Customer Reviews

Crucible: Spock--The Fire and the Rose (Star Trek (Unnumbered Paperback))

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read more than my fair share of Pocket Book's Star Trek novels over the years. They're not great literature, but they're not intended to be. They're a nice way to revisit the universe of Trek and enjoy a new adventure of whatever crew is featured in the novel I've picked up.

Last year, the granddaddy of them all, classic Star Trek celebrated its 40th anniversary. Without any series on tv and no prospect for a feature film, for the first time in 20 years we had no on-screen celebration of all things Star Trek. Instead, this honor was turned over to the line of novels.

The centerpiece of the celebration was a new trilogy of novels, focused on the big three from the original series: Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The first novel in the series focused on McCoy and was one of the best Star Trek novels I've read in years.

One of the great things author David R. George III has done is he's made these novel focus only on continuity established in adventures we've seen on-screen. I love the Star Trek novels but of late they've become too self-referencing and intertwined at times to the point I feel as though I'm missing some of the party becuase I haven't made detailed notes of the minor character for the novels who appeared three years ago and we're just not bringing back to center stage. George makes a good choice making these books more accessible to the more casual Star Trek fan and maybe even the impulsive buy reader who just wants to revisit the Trek universe.

The novels all feature a crucial crosspoint in the lives of our heroes--the classic episode "City on the Edge of Forever." The first two novels in the series focused on the characters lives leading up to the events portrayed there and then how it affected them across the rest of their life's journey. McCoy's story was compelling because George chose to follow two time-lines and parallel how McCoy's life went following the events of "City." With Spock's story, it all takes place in one central timeline, but two eras of Spock's life--the events leading up and including
the death of Edith Keeler in "City" and the later movie-era Spock who has to deal with the consequences of the choices he made there, as well as other choices he's made involving traveling in time and altering history.

Which brings me to the part of the novel that frustrated me most--George falls into the trap of assuming we've never seen "City on the Edge of Forever" and so for the first two-thirds of the book, we're stuck with flashbacks that are a re-telling of this pivotal story. He does fill in a few things and expand the storyline a bit, but it feels like so much filler as wait for the revelation of just what it is that is bothering Spock so much. The first two-thirds or so of the book set up the events of what happened and how it changed Spock, maybe not for the better. It's also the hardest part of the book to get through because you keep waiting for something to happen and it just never does.

At least not until the last third of the book when George's premise kicks in and the book takes a turn for the better. We learn how his actions in "City" and other time travel episodes and stories (the animated series story "Yesteryear" is essential to this story) lead Spock to an crisis of his personal ethics and conscience. When we get to this part of the story, the book hums along and I feel as though George is finally tilling some new soil in the Star Trek universe. The last third of this book rescues the story from being just a rather pedestrian Star Trek novel and puts it almost on-par with the McCoy segment as one of the better Trek novels in recent memory.

One of the interesting things between both novels is the way Kirk is presented as an engima, even to his cloest friends. He's distant and while they are close, you get the feeling that neither McCoy or Spock really understand Kirk and at times feel distant and as if they don't really know the captain. It should make the final segment of this trilogy, which focuses on Kirk that much more interesting when it comes out next month.

It is hard to write a useful review without giving away some of the book but I am going to try. David George has a sure winner here. This story of Spock is like a finely woven tapestry. It is a fine wine to be enjoyed and savored. David Georges characterizations of our familiar players are dead on accurate. This story is a very introspective look at Spock. I thought it would move slowly but I didnt find that to be the case at all. We see a more detailed take on City on the Edge of Forever and the effects it has on Spock over the years. The author is faithful to screen Trek in this book. I like the references to various characters from Star Trek that are woven into parts of this tale. A warning -- This book is so good be prepared to read it in one sitting, its almost impossible to put down. So if you dont have this book and have just finished reading my review get up and go to the store and buy this novel--buy two or three and give them to friends. Its a sure fire winner

The three Crucible books present the story of the Hugo-winning TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (in which Edith Keeler is killed) in three new ways, incorporating ideas about time travel that were developed in Star Trekiana years after this episode was aired. The main character in each book (in this book, of course, Spock) experiences this adventure they share in different ways, and for each it becomes a central (if not THE central) event among their many life experiences which simultaneously shapes, defines, and expresses the character of the individual. The story is expanded in ways that might have been inconceivable at the time the original episode was written. If you love the TOS characters as much as I do and if you enjoy what I can only term psychological fiction, then you will truly enjoy all three of these books -- but I don't think any one of these books is truly meaningful without the other two.

I enjoyed the flashbacks to earlier storylines. The ending was predictable and I would have enjoyed reading Spock's reaction to meeting Kirk again. Over-all feeling was that it was a wonderful idea (the crucible) but it floundered somewhere along the way.

In a single moment of foolishness, I went ahead and got this book despite my dissatisfaction with the first Crucible book. This trilogy was meant to celebrate the 40 th Anniversary of the Original Series, and to show us aspects of the main characters that had not become apparent despite that length of time. So far, the author is 0 for 2. Unlike the first book, the author does not portray Spock incorrectly. He barely portrays Spock at all. The book is split between two story lines, one Spock in the TV episode The City on the Edge of Forever, and the other following the (apparent) death of Jim Kirk at the start of the movie Generations. So far as I can tell, the author adds nothing to the TV episode's story. There are almost no scenes that the author added, there is certainly no more depth. It only serves as an extremely long-winded way of showing the origins of the problems confronting Spock in the second story line. That second story is about Spock going through an emotional breakdown ... or so we are told. The effects on Spock are rarely described, or shown in his behaviour or his speech. We are simply told he is feeling this or that emotion. There is no emotional depth to a story supposed to be all about rampant emotion. And that is all there is to this book. The first book at least had events going on outside of McCoy's own life, in both of its storylines. In this book, the author didn't even bother with that.

I regret buying this book. I do not regret reading it, because, if one considers boredom a mental rather than emotional state, this book raised no emotions in me whatsoever. Amazon has new reprints of old Star Trek books available. Spend your money on those, which were written back in times when Trek writers considered entertaining their audience to matter.

"Crucible: Spock" is Part Two of a trilogy, and looking almost as chunky as its giant predecessor, ("Crucible: McCoy"). Although a "mere" 390 pages, this was another thoroughly enjoyable read.

This time, the events stretch from the second "Star Trek" pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", and spends quite a bit of time delving into new scenes to complement several crucial time travel episodes: the death of Kirk's love, Edith Keeler, in "The City on the Edge of Forever"; the story of young Spock's practice-run of his kahs-wan ordeal in the animated episode, "Yesteryear"; and the retrieval of humpback whales in ST IV. All three were highly popular adventures in their day, the events of which took their toll on poor ol' emotion-suppressing Spock.

We learn in this volume that Spock carries a deep and secret pain. While he saved his mother's and his own lives in "Yesteryear", via time travel, and saved the whole Earth in ST IV, again via time travel, Spock had previously chosen not to lend a hand to his best friend, Kirk, when they discovered that Edith had to die to enable them to rebuild the timeline. Although it's not spelled out, you do find yourself wondering if Edith could have been brought through time, as marine biologist Gillian Taylor (ST IV) had been, if only Spock's logic was not clouded by emotion. (Or vice versa.)

The book takes Spock beyond ST VI, through his new career as a diplomat, a new love affair - and the tragic "death" of Kirk in "Generations". Spock also makes a second attempt to eradicate his emotions with the Kolinahr discipline, which he first tried - and failed - to do in ST:TMP... until Vejur, a gigantic sentient machine, made mental contact with him from deep space.

Many times I found myself deliberately reading slower, as if I was trying to make the book last longer. David George also has a knack of having his characters mull over certain facts at irregular intervals, sometimes making different observations each time, and I found it a very realistic exploration of people with deep problems. Problems that have no easy resolution. I was also often quite aware of how the story had been constructed - but I don't say this as a criticism. Mr George was retreading old ground with this book - ST stories we knew so well, and also he was essentially retelling aspects of the recent "McCoy" volume - so it was fascinating - to steal a Spock term - to predict what elements of the ST tapestry were about to be woven into the mystery.

Again, the "Crucible" trilogy purposely works within its own continuity, as regarding other ST novels, but it still leaves some wriggle room - and sets up parameters - for events that won't occur until later: the novels featuring the courtship and marriage of Spock and Saavik; and Spock's attempts to reunify Vulcan and Romulus in "Unification (TNG).

And, once again, Filmation's animated ST series of the 70s (TAS) is well represented in some great references: Paul Bates is back, but this time so is Loom Aleek-Om the Aurelian, Jan Grey the historian, Thelin the Andorian, Erikson, Arex, Dawson Walking Bear, Carver, Gabler, Questar M17, the Terratins (and Verdanis and Cepheus), a Pandronian artist, Governor Bob Wesley (and Mantilles), I-Chaya the sehlat , the le-matya , life-support belts, Lunaport, Shi'Kahr, Vulcan's Forge and the L-Langon Mountains, young Spock's Cousin Selek and his Tasmeen visit, and even a rare mention of the kzinti Treaty of Sirius. Wow, thanks David George!

Now I can't wait for the upcoming "Kirk" instalment...

In his introduction to this book, David R. George III writes that he trashed his original plot for this book-I wish he hadn't as it could only have been better than what he produced. This book is totally inconsistent with the character of Spock as portrayed in the post-series movies. This plot is unbelivable to the point of insulting: we are expected to believe that Spock, who has certainly faced his share of sorrow and passed with flying colors, would be so unhinged by the death of Kirk that he would again seek to purge his emotions through Kolinar and that his Vulcan teachers would encourage such a cowardly motive. The ending was simplistic and equally insulting. (By the way, those wishing to read a more believable and rewarding account of the death of Amanda should read "Sarek" by A.C. Crispin.) The only positive aspect of the book is that character of Alexandra and Spock's romance with her but only a few pages are given to this part of Spock's life, as opposed to the rich characterization of McCoy's love interest in the previous, much superior book. One receives the impression that Mr. George had little passion for this character and only sought to get his second book out of the way in order to move on the third; however, I was so displeased with this book that I refuse to read the third. Rewrite, Mr. George-rewrite! I can't believe that this shoddy piece of work made it past your editor's desk!

As an avid Trekkie who has been intrigued by Mr. Spock, I've often wondered what happened to him after his last appearance on the Star Trek: Next Generation episode: "Reunification". This book also works from the common thread based on the Original Series episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever". It appears that the events that took place at the Guardian of Forever impacted Mr. Spock more than observers had realized. This tale also contains references to various TV episodes, both Original and Next Gen, as well as to the movies where Mr. Spock has appeared, (not counting the upcoming new movie due out in 2009). This tale also gives additional insight into Mr. Spock's homeworld, which I found gratifying.

I bought all 3 of the trilogy, read them in order back to back. I must say this second one was slightly disappointing. I feel I've known Spock for 40+ years, but I hardly recognised him here. One thing that bothered me was Spock's use of contractions. I don't think I''d seen that before anywhere. This book deals almost exclusively with his pursuit of ridding himself of emotion. Then there's an illogical ending kind of tacked on. Mr George is an excellent story teller as witnessed in the first book (McCoy). Where the first was a 5* plus this is only a 3*.

The "Crucible: McCoy" book was so exceptional that I had high expectations coming into this book. It failed to live up to those high expectations. It was a good story, well told, but didn't seem to me to demonstrate nearly the insight into the character of Spock that the previous book demonstrated into the character of McCoy. I found a great many of the "revelations" about Spock's life to be rather dubious; I simply don't accept the fact that Spock was unaware that his father never completed the Kolinahr; it was not, in fact, a standard practice for a vulcan to do so, and those who did did not, in fact, generally return to society, but remained with the masters forever after. I also disbelieve that Spock married a human or adopted a human daughter; had he done so, for one thing, I suspect that something would have been mentioned in "Next Generation" when Picard encountered Sarek, his second wife, and Spock. Nor do I believe that Spock would ever have returned for a second try at the Kolinahr, or if he had, that he'd have succeeded, or if he had, that he'd then ever have wanted to undo the process. For what it's worth, I'm just barely willing to accept the possibility that, if he ever did get through all of those improbabilities, he WOULD have been able to succeed in the manner described in doing so, but I just don't believe that he'd ever have gotten to that point in the first place. So all in all, I find this a particularly implausible story, and that more than somewhat offsets the fact that it's well-written.