STAR TREK - AVENGER

POCKET BOOKS

WILLIAM SHATNER with Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Copyright 1997 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

In Avenger, a deadly virus is endangering the Federation. James T. Kirk, long believed dead, leaves his home and goes on a quest in Federation space to find a cure. Meanwhile, Spock must deal with his father's mysterious death.

With Kirk and Spock on the scene, it was inevitable that they would eventually find each other - along with new associates similar to their old crew. Working together, Kirk and Spock seek to fight against common old foes. And being in the 24th century, they would eventually meet up with Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, also looking for the cure to the virus. Spock becomes more emotional after his father Sarek's death. While there is a logical explanation for this, it is quite disconcerting to see our beloved Spock act in this manner. Although on the same side, Kirk and Picard have different agendas and go into conflict with each other. Vulcan officials are not exactly crazy about Kirk and his actions either.

While it is nice to see Sarek earlier in his career during the flashbacks, it also shows that there is more to Sarek than you ever suspected. You also see a young Kirk struggling to survive while he was at Tarsus IV - which also suffered from an exotic fungus.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - COUNTDOWN

IDW PUBLISHING

Story by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman

Writers Mike Johnson & Tom Jones

Artist David Messina

Copyright 2009 by Paramount Pictures Corporation
Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc.

In Countdown, the graphic novel collection of the four issue comic books, is the prequel to the movie Star Trek. The graphic novel shows the origin of Nero and why he was so determined to destroy Spock and Vulcan as an unstable star becomes a supernova that threatens Romulan space and soon Federation space.

It is great to see The Next Generation crew after Star Trek: Nemesis try and stop Nero. The crew has grown as characters and is basically the last you will see of them as Star Trek moves onto a different direction in the reimagining of the franchise. The developement of Red Matter to stop the supernova turns the nova into a singularity as Nero gets pulled into the singularity by it's gravitational field and winds up in the updated Star Trek movie universe. The art by David Messina captures the likenesses of the actors. There is also a gallery of several of the characters that were depicted at the end of the graphic novel.

See movie review:

Star Trek

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - DOCTOR'S ORDERS

An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

Written by Diane Duane

Copyright 1990 by Paramount Pictures.

In Doctor's Orders, during a planetary survey, Doctor McCoy complains about work once too often that Captain Kirk gives him the conn of the U.S.S. Enterprise so that McCoy can relax and Kirk can go down on the planet and build some diplomatic relationships with the native species. During this time, Captain Kirk disappears - and the Klingons show up!

I always wondered if Kirk could give the conn to Dr. McCoy. Knowing author Diane Duane, this is probably something that could happen in real life. The planetary life is so unique for the crew to categorize, you do not know if you will be talking to a talking rock or not, or maybe even a talking tree - and even then you may not be communicating properly. Meanwhile, with communications from back home, McCoy's command status is threaten to be revoked by Starfleet Command. The desperate search for Kirk is not helped with the Klingon situation.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - UNSPOKEN TRUTH

POCKET BOOKS

Written by Margaret Wander Bonanno

Copyright 2010 by CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.

Cover art by Doug Drexler

In Unspoken Truth, after the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Saavik - Spock's Vulcan/Romulan science officer protege, from the Romulan planetary experiment Hellguard - becomes a science officer aboard the research vessel U.S.S. Chaffee. She is then contacted by an old friend. Someone is killing Hellguard survivors and Saavik is recruited by her childhood colleague survivor from Hellguard to find out why.

We learn more about Saavik and how she grew from a feral discarded genetic experiment to the logical science officer she is now. It is cute how Spock's mother Amanda tries to educate the child Saavik, while on the Chaffee another scientist falls in love with Saavik - especially since they had similar rough childhoods. The womanizing scientist getting his comeuppance trying to get to know the cool Saavik is both rather funny and annoying at the same time. You feel that she deserves better as they catalogue a new planetary system and attend an alien wedding. When Saavik goes undercover to find out who is killing the Hellguard survivors, you feel that she really has gone over to the other side and I felt very disconcerted about that.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek

Pocket Books

A novel by
Alan Dean Foster

Written by Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Based upon "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry

Copyright 2009 by Paramount Pictures Corporation. Copyright 2009 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.



The novelization to the movie Star Trek is about the launching of the new crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in an alternate universe from the original TV series Star Trek. After a bitter Romulan miner from an alternate universe destroys the planet Vulcan with Red Matter - in revenge for the destruction of his own home world of Romulus, the Enterprise is the sole surviving starship to stop him as he targets Earth.

This novelization by Alan Dean Foster is a good companion to the movie, whose prose adds more depth to the movie and the gathering of the crew of the Enterprise - including Doctor McCoy, asian helmsman Sulu, and Communications officer Uhura. You see a rebellious young James T. Kirk trying to live up to his late father's name, who once commanded a starship for 12 minutes before the ship was destroyed by the Romulan miner Nero in deep space of twenty years before. Starfleet cadet Kirk in turn becomes the captain of the Enterprise when captain Pike becomes a prisoner of Nero. An alternate universe explains outcomes that are different than what we have known before. With the original Spock as a link between the original universe and the new alternate universe, the concept seems more acceptable than having a totally re imagining of Star Trek. You look forward to a face-to-face meeting with both the mature and young Spock.

See the movie review of Star Trek.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - INCEPTION

Pocket Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Written by S.D. Perry & Brittra Dennison

Copyright © 2010 by CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In STAR TREK - Inception, written by S.D. Perry & Brittra Dennison, Dr. Carol Marcus assembles a terraforming project on Mars and brings on botanist Leila Kalomi onto her team. The project gets sabotaged by extreme environmentalists trying to protect rocky Mars natural climate. Kirk and Spock help Carol and Leila search for a way to control the sabotage.

It seemed a natural subject for Carol Marcus and Leila Kalomi to be paired up in a novel. Their relationships with Kirk and Spock are so similar, and the women themselves are so similar, that it makes perfect sense - although Leila's relationship with Spock is not as mature as Carol's relationship with Kirk. Unfortunately, neither of the women's relationships works out. While the initial intentions of the environmentalists are admirable, the sabotage of the project has dire consequences to Mars.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek - The Return

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Copyright 1996 by Paramount Pictures

Star Trek - The Return is about the return of James T. Kirk - back from the dead. Using Borg technology, the Romulans reanimate Kirk with one mission - to kill Jean-Luc Picard!

As a Borg story, the story is interesting. With Kirk searching aggressively after Picard, it seems like petty jealousy is rearing it's head with Kirk, even if you realize his obsession is the result of Borg programming. It does feel like Willima Shatner's voice is behind Kirk in this story and Picard's character feels just right. This is the first of William Shatner's Star Trek books.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek - Captain's Glory

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Copyright 2006

In Captain's Glory, an alien threat called "The Totality" tries to absorb all life in the Milky Way galaxy - including Captain Kirk's son. Because they have different agendas about The Totality, James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard are on opposing sides about The Totality as Captain Kirk searches for his lost son.

With the alien woman leader Norinda of The Totality's driven interest to embrace Kirk to her with The Totality's love, it makes you wonder what love truly is and what it means - as The Totality's persuasive love makes one become part of The Totality, which The Totality did with the Andromeda galaxy. This is definitely a Kirk book, although Picard's personality is just as strong - especially when Kirk and Picard go up against each other in their own ships. Can Kirk really defeat the Enterprise?

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek: Gateways - One Small Step

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Susan Wright

Copyright 2001

In One Small Step, after defeating a hostile computer on an ancient Kalandan outpost, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise search the Kalandan outpost to discover the technology that hurled the Enterprise a thousand light years away - when a race of aliens arrive claiming to be the Kalandans and want their station back.

The first of a seven book series about the mysterious Gateways, this continuation of the television episode That Which Survives is believable only as a continuation. I often wondered what happens immediately after the episodes and this book fits the bill. However, the aliens claiming to be the Kalandans are difficult to believe as Kalandans because an incredible amount of time has elapsed since the outpost was lost and the aliens seems to have made little technological improvements made in the intervening time. At least, it should have been difficult for the crew of the Enterprise to believe, especially Spock and Scotty.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek: Academy - Collision Course

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Copyright 2007

In Collision Course, before they became heroes, troubled teens James T. Kirk, who is haunted by his tragic experiences on the planet Tarsus IV, as told in the episode The Conscience of the King, and Spock, who has difficuties with his Ambassador father Sarek, are forced to enlist in Starfleet Academy where they become pawns in a smuggling ring.

This is a fun book about rebellious teen Jim Kirk. Too smart for his own good, his life changed when "space cadet" Kirk was sent by his father to Tarsus IV - just before the brutal eugenics control program administered by Governor Kodos. Tarsus IV is the backstory I would have liked to have seen in the Star Trek movie, and I hope Tarsus IV will be shown in the sequel. When Kirk steps on board the Starship Enterprise for the first time - you can see his sense of awe for the Enterprise as a starship.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.