Customer Reviews

Star Trek: The Original Series: Ex Machina

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In recent years, Pocket Books has moved away from just telling stand-alone stories in their Star Trek novels. Instead, they've moved more toward bridging gaps between series and/or movies (The Lost Era), continuing the saga on the printed page (DS9 relaunch) or just expanding the already rich Star Trek universe in new and interesting ways (New Frontier).

And every once in a while, there is a novel that gets the best of all those possible worlds.

Christopher L. Bennett (no relation to Harve Bennett, he tells us) does that with his first published novel, Ex Machina. The story is a sequel to the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and also revists characters and events from Star Trek's third season episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky." But don't think the references end there--Bennett peppers his novel with homages galore to the animated Star Trek, the entire original series run and many of the best Trek novels published over the years. But don't worry if you're not a devoted Trek fan who will "get" every reference. Bennett slips them the references in a non-invasive way--if you get them, it only adds depth to the great story being told. If you don't, you aren't missing any great details. (One of my favorites is when Bennett has Chekov wonder about a security force composed of telepaths...an homage to Walter Koenig's character on Babylon Five).

But fan-friendly references mean little if there isn't a good story to go with it. And there's a good one here. Kirk and company are called to revisit the world first seen in "For the World Is Hollow..." and many of the characters there. One of the themes of the orignal series was Kirk taking on computers--usually those keeping a society of growing or interfering somehow. Kirk would generally overthrow the computer control and then warp off into space. This novel deals with the after effects of those actions in an intersting, meaningful way. The novel also plays a lot with the reputation Kirk has gained not only in Starfleet but on some of the worlds he's visited--for good and bad.

The storyline also sees Spock, McCoy and the rest of the Enterprise crew dealing with the aftermath of the events in The Motion Picture. Ex Machina isn't a sequel so much as it's a contiuation of the events begun on TMP. And it's definitely worth the trip.

And that's what makes the novel such a pleasure to read--Bennett's take on the characters. He gets all of the original crew right, in the place in their lives they are. Seeing Spock struggle with emotions, Kirk with his role in taking back command of the Enterprise and McCoy in trying to find his place on the ship--all of it works extremely well. Not only that, but Bennett introduces us to some original creations of his own along the way.

In short, this novel is an enjoyable read. As you read it, you may be stunned that a novel this assured and thought-provoking can come from a first-time author. If this is Bennett's debut, I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

"Ex Machina" is a Star Trek novel that finally salutes TMP's alien races with gusto. In fact, this novel is the "TMP Episode #2" I've been waiting for... for 25 years.

Christopher L Bennett 's excellent, fast-paced novel is a highly effective sequel to TMP (and its novelization), and also the poetically-titled episode "For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky". Christopher continues numerous character arcs from TMP (Kirk's guilt and self-doubt; Spock's epiphany about emotions; McCoy's future in Starfleet; even Decker and Ilia's sacrifice) and cleverly links them to important, unfinished business about Natira and the Fabrini (TOS). In addition, the author affectionately continues storylines for Chapel, Uhura, Sulu, Scott, Chekov and Rand, whose aspirations are all barely touched upon in TMP, in ways that are "spot on" and highly logical. Then we learn a little more about Chief DiFalco (TMP), the late Lori Ciana (TMP novelization and "The Lost Years" saga), and even excitable Mr Lindstrom, whom we last saw cleaning up the mess on Landru's planet (TOS). Rounding out the "Ex Machina" cast, we meet almost all of TMP's aliens through individual members recruited to the refitted USS Enterprise by Uhura (just as her counterpart Nichelle Nichols did for NASA) and the late Captain Willard Decker.

"Ex Machina" is a page-turner of a novel. Now, maybe I'm biased, but every time Christopher started to do several entertaining paragraphs about the Rhaandarites, or the Saurians, the Megarites, the Betelgeusians, or the Zaranites (based, often, on a single, sometimes-bizarre line or two of descriptive text originally written by the movie's costume designer for TMP's publicity and production notes), I was well and truly hooked, and happy to be reeled in. Various ST comic book lines over the years have sometimes paid visual homage to the odd TMP alien, but they've constantly been overlooked by the ST novels, barring the occasional mention of a Saurian. But Christopher is most generous in the time he spends developing each race, creating some memorable lower decks and bridge characters to populate the Enterprise. *Spring Rain Upon Still Water* the Megarite is a beautiful character, even if she is perhaps TMPs "ugliest" rubber-faced alien. (Doesn't sound very IRIC of me, does it?) Christopher even utilizes Worene, the unique wolfish alien created by actress and stuntwoman Paula Crist (who was barely visible in the rec deck scene of TMP), and he does so to great effectiveness. (Finally, Worene's species has a name; she's an Aulacri!)

While I often found myself thinking that "Ex Machina" was a novel I should have written myself, I also acknowledge that Christopher is masterfully efficient in his worldbuilding, particularly his explanations for the whys and wherefores of Rhaandarites, Megarites, Betelgeusians and Zaranites. I'm so very pleased with the ideas he has extrapolated about these aliens. Surely, hopefully, Christopher's worldbuilding in this novel will inspire other Pocket ST authors to make full use of Rhaandarites, Saurians, Megarites, 'Geusians, Zaranites, Aulacri, Arcturians, K'normians and turtle-like Rigellians in other ST novels.

I never spent a lot of time pondering the background and themes of "For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky", but Christopher expertly unpeels so many layers from the Fabrini story, developing a believable alien race who went on an incredible journey. He reminds us most vividly how history is written by the victors, and that all written history is open to multiple interpretations. Several senseless terrorist acts in the novel also ring too close to the bone for comfort, due to recent world events in the 21st century.

Christopher hasn't forgotten the science aspect of this science fiction novel, either. I was reminded very much of David Gerrold's body of SF work. No doubt Gerrold was an inspiration, especially since a character in "Ex Machina" is clearly based on the "character" played as a fan extra in TMP.

Now that we finally have Episode #2 of "Star Trek Phase II: Beyond TMP", dare I ask how long we have to wait for Episode #3? And can Christopher write it please?

Ex Machina is Star Trek for Star Trek lovers. This is, quite simply, the best work of its kind written by a true fan-someone who knows and loves Star Trek.

From the very beginning, it is obvious that author Christopher L. Bennett has thought through his work. He has thought through the character motivations, the unstated aspects of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", and the rich potential of Star Trek's history. On a personal note, I love the fact that somebody else finds "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as remarkable a film as I did. The first Star Trek movie is often panned as boring or too intellectual. Chris Bennett plainly agrees with me that "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is a work of great depth and breadth; and I am pleased to report that Bennett lives up to this commitment to quality in Star Trek with his own commitment to the characters, the plot, and the world of Star Trek in Ex Machina.

Chris Bennett looks beneath the surface of things in Ex Machina, and there is where he shows us the rich detail of Star Trek. He shows us a James T. Kirk who is thoughtful and reflective. Kirk is troubled by the manner in which he reclaimed the center seat of Enterprise. He becomes troubled by the seeming success he enjoyed on so many occasions throughout the original Star Trek series. The admiral begins to consider the idea that his whirlwind involvement with many new cultures and many and diverse dilemma do not reflect a mature commitment to problem solving. Indeed, the focus of the story is the return of a problem he once felt solved-the fate of the great asteroid ship Yonada and her people now that the ark has reached its destination and the Oracle has been silenced. Kirk questions the wisdom of his in-and-out involvement with Yonada and other cultures, wherein he caused great upheaval but gave modest consideration to long-term solutions. This theme seems especially appropriate for the English speaking world, given our current situation in Iraq.

Bennett gives great attention to Spock's post-V'Ger mindset. I suspect that like me he noticed some things had happened with Spock's character between "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan". The emotional aspect of himself that Spock finally seems to find acceptable in his sickbed following his mind meld with V'Ger has become an integral part of his behavior by the start of "The Wrath of Khan." Bennett clearly wanted to fill the gap, and he succeeds admirably. We see that Spock faces some of the problems of the adolescent in that he must grapple with sometimes-overwhelming bursts of feeling; unlike most adolescents, Spock is committed to fully understanding what is happening to him. Bennett plays this journey-or at least the beginning of it-out in a laudable fashion.

McCoy gets some attention, too. Bennett shows us a reflective man who is plagued by doubts about his return to Starfleet medicine and his own role in the Yonada venture. Interestingly, Bennett chooses to turn the usual banter between Spock and McCoy on its ear: Spock struggles to embrace his emotions in a constructive fashion, while McCoy wonders if his have done him good service. All very good stuff by a man who clearly loves and understands Star Trek.

We see some very Roddenbury-esque narrative regarding other species as well. Bennett shows us an Enterprise that is highly integrated with non-humans, courtesy of Will Decker's determination to use diversity as a strength. Bennett gives us some non-human characters whose cultural biases and internal conflicts are well-considered. He even goes so far as to acknowledge that these beings are unusual for their species in that they have left their home worlds and are serving aboard ships that are principally human. Again, the narrative reflects a commitment to Star Trek ideals of thoughtfulness, careful consideration, and the embrasure of the diverse through understanding.

The author also gives a whole new dimension to the story of the asteroid ark Yonada. Bennett delves into the history of the ship over its ten thousand year journey and, instead of trying to create a static environment, shows us a culture that has evolved into to form we see in "Star Trek: The Original Series". As with so much else in this book, Bennett has invested considerable thought and energy into imagining a rational, realistic series of events and sociology that lead to the final product of Yonadi society encountered by Kirk & Co.

Bennett even gives consideration to many of the details that are under-the-hood issues for most other Star Trek authors. He addresses the nomenclature of slower-than-light travel and some of the details of alien physiology. Everywhere throughout Ex Machina are such tidbits.

Ex Machina truly is Star Trek for Star Trek lovers. Chris Bennett can be proud of a job very well done indeed. Instead of trying to sloppily break new ground as so many Star Trek authors do, Bennett shows us the richness that already is. He finds treasure in exploring the wonderful characters portrayed in the original series and the first movie, and he gives us a Star Trek triumph in print. I eagerly await Bennett's new work.

Webstral

"Ex Machina" is one of the best Star Trek books I have read in a very long time. Christopher L. Bennett sets the time frame of this book within the relatively untouched area of time after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and before the events in Star Trek: The Wrath Of Kahn. Along with (finally) finding out what really happened to the V'Ger/Willard Decker/Ilia life form, Mr. Bennett also shows us what became of the Fabrini race of the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky". Mr. Bennett really knows his obscure Star Trek alien species, as well. Megarites, Betelguesians, Zaranites, Rhaandarites, Rigellians, Saurians, etc., all have sizeable and important roles in this novel (these aliens were only seen - blink and you'll miss them - in ST: TMP and Star Trek: The Voyage Home). You may want to brush up on your Star Trek: TOS episodic history a bit, for Mr. Bennett mentions events/characters that have been featured in many other Star Trek: TOS episodes. You may also want to consult the Star Trek: TOS novel series "The Lost Years" (especially the novel "A Flag Full of Stars") for characters/events mentioned in this book, as well. It is too bad that authors like Mr. Bennett are not writing for the latest incarnation in the ever-expanding Star Trek universe, Star Trek: Enterprise - Mr. Bennett could really take the Star Trek franchise to new creative heights.

Christopher Bennett's "Ex Machina (Star Trek: The Original Series)" is quite simply the best Star Trek novel I've come across in a long, long time. Not only is it a superb sequel to both "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and the series episode "For the World is Hollow and I have touched the Sky", but it is that rarity in "Star Trek" fiction: an admirable piece of writing which rises close to what I expect from superb science fiction literature. Bennett not only excels in his world-building - creating a believable history of the Fabrini, especially during their journey in the multi-generational starship Yonada and a truly realistic present which resonates with ample political and religious themes from our own turbulent present - but his is the most believable portrayal I have read of "The Original Series" cast, especially after the momentous mission chronicled in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". He excels in his depiction of Kirk, Spock and McCoy as they contend with numerous doubts about their own abilities to succeed in the Enterprise's first official Starfleet mission after the V'Ger incident; Kirk must resolve whether he is still able to serve effectively as a superb Starfleet starship captain and his lingering guilt in taking command of the Enterprise away from his protege Captain Willard Decker; Spock must wrestle with his conflicting emotions and keen desire to adhere to Vulcan logic following his mindmeld with V'Ger; McCoy doubts whether he is fit to serve as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer. I hope Bennett writes yet another "Star Trek" novel featuring the same literary excellence I have found in "Ex Machina".

Still reeling from their encounter with V'Ger and the sacrifice of Captain Willard Decker, the crew of the Enterprise has barely had time to begin to come to grips with those events when Dr. Leonard McCoy receives a plea for help from someone he hadn't expected to ever hear from again, his ex-wife Natira, the former high priestess of the Fabrini. Since settling on Daran IV, a world they call Lorina, the former inhabitants of the worldship Yonada have become divided by what they see as conflicting ideologies, a conflict that has now turned violent.

Thought provoking stories are one of the hallmarks of Star Trek and stories rarely get more thought provoking than Ex Machina. It would be easy to just categorize Ex Machina as a follow-up to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the classic episode "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" and of course it is, but it is also more than that, much more. What Christopher L. Bennett has done with Ex Machina is to meld together the themes of both into a story cannot help but resonate with anyone who has ever read a history book or a newspaper.

Ex Machina is also a heck of a lot of fun to read. The narrative is liberally sprinkled with homage's to multiple incarnations of Star Trek, including the novels, and reads like a who's who of Star Trek alien species. At the time of Star Trek: The Motion picture the crew of the Enterprise was the most diverse Starfleet had ever assembled and Bennett takes full advantage of that. Bennett goes way beyond just mentioning the species; he takes the time to allow us to get to know them.

As impressive as Mr. Bennett's world building efforts are in Ex Machina he never loses sight of the characters, and it is his depiction of those characters that makes the whole thing work. Taking into account not only the effect of the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture on the individual characters but also of the novels set between the final episode of TOS and the first movie, several of the main characters are at a crossroad in their lives and uncertain about the direction their lives are taking.

Ex Machina is refreshing, interesting and contributes a great deal to the already rich Star Trek universe. Based on this impressive debut I can't wait to see other contributions Christopher L. Bennett makes to that universe in the years to come.

Here is a Trek novel that defies the conventional wisdom. It introduces depth to our beloved characters, and introspection. We see the characters grow, and develop. Sulu grapples with his career direction. McCoy wonders if he is a has been. Spock must deal with his new found need for emotion. Kirk must deal with his image as a "hero" and at the same time seek peace with his method of assuming command of the Enterprise. All this and more await the reader.

The story is in itself a simple Trek story. Instead of using some "end of the universe" plot it is simply a Trek drama with all the things that made Trek so good. It is timely, dealing with terrorism, education reform, and tolerance.

All aspects are weaved together into a beautifully told story. The author clearly has a love for Trek and his characterizations are perfect. Best of all, the ending does not disappoint.

I'm tough on Trek novels. Most of them are throw away, and tolerable at best. This is one of the best and a joy to read.

I want to start this review off by stating that I am a trek fan, but not one of those impossible-to-please trekkers who actually hate everything trek. This novel was a good idea that just wasn't executed well. It has been stated in other reviews that the characterizations are bad, and this is partially true. While the characters of Kirk, Spock, and even McCoy seem slightly "off," Bennett does give a reasonable explanation for this (fallout from the V'Ger incident and other past experiences). This really plays into the overall point of the novel. Next, Bennett attempts to use the awkwardness of reuniting the crew in ST:TMP as a plot device for his novel, which is entertaining at times yet seems to again leave long-time fans a bit alienated from the Enterprise team chemistry they know and love. This constitutes what I believe to be another feature of the novel that's a bit "off," yet has a reasonable explanation as to why. Finally, Bennett tries to construct a complex, dynamic story filled with views and counter-views stemming from an array of characters (some familiar and some not so much). The effort is noble, but ultimately results in a sense of "meandering" through a story that just never really seems to take off. When the plot finally does get moving, the payoff falls short of expectations.

It's a testament to his writing style that Bennett tries so ardently to capture the essences of both the original series and ST:TMP. He does a brilliant job of making the novel culturally relevant and philosophically complex. However, in doing so, it just feels like he neglected to put as much effort into making this a good "trek" novel. It's always refreshing to read material that breaks out of the box of convention, but this one is so far removed from the formula that it doesn't seem quite "trek" enough. A solid novel, but a weak Star Trek tale.

Christopher L. Bennett gives us a "Star Trek" novel the way it ought to be -- hair-raising adventure and courage combined with timeless moral questions, which in this instance are: Can reason be balanced with religion? What can a society do when fanatics go so far as to blow themselves and others up in the name of faith? Can one be Vulcan and still express emotion?

This is not only a sequel to "The Motion Picture", but to the original series episode "For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky." Mr. Bennett gets each character spot-on, from the old regulars to the new crewpeople, some of whom do not have humanoid form (which, alas, was not possible to show on the TV shows and the movies).

The most amazing fact about this book is that it is Mr. Bennett's FIRST published novel. Imagine what we Trek fans have to look forward to from this author! Bravo!

I found this to be a long winded and often irritating book that works up to a quite entertaining ending. First off, if you are interested in what this book has to say about the fate of V'Ger, Decker and Ilia, it is incidental to the plot and there is not much there. The secondary story of the book is the now typical resistance of a people to the imposition of outside ideas, with the most extreme turning to terrorism and the government responding with heavy handed security measures. Personally I find it irritating when the outer story is just a backdrop to the characters' emotional problems, which are the main story here. This is a transition story, as the main characters question their life paths. It is an interesting idea, but I feel the author was too heavy handed. Each major story character gets a four page internal monologue to set out what brought them to this point. There are eight or ten of them. Long internal monologues are not a good way to sustain reader interest, and that is too many of them. Spock and McCoy, the major characters questioning themselves, also come off too self-centred. Both of them are concerned with how the mission will affect their personal lives, rather than how their problems may affect their mission. Also, Spock and McCoy have counterparts, with almost no story purpose but to point out their flaws as loudly and offensively, for character and reader, as possible. These people are arrogant, close-minded, self-righteous bigots. There can be few things worse than the internal monologue of such a person, and when that character is there for the sole purpose of making McCoy look bad, it just gets ridiculous. To top it all off, I found there to be too much technobabble. This is an area I very rarely complain about, but this author found little details to explain in excessive depth.

Obviously, despite all this I found enough of this book enjoyable. For one thing, Kirk isn't stuck at the questioning stage like everyone else, he is in the looking for answers stage, and he does not let it interfere noticeably in his behaviour, all of which is refreshingly in character. Spock and McCoy are a little annoying when alone, but they are in splendid form when together. Also, my biggest complaint about the monologues is that the dialogue between characters is good. The quality of the writing is generally very good, the descriptions and action scenes very clear. Finally, the last third of the book twists the plot from "get both sides to talk" to "stop the madman". The characters emotional lives take a backseat to the action. It is typical Original Series: Kirk sneaks around and leads redshirts into fire fights, miracle work is demanded of Scotty, Spock is philosophising, mindmelding and exercising his particular brand of sardonic humour. This section was excellent. All in all, I found the book as a whole to be an entertaining read, though it should have been shorter, more focussed, and have less of the close-minded counterpoint characters.