| Title : |
Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual |
| Writers : |
Michael Okuda, Rick Sternbach |
| Year : |
1991 |
| Rating : |
4.5000 for 4 reviews | Add your own review |
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| Reviewer : |
Zeke Thorne |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
Ah, back in the glory days when Starfleet vessel design still made some kind of sense and more torpedo launchers didn't automatically make for a superior vessel. Sternbach and Okuda have always been champions of the minor detail, and this reference guide is their opus in that regard. Unlike other reviewers I was actually pleased by the distinct lack of "flashy graphics" because, to my mind, the schematic diagrams and simple line drawings added to the authenticity of the premise - that is to say, one gets the distinct impression that, if we had the technology available to us we could conceivbly use the TNGTM as a template from which to construct our very own Galaxy-class starship. Fascinating if occasionally contradictory or nonsensical minutiae, with the aforementioned eye to detail upon which Sternbach and Okuda have built their reputations. The "side notes" regarding actual Star Trek production info were an outstanding addition to an already-solid work of technical fiction. The Tech Manual was a solid addition to my collection when I bought it in the early 90s and it remains so today. |
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| Reviewer : |
FL |
Rating : |
 |
| Review : |
THis books is a facinating 24th century look at the technology on board the Enterprise D. The simple layout adds to the realism as it does look like a tech manual. The writers did a good job suspending believe, getting into technical details without having to relate to present day science. And there are little backstage information scattered throughout the section whenever appropriate. Very interesting read. |
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| Reviewer : |
NH |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
A must have for anybody interested in the technology behind Star Trek. From warp drive to transporters, photon torpedoes to the EPS system; it's all there. Don't expect any flashy graphics though, all illustrations are monochromatic line drawings. |
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| Reviewer : |
Blaston Phools |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
Ok.. Here goes.. This books is as close to a real starships blue-prints that your likely to find for the next 100 years. Okuda shows what happens if you let your imagination expand into what is unknown and find answers to questions where not ready to tackle, such as the "Space flywheel" or as Okuda calls it the inertial dampners, A function that cancels out the force of exceleration or force of any kind if applied to our simple understanding of internal combustion mechanics. The book itself is fiction no doubt and raises more questions than it answers, although some superficial questions such as communicator functions, waste recycling and strangly enough a department where dolphins are kept for inter-species communication of some kind? are all explained in painful detail as are all the typical federation starship functions we have come to know very well, are all explained in as much detail as our basic understanding of physics allows and a very creative author. There are a few hidden "easter eggs" throughout the book such as on page 11 on the ship cross-section if you look close in the cargo bay you can see the silhouette of a sports car, and under the bridge theres a duck a mouse and a propeler plane. Anyone who still feels like the Enterprise-D fell before her time, blame the emergency crash landing diagram on page 29, this is what gave Mr Braga his Generations Enterprise crash scene idea in the first place! The book was a perfect companion for another outstanding book called "The Physics of Tsat Trek" by a physicist called Lawrence M. Krauss, i strongly recommend you read this book! |
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