The Monsters of Star Trek was the first reference work focused exclusively on the alien species of Star Trek, predating more expansive works such as The Worlds of the Federation and Decipher RPG modules: Aliens, Creatures. It was published in January 1980 by Archway Books, an imprint of Pocket Books, notable for its second edition painted cover by Boris Vallejo.
Description[]
- Expect the Unexpected...
- During practically every Star Trek episode the Enterprise and its crew faced some new and strange alien life form. Many of these aliens are what we would popularly call monsters. But for Star Trek the word "monster" needs a little explanation. Gene Roddenberry, the creator the Star Trek, wanted to express the idea that, "to be different is not necessarily to be ugly." And being different does not necessarily make a creature evil either.
- Some of the alien creatures are terrifying in appearance and evil in nature. Others may appear hideous, but their basic nature is good. Still others seem to act in an evil way until one understands why they act as they do. So, when a strange or horrible looking creature appears in a Star Trek episode you can't assume it is a villain. One of the great joys of Star Trek is that it doesn't follow the old monster movie pattern. It often surprises you.
- But read on and see for yourself…
Contents[]
- The Star Trek Universe
- The Shape Shifters
- The Mind Benders
- Ancient Races
- Energy Creatures
- Dangerous Animals
- Alien Races
- Androids, Computers, and Mad Machines
- Two Star Trek monsters you have never seen:
- Index
References[]
Characters[]
- All Mother • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Billy Claiborne • Billy Clanton • Ike Clanton • Zefram Cochrane • The Companion • Nancy Crater • Robert Crater • Matthew Decker • Dikironium cloud creature • Morgan Earp • Virgil Earp • Wyatt Earp • Charlie Evans • Stephen Garrovick (I) • Stephen Garrovick (II) • Gav • Genghis Khan (Excalibian) • Phillip Green (Excalbian) • Nancy Hedford • Henoch • John Holliday • Isis • Jackson (Lieutenant) • Cyrano Jones • Miranda Jones • Kahless (Excalbian) • Aurelan Kirk • George Samuel Kirk • James T. Kirk • Kollos • Kor, son of Rynar • Roger Korby • Korob • Abraham Lincoln (Excalbian) • Loskene • Lawrence Marvick • Leonard McCoy • Frank McLaury • Tom McLaury • Harry Mudd • Ann Mulhall • Nomad • Nona • Oracle of the People • Christopher Pike • Janice Rand • Redjac (Beratis • Hengist • Jack the Ripper • Kesla) • Mira Romaine • Jackson Roykirk • Ruk • Sabo • Sarek • Sargon • Montgomery Scott • Gary Seven • Shahna • space amoeba • Spock • Sylvia • Tan Ru • Thelev • Trelane • Hikaru Sulu • Surak (Excalbian) • Thalassa • Nyota Uhura • Vaal • Vina • Yarnek • Zora (Excalbian)
"Real" people[]
- Majel Barrett • James Doohan • DeForest Kelley • Walter Koenig • Charles Lindbergh • Nichelle Nichols • Leonard Nimoy • Gene Roddenberry • William Shatner • George Takei
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Antares • Apollo 11 • Constitution-class heavy cruisers (USS Constellation • USS Defiant • USS Enterprise • USS Farragut • USS Intrepid) • doomsday machine • Galileo (class F shuttlecraft) • Orion scout ship • Spirit of St. Louis • Wright Flyer
Locations[]
- Alpha Proxima II • Andromeda Galaxy • Argelius II • Argus X • Arret • Beta Portalan system • Cestus III • Coridan III • Deep Space Station K-7 • Deneb II • Deneva • Earth (London • O.K. Corral • Scotland • Tombstone, Arizona • Washington, D.C.) • Exo III • Fabrina • Gamma Canaris N • Gamma Trianguli VI • Gothos • Heliopolis • Ingraham B • Janus VI • Lavinius V • M-113 • Martian colonies • Memory Alpha • Neural • Pyris VII • Rigel IV • Sherman's Planet • Sigma Draconis VI • Talos IV • Thasus • Theta Cygni XII • Triskelion • Tycho IV • Vulcan • Yonada • Zetar II
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • android • Argelian • Arretan • Beta XII-A entity • blastoneuron • Excalbian • Fabrini • Gorn • Horta • Human (African • Asian • Greek • Russian) • Kahn-ut-tu • Kelvan • Klingon • M-113 creature • Medusan • Melkotian • Metron • Mugato • Neuralese • Old Ones • Organian • Orion • Provider • Talosian • Tellarite • Thasian • Tholian • Vulcan • Zetarian
States and organizations[]
- Kelvan Empire • Klingon Empire • Organian Council of Elders • Smithsonian Institution • Starfleet Command • United Federation of Planets • United States of Africa
Science and technology[]
- android • bomb • cannon • computer • communicator • Great Teacher (Eymorg) • Instrument of Obedience • microscope • Oracle of the People • phaser • probe • sword • tranquilizer • transporter • Vaal • viewscreen
Ranks and titles[]
- ambassador • astronaut • captain • chief engineer • chief helmsman • colonel • commander • commodore • communications officer • dancer • doctor • ensign • first officer • lieutenant • miner • President of the United States of America • priestess • slave • spy • surgeon • thrall • witch • wizard • yeoman
Media[]
- book • comic book • TAS • TOS movie: The Motion Picture • TOS ("A Private Little War" • "Arena" • "Assignment: Earth" • "By Any Other Name" • "Catspaw" • "Day of the Dove" • "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" • "The Gamesters of Triskelion" • "Journey to Babel" • "The Man Trap" • "The Menagerie" • "I, Mudd" • "The Savage Curtain" • "The Squire of Gothos" • "The Tholian Web")
Other references[]
- 26 October 1881 • 1888 • September 1966 • 2002 • 2105 • 2156 • 18th century • 20th century • amoeba • antenna • antimatter • asteroid • atmosphere • black cat • blood • brain • castle • cavern • cell • century • colony • dilithium crystal • dinosaur • egg • electricity • emotion • emotion • fog • galaxy • galaxy • god • government • grain • gunpowder • hypnosis • ice • illusion • landing party • language • library • logic • love • machine • magic • marriage • mile • mineral • model • navigation • nervous system • Old West • orbit • Organian Peace Treaty • pig • piracy • planet • planetoid • races and cultures • robot • rock • serpent • sodium chloride • soil • space • star system • starship • stun • Swahili • telepathy • tentacle • time • time travel • tribble • tyrannosaurus • vacuum • voodoo • Vulcan mind touch • vulture • year • zombie
Appendices[]
Related media[]
Background[]
- The author provided extensive, accurate background details for some of the lifeforms in the book, such as Redjac and blastoneurons.
- While it's true that the images printed of the anthropoid ape and Taurus II anthropoid were not seen onscreen, the ape did appear in close-up as an illusion by the Keeper in TOS episodes: "The Cage", "The Menagerie". A more intriguing selection might have been the avianoid from "The Cage".
- Prose style suggests that the book was written for a younger audience, but in a few instances simplified explanations created factual errors. For instance, the author stated that the M-113 creature left only one circular mark on a victim, rather than being covered by them. He conflated the Kahn-ut-tu and Hill People on Neural, as well as the attitudes of James T. Kirk and Zefram Cochrane toward The Companion on Gamma Canaris N.
Images[]
Connections[]
External link[]
- The Monsters of Star Trek article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.