Star Trek Book of Friendship dives deep into Picard and Riker’s bond

Star Trek has a primary appeal: watching courageous, brave characters go on adventures in the name and dignity of exploration, diplomacy, and discovery. But talk to any Star Trek fan and they’ll tell you about the franchise’s secondary appeal: workplace drama. The scifi spectacle might draw fans in, but it’s the relationships between characters that keeps them hooked.

These are the friends that matter most. Star Trek Book of Friendship, from BenBella Books’ Smart Pop imprint. Kirk and Spock and Bashir and Garak and Janeway and Seven in Nine are all given their dues. Two friends have created the official tribute to Star Trek’s greatest friendships. Jordan Hoffman and Robb Pearlman are the authors. [Ed. note: Jordan Hoffman has written for Polygon.]

Pearlman and Hoffman were gracious enough to provide an introduction to Polygon’s exclusive excerpt to Star Trek Book of FriendshipYou can also see it in the conversation between two friends. Read on for that and, below the horizontal line, an excerpt from the book’s chapter on Jean-Luc Picard and Will Riker.

Image: J.K. Woodward/BenBella Books

Robb Pearlman I’m vibrating with the excitement of an overheating warp core! I’ve loved Polygon since my parents first hooked Pong up to our black & white Magnavox.

Jordan Hoffman How is that possible, that’s from before websites even existed?!

RP: Space and time have no meaning anymore, Jordan, so don’t question it.

JH: It’s not too bad. Star Trek has a lot of crappy premises. But, you’re right.

RP: You aren’t going to start talking about how the USS Reliant is actually upside-down again, are you?

JH: Yes, I would like to return to that later. For me, it’s about the characters, and how they relate to one another through unique friendships.

RP: Agreed! And it does seem like there’s an infinite variety to the infinite combinations of friendships. With a gold standard being Kirk and Spock, there are the spoken and unspoken loyalties that make up Picard and Riker’s friendship, the fun frenemy pairings like Quark and Odo, and so many others. It’s also been incredibly gratifying to me to see friendships exist in the Star Trek fandom, whether that’s online or at conventions. In fact, that’s what inspired me to create Star Trek Book of Friendship!

JH: If you remember, we met at a convention. Your first Trek book was being promoted at the con. Enjoying Fun With Kirk and SpockAnd Star Trek’s Wisdom and WitI moderated the panels, hosted the Star Trek podcast’s previous episode and was also there. Then, we spent the night making Armus jokes.

RP: Oh yes! I do remember that well. Also, salsa and chips may have been involved. The conversation turned to Star Trek, and we continued on. I mean that’s the thing. Whether you’re just meeting someone or have known each other for years, Star Trek gives people an instant and undeniable shorthand that bonds people to each other. It’s that sense of connection, that sense of enjoying the same shared experience, that serves as a launchpad for deeper and more meaningful friendships.

JH: It was an excellent way to keep sane during the entire pandemic by talking through Star Trek. The cherry on the cake is J.K. Woodward, our Star Trek friend. The Louvre should feature his painting of Garak dressing Doctor Bashir.

RP: There’s a parallel universe in which it is! The book features a very special appearance from Dr. Erin Macdonald and an introduction written by Robert Picardo (one of the Star Trek legends)

JH: That’s right! The Planetary Society gets a part of the profits from the book. The book is a great way to connect with Star Trek friends, and help them reach their goals!

RP: We’re all in this together. Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to be alone.

JH: Ok. Keep your hailing frequencies unencumbered. Here are some more thoughts from me about The Reliant.

R:Picard is a friend to Riker and will do almost anything for him. Their friendship blossomed quickly, even though their first encounter was somewhat strange. Picard, an extremely stern captain, made Riker do a saucer docking maneuver in a microscope.

J: How many times did they face the threat of, “Oh, no, Will Riker is going to get promoted?” Feels like a lot! Riker would be called a career-killer by those who see their bond. They’d be wrong, of course. Picard was in desperate need of that. That’s why he chose Riker in the first place, because he stood up to Captain DeSoto on the USS Hood at Altair III and kept him out of harm’s way. And he knew he could give Riker the absolute worst jobs ever and trust him to do them, like making him be the prosecutor in “The Measure of a Man” to force him to prove to the best of his ability that Data lacked sentience. That’s quite an

ask! Both knew that to save their friend, the best way was to communicate with him. They had to be right. Not unlike Kirk fighting Spock in “Amok Time,” in a weird way.

R: Wait, does this make Bruce Maddox the T’Pau or Stonn?

J: I’m sorry, the thinner atmosphere surrounding that analogy requires a tri-ox compound shot if we’re to continue. The writers were aware of something positive. Picard is the only person Riker has to fight in several episodes. Most famously, of course, the end of TNG season three’s “The Best of Both Worlds.”

R: I can still hear those trumpets blaring as the “To Be Continued . . .” came on the screen. As someone who prefers to be indoors, watching TV and reading instead of going out to play (the word gets stuck in my throat), it was especially difficult for me to wait for 1990’s summer to finish before I could watch the next episode. And don’t forget about TNG season seven’s “The Pegasus,” when Riker is ordered to keep the prototype cloaking device a secret from Picard—you can see it destroying him. It didn’t do much for my anxiety levels, either.

J:The whole episode is stressful to me. I can watch anything, but I can’t bear to see Riker lie to our beloved captain. It wasn’t his fault, though! I really do love the way the two of them regularly know what the other is thinking, though, like the ending of TNG season two’s “A Matter of Honor,” and Riker’s on the Klingon ship. Although they don’t really know the outcome of their standoff, they have enough trust to accept it.

R: For that, the best is TNG season six’s “Rascals,” when the aged-down Picard, or as I like to call him, “‘Lil’ J-L” must pretend to be Riker’s son. Riker loves every second of the experience, even though they both know what to do. He knows he’s going to be retelling this for years and years, because “Oh boy, this is going to make for a funny story.” Riker is one of the very few people who can crack a joke at Picard. He knows when it is, just like a good friend.

R: When you meet Raffi, it’s like, wait, is she supposed to be a Riker 2.0? Which, of course, she’s not. She’s her own person. Riker appears later on in the series to make pizza.

J: Robb, I’m gonna need to grab some tissues if we’re talking about the group hug here.

R:We are. It’s a sensational part of a sensational first season of Picard. This was part fan service that is great, sure, but it also narratively reinforced the idea that friends with these fantastic characters are just growing, not falling apart. Picard, Riker, and Troi are more than friends, they’re family. They’re our friends and family.

On May 10, the Star Trek Book of Friendship hits shelves.