Customer Reviews

Deep Space Nine Companion (Star Trek Deep Space Nine)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm an avid fan of the "Star Trek The Next Generation Companion," and this all-new volume examining what is arguably the best (certainly the most controversial) Trek series is must reading for anyone intrigued by the creation, scriptwriting and production of the series.

Each and every episode is covered in depth with a plot summary and detailed history "behind the scenes" of the episode's creation, writing, and filming. One of the reasons I enjoyed DS9 so much is the involved storyline of the series--the Dominion War--and having each of the episodes laid out in chronological order, with extensive detail on the structure of the storyline and subplots, helped me appreciate even more what Berman and Piller and company set out to do. It's filled with entertaining stories and nuggets of background information--how did they do they, where did they get the idea for that, what worked (and didn't)...it's ideal for the Star Trek fan as well as anyone interested in television writing and production.

I don't entirely agree with some of the previous review comments: understand that a book like this takes time to write and create, not to mention publish, have sales reps advance into bookstores, and print and ship. I work in publishing, and with very few exceptions, publishing books takes a *long* lead time. There's no way this could have been ready (or as complete) if it were issued last year. I'd also say, again as someone working inside publishing, that adding color photographs and a hardback binding, while nice, would dramatically increase the price of the book, probably to forty dollars or above.

The very best compliment I can give a book like is that it makes me want to go back to the original source again. If you're a Trek fan, I dare you to pick this up and not get totally involved in it, and *then* want to dig out your tapes and rewatch all your favorite episodes...and even a few that this book will give you a brand new appreciation for.

I am the author of the Star Trek Deep Space Nine Companion. I want to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews you've given to this book. But please do not be confused by Amazon's error: This book is NOT out of print. Both the publisher and I have informed Amazon of their error many times, but the company apparenty does have a system to correct their error. The book is "in print" and available. Period. Again, thanks for your good words. Terry J. Erdmann

This amazing book is an absolute must-have for the hardcore fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine... if you are like me and savored every episode over all seven seasons, you will appreciate the author's in-depth coverage, behind-the-scenes info on every episode, and his obvious affection for the show. This book is over 700 pages and filled with new photos & illustrations I have never seen anywhere else, including really nifty things like production drawings, some hilarious props, and even a map of Bajor. The many interviews with the cast & creators alone are worth the price. If hearing "The Way You Look Tonight" makes you misty, buy this book!

Deep Space Nine -- ah, the redheaded stepchild of the Trek franchise. Not as clean and sachrrine as the others. It is the most refreshingly human.

This book covers every episode of DS9 and along with synopses of episodes are detailed comments from the cast and crew. It's very interesting to see how some episodes started in very different places. And O'Brien story turned into a Kira story. A Jake Sisko "Watergating Shakaar" story became a devil's deal between Ben Sisko and Garak. And it's fun to see writers apologizing for the less than successful episodes.

Even though this is an "official" book, it is more complex, honest and insightful than other such books. Perfectly in keeping with the series that inspired it.

I just got this book today, and am just flying through it. It is filled with a complete rundown of all 176 episodes of Deep Space Nine, plus behind the scenes information about each episode, which is my favorite part of the book. The author interviewed the cast and crew about every episode. It really gives some great insight into the interworkings of the best Star Trek series out there. I just kind of wish that the pictures in it were in color. Other than that, it is well worth the money.

This is an amazing book. Many books about television shows resort to covering a show with a few pages of synopses and a few pages of "behind-the-scenes" items per each season of the show, simply because they don't have the access to details about each show as an individual unit. I was content with those types of renderings because it seemed like too much to ask that an author would follow a show throughout its run and keep notes on the process the whole way through. Surely, by the time a show was established enough to justify writing a Companion, the early years would be long forgotten.

Thankfully, though, DS9 is Star Trek, and Star Trek is very fond of merchandising, and Erdmann apparently was asked to follow this show from before day one with the aim of someday publishing this book -- an audacious move for people who couldn't be certain that the product would even be worth writing about, to be sure, but as it was, it's an investment that paid off magnificently. Erdmann's amazing level of access to writers, actors, producers and directors led to this book having *at least* a page of notes, insights, and behind-the-scenes trivia for *every single episode* of the show, from the epic to the embarrassing. He has behind-the-scenes anecdotes I've never heard before and trivia points I've never noticed (both great feats in the eyes of a Trekker), and at the same time, he somehow avoids repeating everything that's been said about DS9 before. No Trek book out there comes close to this level of detail.

Despite its careful detailing of every episode of the show, this is no work of soggy platitudes. The behind-the-scenes comments are refreshingly frank. Writers take full responsibility for the occasional misstep. Actors talk candidly about what worked and what didn't, what they pushed for and how they viewed their characters. From reading the actors' insights into their *own* characters, you get the sense that this show was much more than a steady job for them, just as this show was more than a TV show for so many of us Trek freaks.

I've enjoyed reading this densely packed book and revisiting my favorite moments in my memory, which has made me realize how much I really do miss DS9. The book has refreshed my memory and added bulk to my perception of the show's path. Great read.

As an avid DS9 fan, I find this book interesting and informative. It is a book I refer to over and over again and is a "must have" for any fan of DS9 - or Star Trek, for that matter!

The book is broken down into seasons (one for each of the 7 years the show was on the air) with a cast snapshot and written season overview at the beginning of each section. Next, all the episodes of that season are addressed individually - first through a detailed analysis of the storyline(s), then a section discussing how the episode was produced. So you get a synopsis of the storyline of each episode PLUS behind-the-scenes commentary from the producers, directors, art department, and actors!!! Additionally, there are many pictures from the episodes, and those are nice.

I would have liked to have seen more cast "out of makeup" pictures....but overall, this is an excellent book and a "must have" for any Trek fan!

I have always considered DS9 the best Star Trek series overall. I loved the characters, not only because they kept me entertained when I watched the show, it was because they had flaws. The strength of the characters kept me glued to my TV. Now, thanks to the DS9 companion I am able to read up on each episode and see what the director had planned for that episode and whether or not I think he succeeded. I also enjoyed the write up on each character. My only complain would be that the book is printed on fairly thin paper. Other then that, this book is pure GOLD!!!

In comparison to the ST:TNG Companion, the DS9 book is twice the size and has much more insight into the making of the show. I was rather surprised at some of the insights; one being that Anson Williams (Potsie, from Happy Days) had directed an episode (Statistical Probabilities).

What most interested me was the source material that the writers used. I expected the old English literature references, but I didn't realize that they were re-doing so many plots from old movies and TV shows.

I do have a few complaints and quibbles:

One, the book took a year after the show ended to be released. I believe that the interest level in the book would have been much higher among non-Trekkers if they had released it last August.

Two, the 700+ pages make it very unwieldy when you're trying to read it. It's heavy, and the spine probably won't handle much abuse. It's hard to read if you're lying down on the couch or in bed. You almost have to sit at the kitchen table. It should have been a hardcover edition.

Three, there are no color plates. It should have been rather easy to add some color inserts. And the black and white photos that are used don't convey enough information about the episodes that they're illustrating and the cutlines say very little.

And it's not necessary to capitalize the word "Actor" or "Director" on first use, and certainly not necessary in EVERY background synopsis. I guess that Erdmann was assuming that each background story he wrote had to stand alone. Well, I bought the book to read it from cover to cover; I don't need to re-identify the regular cast members by their FULL NAME in each synopsis. (Sorry, but I'm an English major and a journalist, and I tend to get cranky about such things.)

This is the comprehensive guide for the entire run of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," featuring cast and crew information, summaries and a detailed analysis of every episode. Also included each episode are a few pictures from the episode itself.

My favorite part is the behind-the-scenes information revealed by the cast and crew. You learn the intentions and thoughts of the actors and many of the people working on the show. This enhances the enjoyment of the show as you understand what they liked, what they thought they could have improved and what points they were trying to make with certain things.

Also of great interest is the additional information spread throughout, analyzing particular aspects from the show or the season as a whole. Even if you don't consider yourself a "trekkie" and maybe more of a casual viewer, you'll definitely find something to interest you in this guide to the show.