James Doohan Books

I loved the frankness of James Doohans menior. In particular, the Star Trek behind the scenes from Jimmy's point of view were fun. I had no idea that Mr. Dooham had been at Normany in the WWII. A wonderful read.

General Order One, also known as the Prime Directive, is the overriding principle of Star Fleet and the Federation. It is deceptively simple on the surface, there will be no interference with developing civilizations, contact will be made only when that civilization is ready to venture outside their home world. Violation of this order carries with it some of the harshest penalties on the Fleet's books and contempt from all Federation worlds. Shock echoed through the Federation then when violation of the Prime Directive occured and resulted in the near destruction of a planet on the verge of first contact, particularly when the violator was none other than the legendary James Kirk.

Kirk and his fellow 'criminals', the infamous Enterprise Five, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, Chekhov and Uhura are subjected to trials, stripped of rank and run out of Star Fleet. Only Scott is not offically charged, and left on duty to oversee the dismantling of his beloved Enterprise. Although widely separated the seven are all working toward a common goal, to discover what really brought about the destruction of Talin and their careers.

This is a very well written novel, the premise is ineresting and the various situations of the crew members most compelling. The authors have managed to stay true to each of the original characters and to introduce intriguing new characters, both Federation and alien, to the series.

Those who have even only the slightest familiarity with the series will enjoy PRIME DIRECTIVE, more devoted fans will definitely not want to miss their old friends various paths back home.

Epic sweep. Giant story. Real science fiction. The very best of the "original series". This one will keep you up late and make you think, and remember.

It took me a long time before I attempted to read Prime Directive, but boy am I glad I finally did. I cannot think of any authors' who write in the Trek universe who can come up with a more compelling and creative storyline than this married duo. Examining Starfleet's General Order #1 in such detail is a hefty task to say the least, but here Judith & Gar have really outdone themselves.

Visiting the somewhat primitive world of Talin IV, somehow, some way, an accident involving the Enterprise and her Warp Engines being utilized within the planets atmosphere literally devastates the entire world. Within the blink of an eye, millions of the planets inhabitants are snuffed out, and Starfleets flagship, and the entire bridge crew are forever changed. The ship is almost ruined in the aftermath, and the crew is scattered amongst the many different worlds of the Federation. The many facets of Starfleets Prime Directive are explored and even though this whole situation seems to be the result of an accident and not a purposeful violation of the order, the results are the same. What happens as a result could very easily be considered one of the best Trek novels ever written.

Personally I loved the individual sections of the book that explores in more detail than I remember being in any previous novel (or since) the main characters of the Star Trek universe, namely Scotty, Uhura, Chekhov and Sulu. Of course we also have Kirk, Spock and the Doctor, but we rarely (if ever) have been able to get into the minds of these other main characters nearly as deep as we do here. In particular I enjoyed Sulu & Chekhov's exploits. We see a much more detailed look at the strength of Lt. Uhura and her fierce loyalty to her former crewmates and specifically to Kirk in particular.

Unraveling the mystery behind the destruction of Talin IV is like a murder/mystery written by Agatha Christie--just done in outer space. Spock, as one would imagine, is the Private Detective who finally connects all the dots and even though the outcome was never in any doubt, especially knowing that this story takes place during the Kirk's original 5-year mission, how it all plays out really IS a well orchestrated treat to us fans. How could the Enterprise have made such a critical error, or more importantly, how could Kirk have allowed it to happen? WAS it an accident, or was it ignorance coupled with Kirk's natural tendency towards ignoring Starfleet when he deems it necessary? The final answers to how it all comes together really is a journey that is more than worth taking. Comparing 'Prime Directive' to your average Star Trek novel is kinda like comparing a newspaper clipping to The Bible. One is just way more In Depth than the other. I don't wish to bash on other Trek authors, but this one is so much more than most all the others I have read as to almost render the rest comical. This book is the main reason why I firmly believe Judith & Garfied Reeves-Stevens' to be THE greatest authors working in the Trek universe today. Oh, and if you liked this, you simply MUST read 'Federation'. Outstanding. THIS is the reason why I love to read so much. Kudos to this duo once again.

In the "Star Trek" universe the Prime Directive is Starfleet's General Order #1, which prohibits interference with the natural development of a primitive society ("primitive" defined as any culture that has not yet developed warp drive). Specifically this means that a primitive culture cannot be exposed to information regarding advanced technology or alien races, including any effort to improve or change the natural development of such societies. There was once a "Star Trek" comic book that had fun enumerating all of the times that Captain James T. Kirk violated the Prime Directive, which basically showed that General Order #1 was a piece of Swiss cheese. However, nothing that ever happened during the original "Star Trek" causes as much problems for Kirk and his crew as what happens in this 1990 novel, and the fact that this violation is unintentional is painfully ironic.

When I first started reading "Prime Directive," I had some questions about the precipitating incident, namely the destruction of Talin IV by the "Enterprise." Part of it was the science involved in what happens when a warp engine ignites in an atmosphere, because even though I am completely gullible when it comes to "Star Trek" physics it seems they already did that in the original series (e.g., "Tomorrow is Yesterday"). Beyond that, I had concerns as to how Federation investigators looking at this tragedy could be fooled as to what really happened, since, it goes without saying, Kirk is not a mass-murdering butcher who would destroy an entire planet. The corollary to this is that once the entire known universe thinks you are a mass-murdering butcher, the truth is hardly going to set you being free.

That being said, what makes "Prime Directive" a must-read "Star Trek" novel is that Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens come up with a reason to send the crew of the "Enterprise" to the four corners of the galaxy. After all, Starfleet's highest law has been broken, its most honored captain is in disgrace, its most celebrated starship in pieces, and the crew scattered throughout the Federation. The narrative that picks up the pieces and brings the crew back to Talin IV, the planet where their careers ended, is pretty compelling. Part One of the novel is the "Aftermath," with Kirk trying to find a corner of the universe in which to try and live a normal life, as are the rest of his bridge crew, now cursed as the "Enterprise Five." Mr. Scott was not on the bridge, so he is still in Starfleet, in charge of the cannibalization of what is left of the "Enterprise." Dr. McCoy has retired and is visiting the moon, Uhura is being held for contempt of court, Sulu is in a bar fight on Rigel VIII when he and Chekov are not flying the only vessel that will take them on, and Spock has also resigned after being busted to an ensign.

Part Two tells the story of "The Last Mission," and what happened on Talin IV, ending with the destruction of both the "Enterprise" and an entire world in the heat of a thousand killing suns, and Scott relieving Kirk of command. Part Three, "Talin," begins with Spock making a shocking request of Sytok, the Vulcan ambassador to the Federation, which sets the stage for the truth being revealed. The key thing here is that the authors do not take an easy way out with this one, and come up with an explanation that plays nicely with the logic of the Prime Directive. In other words, the punch-line here works. There is also a Part Four, and saying its title gives away a bit much, even if where we end up by the final pages of "Prime Directive" is where we expect to be. The strength of this particular "Star Trek" novel is that Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens have the characters down and take full advantage of the opportunity to let the supporting bridge crew members shine in their parts of the tale (e.g., Uhura refusing to back down in front of the judge). No wonder this one originally came out in a hardback edition; it was worthy of being one.

The reason I liked this book so much is because, unlike other fiction based on popular concepts (including Star Wars, Quantum Leap, and anything else spun off from TV or movies), this deals with a pre-existing concept (The Prime Directive), and then proceeds to explain exactly WHY this concept exists.

Much like the Marvel Comics character, The Watcher, who, like Kirk, learned the hard way that species have to develop on their own, and one must never interfere with an alien race before they are ready. In both cases, it led to the utter annihlation of the species.

Kirk, Starfleet's most celebrated Captain, is somewhat of a maverick, playing by his own rules, and openly disobeying several Starfleet regulations if he feels he is justified in doing so. Because Kirk gets results, his discrections are often ignored. However, in Prime Directive, the unthinkable has happened. The entire poulation, not to mention the planet of Talin IV has been completely and utterly wiped out. The planet itself is a smoking, smoldering husk, burned out from a nuclear war that contaminated the entire planet, now known as "Kirk's World", in a shameful reminder of the consequnces of one person's actions. The Prime Directive was violated (and this time it wasn't even intentional), but the importance of it is underscored, as a direct result of the violation of Starfleet's Prime Directive, their number one rule, their "Holy Grail". James T. Kirk is held responsible for the destruction of the planet and its people and is summarily dismissed from Starfleet without even a trial, disgraced by his actions. His Bridge Crew, voluntarily agreeing to the violation of the Prime Directive by following Kirk, are also released from Starfleet in shame. The most famous Ship, The U.S.S. Enterprise is in ruins. Only Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott remains in Starfleet, unable to resign his commission, since his status as Chief Engineer not only places him above the accusations levied against the Bridge crew, but also because only he possesses the knowledge to even stand a chance at retrieving the damaged Ship's warp core without causing further damage.

Now in hiding, the individual former crew members of The Enterprise knows that no matter what else, they must find out what really happened at Talin IV if they are ever going to be able to live with themselves, much less clear their names and reputations.

Every crew member gets their chance to shine in individual and unrelated sub-plots as they journey back to Talin IV in an attempt to discover why this tragedy occurred, and if they are truly at fault for it.

Finally, the former crew meet up from their individual journeys to the planet, and the storyline meshes the characters' journey together as they meet with a Starfleet reluctant to go back to the planet, as they would sooner sweep the whole thing away, but as the mystery of the planet unfolds, it is clear that there is more than meets the eye.

An excellent, gripping tale that details the consequences of the violations of the Prime Directive, and explains the reason why it is in place, in a way that does not over-simplify it. For those that think "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility", this novel demonstrates that sometimes, the most responsible course of action is no course of action. Recommended reading for fans and non-fans alike. No need to be overly familiar with the genre to enjoy this tale.

Rising is the first novel in the Flight Engineer series. Commander Peter Raeder was an ace fighter pilot, but lost his right hand in a Mollie ambush. Now he is a young flight engineer assigned to the Fast Carrier Invincible.

The Mission of Life Lived in Ecclesia sect, the Mollies, have rebelled against the Commonwealth. Since this religious group is rather abrasive and intolerant, none would deny them autonomy if antihydrogen was available anywhere else. If the Mollies become independent, however, the Commonwealth will suffer a tremendous economic setback. Moreover, the Mollies have allied with the Fibians, alien sentients, which has generated xenophobic fears in the Commonwealth population. War soon followed.

In this novel, Raeder has been released from therapy and received his orders. After a shuttle ride to Lunabase, he boards the freighter Africa for transport to Ontario Base. Enroute, Africa's convoy is attacked by raiders and Raeder thwarts the assault by crossing over to a raider ship in his spacesuit and breaking its sensors with a hammer. In his spare time, he wins most of the crew's available money playing Dynamics.

On the Invincible, Raeder is responsible for keeping 36 Speed fighters and seven stealth fighters operating. He controls everything on the hanger deck except operations. His second-in-command is Lieutenant Cynthia Robbins, an excellent technician but short on people skills. As he learns during his interview with the Captain, Raeder also has the unofficial responsibility for discovering the saboteur who killed his predecessor.

Raeder is an innovative, experienced and pragmatic officer. His methods are often outside the box, but produce good results. In other words, he is the kind of engineer, and officer, that combat commanders love to have in their units, but that desk jockeys despise and fear.

This novel draws upon Doohan's experience as a engineer, artillery commander, and flying officer in the Canadian Army during World War II. It may even have been influenced by his years playing Scotty, chief engineer on the Enterprise under Captain Kirk.

Recommended for Stirling and "Scotty" fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of mavericks thumbing their noses at authority while getting the job done.

Being an adult sci fi reader I've had my fill of reading about central characters who are young guys or gals. This one is about a guy in at least his fifties as the hero of the story. That is what appealed to me so much here. The story is told from the viewpoint about a guy who isn't super human. That makes it all the more interesting.

This an outstanding debut for Mr. Doohan. I liked the story, and the sarcastic humor of the protagonist made me laugh out loud a few times. It was also quite interesting to read a military science fiction story told from the perspective of someone in a non-combat role.

First of all something to congratulate the author with is it has nicely escaped the Star Trek genre. It is not just another romp through the galaxy USS Enterprise story, not that there is anything wrong with those.
This book drops the reader into the life of ex-pilot turned Flight Engineer Peter Raeder as he leaves his flying days behind him and ventures onto the deck of a spick and span state of the art spaceship. However all is not well, a lot happens in this story with several plot lines and sub plots. From intergalactic wars right down to the quirkiness of Raeders subordinates it feels like a real, plausible environment.
Of course no SF story is complete without science, luckily this book does not drown us in techno babble. The science is believable and doesn't distract the reader from the story.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this book is it is not a perfect place. Even on the "good guys" side not everything is well. Space Command has its fair share of incompetence and blundering bureaucracy, which gives rough edges to the futuristic world. It is good to see some things never change.
The camaraderie and relationships, and especially Raeders own thoughts about the people he knows give an interesting insight in his world. A well-rounded novel, however one complaint that the demise of Larkin at the end of the novel is somewhat of an anti-climax, but it is hardly a major spoiler.

The Rising has a fairly well executed plot, with twists and turns that keep you guessing how things will work out. The protagonist, Peter Raeder is a likable sort, as are his shipmates (if not likeable, believeable). However, if you've never read S.M. Stirling's work before, don't judge him by this novel. Read his Island in the Sea of Time or Domination of the Draka, to get a handle on what he can do with a story.

There were several things about the book that I found to be amateurish. The story is set on a military space ship, but the dialog and references show a lack of knowledge of military jargon, particularly the way people address each other. Since Stirling has written accurately about military situations in his other books, I have to say the book wasn't well edited. James Doohan should also have some understanding of military conduct from his role on the original Star Trek. There were also a few places were it was difficult to follow the characters.

However, on the whole the story is a good one. The motivations of the characters are natural and well thought out, and the plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. However, the book could have used a bit more editing before it was published.

Yesterday's Son was the first Star Trek novel to hit the best seller list. I read it with pleasure after its 1983 release, but I somehow missed out on its 1988 sequel. I remedied that recently, and I'm very glad I did.

In the Star Trek episode that inspired Yesterday's Son, half-Vulcan Starfleet science officer Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy pass through a time portal - the Guardian of Forever - into the past of a planet about to be destroyed. The people of that planet, Sarpeidon, have already fled into their past, where it was once their custom to exile those they might otherwise have imprisoned. In Sarpeidon's great ice age, Spock and McCoy are rescued from the killing cold by Zarabeth, a banished political prisoner from a far later era. Going backward 5,000 years in time causes Spock to regress to what the Vulcans of that period were like. In Yesterday's Son, Spock learns that he fathered a son with Zarabeth, and that this son - Zar - has grown up marooned in the ice age with only his mother's companionship. With Zarabeth dead, Spock decides to bring Zar forward in time and give him a chance at life. Zar chooses, at the book's end, to return to Sarpeidon's past after seeing evidence in the planet's history that his leadership is destined to guide that world's warring tribes through their first steps toward civilization.

It's 20 years later from Zar's viewpoint, although less time than that has passed for Spock. The Guardian of Forever is malfunctioning, and sending out time waves that cause stars to age at incredible rates. As Starfleet races to evacuate populated planets in stricken systems, Admiral James T. Kirk and his two closest friends reunite aboard an Enterprise now captained by Spock. Their mission: to pass through the Guardian's portal again, find Zar, and bring him forward in time to repeat what he did once that no one else has done successfully. Mind meld with the Guardian, to find out what's wrong and set it right. Hopefully before more worlds, star systems, and lives are lost.

In Zar, A.C. Crispin has created an original character who fits into the Trek universe as if he'd always been part of it. Her Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are exactly the men we knew and loved in the original TV series; and the secondary characters, including Scotty, Uhura, and Sulu, are also spot on in their portrayals. Sarpeidon and its people have enough similarities to Earth and to humans so that identifying with them is easy, but they're also alien enough to make them believable. Reading this book is like watching a long forgotten episode.

Spock had traveled back in time in one of the classic episodes and met Zarabeth, a beautiful young woman who had been exiled to her planet's Ice Age. As a result of their romance Zar was born. Spock's discovery of his son and their meeting was the subject of YESTERDAY'S SON. As TIME FOR YESTERDAY opens Zar is preparing for battle, a battle that he knows will probably be his last. On the Enterprise other problems are appearing, problems that will ultimately lead Spock and his son to meet again at the Guardian of Forever.

This is an excellent follow-up to YESTERDAY'S SON. In many ways it is the stronger novel of the two. The relationship between Zar and Spock is handled better, the characterization of Spock is more in keeping with other works, both the classic episodes and other novels. The situations described are handled well, and are quite interesting. It would, however, be necessary to have seen the original classic episodes and read YESTERDAY'S SON in order to fully appreciate this novel.

this is another one of my fave books. Truly delves so much better in the relationship of Zar and who he is and his relationship with Spock then Yesterday's Son did. Shows really how both have grown and accepted who they are...it is a must read, especially if you are a fan of Spock

Back in the day, you often saw a variety of tales told in the Trek universe as Paramount Pictures didn't have as strong a hold on the series as they do now. As a result, you saw some fantastic (and I mean wild) stories being told. Here is one that while not so wild, falls easily into the fannish aspect, bringing up a "What If?" that fans have often wondered about. I doubt it would get produced today. The story telling is very good, with solid characterization. This is one story for the true fan, but not the casual reader of the series.

Just finished reading this book. Words cannot express how much I enjoyed/loved it! Without giving away too much - the interaction between Spock and his son was wonderful and brought tears to my eyes more than once. Additionally, oft times a book will end too abruptly leaving me wanting more - or too slowly leaving me wanting to get to the end. This book's end was perfect!

Fans of Star Trek know that James Doohan (Scotty) began his career doing voices. He was the voice of some of the alien creatures that appeared in the original series. In this case, he is reading an abridged version of the book and movie of the same name. The reading is enhanced by sound effects and an original score.
Since this is an abbreviated version of a movie I have seen several times, my review will deal only with the quality of the reading and the additional sound. While his ability has no doubt been reduced by age, Doohan is still capable of a wide range of voices. His approximations of the voices of Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy are pretty good; there is a good deal of similarity. He adds emphasis when it is needed, which enhances the dramatic effect. The additional sounds are excellent. I listened to the tape in my car and the "explosions" startled me. One time, I thought the humming of a phaser was a problem with the heating fan in my car.
While there is some loss of quality due to the abridgement, this is still a tape well worth listening to. It is well done; the dramatic qualities are preserved by Doohan and the extra sounds add a great deal to the excitement.

Star Trek VI is one of my favorites of the movie series, so I was curious to see whether the novelization was as good. I was not disappointed. This is a quick and enjoyable read, with quite a bit of dialogue taken directly from the movie. Dillard has an excellent feel for the familiar characters and for the Star Trek world in general.

I had only two complaints. There are some backstories, such as Carol Marcus's injury, which add nothing to the narrative and in fact bog it down somewhat. And for some of the movie's best and funniest lines, Dillard includes the characters' thoughts leading up to the lines, apparently trying to justify them, but unfortunately depriving them of much of their comic impact.

A Novel by J.M. Dillard

Screenplay by Nicholas Meyer & Denny Martin Flinn

Story by Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyere & Denny Martin Flinn

Synopsis

The Klingons are proposing Peace. Does this mean the end of the war or the end of history?

Stardate 8679.25: Internal pressures, enormous military expenditures, and the destruction of their primary energy source have brought the Klingon Empire to the verge of catastrophic collapse.

To avert disaster, Gorkon, Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, proposes negotiations between the Federation and Klingon Empire, negotiations that will put an end to the years of hostility between the two powers, and herald a new era of peace and cooperation. Captain James T. Kirk and the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM are dispatched to escort the Chancellor safely into Federation space.

But a treacherous assassination brings negotiations to a sudden halt and places Kirk and Dr. McCoy in the hands of the Federation's greatest enemy. With time running out, Spock and the Enterprise crew work to uncover the deadly secret that threatens to propel the galaxy into the most destructive conflict it has ever known.


Review by Roger D. Noriega

The novel is always better than book, right? Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for the Red October, right? I would normally say that this is the case and one should not expect to find the novelization to Star Trek VI to be better than the movie - this is just not the case. A novelization is always based on the most recent script and as we know, movies are changed daily while in production and even in post-production.

The novelization by J.M. Dillard is one that adds a few layers to the story as seen on the big screen. The story stands on its own, unlike Star Trek V which does have a few holes filled in by the novelization. A few. That review is for another day - maybe.

Hostilities are breaking out between the two superpowers: The Klingons and the Federation. There have been attacks on outposts inside of Federation space by phaserfire from undetected ships. Witnesses, describe clear phaser strikes, not originating from the atmosphere, but from the sky, underneath clouds - "you just can't see any ships."

Cloaked ships. It must be. First Kudao and then Themis. Carol Marcus is on the survivors from the latter attack and Jim Kirk rushes to her side. Kirk is burning with rage because Carol was hurt by a Klingon attack. How does one know for certain? Who else could it be? Kirk is saddened for he is called back to Starfleet Headquarters and must leave Carol who remains in a coma. First his son David and now Carol. These [...] will pay if Kirk ever gets a chance.

That chance never comes. At the briefing, we learn that Praxis has exploded, the Klingon economy is in tatters and a olive branch is on the table. Kirk is chosen to Command the Enterprise to Escort Chancellor Gorkon to Earth.

Kirk realizes immediately that much more is happening upon witnessing the apparent photon torpedo strikes to Kronos One. He remembers the words that Kwan-mei Suarez (Carol's friend on the outpost): "Out of nowhere. The ships fired out of nowhere." Kirk, the great warrior knows that much more is happening and he refrains from raising shields while Kronos One bears down on the Enterprise on a revenge run.

****

Frantically McCoy tore open Gorkon's collar.

"Bones . . . ?" Jim asked, feeling as if he were watching humanity's last chance for peace die before his eyes.

"He's gone into some kind of arrest. Come on, dammit!" McCoy swore at Gorkon, then pounded the Klingon's chest.

The chancellor opened his eyes and looked up into Jim's face.

"Are you all right?" Gorkon asked feebly.

Jim heard his own voice telling Spock: They're animals. Let them die . . .

No, Jim tried to whisper. Don't let it end this way.

****

Significantly different from the movie events, but no less telling of the power of the moment. The movie was more powerful in the scene where Gorkon dies, especially when he implores Kirk: "Don't let it end this way."

In the moment where Uhura is able to convince the controllers at Mortagh Station that the Enterprise is actually a smuggler ship, we realize that the two sentinels have no doubt that they are smugglers and that they are rather thankful for the liquor they are drinking. Based on the dialect that Uhura is using, they peg her to be Rigellian or Catullan. In any event, they wish her well and give her the code signal that all is clear with them and for good fortune the rest of the way: "Don't catch any bugs."

If you read the book, you know what they mean, if you don't, you are left with the same dumbfounded look that the crew have upon hearing the parting phrase from Mortagh Station.

Sulu confronts doubts from his crew about assisting the Enterprise and in a scene reminiscent of Star Trek III that touches upon loyalty, brotherhood, and friendship, Sulu responds to his first officer's declaration of having just committed treason: "To be candid, I always hoped that if the choice ever came down to betraying my country or betraying my friend, I'd have the guts to betray my country." he paused an studied his crew, "I realize that I can't ask any of you to follow my orders. If you do so, you may face charges along with me. Those who wish may retire to their quarters."

No one left the bridge.

Uhura's declaration of the Klingon ship having a tail pipe is not in the book, but he comment about informing Starfleet command via letter about their predicament in battle is rather amusing. Scotty's follow-up of making sure that it is "Postdated" is a rather telling sign of who these people are, professionals in the face of duty and damn, grim funny people under pressure all the while their lives are at stack. That with McCoy's attempted humor of "This is fun" may have added levity to the whole situation, but clearly would be unwarranted in the "Battle for Peace".

The book follows the movie almost to the T, but as I said, it adds layers to the story we have now seen on the big-screen. It answers some questions that we may have had and it adds beauty to wonderful, rich story that will remain, to this day, one of the better stories told by the people from Star Trek.

The novelization rates a 3.5 of 5.

The movie version of this story was not bad, certainly not as bad as the movie version of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier". Still, just as Dillard managed to turn that abysmal movie into a more than passable book by managing to plug a great many of the holes in the plot with better explanations of what was happening, so here, too, the same author manages, while MOSTLY remaining true to the plot of the movie, to turn a fairly good movie into an excellent book by explaining a couple of things that the movie failed to make clear. (Now if we could just turn this author loose on a few of the original-series episodes that made no sense, we'd be in business...)

From her first Star Trek novelization, "Star Trek V The Final Frontier," J.M. Dillard has been the "go to" author for Pocket Books when it comes to the novelizations for the movies and the novelization of Star Trek Deep Space Nines pilot episode, "Emissary." This is deservedly so, her work in the novelizations of such important events in the Star Trek genre have been exceptional, and this novel is no exception to that rule.

"Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country" as a film was an extremely well told story written by Leonard Nimoy, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, with the screenplay being written by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn. J.M. Dillard's work in this extraordinary novel not only serves to novelize that original story, it enhances it beyond measure. She does a beautiful job of adding the characters personal thoughts of the events surrounding them and of adding to the story with "between the scenes" sequences that makes this one of her best efforts.

The premise:

The Klingons, having been long time rivals of the Federation whether through open war or unbridled skirmishes have suffered a great catastrophe when Praxis, A Klingon moon suddenly explodes, removing a key energy resource center for the Klingon Empire. Suddenly finding themselves facing too many problems, more or less of their own creation, in which they've spent too much on their military budget and not enough on environmental and other concerns, the Klingon Chancellor, Gorkon must make a decision to sue for peace between the Empire and the Federation.

The main catalyst for that peace turns out to be Captain Spock, who has been working in secret negotiations with Chancellor Gorkon and is now ready to begin those talks in earnest. Spock has managed to secure the use of the Enterprise and Captain Kirk in order to rendezvous with Chancellor Gorkon and escort his ship back to Earth to begin those negotiations.

Here is where the writing of the screenplay and J.M. Dillard's writing kicks into the high gear of intrigue when a conspiracy uncovers itself long enough to fire several torpedoes from the Enterprise and hit Chancellor Gorkon's ship, knocking out their gravity and then two conspirators beam over and murder Chancellor Gorkon and several other Klingons. Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy both beam over, hoping to be able to help Chancellor Gorkon, but he dies and they're charged with his murder.

What follows from there is nothing less than one of the best stories written in the Star Trek genre and filmed, to date. From political intrigue and an extraordinary space battle to some very humorous moments, "Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country" hits on all points.

I highly recommend this novelization as it is an excellent addition to your Star Trek library whether you're into the novelizations or not. {ssintrepid}

Outstanding work by Michael Jan! As always he delivers an excellent story and makes the characters believeable! A MUST READ!

A good book, which follows the episode closely, with some additional scenes. The audio version even features an intorduction and conclusion from Levar Burton. A must for all ST:TNG book fans!

A good book. The chemistry between Scott and TNG crew is a wonderful pleasure.

Star Trek The Next Generation "Relics" is the superb novelization of one of the most beloved episodes from the series spectacular sixth season. The story and teleplay, written by Ron Moore deserves a high amount of praise as he found a wonderful way to write a modern STNG episode and bring "Scotty" forward into the twenty fourth century.

The decision to have Star Trek fiction's most prolific author, Michael Jan Friedman, write the novelization of this poignant episode was a perfect one. "Relics" is his first novelization of an episode and, as he does with his original stories, he does a marvelous job.

As most novelizations go, the important part is adding a little bit more flavor to an already brilliant episode by bringing forth the characters thoughts and throwing in some "between the scenes on the screen" scenes. All of which, Michael Jan Friedman does with perfection in "Relics."

The cover art for "Relics" is, unfortunately, pretty much the standard fare for Star Trek novels with Scotty and LaForge pictures and the original Enterprise herself, which does add a little bit of "something different" to a Star Trek The Next Generation novel.

From the very first episode of Star Trek The Next Generation in which we saw an aged but still vital, one hundred and forty plus year old Dr. McCoy strolling down the hallways on the Enterprise NCC 1701-D with Data escorting him, many fans were wondering which, if any, characters from The Original Series would be making guest appearances. With the fifth season episode "Unification" and Leonard Nimoy's exceptionally well written and performed return to Star Trek as Spock, the fans of the genre were satiated for the moment but still hungry for more. I still vividly remember the barely containable excitement I experienced upon seeing the preview for the following weeks episode and seeing that James Doohan would be making a guest appearance and he would be bringing Scotty, one of Star Treks most beloved characters, into the twenty fourth century. Now it was time for the "how."

The premise:

Captain Picard and crew are headed to their latest mission when they receive a distress signal from the USS Jenolen which is a ship that has been reported missing for seventy five years. Upon coming out of warp they also encounter gravimetric distortions. As they move in they discover one of the most intriguing objects ever written into one of their episodes, a Dyson's Sphere. The Dyson's Sphere is a real theoretical proposal, proposed by Freeman Dyson in which a civilization could harvest an astronomical amount of resources and build a sphere around a star and live within this sphere.

Captain Picard sends Riker, Worf and LaForge over to the Jenolen and they soon discover that the transporter has been locked into a diagnostic cycle and there's a pattern in the buffer. LaForge runs the cycle through and standing there on the transporter pad is a Starfleet legend in one Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott!

As the story progresses, Scotty is suffering the anxiety of feeling obsolete and in the way as he tries to be helpful but only serves to annoy LaForge while he's attempting to carry out the mission given to him by Captain Picard.

What follows from there is not only one of the best episodes ever written and produced for the series but one of the best novelizations written within the Star Trek fiction genre. For those that read Star Trek novels but don't bother too much with the novelizations, they should try this one as Michael Jan Friedman does a superb job with this story and I highly recommend this novel for your Star Trek library! {ssintrepid}

This novel is an adaptation of an episode in the "Next Generation" television show. It is well-written, and any flaws in it are not truly the fault of the author, Michael Jan Friedman, but rather of Ron Moore, the writer of the teleplay for the episode it was based on.

My primary objection, perhaps surprisingly, is not the method of justifying (or even the very fact of) the existence of the character of Montgomery Scott nearly a hundred years after the original Star Trek series; I found myself willing and able to suspend disbelief for that concept. No, what I found troubling and implausible was the characterization of Mr. Scott, and his inability to recognize what he knew, and what he didn't, and to avoid being a danger to everyone when let loose in an engine room.

The man was no fool, and perfectly aware that technology had changed while he'd been "away". And he'd plenty of experience examining unfamiliar, superior technology. He'd not have made the stupid mistakes he was portrayed as making. Nor would he have failed to understand that a chief engineer can't be interrupted while on duty. The entire concept, essential to the story, was an insult to the character. Other than that flaw in characterization, the story was good, and it was a pleasure to see Scotty back in action. I just wish that the creator of the story had had more respect for the character.

A Hollywood must! Zar's return to the past was logical. "Instead of the Northern hemisphere of Sarpeidon, I'm going to the Southern one...to the Lakreo Valley." Kirk frowns and says, "whats the significance of that?" "Ask my father. I can tell he remembers." Spocks tells Kirk that the Lakreo Valley is the equivalent of the Tigris-Euphrates, the garden of Eden, "a remarkable cultural awakening. Within a comparative short span of time, the backward hunting and gathering tribesmen developed many of the basics of civilization. A spoken and written language, the zero, agriculture", "Domestication of animals,smelting metal, architecture. More than that. All within a very short span of time. Such rapid growth logically indicates that they had help. I have strong evidence to indicate that help was me." "Why would my mother speak English?"

Ensign McNair shows Spock archeological information transferred to the Enterprise computers before the system went nova, the library of Atoz. "Neutron dating places the cave paintings you see as circa 5,000 years old-Sarpeidon's last ice age. This is an enlargement of the face you see on the left." On the far left side of the wall there was another smaller painting of a single face...Two slanting eyes, a jagged lock of bushy dark hair, a nose, a mouth. The style was primitive but arresting, and the features were executed with meticulous care. Including the pointed ears." Spock travels to Vulcan to confess his sins and tell his discovery to T'Pau. T'Pau tells Spock, `Thy behavior was certainly no credit to thy family. But it is illogical to dwell on the sins of the past. Why has thou come to me?" T'Pau's logic was correct, Spock quest to retrieve Zar served no personal gain, gained no inheritor for his house, nor any long-term continuity through posterity. Spocks pitches T'Pau that he will use the time portal to bring Zarabeth and Zar into the future. T'Pau gets suckered into believing Spock, "Yes, Thee must try. This child will be thy heir if thee dies without further issue. And thee has not entered kunat kaliffe with another. We must protect sucession.", marooned in time. The past is a dream.

Spock returns 5,000 years in the past, too the planet Beta Niobe, using the Guardian of Forever, too retrieve his son Zar, son of Zarabeth and bring him into future, educate him on his role in the past, and allow his son to return the past to complete the history. The geometry of the space-time continuum remains unchanged and possibly the historical geometry could never change future geometry since it is known.

1. McCoy thinksthe Guardian of Forever sounds like the name of a mortuary. The guardian of Forever is a librarian, who knows where and when too place time travelers. The Guardian also knows when and where to pickup the travelers. Hence, no possible modification to the time/space continuum and the dream.
2. The Federation keeps the Guardian of Forever a highly classified secret, and can not take any chances of a secret leak. However, the Romulan spy, Sander communicates to Romulan, the secret of the time portal. The Romulans take incentive and take a military action to acquire the time portal access.
3. The Guardian is incapable of changing the geometry of the future time/space continuum, telling Kirk, "I can show you Sarpeidon's past. It has no future. Behold."
4. Sithar is a very large predator and looks like a cross between an ox and a lion with an estimated size of an buffalo.
5. After a rough start, a telepathetic mind assault, and a few painful blows by Zar, Zar becomes reasonable, "Yes...I am Zarabeth's son. I'm Zar.", "Who are you?", "Why are you looking for me?" Zarabeth had taught Zar to look to the stars and hope that someday his father would return to rescue him. Zar recognizes Spock immediately as his father, a man whom his mother told much about. Zar believed Spock to be a warm and gentle individual very caring and concerned for Zar's welfare, "Spock became like the Vulcans of that time period,5,000 years ago. He...reverted...became an emotional being. One with strong feelings. He did things he'd never done before, even to eating meat." Zar believe Spock needed him. Spock's Vulcan discipline would communicate just the opposite message that Zar was not needed. Zar would accept the rejection and grow up and find his place in history devoid of Spock.
6. Spock fails to acknowledge Zar love for him telling him instead, "I believe that the best course is for you to study Vulcan history and customs so that you'll know what's expected of you." The crusty Vulcan oligarchy structure of elite families and their controlling places of order. Spock fears Zar rejection in his family, "Vulcan family connections are extremely complex, and that he couldn't translate the exact term of it". I can translate it, it is called pride. However, Zar is catching on. Kirk seal Zar fate by telling him the reasons why Enterprise attempted time travel to retrieve him.
7. Zarabeth knew the future, "My mother told me may times about two men who came from the future, but she said that the world was going to blow up- the atavachron must've been destroyed, too." Kirk and Spock discover Zarabeth has died and vaporize the remaining dead body with phaser fire.
8. Zar can project emotion: fear and hatred. Zar can kill with his emotions, (see Spocks World). Zar can project emotion from a distance (see Sarek). Zar will use this power to kill two Romulans. Zar can telepathetically sense emotion. Zar attempts an nonconsensual mind connection with Spock, Spock decries it as a heinous crime" in Vulcan terms. Zar begins to see himself as a bastard son and his mother an object of lust, "Then it wasn't love he felt for her, only...Poor Zarabeth. All her life, she remembered a dream, something that was never real. She never realized that she was...used." "I'm an embarrassment to him- a...barbarian that happens to look like him. Every time he sees me he's reminded of an incident he'd rather forget. No wonder he won't discuss his family on Vulcan with me. Vulcan customs are old and strict. Offspring like me are shamed ones."
9. Zar and Spock must install an forcefield around the guardian. A Romulan clocked vessel has arrived on the planet and killed Dr. Vargas and two of Zar's friends. The Enterprise instruments are unable to detect the Romulan's on the planet surface. Zar telepathetically experiences the death of his friends, slow torture. Romulans are brutal-terrorist killers, who kill with an agenda. Romulans operate in secret but their methods of death designed to get information. Kirk hopes that Zar telepathic ability will aid in exposing Romulans and Spock will be able to install the force field. Kirk must protect the time machine at all cost, "But I have no choice. I'd sacrifice any person on this ship, starting with myself to keep the Romulans from getting a chance at the time portal. Zar kills two Romulans with his mind. Spock is unable to install the force field. Kirk has beam to the surface of the planet. Scotty on the Enterprise and Legacy must fight ten Romulan warships. The federation has sent a fleet of ships to assist in the battle. The battle commences and the other federation arrives defeating the Romulan force. Spock and Kirk are captured and the Romulan, Tal tortures Kirk to force Spock to reveal the mystery of the federation weapon. The Romulans do not know what the guardian looks like. Admiral Romomack, Federation troops free Spock and Kirk. Zar tells Spock, "Your emotions are clear-cut, not jumbled, like human ones. You feel on thing at a time- the way you think." Are thee Vulcan or Human? Human all the way.
10. "We've risked our live to make sure history isn't changed, and I have reason to believe it will be if I don't return. I'm needed there.." "Needed there, as I'd never be here-despite the captain's kind remark. McCoy was right. Two of us is two too many. I don't want to spend my life trying to stay of your shadow...And I would. So I'm leaving. What better place to go than a planet where my skills, what I have to offer ... teach... are needed desparately?" After all, its my home, The T'Pring scenario.
11. Spock allows a mind melt with Zar and Zar departs into history. Row, Row your boat life is but a dream.

I have to be honest and say that I only got about 40 pages into this book. As a star trek reader and fan for 15 years now, the book just didn't feel like it captured the characters well. From the first section Spock was constantly grappling with emotions. Surely Spock must have some feeling, but the best authors use subtlety to really bring out the power of those emotions. The writing wasn't bad but felt a bit simple.. without polish or sophistication. Just compare this to a novel by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and you'll see what I mean. On the other had, as a short star-trek read for some quick entertainment, it isn't a bad book.

This classic Star Trek novel addresses the aftermath of the episode 'All Our Yesterdays'. Spock and McCoy had been sent back to a doomed planet's ice age past where Spock had a romantic encounter with a lonely young woman, Zarabeth, who had been exiled there. Spock learns that had left Zarabeth with a child and realizes that the Guardian of Forever (City on the Edge of Forever) could enable him to rescue them both.

This is an excellent tie-in story. It is the author's first attempt at a Star Trek novel and in fact her first published book of any sort. She has come up with a well thought out premise that she has skillfully intregrated into the Star Trek universe, drawing on both classic TV episodes and other earlier Star Trek novels without altering any of the earlier aspects. She handles the established characters quite well and her new characters spring to life. This is a definite must read for any Star Trek fan, particularly those who find Spock 'fascinating'.

wow, from start to finish this is just about as good a star trek as you can get...

you can tell that the author loves and KNOWS the characters well...kirk's disposition, the interplay between mccoy and spock, uhura, scotty...it's all there...

everything a star trek fan loves about the series is most definetly in this book

I counted reference to about 5 different star trek books...one of which is the classic, City On the Edge of Forever...that's part of what makes this a great book..it uses what happened in those episodes and expands on them WITHOUT irreparably changing what happened..it is a time travel story, to an extent and that can get pretty dicey..but everything gets tied up in a neat little package..

this book is up there with Entropy Effect, Covenent Of the Crown, Black Fire and Web of the Romulans as my favorite trek books that I've read so far.

Ann Crispin is another one of my fave ST writers and this is one of my favorite books, though I do have to say that the sequel is even better. I like how Spock has to figure out how to be a father let alone how to deal with a grown son. Not all of it works, but enough of it works to make this a good book...read this then go read the sequel Time for Yesterday, it's even better

Jimmy Kirk is 16 years old, and far too much like his father. Of course that's the last thing in the universe Jimmy wants to believe, since being angry with Starfleet Commander George Kirk is his life's current passion. How can his dad claim to care about Winona, Sam, and Jimmy, when he spends most of his time in space? As Star Trek historical novel "Best Destiny" opens, young Jimmy is busy leading a small gang of similarly rebellious adolescents on what he sees as a grand adventure. One that a red-haired Starfleet security commander makes short work of, as a mortified and furious George Kirk answers his wife's summons to come home and deal with their problem child.

Desperate to show Jimmy that study and self-discipline can take him somewhere the boy may actually want to go, George asks for a temporary assignment that he can share with his son. He makes that appeal to his former captain, the legendary Robert April, who commands Starfleet's first Enterprise. Captain April, who is also young Jimmy's godfather, comes through with what ought to be a safe diplomatic outing. What could possibly go wrong on a mission to launch a new archaeological dig on a planet rich in ancient mysteries?

On the planet? Not much. The problem is that the two Kirks and Captain April, plus the small group of Enterprise crew members accompanying them, never get there. Their cutter (a craft soon to be replaced by the now familiar Starfleet shuttle) is ambushed by a pirate vessel hiding where no ship should be able to survive. As Jimmy watches his father in action for the first time, along with Captain April and the others aboard the cutter in the desperate battle that follows, he realizes that they have something he lacks and wants desperately. When his chance comes to help in that fight, he uses his own gifts - untrained and undisciplined though they are - for the first time to support a cause that's larger than himself.

Set inside a framing story with a 60-something James T. Kirk as its hero, this coming of age tale holds up well despite having been outrun by changes in Star Trek canon subsequent to its publication. There's a bit of quaintness in its unintentional lapses into sexism (I can't imagine a Starfleet captain addressing a female crew member, even a wounded one, as "dear" or "honey"!), but otherwise the characters ring true; and the Trek-verse as it appears here, with Robert April not replaced by Jonathan Archer, feels entirely right to this "since the first episode in 1966" fan. I had a great time reading it, and that's exactly what Trek novels are for.

Like so many of the greatest commanders in history, James T. Kirk was a rebellious teenager, driving his Star Fleet father George Kirk to the brink of frustrated parental defeat. In his first attempt to show his son what Star Fleet was all about, Jimmy Kirk experienced the brutality of Kodos' own brand of survival techniques. When Jimmy leads his gang in an attempt to run away on an ocean ship, George tries one last time to alter his son's life course.
Although the mission is designed to be a "milk-run", it turns out to be much more than that. George Kirk, Captain Robert April, Jimmy Kirk and several other Star Fleet members are observing a unique star formation in a small craft when a pirate ship attacks them. They put up a good fight but when they think that they are about to be destroyed, they put Jimmy in a makeshift survival pod and try to send him out of danger. However, Jimmy has other ideas and proceeds to attack the pirate ship and disable them long enough for his father and shipmates to join in the fight. They manage to defeat their opponents, one of which is a boy genius who has somehow managed to develop a new and revolutionary shield technology.
There is a later story intertwined with this one. Years later Kirk is an admiral and the time frame is right after "The Undiscovered Country." The Enterprise is about to be decommissioned when it is forced to answer a distress call from one of the newest models of starships. When they arrive, Kirk finds himself confronting an old nemesis with delusions of godhood.
This book is an excellent glimpse into the troubled teen years of the strong-willed Jimmy Kirk and the circumstances that turned a potential sociopath into one of the finest commanders Star Fleet ever produced.

Like so many of the greatest commanders in history, James T. Kirk was a rebellious teenager, driving his Star Fleet father George Kirk to the brink of frustrated parental defeat. In his first attempt to show his son what Star Fleet was all about, Jimmy Kirk experienced the brutality of Kodos' own brand of survival techniques. When Jimmy leads his gang in an attempt to run away on an ocean ship, George tries one last time to alter his son's life course.
Although the mission is designed to be a "milk-run", it turns out to be much more than that. George Kirk, Captain Robert April, Jimmy Kirk and several other Star Fleet members are observing a unique star formation in a small craft when a pirate ship attacks them. They put up a good fight but when they think that they are about to be destroyed, they put Jimmy in a makeshift survival pod and try to send him out of danger. However, Jimmy has other ideas and proceeds to attack the pirate ship and disable them long enough for his father and shipmates to join in the fight. They manage to defeat their opponents, one of which is a boy genius who has somehow managed to develop a new and revolutionary shield technology.
There is a later story intertwined with this one. Years later Kirk is an admiral and the time frame is right after "The Undiscovered Country." The Enterprise is about to be decommissioned when it is forced to answer a distress call from one of the newest models of starships. When they arrive, Kirk finds himself confronting an old nemesis with delusions of godhood.
This book is an excellent glimpse into the troubled teen years of the strong-willed Jimmy Kirk and the circumstances that turned a potential sociopath into one of the finest commanders Star Fleet ever produced.

Ok so here we have a book that shows James T. Kirk as a punk kid being a belligerant goof who turns his life around with one dramatic moment. It would be great if it were more believable. There's too much melodrama in this. Yeah he's James T. Kirk but he's not the most influential force in the history of the genre. I thought the action was good but at times dragged out. His interactions with Engsign Veronica Hall were the worst. It's an ok story with some good background. It glosses over his relation with siblings and mother as well.

Star Trek: Best Destiny written by Diane Carey is a flashback novel of James T. Kirk. This book mixes the past with the present in the Trek genre.

James T. Kirk is seen as a teenager wanting to show his father that he can and will be worthy of wearing the Starfleet uniform someday. This is the first adventure we get to read about where James T. Kirk plays a sugnificant role. There is personal danger, self-discovery, and unparalleled adventure.

We read about James T. Kirk about to retire from his long tenure with the fleet. Now, events draw him back to a youthful adventue with his father George and Captain Robert April. A part of the galaxy only left in James Kirk's memory, a world called Faramond, mysterious in nature Kirk takes us back when he was sixteen years old.

Although he was estranged from his father he admired what his father did for him, but Captain Robert April changes James Kirk's life forever. This is a good Father-Father image/ son book. The adventure now only in James' memory they face life or death... but a glimpse of the future sets James T. Kirk on a Trek of his own... best destiny.

Several starfleet officers, enroute by shuttlecraft, find themselves trapped when their ship is crippled by a gravitic mine. With no way to repair their ship, and nothing on hand but time, Captain Kirk, Mr. Scott & Pavel Chekhov begin swapping stories. The fatal mine is not only a relic of an older war, it's also a painful reminder of a notorious test administered to Starfleet cadets (and made famous in "Wrath of Khan") called "Kobayshi Maru". (Cadets who take the test are given simulated command of a starship; in the test itself, they are called on to rescue a stricken cargo ship crippled by a gravitic mine, and marooned in hostile space. In flying to the rescue, cadets find themselves ambushed by Klingon battlecruisers. At the heart of the simulation is an algorithm that automatically stacks the odds towards the cadet's obliteration.) Their chances of survival looking slim, Kirk, Scott & Chekhov begin to wonder if they are experiencing a very real-life version of the "Kobayashi Maru". While the test itself is only a simulation, the bitter failure is not.

The stories our heroes swap inform much about them - Kirk who doesn't like to lose, Chekhov who can't bear that he did lose, and Scotty who thinks that there's an engineering solution for everything. Still, it's a bit shallow - we get three short stories rather than a single deeper (and more satisfying) one. If this were an episode of one of the shows, it would fall into the "ship in a bottle" variety. Meant to be a character-driven story, KM offers little about the characters that we didn't already know (Kirk will break the rules to win; Chekhov is serious; Scotty is very can-do about things.) Still, it's a solid TOS-era story that won't leave you hungry. It's never slow or dull and once you've started, you can't quite put it down.

this is another one of my faves, gives you more depth of Kirk, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov and why they are the way they are. I especially love Sulu's story, mainly the assignment they have before the Big Test. Kirk's is interesting is you get a look into what drives him and his competitive nature and just how he was able to pull off the ultimate hacking job. Chekov's is interesting in that in a way he is compeating with himself and his view of his future captain. Scotty's is funny and shows the budding of the miracle worker he would become. This is definitly one to check out

This is one of my all-time favorite books. I received it as a gift ten years ago, and I still reread it from time to time. I enjoy it thoroughly each time. The Kobayashi Maru is a simulator exercise all command students at Starfleet Academy must go through to test how well they respond to losing. Decades after they took the test, several officers of the starship Enterprise leave the ship in a small shuttlecraft on what is supposed to be a routine mission. When the shuttlecraft is disabled, cutting off the craft's communications and other vital functions, they are left with nothing but time, and they end up telling each other about their experiences with the Kobayashi Maru exercise. My favorite of the four stories is that of Scotty, who is in command school at Starfleet Academy to please his mother but feels that he is "meant more for commanding machines than commanding people." My second favorite is the story of Sulu, who in his first year in command school learns painful lessons about life, death, and meaning from his great-grandfather. This story makes me cry every time. I also like the story of Chekov, whose passions, resentments, and blind spots will remind the mature of what it was like to be an adolescent pickling in emotional turmoil. I felt that the story of Kirk was the weakest of the four; Kirk can't accept the concept of losing and will do anything to avoid coming face to face with defeat. For a man who is supposed to be intelligent and skilled, this is an asinine attitude. Life is about losing, and the sooner one comes to terms with that, the sooner one starts to grow. On the whole, however, this book is outstanding.

The external, "frame" part of this story is obviously simply an excuse to set the stage for the four internal stories; as such, it actually wound up being better than expected, if somewhat predictable. The internal stories are the stories of how each of Kirk, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov reacted to the "Kobayashi Maru" scenerio in their academy days, ostensibly told by each to the others to pass the time.

The biggest problem here is that the author goes to all that trouble to establish that the characters are telling their own stories, and then tells the stories in third person/omniscient narrator format. Granted, given that no one has ever claimed that any of the above characters are accomplished storytellers, if would have been difficult to keep the stories in their own voices, but it would have been much better if it could have been managed.

As a more minor problem, there are bits and pieces of each story that don't quite ring true, but that's a subjective assessment. They weren't bad, and certainly were worth reading. But none of them were quite what I would have liked to see.

As a whole, this book is worth reading, but not one of the best.

Julia Ecklar does two things with the Kobayashi Maru simulation that was one of the most interesting sub-plots in "Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan." The first is that she goes back and tells the story of how Jim Kirk became the only cadet at Starfleet Academy ever to beat the "no-win scenario." All we learned from the film was that the young Kirk "changed the conditions of the test" and "received a commendation for original thinking." The second is that she also tells the stories of the cadet encounters of Chekov, Sulu and Scotty with that same scenario: a fuel-carrier strikes a mine in the Organian Neutral Zone and the cadet commanding a Starfleet vessel has to decided whether or not to attempt a rescue and risk destruction and a war with the Klingon Empire to rescue the stranded crew. The framing story used by Ecklar is a freak shuttlecraft accident, which gives the four officers and Dr. McCoy nothing to do but to each tell their stories in turn.

The four stories are quite different. Kirk's story, "The No-Win Scenario," is devoid of dramatic punch since we all know the outcome, but it does establish that the Kobayashi Maru test is less about tactical decisions and more about an individual's character. Obviously young Jim Kirk is going to have all the attributes that would make him "The Captain Kirk." Chekov's chapter, "How You Play the Game," spends little time on the Kobayashi Maru test focusing more on a survival exercise on the Moon base and Pavel's desire to be just like the great James T. Kirk. In "Crane Dance," Sulu tells the rather poignant story of how he came to make the decisions he did during his taking of the test. The shortest and funniest tale is Scotty's "In Theory," which shows the engineer was not suited for command, even though he exhibited an unprecedented talent for destruction, when he could be bothered to pay attention to all those attacking Klingon war dragons.

That last story is what justifies James Doohan, who played Commander Montgomery Scott on the original "Star Trek," being the one to read this novel because when he gets to his character's story he gets to really have some fun. It is also nice to hear a familiar voice doing the reading this time around. These are an interesting set of stories, not particularly insightful but certainly true to the characters. I was surprised that the idea of the Kobayashi Maru as a standardized Star Trek Rorschach test was not repeated in the other series. After all, what Star Trek fan would not be interested in finding out what Spock, Picard, Worf, Data, Sisko, Chakotay and everybody else did when confronted with the no-win scenario? I would not be surprised if someone out there in fan fiction you can track down those stories.

I have become a Friedman fan after having read SHADOWS ON THE SUN. Friedman's writing style is a breath of fresh air; his dialogue is witty, funny, and emotinally moving. McCoy comes alive as his ethics are put to the test on Ssani when presented a choice whether to save an assassin who will likely escape and kill again. The conflict between McCoy's ex-wife's new husband and himself is highly entertaining. Overall, Friedman has imbued the Star Trek universe with an impressionable flair that resonates in my memory, even after having finished it.

I listened to the audio - I couldn't finish it - I tried! Maybe the actual written book is better, but the audiobook drove me crazy. I loved the idea of a McCoy book - he's my favorite character, but the writing was strange. The author had a nasty little habit of referring to McCoy as "the trainee" - the first time is okay, but about the 7th time McCoy was referred to as "the trainee" I felt like throwing the tape thru the window. If it had been other characters calling him "the trainee" it wouldn't have been so bad, but the narrator kept doing it too - "the trainee" said - "the trainee" opened his communicator... A few times I had to re-listen because I wasn't sure who "the trainee" was - and then it's 'oh, yeah, they mean McCoy'. What was the point? We know who McCoy is - call him McCoy! If it had stopped, but no - half way through the book he's still doing it. That's when I stopped listening - it was distracting and irritating! I, also, thought McCoy's characterization was off. The author made him too concerned with his career and displeasing superior officers - that didn't sound like the McCoy I remember. Anyway, maybe all those other reviewers can't be wrong and it's actually good, but I must have missed something...

The Starship Enterprise and it's crew are scheduled for retirement when they are sent on one last mission to a hostile planet. McCoy's past becomes the center piece to the diplomatic solution. Friedman explores a deeper understanding of McCoy and gives the reader/star trek fan a greater appreciation for the stubborn doctor. You will see Bones in a different light after reading this book.

Star Trek: Shadows on the Sun written by Michael Jaan Friedman is a flashback novel with the primary character being Dr. Leonard McCoy. McCoy confronts his past in order to save the future, also we read of McCoy's past and why he left a wife behind.

It is refreshing to read a Star Trek book that kicks the James T. Kirk character to the back burner and highlights someone else as the lead character, is the case of "Shadows on the Sun" is just such a book.

We read about the successful young doctor McCoy with a storybook family, but McCoy is in for a betrayal from the woman he loves. Now, McCoy leaves everything he had on Earth and heads for outer space and a career in Starfleet. Everything is fine for forty years as McCoy makes a career in Starfleet, now a crises has developed on the planet of Ssan.

The Ssani have a long history of being assassins and the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew are sent to negotiate a settlement with a group of mediators aboard. As the Enterprise is on the way McCoy meets his ex-wife after forty years as she is one of the negotiaters.

Of course nothing is going right with the Ssani as a matter of course, they use assassination as a matter of fact and a way of life."Shadow of the Sun" is a Ssani saying that means Sun is the image of viewing the life cycle and Shadow is the individual life. The individual casts a shadow on the the Sun of all life.

The mediators and Captain Kirk are now taken hostage as a Civil War rages and it is upto McCoy to draw from his past to save the negotiations and save the day. The narrative moves very quickly and the prose are true to the characters and McCoy is the stand out hero of the book. If you are a Dr. Leonard McCoy fan this is your book to read as the character of McCoy get fleshed out early in McCoys career through flashbacks.

I wasn't gonna write reviews today. I was just gonna read... Till I read this one. I would like to say this is my favorite Star Trek novel by my favorite author. McCoy was a trainee in a portion of this, they called him "trainee" ... so what? Some people have such strange reasons for hating novels. I agree with a previous review, the Shadows on the Sun ideal was described so perfectly. Ok, now what I thought: I love the flashback stuff, LOVED IT. The history of these characters we love so much is THE entire reason we love them. Where they came from IS who they are. This book does great in fleshing out the "trainees" (hehe) past. I love Friedman he's gutsy, would you want to take a character with a 30 year history and invent his past before the glaring eyes of millions? I wouldn't. Micheal Jan Friedmans novel is a must for McCoy fans and anyone who wants to know more about the "trainee" than they already knew. Buy it.