DECEMBER 2011 | A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year  

   Books Monthly Volume 14 No. 3 | December 2011 | This is booksmonthly.co.uk - I hope you enjoy your visit | Home Page

SCOTT TIPTON: STAR TREK VAULT - 40 YEARS FROM THE ARCHIVES

Aurum Press HB  PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT 

A fully illustrated, interactive tribute to the world’s most famous and popular science fiction series: Star Trek. To boldly go where no one has gone before, renowned Star Trek expert, Scott Tipton has delved deep into the CBS archives and their treasure trove of photographs, scripts, concept sketches, blueprints, storyboards and memorabilia, to explore how Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future became a modern myth. (Editor's note: phenomenon rather than myth?)

Covering all six Star Trek television series and the ten original feature films, the book examines the far-reaching social and scientific optimism that underpins the franchise, dwelling on milestones such as its ground-breaking mixed-race casts and technologies that have since become common-place, before taking an in-depth look at the making of each series and movie. Painstakingly researched and lavishly designed, and boasting a wealth of never-before-seen images and removable memorabilia – including captain’s chair blueprints, rare leaf trading cards, wrap party invites and international movie posters - The Star Trek Vault is the ultimate celebration of a pop culture institution.

This book is an absolute dream for any Trekkie, or Trek fan, or indeed anyone interested in popular culture. Covering the entire Star Trek canon from the original series, which first aired in 1966, to the last of the Next Generation movies, and published to coincide with the second of J J Abrams' brilliant new Star Trek films, which is released next year, this terrific collection of photos, memorabilia and articles is something to treasure. I am a huge Trek and Star Wars fan, but Trek came first, of course, and will always be my first love. My only real beef with this book is that the first image you see on opening it is of Spock and not of Jim Kirk - I remember reading the very first collection of Star Trek short stories a year or so before the series began, in which James Blish, the author, instructed readers to watch out for science officer Spock, who, he said, would come to dominate the TV series. Yes, he did, but there was only ever Kirk for me - William Shatner is a brilliant actor, and encapsulated the essence of Star Trek in my opinion.

A strong team, of course, but Kirk was always the lead, the leader, the captain. This is covered off perfectly in Tipton's essays, and the collection of photographs is second to none, acting as a reminder of what turned out to be the greatest Science Fiction franchise in the world. The pull-outs and memorabilia are all stunning, from the brilliant reproduction colouring book to the blueprints for weaponry and hardware. What a magnificent volume - a fitting reminder that Star Trek is still boldly going forty-five years on from the original series' debut, and with a third new series movie promised, it shows no signs of diminishing in popularity. Spectacular, brilliant, the perfect Christmas gift, and indeed, the perfect gift at any time of the year!

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