Star Trek Book Reviews - Part One

Welcome to our archive of Star Trek book reviews. Here you'll find books covering all five incarnations of Star Trek, including novels, behind the scenes books, reference works, comics, graphic novels and more. Because of the number of reviews we have, we have now split this into two sections, with this part covering Classic Trek and The Next Generation. If it's in print, you'll find it here...

Star Trek - Novels

Star Trek - "Sarek" by A.C. Crispin

Set three months after the end of Star Trek VI, SAREK, as you can probably guess from the title, revolves around the well-loved Vulcan Ambassador and father to Spock, in a deadly mission of espionage and treason which could lead to all-out war, shattering the new-found peace formed at the Khitomer Conference.

The book starts with an organisation on Earth, the Keep Earth Human League, who are causing uproar over the presence of aliens on Earth, most notably the Vulcans. The group, originally a small fringe operation, has grown in size to such an extent that they are beginning to pose a threat. Meanwhile, Sarek is beginning to have suspicions about a mysterious race known as the Freelans, whom Sarek believes are not quite what they seem. Sarek begins to grow concerned for the safety of the Federation, and begins a quest to seek proof of events on Freelan.

While this is going on, a renegade group of Klingons, lead by Ambassador Kamarag (Star Trek IV) prepares a trap for James T. Kirk, involving his nephew Peter, which is only the beginning of a plan to start interstellar war between the Klingons and the Federation, unbeknown to Chancellor Azetbur.

To make matters worse, Sarek is called in to negotiate with a small group of renegade Klingons who have attacked an Orion colony and Sarek is torn between his duty as a Federation Ambassador and to his dying wife, Amanda...

For the a few years prior to the release of this book, I had been increasingly disappointed with Star Trek novels. Many seemed to stray too much from the format laid down originally by Gene Roddenberry, and those that do stick within the ideals and storyline restrictions tend to be written in a way that sees characters performing tasks or saying things that you would never expect them to say. There are, sadly, too few novels on the market released recently that have captured the characters personalities properly, and too many rely on excessive and sometimes graphic violence to tell their tales.

Well, fortunately, Sarek is nothing like that. In fact, I would say that this is easily the BEST Star Trek novel I have read since Gene Roddenberry's death, and I would even go as far as to say that I would rate it in my all-time top 5 Trek books. Characterisation is superb throughout with not only the regular characters handled well, but all the minor characters sharing the same level of depth and strength of character that you would normally only associate with the main crew. Character interaction is simply wonderful, especially the Spock - Kirk and Spock - McCoy dialogue. It's as if you are watching an episode!

One thing that really impressed me with the novel was a scene near to the beginning where the Vulcan Embassy on Earth was surrounded by a large crowd of protestors from the KEHL who were waving placards and shouting abuse. During this, Sarek decided to leave the embassy and talk with the leader of the KEHL, Induna, to try and make him see reason (as any good diplomat would). However, the rest of the crowd soon reacted to Sarek's presence and they became restless and then increasingly hostile. Induna tries to calm his followers, to no avail, and the crowd soon become out of control. Bedlam breaks loose and the mob begin to hurl rotting vegetables at the Ambassador and his aides. After a few moments of disarray, Federation security arrives to break up the crowd.

So what, I hear you ask? Well while the scene is nothing original to Star Trek, what makes the scene stand out is that way in which it was handled. There is no graphic descriptions of violence, while there is anger from the crowd, it is not misguided maliciousness and when the Federation arrive, instead of seizing the opportunity for a violent outburst, the security officers simply use their phasers to STUN the crowd and take them into custody. A well written scene which gave me an immense amount of respect for Ann Crispin.

The inclusion of Kirk's nephew, Peter Kirk, in the book is essential to the plot of the story, and although we only saw him on screen for a few moments back in Season Two, his character is written so well that you feel as if you've been following his exploits for years. One nice touch is near to then end of the book where we see Peter (who is a mature student at Starfleet Academy) taking the Kobayashi Maru test. Does he live up to the memory of his famous uncle? You'll have to read it to find out!

One thing that I was initially wary about when approaching Sarek was the idea that Amanda Grayson was to die. However, I again wasn't disappointed as it was handled well, and was a very emotionally powerful sub-plot to the book. The flashbacks to time that Sarek and Amanda spent together, while not advancing the story line, didn't seem out of place.

Yes, there are a couple of flaws, namely a few innacuracies in dates used (for example, it refers to the events of Star Trek III taking place three years prior to Star Trek VI, but it was in fact 8), but these don't detract from what is essentially a stunning piece of fiction. This is certainly a book worth reading, and as soon as I get some spare time between working on the site, I'm looking forward to reading this novel again!

If you only buy Star Trek novels occasionally, make sure that Sarek is at the top of your shopping list - you won't regret it. A book Gene Roddenberry would have been proud of.

Reviewer: Simon Plumbe

Star Trek - "Spock's World" by Diane Duane

The Federation is about to face one of the greatest ever threats in its long and illustrious history. The Vulcans have had enough and want out. They are about to vote themselves into obscurity and take all their own people with them. This means the withdrawal of all Vulcans to their homeworld, whether they be scientists, diplomats, traders or even Starfleet officers. It also means that any Vulcan not wishing to return to the homeworld be made an outcast.

The case for secession is being fronted by none other than T'Pau herself, using Sarek as her mouthpiece. Into the chorus of debate is also thrown Kirk, Spock and McCoy. They have been given the onerous task of pleading the Federation's case and of trying to prevent the split from taking place. This sets the scene for some memorable debates and behind the scenes shenanigans as each speaker tries to suss out the others thoughts and motives. Another element that is added to the equation takes the form of the beautiful and "flawlessly logical" T'Pring. She is the brains behind the move towards secession and is the ringleader of an underground anti-Federation propaganda campaign. All in all a volatile mixture that produces more than its fair share of fireworks.

This is only half the story (literally) however. Interspersed between the diplomatic manoeuvring and talks, we are presented with a potted history of Vulcan. The history lesson starts at the very formation of the planet and it's binary star system, carrying on through the discovery of such elements as words and violence, on into the present era when Sarek gets offered the role of ambassador to Earth. Within these chapters we are shown the formation of the Vulcan mind disciplines (originally bred for and used as weapons); the very early examples of Kolinahr, or rapture; the reasons behind the pointed ears; a look at the likes of Surak (founder of the Vulcan logic and unemotionalism) and the events leading to the great separation, which eventually led to the formation of the Romulan star empire by S'Task. There is also a great deal of action and backstabbing by these early Vulcans, acting as a counterpoint to their colder, fiercely logical descendents.

These two separate yet diverging storylines compliment each other considerably, each adding elements to the story which the other lacks and creating a very pleasing whole. Along the way we are reintroduced to some of the characters that seem to profligate Miss Duane's Star Trek novels, such as the Sulamids and the Horta.

Although this novel was released a few years ago, I was only recently introduced to it. It has the style and depth that has come to be expected of this author, mainly because she sets out to entertain and does not insult the reader's intelligence which other authors have a tendency to do. All in all this is a most rewarding read, serving as a companion to "The Romulan Way".

Reviewer: Norman Wright

Star Trek Adventures - "The Starless World" by Gordon Eklund

Titan books must be gutted. Not only did they lose the Pocket Books contract but the had to resort to distributing pap like this. In it's day this book was probably hailed as a near masterpiece by the hordes of Trekkers hungry for new Trek, but today I'm afraid it's just not good enough.

The premise is simple enough. The Enterprise picks up an old school mate of Kirk who proclaims to be Jesus Christ, but in fact turns out to be no more than a Starfleet Academy drop-out by the name of Thomas Clayton. No sooner has he started to spout religious mutterings about a planet named Lyra and a god called Ay-nab when the Enterprise is drawn into a Dyson Sphere. Once inside the Enterprise crew find that they are not alone. A Klingon ship carrying the Klingon heir to the throne, Princess Kyanna, has also been ensnared by the sphere.

What follows is a routine plot which stumbles along and goes nowhere in particular. The dialogue between the Enterprise crew is well executed but any new characters which are introduced to the plot are handled in a stilted fashion.

This is probably an ideal book to read in a car or on a train as it only consists of 152 pages and is not too taxing on the brain. This has been the least enjoyable novel in the Star Trek Adventures series so far, and I hope that "Perry's Planet", the next novel in the series, redresses the balance. Nice cover, though.

Reviewer: Matthew Crossman

Star Trek Adventures #5 - "Mudd's Angels" by J.A. Lawrence

This is yet another of the re-released books that were first published back in the late '70s. The book is split into three sections, with the first two sections comprising of adaptations of the two television episodes "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd". The third section actually accounts for half of "Mudd's Angels" and is an original story called "Business as Usual During Alterations".

There is a definite '70s feel to this book. It has the sort of tackyness that you tend to associate with Trek books written in the pre-movie and Next Generation era. The biggest criticism I have of the book as a whole is that the characters don't always resemble their television counterparts. The finest example of this is Scotty whose words I literally can't understand.

That's not to say that it is not entertaining. Although written in a fairly simplistic style, the first two stories are entertaining enough. They don't really expand on the television episodes but don't really suffer from not doing so, and as long as you don't expect too much you shouldn't be too disappointed.

Where the book really fails with the story is where Lawrence makes several assumptions about the Enterprise and it's crew, and the androids from "I, Mudd", all of which are hard to swallow. The whole expanse of the story is too large. Somehow Harry Mudd, a Federation wide dilithium shortage, and the destruction of an entire galaxy just does not work. Neither does the terrible prologue to all these stories, written as a report by Kirk.

If this was £2.99, it would be worth getting, even if only for the quirky appeal of the first two stories. At £4.50, it is far too expensive.

Reviewed by Tim Smith

Star Trek - "The New Voyages" Edited by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath

The first familiar feature is the cover which depicts the landing party from the classic Trek episode "The Spectre of the Gun". The scene reveals the away team, standing ready for an alien race's mind game and a classic encounter at the gunfight at O.K. Corral.

A strange opening choice. Inside the book itself is a real cocktail of delights with 8 short stories to choose from. The book has a direct and immediate appeal. The joy of being able to pick up a book and finish a whole story in one sitting is tremendous. Indeed, a real must for lovers of short stories. Some would have you believe that such stories are lacking in their ability to develop characters, but here we are dealing with characters we already know and value.

The first ingredient however, is an introduction by Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Gene gives a commentary on the thinking behind Star Trek and pays tribute to the many Star Trek writers, both professional and otherwise. Whereas there is something of an overbearing righteous feel to parts of the discourse with references being made to "Camelot" and an associated noble cause by the editors, I can nevertheless vouch for the body of the book.

Delve into this well proportioned book and you are likely to unearth a combination of writing talent and perhaps a few echoes from the past ready to ambush your memory. Hence, one of the stories presents a reworking of the classic Trek episode "The Enemy Within" in which Kirk battled with his inner evil self. The personality split now involves Spock and the opposing forces of good and evil are replaced with Spock's conflicting Vulcan and Human ancestry. Here we get an insight into Spock that corroborates and reinforces occurrences in the original series.

Another has Spock superbly playing second fiddle to a wood-nymph. The story results in one of the most successful introductions of fantasy into the Star Trek genre. Also, with a fair sense of humour and an off the wall feel to it is "The Visit to the Weird Planet Revisited" which can heartily be recommended to those who enjoy the quirky. Similarly, "The Face on the Barroom Floor" has Kirk inculcated in a barroom brawl and wearing a Samurai outfit - most unlikely.

A number of stories take as their starting point an event or object which was mentioned only briefly in a Star Trek episode. So, the story "The Mind Sifter" takes the Klingon mindsifting machine which first appeared in the episode "Errand of Mercy" as its launch pad. This extremely well written and sensitive story has Kirk struggling to come to terms with a decimated mind following the onslaught of the much feared mind sift. Indeed, the Guardian from "The City on the Edge of Forever", one of Kirk's old adversaries and a love interest are all thrown into the cauldron which results in this story being one of the best in the book.

That said, some stories in the compendium are better than others. The final few pages of "The Winged Dreamers" story, although frustrating, are really quite neat and provide an abject lesson in how to introduce a red hearing into a story. I'm not implying there are no flaws in the stories and indeed there are times the characters appear more alien than they have been written. I would, for instance, question Mr. Scott's acceptance of the rather peculiar circumstances in "The Visit to the Weird Planet Revisited". Perhaps he was enjoying the delightful premise, no less than an attack on the rigid format of Star Trek - actors as characters.

One final attractive and distinctive feature of the book which should be mentioned relates to the introductions to particular narratives given by the actors who created the bridge crew. Indeed, a sentiment expressed by DeForest Kelley certainly strikes a chord when he maintains that Star Trek is "alive and kicking, and just might live forever".

As you reach the end of the book you may feel oddly elated, as if having recaptured the flavours of a long forgotten drink that you had forgotten how to mix. So much in so few pages. I can only hope that this collection of short stories represent the tip of the iceberg and I look forward to the next collection.

Reviewer: Neil Higgins

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Novels

Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Imzadi" by Peter David

Although I've been a fan of Star Trek on TV and films for many years, I must admit to being new to the novels. In fact this was my first one, so I was not sure what to expect. I certainly wasn't disappointed...

The story starts about 40 years after the time of the TV series on the Forever World, scene of one of the most popular Classic Trek episodes. Data, who is now a Commodore and in command of the Enterprise 1701-F, stands in front of the Guardian of Forever - a strong hint that this is to be a time travel tale. Riker is an ageing Admiral, serving out his time on a remote starbase and unable to forgive himself for the death of Deanna Troi many years before. Lwaxana Troi also blames Riker for her daughter's death, and as she herself nears death he returns to Betazed to try and make peace with her.

We then go back in time in a series of flashbacks, as Riker first recounts the circumstances of Deanna's death to (Captain) Wesley Crusher and then remembers the time when they first met and fell in love. This is the only part of the book that didn't seem quite right to me. The description of how the romantic side of their relationship ended was a bit weak and was inconsistent with the 6th season episode 'Second Chances'. This is only a minor point and could not be helped as the book was written before the episode was made.

Obviously this is mainly a Riker/Troi story and the other regulars, apart from Data, only really have bit parts. But that doesn't stop this being an excellent book with very well portrayed characters and a riveting storyline. The pace builds up as Riker comes to the conclusion that the current time-line is wrong and begins a race against time to try to correct it, leading to an exciting climax that is difficult to put down.

If, like me, you have looked at the rows of Star Trek novels in your local bookstore and wondered whether to take the plunge, I would recommend this book as an ideal place to start.

Reviewer: Ian Good

Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Vendetta" by Peter David

As might be expected, combining the talents of a veteran Star Trek novel writer with the potential of a Giant Novel leads to a book dealing with a giant Star Trek issue. It is therefore unsurprising to discover that this book is about the Borg.

Written and set after their leading role in "The Best Of Both Worlds", the Borg have returned. Once again they are reaching out through space to convert the rest of the universe to the "Way of the Borg".

They strike first at the homeworld of the Penzatti race, who, like most other races, are simply going about their business as usual. Suddenly and without warning the Borg arrive and decimate the planet. Nothing is wasted. Everything is to be consumed. Until, suddenly and without warning, someone with a vendetta arrives. The person with the vendetta is unlike the Borg. She and the ship that carries her have emotion, have beauty, have a soul. Like the Borg, however, her voice is the voice of many, and like the Borg she has only one purpose. The Borg ship quickly ceases to exist. Unfortunately by this time, so do the Penzatti.

As the back cover blurb states, Delcara is the person with the vendetta - "the lone survivor of an alien race the Borg obliterated". She's on a single minded mission to destroy the Borg, and the Enterprise becomes involved when she enters Federation space. The problem is, you see, that to power her Borg-destroying ship it must dismantle and consume entire planets. And along the path towards Borg space a good few of these planets happen to be inhabited (the home world of the Tholians for example). On one hand, the Federation is amazed to encounter a ship powerful enough to destroy the Borg, while on the other they have a duty to stop the ship (known as the planet-killer) from killing planets along the way.

Like other novels, the plot focuses on several key characters and themes, but in this giant novel you get a stronger sense of purpose and a stronger portrayal of the characters that drives the story forward with more momentum. This is partly because one of the key players in the story, the Borg race, are such a threat in the Star Trek universe. It is also because of the author, Peter David. Characters are described accurately and the story has good depth, although a note on one the first pages of the book reminds you that it varies in some respects from the Star Trek universe as created by Gene Roddenberry.

Vendetta is a Star Trek novel to be reckoned with. If you have any interest in reading, rather than just watching, Star Trek: The Next Generation, then you could do a lot worse than to purchase it now.

Reviewer: Alex Kerr

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