Star Trek FAQ by Mark Clark

Much has been written about Star Trek in the more than forty years since the Starship Enterprise first appeared on television. People have looked at its science and its ethics; the stars have written about their behind the scene experiences. Novels expand on what was shown on screen and reviews place it in the context of popular culture. Star Trek FAQ bills itself as "Everything left to know about the first voyages of the Starship Enterprise," and that's what it puts forward. It has chapters dedicated to the creators, writers, actors, directors, guest stars, and anyone else who came in contact with the show. It discusses the sources that came before the show and the revivals that came afterward. If you have a question about Star Trek, this book probably has the answer.

There is a part of me that wonders if there's still a market for books like this. Couldn't you just look at a wikipedia page? Wouldn't you get the same information? And while I think you can, there is something so satisfyingly authoritative about a thick book that brings together so many different sources and topics. There was probably more that I needed about the actors previous roles, but it was helpful for filling in information about their lives before Star Trek. I don't know if the book is designed to be read straight through, like I did; some of the sections are repetitive, even down to the same phrasing. But if you're just starting where you're curious, this probably is less noticeable. What this book did quite well was get me excited about Star Trek. Talking about the episodes and the storylines made me curious to see more. I know a bit about the show, but only culturally; I know I've seen some episodes but I've never really sat down and watched one (although I was quite into Star Trek: The Next Generation) and I've only seen a few of the movies. Now, though, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the series and want to actually experience it. Super fans (Trekkies, if you will), won't likely find too much new in here, but fans of television and pop culture (as well as library non-fiction collections) should definitely give it a look.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Hal Leonard Books.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
To The Stars by George Takei
Beyond Uhura by Nichelle Nichols
Beam Me Up, Scotty by James Doohan
Inside Star Trek by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman
Star Trek Memories by William Shatner