The five volumes in the STAR TREK Shipyards series offer readers profiles of the ships of the STAR TREK universe. STAR TREK Starships: 2151-2293 is the first of these volumes, profiling ships that existed prior to the development of Warp 5 starships as well as approximately eighteen warp-driven ships of the fleet.

Full-color computer-generated artwork, using visual effects models created for each television series and for the films, accompanies the narrative for each vessel. Sprinkled throughout are clips from the various shows and films that provide tantalizing glimpses of the ships’ interiors. Readers may be disappointed to discover that the exterior is the emphasis for every ship profiled here; even a single interior illustration for each ship would greatly enhance the profiles.

Nevertheless, STAR TREK fans will find much to appreciate. And the details provided, although scarce for some of the ships, are interesting. To bring things together, following the individual ship pages are a size chart comparison for the ships, a listing of significant events of the time, and a listing of Starfleet ships by class.

Some editions of this book come with a model of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, which is certain to please both collectors and fans of the original STAR TREK series.

Recommended. ( )