Memory Prime (Star Trek, No 42) [Mass Market Paperback]

Judith Reeves-Stevens (Author), Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1991 | Series: Star Trek (Numbered Paperback) (Book 42)

Memory Prime

It is the central core of an immense computer library -- an elite network of research planetoids. Here, the Pathfinders -- the only artificial intelligences legally permitted to serve the Federation -- control and sift the overwhelming dataflow from thousands of research vessels across the galaxy...

Now the greatest scientists in the Federation have gathered here for the prestigious Nobel and Z-Magnees prize ceremonies -- unaware that a deadly assassin is stalking one of them. And as Captain Kirk struggles to save his ship from sabotage and his first officer from accusations of murder, he discovers the hidden assassin is far from the deadliest secret lurking on Memory Prime...

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Memory Prime is the central core of an immense computer library, an entire network of research planetoids. Here, the Pathfinders, the only artificial intelligences legally permitted to serve the Federation, control and sift the overwhelming dataflow from thousands and thousands of research vessels across the galaxy.

The greatest scientists in the Federation have gathered at Memory Prime for the prestigious Nobel and Z-Magnees prize ceremonies, unaware that a deadly assassin is stalking one of them. As Captain Kirk struggles to save his ship from sabotage and his first officer from accusations of murder, he discovers the hidden assassin is far from the deadliest secret lurking on Memory Prime.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 309 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (September 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671743597
• ISBN-13: 978-0671743598
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative concept., September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Memory Prime (Star Trek, No 42) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Memory Prime" is one of those unusual Star Trek novels with a truly fresh concept--self-aware computers with their own agendas. The book is not without its flaws--Commodore Morgan's views towards the Enterprise and her crew are harsh and unrealistic--but on the whole this is a novel concept, well executed and believable.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Above average Star Trek:, November 12, 2002

By 

James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memory Prime (Star Trek, No 42) (Mass Market Paperback)

Four stars is a little high for this book, but three would definitely have been too low. The plot is interesting, if somewhat implausible; the characters are reasonably well-handled (except for Commodore Wolfe, whose handling was not particularly consistent), the writing was generally good if not spectacular. Perhaps my biggest objection is in an anachronism within the Star Trek universe: if the Federation had had to deal with the question of self-aware AIs as early as this, certainly the Next Generation episode "The Measure of the Man" would never have happened; Data would automatically have been accepted as more than a machine, without the need for a trial. Of course, this book came out at about the same time as that episode, probably a bit earlier, so one can hardly blame the authors for that fact; still, "Next Gen" was already a year into its run when this book was published, and clearly ALL of the questions raised by Data's existence (to say nothing of Voyager's EMH, who WASN'T part of the canon yet, but who even more poorly fits into a timeline in which this book is placed) would have long since been answered were this book to be considered canonical. So clearly, it must be considered one of the many Star Trek novels to exist in some nearly-parallel universe, rather than the "real" Trek universe.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Star Trek aside, it's still a good sci-fi novel., October 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Memory Prime (Star Trek, No 42) (Mass Market Paperback)

Memory Prime is one of the better Star Trek novels. Even if you're not a Star Trek enthusiast, you'll still like the tense, well-written plot, supported by character development that stands on its own and enough background for someone unfamiliar with the series but not too much for a die-hard fan. If this book didn't have the Star Trek name behind it, it would still be a worthwhile sci-fi read. The only flaw is that the plot development is at times aggravatingly slow, although there is plenty of action and excitement to balance this out. Memory Prime will appeal to most sci-fi fans; it's definitely worth reading. Other Star Trek readers: if you liked The Vulcan Academy Murders or The IDIC Empidemic, this is the book for you.