Customer Reviews

Star Trek 10

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My interest in the adapatations of the episodes of the original Star Trek series by James Blish largely rises and falls with my opinion of the episodes. Unfortunately, this book contains adaptations of what I consider the two worst episodes in the series. "The Alternative Factor" where the Enterprise crew encounters two versions of Lazarus, one mad and the other fighting the madman, is in my opinion the worst episode. It is foolish, scientifically inaccurate and requires Kirk and his senior officers to be stupid.

"The Omega Glory" is a very simple-minded attempt to transfer the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union to another planet. The idea that there would be another planet with a nation with the same constitution, pledge of allegiance and flag as the United States is ridiculous beyond words. I consider it the second worst episode of the entire series.

The complete list of episodes adapted in this book is:

*) The Alternative Factor

*) The Empath

*) The Galileo Seven

*) Is There in Truth No Beauty?

*) A Private Little War

*) The Omega Glory

My ranking of "The Empath" is only slightly higher than what I give the other two already mentioned, so Blish had very little to work with in this book.

While Blish does succeed in making the stories somewhat interesting, the lack of initial material means that this book was most likely doomed from the start.

This is one of 12 books that adapt the original Star Trek TV episodes from 1966 to 1968. James Blish wrote these adaptations in the late 1960's and early 1970's and they have been re-released multiple times since then. In some cases Blish was not even using the final televised script, but basing the stories on earlier versions provided to him by Paramount. This impacts the quality of the adaptations, especially in the early books. In addition, reading these is somewhat like reading a Condensed Book, (There are 6 to 10 episodes per book).

Another challenge for those expecting accurate adaptations is that in those days, continuity was not a high priority, especially among Licencing people. Today, Star Treks fans and casual readers alike, would express outrage at such inconsistencies, and Paramount's licencing department would be alot more concerned about top quality. So remember, these books came out almost 30 years ago.

I read them the first time around, and over the years have reread specific episodes when the situation arose. I was never totally satisfied, but resigned myself to the fact that they were all that was available. Today, I find them lacking even more. After reading recent adaptations, for example, the Next Generation's TV episode "Unification", or even earlier ones such as Alan Dean Foster's work on the Logs, I am a firm believer that detailed, accuate, and well-written adaptations of the TV episodes can be written that would be satifactory to the fans.

The big question is "if?". The chances are slim to none that we will ever see new adaptations. The economics just are not there. Bantam, (nor any other publisher for that matter), would not undertake such a thing when they can just re-release these every few years. In addition, with the interest in classic Trek having peaked a couple of years back, along with the proliferation of so many new novels, the sales potential is just NOT there.

Therefore, if you want to read novelized versions of the original TV episodes, then BUY THESE and ENJOY. But keep dreaming "What if?".

Star Trek 10 consists of six fascinating episodes from the original TV show. In this book, Spock will go insane, Kirk discovers an empath, and more. This book is great for any fan of the TV show.

This is one of 12 books that adapt the original Star Trek TV episodes from 1966 to 1968. James Blish wrote these adaptations in the late 1960's and early 1970's and they have been re-released multiple times since then. In some cases Blish was not even using the final televised script, but basing them on earlier releases provided to him by Paramount. This impacts the quality of the adaptations, especially in the early books. In addition, these are somewhat like reading a Condensed Book, (8 to 10 episodes per book).

Another challenge for those expecting accurate adaptations is that in those days,close continuity was not a high priority, especially Licencing people. Today, Star Treks fans and casual readers alike, would express outrage at such inconsistencies, and Paramount's licencing department would be alot more concerned about top quality. So remember, these books came out almost 30 years ago.

I read them the first time around, and over the years have reread specific episodes when the situation arose. I was never totally satisfied, but resigned myself to the fact that they were all that was available.

Today, I find them lacking even more. After reading recent adaptations, for example, the Next Generation's TV episode "Unification", or even earlier ones such as Alan Dean Foster's work on the Logs, I am a firm believer that detailed, accuate, and well-written adaptations of the TV episodes could be written that would be satifactory to the fans.

The big question is "if?". The chances are slim to none that we would ever see new adaptations. The economics just are not there. Bantam, nor any other publisher for that matter, would not undertake such a thing when they can just re-release these every few years. In addition, with the interest in classic Trek having peaked a couple of years back, along with the proliferation of so many new novels, the sales potential is just not there.

Therefore, if you want to read novelized versions of the original episodes, then buy these and enjoy. But keep dreaming "What if?".

My interest in the adapatations of the episodes of the original Star Trek series by James Blish largely rises and falls with my opinion of the episodes. Unfortunately, this book contains adaptations of what I consider the two worst episodes in the series. "The Alternative Factor" where the Enterprise crew encounters two versions of Lazarus, one mad and the other fighting the madman, is in my opinion the worst episode. It is foolish, scientifically inaccurate and requires Kirk and his senior officers to be stupid.

"The Omega Glory" is a very simple-minded attempt to transfer the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union to another planet. The idea that there would be another planet with a nation with the same constitution, pledge of allegiance and flag as the United States is ridiculous beyond words. I consider it the second worst episode of the entire series.

The complete list of episodes adapted in this book is:

*) The Alternative Factor

*) The Empath

*) The Galileo Seven

*) Is There in Truth No Beauty?

*) A Private Little War

*) The Omega Glory

My ranking of "The Empath" is only slightly higher than what I give the other two already mentioned, so Blish had very little to work with in this book.

While Blish does succeed in making the stories somewhat interesting, the lack of initial material means that this book was most likely doomed from the start.

First published in 1974, these short stories are Blish's adaptations of the screenplays of various episodes from the original series. The episodes aren't sorted into books according to either chronological order or identity of screenwriter.

"The Alternative Factor" (episode 21, season 1, screenplay Don Ingalls). Personally, I always think of this episode as 'What of Lazarus?', one of Kirk's final lines. While surveying an uninhabited planet, ENTERPRISE experiences the first of a series of tremendous disturbances, during which apparently everything in existence *ceases* to exist for an instant - and in which Lazarus, a human-appearing alien, appears on the planet. He claims to be pursuing a great evil, although nothing else seems to be around. After he's taken to ENTERPRISE's sickbay, the truth begins to emerge: that there are two apparently identical Lazaruses, one each from a different universe; that one is insane, wanting only to destroy the other; that if they ever meet in either universe, both universes will be destroyed; and that a meeting seems inevitable. Despite the ENTERPRISE's help, the real hero of this story is Lazarus - one of them, at least.

"The Empath" (episode 63, season 3, screenplay Joyce Muskat) ENTERPRISE arrives in the Minaran system to retrieve a research team before the star goes nova; stellar activity forces the ship to leave the away team - Kirk, Spock, McCoy - alone on planet for a time. Except that they're not alone: a previously unknown superpower race, the Vians, have arranged a meeting between the away team and a mute empath, whom McCoy names 'Gem', who can heal with a touch - although she herself must experience the injuries to do so. The away team learns that the researchers have been tortured to death by the Vians for some reason connected with Gem - but the Vians appear detached rather than sadistic, so something more is obviously going on, as the Vians shift their focus to the ENTERPRISE team.

"The Galileo Seven" (episode 14, season 1, screenplay Simon Wincelberg and Oliver Crawford; the latter contributed to "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" and "The Cloud Minders"). An episode designed to reveal character, along the lines of "The Naked Time". The situation: Spock is dispatched with a crew of 6 - including Scotty - aboard the shuttlecraft GALILEO to comply with a standing order to investigate quasar-like phenomena to avoid delaying ENTERPRISE's urgent assignment to deliver medical supplies. A combination of factors brings about the crash of the GALILEO on an uninhabited planet while simultaneously causing ENTERPRISE to lose contact, so the GALILEO's crew with their limited resources must scramble to ensure rescue before ENTERPRISE is forced to leave the area on its medical mission - awaiting the ship's return might be a fatal delay.

"Is There in Truth No Beauty?" (episode 62, season 3, screenplay Jean Lisette Aroeste; see also "All Our Yesterdays"). ENTERPRISE is to transport Medusan ambassador Kollos, his human companion Dr. Miranda Jones, and Marwick, one of ENTERPRISE's designers, to the Medusan home planet. While humans ordinarily cannot bear the unshielded sight of a Medusan, Vulcans - and the Vulcan-trained telepath Dr. Jones - can. Dr. Jones' personal issues come from other sources: jealousy that Spock might potentially be more effective than she at contact with Kollos, and a realization that someone at the ENTERPRISE's formal reception harbours murderous thoughts toward Kollos. A mystery hidden in plain sight, unusual for STAR TREK.

"A Private Little War" (episode 45, season 2, screenplay Don Ingalls and Gene Roddenberry) One of the sleazy little conflicts between the Klingons and the Federation that, taking place through 3rd parties, manages to avoid breaking the letter of the Organian Peace Treaty. Revisiting a low-technology planet he first encountered as a young lieutenant aboard the FARRAGUT, Kirk finds that his old friend Tyree has married Nona, a Kahn-Ut-Tu woman of power and risen to lead his tribe - and that their traditional enemies have acquired superior weaponry from the Klingons, in the form of primitive firearms. Several issues: Nona is ambitious, and very clever both at manipulating others and at acquiring information without losing her mystique. Tyree, peaceful at heart, resists some of her plans, but is largely under Nona's control.

"The Omega Glory" (episode #54, next-to-last of season 2, screenplay Gene Roddenberry). Some similarities to "Miri" (1st season), as ENTERPRISE learns that the crew of the EXETER have all died of a peculiar condition picked up on Omega IV - all except the landing party who remained on planet - and that the crew members who beamed aboard EXETER are now also faced with a choice between death and exile on Omega IV if no cure can be found. Ron Tracey, EXETER's captain, survived - and noting the unusual longevity of the inhabitants of Omega IV, has deduced that the disease naturally prolongs life. Some interesting violations of the Prime Directive occur, as Tracey succumbs to temptation - but he lives to regret underestimating the inhabitants of Omega IV. Interesting points, although encumbered with unnecessary parallel-Earth syndrome.