Burning Dreams (Star Trek) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "A man who cannot move can do little else but think..." (more)
Key Phrases: aux power, transporter chief, science officer, Margaret Wander Bonanno, Number One, Christopher Pike (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Before James T. Kirk, another captain stood on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise™, spearheading its mission of exploration into the uncharted reaches of the galaxy. He was a man driven to perfection, a brooding soul whose haunted eyes reflected the burden of the impossible standards he set for himself, and for whom his longtime science officer, Spock, one day would risk everything. Yet, little is truly known about the enigmatic Christopher Pike, the events that defined him...or the secrets that consumed him.

From the embers of his early childhood among Earth's blossoming interstellar colonies, to the terrifying conflagration that led him back to the world of his birth; from the mentor who would ignite young Chris's desire to return to the stars, to the career he blazed in Starfleet that would end in supreme sacrifice -- the path of Pike's astonishing life leads through fire again and again. But even amid the ashes of Talos IV, the forbidden world on which he would live out the remainder of his days, the dreams smoldering still within his aging, radiation-ravaged breast fan the flames of Pike's spirit to accomplish one final task....

About the Author

Margaret Wander Bonanno is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Trek the Lost Era: Catalyst of Sorrows, Star Trek: Dwellers in the Crucible, and Star Trek: Strangers from the Sky, as well as two science fiction trilogies, The Others and The Preternatural.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743496930
• ISBN-13: 978-0743496933
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #380,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Amazing Odyssey of Star Trek's Greatest Unsung Hero, July 28, 2006

By	The Writer (of the Great U.S.A.!) - See all my reviews

When I first picked up a copy of this book, it was largely out of curiosity. I've always been somewhat fascinated by Captain Pike, as well as the books and episodes (both Paramount, and fan-made episodes), since we never got to learn that much about him.
This book changed all of that.

Beginning when Captain Pike is returned to Talos IV, following his debilitation in The Original Series' two-parter "The Menagerie", Pike begins telling his life-story to the woman he left behind in the first pilot "The Cage", Vina. The story begins when he is only nine years old and carries on to his return to Talos, and a good deal beyond that. I won't say anymore on that, not wanting to ruin it for other readers. :) This was one of the few books to ever make me cry, because it was so well-written and came to a truly satisfying conclusion.

The only complaint I would make about this book is that it's not completely linear, but tends to jump around the timeline every now and then, which occasionally makes it a little hard to follow. But for real Trek fans, it won't be hard.
Enjoy this book! I really have, and I will again, when the time comes for me to read it again.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Pike is brought to a stark clarity in Burning Dreams, August 4, 2006

By	Fr. Robert F. Lyons "Priest / Sci-Fi Buff" (Anderson, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As Star Trek fans the world over celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved show's debut on NBC television, Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Burning Dreams" goes beyond the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, back to the youth of an earlier commander of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike.

"Burning Dreams" is a parallel story. While the framing story of the novel itself opens with a Talosian summons to Ambassador Spock, the real meat of the tale is found in visiting the life and experiences of Pike on Talos IV after his transport there in the first season Star Trek episode "The Menagerie".

Arriving on Talos IV, Pike leans to develop a deeper understanding of the telepathic link between himself, Vina, and the Talosians. In doing so, we are given a vehicle by which we can see the life of Chris Pike evolve from childhood to maturity. We see the challenges he faced in his youth, meet some old friends, and are given a chance to experience a mission with him aboard the Enterprise after his initial experience on Talos IV.

While each of these threads provide unique and compelling stories in-and-of themselves, Bonanno has managed to weave them together in a fufilling and exciting way, one that has a significant payoff as Chris Pike is given a chance to view Talos and to chart a course for his future and the future of the world he now calls home.

Along the way, we learn more about Vina, the Talosians, and even Spock... with each element of the story coming together at just the right time to produce a satisfying conclusion to one of the strongest novels I have read all year.

In "Burning Dreams", Bonanno has brought the depth of writing and thought that pervades her work to the life of Christopher Pike, and it is an experience that any Star Trek fan will not want to miss.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, July 27, 2006

By	George Flowers "Obsessed Trekkie!" (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This is a great Star Trek book! It gives the reader a lot of insight into mostly Captain Pike's life, but also Vina's and even the Talosians'. Their stories are told so wonderfully by Bonanno that you can see what they see, and feel their feelings. Pike and crew were so underdeveloped, and it is great to see a book like this finally published. It is a rather quick read, and you may easily get lost in it. I recommend this book to anyone who loved the Cage, and its characters, because you get a lot of background. Don't come expecting a definitive "pre-Kirk" character guide, though. The story is mostly about Pike. It is just that the author smartly weaves parts about Vina, the Talosians, and others into the story. Also coming: stories in a similar vein focusing on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy!