The Star Trek Book

611 Pages·2016·161.93 MB·English

by  Paul Ruditis

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SPACE, THE FINAL FRONTIER
The known universe • Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Quadrants
A dream that became a reality… • The United Federation of Planets
A dangerous, savage, child Race • United Earth
Infinite diversity in infinite combinations • The Vulcans
Breaking the ice • The Andorian Empire
Adding insult to diplomacy • Tellarites
Our differences combine to create meaning and beauty • Worlds of the Federation
A captain’s most solemn oath • The Prime Directive
Ready to make some history • Time travel
The future begins again • The Temporal Incursion of 2233
Parallel lives • Alternative realities
Through the looking glass • The mirror universe
STARFLEET
To boldly go where no one has gone before • Starfleet
From the stars, knowledge • Starfleet Academy
Extraordinary measures • Section 31
Time and time again • The Department of Temporal Investigations and the Temporal Integrity
Commission
First in the fleet • Enterprise NX-01
Model starship builder • Jonathan Archer
The Vulcan observer • T’Pol
Tough as nails • Charles “Trip”
Tucker
The navy man • Malcolm Reed
Space boomer • Travis Mayweather
An ear for language • Hoshi Sato
The Denobulan doctor • Phlox
A star to steer her by • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701
By any other name • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A
A new Enterprise • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Kelvin Timeline)
Out saving the Galaxy • James T. Kirk
The highly logical Vulcan • Spock
The old country doctor • Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy
The great communicator • Nyota Uhura
The miracle worker • Montgomery Scott
Ever upward • Hikaru Sulu
The Russian whiz kid • Pavel Chekov
A guiding light • Christopher Pike
The Enterprise legacy • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B/C
History will never forget • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D
Drive, determination, and courage • Jean-Luc Picard
Number one • William T. Riker
An officer and an android • Data
A nice guy at heart • Geordi La Forge
An honorable man • Worf
The empath • Deanna Troi
The dancing doctor • Dr. Beverly Crusher
Boy genius • Wesley Crusher
The replacement • Dr. Katherine Pulaski
A lifetime of struggle • Natasha “Tasha” Yar
The listener • Guinan
A sovereign class • U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E
Action station • Deep Space 9
One tough little ship • U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205
The emissary • Benjamin Sisko
Rebel officer • Kira Nerys
A neutral party of one • Odo
Nine lives • Jadzia & Ezri Dax
Our man Bashir • Dr. Julian Bashir
Chief among them • Miles O’Brien
The usual suspect • Quark
War correspondent • Jake Sisko
Family business • Rom, Nog, and Leeta
The voyage home • U.S.S. Voyager NCC-74656
The caffeine-fueled captain • Kathryn Janeway
The contrary commander • Chakotay
Mr. Vulcan • Tuvok
Fly boy • Tom Paris
The divided self • B’Elanna Torres
Fresh out of the academy • Harry Kim
EMH–Mark 1 • The Doctor
A Talaxian of all trades • Neelix
A life less ordinary • Kes
Disconnected • Seven of Nine
FEDERATION ALLIES AND ENEMIES
In the hands of the Prophets • The Bajorans
There are no saints, just people • The Maquis
The stars are made of latinum • The Ferengi Alliance
Spiritual storytellers • Talaxians
Brief lives half lived • The Ocampa
Khaaaaaaaaaan! • Khan Noonien Singh
Five distinct species • The Xindi
A criminal syndicate • The Orions
Death before dishonor • The Klingon Empire
Beware Romulans bearing gifts • The Romulan Star Empire
No quarter, no captives • The Earth–Romulan War
Enemies make dangerous friends • The Cardassian Union
A simple tailor • Elim Garak
One man’s villain is another man’s hero • Dukat
Victory is life • The Dominion
A trusted solid • Weyoun
Never turn your back on a Breen • The Breen Confederacy
In time of war, the law falls silent • The Dominion War
Resistance is (not) futile • The Borg collective
The first Borg invasion • The Battle of Wolf 359
Changing sects • The Kazon Order
Necessary measures • The Vidiian Sodality
Hunter and prey • Hirogen
What’s in a name? • Species 8472
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Engage • Warp drive
Energize • Transporters
Freeze program • Holographic technology
Set phasers to stun • Weapons technology
Captain to bridge • Communicators
Super scanner • Tricorders
Translation matrix • Universal translator
Hidden dangers • Cloaking devices
Technological distinctiveness • Borg technology
NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS
These are the voyages • Where no one has gone before
The trial never ends • The Q Continuum
In the arena • The Gorn and the Metrons
Life of illusion • The Talosians
The energy of thought • The Traveler
In their hands • The Prophets
The fallen • Pah-wraiths
The Caretaker • The Nacene
All that you knew is gone • Guardian of Forever
To learn all there is to know •
V’Ger
The devil in the dark • Horta
Fantastic beasts • Mugato, Sehlat, and Targ
A bunch of hungry little tribbles •
Tribbles
GLOSSARY
TV SERIES
MOVIE RELEASES
COPYRIGHT

INTRODUCTION
When the casual television viewer thinks of Star Trek, it might bring to mind the
much-loved, pointy-eared alien with the stoic demeanor known as Spock. Or a
well-known phrase—many people have uttered “Beam me up, Scotty,” without
really knowing what it means or the fact that the phrase has never actually been
used on screen, either in the movies or TV series. Like Superman, Mickey
Mouse, or a more modern hero, Harry Potter, Star Trek is known and loved
around the world, and even people who have never seen it on screen have some
basic familiarity with its setting and characters.
The Star Trek movies and TV series span over 50 years, and have built a vast
fictional realm unlike any other. The filming of the initial pilot episode took
place in 1964, and although that episode never aired in its original form during
the series’ first run, it inspired over 700 hours of TV episodes and movies,
adding to a library that continues to expand today. During that time, the writers
of Star Trek have created a fully developed universe filled with alien species,
novel languages, and a rich history with several timelines.
To some, the complexities of this universe are intimately familiar. The true fans
know the series and movies in minute detail, having examined the motivations
and repercussions of the characters’ actions across their many screen
appearances. Others may find it daunting, and may be wondering how to even
begin to get a taste of Star Trek’s rich storytelling. The Star Trek Book offers an
easy but comprehensive way of entering this dense and fascinating universe.
"It isn’t all over—everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning."
Gene Roddenberry
Cowboys in space
Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek in 1964, pitching it to network executives
as “Wagon Train to the stars,” referring to a popular Western series on US
television in the late 1950s and early 60s. The initial pilot for Star Trek was
called “The Cage,” and it introduced the core concept: in the 23rd century, a
crew onboard a spaceship known as the Starship Enterprise were exploring
space. NBC network executives liked the overall concept but asked for many
changes—particularly in the casting—and made an unusual request for a second
pilot.
That second pilot, called “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” sold NBC on the
series, but neither pilot would serve as the public’s introduction to Star Trek. A
further episode, called “The Man Trap,” would do that. This premiered at 8:30
pm on Thursday, September 8, 1966, two years after the original pilot had been
filmed. The show had won a timeslot, but it fell to second place the following
week and throughout the season, though it still posted respectable ratings
compared to other series launched that year.
The challenge of the science-fiction series was that its special effects, and alien
costumes and makeup required a considerably higher budget than the typical TV
show. Star Trek struggled in the ratings through its second season but rumors of
its cancellation led to an intense letter-writing campaign from fans. The high-
production budget ultimately led to the series’ cancellation at the end of a third
season, but—luckily for fans—this turned out to be just the beginning of the Star
Trek story.
Strangely, Star Trek’s audience actually grew after cancellation, bolstered by
repeat airings in syndication. Burgeoning fan interest led to a kind of
resurrection for the show in 1973, when Gene Roddenberry introduced a new
cartoon series starring most of the cast in what became known as Star Trek: The
Animated Series, or simply TAS.
Star Trek: The movie