Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Star Trek (1993), 242 pages
Description
At an important diplomatic reception, Captain Kirk learns that Federation, Klingon, and Romulan vessels have been mysteriously vanishing without a trace, and he is determined to find out why.
User reviews
LibraryThing member eclecticlibrarian
This was your typical Trek story, but Gilden's characterizations weren’t particularly compelling. Mainly told from Kirk’s perspective, there were several rabbit holes that seemed to go nowhere, in addition to some of Kirk’s behavior being slightly out of character.
The hard science fiction
The hard science fiction
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aspect of the Aleph plot device was, at least, interesting. Much more so than the villain’s fixation on 19th and 20th century European and American classic literature or one of the minor character’s obsession with the American Old West. C’mon, Gilden — your ethno-centric roots are showing! For all the aliens and cultures on Star Trek, there is a disproportionate number of stories with references to American or European modern (to the reader) history. Show Less
LibraryThing member Chris177
Starships are disappearing and Federation, Klingon and Romulan tensions are running high. Can the crew of the USS Enterprise solve this mystery before war breaks out? That is the question that faces Captain Kirk. But matters turn for the worse as the Enterprise herself becomes one of the missing
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ships. Kirk and crew battle the unknown, along with altered races and a mad man with enhanced weapons while stymied by Federation politics. Show Less
LibraryThing member MacDad
Soon after arriving at a starbase for some much-needed shore leave, the U.S.S. Enterprise is ordered to Pegasus IV to pick up Conrad Franklin Kent, a member of the Federation Council with a pronounced bias against Starfleet and an eye on the Federation presidency. Once aboard, Kent orders James
Like most Star Trek novels, Mel Gilden's book is one offers a mix of strengths and weaknesses that reflect the author. In it's favor is a plot that, while rich in a number of elements, nevertheless moves along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of character development, which is particularly unfortunate given the prominence of the new ones Gilden introduces to his story. This is especially true in terms of his antagonists, who come across more as caricatures of standard Star Trek archetypes than as nuanced creations. This tends to sap the plot of much of its tension, as like most two-dimensional cutouts they exist mainly to be knocked down by the Enterprise team. Nor does it help that the threat itself is strangely muted (seriously, how does the captain of a Federation starship not know that ships are disappearing from his sector? Even if it's being hushed up one would think it there would be widespread Starfleet scuttlebutt over friends and classmates going MIA), and in the end less of a danger to be overcome than a puzzle to be solved. While it still makes for an entertaining enough read, the overall result is not one of the most memorable contributions to the Pocket Books series of Star Trek novels.
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Kirk to take him to Starbase 12, where they are to participate in the testing of a new shielding system devised by Professor Omen, the Federation's foremost weapons designer. While there Kirk learns of the disappearance of a number of warships — Federation, Klingon, and Romulan — from the sector, which he soon discovers is part of an ambitious plot to end conflict throughout the galaxy, no matter what the cost.Like most Star Trek novels, Mel Gilden's book is one offers a mix of strengths and weaknesses that reflect the author. In it's favor is a plot that, while rich in a number of elements, nevertheless moves along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of character development, which is particularly unfortunate given the prominence of the new ones Gilden introduces to his story. This is especially true in terms of his antagonists, who come across more as caricatures of standard Star Trek archetypes than as nuanced creations. This tends to sap the plot of much of its tension, as like most two-dimensional cutouts they exist mainly to be knocked down by the Enterprise team. Nor does it help that the threat itself is strangely muted (seriously, how does the captain of a Federation starship not know that ships are disappearing from his sector? Even if it's being hushed up one would think it there would be widespread Starfleet scuttlebutt over friends and classmates going MIA), and in the end less of a danger to be overcome than a puzzle to be solved. While it still makes for an entertaining enough read, the overall result is not one of the most memorable contributions to the Pocket Books series of Star Trek novels.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993-04
Physical description
242 p.; 6.74 inches
ISBN
0671793241 / 9780671793241