Star Trek 1157: Star Trek Encyclopedia

1157. Star Trek Encyclopedia

PUBLICATION: Pocket Books; May 1994 (1st edition) / December 1997 (2nd, full-color) / October 1999 (3rd, Updated and Expanded)

CREATORS: Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek (writers), Doug Drexler (illustrator)

STARDATE: Everything through 1999 (5th season of Voyager)

TOPIC: An A to Z compendium of everyone and everything that has ever appeared or been mentioned in Star Trek up through the date of publication, including a large number of foods and drinks, generously illustrated with pictures and graphics. The original edition was softcover in black and white; the second was hardcover in full color and more illustrations; and the third was basically a softcover of the 2nd edition, but with extra pages tacked at the end. In addition to single entries, there are also tables of planets and ships, a list of episodes, and an index of actors and production personnel. Many entries have behind-the-scene notations in italics, but are otherwise written for the 24th-century reader.

CONTINUITY: Almost all. Includes some facts never revealed on television, such as ship registries and classes for vessels mentioned but not seen, and details designed but not seen well onscreen.

DIVERGENCES: Certainly possible (especially in the wake of Enterprise), but minimal.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE WEEK
REVIEW: I bought all three editions, so I can't say I'm not a fan of the Star Trek Encyclopedia despite its frequent veering into minutia (the aforementioned food entries). Used the hell out of them to make dream cards for the STCCG when I was active on their boards (created a card for every concept not already a card up through the letter M - so I've always been this crazy). Anyway, for the more, let's say, casual reader, the last two editions are a real joy. Rarely are there less than 3 pictures per page and many entries will evoke a Trekkie memory. I was a little disappointed that the new entries in the 3rd edition were tacked on in an appendix rather than integrated into the main text, but that would have probably meant more work than it was worth. And of course, Pocket Books always beat the iron while it was hot, which meant they never waited for a series to end before coming out with a reference book. Even the last edition doesn't get us through the whole of Voyager. Still, at over 700 pages, this thing is a monster. Now imagine it with 6 seasons worth of extra material. Incomplete then, and perhaps you might even say irrelevant post-Abrams, but a beloved part of my collection nonetheless. (Oh, and some detached page issues on that edition too, so be careful with it.)