The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual

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Title The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual
Author Franz Joseph
Country USA
Language English
Subject(s) Star Trek:TOS
Genre(s) Fiction
Publisher Ballantine Books
Released 1975, 1986, 1996, 2006

The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual (Ballantine Books 1975, reprinted in 1986, 1996, and 2006) is a "fiction reference" book by Franz Joseph about the workings of Starfleet, a military, exploratory, and diplomatic organization featured in the television series Star Trek.

Although a work of fiction, the book is presented as a collection of factual documents from the future sent back in time to the 20th century describing Starfleet in the 23rd century.

It features detailed technical information, though non-canon, about Starfleet's organization, ships, and members, and was used as the basis for many elements of the strategy game Star Fleet Battles. At the time this book was first published, it was considered so canonical as to be beyond question[citation needed], despite its clear depiction of several elements that openly contradicted the television series (such as the presence of a second exit to the bridge, and the placement and internal arrangement of the conference room).

The manual presents a number of different starship designs beyond the standard Constitution-class design exhibited by the USS Enterprise. The book gives has diagrams of the following classes:

  • Ptolemy-class tug
  • Hermes-class scout
  • Saladin-class destroyer
  • Constitution-class heavy cruiser
    • Bonhomme Richard subtype
    • Achernar subtype
  • Federation-class dreadnought

All the blueprints were presented to series creator Gene Roddenberry who signed off on all of them, and claimed them to be 'completely accurate'. Around a decade later, he retracted these statements, however, claiming the book to have 'always' violated his rules for the Star Trek Universe, despite using it in the first three motion pictures, under his close supervision.[citation needed]

It provides some detail on the workings of the technology used in the original series, including ships, weapons, personal communicators, tricorders, universal translators, and medical equipment. There is even a blue-print and electronics diagram of a working communicator built using 20th century electronics.

[edit] Usage as reference material

The book was used in the production of the first three Star Trek films for background material. Elements from the manual that appears on screen, include:

  • In Star Trek: The Motion Picture during the opening scene at the communications outpost. The starships named in the background were from the starship lists in the Technical Manual.
  • In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan during the Kobayashi Maru test. Starship blueprints from the Technical Manual were visibly used in the background as displays on the bridge simulator.
  • In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock when the seal on Spock's quarters is broken, the display of the Enterprise on the monitor was a copy of the blueprints from the Technical Manual.

[edit] Legacy

As an unexpected legacy, this book is responsible for beginning the sub-genre revolving around the blueprints and schematics of fictional vehicles and locations, and most subsequent science fiction series and films attempted to cash in on it to a greater or lesser extent. Examples include:

and various fanfic publications beyond number.

While such publications retain a cult following with many old school fans of such shows, their popularity has waned in recent years due to the general trend in the current crop of science fiction television shows which leaves meticulous technical details mostly underdeveloped in favor of focusing more on human drama and character development.[citation needed]

On the other hand, part of what made the original Star Trek so popular was that the U.S.S. Enterprise herself was a character. As Dr. McCoy would later say of a new ship (with the right name), "...treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home." Sadly, that new ship, even with the right name, never came alive the way NCC-1701-no-A-B-C-or-D did. As Chief Engineer Scott later said of her, "You know, I served aboard eleven ships in my career... freighters, cruisers, starships... but this is the only one I ever think about... the only one I miss. When I was here, I could tell you the speed we were traveling by the feel of the deck plates. On your ship... I'm in the way."

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