10 Biggest Secrets Revealed In Star Trek Novels
5. Sulu's First Name - The Entropy Effect
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is famously the first on-screen statement of Hikaru Sulu's first name, though it had long been established in the novels. In fact, it was stated in the novel The Entropy Effect, which was written by Vonda V. McIntyre and published in 1981 - ten years before Star Trek VI hit the big screen.
McIntyre was quite complimentary of Sulu in her previously released novels. Here, he is shown learning some of the judo moves that he would later practice on the security guard in Star Trek III. He also appears to have long hair, and a stereotypically long, Asian moustache reminiscent of Fu Manchu. However, in the novel, this is due to losing a bet, rather than Sulu himself choosing to style himself this way.
This novel also includes a love interest, in the form of Mandala Flynn, for the lieutenant. It is this love story that necessitated the first name, Hikaru, as McIntyre didn't want two lovers referring to each other by surname alone. She took inspiration from The Tale Of Genji, which has been cited as the world's first novel, a work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century.