Star Trek needs no introduction. The amount of books covering every aspect of the successes (and failures) of the saga created by Gene Roddenberry is staggering. So I’m not going to try to summarise a work which achieves epic proportions. But I can simplify it. If you are one of those who want to know but doesn’t know where to start, this is for you.
THE UNIVERSE
A few favourites of mine:
Star Trek Lives! Personal Notes and Anecdotes, by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Sondra Marshak and Joan Winston. A charming book from 1975 about the resonance of the original show.
Star Trek FAQ (Everything Left to Know About the First Voyages of the Starship Enterprise) by Mark Clark.
I am not Spock, by Leonard Nimoy, and its companion -once he made up his Vulcan mind- I am Spock, by Leonard Nimoy too, yes. Although Spock is by far my favourite character of The Original Series (also known as TOS), I don’t think Nimoy made the best books. I think in this aspect his co-star won the day. More on this later.
Star Trek. 50 years on the final frontier is the updated version of the excellent A Brief Guide to Star Trek, the Essential History of the Classic Tv Series and the Movies, by Brian J. Robb. Great and thorough account of the films and series, up until Discovery.
KLINGON WORLD
As you may know, the Klingon language has a life of its own. There is a Klingon Institute, operas in Klingon, books of all kinds…
The Klingon Hamlet, the Restored Klingon Version, prepared by the Klingon Institute. Hamlet, as written in the original Klingon, by William Shakespeare.
How to Speak Klingon: Essential phrases for the intergalactic traveler, by Ben Grossblatt. In case you plan to travel to Klingon land, this is it.
THE MOVIES
Star Trek Movie Memories, The Inside Story of the Making of the Classic Movies, by William Shatner. A hugely entertaining account of the making of most of the films.
The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood, by Nicholas Meyer. The guy who saved the Star Trek movie franchise, Nicholas Meyer, tells us all about his involvement in the film saga.
With these titles, should be enough to get you started!
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