I bought this book sometime at a book fair, alone, without its two companions. Will I pick up the others? I suppose if I find them at a book fair. Why do I do that sort of thing (see also the report on Star Trek: Dark Victory, where I pick up the second book in a trilogy by itself)? Because they’re something wrong with me.
This book begins the story about the rise of Khan from “Space Seed” and The Wrath of Khan in the last century and at least one trilogy in this new one. It’s told with a wrapper story of the original Enterprise crew going to a colony of genetic engineered folk who want to join the Federation to avoid a Klingon threat. Within that story, Kirk reviews the rise of Khan from his birth ca 1970 to somewhere near his 20th birthday (1989) where he’s putting together his group to take over the world, or at least to get launched into space.
Meanwhile, although we know that Khan will rise, we’re treated to the story of Gary Seven (!) and his team breaking up a genetic engineering ring in India and doing other things to stave off humanity’s self-extinction. However, at the root of it, this is a book about Gary Seven. I’m old school enough to know who Gary Seven is without hitting a wiki. The bulk of the novel centers on a minor character from the original series and weaves in actual historic and Star Trek historic events.
All that geek love can only make up so much for a novel whose pacing is just a bit off. The narrative didn’t really pull me along, so it’s not a series I’m particularly compelled to continue. If I find them for a buck a throw, maybe I’ll pick the others up. But I’m not ordering them from Amazon or anything.
Special Noggle Fun Fact: I noted to my wife when we watched Star Wars this week that I’ve read a pile of Star Trek books, but I’m not sure I’ve read any Star Wars books except for the Star Wars Storybook when I was like eight.
I haven’t read a Trek novel is years. Battlestations! by Diane Carey is my favorite. Imzadi by Peter David is also quite good.
I tend to pick them up randomly at book fairs, so I sometimes don’t get a full trilogy, as noted.
You know what I do have a pretty complete set of? The James Blish books from the 1970s where he rewrote the scripts as short stories. I might plow into those soon.
Because back in the days before VCRs, that and the animated series were all we had. AND WE LIKED IT!