Star Trek: The New Voyages

 Star Trek: The New Voyages (1976) by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath (eds)

During the lean years between the cancellation of the original series and the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the fans kept Star Trek alive. Through fanzines and fan fiction; through the early conventions and cosplay. Marshak and Culbreath were part of those early years and they gathered together two collections of fan written new fiction about our favorite science fiction characters. These stories were some of the first that I read as a newly minted Trek fan. My first Star Trek books were a set of five or six of the first Pocket Book ST novels and I quickly moved on from those to search out all the Trek I could find in book form (not to mention gluing myself to the TV when the episodes came on in syndication). These short stories were like manna from heaven for a girl hungry for more Trek and I loved them. Rereading them forty-ish years later, I still find them to be pretty darn good stories even though a few of them recycle tropes from episodes and some are clearly wish-fulfillment. But they do so in fresh, inventive ways--particularly in the context of when they were written. "Mind-Sifter" is easily the best of the collection. It's also delightful to read the introductions by the various Star Trek actors. I gave this ★★★★ before and see no reason to change the rating now.

"Ni Var" by Claire Gabriel: Like his captain before him (in "The Enemy Within" season 1, episode 5), Spock finds himself divided into two separate beings: one all human and one all Vulcan. Getting these two back together may be more difficult than rejoining Kirk's good and evil.

"Intersection Point" by Juanita Coulson: The Enterprise has a collision...with nothing (apparently). They soon discover that the "nothing" is another dimension and contact with it will destroy everything. An important piece of the Enterprise has been sucked into the "nothing" and someone will have to go get it. 

"The Enchanted Pool" by Marcia Ericson: The Enterprise is sent to retrieve a shuttlecraft from the U.S.S Yorktown that is carrying a new top-secret weapon (code name "Excalibur") before a group of renegade Andorians can get their hands on it. The last trace of the craft shows it headed towards the planet Mevinna and Spock and a shuttlecraft team are sent to investigate.

"Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" by Ruth Berman: A fun read wherein Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley are somehow (no explanation given) transported to the real Enterprise while filming an episode of Star Trek. The story revolves around them making brief efforts to fill the shoes of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy while Scotty figures out how to get everyone back where they belong. [a companion story to an earlier one which showed events in Hollywood with our Enterprise trio]

"The Face on the Barroom Floor" by Eleanor Arnason & Ruth Berman: Kirk decides to go incognito while on shore leave. His adventures include buying (and wearing) a bizarre pseudo-samurai outfit, playing darts, a barroom brawl, and a stint in jail as "Harry, a junior officer from the Deneb Queen"--all while Spock & co. are trying to find their wandering captain so they can respond to a distress call.

"The Hunting" by Doris Beetam: This time McCoy joins Spock on shore leave only to find himself supporting the Vulcan in an odd hunting party to fulfill a Vulcan coming-of-age ritual.

"The Winged Dreamers" by Jennifer Guttridge: Another take on Kirk and Spock rescuing most of the crew from a "Paradise" that will ensnare them. 

"Mind-Sifter" by Shirley S. Maiewski: After being captured by Klingons and subjected to the tortures of their mind-sifter, Kirk is marooned (through the Guardian of Forever) in 1950s Earth. His state after the torture results in him being admitted to a mental facility. Spock and the crew must figure out where their captain is and rescue him...

"Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three" by Shirley Meech: A lovely poem from a certain Vulcan to the girl he left behind in "This Side of Paradise."

First line (1st story): Captain's log. Star date6834.5. En route to R & R on Starbase Ten, the Enterprise has been ordered to divert briefly to Fornax II in order to pick up and transport to Starbase Ten a sealed tape.

Last line (last poem): I said I had no feelings. And I lied.

The Entropy Effect

 The Entropy Effect (1981) by Vonda N. McIntyre

Mystery. Intrigue. Time Travel. The possibility of the end of the universe. McIntyre's books has little bit of it all.

While Mr. Spock is completing a scientific study of a naked singularity which had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Enterprise receives an Ultimate override command. Spock's initial findings are most disturbing. If his calculations are correct the appearance of the singularity signals more chaos to come and...the end of the universe in less than a century. The override command cuts his research short. Ultimate is reserved for only the most dire of circumstances--a sun going nova, an invasion, a critical experimental failure, or unclassified: danger never before encountered. The command directs Kirk to take his ship at maximum warp to Aleph Prime. But when they arrive, nothing seems to be amiss--except brilliant physicist, Dr. Georges Mordreaux, a former teacher of their own Mr. Spock, is being held as a murderer. He is accused of having perpetrated a murderous confidence game, promising to send people back in time and then killing them instead. The Enterprise has been diverted to transport him to the nearest penal rehabilitation colony. But it appears that someone other than Ian Braithewaite, Aleph Primes's chief prosecutor, sent the message.

Kirk is furious that the Ultimate has been misused and is ready to leave Ian Braithwaite to wait for the official prisoner transport when Spock urges him to take on the assignment. He knows that something is not right. The man he once knew could never have killed anyone and he wants time to talk with Mordreaux and get his side of the story. Before that can happen, a crazed doctor--having somehow escaped the quarters surrounded by a force field and security personnel--bursts onto the bridge, kills Captain Kirk and his new Security Chief Mandala Flynn, and promptly disappears into the turbo lift. Mordreaux is later found in the secured quarters and the guards swear he could not have gotten out. 

Once Spock is able to confer with the prisoner, he realizes that he must journey through time--not only to save his captain, but to save the universe itself. Dr. Modreaux's experiments have warped time itself and the longer the warp exists the worse the stress of entropy is for those on the Enterprise as well as everything in the universe. Spock leaves McCoy--the only other officer who's in on the secret--in command and this also leaves a disgruntled Scotty open to Ian Braithwaite's bizarre theories of conspiracy. So Spock and McCoy are working on an even shorter time limit--if Scotty and Braithwaite put a stop to Spock's time travels, there won't be any time left for anyone.

This is one of the first Star Trek novels I ever read. It came in a boxed set of the first six published by Pocket Books and found under the Christmas tree when I  was twelve. That started me on a long journey of Star Trek and science fiction novel reading. And I loved those first six books (well--five of them, anyway. Let's not talk about The Prometheus Design, okay?). 

Upon this reading, I was initially a bit disgruntled that my Star Trek characters weren't behaving properly. And then I thought it over. First, from the cover picture, it appears that this takes place after The Motion Picture. I'm going to guess not too long after. The crew has just gotten back together after Kirk had been riding a desk job for Starfleet HQ. They're still settling back in with one another. Second, we've got that whole entropy thing going on that is screwing things up more and more the longer it goes on. It shouldn't be a surprise that this is putting stress on everybody and so there would be some weirdness. BUT I still think McIntyre made some mistakes. 

As soon as Kirk knew that the Ultimate override command was no longer in effect, he should have briefed his senior officers. Scotty, as third in command after Spock, should have been included. Since this was McIntyre's first book in the Star Trek universe, I don't know if she was just not well-versed in how these people work together OR if she was relying on the weirdness of the effects of entropy to explain everything OR if she felt she needed the disgruntled Scotty sub-plot to help move things along. Regardless, it's just a bit off. I'm also a bit perturbed at the short shrift Uhura, Chekov, and Nurse Chapel receive--they pretty much have walk-on parts

On the plus side, this is a fun adventure with some very moving moments. Spock's distress when he repeatedly comes "this" close to stopping Mordreax. McCoy's grief. Even Scotty's bafflement at being left out of things (even though I don't think McIntyre should have left him out--his reactions are definitely relatable). I also loved (both the first time I read it and now) that the spotlight was on Sulu. This is one of the first (if not the first) Star Trek novels to feature a character beyond Kirk, Spock & McCoy in a major sub-plot. Sulu gets a first name, some back history, and a love interest (no debates here on the nature of that love interest and how it fits in with later revelations on the character). And the creation of Mandala Flynn and the other new security personnel as well as Captain Hunter was truly inspired. Strong characters--both strong women and strong non-humanoid species--that I would have loved to see more of. 

As a mystery--and I do consider it a bit of one--it is a how-dunnit rather than a who-dunnit. Spock must figure out how Mordreaux was able to kill the captain and the security chief without having left his secure cabin. And then he has to figure out how to stop him from doing it in the first place.  A good Star Trek adventure all around. I gave it ★★★ and 1/2 when I first read it forty-ish years ago and I see no reason to change my rating now.

First line: Captain James T. Kirk sprawled on the couch in the sitting room of his cabin, dozing over a book.

Last lines: Whatever did happen seems to have involved only Spock himself; whatever it was has not affected the Enterprise at all. And that, of course, as always, is my main concern.

*************

Deaths = 4 (two poisoned; two shot)

The Trouble with Tribbles

 The Trouble With Tribbles (1977) by David Gerrold

The third of twelve fotonovels featuring original Star Trek episodes and published in the 1970s. The books tell the stories in a graphic novel style, using stills for the television show and using comic book balloons for the dialogue. These books were a real treat for fans of the show before VCRs and DVD players allowed us to re-watch episodes whenever we wanted. 

Gerrold's story is a fan favorite--who can resist those furry little bundles? It begins with the Enterprise responding to a priority distress call from Space Station K-7 only to find that undersecretary Nilz Baris wants Kirk to provide security for storage containers of grain. The Federation and the Klingons are in competition to prove to the Organians (who administer the peace treaty between the two) that their people are best suited to develop the disputed Sherman's Planet. Baris is convinced the Klingons are out to destroy the Federation's efforts. He also thinks that the means of sabotage will be the cute little animals called tribbles--but he'll find that he has the furry creatures to thank for giving clues to the plot as well as the spy behind all the trouble.

This has always been one of my favorite episodes. I enjoy the humor and I especially enjoy the scenes with Scotty and Chekov in the bar right before the brawl with the Klingons and then Kirk's interrogation of the men when he's trying to discover who threw the first punch. It is always fun to revisit the classic Trek episodes--whether by viewing them or reading this beautifully done fotonovels. ★★★★★

First line: Captain's Log: Stardate 4523.2 Our path is taking us into a quadrant of the galaxy that has been under dispute between the Klingons and the Federation since initial contact.

Last line: Before they went into warp, I transported the whole kit and kaboodle into their engine room where they will be no "tribble" at all!

The Tears of the Singers

 The Tears of the Singers (1984) by Melinda Snodgrass

The Enterprise is at a space station for a little R&R and a mandatory check of the ship. Uhura meets one of the most talented musicians since Mozart and there is romance in the air. But when a space freighter disappears in a space warp near the Taygeta V system, shore leave is cancelled and the Enterprise is sent to investigate. Taygeta is the home of a species of "singers" that has long been hunted for the crystal tears excreted upon their death. Spock proposes that a species that can create music must be intelligent and that the hunting is wrong...and Kirk doesn't disagree, but there are bigger issues to be faced. First, they need to find a way to stop the space warp from expanding further (and engulfing the planet)...then they can save the Taygetians from the hunters. 

Before leaving the space station, Spock's research into the Taygetians' music reveals that the songs themselves may be essential to solving the space warp crisis and he tells Kirk that the Enterprise needs a musician to interpret the music. So, Guy Maslin, our latter-day Mozart, is called upon for service (under a little-used Federation regulation) and off they go to Taygeta. Of course, saving the universe wouldn't be everything it could be without the Klingons getting involved too. Kirk's old rival Kor shows up and then they manage a truce (without the need for Organian influence), but there are hard-core Klingons on Kor's ship who might not let their captain be so cozy with earthers. While Kirk and Kor try to keep things calm in space, Uhura, Guy, and Spock work to unravel the song and make meaningful contact with the Taygetians before it's too late.

This is one of the few Star Trek novels to feature Lieutenant Uhura and give her the attention she deserves. She not only helps to save an entire species and their planet, but also helps them save the space-time continuum. The plot makes use of her musical talents as well as her abilities as a language specialist. I enjoyed this one very much the first time I read it (when it was first released and looking back now, it's interesting to know that this book came out in 1984 and featured a rescue through a species' song and it wouldn't be long before Star Trek IV would be released and whale song would feature so prominently. ★★★ and 3/4 

First line (Prologue): An ice green sea lapped softly at the sparkling sands and crystal cliffs of the strange, silver-lit world.

Last line: He would probably never hear their music again, but someday, with the help of the three Taygetians who traveled with them, a multitude of worlds would ring with their particular brand of music that sang to the spheres.

Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure

 Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure (1984) by Michael J. Dodge

Mystery...Adventure...Time Travel...all this and more await the reader of this Which Way Book (a choose-your-own-adventure-type) who finds herself assigned as an Ensign aboard the legendary U.S.S. Enterprise with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the crew. Solve the mystery of the Klingon spy. Travel through time with Mr. Spock. Investigate the mysterious messages from an alien race. And try to avoid slip-ups that will result in your own destruction.

I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure Books from the time I ordered my first one (The Mystery of Chimney Rock) through the Scholastic Book Club order form in elementary school. Being a Trek fan, I immediately scooped this one up when it came out in 1984. And enjoyed it immensely. It was just as much fun revisiting this story now. I love the way Dodge has packed this small book with so many coherent adventures. Short and to the point, but full of mystery adventure to make reading fun for kids--and adults. ★★★★

First lines: You are an Ensign in Starfleet, just graduated from the Starfleet Academy. Because of your high scores as a cadet, you have been assigned to the starship Enterprise, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk.

Last line (of my favorite ending): Ask them if we can give them a ride home...without the dilithium crystals, of course.

************

Deaths (usually your own) = 11 (one accident; four shooting; three electric shock; one attacked by alien; one asphyxiated; one smashed by falling rock)

Roll Your Own Challenge: Star Trek

 

The World Without End science fiction forum has a whole slew of challenges. I'd be even crazier than I already am if I signed up for all of them. But...when I spied a Star Trek Reading Challenge, I decided I kindof needed to do it. Especially since I already had a few ST books on deck for my 2022 reading anyway.

The basics: Just read 3, 6, 9, or 12 books to earn your status in Starfleet. I'm going for mid-range: 6 books which will apparently make me Captain Sisko. I may make it to Kirk (12 books), but I doubt it with all the other challenges I've got going on...For details, click the link. You'll need to join WWE to officially participate--but nothing says you can't play along on your own. Care to join me on the Enterprise...or Deep Space Nine?

1. The Price of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath (1/4/22)

2. Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure by Michael J. Dodge (1/22/22)

3. The Tears of the Singers by Melinda Snodgrass (5/30/22)

Captain Janeway!

4. The Trouble with Tribbles by David Gerrold (6/8/22)

5. The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre (9/10/22)

6. Star Trek: The New Voyages by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath [eds] (9/17/22)

Captain Sisko!! Commitment Complete

7.

8.

9.

Captain Picard

10.

11.

12.

Captain Kirk

Ships of the Line: Mini-Review

Ships of the Line by Doug Drexler and Margaret Clark (eds) with Michael Okuda providing text is a gorgeous book of Star Trek artwork. It features beautifully drawn images from the Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendars and was put together as part of the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of Star Trek. The artists have taken various ships from all points of the ST universe (through 2006) and rendered them in scenes from both the series or movie from which they came as well as from their own imaginations. The result is a delight for Trek fans.  

The book was a serendipitous find for me...just sitting there on the featured books shelf of our Friends of the Library bookstore waiting for me to bring it home. As any good Trek fan would, I did. And promptly sat down the same day (May 1) and read it straight through. And somehow forgot to write up a review--so here it is, better late than never. Highly enjoyable--I spent a delightful evening flipping through the pages and reading the descriptions of each piece. Now I'll be passing it on to my son. ★★★★

Star Trek & Philosophy: Review

Star Trek & Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant is a collection of essays edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker.  These essays use episodes and moments from Star Trek's various incarnations and feature films to explore philosophical issues ranging from the nature of communication between very disparate species to logical development of Vulcans to the ethical dilemmas found in Deep Space Nine.  The essays use one of the icons of fictional space exploration to explore the philosophies of the human race.

The collection opens with an examination of one of my favorite Next Generation episodes, "Darmok."  It discusses the essence of truly alien communication and commends the popular television show for addressing the difficulties in a very real way.  Most science fiction novels and programs represent the universe as being full of very human-like creatures who all, magically, either speak English or have a language that translates very nicely into English when run through a universal translator.  But philosophers have posited that a truly alien species would probably have points of reference so very different from ours that there may not be the common ground to allow such easy translation.  "Darmok" reflects this idea while keeping it grounded in just familiar enough territory for the average viewer to understand.

Next up are two essays on the nature of Vulcans. One explaining the logic of Vulcan by giving a brief overview of the civilization of Vulcan and its dependence on the teachings and philosophy of Surak.  The second compares Data's wish to be human to Spock's efforts to completely control his human side.  It also discusses the relative merits of being able to control one's emotions versus the complete absence of them.

Other topics covered include revenge (courtesy of The Wrath of Khan) and whether it has a part in a meaningful life--and, ultimately, just what a meaningful life is; issues of morality and how it relates to the Q; the ethics of cloning and genetic manipulation (courtesy of Dr. Bashir and "The Masterpiece Society"; rational moral autonomy vs. full moral autonomy (Star Trek: Insurrection); the consequences and effects of collaboration (Nazi Germany  via the Cardassians and Odo & the Bajorans); Business Ethics 101--can the Ferengi teach us anything?; human nature and individuality (vis-à-vis the Borg); the idea of recognition and importance of each individual (the entire philosophy of Star Trek); fantasy versus reality and the merits of the holodeck; the nature of time; the foundations of faith, and the nuts & bolts of life, death and immortality.

This is a very interesting, but very dense book.  For someone who doesn't have a hefty philosophical background it gets a bit deep at times, but never so deep that I felt like I was drowning.  Thoroughly enjoyable and well worth the time.  My favorite essay?  The one on "Darmok" and language. Four stars.

Star Trek Vol 1: Mini-Review

So, I got caught up in a little graphic novel whirlwind there for a moment. Finished off The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in a morning....and read Star Trek, Vol 1 by Mike Johnson last night. Hadn't planned on reading the Star Trek, but my husband just got in the mail yesterday, left it out on the desk near the computer, and before I knew it I had it all read. No big plans for reviewing this--so I'll just give you a quickie.

The graphic novel is based in the new re-booted Star Trek universe and occurs post-Star Trek movie 2009. But no new stories--just a retelling of two episodes--"Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "The Galileo Seven"--from the new universe view-point. Decently done (and kudos to the Star Trek graphic novelist/illustrator for not sexing it up like League). I think Johnson has written the "new" characters just right in these episodes. However, I must say that if I were into graphic novels (which I'm not really), I'd be hoping for new stories in the future and not a steady diet of re-hashed TV episodes. Let's go somewhere new...somewhere "where no trek has gone before." Okay? Three stars--for Trek love, good story re-telling, and good graphics.

From Sawdust to Stardust: Review

Wow. Just wow.

I don't care if you're not a Star Trek fan. I don't care if you've been living in some weird other world and have no clue who DeForest Kelley was (the Original Dr. "Bones" McCoy and cast in many westerns prior to Star Trek stardom). You really must read this book. From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy by Terry Lee Rioux is an absolutely amazing book about one of the most decent men of the 20th Century--and definitely one of the most decent people to go ever through Hollywood.

The down-to-earth son of a Georgia Baptist preacher, DeForest Kelley was all that a true Southern gentleman should be--a Southern gentleman without all the prejudices and stereotypical behaviors ascribed to the people of the South. He always treated women as ladies--without being condescending. He always treated everyone--black, white, Asian, older, younger, it did not matter--with the respect due an equal. He grew up with certain principles--principles that came both from his preacher father and his gentle mother--and he never let them go. Not when trying hard to make his way in the dog-eat-dog world of movie industry and not even when late in life he finally reached the star status which being part of the iconic Star Trek mythos brought him.

In the glittering world of Hollywood where marriage partners could be changed as often as one's outfits, Kelley remained married to the same woman for over 40 years. And not only remained married, but friends said he was just as in love and just as romantic as when he first courted her. He was infinitely patient with the clamoring fans who loved him for the space age doctor he portrayed. And up until the end of his life, he had all his fan mail delivered directly to his home and he and his wife Carolyn opened, read, and answered every piece they possibly could. He touched more lives "playing a doctor on TV" than he ever could have had he become one in real life--visiting sick children who were fans, inspiring young people to become doctors themselves, and influencing everyone he met to be kinder, gentler, and better than they were before.

Terry Lee Rioux has given us an incredible look at a truly remarkable person. McCoy has always been my favorite Star Trek character. DeForest Kelley is one of my favorite human beings. Five Stars--unreservedly.

The Lost Gallows & The Truth Machine

Unfortunately, my book-binge vacation is drawing to a close. In way too few hours I'll be back to work. But before the binge ends...I've added one more to the tally (that makes 31 books grabbed up this week)--and read another two.

  Just finished The Lost Gallows by John Dickson Carr. Carr was a true master of the detective novel. Locked rooms are his specialty, but he shines in other mysterious realms as well. This one features Bencolin, his French detective. These books are always full of a bit more atmosphere than his other two series. In this one the shadow of Jack Ketch (an early, sadistic British executioner--as well as a by-word for the devil himself) hangs over every page. "Jack Ketch" is stalking his victims and it's up to Bencolin to discover his identity and foil his plans. Just when I was sure (for the fourth or fifth time--I lost count) who Jack was, Carr pulled out another twist and proved me wrong. Absolute pleasure for the mystery fan! Three and a half stars out of five.

Just before this I squeezed in The Truth Machine--a children's Star Trek

book from the '70s. It was a very cute story. The best part was the graphics--the crew are especially well done...if you disregard Spock's expression on the last page. (I did cringe a bit at the purple skinned ape/mugato type creatures dressed in loincloths with belts and black leather boots that look suspiciously like regulation starfleet boots. In case you don't know, the mugato is a creature encountered on one of the Star Trek episodes. Mugato body shape with ape-like face.) Naturally, Spock saves the day by telling the truth....but not ALL of the truth.