Star Trek: The Original Series: Allegiance in Exile

When I popped a tweet out saying that this would be the next book to review, author David R George III replied, noting that it was "a little character piece".

I'd hate to disagree with the author but Allegiance in Exile is certainly not a little character piece. It's a flippin' big one with a great story to match. Oh - and as per usual beware that there MAY BE SPOILERS ahead.

As you would expect it's a threesome that dominates the narrative however while Kirk is there, the usual prominence you would expect from Spock and McCoy is this time taken by Hikaru Sulu and character-of-the-book Ensign Mai Duyen Trinh although not in the conventional sense. You see, it's all a matter of perspective to steal an episode title from The Next Generation. The main bulk of the narrative is explored through these three, focusing on their differing feelings, experiences and personal journeys during one specific mission in the fourth year of the original five year mission. While you might initially think this could get confusing it's managed exceptionally well throughout, dedicating sections of the story to each of the characters while maintaining the mystery surrounding the reason for the Enterprise's investigation. Each piece of the linear narrative is explained from a different perspective before effectively handing over to one of the other two centralised characters. There is no cross-over of action and mangling of plotlines which is great and easy to follow. Even if you do have to put it down (to eat or drink to survive for example), you can quickly locate where you are on return.

The story goes that Kirk and crew find a deserted M-class planet which shows signs of habitation but all signs of life have been eradicated from the surface. Everything that follows unfolds from this simple premise and soon the Enterprise is deep in the action to . One of the important things I find I look for within Trek novels is how accurately the crew are portrayed in relation to their on-screen counterparts. Here I was mesmerised by George's likenesses especially when it came to the relationship between Kirk and McCoy. The counselor role which the good doctor played on many occasions exists within this story and plays a key role later into the book. Their relationship oozes with banter, friendship as well as professionalism between the medic and his commanding officer. McCoy's grumbles are not overplayed but fit within character and the situations we see him in. Impressively David R George III manages to walk the line marking the boundary between professional and personal that was a hallmark of the friendship between captain and medic. I looked forward to reading their interactions whether from Kirk's perspective or from one of the others. Seeing it from Trinh for example allows the reader to understand how the crew see them but also to emphasis the nature of the relationship. In direct comparison this additional viewpoint means that Kirk's standing with Spock is also explored as he even has an aside with Trinh to seek advice rather than the stone cold facts that the first officer would expect - again here McCoy plays a part in helping manage the situation.. While it seems more embedded in the professional, hints are still placed within the narrative to show the friendship between captain and first officer exists, even if it's a simple use of the captain's first name as he steps into the void of danger towards the end of the book.

But let's look at this novel from the three perspectives. In the first instance we have Enterprise captain James T. Kirk. Aside from command of his ship and the mission, we are seeing a man with an uncertain future. He revels in the control of everything aboard the ship however his next career move may be outside of his management. A major section of his life is drawing to a close and Kirk is having to deal with the notion that his days in the captain's chair are numbered. Intermingled with the mission to explore and understand the M-class planet we are treated to reminiscences from past missions and encounters we would be familiar with from the original series. I tend to find myself cringing whenever this comes to pass in a Star Trek novel as it is can be a crow-barred, bell-ringing opportunity for the author to demonstrate his or her knowledge of the base material. With George I found it was smoothly integrated into the narrative, addressing how Kirk believed himself to be viewed by his superiors and also more self - analytical in respect of what he might have done differently since he was began the five year mission, even down to his original choice of first officer and the tragic ending it resulted in shortly after. We're reminded of his "failure" to capture the M-113 salt vampire as well as several incidents with the Klingons which have placed him in or out of favour with the higher echelons of Starfleet Command - the people who are already debating what direction Kirk's career will go. This is a matured Kirk but in keeping with the one we would find in the movies, uncomfortable at the thought of driving a desk rather than "gallivanting across the universe". I like this Kirk and he seems exceptionally realistic throughout this novel. There are several hard conversations he has, most notably with Commodore Wesley and Sulu as well as a few typically Kirk-eccentric moments that you can just hear that 60's incidental music blaring in the background.


Sulu's role here is much more than you would have experienced in those very episodes. His is probably the most complete journey of the three narrators here. Leading the away team to this newly discovered and apparently recently attacked planet marks just the start of his story. A brush with death changes his perspective on life slightly and we see Hikaru in a very different manner as he - and not Kirk - is the one who gets the girl. If only it was that simple. Ensign Trinh is the apple of Hikaru's eye and we learn about her not only as the newly assigned archaeology and anthropology officer (A&A) but through their personal time which evolves following an "eventful" mission on the planet which is dubbed as "Agdam". The way in which Trinh affects Sulu drives a good percentage of Allegiance in Exile and gives it an incredible amount of emotional impact. There is an element to this aspect of the story where you are waiting for a certain resolution to play out but that's not the point with this book. We are even treated to individual conflict within the pages of exile but while this might have some diehard Trekkers reaching for the Simon and Schuster complaints email address because "...it's not true to Roddenberry's vision..." I would urge restraint and step back from the keyboard because it genuinely works here. Placing Kirk and Sulu at loggerheads is essential to allow events to unfold in their natural wayand  helps shape Sulu. Certainly there are sparks here that suggest George was thinking how he could hint at Hikaru's destiny as captain of the Excelsior. If this is the case, it works.

While we know that certain things will have to be in place by its conclusion and there are events which must prevail as we have already seen them in the motion pictures it really doesn't matter here. George has managed to produce a novel where the story is, in all intents, second, possibly even third in importance because we are there to experience the mental conflicts and questions that are being chewed over by the three crew here. Now in comparison to other novels I've read recently I would have grumbled a bit that Spock, Uhura, Chekov and Scotty are somewhat sidelined but that shows the strength of Allegiance in Exile; you don't notice that they're little more than passing characters until you've reached page 369 and finished. George has built up his narrative around two excellent realisations and that's only backed up further by the more than believable and definitely three-dimensional Trinh. For once it was refreshing to read a character who gets some background and is understandable in the way that she acts on what is her first mission aboard the Enterprise and in a senior position of responsibility. She's trying to make impressions and fit in but soon finds herself in the thick of the action in every sense. Nod to George here for providing an unusually strong female lead within the framework of The Original Series.  

One thing I seem to have neglected is the story which wraps around the mass of superbly engrossing character development; it's ok. George has developed a decent plot to place his cast within and there is certainly an element of mystery which is played out. It could almost be set out as a two part episode, nicely split with the Enterprise's departure from Agdam and then with the concluding part commencing at Starbase 25 and Kirk's meeting with Wesley. The second half provides just as many questions as the first but the pacing is absolutely spot on. Everything plays out at a realistic tempo and none of the events feel too rushed nor is there an over-reliance on captain's logs to fill in details and skip time. Sulu is probably the more explored individual in the second half and his evolution is in some ways not foreseen although as a reader you can understand how his relationship with Trinh has become something more than he can imagine. While it's not the most complex adventure, there are still some great twists and turns to follow as the investigation proceeds and at the end I have to say I felt very satisfied; there's a good rounded conclusion which answers all your questions while leaving the characters in the perfect setting to end their five year mission. 

While I'm talking about setting, that's something more than worth some page space within this review. David R George III has created a set of vividly imagined environments here. Whether it's comparing desolation to Cestus III, enveloping the crew in a silent, eerie and hot planetary setting, describing the action of how egress from the shuttlecraft is achieved or even just in how the helm scanner rises from the main control console, the author has it covered. The bridge feels alive when you read the acts set there; the planets visited are real because we get a sense of the life that existed there and is being examined by the Enterprise crew. Accompanying the story with intricate sights and sounds lifts it from a biographical narrative and helps drive us further into the fictional Star Trek world and indicates that while many will use previous events from the TV series to relay their knowledge, George has an acute awareness of the whole rather than individual sections. 

So let's wrap this up in a few lines. You've now gathered that this is a fairly decent read by now I would hope. It's a people book and one which gives us some wonderful character moments that a limited TV budget in 1969 wouldn't have afforded. It's an excellent read and a great "little character piece" to coin a phrase I heard recently (see top) and I look forward to the next novel by this author. Many readers might be tired of an action adventure story which sees the crew encounter X, defeat Y and home in time for The Motion Picture. Here there's a different slant and I feel that focusing specifically on a limited range of MAIN characters to explore rather than attempt to appease every reader and cram in a paragraph for all the crew which doesn't do them justice and effectively dumbs their role to opening hailing frequencies or firing phasers can only be a good thing. It's refreshing to find the aura of the original series - and the original incarnation of the crew - in such good literary hands.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Allegiance in Exile by David R George III is available now from Simon and Schuster priced £6.99 ISBN 9781476700229

The Amazing Telepathic Holodeck: TNG's "Schisms"

"Schisms" is just plain weird. 

Admittedly the teleplay is from the mind of Brannon Braga but don't let that put you off. We have the infamous "Ode to Spot", some of the oddest/secretive aliens ever to grace TNG, great use of a fish-eye lens, the most subdued fade-out into the opening titles and virtually no answers. Oh - and I love it. Forgot to mention that but don't let that put you off reading the rest of this blog! 

The pre-titles sequence is one of the great misdirections of the entire TNG run and cleverly I think this is one of this episode's strengths. It's all about build-up, what we don't see but are enticed to imagine. The first few minutes are Data's classic poetry recital including the aforementioned piece for his trans-gendered cat at which Riker falls asleep repeatedly as the android trundles on regardless. Played for comedy it provides no real insight into the story even though it actually sets up the whole episode through Riker's actions - not that youo would know it at the time. In many other episodes the pretitles give us some kind of hint of what to come in a much more obvious fashion to make viewers want to stay tuned. Another example where this occurs would be the season six cliffhanger, "Descent". Anyway, let's skip the plot summary and get back into the weirdness of "Schisms".

Along with "Conspiracy" from 1988, I class this as as one of the two episodes that could have received a televised sequel (or prequel?!). As with the terrific season one episode, the ending leaves it open for a return that sadly never happened. We're left wondering who these subspace creatures are and what their reasons for abducting the crew could have been - research? Experiments? Testing for an invasion attempt? Looks like we'll never get to find out - although if you are a Trek novelist and writing this, I'm willing to assist with some input....

According to Ron Wilkerson, who was responsible for the original story from which Braga developed the teleplay, "Schisms" came about due to the executive producers wanting an enemy that were a big threat to the crew (I asked him about it on Twitter). Indeed, this is a very similar idea to the creatures hinted at early in season one and seen in the brilliant "Conspiracy" which is left with a signal beamed out into the depths of space. Here we have an eerie, clicking, shrouded race that we learn exceptionally little about. We only see one room of their subspace home and learn absolutely nothing about them. Why is this weird? Well, with TNG we usually got to understand the characters who popped up each week; getting to know a little about their motivations, background...something! Here it's an episode shrouded in mystery backed with a wonderful sci-fi concept that the Enterprise crew are being taken in their sleep and being subject to macabre experiements

While we have the investigation into sleep deprivation there's the "B" story regarding a disturbance forming in one of the cargo bays. Eventually these two tales intermix at the conclusion and that's something else a little different about this episode.  Usually there's a distinct "A" story and on occasion a "B" story or even rarely a "C" thread but they stay separate and conclude individually. Also, as opposed to a lot of the other stories I have/will discussed as part of SKOST there isn't any real "theme" to the story. It's not moralistic, there's only one death of a character we never really get to know but "Schisms" is about paranoia, shadows, restlessness and mystery - and all those unanswered questions that remain, well, unanswered.

It's great seeing the crew seeking some kind of explanation for their sleep deprivation and then realising that they are victims of some weird alien race. Worf has a hair-raising encounter with Mr Mott and a pair of scissors, Riker looks shattered for most of the episode (even falling asleep as we drift into the titles), Geordi's VISOR plays up (again) and even Data is affected when he loses an hour and a half for no apparent reason while in the cargo bay.  Soon it's all drawn together and the eeriness gathers several of those affected to the holodeck; now this has to be one of the best pieces of Trek ever - for potentially all the wrong reasons.

 I named this blog "The Amazing Telepathic Holodeck" and by jingo is it awesome in this respect. Troi assembles Riker, Worf, Geordi and one "civilian of the week" (no doubt for budget reasons) to visualise what they have experienced or at least think they have experienced. The end result is a little off from what is seen in the aliens' home environment but that's easily explained away through personal interpretation and recollection. The really clever bit here is the speed at which the holodeck - a device not exactly renowned for its accuracy or safety all the way through TNG ("The Big Goodbye", "Elementary Dear Data","Emergence" et al) -  becomes amazingly intuitive.  The wooden table that is initially created gets swapped out for an inclined one (which is totally different to the original) but the best switch is when the metal table this is in turn changed for IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! It's now much more chair-like than table-like (see below).
I'm guessing this is all for pacing but looking back it's amazingly shoddy that the holodeck works out precisely what table the crew want in about three moves and they then spend the remainder of the time making precision tweaks to the restraint, surgical blade and control panel. OK, I'm being pedantic and it's all easily covered but I still find it funny that the holodeck just helps out, makes its own decisions and produces a near-perfect end result in the space of minutes. 

What we get as a conclusion is a bit mixed although I still enjoyed it. Riker chooses to be the lab rat and get sent back into the rift but surely they would realise he's awake?! The whole point being that they're being taken when they are asleep or at the very least are made unaware that they are being secreted off the Enterprise. The aliens' environment is a bit disappointing but the fact that we find nothing definite about their reasons for their experiments keeps the mystery in place. Riker rescues Rager but that's it. We are left to muse what it was all about and whether of not this is something that will rear its head in the future. In both cases, they didn't but we are still left uneasy.

Here, in "Schisms" we are left to imagine what is going on and how the tests have been conducted (such as Riker's amputation and reattachment). We only glimpse a fraction of Ensign Rager's experience which seems to be something to do with her blood. The instance where the crewman returns with his blood converted to a liquid polymer. It is the possibility that more could have been killed and there was very little to stop them until  their actions were noted by several members of the crew that is haunting here. Even when we do see the aliens they are shrouded in the shadows and greyness of their medical chamber, hooded and wrapped from head to foot. Actually, that's another point - the masks, as seen in the superb Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 book aren't the greatest so the shadows are doing them a favour - as for the shuffly walk...what is that all about? There's no hope for them to stop Riker when he legs it with Rager at the climax.

This is probably one of the more uneasy installments of TNG. The first five minutes really put the audience on the wrong foot before we get into the main story. Perhaps considering the nature of the previous season and the bulk of the episodes around it in season six it's also a little out of place. At this point in its evolution TNG was aiming more towards "intelligent" sci-fi and this does stand out because of the absence of a moral or particular character focus. It's almost as if we're having a break from the heavier story-lines that made up a large part of the later seasons.

My opinion - watch it, enjoy it, but it's not likely to make it into your list of top ten episodes, or top twenty. I haven't watched it for years and so I welcomed it quite lovingly for a second/third viewing after such a long gap since it was last on my TV. Great hooded aliens, magnificent uneasiness, paranoia and probably one of the three best attempts at mild horror TNG ever produced alongside "Conspiracy" and "Genesis". Now who's up for writing the sequel?

Let's Take a Reality Trek (Into Darkness)

"You think the rules don't apply to you because you disagree with them" - Admiral Pike

The media machine for Star Trek into Darkness has ramped it up again with the continued evolution of the mobile app for Android and iOS (when the damn thing works that is) and the stunning, first ever motion poster featuring a smouldering London and the rumbling tones of "JH" aka Benedict Cumberbatch (removed as it got annoying).

Great idea and I've seen there is also one in existence for The Wolverine but that's off topic! It's a great new concept and was the first real clue that London was going to have a a starring role in this new production thanks to the inclusion of the Mayor's Gherkin (and it's not as interesting as that initially sounds).

"You have any idea what a pain you are?" - Pike

"I think so, sir." - Kirk

Over the weekend we also got "Teaser Trailer Two" and under the circumstances I think a more apt name for it is the "Kirk Teaser" as it's pretty much 70 seconds of scene setting for the Enterprise captain. If you've missed it, here it is for your enjoyment.

I would at this point have delved into what we learn from the new trailer but we've already got a lot of answers thanks to the 28 minute previews that have been set up worldwide. Now that's how to tease your fans and make them want more! Of course it could also be Abrams realising that it's a rubbish film later on and continuing to build the super-hype so no one will notice underneath all that lens flare. From what we've seen I doubt it's that catastrophic although there is a lot more of an action/adventure theme than I would expect from a Star Trek movie set in the Prime Universe (but more on that in a bit).

"By now all of you will have heard what happened in London..."

We now know for certain that the scenes of Kirk and McCoy running and jumping into the sea are from the early part of Into Darkness and that the Enterprise is hidden under the waves below. We can pretty much conclude that the clips of Admiral Pike verbally dressing-down Kirk are from his meeting with the captain following his blundered mission on that same red planet. Why Kirk decides to go after John Harrison is still undetermined although we get some sinister posturing from Cumberbatch albeit brief - in fact he's virtually non-existent in this trailer bar about three seconds.

"Jim - the beach is THAT way!" - McCoy

What else is new though? There's a new scoutship sequence which I would suggest is set during the quest for Harrison and there are some nice shots of Scotty double-taking against a fish; Uhura kitted up for an away mission and Spock doing that building jump...again. Overall the bulk of the trailer is focused on Kirk going through some kind of transition process - a mission, a failure and the chance to redeem. Perhaps it's not that there is a specific reason for him going after Harrison except that it is a chance to get back his command. Apart from that it's familiar territory with more repeated clips of the Enterprise creating a bow-wave in San Francisco and what I still think is Starfleet Command/Academy bearing the brunt of a saucer impact following the crash.

"Punch it." - Kirk 

While not physically in this trailer, the 28 minute previews have answered one important question that I've been musing over since Day One. We've finally found out that Peter Weller is Admiral Marcus and therefore, one would believe, Carol's dad. So there goes my super-twist that he's the baddie and Harrison is just a minion! But then who's to say that John Harrison will turn out to actually be John Harrison all the way through or that he's Weller's minion?! Over analysing this new burst of dribble-inducement seems pointless but something more (I thought anyway) interesting came to mind that I wanted to talk about in relation to the direction we're heading in with the Abrams reboot universe.. In part it's due to the trailer that this thought was sparked, it's also thanks to that stunning new poster, an unsettling feeling within the Trek online community and some apparent revelations about Abrams feelings towards the franchise. 

"We're gonna do this we gotta do it now!" - Sulu

This week, a new friend of mine, George Silsby, from the Star Trek: Starfinder audio series, reminded me about the graphic novel prequel series that's out to buy at the moment and how it might be more relevant than we think - and could even bring it back into the realms of (dare we say it) CANON. Are we going to see the destruction of this Enterprise and the arrival/recommissioning of Robert April's Enterprise that's mentioned in passing? Countdown to Darkness also notes that April had Alex Marcus as his first officer on that ship. The dots are slowly joining up! My friend from Starfinder is also postulating that Harrison is Garth of Izar. I'm inclined to agree that he's not Harrison but whether it's Garth is another thing. We'll have to put a bet on this!

It could be Harrison is a youthful version of April (reduced aging or from the past?) for instance, as we know there's some kind of aging thing going on in the first 9 minutes previewed a few weeks ago? What about Harrison being a member of April's crew as I'm pushed to think there has to be a connection to the oft-mentioned officer and in the first trailer we ever saw, Harrison was carrying April's Gatling Gun. George also mapped out the concept that with the arrival of Miss Marcus we could be getting  something involving the Genesis device. Now that would be pretty impressive and would offer the chance at life from lifelessness? Is Genesis the cure that Harrison indicates in the nine minute sneak-peak? The secret to rebirth/youth? I also think that with all these plot possibilities that are flying around, JJ will have enough material for the next six or seven films in the reboot universe. TV series later? Doubt it if this film does any good. Next film for 2016 and the 50th anniversary? Very good possibility according to Den of Geek and it would mean that it would be sooner than the four year window we've had since the first film. With Abrams moving to Wars from Trek it would mean a step back to (exec) producer while he focuses on the series that he's admitted to loving a lot more.

Anyway; conjecture, rumour mill, conspiracy theory...move on....

"He's a fugitive and I want to take him out." - Kirk

The consensus over the reboot series is mixed to say the least. Do we see it as canon given that it diverts from the prime universe and how is it classified? Do you enjoy it as an entertaining film or should it just be seen as a complete standalone? I don't believe that there is clean cut answer to it and it's pretty much each to his or her own. However, I'm going to wade in with a few thoughts. I can accept that STID is Star Trek or in the very least that it is BASED on Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. The grip is that while Nero kinked the timeline in 2009's reboot, surely there should be some kind of crossover bar the appearance of Prime Spock. To keep the fans happy it can't be screwed with completely and yes, I understand that this is one person's interpretation bit there are some fundamental principles that need to be maintained otherwise it becomes diluted and a pale imitation of the very thing it is hoping to bring to a new audience. 

"I believe in you" - Admiral Pike

The new films are heavily focused on the action element and character and themes seem to have been sidelined but this indicates something more about today's cinematic experience. However this week Damon Lindelof has come out saying that Into Darkness is "about family" which seems a bit of a cop out frankly given the issues Trek has covered from day one - wasn't this what the first one was aboout too?! Sadly "issues" are not what today's media-savvy audiences are desiring hence it's about tech, 3D, effects and jaw droppers because that's what puts bums on seats if you'll pardon the expression. Now here's the funny thing - if it wasn't for a fist fight and a demand by the network for less cerebral concepts which led to the unprecedented commissioning of the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", then we wouldn't have Trek and the thought provoking science fiction that came over the course of the subsequent series. So just as Roddenberry did to get that first year commissioned so Abrams has gone back to basics and the fact we have a sequel is proof it worked. The wonder is as we in for more of the same or can we hope that Into Darkness recognises the fan base and points more firmly towards keeping with the Great Bird's universe. Problems is that everything I keep seeing makes me go 'wow' and want to see Into Darkness because it looks action packed and amazing as a film ut not necessarily because it's got Star Trek taped to the title.

"Come on; it's going to be fun!" - Kirk

However a series of clips and soundbites gives no idea what it will be like feature length although we've seen some good feedback off the previews that it LOOKS stunning. (Notice where I'm going here?!) This is where the whole poster grumble came in. It looks brilliant. I love the concept and it's certainly made the trailers interesting seeing the Enterprise skirting the atmosphere, crashing into San Francisco or rising up from the ocean as if reborn from the waves and certainly contrasting to its later plummet Earth-wards. Yet wasn't the whole reason for the transporter because they couldn't work out how to land the ship in the 60's? Is this where we start to think it's not exactly what it should be and that Abrams really has just decided to do his own thing and thoroughly retrofit Trek with the intention of attracting a new audience for the 21st Century? In 2009 we even had the Enterprise built on Earth which clearly goes against canon but we have to remember that the opening five minutes of the first film in 2009 effectively gave JJ free licence to do what he wants. Maybe that's just what we should do! Perhaps we should view it as fans of Batman, The Avengers, Superman or even Doctor Who?

"...Told you we'd fit." - Kirk

"I'm not sure that qualifies." - Spock

Everyone has their favourite way it's been done and reasons why. Over the years they've all seen multiple reboots and re-imaginings (11 times and counting for The Doctor!) but the basics of who is involved and the setting remain although the details surrounding it alter. We can grumble all we want or go along and enjoy it. For the foreseeable future it's the only new Trek were going to get and that has to be a reason to support its continued success. But then JJ comes out with comments suggesting thus is the only Star Trek he wants people to remember. For a generation that might be the case, but Roddenberry's vision was that humanity had put aside it's differences for the greater good, each adventure had some kind of theme or a story which helped explore one of his family of characters etc - so does the plot point of an attack on London, and supposedly by a member of Starfleet really ally itself to that? When we see it's based on Star Trek should we be reading that it's using characters and associations but it's not really the original? A bit like BMW building the Mini if you will. Or Disney doing Star Wars.....?!

"Ready to swim?"

Is JJ really trying to make a new generation aware of only his vision of the franchise and, as LeVar Burton suggested recently, ignore all that's been or will be. This cannot and will never be the ONLY Star Trek that exists and you can't just dismiss everything that came before - you can't ignore over 700 episodes and 10 films! This is the history that JJ is willing to throw away because it's not his vision and now he can with that neat little "Nero" trick. Let's be fair it's allowed some massive poetic licences as we've already recalled and I'm still not totally hot on the Spock and Uhura romance to this day - unsurprisingly we're going to be getting more of that in May. So can we really be happy with changes to a certain style of storytelling where we didn't get product placement from Nokia or music provided by the Beastie Boys? Is there more of this to be seen Into Darkness and is this a sign that we're heading into a new frontier of product placement ala James Bond? Please. No.

"I hate this!" - McCoy

"I know!" - Kirk

As a movie series so far the reboot has been good fun, certainly high-octane visual entertainment of the highest quality, but it will never replace the original series or anything from the Roddenberry/Berman vision. The essence is there but do you come out of the cinema or finish watching the DVD and release that there are more layers to it? I'm not sure it's been designed in that way. Star Trek (2009) may have inspired something of a new audience but JJ needs to remember that if it wasn't for the millions of fans who've supported and followed Star Trek since 1966 (or earlier!) then he wouldn't have a film to make; let alone a sequel. The majority of his audience will be from that long-term fanbase and not from one single two-hour blip four years ago. Let's face it, a lot of fans were (and I include myself here) ravenous for new live-action trek and seeing as it had been four years since the corpse of Enterprise had been removed from the air with THAT damp squib of a final episode, we were going to take whatever we could get - no doubt JJ knew that this would be the case and as long as it had "staples" of the franchise he was onto a winner... I hope George Lucas just keeps hold of those reins a little more tightly which is something I touched upon previously when I considered we might have been a little heavy-handed towards JJ in light of his new role within the Star Wars Mouse House. Interestingly they've just pulled Clone Wars to move the focus onto the next trilogy and I would think that in line with this we can be fairly certain Trek won't be going televisual for some time as even concepts from Michael Dorn (Captain Worf) and Jonathan Frakes have been vetoed in favour of keeping the Enterprise firmly on the cinema screen.

"Tell me this is gonna work."

Now before I start chewing my own arm off with all this postulating let's wrap this all up. The way this franchise is going reminded me of a quote from Deep Space Nine's "Crossover" as spoken by Major Kira to her mirror universe counterpart - ironic that an installment dealing with a different reality would provide a great line that can so easily apply to this new imagining of the classic crew:

"The players are all the same. They just seem to be performing different parts." - Kira

So once the credits roll at the end of this film will we no longer  accept it as Star Trek in its pure form? Will we remember JJ's Trek films as great cinematic action experiences and a footnote in the larger Trek mythos? The box office will only tell part of the tale as will DVD and Blu-ray sales, merchandising revenues and potentially any further big screen outings; the passage of time will record the rest although I suspect that Prime Trek will win out. No doubt it will outlast us all as a certain starship captain once said, "Let's make sure history never forgets the name, Enterprise" - and I would guess that now applies to whatever universe or reality you prefer...

Star Trek: The Original Series: Devil's Bargain

A new world, the return of a race from the TV series and the Enterprise  placed on a frantic mission to save a world from destruction. Welcome to the latest novel from Tony Daniel and Simon and Schuster.

Having re-educated myself with David Mack's Cold Equations trilogy and the Next Generation universe, Tony Daniel would provide my first taster of The Original Series in book form for some time. Oh - and beware, there may be SPOILERS!

Set during three and a half years into the USS Enterprise's five year mission under the command of Captain Kirk, we find the crew and ship called to the world of Vesbius to evacuate the population before an immense meteor collides with their planet and lays everything waste. Trouble is that they aren't that willing to leave for reasons which become clear and it's up to Kirk, Spock and the crew to come up with a solution that will remove the necessity to relocate the Vesbians.

This is a TOS adventure by numbers and fits perfectly with the scenarios we're familiar with from the classic TV series. On more than one occasion the crew had to deal with the classic "meteor impact" drama, naming "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" and "The Paradise Syndrome" I had very mixed feelings because of what seemed to be a retread of past adventures but I pressed on. For the first 60 pages I found it quite difficult to get into. The usual suspects are all there and to give Tony Daniel his dues, his representations of the original series crew are fairly good but their relationships seem more akin to the films than the original TV series. In the early scenes on the Enterprise bridge there is an extremely relaxed atmosphere and asides made by Chekov that would not have been out of place in Star Trek VI. McCoy is extra crotchety and Mr Scott is more often than not simply referred to as "Scotty" which seems way too informal at this time. It is as though Daniel is bedding himself in before tackling the meat of the story.

That initial 60 page section feels very much like set up. We have the introduction of the guest cast and the peril their world is facing. We are presented with Trek standards here; a government figure (Chancellor Faber), Kirk-attracted woman/chancellor's daughter (Hannah) and cynical/slightly shadowy figure with no  doubt secrets to tell (Major Merling). In a sense Daniel has absolutely captured the feel of those original episodes just in that arrangement of people and I'm sure you can come up with at least three examples where this happened. The additional spin in Devil's Bargain is racism which is experienced initially by Spock from Merling and is coupled with the activities of the Exos terrorist group who are active on the planet. Their role within the larger arc has mixed literary results but we'll come to that in a bit. While Kirk in particular makes himself at home on Vesbius, we learn about their world and the troubles they are facing from both internal and external forces.

It is when we discover a potential solution that Devil's Bargain steps up a gear and, ironically, sends us away from the very world the Enterprise is attempting to save. The solution it has to be said is unique and I have to applaud Daniel as it becomes clearer here that while we get original series staples in the characters and, to a degree, the situations, he has gone that slight step further so we're not expecting more of the same. The reintroduction of a much loved being from the original series is definitely what makes Devil's Bargain different from the other "meteor-danger" stories from the TV series. No - I'm not going to say because it is a welcome arrival to the book when they do appear and that's part of the enjoyment.

The shame of the matter is that while this is a brilliant concept they are quite limited and I'm also not entirely at home with how their civilisation is described or naming process explained.  From their original appearance it seems that this creature has been softened a little too much and lost some of its appeal It's a personal feeling more than anything but one I became acutely aware of throughout the novel.

The release of Daniel's novel couldn't have come at a better time though as it deals with a Trek stalwart theme in the form of genetic engineering. Cue copious amounts of Khan Noonien Singh references and associations from beginning to end. Given the hankering for the possibility that Khan is part of Star Trek into Darkness, Daniel has timed it's release almost to month on month perfection. 

You're probably starting to get the feeling this isn't a TOS novel that pushed my buttons if you'll pardon the expression and admittedly you're right to some degree but it's not all doom and gloom! When we get further into the book the characters of Kirk and Spock are brilliantly written and at times my mind had slipped into 'Shatner' mode. Spock is dealt with very well and proves a vital conduit to allow communication with Vesbius' saviours. Spock, perhaps with his relationship to the "special guest star" achieves the most visibility within Devil's Bargain but while there are many twists and turns within his story, there can be no doubt where he will end up at the end of the story. What we can look for and I suspect Daniel realised this, is "how" Spock deals with situations and how he will end up at the inevitable point at the conclusion of the book. For future writers of The Original Series novels I would recommend that their writings should focus on that "how" element because there can be no doubt who will survive - after all, he's not wearing red. 

Sadly none of the other cast receive quite so much depth even though Mr Scott and McCoy do manage decent levels of page space.There are certainly some great incidents which mean  Sulu and Chekhov also get in on the action and the former even has to confront some of the racist jibes that Spock faces early on once again from Merling who seems to uniquely display this action thoughout.

Biggest gripe here? Kirk and Hannah Faber, the daughter of Vesbius' governor. Too much and much too soon. Within minutes of meeting they are locked into a deep and meaningful relationship which I find difficult to swallow as Kirk's one true love is, of course, the Enterprise. His previous marriage to Miramanee is mentioned but it not only reminds us that Kirk was at that time "Kirok" due to memory loss and that her world was also under threat from a meteor. The description of some of their encounters also seemed a little over-detailed as one of the strengths of TOS was the hint of what might have occurred and not showing/describing what did. This subtlety is lost within the relationship that develops and Hannah as a character holds no resonance for me as a reader.

While we regard Kirk as a bit of a ladies man this makes him out to be a bit of a pervert and bed jumper which will not appease long time Trek fans. Considering that, the way their love develops to the conclusion of the book seems a little cut and dry. We know that Kirk will always choose his career over a relationship so why even bother building it up when readers will potentially not believe his motivations from the start. Sadly for Hannah this dilutes her role as a senior figure within the Vesbian society and makes her incredibly two dimensional and not much more than Kirk's conquest. What does bug me is that while I can grumble about this book for a good while I still enjoyed it but would definitely not term it as an essential page turner. 

I did find it interesting but every time I want to offer praise I get drawn towards something that knocks it back again. The climax and revelations we would hunger for just don't deliver here even with our "special guest star" whom the Enterprise is dispatched to collect. The terrorist group who plague the opening sections on Vesbius are dealt with very easily and I'm actually surprised in some instances that it takes as long as it does to work out who they are.Indeed, one of the figures at the end is barely seen for the duration before he is revealed as key to  a larger part of Vesbius' story.

Pacing was another problem I just couldn't get to grips with here. It all seemed to be over too soon and with very little fuss, even down to the Kirk/Hannah relationship. With a few more pages we could have seen the finale evolve with a little more drama than I think is provided here. While not the greatest of Star Trek novels it was a pleasant diversion and, if nothing else, demonstrated that Daniel is very at home with the formula that made TOS work. If you're looking for something to fill a good few evenings and allow some reminiscing over Kirk and crew in their early days then I would say Devil's Bargain would prove an ideal candidate.

Star Trek: The Original Series: "Devil's Bargain" is available from Simon and Schuster priced £6.99; ISBN 9781476700472

Audio Frontier: Star Trek: Starfinder

When I was asked by the guys behind Star Trek: Starfinder to review their pilot episode,  "The Back of Beyond" I was filled with excitement and Fear.

While this is brand new Trek in an audio format and therefore a brilliant experiment I was terrified that saying anything which didn't involve superlatives would result in me being hunted down and fed to their pet Targ in very, very small pieces. Luckily I was reassured by writer/director George Silsby that this would not be the case - so wish me luck.

Set during the early 2400s and more significantly in the time frame populated by the Starfleet of Star Trek Online,  we are privy to the first mission of a new crew aboard the Odyssey Class starship. Starfinder. Essentially that's what this first 59 minute instalment is about; an introduction to this scifi audio experience and within it we meet an incredible array of characters who will be our guides through the evolution of the series. It's difficult to know where to start in fact as there are so many. We have an synthetic AI captain with the memories of several experienced captains to make him the ideal commander,  a Romulan first officer, a Breen security chief, an Andorian Aenar who is linked to a liberated Andorian Borg (certainly a duo my interest is peeked to see more of),  MACOs (Military Assault Command Operations) and a sprinkling of 155 Jem'Hadar accompanied by their Vorta supervisor, Alura. Alongside these diverse individuals there are a plethora of Star fleet crewmembers who help flesh out events in episode one - and one of them has a link to the shadowy Section 31. Still with me?! Good.

I've been fortunate enough to have some time to sit and listen to Starfinder uninterrupted and this is possibly one of the things that the ST:S team need to consider going forward. Running to nearly an hour is a big commitment for an audio series listener.  Lopping it down to 44 mins as per a standard TV Trek episode could be the way forward as at times it did feel as though we were getting rushed from one incident to the next to fit everything in under the one hour mark.  There are a lot of characters introduced and if you are listening to it in bits it might become quite confusing. The first fifteen minutes put us into contact with the majority of the list above and more as well as several pieces of key plot and background exposition around the ship, the mission and the crew themselves. While I thoroughly enjoyed this take on Star Trek from the beginning I felt that "The Back of Beyond" could have done with double length treatment just to allow the characters room to breathe and not feel that we're having things pointed out for the sake of them being said. 

There's a lot of chopping and changing in this hour as we meet everyone and get snippets of information about their characters that will (I hope)  be explored in episodes to come. From an action point of view this is brilliant as you really don't get the chance to be bored by anything that's happening. The one time that does stand out as some great potential for the relationships on board the Starfinder is between the Breen security chief and the MACO Trill Naveera. You can feel the hatred bubbling under and let's hope this gets a fair amount of time dedicated. However, one of the strengths that I felt TNG and DS9 handled well and could be something for the writers to develop over the course is to provide longer scenes that flesh out the crew naturally. I suspect there's a good deal of talent and enjoyment among the actors here and it would be great to see them properly chew through my headphones so to speak.

Before you worry that an audio Trek series is just going to be one long talk, don't. The Starfinder series kicks off with a number of key action sequences. There's an attack on the Starfinder as they enter the unexplored Outback and later on an away mission to an M-class planet old with less than welcoming inhabitants. These are both well handled considering this is a first attempt and you can feel a lot of work has gone into the production to ensure that we can feel the tension and suspense as events unfold. We get Tholians and Klingons as part of a two-for-one battle, again introducing us to more characters as I understand the Klingons will be returning. How their relationship with the Starfinder crew will go is yet to be seen as the two ships explore the mysterious Outback and the planets and lifeforms contained within it.

In the respect of the away mission, it seems to be over in minutes and that includes other pieces that link directly to what is happening on the surface. I would have loved to see more of this mission rather than have the crew planted straight into danger. There are a lot of different elements into this sequence and here the quick changes between involved parties does work well - but I wanted more! Have to say though, the solution dreamed up from Captain ANN-D (Artificial Neural Network version D) nicely nods the hat to one of the prior generations of Trek but I'll let you find that out for yourselves. In fact that brings me nicely to my next point.

Actually, it's a niggle.  The acting is fine and there's some white noise on the mixing but that's not what I'm here to look at. Those issues will be dealt with in time as cast and background crew become more familiar with their roles,  the script and what can be done to make a smooth audio production. However, there is a mass of character intros which just seem packed into a very short time and then we have a quickly executed mission. Perhaps with an expansion into "pilot length" and a two-part split there could have been the chance for some longer introductory sequences with less "forced" explanations of character motivations and backgrounds. Ideally the arrival at the Outback could have slotted nicely into that "cliff-hang" position as we're even told its a two week trip to get there from Deep Space Nine. Script-wise it's a good job overall and will progress as the show develops and other writers are involved - potentially I'd suggest being aware of the occasional colloquialism slipping in! 

As a secondary note I was granted access to Starfinder some first two mini-sodes and a teaser for the second episode. As things go I'll warn you that the following section is specifically about these three audio files so if you don't want to know, look away now! 

Introducing agent T'Kayla and her timeship and the half-Vulcan Sadera in the first mini-sode there's some nice referencing to a certain JJ-verse. T'Kayla's mission will undoubtedly bring her into contact with the Starfinder as it dallies with the temporal anomalies of the Outback. It's hard to review two minutes where it's a dialogue between two individuals but here we do get a nice teaser which works well in that format. The second mini-sode introduces us to Lieutenant Valor who is the deputy security chief. Nicely we get to see events from the first episode from a slightly different perspective in another part of the ship. The friction between the MACOs and the Jem'Hadar is again touched upon here so there's clearly a bigger plan in action. This is a very personal log which provides some excellent exposition of this new character - and means there's another potential story thread for us to follow if the previous mini-sode is anything to go by. I'm sure we can count on her Vulcan relationships coming into conflict with those she will have with the crew of the Starfinder. 


The trailer for episode two gives some great hints at whats to come - more Breen, more T'Kayla, more action, more conflict and more temporal happenings. So when can we get to hear this?

I'm quite excited to see where they will end up when compared back to this initial effort and all the signs point towards this being a great success because you can feel the passion for the topic from everyone involved. There is a drive to succeed and I for one will be proud to say I was there from the start of this, I suspect, epic adventure.

Episode One of Star Trek: Starfinder; "The Back of Beyond" is available for download now.