100 books like The World of Star Trek

I remember the moment I walked into a bookstore and saw this book sitting face out on the shelf and thought; “Wait, they make books about every episode of a TV show?” Not just that but for the show that to this day I maintain was the greatest TV show ever made: The Twilight Zone. Marc Scott Zicree’s book was my beginner’s guide into the making of a TV production with an emphasis on my greatest love: the writers. From the day I bought this, I never sat down to watch the show again without it beside me for reference. My copy is worn and tattered but eternally loved. This was the book that made me want to work for and write about television.

I have no idea why this book was made. Star Trek was a cult show that was nearly canceled after its second season until the first fan campaign helped it earn one more run. So whose genius idea was it—in the midst of production—to create this book detailing how the show was made from soup to nuts? My thanks to the writers, editors, and publishers who made it happen. Because the result is an extraordinary contemporaneous look at a television show from the 1960s that changed the world. And my life, too. I found Star Trek as a child and this book as an early teen. Its insights made me determined that I, too, would somehow become a part of Star Trek production. Even if the show had finished filming before I was even born. Bless my Trekkie English teacher who had this book on her “borrowing” shelf. 

While The Making of Star Trek was a miraculous and uncalled-for contemporaneous title focused on the creation and production of the series overall, David Gerrold’s subsequent release, The Trouble With Tribbles, took one script and broke it down from beginning to end on exactly how the sausage—or rather a television show—was made. Filled with his witty observations combined with a writer’s frustrations of dealing with production limitations, it’s a fascinating insight for aspiring writers and Star Trek fans alike. This book, based on one of the most popular television episodes ever made, was originally published just a few years after production ended so all the stories were still fresh in his head. This one made me want to write for television but warned me why I shouldn’t.

If The Twilight Zone Companion was my original bible, then the Deep Space Nine Companion was its extensively expanded new testament. The alpha and omega for what a book about the making of a television show could be, this massive compendium was made possible by the unparalleled access the authors had to everyone as the show was in production. This book blew my mind with all the details it included and all of the aspects examined. Simply a treasure for all Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans. That said, this is an authorized book, meaning nothing was published without the studio’s oversight, which differentiates it from the earlier books on this list. Nonetheless, it’s the one I strove to match when I compiled my own study on the making of Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda entitled Sailing the Slipstream (a book I plan to re-format and re-release in an anniversary edition). 

This is another work I got a preview of, and just loved it. Like the creating of the films, the creation of the props and costumes that make the aliens, well, so alien is absolutely fascinating. For Trekkies, you’ll recognize everything from Star Trek (2009) forward to Discovery and Picard.

Perhaps the most attractive part of this book? The concept sketches and early ideas for each creature are illustrated. The reader gets a glimpse inside the mind of the artist and sees where the initial ideas came from. It’s another must-have for the shelf of any dedicated Trekkie. 

Did I mention that I am a Trekkie and a science nerd? When I was in eighth grade, my science project was on ani-matter. I was thrilled to discover that it was a real thing, not just something Star Trek made up. In fact, Star Trek has inspired many things, from the cell phone to the tablet, and even Bluetooth communication devices.

In this book, Mark Brake explores all those things, from cyborgs and aliens to planet hunting, and even asking when we will boldly go into the galaxy. It’s available for pre-order now and drops on May 26.

Star Trek: First Contact for me symbolized a return to the big screen for Star Trek, and the introduction of the Borg, one of the constant “villains” in the series from that point forward. But one of the things that has always fascinated me has been how these movies themselves spawned innovation in filmmaking. 

This is certainly no exception, and Joe Fordham expertly explores how this film did just that in a coffee table book filled with never before seen production art, cast interviews, and more. 

I got a sneak peek at this book at a convention, and it’s absolutely stunning. For the hard-core Trekkie, this is a must-have. It showcases detailed looks at ships from the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Original Series, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 

Each ship is profiled in extreme detail, with technical specs, the ship’s history, and some cool renderings created using the original models created for the show. 

While I didn’t get to study every profile, this book contains 40 ships, including the Anaxar cargo vessel, the Breen Warship, the Cardassian Bok'Nor, the Cardassian military freighter, the Ferengi shuttle, the Gorn warship, the Husnok warship, and the Jem’Hadar battlecruiser.

Looking for a birthday or Christmas gift for a Trekkie this year? This may be top on their list. 

Much of what I learned about real friendship I learned from Star Trek. From the many episodes of the original series I saw in syndication to the heartbreaking ending of Wrath of Kahn, the principle of “I am, and forever will be, your friend,” has influenced many of my friendships over the years. 

This book explores those friendships we have seen on screen, from Kirk and Spock, to Picard and Data, from Janeway and Seven of Nine to Bashir and Garak. Told through the eyes of fans, this is a great gift to yourself or your best friend if you want to make them jealous.

Of the novels based on the classic Star Trek TV series, this book is one of a handful that delves extensively into the background of arguably the show’s most iconic character. Diane Duane created a history for Spock and his birth world Vulcan, skillfully merged it with the show’s canon and used that as the backdrop for a political crisis that threatens to affect the United Federation of Planets.

Trekkie that I am, it felt like a pilgrimage of sorts when I read this book. I was fascinated with the past events that shaped the planet due to the extraordinary world-building covering Vulcan’s prehistory all the way to its peoples’ ventures into space exploration and, of course, the development of the famous Vulcan ethic of logic. What’s not to love about a novel that makes the most fascinating world in the Star Trek universe come alive in every aspect?