My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Star Trek: Troublesome Minds (Star Trek: The Original Series)
First contact becomes an interstellar incident when the Starship Enterprise™ responds to a distress call from an unknown ship and saves the life of a man left to die by his own people. Berlis, member of a telepathic species calling themselves the Isitri, claims not to know why those from his homeworld want him dead. Captain James T. Kirk wants to believe him, but the ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 293 pages
Published
May 26th 2009
by Star Trek
(first published May 26th 2006)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
203)
This is my first Star Trek novel and I was heartily impressed by the author, Dave Galanter, and his obvious understanding and appreciation of Star Trek and its characters.
What first drew me into this story was the spot-on descriptions of the characters’ movements, speech patterns, and pointed looks. I truly could envision it all unfolding before my eyes. While sometimes these detailed descriptions tended to slow- up the pace a little, for the most part I didn’t mind because the ref...more
What first drew me into this story was the spot-on descriptions of the characters’ movements, speech patterns, and pointed looks. I truly could envision it all unfolding before my eyes. While sometimes these detailed descriptions tended to slow- up the pace a little, for the most part I didn’t mind because the ref...more
view all 7 comments
This book is not a light and easy read. It required a lot of thinking on my part, and sometimes it made my head hurt, but it was quite a good book. Especially the concept of a race that communicates through their "one-mindedness" or through their sign language. The fact that this book was written by a man who teaches in sign language to deaf students made this book all the more believable in its authenticity.
Spock is really the main character in this book, along with the al...more
Spock is really the main character in this book, along with the al...more
This book has one of the most intriguing background concepts of any novel I've ever read: Kirk and company meet an alien species that is telepathic, and that very occasionally, (and of course, "now" is one of those occasions) produces an individual who has such a powerful telepathic mind that he (or she) is absolutely irresistable; no one who makes mental contact with him or her can refuse the individual anything. Yet the individual is not consciously, intentionally controlling people'...more
When the Enterprise rescues a ship from near destruction, they bring on board the mysterious Belis. Part of an alien race, Belis has the ability to project his thoughts and will upon people--and that includes Spock.
By saving Belis, Kirk and company may have inadvertently started a war between two neighboring planets. Belis was sentenced to death as part of a peace agreement between the two people. But when Belis is returned, he begins to take over the will of the people slowly as t...more
By saving Belis, Kirk and company may have inadvertently started a war between two neighboring planets. Belis was sentenced to death as part of a peace agreement between the two people. But when Belis is returned, he begins to take over the will of the people slowly as t...more
This is good, old-school Star Trek. With the exception of the length of the story, this could easily have been an actual episde of TOS. It reminds me of the episode Let That Be Your Last Battlefield: Kirk and company must mediate a conflict between a race of beings and one of their own, a powerful telepath who may destroy them all. Spock's telepathic abilities make him vulnerable to the influence of this "troublesome mind" . . . and also the only person who may be able to SAVE THEM ...more
I have never found the Star Trek franchise to lend itself well to the novel form. I have quite enjoyed collections of short stories; however, where the novel should have more room for interesting backstory, for more character development, these rarely offer either one. It seems as though the writers don't want to touch or "play" with what is sacred in the Star Trek universe. I give this title, though, lots of marks for exploring the depth of Spock's inner-being. The story is well pace...more
TM reads like one was watching an episode of Star Trek. A long and multi-faceted episode - one of the better ones. It does extend a bit beyond that, particularly near the end of the book, so this was definitely a nice read. The fact that the author is a fluent in asl and incorporated facets of sign language into the book - smoothly - is a personal bonus. The Isitri are an interesting race.
I wish we could have had a bit more personal issues involved, but - I ask for too much. Don...more
I wish we could have had a bit more personal issues involved, but - I ask for too much. Don...more
Aughadan
rated it
4/4.5
An excellent example of a certain sort of Star Trek novel. There are those that are like an extended-length episode—fun and generally undemanding, but with a place in the extended canon. Then there's ones like Troublesome Minds that are able to delve into meatier, more involved issues that couldn't have been dealt with in one show. The shows with the trademark Trek philosophical questions could be hits or misses, but the book format gives them room to really be explored.
...more
An excellent example of a certain sort of Star Trek novel. There are those that are like an extended-length episode—fun and generally undemanding, but with a place in the extended canon. Then there's ones like Troublesome Minds that are able to delve into meatier, more involved issues that couldn't have been dealt with in one show. The shows with the trademark Trek philosophical questions could be hits or misses, but the book format gives them room to really be explored.
...more
I want to like this book so hard. It has that bluesy introspective title. With matching art, maybe the prettiest Trek cover I've seen. Galanter does have a knack for the crew's voices, but the writing overall comes off as amateur. There's this weird lack of any pacing whatsoever that makes it kind of boring and difficult to follow, despite the apparent BILLIONS OF LIVES HANGING IN THE BALANCE etc. Back to the library.
I have to admit that when I first pulled Troublesome Minds off the shelf, I expected an average, paint-by-number Star Trek: TOS novel. Not so. Dave Galanter has written a surprise classic in my opinion. The fascinating moral quandary, well-written characterizations of Kirk, Spock, and Bones, as well as a troubling and thought-provoking conclusion contribute to one of the better Star Trek novels I have ever read. Troublesome Minds did an excellent job of capturing the feel of a classic Star T...more
I didn't know books were still being written for Original Star Trek. So I picked this up and gave it a good try. And the writer gave it a good try, too. But it just didn't grab me. I found the plot very narrow, and use of the familiar characters very narrow, too. In some ways, it was as though the only people on the ship were Spock, Kirk, Bones, and Scotty. So I began dipping around, read the last chapter, and put the book down.
This is actually one of the better Trek books that I have read. It kept me interested and one of its better aspects is the fact that the characterization of the original characters was spot on. The story was interesting and made me want to keep on reading to find out what was going to happen next in the plot. Overall , a great read
It took me a while to read this book. That is not a bad thing. This Trek novel is unlike any other I've read. And I've read most of them. Sure, there are space battles but this book depicts internal battles at such a level that I had to back off, take a break. Dave reveals elements of Spock's mind, Spock's personality that may shock you, but they are in keeping with the classic Vulcan history. My mistake was in trying to read this book on my daily Metro commute. I wish I had started reading this...more
Not necessarily the storyline but the general flow made this one of the better Star Trek books I've read, certainly for those set in TOS time. It was a decent plot amped up by excellent writing and I read it in one sitting. I'll definately be finding Galanters other ST works.
this book was so great and so focused on spock, i think it may have spoiled me for other star trek fiction. it was very well written and made spock out to be more than some unfeeling computer like most books. im really hoping to find more like it!
I've come to expect a lot from a Dave Galanter ST book, and this one did NOT leave me disappointed. Great original characters, great characterization of all characters, great space battles, awesome plot. This book left me satisfied.
The best Trek I've read in a long time. This is a throwback novel set during TOS five year mission. A single book story, it is very well written and the author nails the three primary characters perfectly.
Paul
marked it as to-read
This is a Star Trek novel I picked up. It just sort of happened and there was nothing I could do. I...
I almost gave this three stars because of the abrupt ending (my impartiality is uncertain where my Spock is concerned) - but I'm going with four stars because this story sucked me in and held me tight until the end, and I kept thinking about it after it was over. That's what I really want from my Trek fic, and this story delivered it.
Not a bad story. It picked up in the second act but the writing, while not terrible, was a bit annoying. The author states that he wanted to convey the intricities of sign language through his alien race and while I appreciate such desires, the signs at some points were ridiculous for characters to notice. It is not a very subtle book and more episodic than character driven but all in all not bad.
Monica
is currently reading it
Cat
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“[Kirk] paced back toward his command chair, all eyes on him. "He must have a weakness."
"Certainly," Chekov said. "Is he not basically humanoid? He could be poisoned, phasered, stabbed-"
Kirk sneered. "Without killing him, Ensign."
With a shrug, Chekov turned quietly back to his console, pulling his hands from his lap and placing them on the controls.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
"Certainly," Chekov said. "Is he not basically humanoid? He could be poisoned, phasered, stabbed-"
Kirk sneered. "Without killing him, Ensign."
With a shrug, Chekov turned quietly back to his console, pulling his hands from his lap and placing them on the controls.”
