REVIEW: The STAR TREK LOWER DECKS USS CERRITOS CREW HANDBOOK Is a Book You'll Want to Revisit

Image: Amazon.com.

DECEMBER 19, 2023 - According to the official synopsis for Star Trek: Lower Decks - the USS Cerritos Crew Handbook,

Join the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos as they seek out new life and travel where people may, or may not, have been before!

Based on the hit Paramount+ animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mariner, Boimler and all their friends offer advice and insider knowledge to new crewmembers. This hilarious and informative handbook will help you come to grips with the ship, your duties, and your fellow lower deckers, especially as they’ve generously left comments throughout.

A funny and illuminating guide to life on the U.S.S. Cerritos from Star Trek: Lower Decks, through the eyes of the beloved lower deckers themselves.

The new Starfleet recruits assigned to the U.S.S. Cerritos a comprehensive guidebook covering nearly everything a jubilant young star voyager would want to learn about their swift interstellar vessel and its complex inner workings.

The Author:

Chris Farnell is a versatile author known for his diverse literary contributions. His repertoire includes the apocalyptic space opera Fermi’s Progress, the YA clone novel Mark II, and the intriguing fiction anthology Dirty Work. 

In addition to his imaginative fiction, Farnell has made a mark in the realm of Doctor Who tie-ins, having penned The Time Traveller’s Diary and Knock! Knock! Who’s There? – the official Doctor Who joke book. 

Beyond the realms of science fiction, he has demonstrated his storytelling prowess through scenarios for the TTRPG Spire: The City Must Fall’s source books. 

Farnell's reach extends further with his insightful articles, featured in publications like Den of Geek, Wireframe magazine, and various others, showcasing his talent and creativity across a spectrum of genres.

I have had the privilege of reading this book over the last few days and am here to share my findings and tell you a bit about the book which is full of gorgeous illustrations. 

What are the contents?

• Message from the Captain

• Meet Your First Officer

• No Small Parts!

• Medical Evaluation

• Dr. T’Ana’s Health Guidelines

• Shaxs’s Security Briefing

• Engineering 101

• In the Brain Kitchen

• Meet the Lower Decks!

• Socials Board

• Know Your Ship

• U.S.S. Cerritos The Tour

• On the Importance of the Prime Directive

• Alien Species Interaction Protocols

• Allies

• Starfleet Founding Members

• Second Contactees

• Dangerous Species 

Each of these chapters is not just dialog and text but as mentioned previously, wonderful art, and as a MASSIVE comic book and animation fan it adds so much to the book in my eyes. As you read through from page to page and chapter to chapter there are dialog boxes from Captain Freeman, Lieutenant Junior Grade’s Becket Mariner, and Bradward Boimler which could be straight out of the show.

The back and forth throughout the book is hilarious at some points and flows unbelievably well with the images and more informational text.

It is obviously a “Handbook” so it is taken from the standpoint of you have just joined the U.S.S. Cerritos NCC-75567 and it is meant to be a sort of breakdown of the crew along with information like their species and job title, etc.

We also go over things like shift work, breaking down the social clubs, and each department from the Bridge to Engineering and Sickbay, Crew Quarters, along with everything in between. When I first saw this book only had 176 pages, I thought it didn’t sound like much but boy was I wrong!

There is so much information along with fabulous art to get engrossed in, but my favorite thing is the writer has captured the voice of each character perfectly, not once was I taken out of who it was meant to be speaking.

This is one for the book collection that I will 100% revisit. You can watch DSTN’s interview with author Chris Farnell on our YouTube channel, and you can order the book by clicking the link on the right.