He quickly amassed a large collection and sent copies to a very impressed Gene Roddenberry, whose wife Majel Barrett's company, Lincoln Enterprises, was producing Trek memorabilia at the time.

Though he considered the franchise dead, Roddenberry encouraged Joseph to seek Barrett's help in creating a manual, a project blessed with privileged access to original props and carpenter's blueprints.

The format was a paperback book, contained within a removable rigid black plastic binder, much like a typical real world technical manual.

It took the number one spot on The New York Times trade paperback list, breaking the existing record for profitability.

Its success hinted at the brand's great potential, and within a year of its publication, Paramount and Roddenberry contracted to begin work on a Star Trek movie.