TF01 3,Trek Encyclopedia Mistakes 4,by Colin Gunn, Simon Plumbe and Sven Harvey Star Trek Encyclopedia - Mistakes ----------------------------------- by Colin Gunn, Simon Plumbe and Sven Harvey --------------------------------------------- Released at the beginning of April 1994, this eagerly anticipated book was met with a less than enthusiastic response. Not because the book wasn't any good - it was just FULL of errors! It is reported that in the first printing (limited to 8,000 including the UK re-print), there were over 40 pages of mistakes. Pocket Books were swamped with letters telling them of the mistakes and an updated version was written immediately, due for release soon. Because of this, the first issue has now become something of a collectors item and if you ever see the first printing of this book, grab it while you can! Anyway, here are the mistakes and omissions that we've found so far... Page Mistake ---- ------- 17 Augergine Stew - Dax was supposed to have eaten this in "The Nagus" - should read "Aubergine Stew". 35 Leah Brahms - the book states that the character was originally going to be named Navid Daystrom - a descendant of Dr Richard Daystrom (TOS - "The Ultimate Computer"). However, the role had already been cast and the book mentions that to be a relative of Daystrom the show would need a "back actress". Shouldn't that have been "black actress"?!! 43 Catualla - it mentions that this planet was home to Tango Rad, one of the followers of Dr Sevrin from "The Way To Eden", but the character was in fact called Tongo Rad. 51 Samuel Clemens - the book mentions that Data and Guinan were travelling in the past and met Clemens at a party hosted by Guinan. Excuse me, but didn't Data go back in time on his own?!!! 104 Food - In the list of food and drink, it refers once again to Sisko's favourite - "Augergine Stew". 105 Food - also in the list, various drinks are mentioned (supposed to be all the ones in the series) but there is no reference to Scotch!! 143 Jefferies Tube - the book mentions that the term wasn't actually used on screen until The Next Generation, when it became "official", but it was in fact mentioned by name in the book "The Making Of Star Trek" by Gene Roddenberry himself published in the early 70's. Now if a book by Gene doesn't make something "official", I don't know what does! 150 Lenore Karidian - mentions that her father, Kodos the Executioner was responsible for the massacre on Taurus IV - was in fact Tarsus IV. 156 Klaa - refers to Captain Klaa and mentions that Klaa was the interpreter in Star Trek VI. Todd Bryant, who played Klaa, was the interpreter in the movie, but the interpreter was never named. 157 Klingon Battle Cruiser - the book mentions that this ship wasn't seen until season three of Classic Trek and that it was also re-used for the Romulan Battle Cruiser seen in "The Enterprise Incident". However, the ship was seen as a Klingon ship earlier in Season Three, BEFORE "The Enterprise Incident" "Elaan Of Troyius". 161 Klingons - when referring to the difference in foreheads from Classic Trek to Movies/TNG/DS9, it mentions production budgets as a reason but then says that it is possible that the Klingon Empire may be composed of more than one race. How then does that explain the DS9 episode "Blood Oath" where we see three Classic Trek Klingons with lumpy heads?! 166 K'Tinga Class Cruisers - the book states that the name of the class of Klingon ship is purely conjectural, but earlier in the book for the entry for the I.K.C. Amar on page 7, it states this class of ship as if it were fact. 243-257 Planets list - many planets in our solar system have been omitted, along with other bodies that have been referred to elsewhere in the book or in Trek in general e.g. Praxis. 259 Potts, Willie - when referring to the fruit that Willie ate, the book refers to it as a palm cove fruit, but the entry directly before for Jake Potts refers to it by its proper name of the cove palm. 270 Clare Raymond - when mentioning her death in the 20th century, the book says that she died of heart failure, but she did in fact die of an embolism. 285 Ruk - when cross-referencing the information on Ruk, it mentions the actor who played him, Ted Cassidy and it states that he also played Lurch in The Addams Family TV series. It then refers the reader to the reference to Mr Homn. What on earth do Mr Homn and Ruk have in common??!!! 307 Sovak - when referring to this character from "Captain's Holiday", it states that he was played by Michael Grodenchik when it was in fact Max Grodenchik, who went on to play Rom in DS9. 319 Ship list - USS Endeavour - states that Data commanded this ship during "Redemption Part 2" when he in fact commanded the USS Sutherland. 320 Ship list - USS Hood - mentions that the Hood transported Tam Ulbrun to the Enterprise-D. Should read Tam Elbrun. 321 Ship list - USS Saratoga - mentions that the original Saratoga was destroyed by the Probe in Star Trek IV. The ship was disabled and rendered powerless, but it was certainly NOT destroyed. 322 Ship list - USS Saratoga - mentions that this ship was destroyed at the battle of Wolf 359 and that it was the assignment of Ben Sisko prior to DS9. But wasn't Sisko assigned to the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards before DS9? The battle at Wolf 359 took place 3 years prior to Sisko taking command of DS9 - did he really sit around and do nothing for three years? 337 Teddy Bear - to quote the book itself, "Animal species on Vulcan that has six-inch fangs and is not at all like its counterpart on Earth." Surely they are referring to Sehlats? It was mentioned in "Journey to Babel" that Sehlats were like big "teddy bears" but the species "Teddy Bear" is not, never was and never will be a native species of Vulcan! 351 Tribble - according to the encyclopedia, Tribbles are bisexual. Shouldn't that be ASEXUAL??!! 360 Uniforms - when referring to the DS9 costumes, the book states that they are jumpsuits when they are, in fact, two- piece outfits. 371 Warp field - makes a reference to the DS9 episode "Emissary" when the station was moved to the Denerios Belt. Should read Denorios Belt. As well as these errors, a large amount of the book fails to follow basic alphabetical order. For example, "Holodeck matter" comes BEFORE "Holodeck"!! To make things worse, there is more than an acceptable number of typographical errors. Admittedly, with a book of this size and scope, you have to expect a few typos, but when there are more in this one volume than there have been in the first SEVEN issues of TFF - an AMATEUR publication - then something's not right. The book seems to have been rushed to meet a publishing deadline, rather than being checked for quality assurance. What really makes some of these mistakes annoying however, is the fact that they contradict some of the information given in Mike Okuda's two previous Trek books - The Star Trek Chronology and The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. Why he couldn't at least be consistent with his past work is just beyond us! Obviously, we'll be looking out for the second printing anxiously, and hopefully none of these mistakes will be there!