Showing posts with label tos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tos. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

The Higher Frontier

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Higher Frontier by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: March 10th 2020
Read April 2nd 2020

Previous book (The Original Series): The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition
Next book (The Original Series): Agents of Influence
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
Investigating the massacre of a telepathic minority, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise confront a terrifying new threat: faceless, armored hunters whose extradimensional technology makes them seemingly unstoppable. Kirk must team with the powerful telepath Miranda Jones and the enigmatic Medusans to take on these merciless killers in an epic battle that will reveal the true faces of both enemy and ally!

My thoughts:

Christopher L. Bennett is a Star Trek author whom I have long admired. During his years of writing for the Star Trek IP, he has become known for a number of things: stories set during the Star Trek: The Motion Picture time period, and stories that tie up various, disparate pieces of Trek continuity. In both of these respects, The Higher Frontier is the quintessential Christopher L. Bennett Star Trek novel.

The Aenar were first introduced in season four of Star Trek: Enterprise. A subspecies of the Andorians, the Aenar are blind, but with highly developed telepathic skills. It is these abilities that cause them to be the target of a massacre that sets off the events of this novel. At the time of this novel's writing, the Aenar had never been seen outside of Enterprise, and the decimation of their population here might go some way to explaining why. This was, of course, before we met Lieutenant Hemmer, chief engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise in season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Still, given the reclusiveness of the Aenar as well as their abhorrence of anything approaching violence, it makes sense that they wouldn't be a regular fixture of the wider Trek universe. Heck, we rarely even saw Andorians in the years between TOS and Enterprise.

The Aenar, a subspecies of Andorians, are targeted by hunters.

Another welcome follow-up in this novel is the union between Dr. Miranda Jones and the Medusan ambassador Kollos from the TOS episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?." Their telepathic bond is the focus of a lot of this novel, and I appreciated the deep dive into Medusans. This is an area, again, that modern Trek has mined from, with the character of Zero in Star Trek: Prodigy. I enjoyed the exploration of the bond between Dr. Jones and Kollos, and was very pleased with the fact that the book acknowledged the very poor treatment of Jones in her appearance in TOS. I love when authors go back to sort of "clean up" some of the more problematic parts of past Trek, and Christopher Bennett is a master at it.

Dr. Miranda Jones and her link to Ambassador Kollos is explored in The Higher Frontier.

Another aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the exploration of characters other than the "big three" (Kirk, Spock, and Bones). In particular, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov get some much-needed attention, and I very much appreciated the time spent with these characters. In one particularly amusing moment, the three of them discuss the "dramatizations" of their previous missions that have been broadcast back on Earth. Comments are made about the unrealistic special effects, the overly-dramatic acting, and even the ridiculousness of Chekov's hair! It's a nice send-up of Star Trek: The Original Series, implying that what we watched may just have been an in-universe reenactment of the actual events, rather than the sacrosanct "historical documents" that many fans would claim them to be.

Finally, I very much enjoyed Christopher Bennett's exploration of the "New Human" phenomenon, an aspect of Star Trek's depiction of humanity that was first introduced by Gene Roddenberry in his novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This is another piece of Trek lore that seems like it would be difficult to square with what we have seen of humanity's future in the Star Trek produced since 1979, but once again Bennett has found a way to (mostly) seamlessly weave these disparate bits of continuity together. One aspect of this is an explanation for telepathic abilities among humans, as shown in the second TOS pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Humans who exhibited "extra-sensory perception" were referred to as "espers," and this concept was never really explored outside of that episode. A satisfactory and fascinating explanation for the existence of telepathy among humans is given in The Higher Frontier, and as someone who loves diving into the the minutiae of Star Trek, I love that we finally got it.

The Higher Frontier offers an explanation for human "espers" such as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner and Gary Mitchell from "Where No Man Has Gone Before."

Final thoughts:

As we have come to expect from Christopher L. Bennett, The Higher Frontier serves to weave together bits of disparate Star Trek continuity in ways that are both surprising and entertaining. Add to that strong character work for both major and minor characters and a story that takes place in a unique period of Star Trek history, and the result is another terrific story from an author whose work is always a joy to read.

 More about The Higher Frontier:



Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next on my catch-up list is a Star Trek: Voyager novel: Seven of Nine by Christie Golden.


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Friday, November 24, 2023

The Fearful Summons

Star Trek #74
The Fearful Summons by Denny Martin Flinn
Published June 1995
Read January 5th 2020

Previous book (Star Trek Numbered): #73: The Lost Years, Book 4: Recovery
Next book (Star Trek Numbered): #75: First Frontier
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for The Fearful Summons!

 From the back cover:
Captain Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior and his crew are kidnapped. When Federation-conducted negotiations come to a standstill, Captain James Kirk and the former officers of the U.S.S. Enterprise reunite to rescue their old comrade.

 The officers learn carrying out their mission could prove difficult when they encounter the kidnappers -- a greedy little-known race called the Thraxians, who believe their way is the only way. Now the Thraxians are demanding super-powerful weapons in exchange for the hostages.

 With no other alternatives, Kirk is forced to consider giving in to the Thraxians to save the Excelsior crew -- a decision that could save a few, but endanger the lives of an entire star system...

 My thoughts:

I remember first reading this novel many years ago. I was a fairly new Star Trek fan, whose first Trek theatrical experience was watching Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with my parents. I loved the film (even though I had a heck of a time properly pronouncing "Excelsior" while I gushed about all of the things I loved about the film to all who would listen). So when it was announced that a follow-up novel was coming out, written by one of the people credited with writing that wonderful sixth Trek film, I was ecstatic! While I don't completely recall all of my thoughts upon reading it when it was first published, I do remember that it wasn't exactly what I expected.

Now, years later, I decided to pick The Fearful Summons up off of my shelf and give it a re-read. After having done so, I am left to ponder the question: why did I do that?

The plot involves Captain Sulu of the Excelsior (I can pronounce it now!) and 10 others of his crew being captured by the antagonists of the novel, an alien species called the Thraxians on the back cover and inexplicably referred to only as Beta Prometheans within the book itself. They are being held hostage in exchange for weapons, but of course the Federation is unwilling to bargain with the group holding Sulu and his crew. Enter the heroics of Captain James T. Kirk! (Or is it Admiral Kirk? The author can't seem to decide.)

Captain Sulu and some of his fellow Excelsior crewmember are captured by a group hoping to exchange weapons for their hostages.

Kirk reassembles his crew, who are off doing the things that retired starship crews do. This, I can say, was probably my favorite part of the novel. Seeing where each of the members of Kirk's former crew have ended up was somewhat fun, and accounts for almost all of the enjoyment I got out of the book. Which is unfortunate, because there is still a lot of book left after this point.

Unfortunately, I found the characterizations extremely weak, with many actions taken by Kirk and company to be wildly out of character. The Vulcans are rather un-Vulcany, Captain Sulu is astonishingly incompetent in how easily he and his crew walk into an obvious trap, and other elements that are necessary to the universe of Star Trek seem frustratingly out of reach for the author. It amazes me that Denny Martin Flinn co-wrote the screenplay of The Undiscovered Country, because his seeming lack of familiarity with the common tropes of the Trek universe is very apparent.

I also have to question the editing of this novel. As mentioned above, the back-cover blurb doesn't jibe with the content of the novel with regards to the name of the antagonists. Similarly, Kirk alternates between being a captain and an admiral. Recall that at this point, Kirk is a captain, having been demoted at the conclusion of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. And finally, Starbase 10 inexplicably changes to Starbase 499 partway through the novel. I'm sure there are many more such examples within the book, as the editing seems to have been very much lacking throughout.

A retired Captain Kirk rounds up his former crew to rescue Captain Sulu and the crew of the Excelsior. However, there is always time for a little romance on the side! 

Finally, there is a romance subplot included for Kirk that seems to exist for no other reason than, well, it's Kirk. I don't want to seem ageist here, but many of the more racy scenes written for this novel seem very out of place when you think of where Kirk is in his life. His partner is extremely young, relatively speaking, and while I have no problem with age gaps in relationships between consenting adults, there seems to be no real reason for this one besides adding a bit of romance to the story, with a possible bit of hero worship thrown in. It feels squicky.

 Final thoughts:

A sadly disappointing re-read. I remember not entirely loving this novel as a young man, but I didn't recall it being quite this frustrating. The rough characterizations of the TOS crew don't match at all with what we know of the characters, the plot itself is very thin, and the huge errors that stem from a seeming lack of editorial insight are extremely disheartening and throw the reader right out of the story. I wish I could say better things about this novel, but I will have to leave it with a strong not recommend from me.

My next read:

Next up is Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Battle of Betazed by Charlotte Douglas and Susan Kearney.

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Sunday, December 8, 2019

The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
by Gene Roddenberry
40th Anniversary Edition
Release date: October 1st 2019
Read October 7th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): The Antares Maelstrom
Next book (The Original Series): The Higher Frontier
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The original five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise to explore strange new worlds and to seek out new life and new civilizations has ended. Now James T. Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise have separated to follow their own career paths and different lives. But now, an overwhelming alien threat—one that is ignoring all attempts at communication and annihilating all opposition in its path—is on a collision course with Earth, the very heart of the United Federation of Planets. And the only vessel that Starfleet can send in time to intercept this menace is a refitted Enterprise, with her old crew heeding the call to once again boldly go where no one has gone before….

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A unique novel in the Star Trek book library! A peek into the mind of Gene Roddenberry that is equal parts enlightening and terrifying. I think any Trek fan should pick up the book for the insights into the film that kicked off the Star Trek movie franchise.

 More about The Motion Picture:


Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next up is my review of book 2 of the Destiny trilogy: Mere Mortals by David Mack!


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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Antares Maelstrom

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox
Release date: August 13th 2019
Read August 14th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): The Captain's Oath
Next book (The Original Series): The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The final frontier erupts into chaos as vast quantities of a rare energy source are discovered beneath the surface of Baldur-3, a remote planet beyond the outer fringes of Federation space. Now an old-fashioned "gold rush" is underway as a flood of would-be prospectors, from countless worlds and species, races toward the planet to stake their claim.

 The galactic stampede threatens the stability of neighboring planets and space stations, as widespread strife and sabotage and all-around pandemonium result in a desperate need for Starfleet assistance. Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise are dispatched to deal with the escalating crisis... which lies on the other side of a famously perilous region of space known as the Antares Maelstrom.

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of The Original Series: The Antares Maelstrom, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A fun TOS story that makes numerous callbacks to original Star Trek episodes. Every member of the main cast is given an interesting part to play, and the story feels like a good old-fashioned TOS adventure. While some may bristle at the large number of plotlines the story juggles, I found myself enjoying each one. A great entry in the long-running TOS book line!

 More about The Antares Maelstrom:



Also by Greg Cox:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for the first book in the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy by David Mack: Gods of Night.


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Monday, September 9, 2019

A Flag Full of Stars

Star Trek #54
The Lost Years Book Two
A Flag Full of Stars by Brad Ferguson
Published April 1991
Read July 29th 2019

Previous book (The Lost Years): Book One: The Lost Years
Previous book (TOS Numbered): #53: Ghost-Walker

Next book (The Lost Years): Book Three: Traitor Winds
Next book (TOS Numbered): #55: Renegade
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Spoilers ahead for A Flag Full of Stars!

 From the back cover:
It has been eighteen months since the Starship Enterprise completed her historic five-year mission and her legendary crew has seperated, taking new assignments that span the galaxy.

 On Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk has married and started a new life as the Chief of Starfleet operations where he is overseeing the refit of his beloved ship, now commanded by a new Captain -- Willard Decker. Kirk's only tie to his former crewmates is his Chief of Staff, a young Lieutenant Commander named Kevin Riley.

 But Kirk's new, quiet life changes when he meets a scientist named G'dath who is on the brink of perhaps the greatest scientific discovery in a century. G'dath's invention could mean tremendous strides in Federation technology, or -- in the wrong hands -- the subjugation of countless worlds.

 When Klingon agents capture this new technology, Admiral Kirk and Lt. Commander Riley are all that stands between peace and devastation for the entire Federation.

 My thoughts:

It's been a long time since I read The Lost Years, but I finally sat down and read the follow-up: A Flag Full of Stars, marketed as the second book in the Lost Years saga.

I love when books "fill in the gaps" in Star Trek future history, and the so-called "lost years" are one of my favorite gaps to fill! The years between The Original Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture represent big changes, not just in the lives of the characters, but in the whole look and feel of the Star Trek universe.

Admiral Kirk continues to adapt to his life without the Enterprise, and balances his new job with his marriage to Admiral Lori Ciana.

However, it is the changes for our characters that are the most meaningful. Kirk's role as a newly-minted admiral, as well as the breakup of the crew we were familiar with in TOS are significant changes, and the exploration of these changes is very interesting to me. Kirk in particular continues to deal with his feelings regarding his promotion to admiral, seeing his chances to be on the Enterprise slip away from him. His role at the beginning of the novel has him overseeing the refit of Enterprise, as well as other starships, but Starfleet Commander-in-Chief Nogura sees something else in Jim that leads him to appoint Kirk as Starfleet's media relations officer.

One of the aspects of this novel that I enjoyed was the glimpse of life on Earth outside of Starfleet. Part of the story centers around a Klingon named G'dath, who lives on Earth and teaches a junior high class. We learn that his experience is much like the experiences of many immigrants into a society unfamiliar with them: he faces judgement and fear by those who live around him, all of it unwarranted. G'dath is a thoughtful and intelligent person, with expertise that is being underutilized in his current role. In his spare time, he works on a project that yields unexpected results: a seemingly unlimited power source that is able to propel an object at unimaginable speeds. Of course, agents of the Klingon Empire who have G'dath under observation learn of the discovery and make a move to acquire the technology for themselves. G'dath approaches Starfleet through Kirk and a news reporter named Nan Davis for protection, while the Klingon agents continue to pursue him, eventually putting his students in danger as well.

The main plot of the novel was compelling, and I enjoyed the look at life outside of Starfleet. G'dath is a fascinating character, and I would love to see more of him in future stories. His students are also an interesting group, with some of them more wary of the Klingon teacher than others. Civilian life within the Federation has always been interesting to me, and I wish that we would get more of this sort of thing in Star Trek as a whole.

Kirk's Chief-of-Staff is a familiar face: Kevin Riley, now a lieutenant commander, who is facing his own personal problems as well as a demanding job.

Kirk's Chief-of-Staff, Lt. Commander Kevin Riley, also plays a significant role. Like Kirk, there is a lot going on in his personal life, and it impacts his job performance significantly. I liked his arc in this novel, and I look forward to it (hopefully) continuing in the remaining Lost Years books.

I have to admit, I had been spoiled on certain elements of the climax of this novel with regards to the role the U.S. space shuttle Enterprise plays in the outcome of the story. I was generally worried about that plot element, thinking it to be far too implausible to work. Amazingly, Ferguson is able to make use of the shuttle in a way that wasn't completely outlandish. It still strikes me as fairly implausible, but not completely out of the realm of possibility. Some readers may find it a bridge too far, however.

 Final thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised with A Flag Full of Stars, finding it to be an enjoyable adventure with characters I found to be quite interesting. Even an implausible finish to the story didn't detract too much from my enjoyment, and it was fun to see Kirk in a situation other than starship command, and still succeeding brilliantly. Plus, there is a kitten in the story, and who wouldn't love that?

 My next read:

Next up is my review of Peter David's Star Trek: The Next Generation: Before Dishonor.

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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The IDIC Epidemic

Star Trek #38
The IDIC Epidemic by Jean Lorrah
Published February 1988
Read July 9th 2019

Previous book (TOS Numbered): #37: Bloodthirst
Previous book (Published Order): Final Frontier

 Next book (TOS Numbered): #39: Time for Yesterday
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Spoilers ahead for The IDIC Epidemic!

 From the back cover:
I.D.I.C -- Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination. More than just a simple credo, for those of the planet Vulcan it is the cornerstone of their philosophy.

 Now, on the Vulcan Science Colony Nisus, that credo of tolerance is being being put to its sternest test. For here, on a planet where Vulcan, Human, Klingon, and countless other races live and work side by side, a deadly plague has sprung up. A plague whose origins are somehow rooted in the concept of I.D.I.C. itself. A plague that threatens to tear down that centuries-old maxim and replace it with an even older concept.

 Interstellar War.

 My thoughts:

If you are a long-time reader of Trek Lit Reviews, you may remember my review of the TOS novel The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah. I was very impressed with that novel, not so much by the plot (which was a fairly by-the-numbers murder mystery), but by the character exploration. I found the relationships depicted in that novel to be very touching, so when I learned that The IDIC Epidemic was a sequel, I resolved to pick it up and check it out. Sadly, it's taken a number of years to finally get to it, but I have finally read Jean Lorrah's second Star Trek novel. Does it hold up as well as The Vulcan Academy Murders?

The Vulcan I.D.I.C., representing Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, a concept central to The IDIC Epidemic.

Taking place a few weeks after TVAM, The IDIC Epidemic features a number of the same characters and following on almost immediately from the events of that novel. Nisus, a science colony populated by numerous species, has been hit by a highly contagious plague that is swiftly mutating and striking down the population one-by-one. It seems that, once the virus encounters a host that is of mixed heritage, it quickly mutates into a highly lethal strain that swiftly kills. The Enterprise, having just left Vulcan, is diverted to assist. The Vulcan antagonists from TVAM are aboard the Enterprise, and see this property of the virus as vindication of their anti-IDIC beliefs, and dub it the "IDIC epidemic."

At first blush, they would seem to be right. However, as the story goes on, we learn more about the virus and how it propagates, and more importantly, how it can be cured. It turns out that the Klingons are key to halting the virus, and greater cooperation among species becomes essential to the solution, rather than merely the cause of the epidemic. In fact, my favorite character in the novel is Korsal, a Klingon engineer living on Nisus who, along with his sons, becomes vital to the solution to the crisis. Many people see the Klingons as nothing more than hardened warriors who crave battle and victory, so it was refreshing to get a different type of Klingon, especially in an Original Series novel.

There is also a secondary plot in which the colony is threatened by a failing dam, a crisis that Korsal and his son also have a hand in averting. There are a number of good old fashioned suspenseful moments as the initial scope of the crisis becomes apparent, and during the subsequent disaster and rescue attempts. They may be standard tropes in storytelling, but they are still effective!

As someone who doesn't usually enjoy "medical mystery" stories, The IDIC Epidemic had a lot to overcome to win me over. However, my problem with that sort of story usually has to do with the eleventh hour "eureka" moment as a cure is discovered and the plague is stopped. The solution in The IDIC Epidemic was much more meaningful and fit very well with the Star Trek ethos, and therefore sat much better with me. While I didn't enjoy this novel as much as The Vulcan Academy Murders, I still found it to be a worthy sequel and a nice reaffirmation of Star Trek's ideals.

 Final thoughts:

A medical mystery story that has a meaningful resolution keeping with Star Trek's ideals and ethics. The IDIC concept has become central to what Star Trek is all about, and I enjoyed reading a story that ended up reinforcing that concept. I didn't enjoy the story as much as the novel it is a sequel to, The Vulcan Academy Murders, but I very much appreciate Jean Lorrah's singular take on the Star Trek universe and the optimism of her characters.

Also by Jean Lorrah:

My next read:

Star Trek: The Next Generation #50: Dyson Sphere by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski.


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Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Challenger

Star Trek #94
New Earth, Book Six of Six
Challenger by Diane Carey
Published August 2000
Read June 26th 2019

Previous book (New Earth): #93: Book Five: Thin Air
Next book (The Original Series): #95: Rihannsu, Book 3: Swordhunt
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Thin Air!

 From the back cover:
Far from the reaches of the Federation, the Starship Enterprise has been guiding the development of a once obscure planet upon whose fate the future of the galaxy may now depend. The Enterprise has been the sole representative of the Federation, fighting a constant battle to protect the colonists from enemy aliens and standing alone against all those who have their own designs on the colony world. 

But all adventures come to an end. It is time for Captain Kirk and the Enterprise to turn over the guardianship of the colony to another ship and crew. The new ship arrives in the midst of a deadly attack on the colony -- and is destroyed. With the Enterprise off fighting a new and powerful enemy that threatens the colony as well as its enemies, Commander Nick Keller, first officer and ranking survivor of the decimated crew, is marooned and at first alone -- but he must find a way to complete his original mission and come to the aid of the Enterprise in what might be its most desperate hour.

 My thoughts:

In this, the sixth and final novel in the New Earth miniseries, we find the focus of the main plot shifted away from the usual gang of Kirk and company. Rather, the main character is Commander Nick Keller, who we are introduced to as the second officer of the U.S.S. Peleliu. The Peleliu is a Starfleet picket ship, assigned as Enterprise's replacement at Belle Terre. En route to her new assignment, the Peleliu comes under attack by the Kauld. The first officer is killed, and Keller must step up into the position. As the captain of the Peleliu becomes more and more erratic, Keller finds himself in the unenviable position of deciding whether or not he should be relieved of command.

Meanwhile, a strange robotic mechanism seems to be repeatedly stealing quantities of mined olivium ore. Kirk and the Enterprise set off in pursuit, having to leave Dr. McCoy and Commander Uhura behind, as they have failed to report in. In fact, the two officers have been captured by an antagonist we first met in book one: Billy Maidenshore, the criminal who attempted to sell out the colonist fleet to the Kauld, has commandeered a prison vessel and taken Uhura and Bones as prisoners. Using Uhura's expertise, Maidenshore has maintained his cover and used the vessel to amass a fortune in olivium.

Challenger put Uhura and McCoy together in a fight for their lives, a pairing that isn't common in Trek.

When the Peleliu is critically damaged due to the actions of her captain, the Belle Terre colony is left without protection with the Enterprise away chasing down the supposed olivium thieves. Keller finds himself having to come up with a solution fast, after having arrested his captain and removing him from the field. His answer: to build a new starship using scraps and parts from the Peleliu, as well as other ships that have been decommissioned from the Belle Terre fleet. While the idea seemed to be pretty far-fetched, I actually found myself really enjoying this part of the novel, especially with the involvement of Scotty who is on hand to help Keller put his plan into motion.

I also enjoyed the resolution to the olivium storyline, with the revelation of where the material comes from and why the lifeforms behind the robotic probe were taking it from the colony. Additionally, we learn more about the fate of the Rattlesnake, a ship that went missing in the novel Belle Terre. The ending of this part of the story had a much more sci-fi twist than I was expecting, given the tone of the rest of the novels.

While I am still not a fan of the Billy Maidenshore character, I felt that he was used to much greater effect in this novel than he was in Wagon Train to the Stars. The eventual comeuppance he gets at the hands of Bones and especially Uhura was very satisfying indeed.

I quite enjoyed the characters that were introduced in this novel, and it is a shame that the Star Trek: Challenger book series didn't continue past its single entry, Chainmail, part of the Gateways crossover series. I enjoyed the "aw, shucks" nature of Commander Nick Keller, and liken him to a kind of Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly type character. There was one moment, however, that kind of took me out of the story, when Keller goes on an extended monologue about the value of big business and how they are the best form of charity there is. Capitalist ventures that succeed and are very profitable are the best thing for a planetary ecosystem to thrive, says Keller. I guess he's as much of a libertarian as Diane Carey is. No surprise there, I suppose.

Chainmail is the only other novel to feature Nick Keller and the crew of the Challenger.

The New Earth series has been a very mixed bag, with most of the entries failing to live up to the promise that the overall premise offered. However, I noticed a definite turnaround with the previous book, Thin Air. How does the final installment, Challenger, stack up?

Surprisingly, quite well! With one or two small hiccups, Challenger bested my expectations and turned out to be a great wrap-up to an overall-lackluster series. I would actually have enjoyed seeing these characters more in later novels, a fact that surprised me.

Final thoughts:

 Challenger is an excellent conclusion to a series that has been frustratingly hit-or-miss, and mostly miss. The series overall could have used a big dose of cohesiveness, with each book flowing better into the next one. Instead, the series is very disjointed, but Challenger manages to bring everything to a satisfying close. There is a line on page 247 about how the space shuttle Challenger was the only shuttle that NASA lost, which has sadly not aged well. If only that prediction had come true! Overall, the novel was a fun read, with only a bit of a digression into a libertarian screed that kind of pulled me out of the story. Other than that, though, Challenger beat my expectations quite handily!

 Also by Diane Carey:

My next read:

My next review is for Star Trek: The Next Generation: Q & A by Keith R.A. DeCandido.


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Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Captain's Oath

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Captain's Oath by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: May 28th 2019
Read May 28th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): The Face of the Unknown
Next book (The Original Series): The Antares Maelstrom
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The saga of James T. Kirk's historic command of the U.S.S. Enterprise is known throughout the galaxy. But one part of the legend has barely been touched upon until now: the story of Kirk's first starship command and the remarkable achievements by which Starfleet's youngest captain earned the right to succeed Christopher Pike as the commander of the famous Enterprise. From his early battles with the Klingons to the rescue of endangered civilizations, Kirk grapples with difficult questions: Is he a warrior or a peacemaker? Should he obey regulations or trust his instincts? This thrilling novel illustrates the events and choices that would shape James T. Kirk into one of the most renowned captains in Starfleet history.

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of The Original Series: The Captain's Oath, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A strong novel showcasing Kirk's career as a captain before The Original Series, as well as the events that led him to take command of the Enterprise. Christopher Bennett does his usual awesome job of connecting various bits of canon and crafting a terrific story that fills in some of the missing bits. Great character work in this novel, and fascinating problems for Kirk and his crews to overcome. I always enjoy Bennett's world-building, and the more-alien-than-usual Agni are a great addition to the Trek gallery of lifeforms. Highly recommend this novel, which gives great insight into the man James T. Kirk was, as well as informing the man he would become.

 More about The Captain's Oath:



Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for the Star Trek: Titan novel, Orion's Hounds, by Christopher L. Bennett!


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Monday, July 8, 2019

Thin Air

Star Trek #93
New Earth, Book Five of Six
Thin Air by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith
Published August 2000
Read May 16th 2019

Previous book (New Earth): #92: Book Four: The Flaming Arrow
Next book (New Earth): #93: Book Six: Challenger
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Thin Air!

 From the back cover:
Many light-years away from the safety of the Federation, the Starship Enterprise stands guard over an alien world whose unique natural resources could change the balance of power throughout the galaxy. The ship's crucial assignment: to maintain a Federation presence on the Planet below, to defend the world's newly arrived inhabitants from hostile aliens, and to fight a solitary battle against all who would claim the planet's riches for their own.

 Against all odds, Kirk and his crew have preserved the struggling Federation colony on Belle Terre, but their heroic efforts may have been in vain In a last-ditch attempt to drive the entrenched settlers off their new home, the alien Kauld have contaminated the planet's atmosphere with a destructive biochemical agent that will soon render the entire world inimical to human life. With only weeks to spare, Spock races to find a scientific solution to their dire predicament, while Kirk takes the battle to the enemy, determined to wrest the secret of their salvation from the very forces out to destroy the future of this new Earth!

 My thoughts:

The newly-established colony at Belle Terre is once again threatened by the Kauld, and similar to the previous novel, The Flaming Arrow, the attack is an unconventional one. In that case, a huge laser was directed at the planet which would destroy the colony; in this novel, the attack is more methodical and insidious: the introduction of a substance that would initiate a chemical reaction, creating a sort of thin foam that covers the surface of the planet, suffocating everyone and everything in its path. The description of the effect this smothering substance has on people caught in it was horrifying to say the least.

Thin Air is a huge improvement over the previous novels in the New Earth series. Everything seems to come together well in this installment, including pacing, characterization, and the writing in general. The threat is a unique and terrifying one, with a lot of thought put into it. More so than at any other point in the series, I was concerned for the well-being of not only our hero characters, but the inhabitants of the Belle Terre colony as well. The attempts made by Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew to combat the chemical weapon deployed on Belle Terre made a lot of sense, and the ultimate solution was logical.

Belle Terre is once again attacked in this novel, but not in a conventional manner; rather, elements from beneath the surface explode, forming a type of suffocating "foam" that will render the planet uninhabitable.

Rusch and Smith get the characters' voices perfect in this novel, which makes sense given their experience in writing Star Trek fiction. Additionally, this novel seemed to flow well from the novels before it, a feat that is impressive given the series' track record so far. Plot points hinted at in the previous novels are picked up here, making the story feel a part of a cohesive whole, rather than a patchwork of disjointed stories by different authors, as the previous novels have.

There is a subplot that I found interesting as well: certain members of the colony seem to have a sensitivity to the olivium that is being mined in the system. These children have been quarantined on the medical ship. The mother of one such child is aboard as well, and I found myself enjoying the story as she fights for her son's survival against what turns out to be a corrupt medical officer. The budding romance between the mother and the captain of the medical ship was fun, and I found myself truly caring about these characters whom we had only just met.

Similarly, I found Lillian Coates' part in the novel quite compelling. At one point, she is trapped in an area being affected by the suffocating foam, and her plight had me totally engrossed. She showed remarkable resourcefulness before having to brave the environment and being rescued at the last moment by a team from the Enterprise. Far from being a typical "damsel in distress," Coates did everything she could to survive, and I found myself wondering how I would fare given the situation she was in.

The fact that the story is "just" yet another attack on the colony by the Kauld that Kirk and company have to save them from does count against this novel, but it was done in a unique enough fashion that I am pretty much willing to forgive it. It is unfortunate that it has taken five books for this series to finally hit on a story that works for me, as the overall concept is a fascinating one and deserves better than to wallow in predictable and disjointed plots. Thin Air stands as a truly good entry in the series, but does not make up for the failings that preceded it.

 Final thoughts:

The first novel in the New Earth series that I genuinely really enjoyed! The authors have crafted a unique and fascinating problem for the characters to overcome, and the descriptions of the effects of the Kauld suffocation weapon were vivid and visceral. A great entry in the series, but it is quite unfortunate that it took five books to get here. Here's hoping for a strong finish in book six!

 Also by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith:

My next read:

Next up is my video review of the recent TNG novel, Available Light, by Dayton Ward!

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Saturday, June 29, 2019

Burning Dreams

Star Trek
Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonanno
Published July 2006
Read April 30th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): Vulcan's Soul, Book Two: Exiles
Next book (The Original Series): Mere Anarchy: Things Fall Apart
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Burning Dreams!

 From the back cover:
Before James T. Kirk, another captain stood on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, spearheading its mission of exploration into the uncharted reaches of the galaxy. He was a man driven to perfection, a brooding soul whose haunted eyes reflected the burden of the impossible standards he set for himself, and for whom his longtime science officer, Spock, one day would risk everything. Yet, little is truly known about the enigmatic Christopher Pike, the events that defined him...or the secrets that consumed him. 
From the embers of his early childhood among Earth's blossoming interstellar colonies, to the terrifying conflagration that led him back to the world of his birth; from the mentor who would ignite young Chris's desire to return to the stars, to the career he blazed in Starfleet that would end in supreme sacrifice -- the path of Pike's astonishing life leads through fire again and again. But even amid the ashes of Talos IV, the forbidden world on which he would live out the remainder of his days, the dreams smoldering still within his aging, radiation-ravaged breast fan the flames of Pike's spirit to accomplish one final task....

 My thoughts:

At the time that Burning Dreams was written, not much was canonically known about the history of Captain Christopher Pike. We have the original pilot episode, "The Cage" (re-purposed for the only TOS two-parter, "The Menagerie"), and that's it, canon-wise. Outside of canon Trek, there has been a bit more exploration, notably in the novels: Vulcan's Glory by D.C. Fontana and The Rift by Peter David being a couple of notable examples. But no one had tried to tell the life story of Pike, which is the ambitious goal of Margaret Wander Bonanno's Burning Dreams.

Christopher Pike's history is the focus of Burning Dreams.

The framing story has him arriving at Talos IV at the end of "The Menagerie" to live out the rest of his days in their care along with his former cage-mate, Vina. Getting to know one another, Pike begins to tell her his life story, beginning in his youth on the frontier world Elysium. Accompanying his mother and Heston Prescott, his step-father, young Chris spends his formative years helping Heston with his attempts to tame this new world and aiding a hired hand, Charlie, in raising horses. Tragedy strikes, and an out-of-control fire claims the life of his mother and step-father, and Charlie and Chris leave Elysium behind and return to Mojave on Earth.

Charlie, who is a crewman in Starfleet, inspires Chris to attend Starfleet Academy and become an officer. We see pieces of his Starfleet career as he ascends the ranks and becomes a model officer, eventually rising to the position of first officer under a questionable captain. Eventually, Pike learns that he was placed on that vessel to expose the crimes of his captain, showing how he would come to be known as an officer with impeccable moral character.

Burning Dreams was a fun novel to revisit, given the recent season of Star Trek: Discovery in which the classic character was played by actor Anson Mount. Reading this novel, I pictured both him and Jeffrey Hunter at various points. The Pike of Burning Dreams tended to echo the more brooding style of Hunter's portrayal, but both interpretations of the character seemed applicable to various parts of the novel.

Bonanno's characterization of Pike lent itself to both Jeffrey Hunter's and Anson Mount's portrayals of the character.

Overall, Burning Dreams is a fascinating study of the Pike character, delving into the experiences that turned him into the man we saw both in "The Cage" and Discovery. At times, a few of the plot turns and revelations felt a bit "soap opera-y," but Bonanno mostly does an excellent job of getting to the root of what makes this character tick. Pike's later life is one filled with tragedy, and his past reflects that same theme.

One aspect of the novel that I want to touch on is a part of the story set decades after Pike was left on Talos IV. Spock, receiving a telepathic summons from the Talosians, returns to Talos IV believing Pike to have passed away. His supposition turns out to be correct, and he is being summoned to take possession of Pike's remains for return to the Federation. This part of the novel ends on a surprising and very welcome note of hope, as not only have the Talosians done a great service to Pike by letting him live out his remaining years in their care, but he has returned the favor by putting Talosian society on a path to recovery from the holocausts of their past. Burning Dreams ends with the thought that Spock might argue for their admittance into the Federation due to the huge amounts of progress they have made as a society thanks to Pike's help. It's a wonderful note for the novel to end on and brought a big smile to my face.

Pike's legacy includes possible redemption for the Talosian species.

 Final thoughts:

A touching novel that explores the life of Christopher Pike with a depth not achieved by any other work featuring this character. While some parts seem a bit on the melodramatic side of things, for the most part, Burning Dreams is a wonderfully written biography of what has become one of my favorite characters in Trek. It doesn't completely mesh with what we've come to know as canon with Pike's portrayal in Discovery, but that doesn't make it any less worth reading. Bonanno does an excellent job bringing this character to life from just one prior appearance in canon. Definitely recommended!

 More about Burning Dreams:

Also by Margaret Wander Bonanno:

My next read:

Next up is my review of the second Star Trek: Titan novel, The Red King by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin.


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