Guess what I got for Christmas? Yes, Star Trek has joined other franchises such as Marvel Comics and Transformers in the popular "vault" format. For those unfamiliar, these sorts of gift books have been showing up fairly regularly in book stores the past few years. They are usually oversized books showcasing a lot of photos and artwork, and often include several "extras," little collectible items inserted in pockets throughout the text.
Star Trek seems tailor made for this sort of approach, and the Star Trek Vault does not disappoint. I'm always a bit hesitant to recommend nonfiction Trek books, because I'm afraid some hardcore fans will be disappointed they haven't learned anything they didn't already know. Still, while author Scott Tipton doesn't break any new ground here (much of his information seems to have been gleaned from interviews in Star Trek Magazine), I was fond of his approach. Each chapter takes a look at a particular Star Trek television series (animated series included), or series of films (TOS & TNG). Each of the series is given more or less the same amount of pages in the book, which made for a nice, balanced approach. Curiously, the latest big screen Trek offering, the J.J. Abrams directed Star Trek (2009) is not discussed.
One thing that makes this book unique among Trek surveys is that Tipton spends as much time discussing all of the merchandising as he does the series themselves. The evolution of Star Trek action figures across various licence holders was interesting, as was a close look at the Star Trek comic books produced by various publishers over the years (Tipton himself writes Star Trek comics for current licence holder IDW). My favorite was Tipton's hilarious description of one of the oddest bits of Star Trek merchandise ever produced, the official Star Trek V marshmallow dispenser!
As for the extras tucked away in the book's pages, you'll find a "Spock Lives" pennant from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, a reproduction of a vintage Star Trek coloring book, unintentionally hilarious trading cards, and a Japanese movie poster for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. There are lots of other such goodies that should delight Trek fans and collectors, as this aspect of the book was particularly well handled. The production values on this book are top notch, and I would recommend every Star Trek fan clear some space on their shelves for this entertaining look at our favorite pop culture phenomenon.
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