summary, but
the accompanying notes are strictly factual, and don't include much
analysis. This is a must-have book for Treknologists, as it includes
info such as ship classes for barely glimpsed ships, information on
yet-to-be-seen maps and the like. (The earlier edition with a blue
cover covered seasons 1-5; a newer edition for seasons 1-7 and
Generations is out with a maroon cover.)
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NITPICKER GUIDES
THE NITPICKER'S GUIDE FOR CLASSIC TREKKERS
THE NITPICKER'S GUIDE FOR NEXT GENERATION TREKKERS
THE NITPICKER'S GUIDE FOR NEXT GENERATION TREKKERS, VOLUME II
THE NITPICKER'S GUIDE FOR DEEP SPACE NINE TREKKERS
Phil Farrand
(TNG: Dell Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-440-50571-2)
(TOS: Dell Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-440-50683-2)
(TNG2: Dell Publishing, 1995. ISBN 0-440-50716-2)
(DS9: Dell Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-404-50762-6)
In print. US$12.95.
Synopses of episodes (through season 6 for NG in Vol. 1, 7 and
Generations in Vol. 2 plus more glitches from the rest), and movies
(through ST:VI in Classic) plus any of continuity glitches (which arm
someone is leaning on), effects muckups (when they forget to light
something, or the mike boom shows), technical inconsistencies
(holodeck matter, door controls), and various rants. The author has a
deep seated communicator obsession.
Apparently, Paramount has quashed the publication of this series.
Don't expect any more updates - at least it was fun while it lasted.
(Thanks to Marco Radke for the unfortunate news.)
Phil has a web site set up - Nitpicker Central
(http://www.nitcentral.com/).
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THE STAR TREK CONCORDANCE (First Edition)
Bjo Trimble.
Ballantine Books, 1976. ISBN 0-345-25137-7-695.
Out of print. Cover price: US$6.95. Listed as US$60-$100.
One of the first big Star Trek publications by fandom, this volume is
hard to come by. The cover is an "episode wheel" giving page numbers
and abbreviations for all of the episodes detailed within - in the
1976 edition, both TOS and TAS are treated equally. Episodes are
listed by stardate, a brief interlude of fan art takes up a few pages,
then a season-by- season listing of the episodes with a short synopsis
fills out the first half of the book. The second is a lexicon, or
encyclopedia of sorts for TOS and TAS era information about Star Trek,
much of which is still valid, some of which has strange quirks.
Throughout the book is line art and tracings from cels of the animated
series.
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STAR TREK CONCORDANCE (New Edition)
Bjo Trimble.
Citadel Press, 1995. Trade paperback, 322 pages. ISBN 0-8065-1610-0.
In print. US$19.95
The new edition of Bjo Trimble's classic work, the "Star Trek
Concordance" is well worth the cover price. She has expanded on the
earlier Ballantine incarnation of the Concordance. The new version
still covers TOS and TAS, but has also expanded to cover the films as
well as TNG and DS9 episodes concerning TOS characters (i.e. TNG's
"Relics"). Although references to TNG/DS9-only information are
minimal. There now separate sections covering vessels (lotsa NCC
numbers here), and locations in the ST universe (clearing up a lot of
weird pseudo-astronomical ST place-names). This book is an essential
companion piece to Okuda's Encyclopedia and Chronology, IMO. [Victoria
Aeron Mackey]
Sadly, no Secret Star Trek Decoder Wheel on the cover of this one.
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