Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual
| Company type | Paperback reference work |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda |
| Products | Technical manual for Star Trek: The Next Generation |
| Owner | Paramount Pictures |
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Technical Manual (abbreviated as ST:TNG TM) serves as a paperback reference work that explores the detailed mechanics of the fictional Federation starship Enterprise-D, along with associated technologies featured in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The manual was created by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda, who were part of the series' art department, and includes a foreword penned by the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry. This single edition was released in 1991 () by Pocket Books, with all rights owned by Paramount Pictures.
Background and contents
Presented from the viewpoint of the 24th century within the series' universe, the ST:TNG TM combines intricate technical explanations with behind-the-scenes insights. Paramount regards much of its material as official Star Trek canon, although certain aspects have never been depicted on screen.
Ideas introduced in this manual, along with its forerunner—the internal Writers Technical Manual—had a significant impact on subsequent television episodes and movies. For instance, a plot involving an emergency landing of the saucer section, originally intended for a cliffhanger in the sixth season but ultimately abandoned due to budget constraints and producer opposition, was later adapted into Star Trek Generations. Additionally, the manual presented starship classifications such as the Nova-class and USS Galaxy.
Among the technologies detailed are warp drive systems (complete with efficiency graphs), the transporter, which is described as relocating matter through an analog "matter stream," and the replicator, which operates on transporter technology enhanced by digital resolution. It also covers holodeck functionality, phasers and photon torpedoes, impulse drive, the warp core—including a chemical formula for dilithium crystals—subspace radio, procedures for saucer separation and landing, shipboard computer systems, and auxiliary vehicles. The development background of the Galaxy-class vessels is also examined.
In-jokes
Several internal jokes are embedded within the manual, such as:
- A medical display panel featuring the phrase "Medical Insurance Coverage Available."
- A cross-sectional illustration of the ship containing silhouettes of items like a rubber duck, sports car, DC-3 airplane, the Nomad spacecraft from Star Trek: The Original Series, a rat, and a hamster wheel.
- An annotation indicating that cetaceans staff the stellar navigation department aboard the Enterprise-D, corroborated by Sternbach's published schematics.
- The primary component of holodeck emitters is named "Keiyurium," an homage to Kei and Yuri from the Japanese anime and manga series Dirty Pair.
Related publications
The printed manual was complemented by an electronic version titled Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual. A follow-up volume, known as the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, was published in 1998.