Template:Realworld Star Trek: Starship Spotter is an illustrated technical guide to 30 ships from Star Trek. It was written and illustrated by Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz and Robert Bonchune, with the help of Jonathan Lane and Alex Rosenzweig.
The book made use of the actual CGI models from both Digital Muse and Foundation Imaging, where both Bonchune and Lebowitz worked, used in the production of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Recalled Lebowitz, "We were both CG Supervisors on Voyager at the time and used the actual computer models from the various Trek series to liven up the book with all sort of tasty imagery." [1] While the models were canon, the technical data and construction histories, compiled by Lane and Rosenzweig, were not. The CGI model of the aeroshuttle made its debut in this book.
Summary
The ship types included in this book are:
- Constitution-class
- Work Bee
- Constitution-class refit
- Miranda-class
- Nebula-class
- Galaxy-class
- Danube-class
- Nova-class
- Akira-class
- Defiant-class
- Type-10 shuttlecraft
- Sovereign-class
- Intrepid-class
- Aeroshuttle
- Delta Flyer
- Prometheus-class
- Spacedock
- MIDAS array
- K't'inga-class
- B'rel-class
- Vor'cha-class
- Bird-of-Prey
- D'deridex-class
- Galor-class
- Jem'Hadar attack ship
- Malon export vessel
- Hirogen hunter vessel
- Species 8472 bioship
- Tsunkatse arena ship
- Borg Queen command ship
Reception
Reception of the book was mixed at best. Fans waiting for a first dedicated Star Trek starship book were disappointed in both content and format of the book. The second criticism was shared by co-author Lebowitz who commented on his blog, "As you can see from the reviews on Amazon, the book had a lukewarm reception for largely two reasons: print quality and that damn fold down the middle! When Rob and I first saw final copies of the book, we were just as surprised as anyone by the dark, murky images on display – they sure didn't look like that on our screens! Sadly, that had to be chalked up to a learning experience we shared with Pocket Books: images on a computer monitor look very different when they end up in print. As far as the spine of the book providing a lovely fold down the middle of every ship, it was an issue that just didn't become apparent until we actually had the book in our hands, opened it up and went, "uh oh." We were bummed and wished we could have personally provided new & better renders for everyone who bought the book! As fans ourselves, we totally understood people's frustration and disappointment. It was with a heavy heart that we went on our all-expenses paid, world-wide book signing tour, dodging groupies and covergirls every step of the way."
Author Lane, somewhat stung by comments on the technical data and construction histories texts, felt compelled to justify his work on the Amazon.com review page, "Just for the record, Adam 'Mojo' Lebowitz and Robert Bonchune created the beautiful 3D renderings of the starships that grace this elegant book. All of the text was written by me, Jonathan Lane, and Alex Rosenzweig. Everyone worked very diligently to create what is an extremely satisfying book if you are a fan of the starships of "Star Trek." The research was painstaking, and what's in this book can be considered as close to the final word as anything ever published about "Star Trek." The backgrounds and specifications for each ship endeavor to draw together over a century of "Star Trek" history, and if you're a real trivia buff, you might catch one or two "winks" to some of the really minute details of the last 35 years of "Star Trek." Enjoy!" [2]