The Book Report #77
Episode #76
Star Trek – The Last Roundup
By Christine Golden
The Book
This is another book from my To Be Read bookcase.
My copy was published in 2002 by BCA. This was arranged with Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. The book has 392 pages, including an “About the Author” section.
Star Trek is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures.
What Did I Think
This is one of those books, I believe, I may have read before, but it has been so long that I don’t quite remember. I am not complaining as I love Star Trek.
This is set after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Most of the original crew of the Enterprise is helping with the peace negotiations with the Klingons. The Klingons owe a debt of honour to Captain Kirk for his actions during what happened in Star Trek VI. A debt called A Year and a Day. Kirk, of course, declines the offer, but the Klingons need it to go through, so a Klingon diplomat sends someone to watch over him while she continues with the peace treaty.
Late one night, Kirk has an unexpected visit from his nephews, who ask him to join their colony on a new planet given by the Falorians.
The Captain is not enjoying his semi-retirement. He is currently a tutor for the latest Starfleet cadets. His nephews want him to join them on their new adventure on the planet dubbed Sanctuary. And after a while, he decides to join them, but brings a couple of friends along with him.
All Jim Kirk wants to do is get back in the Captain’s chair, and Starfleet doesn’t care.
The main plot of the story is a history of one species enslaving and abandoning itself, and then being separated for hundreds of years. They will have their revenge at all costs
Moving On
The book is partly about the progression of time. As we get older, our usefulness declines until a point where it may feel like being a burden to friends and family, and so we eventually have to step aside for the next generation. Well, that’s the theory.
But the Captain says screw that and continues to show the younger generation that they might want to hold on to some of the things they have learned over the years. The colony aren’t the Federation, so they don’t understand the mild military techniques that have made Kirk and his crew a well-oiled machine and where their camaraderie and friendship have helped them achieve so much over their careers.
And even with that, Kirk gets in the way and sometimes causes more harm than good until it is time for him to shine. Doing what he does best against an enemy.
This may be a story of the passing of the torch, but it’s not without a fight first.
But Kirk does the same to one of his students until he notices more than what seems to be a Jar Jar Binks-type character presenting him with something he has to accept and eventually gain respect for.
The epilogue was nicely written to draw you into the next movie: Star Trek Generations. I was surprised and happy. That is a rarity.
Miss Golden understands the nature of Star Trek and Mr Roddenberry’s idea of our possible future. That is why this is a good book. The plot is an added feature.
Would I Recommend
The author did a great job creating the love and feeling of the world and characters of the original series. I would recommend this book and maybe further writings from Miss Golden. Yes, it’s not the most amazing book in the world, but that is okay. This is filled with nostalgia and the essence of good storytelling.
So please give this book a go.
Would you like to purchase your very own copy?
You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/USA, Barnes & Noble or eBay UK/USA.
Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.
