Book Review: Star Trek #76: The
First Frontier
Written by Diane Carey and Dr. James I. Kirkland
Pocket Books, $5.99US/ $7.99Can
379 pages
This rather immense novel includes several well worn Trek
plot lines. Included are: a previously unknown device causes
a catastrophic change in the universe, time travel, known Earth
history in jeopardy and misuse of the Guardian of Forever.
Ms. Carey and Dr. Kirkland manage to blend what would, at
first glance, to be a mish-mash of unrelated ideas into a spellbinding
read. True to her other novels, Ms. Carey brings to life the
character from the original series. They act, and react as we
have known them to in the past.
The best part of this novel is the use of the race that the
authors designed. In many ways this race brings to mind the race
created by Robert J. Sawyer. The major difference between the
two is, while Sawyer's managed to create and maintain an advanced
society the one in this novel are in space only because they
managed to steal the technology.
The other major factor that held me to this novel is the exquisite
depiction of our planet during the age of the Dinosaurs. Through
the story-telling abilities of the authors, you feel every shake
of the ground as the king lizard marches by. You smell the exotic
scents in the air from long extinct plant life any you smile
at the antics of some of our world's early small lifeforms.
One other point, very much in this book's favour, is the depiction
of the Klingons. They are shown to be not dissimilar to the ones
we have come to know. The one we spend time with has the honour
and courage that could best Gowron, but not K'empec.
This novel earns my full recommendation and a staggering 9/10
on the Makin Scale.
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