Star Trek: Action!

Book Description

23,719.

That's how many minutes have been committed to film during the thirty year -- and counting -- history of Star Trek. Since its inception as a groundbreaking show, through its current incarnations on television and as a series of motion pictures, more than 395 hours of Star Trek have been filmed. If you watch it all consecutively, you'd be glued to your television set around the clock for more than 16 days.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create just one sequence of scenes that can last as little as a minute or two? Minutes may not seem like a lot out of thirty years' worth of science fiction magic, but for the thousands of men and women both in front of and behind the cameras, each and every one of those minutes has been a labor of love, blood, sweat, and tears, all created without a net.

With the author as our guide, we will follow the creation of three separate sequences -- one each from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine®, Star Trek: Voyager®, and the upcoming motion picture Star Trek: Insurrection™. From the first meetings of the writers to the preproduction meetings, from the concept sketches to the realized set, from the early morning makeup session to the bleary-eyed midnight shooting the author has been there. Peering over the shoulders of the writers, the filmmakers, the graphic artists, and the visual-effects wizards, the author reports each Herculean task as it is accomplished. Action! takes you there for each moment.

After reading Action!, an utterly unique work, you will never watch Star Trek® quite the same way again. (Oh, and in case you haven't timed this, it took you about two minutes to read this flap copy.)

Customer Reviews:

Lavish "trek" into the making of a television series.......2003-06-08

With print and pictures detailing EVERY inch of the making of three Trek productions, this is a book that is a treasure for any student of filmmaking. One does not have to be an aficionado of the offspring of the original series to appreciate the work that went into the publication of this book.

The book is a fascinating (to use Spock's word) how-to-make-a-television episode (or movie scene) primer.

More pictures than you can point a phaser at!.......2001-06-01

Provides an in-depth and fascinating account into how Star Trek productions are conceived, filmed and produced. The book showsthe transition from initial idea to final product in 3 Star Trek guises - DS9, Voyager and the film Insurrection. The book is jam-packed with pictures throughout and Erdmann's dialogue is very much narrative in style, as the story is told for much of the book in the quotes of various cast and crew. The book particularly highlights how stories are formed and the various inputs from script writers, producers, directors and cast, and it is fascinating to see how a story develops and changes throughout time. An extremely good read.

The ultimate behind-the-scenes experience.......2000-02-28

From the first writers' meeting to the satellite upload, this book describes in detail every step taken by actors, producers, designers, directors and editors to create an episode of Star Trek. Terry J. Erdmann has had unprecedented access to production meetings, film sets and post-production facilities to unveil how various Star Trek incarnations get from idea to (small of big) screen. If you're interested in what's going on behind-the-scenes, I highly recommend this title.

A detailed look at the making of star trek.......2000-01-18

For any star trek fan, or just for those interested in the making of tv series and films, this book outlines, in high detail and many photographs, the process of producing an episode of DS9, Voyager, and a portion of Star Trek: First Contact. A must for any fan's collection.

Missing in Action (Star Trek: New Frontier)

Average customer rating:

Loved it!
It's a good read!
Who's missing in action?
Another great Peter David-penned adventure
Drop everything and read this entry in the New Frontier series

Missing in Action (Star Trek: New Frontier)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743429591

Book Description

Following the dramatic events of After the Fall, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur find themselves catapulted headlong into another universe, far from the New Thallonian Protectorate and Sector 221-G...a place where an ancient war rages between two powerful alien races. But Calhoun has no intention of staying here for very long and, adopting the time-honored philosophy of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," takes it upon himself to somehow (and by any means necessary) persuade one side or the other to help him and his crew get back home.

Meanwhile, the shadow of war has fallen over the New Thallonian Protectorate, and an embattled Si Cwan faces growing treachery as he attempts to maintain his tenuous hold on power. With Starfleet and the Federation declaring Sector 221-G temporarily off-limits, Admiral Elizabeth Shelby and Captain Kat Mueller decide to take matters into their own hands, ignoring orders by trying to find some way of getting to the Excalibur, presuming there is any Excalibur to get to. But they never count on the most unexpected of allies -- an old friend whose shifting loyalties are about to be put to the ultimate test even as a growing cataclysm looms....

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-02-13

When I closed the cover of Missing in Action, I said to myself- literally outloud- "Now that's good storytelling."

I've come to expect that with PAD's Star Trek New Frontier series, but MIA is the best one yet.

Slight SPOILERS to follow:

In MIA, Calhoun finds himself and the crew of his ship, The Excalibur, sucked into a distant universe where the laws of physics are not what we are accustomed to. Space is gelatinous rather than a vacuum and the creatures that inhabit it are just as bizarre. While there, he must end a centuries long feud between two warring races- a feud that has wiped out the entirity of the inhabitants of their universe, except for their own races of course.

Back home, Calhoun's wife, Admiral Elizabeth Shelby, must decide whether to defy Star Fleet and go after him or sit back and wait- as she was ordered too. Always a strict adherent to regulations, she's naturally torn, but in the end makes a decision based on her instincts, much like her cowboy husband always does. (Well, instincts and ALOT of whiskey!)

Before she can reach her husband, she finds herself in the middle of a war at it's breaking point on the Planet of Priatia, in the part of space where Calhoun and The Excalibur disappeared.

Old friends, Lt. Commander Robin Lefler and Captain Kat Mueller, join her- and by this time I was reading fast because the action was so intense.

The climax comes together with Calhoun expertly manipulating his way out of a morass of "peace" negotiations between the warring peoples- a peace negotiation that could have been "do this or die" if it had been any other man- and Shelby, Lefler, and Mueller discovering just how connected the planet of Priatia is to Calhoun's disappearance- and vice versa. A big surprise hits at this point and since I've probably spoilered too much as it is- I leave it for you to discover.

The book concludes with a few excellent little denouements- one with an ironic twist reminiscent of the old The Twilight Zone, and the other, a fable-like scene featuring Q, that lets us know where we measure up in the scheme of things.

MIA is a continuation and finale of a story arch advanced in the previous book, After the Fall. Where as it might be helpful to read the books before MIA, it really wouldn't be necessary to enjoy this story.

PAD writes with a sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud like no other author can. I have yet to read his other books, outside of the Star Trek universe, but I will eventually get to them, of that you can be sure of!

It's a good read!.......2007-02-09

Peter David has steadily improved his "New Frontiers" universe, and this novel is a fun "pot boiler" adventure. David is unafraid to shake up his universe in each novel, and "MIA" is no exception. Several new characters are introduced, and a couple of major characters also depart (or do they? We'll see). Now that the "New Frontiers" universe is well established, it no longer takes this reader much time to recall each individual character and their particular story arc, and that's (for me) a good sign that the series is successful.

Who's missing in action?.......2007-01-10

Why, it's series hero Captain McKenzie Calhoun and his entire ship Excalibur, along with remaining crew members that have been at his side for the whole New Frontier saga. It seems beings from a different universe grabbed one or more of the feared Borg and got hold of their tranwarp conduit technology and sucked Mac & Crew over into their side. Left to figure out what happened to their former skipper and save him are his wife Elizabeth Shelby, now an Admiral after gaining command of her own ship (being less of a maverick than one's husband tends to enhance one's chances at promotion), Kat Mueller (who now commands a ship of her own) and Robin Leffler, whose mother Morgan is now the central processor and personality of Mac's onboard computer (kind of sounds like that ancient Earth human insult game The Dozens; "your mama's the onboard computer".) These three ladies in Mac's life (at one time or another) decide they gotta do something, meet in Admiral Liz's quarters to discuss how many Starfleet rules they're gonna break to fish Mac out of the soup, get totally smashed, then it's off to the rescue. One other vessel that saw Excalibur go down the terlet is a Romulan spy ship commanded by none other than Soleta, formerly the Excalibur's half Vulcan/ half Romulan scence officer. To find out where she figures in, and who Mac's abductors are, you'll have to buy the book.

Another great Peter David-penned adventure.......2007-01-06

If you've never read Peter David's Star Trek novels and you like Star Trek (or fondly remember the original series), you should give it a go, and the MacKenzie Calhoun series of New Frontier is unmatched (and the opinion is not certainly mine alone, as this has been a best-selling series and it's not based directly on any of the TV shows or movies). Mr. David's writing displays an uncanny sense of humour, a fantastic grasp of the Star Trek universe, an amazing ability to grow characters from the many Star Trek franchises (although I'm not that fond of Ms. Shelby, apologies), a spectacular gift for pace and a -- let me see, which comics tag could I use now... oh, yes - an incredible imagination.
The plus is that you don't have to be a Trekkie, the adventure and imagination will grab you if you like adventure and well-build characters in a space-opera setting.
Admittedly, this particular book is not the most rewarding of the series; it will offer you nonetheless the development of well-loved characters and throw in a coupld of upheavals in the process.
I, for one, can't wait for the next book to come out!!

Drop everything and read this entry in the New Frontier series.......2006-12-22

I have to say that as a fan of David's books that they just keep getting better. If your a fan of Shelby and Calhoun keep reading. I am not going to spoil any of the surprises for you. Only I'll say that this is one of the series that is worth reading. If it were up to me Peter David would write all the new Trek titles with the Next Generation universe.

The Genesis Wave Book Three (Star Trek The Next Generation)

Average customer rating:

A wave of Nausea
What happened?!!?
3.5 Stars?
The sequel that should never have been written
Don't Bother

The Genesis Wave Book Three (Star Trek The Next Generation)
John Vornholt
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743443756

Book Description

"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create."
-- Spock, The Wrath of Khan

Sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant at a terrifying speed, a wave of Genesis energy has wiped out whole populations of entire planets, rearranging matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and life-forms.

The U.S.S. Enterprise ™, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, managed to counter the threat, halting the wave in its tracks and stopping the alien race that had sent the wave crashing through the galaxy. In the process the crew saved trillions of souls and hundreds of inhabited planets from the mutagenic wave. Earth itself, as well as the Romulan Empire, was saved from obliteration.

Now nothing is left to do but clean up the mess the Genesis Wave left behind. Or so it seems.

Unknown to Picard and his crew, the use of the Genesis Wave on a galactic scale had weakened the walls between our dimension and one right next door, one that harbors a deadly threat to not only the survival of civilization throughout the galaxy, but the survival of reality itself.

The Genesis Wave, Book Three, is the final volume of an apocalyptic adventure that pits the desperate crew of the Starship Enterprise against a disaster of universal proportions.

Download Description

"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create." -- Spock, The Wrath of Khan Sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant at a terrifying speed, a wave of Genesis energy has wiped out whole populations of entire planets, rearranging matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and life-forms. The U.S.S. Enterprise , commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, managed to counter the threat, halting the wave in its tracks and stopping the alien race that had sent the wave crashing through the galaxy. In the process the crew saved trillions of souls and hundreds of inhabited planets from the mutagenic wave. Earth itself, as well as the Romulan Empire, was saved from obliteration. Now nothing is left to do but clean up the mess the Genesis Wave left behind. Or so it seems. Unknown to Picard and his crew, the use of the Genesis Wave on a galactic scale had weakened the walls between our dimension and one right next door, one that harbors a deadly threat to not only the survival of civilization throughout the galaxy, but the survival of reality itself. The Genesis Wave, Book Three, is the final volume of an apocalyptic adventure that pits the desperate crew of the Starship Enterprise against a disaster of universal proportions.

Customer Reviews:

A wave of Nausea.......2007-10-01

The first two Genesis Wave Books really did justice to the premise of the Genesis Device and pointed out what Captain Kirk feared that this device could and would be used as not a life giving piece of Technology,but rather and assimulator of galaxie.When you read the first two books they slowly build up and explode with the intensity of a Neutron Bomb.In the secont book,you simply can't put the book down,you are compelled to read it until your eyeballs bleed THAT'S how good it is...

Sadly,instead of finishing the exciting and compelling storyline as they should have,they continued it with a collection of some of the most sorry cast of characters ever asembled,confusing as hell plots that literally take up 2/3 of the novel.And on top of all this has literally NOTHING to do with first two books.

The cast reminds me of the Lord Of The Rings RPG Video Game.A cut rate bunch of minor characters who by the end of the book you rather see them all die right in front of you than be subjected to this drool of a Novel again.I mean they are mentioned in the secont Genesis Book and actually was rather entertaining as a little side plot.But main charecters they aint.
The stupid dialogue reminds you of two 14 year old girls aurguing about who's Cell phone is better or something like that.It's just mind numbing and dumbed down.

To even aknollege anything positive about this Novel would be a great disservice to the previous two(which I couldn't recommend more highly).I wish I could say something ANYTHING positive about this Novel,but I just can't.If you want to get the best of the Genesis Wave saga I recommend you only get the first two books,because if you think this book can add anything positive or inovating to the saga or Star Trek PERIOD...then you are sadly mistaken and instead of a great Novel,you might as well get your money and a lighter and set your hard eared cash on fire.I have over 150 Star Trek Novels-some epic some down right terrible.But this is like a lingering odor you just can't get rid of.Judge it for yourself,but I warn you that after the time you took to read it through fruition,you wish you had a time machine to stop yourself from reading this god aweful abortion of a Star Trek novel from an otherwise flawless saga.

What happened?!!?.......2006-10-22

I was also going to title this review "ARRGGGHHHH!!!!". After two solidly-plotted books, the Genesis Wave saga falls completely to pieces with this third book. A Bajoran Priest steals a Genesis device, believing it to be the Orb of Life. The Enterprise, teams up with Admiral Necheyev and a small band of mercenaries to retrieve it. It's a good premise, but character-wise the result is such an illogical mess.

Firstly, I can understand why Picard is having a romantic liason with the Romulan Commander (although I did think "Ewwwww..."). I can even understand Dr. Crusher being concerned, and even a bit jealous. The latter is perfectly in keeping with their relationship, which culminates in Michael Jan Friedman's novel Death In Winter.

My biggest problem is with the motivations of the other characters. Just exactly why is Raynr Sleven (the Androsian) so attracted to one of the main characters? The Florence Nightingale Syndrome subplot was developed far too quickly, and was completely unconvincing. And why does Treya forgive another character's transgression so quickly during the course of the book? An emotional arc like that needs more drama and conflict, so that the resolution at the very end of the book is richly earned. I didn't get that impression here.

The biggest oversight, continuity wise, is a humongous conflict between the history of Nurse Ogawa as told in the Star Trek: Titan novels, and what happens at the end of this book. I'm actually very glad that Marco Palmieri and co. chose to ignore this development in Book Three. It gives Ogawa more depth, and makes her a more interesting character.

In summary, Genesis Wave Book Three is a complete and total mess. Picard's behaviour is jarring but explainable. Crusher's attitude is also understandable. But the rushed resolutions to the other character arcs makes for an extremely frustrating read.

3.5 Stars?.......2006-02-15

This is a fairly well-written book, interesting and quick-moving. It's something of a disappointment, however, because it is the third book of a three-book series which was quite adequately ended after two books; this is not really a continuation of the story from those books (although technically it is) but more of an afterthought tacked on, and it weakens the feeling of completion that the reader had after book two. It would actually work better as a stand-alone than as the completion of this series, although to work properly as a stand-alone, it would need a bit more introduction.

Also, we see very little of the regular characters here; they have their parts to play, but are not the focus of the story. This in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, and the non-regulars (Nechayev, Teska, Regimol, etc) are handled quite well. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the regulars; where they appear, they don't always ring true, particularly Captain Picard.

Tentatively recommended, but not if the reader has read the first two books of this series and felt satisfied with the conclusion of book two. In that case, it might be best to take a pass on this one and leave well enough alone.

The sequel that should never have been written.......2005-01-26

What do you do when you have written a really great two-book series full of galactic destruction and adventure? If you're John Vornholt, you churn out a third book as a sequel to them (granted, it may very well have been the publisher's idea, but he could always have said no). Genesis Wave: Book 3 is everything that the first two books weren't: boring, plodding, with bad characterization and large stretches where nothing interesting happens. It is not only entirely forgettable, but it's also inconsequential.

The Genesis threat has been neutralized with the help of the Romulans and almost the entirety of Starfleet. However, the problems are not over. While the cleanup begins, the Enterprise discovers that the Genesis Wave has weakened the boundaries between our universe and another one, allowing horrifying creatures to bridge the gap. A massive rip in space does not bode well for the Federation's survival, especially because this isn't the only rift out there. Meanwhile, on a backwater mining planet, a Bajoran Prylar (similar to a lower-level priest or monk) is given what turns out to be a portable Genesis device. Believing it to be the Orb of Life, he is determined to use it for the good of his people, no matter what the true consequences will be. Aided by a Ferengi, a few Bajorans, and an enigmatic Vulcan, this Prylar could very well cause a lot more suffering than he thinks he will cure. But will the Romulans kill anybody they have to in order to get a hold of this final device?

It's almost hard to begin, there is so much wrong with this. First, the characterization is way off. Weird romance passages abound (Vornholt seems to have been bitten by the Christie Golden bug, as he describes many characters as "stunning") and even when the romance angles are a bit more understandable, they are stilted an obvious. One of Crusher's patients falls in love with her, but Crusher is acting like a jealous fishwife because of the way Picard is acting with the Romulan commander on the other ship. Picard's actions are made clear later in the book, but Crusher's are never really explained. In all their years of working together, they have been attracted to each other, but she's never acted this way. This book takes place between Insurrection and Nemesis, and there's no hint in either one of these movies that would allow for Crusher to act like she does in this book. Troi and Riker aren't nearly as bad, but some of their scenes together really grated on my nerves as well. There are times where they don't act like the professionals they are. Even Vornholt's characters are not immune to this. The Romulan commander has a hold on Picard's emotions (I won't say how, for fear of spoiling) but, for some reason, she has a scene where she tells the sleeping Picard that she really loves him. It's never referred to again.

The rest of the book introduces characters that I, for the most part, cared nothing about. The book seems to be a showcase for a new series that never actually started, of "Genesis Warriors," or at least warriors who banded together to fight the Genesis threat. There's the Vulcan priestess, the Romulan who has a secret, the defected Romulan who is a Starfleet admiral's agent, a Ferengi, and a shape-shifter (not a Founder). Sounds like a super-hero team, in a way, even down to them having a strong leader who gives them missions in Admiral Nechayev. My first understanding was that Genesis Force would be their first (and last) adventure, but I recently discovered that Genesis Force takes place concurrently with this three-book series, so that's not true. Even so, it does look like the "premiere issue," even going so far as to really ignore the Enterprise crew for long periods at a time.

Then there's the completely unnecessary references to Vornholt's Gemworld TNG series of books. The characters (especially Troi) keep wondering if the rift is something similar to what happened on Gemworld. It's never definitively answered (and if so, I was so bored I missed it) and even if it was answered, it really had no bearing on the plot. If there's anything I hate more than the overuse of continuity, it's the overuse of *useless* continuity. Vornholt at least doesn't take large portions of the book to explain what happened on Gemworld, but he comes close. Another use of continuity I had to laugh at is what ends up being the Romulan plan (and I shall say no more in fear of spoilage).

Other strangeness abounds as well. The entire Picard plot thread, though clear to the reader before this happens, is revealed to the characters in about two sentences as soon as Nechayev boards the Enterprise in a completely anti-climactic moment that allows them to plan a commando mission on to the Romulan ship.

The best thing I can say about the book is that the atmosphere is pretty well done. The excavation of the lab on Lomar, where all of the dead and dying bodies taken over by the moss creatures in the previous books reside, is quite chilling and oppressive at times, mirroring exactly how it would feel to work in that environment.

Other than a few odd moments here and there (like Lomar), I had to really struggle with this book. It reads very quickly, just like the first two books do, but yet it's also a struggle to get through as you the plot gets more and more outlandish. The worst thing is that this book was *completely* unnecessary! The first two books were so good, but this one almost cheapens them. I say almost, because thankfully this book is not necessary for the enjoyment of those two. It can be completely ignored, and probably should be.

David Roy

Don't Bother.......2004-09-07

Genesis Wave book 1 and 2 were excellent. I don't know what the author was thinking of when he wrote his 3rd book. He should have quit while he was on a roll.

Narrator's Toolkit: Player Aid (Star Trek: the Original Series)

Average customer rating:

star trek rpg ds9 toolkit

Narrator's Toolkit: Player Aid (Star Trek: the Original Series)
Last Unicorn Games
Manufacturer: Last Unicorn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671040154

Customer Reviews:

star trek rpg ds9 toolkit.......2000-06-12

This is a must have if you want to run a campaign in the DS9 portion of the terrific game by Unicorn. It contains a gamemaster screen with tables for weapons, movement, maneuvers and more. It also contains a book which helps to develop a good story line with excellant background info on Bajorians, Cardies, and Ferengi. If you don't have it...get it. I love mine.

Star Trek: The Last Roundup (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Average customer rating:

Good considering the recent Star Trek books
A good story, well-written.
Good Final Bridge to Generations
Fairly predictable - Isn't a full "Original Crew" story
Bringing the cows in to pasture

Star Trek: The Last Roundup (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Christie Golden
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0743524969

Book Description

Soon the torch will be passed to a new generation.
But not just yet...

Having saved the Federation one more time in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country®, Capt. James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise™ have finally gone their separate ways. Spock, McCoy, Sulu, and the others are spread out across the galaxy, pursuing their individual destinies -- until an interstellar crisis touches all their lives.

Bored with retirement and ill-suited to teaching at Starfleet Academy, Kirk jumps at the chance to help his nephews colonize an uninhabited planet in a distant corner of the Alpha Quadrant. He even manages to persuade Scotty and Chekhov to come along for the ride.

But Kirk soon discovers that the hardy human colonists are not alone on the planet they call Sanctuary. An alien race, of whom little is known, has also establish an outpost on Sanctuary for its own mysterious reasons. Suspicious, Kirk investigates, only to discover a terrifying threat that strikes at the security of the entire Federation.

Light-years from Strafleet Command, without a ship or a crew to call his own, Kirk thinks he faces the menace alone. yet the bonds of loyalty transcend even the awesome distances of space, bringing together a legendary crew for one final, fantastic adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Good considering the recent Star Trek books .......2004-08-08

Bored with his new life of teaching classes at Starfleet James Kirk signs on with his brothers children to start a new life on a colony world. Strange i've been following Trek books for some time and this is the first mention I have heard of these guys Julius and Alexander. I hope it is not the last they should prove worthy additions t the universe.

The plot is preety standard they get to planet and find out that things are not all as they seem. Which is just as well because if they got to the place and nothing happened it would make for a very dull Star Trek book. The only thing that hurts the book is that the main conflict is wrapped up so easily.

Overall-My small critisms do not mean that the book is not fun to read I polished it off in an afternoon it was also nice to see the Orion Syndcate they are probably my most favorite component of life in the Star Trek universe proves that there are still people in space that don't buy the federations high minded ideals.

A good story, well-written........2004-03-12

Set in the aftermath of "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country", this is an adventure that deals with the crew of the Enterprise as aging, post-Enterprise members of Starfleet, mostly going their own separate ways. If that, and a lot of complaints about aging, aren't your cup of tea, then there is a definite downside to this book. But it IS handled well, so you may find it to be more interesting than you would think even if the idea DOES sound dull.

Furthermore, this is one of those "Kirk & co. save the Federation and civilization as we know it" storylines, but it's handled better than I've ever seen the idea handled before. Most of the threats of that magnitude seem contrived, and the idea that our heroes can stem the tide even more so. But in this story, the threat seemed VERY plausible, and given the nature of it, the solution seemed equally plausible.

One of the best original series "Trek" books I've read in quite a while.

Good Final Bridge to Generations.......2003-12-25

I own this book. It was good but the trio of Spock, McCoy, and Kirk doing their things together as only they can do is lacking, and thats a bummer. The idea of the book was good though I think that the ending was somewhat of a let down. It was a little too easy to stop the destruction of warp drive engines. All in all it was enjoyable read, and if you're interested in Star Trek novels of the orignal series, this is a very good one to get the closure from the series that started it all.

Fairly predictable - Isn't a full "Original Crew" story.......2003-10-01

I was home visiting family recently, and when I left, I borrowed this book from my brother for the flight home. It's 280 or so pages, and I read the entire thing waiting for my plane in the terminal, and for about the first 45 minutes of the flight. I flew through it pretty good, and I don't know if that's because the book is good, or I was bored.

The book was pretty decent - I generally tend to get suckered in by books that proport to tell a story of a single event in an already existing universe that we don't get to see on screen. In this case, it's the "final adventure of the original crew". Which is an odd phrase for the book, because the bulk of the story has Kirk, Chekov, & Scotty in it. The remainder of the original crew is barely there, and only superficially involved with the main plot of the story. We do get Kirk's two nephews from his barely mentioned brother. This story takes place right before the events of movie #7, "Star Trek Generations". There's a lot of characters in it that play a MAJOR part in the story, but are new characters. This almost reads like a fan story - "Hey, let's put me in the story at the expense of some other character(s)". It's not quite like that, but I've read enough of those kinds of stories in the past, that this somewhat feels that way. I suppose it's just a grip at seeing McCoy, Uhura, Spock, and Sulu relegated to backgrond status when this was billed as an original crew adventure.

That said, the book was enjoyable, if a bit predictable. Definitely a bunch of "I'm old - I'm useless" stuff from Kirk, which seemed to be a theme of the latter original crew adventures. Still, it was a good read - I can't say it's my most recommended book, but I did enjoy it. I also felt that the main villian of the story "gave up" a bit too quickly, and the reason he was coerced into giving up was well.. never explained, so it felt really rushed and cheap to me.

I'm glad I borrowed the book from my brother instead of buying it - you might want to see if your library has a copy of it to borrow it from them. If you're a Star Trek fan, it's probably worth a read, but I would have felt ripped off if I actually paid full price for the book.

Bringing the cows in to pasture.......2003-08-18

The Last Roundup is a Star Trek tale of Captain Kirk's final adventure before the events of Star Trek: Generations. This being the final adventure, there are a lot of "I feel old" moments from Kirk, as well as a few of the other characters. There are discussions of age and how things must finally be handed over to a new generation. It's also quite a nice book, though it's very light without a lot of substance.

First of all, I will say that this isn't necessarily the "final adventure" for Captain Kirk, and it certainly isn't for the rest of the crew, who pop up in various books that take place after Generations. The reason it's not Kirk's is because, while the epilogue takes place just as Kirk is getting ready to go inspect Enterprise-B, it takes place months after the end of the story, so there is definitely room for more. Not that I think there should be, of course.

Now, as for the book itself, it should make any Trek fan happy. It's a thoroughly competent, enjoyable story. There's just not a lot of meat to it. It's pretty short with a large typeface, so it's a quick read, and I certainly wouldn't pay hardcover prices for it. If you're looking for depth, go elsewhere. If you're looking for yet another adventure with some of your favourite characters, then this would be a good pickup at the library or in paperback.

My first complaint about it is that the original crew doesn't figure in it very much, with the exception of Scotty and Chekov. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course, as some of the better Trek books have involved only a few of the characters. The problem is that they are featured in quite a few scenes, so why not make them a bigger part of the story? As it is, they take up space that could have furthered the story elsewhere. Uhura and McCoy are especially given short shrift. They are helping Spock with the Klingon peace negotiations that resulted from the events in the movie Star Trek VI. A number of scenes of these cultural and medical exchanges happen at the beginning of the book, but that's the extent of their contribution. Sure, they go along for the ride with Spock after Kirk is reported missing, but they don't actually do anything. They're background material, and they deserve better than that in their supposed "final adventure." Sulu is given just as short shrift, but he does get a couple of juicy scenes that also set the stage for future Sulu novels if Pocket Books is so inclined. He's characterized very well, overall.

Not only are some of our favourite crewmembers sidelined, but their stories introduce more superfluous characters that clutter the book. The Klingon opera singer is just filler, giving Uhura somebody to play off of (which, since Uhura doesn't do much involved with the story, seems even more needless). The Klingons are only in the book to get Spock and the rest involved. They don't do much but talk, fire a few weapons, and act as ferries for our heroes.

The story, what is left of it, is actually pretty good. Kirk is feeling his age, and he's feeling useless. He doesn't want to be stuck in a classroom, but there's nothing else active for him to do. He wants to be in Starfleet, even if it only needs him as a teacher of the young. The dynamics of Kirk's story are well done, with Kirk being involved just enough to make him the obvious hero of the story, but enough happens despite his actions or before he can intervene that he is shown that maybe it is time to stop pining for another starship. He realizes that he has a new role in life, and that he must embrace it. I thought Kirk's thought processes through this entire book were wonderful and Golden is to be commended for creating a story where Kirk has to deal with this without wallowing. As a caveat to my point about McCoy above, he does figure very prominently in Kirk's conclusions, and the final talk between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy is a wonderful tribute to the friendship these three share. As a Trek fan, I was moved by this scene, and it made the book worth finishing.

None of the other characters are very interesting, though they do serve their parts well. Skalli, a cadet who becomes very attached to Kirk and serves as an illustration of what Kirk's reputation can do, is the most well-rounded. Some have complained that she bounces back and forth between overly emotional and enormously competent, but I think Golden pulled off the difference. I think readers who feel that way missed the point. Like Kirk, they just saw the hysterical, annoying character, not realizing that it's perfectly possible for that sort of person to be skilled. I did find her annoying at first, but I warmed to her after a bit. There's also a female admiral who Kirk is friends with, and while there is a bit of sexual tension, it's obvious they're just good friends. I'm glad Golden was able to avoid that cliché.

If you're a Trek fan, you'll probably enjoy this story. It's not ground-breaking, but it is pleasant. Just don't buy the hardcover. The story's not meaty enough to support it. Check it out, or pick up the paperback. It'll still be there when you're ready for it.

David Roy

Average customer rating:

With this book, you give fun to characters and players

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