10 Biggest Secrets Revealed In Star Trek Novels

7. Uhura's First Name - Star Trek II: Biographies

Star Trek Biographies
Pocket Books

While her first name wasn't spoken on-screen until J,J, Abrams' Star Trek in 2009, Lt. Uhura actually received the canon name of Nyota all the way back in 1982. William Rotsler wrote Star Trek II: Biographies, a tie-in novel that was released as part of the promotions for The Wrath of Khan. In it, he used Nyota for the first time.

Although there had been several different non-canonical names for Uhura before this, Rotsler actually sought out permission from both Gene Roddenberry and Nichelle Nichols before publishing the work. Nichols particularly enjoyed the fact that Rotsler had truly done his homework before committing to a name. 'Nyota' means Star in Swahili.

Nichols would begin using the name at conventions after this, with another work adapting it for print in 1985. The fan film Of Gods And Men uses Nyota as her first name, with Nichols appearing to reprise her role, in 2008. In Trek 09, her first name is a running mystery and joke until late in the movie, when Spock says it out loud for the first time.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"