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The book is separated into 7 chapters, each series has its own chapter and all of the current movies (excluding the newest one in 2009)in another chapter. Once I'm done reading it, I'm going to pass it on to my boyfriend who really wants to know about Star Trek. I love Star Trek but i'm most familiar with the Classic Trek and Next Generation. In each of the chapters the author breaks its down into mini bios of each of the main characters, key terms to know, alien speices to know, as well as a list of top 10 episodes to watch, finally concluding with a synopsis of all episodes. Finally i'll have someone to play Scene It: Star Trek with. I picked up this book not from Amazon but from The Sci Fi museum in Seattle. I have to say I like this book,it is a quick read though, I skipped the section of the episodes but it helped me to fill in any gaps or questions I might have about later series and what they are, any episodes to look out for, and the introduction of new characters.
STAR TREK was possibly the first series in the history of television (apart form some of the highly literate anthology shows of the fifties, where amazingly gifted writers wrote some of the finest TV that we have ever seen, such as REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT and BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY and 12 ANGRY MEN, all of which were remade as feature length films) where people wanted to know who wrote the screenplay. I'm not sure that any of it would be of much use to newcomers (you will learn what you need as you watch the show) and for veteran STAR TREK fans the main resource is THE STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA. All of this is very well done and I can't complain about the product.But who is the book for. It would have added a large number of pages to STAR TREK 101, but it would have added tremendously to the value of the book. This book contains a solid overview of all things STAR TREK.
The value of the book as it stands to anyone who knows anything about STAR TREK is minimal at most.I purchased this off Amazon (yes, I did purchase it from Amazon, but in posting this review I will deactivate the confirmed purchase option -- I have bought a large number of items from Amazon over the years, from electric equipment to clothes to food to books to just about anything that I can get more cheaply from Amazon than I can purchase in a store, but as far as I am concerned, it is my business about I want others to know -- I plan on never using this feature in any reviews that I write) for close to nothing and given the cost I am happy to own the book. About the only real purpose to which I have been able to put the book is to look through the episode synopses to locate a particular episode. But frankly it is not of much value. So, while I can't really fault the job that was done with STAR TREK 101, I'm just not certain who will find it helpful. And anyone who watches much TV loves lists of guest stars. It was just about driving me crazy.
The volume summarizes all of the series and movies, including all the major characters, many of the recurring characters, the various races, the ships, and other odds and ends. The only person for whom the book would be especial help would be someone who knows next to nothing about STAR TREK. I eventually went onto IMDB and was able to figure out that the actor was Mark Moses and that he was familiar because he plays Duck Phillips on MAD MEN. There are also brief summaries of every episode and lists of the key episodes. For instance, I was recently rewatching an episode of VOYAGER in which an actor in heavy make up nonetheless looked extremely familiar. For instance, alongside the plot summaries, why couldn't they have listed the cast and crew.
Virtually anyone who has seen the various STAR TREK series will know just about every bit of info contained in the book. Additional features that could have enhanced the value of the book were missing.
Overall, I would say that this is a very cool book that Trekkies new and old will enjoy. It is full of recommendations, obviously for new fans that don't know what to watch. With that, it also tells you what the worst episode of the series is. From the cover, you wouldn't think this book would be that fun but it is. Another cool thing about the book is that it gives 3 episodes that it recommends you watch that focuses on all of the main characters. I have been a Star Trek fan for only five years, but I still don't know everything there is to know about Star Trek.
It also gives a top 10 must see episode list for each series, most of which I agree with. That's not all, it also has a section that tells you about all ten movies and pics of the movie posters. The franchise is so huge, it is nice to have this book as a reminder on certain things. For example, after the bio of Picard, it gives you 3 must see episodes where the main focus is that character. I even have someone else wanting to borrow it after I told them about it. This book gives you the basics, but also has a nice episode guide and some great pictures.
It's all opinion when it comes to that, but the chosen episodes are what most Trekkies would agree with.
Just beware; it's bland. Who would have thunk it back in 1968.STAR TREK 101 revisits the Star Trek world, detailing all the series and movies produced over the years. STAR TREK 101 is a very uncritical look at Star Trek - no mention of personality clashes, disagreements over movie plots, salaries, budgets or critical reviews of any ST product be it TV or movie. but no development or production details.
Unless someone's been in a cave for the last 40 years, they should have a passing knowledge of Gene Roddenberry's creation and its myriad permutations. Devoted fans will probably know most of the material in STAR TREK 101 backwards and forwards but, what the heck, it's a new Star Trek book and just in time for Christmas. If you're looking for a one-stop shopping guide to the world of Trek, this should do. It's amazing that, from one failed TV series, a horde of follow-on shows, movies, merchandising, etc.
Likewise, since this is a Paramount Pictures production, don't expect a warts-and-all, behind-the-scenes book. Your call, folks. has evolved. The book supplies information on the cast of characters, episode guides, essential episodes, Trek terminology, etc.
Other than that, there's little to recommend about this book. If you're looking for an episode guide for every Trek series, this is for you. This book is little more than a basic episode guide for all Star Trek series and includes the movies as well. There's some trivia in the book but it's all fairly bland.
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