A while back, I first delved into the world of Star Trek fiction. In between trawls through Amazon, book shelves and publishers catalogues, I wished that I could have had a handy reference book to help with the nearly 600 titles I had to briefly cover. Unfortunately for me and my deadline - the 40th anniversary of Star Trek first airing in 1966 - said book wasn't yet published. Luckily for any keen Star Trek enthusiasts reading this, November 11th will see just such a companion sitting on the shelves - and more importantly, in the hands of those who will really appreciate it.

"Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion" is the result of two years of research and a lifetime of fandom on the part of former librarian Jeff Ayers, and covers the span of Star Trek's fictional history in print. About 600 titles flesh out this 800-page tome, which contains a blurb and cover image for every professionally published work of Star Trek fiction to this day. Some books have a brief synopsis - as one would find on the back of most paperbacks - and many have interviews with authors on the writing of the book in question, as well as a discussion of their experiences in the Star Trek universe in general.

In this book, Ayers has taken a different approach from the consumer angle of just reviewing all the titles and giving a synopsis and a score. "Voyages of Imagination" is more of an interesting read for existing fiction fans, to give insight into titles they've already read and know about, than a consumer handbook. Initially at least, I would have much preferred a consumer guide, and I do think that Ayers' approach will pigeonhole the audience for the book to an extent. This idea, however - to shed light on the creation process rather than to review the end product - is a valid and interesting one.

"When I proposed the book initially to Marco [Palmieri], I was looking at not only a chance to have the authors and editors tell their stories, but to give each book an honest review," Ayers told me. "After discussing this with Marco and Paula Block, it made sense to just give the book a general summary that was as spoiler-free as possible. It wouldn't be very professional to trash a novel followed by mostly positive comments from the author. As a result, I think the book is more insightful and historic."

A cynic might say that Simon & Schuster didn't want a book reviewing and potentially trashing their own back catalogue of books... But who ever said I was a cynic? Hmm? No, didn't think so.

This is the book to read if you want to gain an insight into how the massive world of Star Trek fiction has come about and evolved to this point - from the early adaptations of The Original Series episodes, to the re-launches of TV series once they have run their initial course on the small screen. If you want consumer reviews then you will have to rely on Google and good fortune, like I did when hunting for background information a few months ago.

"Voyages of Imagination, The Star Trek Fiction Companion," by Jeff Ayers, will be released in North America on November 11, priced at $21.00; it will come out in the UK on December 4 priced at £10.99.