Star Trek 101 serves two functions: succinctly introduce Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise and refresh the memories of longtime Trek fans. We're pulling our entries from the book Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why, written by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block and published in 2008 by Pocket Books. An invaluable resource, it encompasses The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as the first 10 Trek feature films.
Depending on Martia's mood, this cigar-smoking shapeshifter appears to be either the most beautiful women in the world... or a big ugly beastie... or maybe even a guy who looks like Captain Kirk. Whatever, he/she manages to help Kirk and McCoy escape from the gulag on Rura Penthe. Then she betrays them -- and suffers the fate of most double-crossers.
Editor's Note: Martia was played in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country by model-actress Iman. Not long after ST VI opened, she married David Bowie, and they remained a couple until the music icon's death in 2016. Bowie, among his many acting credits, starred in Labyrinth, which was the subject of Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block's most-recent non-Star Trek book, Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History.
Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are coauthors of numerous books about the entertainment industry, including Star Trek 101; Star Trek Costumes: Fifty Years of Fashion from the Final Frontier; Star Trek: The Original Series 365; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion. They currently are writing the latest in their series of Ferengi novellas, which (so far) includes Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found); and Rules of Accusation. As noted, their most recent non-Trek book is Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History.
