SCIFI MONTH BOOK REVIEW!! Spock Must Die!, by James Blish

This is an exciting event, hosted by 

Lisa @ Dear Geek Place 

and imyril @ onemore.org!!

For more information, and to 
join in, please refer 
to my Announcement Post
for this event!!

Spock Must Die!
(Star Trek Adventures, Book 1)
James Blish
Mass Market Paperback, 
118 pages
Bantam Books, 
February 1, 1972
Science Fiction, Star Trek TOS

Synopsis: When a transporter experiment goes horribly awry, suddenly there are two Mr. Spocks! One is the true First Officer of the Enterprise. The other is his complete opposite, a traitor whose very existence poses a grave threat to the crew, the ship, and the Federation itself. One of the Spocks must die. But which one ... ?

The original Star Trek TV show remains, for me, the very best of all the various incarnations of this great, pioneering SF series. As for the characters on this show, my very favorite is Mr. Spock, that enigmatic Vulcan whose personality is actually a combination of Terran and Vulcan traits.

Star Trek has always appealed to me not only because of the highly compelling characters and imaginative plots, but also because of the philosophical aspects included in most of its episodes (with the exception of the truly bad ones, such as "Mudd's Angels"). Blish certainly makes use of these aspects in this short novel.

The concept that forms the basis of the novel is one that has also been featured on the show itself, in more than one episode. The most similar to the one in this novel is "The Enemy Within", in which Captain Kirk is replicated due to a transporter malfunction. In Spock Must Die!, it is Spock who is replicated, although the effect of this replication is totally different from Kirk's. Whereas Kirk was split into his good and evil sides, which then had to be brought back together to form one whole person, each of the two Spocks IS one whole person. Interestingly, however, one of them does turn out to be evil, and is the complete opposite of the real Mr. Spock. (This also reminds me of yet another episode, "Mirror, Mirror".)

The story opens with something that also frequently appeared on the original program: McCoy's philosophical ruminations on the possible effects of beaming a humanoid from one place to another. He wonders whether the person who emerges from the transporter at any given destination is really the same person who stepped into it at the originating location. He also speculates as to whether this person's soul has actually been lost in the process. 

This is a fascinating line of reasoning, and Blish expands upon it through the characters and plot. McCoy's thoughts actually seem prophetic, as the Enterprise crew find themselves in need of initiating a transporter experiment in order to find out what has happened to the Organians and their planet, and just how the Klingons might be involved. (The Organians were first introduced in "Errand of Mercy".)

In this particular case, Mr. Scott, the Chief Engineer, comes up with the idea of using the transporter to beam a tachyon version of an Enterprise crew member to Organia, as the starship itself is not within beaming range of the planet. The reason for this is so as not to risk sending the actual person to Organia, thus protecting him or her from any harmful effects, due to the distance. Spock, as Science Officer, as well as First Officer, is chosen for this "mission".

According to the Wikipedia article on the subject, a tachyon is "a hypothetical particle that always moves faster than light." In this novel, tachyons are treated as real physical particles. In my honest opinion, this unfortunately presents the dilemma of how a "tachyon version" of a real person could be beamed anywhere. Wouldn't that be a contradiction in terms? How could such a version even exist in our universe? Wouldn't this "person" necessarily be in a different dimension, given that they are composed of particles that move faster than light, whereas we regular humans are not composed of such particles? This, I think, is a flaw in the author's reasoning.

Getting back to the story.....something goes terribly wrong with the transporter, and, when it is finally shut off, TWO Spocks have now emerged..... Again, I must wonder at even the fictional possibility of this occurring, given that one of these Spocks is made up of these tachyons....

Although the idea of a transporter malfunction is not a new one in the original ST series (I don't know about the other versions, since I haven't watched them), Blish gives it a new twist, something I really enjoyed. In the days following this surprising turn of events, the reader witnesses Kirk, McCoy, and Scotty try to make sense of and attempt to solve this situation. Kirk is particularly stressed out by it, as Spock is not only his First Officer, but his friend, as well. He is especially dismayed when one of the Spocks -- the one Kirk has decided to call "Spock Two" -- almost immediately demands that the other Spock be destroyed, as he claims that "Spock One" is the replicate. 

In my honest opinion, this could have turned out to be a truly magnificent novel, had it only been longer. The conflict between the two Spocks could have been developed much further than it actually was, thus creating more drama. Moreover, we could have gotten more information about Mr. Spock's psyche -- the human as well as the Vulcan side. I would have really appreciated it if Blish had delved deeper into the psychological aspects of the story.

As all Star Trek TOS fans are aware, Mr. Spock remains the show's most fascinating and intriguing character, because of the contradictions inherent in his unique personality. These contradictions can often be a source of frustration, as well as humor, to the humans surrounding him, but they are also a source of inner torment to the Vulcan himself. Having two versions of this character at hand could have created a LOT of interesting situations between the two versions. This could also have created a LOT more havoc with the crew than it actually did -- not to mention the Klingons. Unfortunately, Blish did not fully avail himself of the opportunity to do so....

This whole thing is taking place at the same time that a war -- started by the Klingons -- is going on. This war was also not dealt with adequately. The Organians had previously put a stop to any hostilities between the Federation and the Klingons, in the TV episode mentioned above. The Organians are somewhat incapacitated in this novel, but still, I do think the author could have come up with some way for them to intervene, in spite of what was going on (which I won't go into, so as not give out any spoilers). 

The original series -- and I'm sure the subsequent versions were, as well -- has always been very cerebral. I, for one, was totally fascinated by all the scientific explanations that were included in this novel, even though the whole tachyon thing remains a scientific theory, at best.

Here are some samples:

(Scotty speaking) "Suppose we were to redesign the transporter so that, instead of scannin' a man an' replicatin' him at destination in his normal state, it replicated him in tachyons, at this end of the process?"(page 14)

(Scotty again) "After I got the report from Dr. McCoy about the amino acids, I took the assumption one radical step further. I assumed that the mirroring went all the way down to the elementary particles of which space-time and energy-matter are made. Why not? The universe is complicated, but it is consistent." (page 71)

(McCoy speaking) "All this reminded me that though we -- humanity, that is -- know the elementary particles of matter and energy, know the unit of gravity, have even (so Scotty tells me) identified something called the chronon which is the smallest possible bit into which time can be divided, we do not know the elementary unit of consciousness. We do not even know the speed of thought." (page 73)

However, this being a novel, and not a scientific treatise, I repeat that Blish should have developed the plot further, making the book  longer, so as to create more dramatic tension in the story. The ending, for example, was a bit too facile, as well as contrived.

This is still a solid piece of ST TOS fiction that is strictily canon. The characters all speak and act as they did in the original episodes. The one little quibble I have, which has been mentioned by other reviewers, is that McCoy is referred to as "Doc" throughout this novel, by all the other characters. All of us fans know very well that Kirk's nickname for McCoy is "Bones". Yet, in this book, Kirk never used this nickname. Instead, he called the doctor "Doc", like everyone else in the crew depicted in this book.

All in all, this is an excellent, if somewhat flawed, addition to the Star Trek TOS universe. The writing is superb, however, which is why I cannot in good conscience give this book less than 4 stars. And I do recommend it to every dedicated Trekker out there! Furthermore, it certainly made me nostalgic for the original episodes..... I need to set aside a weekend for a Star Trek TOS marathon!

Live long and prosper, fellow Terrans!!  

MY RATING:

James Benjamin Blish (East Orange, New Jersey, May 23, 1921 – Henley-on-Thames, July 30, 1975) was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen name William Atheling Jr.

In the late 1930's to the early 1940's, Blish was a member of The Futurians. This was a group

of science fiction fans, based in New York, City,

who "were a major force in the development

of science fiction writing and science fiction

fandom in the years 1937 - 1945."

(Source: Wikipedia)

Blish trained as a biologist at Rutgers and Columbia University, and spent 1942–1944 as a medical technician in the U.S. Army. After the war he became the science editor for the Pfizer pharmaceutical company. His first published story appeared in 1940, and his writing career progressed until he gave up his job to become a professional writer.

He is credited with coining the term 'gas giant', in the story "Solar Plexus", as it appeared in the anthology Beyond Human Ken, edited by Judith Merril. (The story was originally published in 1941, but that version did not contain the term; Blish apparently added it in a rewrite done for the anthology, which was first published in 1952.)

Blish was married to the literary agent Virginia Kidd from 1947 to 1963.

From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Tobacco Institute.
 
Between 1967 and his death from lung cancer in 1975, Blish became the first author to write short story collections based upon the classic TV series Star Trek. In total, Blish wrote 11 volumes of short stories adapted from episodes of the 1960s TV series, as well as an original novel, Spock Must Die! in 1970 — the first original novel for adult readers based upon the series (since then hundreds more have been published). He died midway through writing Star Trek 12; his wife, J.A. Lawrence, completed the book, and later completed the adaptations in the volume Mudd's Angels.

Blish also wrote some important SF works, such as A Case of Conscience (1958), and  Cities in Flight (1970), a four-volume collection. He was awarded the Hugo for Best Novel in 1959 for the former. In 1965, he also received a Nebula nomination for Best Novelette, for  "The Shipwrecked Hotel", with 
Norman L. Knight. In 1968, he received the Nebula award nomination for Best Novel, for Black Easter.
(For more Blish works, click on the Fantastic
Fiction link below.)
  
Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania at Arrowhead until the mid-1960s. In 1968, Blish emigrated to England, and lived in Oxford until his death in 1975. He is buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford, near the grave of Kenneth Grahame.

Goodreads/Wikipedia

Fantastic Fiction

Announcing Sci-Fi Month 2018!!!

Sci-Fi Month is an exciting event, hosted by 

Lisa @ Dear Geek Place 

and imyril @ onemore.org!!

I discovered this GREAT science fiction event on the blog Brainfluff, created, owned, and maintained by SF writer S.J. Higbee! So thanks to her for this serendipitous turn of events! Yes, I'm joining in, even though I'm a bit late to the festivities. It's not TOO late, though.

In the midst of my excitement, I had to pause and consider what book or books to read and review. I didn't have to think too long, though..... I decided to pick one of my Star Trek TOS (The Original Series) novels, of which I have quite a few. Of course, I just KNEW it had to be a novel featuring one of my favorite, and most beloved characters from that immortal show! Yes, I chose a novel featuring that quintessential Vulcan, Mr. Spock!

So this is the book I'll be reviewing -- which I've already started reading -- for this event! (Okay, it's an oldie, but it IS a goodie! Besides, this is my way of honoring the GREAT, and late, actor Leonard Nimoy, who so brilliantly brought this beloved character to life.)

If I have the time, I will be adding at least one more SF book -- either another Star Trek TOS novel,  or one set in a different science fiction universe.

Although I don't usually review TV shows or movies on this blog (or on my second one, for that matter), I might decide to publish a couple of posts regarding this show that I ADORE -- the original, the classic, THE ONE AND ONLY FOR ME -- Star Trek!!  (Kirk: "Ahead Warp Factor 1, Mr. Sulu.")

If you'd like to join in, the rules are very simple: there are NO rules! Lol.  Just click on the links above for further information! Participants who want to use the banner above (or any of the other event images) are asked to credit the creator -- imyril. The photo is by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash. The quote is from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. You can sign up for this event on a form, which you will find HERE.

There is also a master schedule form, which you will find HERE. You can input information about your posts on this form, such as the date of the post, your name, blog URL, etc.

For all those who want to join, I wish you a fascinating trip to far-flung galaxies! 

Spock Must Die!

(Star Trek Adventures, Book 1)

James Blish

Mass Market Paperback, 118 pages

Bantam Books

February 1, 1972

Science Fiction, Star Trek (TOS)

When a transporter experiment goes horribly awry, suddenly there are two Mr. Spocks! One is the true First Officer of the Enterprise. The other is his complete opposite, a traitor whose very existence poses a grave threat to the crew, the ship, and the Federation itself. One of the Spocks must die. But which one ... ?

James Benjamin Blish (East Orange, New Jersey, May 23, 1921 – Henley-on-Thames, July 30, 1975) was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen name William Atheling Jr.

In the late 1930's to the early 1940's, Blish was a member of The Futurians. This was a group

of science fiction fans, based in New York, City,

who "were a major force in the development

of science fiction writing and science fiction

fandom in the years 1937 - 1945."

(Source: Wikipedia)

Blish trained as a biologist at Rutgers and Columbia University, and spent 1942–1944 as a medical technician in the U.S. Army. After the war he became the science editor for the Pfizer pharmaceutical company. His first published story appeared in 1940, and his writing career progressed until he gave up his job to become a professional writer.

He is credited with coining the term 'gas giant', in the story "Solar Plexus", as it appeared in the anthology Beyond Human Ken, edited by Judith Merril. (The story was originally published in 1941, but that version did not contain the term; Blish apparently added it in a rewrite done for the anthology, which was first published in 1952.)

Blish was married to the literary agent Virginia Kidd from 1947 to 1963.

From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Tobacco Institute.
 
Between 1967 and his death from lung cancer in 1975, Blish became the first author to write short story collections based upon the classic TV series Star Trek. In total, Blish wrote 11 volumes of short stories adapted from episodes of the 1960s TV series, as well as an original novel, Spock Must Die! in 1970 — the first original novel for adult readers based upon the series (since then hundreds more have been published). He died midway through writing Star Trek 12; his wife, J.A. Lawrence, completed the book, and later completed the adaptations in the volume Mudd's Angels.

Blish also wrote some important SF works, such as A Case of Conscience (1958), and  Cities in Flight (1970), a four-volume collection. He was awarded the Hugo for Best Novel in 1959 for the former. In 1965, he also received a Nebula nomination for Best Novelette, for  "The Shipwrecked Hotel", with 
Norman L. Knight. In 1968, he received the Nebula award nomination for Best Novel, for Black Easter.
(For more Blish works, click on the Fantastic
Fiction link below.)
  
Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania at Arrowhead until the mid-1960s. In 1968, Blish emigrated to England, and lived in Oxford until his death in 1975. He is buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford, near the grave of Kenneth Grahame.

Goodreads/Wikipedia

Fantastic Fiction

Book Review: Heart of the Sun, by Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski

Heart of the Sun
(Star Trek, The Original Series, Book 83)
Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski
Mass Market Paperback, 
245 pages
Pocket Books, First Edition, 
Nov. 1, 1997
Star Trek TOS, Science Fiction
Source: Barnes & Noble Bookstore

Synopsis: When an abandoned space habitat is found within a distant asteroid belt, the Starship Enterprise is sent to investigate. Captain Kirk and his crew discover an artificial world full of technological marvels – and unexpected dangers. But wonder and curiosity soon give way to fear when the habitat suddenly sends itself on a collision course with the system's sun, with Spock inside! Now Kirk and crew must find a way to save a planet, and a friend, without destroying the treasure trove of alien science, and time is running out...

Overall, this was a fairly satisfying read. I do have some quibbles, though..... 

I can't deny that the characters were spot on! Spock's usual demeanor elicits Kirk's good-natured humor, while McCoy gets in his usual digs at Spock. Scotty, of course, mentions that machines can get "ill", just as people can. Uhura is her usual calm, observant self. I felt as if I were actually watching a Star Trek episode from the original series!

What this book's synopsis fails to mention is that the Enterprise is already en route to a diplomatic mission on the planet Tyrtaeus II when they come across what at first appears to be a meteor, on a direct line to the system's sun. Spock is immediately interested in getting a closer look, but, since they are already on a mission, any investigation must be postponed until that mission has been completed. 

This was the part of the novel I liked the least, as it was rather slow-paced. The mission consists of helping the Tyrtaeans to restore some lost data to their planetary computer database. What made this mission a bit unpleasant and tedious -- both to this reader as well as the Enterprise crew -- was the Tyrtaeans' notorious isolationist tendencies. Originally from Earth, they prefer to remain as independent as possible from any outside "interference". They are, in fact, reluctant members of the Federation. 

Some new characters were introduced here, such as Aristocles Marcelli and Myra Coles, who govern the planet together, and Wellesley Warren, Myra's assistant. They're not very interesting people, though, nor is their civilization, which strikes the Enterprise crew as rather bland and boring. I heartily agree! The interactions between Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and these people are not without some conflict, however, as the Tyrtaeans  insist on investigating the meteor -- which turns out to be a space habitat -- right along with the Enterprise. Kirk initially refuses to allow them to participate, as they are civilians, but then reluctantly gives in, taking Myra and Wellesley on board the starship. 

As a very assertive woman, Myra attempts to include her suggestions and ideas in the investigation. Besides, she is very concerned about the effect this space habitat's trajectory toward the sun might have on her planet. I can't say that I blame her for feeling this way, but she did get a bit annoying at times. I did not like her constant complaints and accusations, which were always directed at Kirk. To his credit, Kirk remained courteous and very patient toward her, but it wasn't easy for him.

As for Aristocles, he was just intolerably narrow-minded and unpleasant, and I was VERY glad that he never joined Myra and Wellesley on board the Enterprise! Whenever he appeared in the narrative, I couldn't help curling up my upper lip in disgust. Lol. In fact, he strongly reminded me of the SUPREMELY irritating Nilz Baris (played by character actor William Schallert), the Federation Secretary of Agricultural Affairs, from the HILARIOUS 1967 Star Trek episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles". I guess the authors might have been trying for some comic relief here. Lol.

The rest of the novel deals with the investigation of the space habitat, which turns out to be of alien construction. It is indeed headed straight toward the system's sun. Although Kirk orders Scotty to use phasers and even a tractor beam in order to divert its course, nothing seems to affect the artifact, so they must board it in order to find out if there's a way to prevent its certain collision with the sun. They also intend to warn whoever might be aboard, as they seem unaware of the danger involved.

What Kirk and company discover does make for some fascinating reading, as nothing is as they had feared. In the process, they discover a virtual reality that is totally alien to them. And they discover the aliens themselves.

Although I did find this novel interesting and intriguing, for the most part, I thought the pacing was not only a bit slow in the beginning, as I have already mentioned, but also when the actual investigation of the habitat began. I would have wanted a more detailed description of the aliens' virtual reality. There's a reason they constructed this reality, which the authors do mention, but I wanted MORE. There could have been more details about the alien culture, more interactions between them and our heroes. True, these aliens were of an even more isolationist disposition than the Tyrtaesns, but still.

This novel is definitely very well-written. The authors have certainly captured the "feel" of the original Star Trek episodes. I just wish they had expanded on the concept of the alien culture, and created more conflict with the inhabitants of that culture. The pacing could have been faster. More action was needed. True, there was some conflict with the Tyrtaeans, but these people were descendants of Earth colonists, so I found these interactions less interesting. The aliens in the space habitat, on the other hand, were TOTALLY alien.

In short, this novel fell a little flat for me. I would still recommend it as an entertaining read for the diehard Star Trek TOS fan (like me!). Just don't expect this to be a totally riveting story.

MY RATING:

About the Authors

Pamela Sargent has won the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and has been a finalist for the Hugo Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Sidewise Award for Alternate History. In 2012, she was honored with the Pilgrim Award by the Science Fiction Research Association for lifetime achievement in science fiction scholarship. She is the author of the novels Cloned Lives, The Sudden Star, Watchstar, and several others.  The Washington Post Book World has called her “one of the genre's best writers.”

In the 1970s, she edited the Women of Wonder series, the first collections of science fiction by women; her other anthologies include Bio-Futures and, with British writer Ian Watson as co-editor, Afterlives. Two anthologies, Women of Wonder, The Classic Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s and Women of Wonder, The Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s, were published by Harcourt Brace in 1995; Publishers Weekly called these two books “essential reading for any serious SF fan.” Her most recent anthology is Conqueror Fantastic, out from DAW Books in 2004. Tor Books reissued her 1983 young adult novel Earthseed, selected as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and a sequel, Farseed, in early 2007. A third volume, Seed Seeker, was published in November of 2010 by Tor. Earthseed has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, with Melissa Rosenberg, scriptwriter for all of the Twilight films, writing the script and producing through her Tall Girls Productions.

The Shore of Women has been optioned for development as a TV series by Super Deluxe Films, part of Turner Broadcasting.

Pamela Sargent lives in Albany, New York, with

fellow SF author George Zebrowski.

Website/Goodreads/Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Fantastic Fiction

 

George Zebrowski is an SF author and editor who has written and edited a number of books, and is a former editor of The Bulletin of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives with author Pamela Sargent, with whom he has co-written a number of novels, including Star Trek novels.

Zebrowski won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award in 1999 for his novel Brute Orbits. Three of his short stories, "Heathen God," "The Eichmann Variations," and "Wound the Wind," have been nominated for the Nebula Award, and "The Idea Trap" was nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Award.

 Wikipedia/Fantastic Fiction

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Book Blogger Hop No. 102: Movie & TV Show Tie-Ins

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Do you read tie-in novels to

movies or television series?

(Submitted  by Billy @ 

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer)

My Answer

Although I don't make it a point to read such books, from time to time I definitely do so. 

I saw the movie "Wonder Woman" recently, and LOVED it, so I promptly bought the novelization, which I'm planning to read pretty soon. This movie was a total revelation to me! Although I've heard of the "Wonder Woman" TV series, I was never interested in watching the re-runs after watching one once. It just seemed so silly. And I didn't like her costume, which I thought was too provocative. The movie version, though, was entirely different! The character REALLY kicks major butt in the film, and so do her Amazon sisters! WOWZA!! So now I've become a fan! Not having grown up reading WW comics, I now have to acquaint myself with this superhero's world.

This is the movie tie-in novel I'm planning to read. It's the  official movie novelization, and was written by Nancy Holder, who has written two Buffy:The Vampire Slayer tie-ins, as well as her own novels, which are mostly in the YA genre.

 

In addition to the book shown above, I'm also planning to read several WW graphic novels. I will soon be posting a review of the one shown in my sidebar.

My favorite TV show of ALL TIME is Star Trek TOS (this means "The Original Series")!! Yes, I'm a DIEHARD Trekkie!! I have a collection of ST TOS tie-ins that I'm also planning to read. Since there are many Trekkies out in the universe (a lot of them on this planet), a LOT of these tie-ins have been published. 

Of course, the Star Trek universe includes some newer series, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Now we have Star Trek: New Generation. I don't care about any of these, though. To me, the ONE AND ONLY Star Trek series is the original one, where I can fondly watch Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekhov patrol the outer reaches of space, boldly going where no one has gone before! 

I feel the same way about the ST TOS movies that have been made, except that I don't much like the ones with new actors. Zachary Quinto, as good an actor as he is, just can't hold a candle to Leonard Nimoy, whom we unfortunately lost two years ago.....

Here are some of the ST tie-ins I've read in the past. 

  

I recently reviewed this third novel on this blog. It was pretty good, and it whetted my appetite for more! You can check out my review HERE.

Since I have mentioned Buffy, I would also like to read the tie-ins for that TV series. I must sheepishly confess to not having watched one single episode, however..... I guess I was too busy with Edward and Bella, from The Twilight Saga! Lol.


  

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this topic?

Please leave a comment!

If you're participating in this meme,

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Thanks for visiting!!!