The Selected Works of Jirex was a book of parables written by the Talaxian author Jirex, whom Neelix called one of the greatest writers in the Talaxian canon. Neelix never went to sleep without reading at least one of the parables from the book. In 2374, when the USS Voyager was forced to run in gray mode due to a shortage of deuterium, the crew had to relocate to a minimum number of decks. Neelix tried to take the Selected Works of Jirex to his temporary accommodations, but was stopped by Tuvok, who confiscated the volume, saying it was "nonessential." (VOY: "Demon")