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Star Trek Adventures #2
Star Trek: The New Voyages
Star Trek: The New Voyages is an anthology of short fiction based on the original Star Trek series featuring work by fan fiction authors. It was the first Star Trek short story collection, and the second original Star Trek fiction to be published (1970s Spock Must Die! was the first).
Each story features an introduction by a member of the original cast, and there is a foreward by Gene Rodenberry himself.
Each story features an introduction by a member of the original cast, and there is a foreward by Gene Rodenberry himself.
237 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 21, 2010
This anthology has come in for more than its share of disdain. I once saw an editor for the later published Strange New Worlds express contempt for it. These stories, after all, have a fanzine feel, several were first published in fanzines, as you might know seeing them mentioned in Star Trek Lives! the book about Trek fandom co-authored by Sondra Marshak. Strange New Worlds in contrast was a "writing contest" for those with less than three published stories, and saw itself as much more professional--they do it, after all, for money. The things is, as someone once involved in online Trek fandom, I could tell them that a lot of the authors on the contents pages of Strange New Worlds--the best ones--wrote fanfic, often under a pseudonym online. Almost always, their fanfic was better than what got published. There is a kind of blandness, a reigned in feeling to much professionally published Trek fiction, that wasn't true early on when it was closer to it's fandom roots. Which is not to say that I don't love many stories to be found in Strange New Worlds, but I love these too, all of which I can remember just from the title decades after first reading. And with fans, you know they're actually going to get Kirk's middle name and eye-color right. These are written with love, and range from moving ("Ni Var" and "Mind Sifter") to hilarious ("Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" and "Face on the Barroom Floor"). I don't think the second anthology was nearly as strong but this one needs no apologies. Enjoy! I sure did.
June 5, 2017
I'm never quite sure how to rate short stories collections because there's almost always some that I love and some that I'm not very fond of.
I was initially going to give this a 3 but I pushed it to 4 because of the intros from the cast that came along with each story. I found them very interesting and very touching and, in my opinion, they worth your time even if you're not into the rest of the stories.
I've seen a lot of people saying in their reviews that this book felt like a collection of fanfiction and a fair share of them mean that in a negative and sorta demeaning way.
I'm here to say that as far as I'm concerned the fact that a lot of them felt like fanfiction is one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much. You can feel these writers' love and respect for the characters and the universe they're playing with and that's always a good thing in my book. Besides, I never thought that 'feels like fanfiction' automatically translates to 'badly written'.
"Ni-Var", "The Winged Dreamers" and "Mind-Sifter" were some of my favourites in the book but I also have a soft spot for "The Face on the Barroom Floor" cause it made me chuckle a lot.
I was initially going to give this a 3 but I pushed it to 4 because of the intros from the cast that came along with each story. I found them very interesting and very touching and, in my opinion, they worth your time even if you're not into the rest of the stories.
I've seen a lot of people saying in their reviews that this book felt like a collection of fanfiction and a fair share of them mean that in a negative and sorta demeaning way.
I'm here to say that as far as I'm concerned the fact that a lot of them felt like fanfiction is one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much. You can feel these writers' love and respect for the characters and the universe they're playing with and that's always a good thing in my book. Besides, I never thought that 'feels like fanfiction' automatically translates to 'badly written'.
"Ni-Var", "The Winged Dreamers" and "Mind-Sifter" were some of my favourites in the book but I also have a soft spot for "The Face on the Barroom Floor" cause it made me chuckle a lot.
August 1, 2025
Star Trek: The Original Series (ST: TOS) ended its three-year run in 1969, but there was an almost immediate understanding that there were still stories to be told within the universe. Star Trek fanzines became opportunities for aspiring writers to hone their craft while telling new stories that would expand the universe while keeping the franchise a presence in the zeitgeist.
Star Trek: The New Voyages was an anthology published in 1976 edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, two new writers that believed in the promise of "more Star Trek." The writers combed ST fanzines in order to find promising female writers along with their literary offerings. Then they matched up the stories with an actor from (TOS) to write an introduction. Clearly, the fact that there continue to be stories more than 50 years later is a testament that Marshak and Culbreath were right.
The book is introduced by Roddenberry himself with other introductions by: Nimoy, Doohan, Nichols, Barrett, Takei, and Shatner. (Hmm! I seem to remember those names.) There's even a sonnet to provide for those that enjoy poetry, as well. IMHO, this is a great collection of stories that in retrospect fulfilled a very obvious need.
Star Trek: The New Voyages was an anthology published in 1976 edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, two new writers that believed in the promise of "more Star Trek." The writers combed ST fanzines in order to find promising female writers along with their literary offerings. Then they matched up the stories with an actor from (TOS) to write an introduction. Clearly, the fact that there continue to be stories more than 50 years later is a testament that Marshak and Culbreath were right.
The book is introduced by Roddenberry himself with other introductions by: Nimoy, Doohan, Nichols, Barrett, Takei, and Shatner. (Hmm! I seem to remember those names.) There's even a sonnet to provide for those that enjoy poetry, as well. IMHO, this is a great collection of stories that in retrospect fulfilled a very obvious need.
April 7, 2024
If you enjoy Star Trek and if you're considering reading this you must. Then I would highly recommend this. As I was reading these stories it was like I was a kid again watching the TV watching the latest episode!
May 19, 2022
After seven years, TPTB published a new Star Trek collection. Most of the stories are very good, and they were all at least somewhat interesting. I liked the one where Spock and McCoy go camping the best.
January 11, 2022
Groundbreaking in a number of ways, this was the first published book of fan fiction for Star Trek. Published in March of 1976, the two earlier original novels were some six years previous, and this also showed that there was a market for Star Trek fiction. I first read this not long after it was published, checking it out from the Spokane Valley library.
One of the best aspects of these stories was the introduction to each by a cast member. Some of these tales have stuck with me over the years, such as The Enchanted Pool and Ni-Var. Others were not great in my first reading, and haven't gotten any better.
This was probably my introduction to fanfic. No stores in my area carried the many Star Trek fanzines that these stories originally came from: Tricorder Readings, T-Negative, Spockanalia, and others. What I didn't realize at the time was that all of these stories were written by women authors, and the editors of the collection were also women.
What I also didn't know was the controversy and editing the stories received. Two authors in particular were very unhappy with these edits. Younger me didn't have the internet to search, and fanlore.org has been particularly helpful in pointing me to more information about this and the second volume in the series. It was worth reading these again with the expanded information, but I won't be pulling this particular tattered paperback off my shelf again, except to loan it to someone. Interested?
One of the best aspects of these stories was the introduction to each by a cast member. Some of these tales have stuck with me over the years, such as The Enchanted Pool and Ni-Var. Others were not great in my first reading, and haven't gotten any better.
This was probably my introduction to fanfic. No stores in my area carried the many Star Trek fanzines that these stories originally came from: Tricorder Readings, T-Negative, Spockanalia, and others. What I didn't realize at the time was that all of these stories were written by women authors, and the editors of the collection were also women.
What I also didn't know was the controversy and editing the stories received. Two authors in particular were very unhappy with these edits. Younger me didn't have the internet to search, and fanlore.org has been particularly helpful in pointing me to more information about this and the second volume in the series. It was worth reading these again with the expanded information, but I won't be pulling this particular tattered paperback off my shelf again, except to loan it to someone. Interested?
April 12, 2017
Cozying up with a Star Trek book is never a waste of time no matter how dull it is. This collection of short stories is about average. Three stories stand out to me ("Ni Var", "The Winged Dreamers", and "Mind-Sifter") but they really are worth the time for this collection. The rest either just aren't to my taste or are just so, so but it's all still good fun.
May 16, 2021
When done right, fan fiction can be fun. I remember friends in high school talking about online writings based on their favorite anime or video games. However, it can also be terrible. I was shocked one time when I came across Lizzie McGuire fan fiction that turned the "TV-G" Disney Channel sitcom into written pornography. Maybe it was good that I didn't see much of that show for a while after that, even though I was known as the Hilary Duff guy.
While fan fiction has taken on a life of its own over the past two decades or so, this book shows that it was alive and well before the dawn of the Internet. Not only were these stories approved by the creator of Star Trek, each of them has an introduction written by a member of either the cast or the crew. I imagine the Trekkies who contributed to this collection were overjoyed to have their writings endorsed by none other than William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, or Nichelle Nichols.
As for the stories themselves, they were enjoyable; it was great to see a different take on Kirk and crew. Some of the references were lost on me--I've only seen the first two seasons of the original series, and it's been years since I watched any of the pre-TNG films--but, I still had fun with it, even if my copy was old and beat up.
While fan fiction has taken on a life of its own over the past two decades or so, this book shows that it was alive and well before the dawn of the Internet. Not only were these stories approved by the creator of Star Trek, each of them has an introduction written by a member of either the cast or the crew. I imagine the Trekkies who contributed to this collection were overjoyed to have their writings endorsed by none other than William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, or Nichelle Nichols.
As for the stories themselves, they were enjoyable; it was great to see a different take on Kirk and crew. Some of the references were lost on me--I've only seen the first two seasons of the original series, and it's been years since I watched any of the pre-TNG films--but, I still had fun with it, even if my copy was old and beat up.
January 10, 2015
Having been a Star Trek fan since the days of the original program (yes, internet, I’m that old), I hate to say that I don’t remember much from the original broadcasts (I was a wee one, but I do vaguely recall watching a certain pointy-eared Vulcan in the shows final season). However, like all true Trek fans I really scarfed up the show when it dropped into TV syndication. I grew familiar with each and every episode, and – as a young man – I followed with great delight many of the SciFi trade publications that often times featured interviews with the show’s stars and even its creator Gene Roddenberry. Recently deciding to recapture some of those moments from my youth, I decided to pick up a used copy of some of the early Star Trek adventures in book form, and STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES was the first read.
Now, I’ve come to understand that there are multiple books bearing nearly the same name (for some curious reason), so let me clarify that this particular NEW VOYAGES is essentially an anthology of fan fiction drawn from that era just after Star Trek had pretty much ended on the small screen and was only just morphing into silver screen adventures featuring the original crew. This book was originally published by Bantam in 1976 but had enjoyed nearly twenty reprints through 1988.
As for the stories? Well, I hate to say that they’re largely forgettable. One – in particular – draws a direct inspiration from one of Trek’s earliest hourly adventures, and it sadly ends up feeling mostly like a clone of the same said episode. Instead of being something fresh and/or “all-new” as the cover suggests, many of these short stories do play out like typical fan fiction, meaning that they aren’t exactly very good nor are they particular noteworthy. They were obviously written at a time by a die-hard Trek enthusiast who wanted or hoped to bring these seminal characters to life once more when it looked like Kirk and company were no more.
What is particularly special and the single greatest reason to give these NEW VOYAGES another look are the ‘extras’: the collection comes with an intro written by Roddenberry (one heavily fueled by nostalgia), and each story bears an introduction written by one of the program’s central TV stars. And that’s where the real magic is because these were clearly crafted at a time when the stars were in-between Trek – when there were only inklings that they’d be asked to ‘suit up’ once more in what was originally supposed to be a TV show called ‘Star Trek: Phase Two,’ a property that eventually gave Paramount Pictures a clear path to STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE once George Lucas’s STAR WARS ignited our cultural consciousness for more and more journeys ‘out there.’
What comes across in each of these introductions is a wide-eyed astonishment by all involved with the enduring qualities of (dare I say?) a TV show. There’s a sense of “we thought we were doing something special, and now we know it” that pervades most of these; and there’s only an undercurrent of understanding of the richness to the legacy these stars had only begun creating. Sure, some of these intros (like Majel Barrett Roddenberry’s) might read a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but even then there’s this hint of deep appreciation for what the fans had done, continued to do, and now even decades later still carry a torch.
Even though I probably won’t recall much of the fiction between these covers, I’ll quite probably never forget the few words of wisdom offered up with genuine gratitude from perhaps Science Fiction’s most revered ensemble. Each has something unique to say about Trek’s heritage, and each clearly appreciates the opportunity to share their observations – whether bloated or succinct – about going boldly where no one had gone before.
RECOMMENDED. Methinks only hardcore Star Trek fans from the program’s original days might be drawn to the magical sentiments weakly at play in STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES. While the stories are largely forgettable, what makes the short tome really come alive are the introductions to each work, ones penned by such Trek luminaries as George Takei, Leonard Nimoy and even big Bill Shatner himself.
Now, I’ve come to understand that there are multiple books bearing nearly the same name (for some curious reason), so let me clarify that this particular NEW VOYAGES is essentially an anthology of fan fiction drawn from that era just after Star Trek had pretty much ended on the small screen and was only just morphing into silver screen adventures featuring the original crew. This book was originally published by Bantam in 1976 but had enjoyed nearly twenty reprints through 1988.
As for the stories? Well, I hate to say that they’re largely forgettable. One – in particular – draws a direct inspiration from one of Trek’s earliest hourly adventures, and it sadly ends up feeling mostly like a clone of the same said episode. Instead of being something fresh and/or “all-new” as the cover suggests, many of these short stories do play out like typical fan fiction, meaning that they aren’t exactly very good nor are they particular noteworthy. They were obviously written at a time by a die-hard Trek enthusiast who wanted or hoped to bring these seminal characters to life once more when it looked like Kirk and company were no more.
What is particularly special and the single greatest reason to give these NEW VOYAGES another look are the ‘extras’: the collection comes with an intro written by Roddenberry (one heavily fueled by nostalgia), and each story bears an introduction written by one of the program’s central TV stars. And that’s where the real magic is because these were clearly crafted at a time when the stars were in-between Trek – when there were only inklings that they’d be asked to ‘suit up’ once more in what was originally supposed to be a TV show called ‘Star Trek: Phase Two,’ a property that eventually gave Paramount Pictures a clear path to STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE once George Lucas’s STAR WARS ignited our cultural consciousness for more and more journeys ‘out there.’
What comes across in each of these introductions is a wide-eyed astonishment by all involved with the enduring qualities of (dare I say?) a TV show. There’s a sense of “we thought we were doing something special, and now we know it” that pervades most of these; and there’s only an undercurrent of understanding of the richness to the legacy these stars had only begun creating. Sure, some of these intros (like Majel Barrett Roddenberry’s) might read a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but even then there’s this hint of deep appreciation for what the fans had done, continued to do, and now even decades later still carry a torch.
Even though I probably won’t recall much of the fiction between these covers, I’ll quite probably never forget the few words of wisdom offered up with genuine gratitude from perhaps Science Fiction’s most revered ensemble. Each has something unique to say about Trek’s heritage, and each clearly appreciates the opportunity to share their observations – whether bloated or succinct – about going boldly where no one had gone before.
RECOMMENDED. Methinks only hardcore Star Trek fans from the program’s original days might be drawn to the magical sentiments weakly at play in STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES. While the stories are largely forgettable, what makes the short tome really come alive are the introductions to each work, ones penned by such Trek luminaries as George Takei, Leonard Nimoy and even big Bill Shatner himself.
February 5, 2025
By far the best Star Trek work I've read yet. This is a collection of fan works with words from the cast and creators of the original Star Trek series. I enjoyed everyone of these fan creations. This was a true treat.
Favorite Quotes:
"Star Trek said, not only in words, that people can be proud of their cultural roots, but not bound by them, not limited, not divided. People can choose from the best of any culture---love and respect for each other as individuals.” -George Takei
"You told me that you loved me, and you cried.
I said I had no feelings. And I lied." (Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three)
Favorite Quotes:
"Star Trek said, not only in words, that people can be proud of their cultural roots, but not bound by them, not limited, not divided. People can choose from the best of any culture---love and respect for each other as individuals.” -George Takei
"You told me that you loved me, and you cried.
I said I had no feelings. And I lied." (Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three)
September 4, 2012
A couple of the stories were good. Most were just okay, and a few felt like re-writes of episodes. I didn't like the last two stories at all. Still, worth having for die-hard ST fans because of the intros written by the actors.
September 8, 2022
The historic, first ever "official" complication of Star Trek fanfiction. And it is glorious, my friends. These are the ancient texts, the old magic that quotes itself into fractal infinatum, the first faint, sputtering, but never to be quenched Spirk of light.
October 19, 2017
STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES is a groundbreaking publication in some respects, though not ones that appealed to me personally. First off, it is arguably the first collection of fanfiction to undergo professional publication, though not all the writers represented here were unpublished amateurs. In fact, the quality of the writing in this volume is much higher than I expected, and it's the stories themselves I take issue with, not the prose.
Another groundbreaking aspect of the book is that the stories were written exclusively by women, despite STAR TREK: TOS essentially being a boy's adventure program. Normally, this would be an interesting twist, except that the female writers of TREK fiction during this early Bantam Books era tended to exaggerate or even fetishize the emotional undercurrents of TREK while minimizing the more masculine adventure elements. Kathleen Sky, for example, wrote two early TREK novels, each of which featured a new female crew member that Kirk, McCoy, and Spock all went completely gaga over--something that reeked of erotic wish-fulfillment and turned Star Trek into a sci-fi Harlequin romance. And the fact that STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES was edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath should be of particular concern to TREK purists, in that these two women are infamous for writing a pair of early TREK novels that positively surge with blatant homoeroticism and other suggestive elements. Not that the early TREK novels written by men were much better, but at least they never strayed so far from the spirit of the original show.
But with Marshak and Culbreath as editors, it's no surprise this same slash-fic undercurrent rears its head from time to time. Take, for example, this exchange from the story "The Winged Dreamers":
"Jim," Spock said in a whisper. "Why do we have to leave here? We can stay. Just you and I. We don't need those others."
"He's off his head," McCoy grunted. "He's finally cracked."
"No. The thing's finally got to him," Kirk said, climbing out of the command seat. "It's offering him the one thing..." He stopped abruptly, realizing that he was giving too much away. He ignored McCoy's startled look and went up to the Vulcan.
"Spock!"
"We can go down to the planet," Spock explained reasonably. "We can be together, always..."
"Spock" Kirk dragged him onto his feet and shook him.
"Jim, you don't have to hurt me."
"Snap out of it, or I will hurt you!" Kirk snarled into his face.
Seems the author obviously preferred a sexually-charged, romantic interpretation of Kirk and Spock's relationship, rather than simply taking it for the epic bromance it was intended to be. Other stories like "The Enchanted Pool," in which a "wood nymph" spends the whole story trying to convince Spock to kiss her, and "Mind-Sifter," in which a young nurse falls in love with Kirk while treating him for amnesia, hint at the possibility that these were personal fantasies set to paper. (Interestingly, "Mind-Sifter" is something of a fan favorite and was used many years later as the basis for an unofficial TV episode.)
A few of the stories suffer from the problem of characters behaving uncharacteristically for the sole purpose of advancing the plot. In "The Face on the Barroom Floor," Kirk dons a samurai costume while on shore leave, for no other apparent purpose than to give the author a convenient excuse for him to not be recognized as an Enterprise crew member. In "Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited," actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelly find themselves suddenly aboard the REAL Enterprise, currently under threat from the Klingons. Instead of telling their co-workers who they really are or declaring themselves unfit for duty (thereby putting Mr. Scott in charge), the trio simply decides to take over for their alter-egos and solve the problem on their own. In "Ni Var," Spock tries to hide a serious physiological issue from Dr. McCoy, for no apparent reason other than to make the story more dramatic. And "The Hunting" features McCoy tracking Spock on foot across an alien planet for over a week, rather than using the Enterprise's sensors to make the search infinitely easier (and admittedly less interesting).
Some of these stories are blatant re-treads of original episodes, such as "The Winged Dreamers," which closely apes the plot of the classic STAR TREK episode "Shore Leave." The story "Ni Var" basically posits what might have occurred if the events in "The Enemy Within" happened to Spock rather than Kirk. And "Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" is a companion piece to another, unpublished work of fan fiction.
Though not terrible, these stories mostly seem like throwaway adventures, like the kind of thing you'd expect from Filmation's STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES. For my money, the best story in this collection is "Intersection Point" by Juanita Coulson, since it comes the closest to feeling like it could be part of the STAR TREK canon.
On a final note, each of these stories comes with a short introduction by one of the original cast members. However, since the actors mostly just give their thoughts about the characters they played and about STAR TREK in general, it's not clear they even read the stories they're introducing.
Too bad that a book composed of such unusual elements ended up being so thoroughly mediocre.
Another groundbreaking aspect of the book is that the stories were written exclusively by women, despite STAR TREK: TOS essentially being a boy's adventure program. Normally, this would be an interesting twist, except that the female writers of TREK fiction during this early Bantam Books era tended to exaggerate or even fetishize the emotional undercurrents of TREK while minimizing the more masculine adventure elements. Kathleen Sky, for example, wrote two early TREK novels, each of which featured a new female crew member that Kirk, McCoy, and Spock all went completely gaga over--something that reeked of erotic wish-fulfillment and turned Star Trek into a sci-fi Harlequin romance. And the fact that STAR TREK: THE NEW VOYAGES was edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath should be of particular concern to TREK purists, in that these two women are infamous for writing a pair of early TREK novels that positively surge with blatant homoeroticism and other suggestive elements. Not that the early TREK novels written by men were much better, but at least they never strayed so far from the spirit of the original show.
But with Marshak and Culbreath as editors, it's no surprise this same slash-fic undercurrent rears its head from time to time. Take, for example, this exchange from the story "The Winged Dreamers":
"Jim," Spock said in a whisper. "Why do we have to leave here? We can stay. Just you and I. We don't need those others."
"He's off his head," McCoy grunted. "He's finally cracked."
"No. The thing's finally got to him," Kirk said, climbing out of the command seat. "It's offering him the one thing..." He stopped abruptly, realizing that he was giving too much away. He ignored McCoy's startled look and went up to the Vulcan.
"Spock!"
"We can go down to the planet," Spock explained reasonably. "We can be together, always..."
"Spock" Kirk dragged him onto his feet and shook him.
"Jim, you don't have to hurt me."
"Snap out of it, or I will hurt you!" Kirk snarled into his face.
Seems the author obviously preferred a sexually-charged, romantic interpretation of Kirk and Spock's relationship, rather than simply taking it for the epic bromance it was intended to be. Other stories like "The Enchanted Pool," in which a "wood nymph" spends the whole story trying to convince Spock to kiss her, and "Mind-Sifter," in which a young nurse falls in love with Kirk while treating him for amnesia, hint at the possibility that these were personal fantasies set to paper. (Interestingly, "Mind-Sifter" is something of a fan favorite and was used many years later as the basis for an unofficial TV episode.)
A few of the stories suffer from the problem of characters behaving uncharacteristically for the sole purpose of advancing the plot. In "The Face on the Barroom Floor," Kirk dons a samurai costume while on shore leave, for no other apparent purpose than to give the author a convenient excuse for him to not be recognized as an Enterprise crew member. In "Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited," actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelly find themselves suddenly aboard the REAL Enterprise, currently under threat from the Klingons. Instead of telling their co-workers who they really are or declaring themselves unfit for duty (thereby putting Mr. Scott in charge), the trio simply decides to take over for their alter-egos and solve the problem on their own. In "Ni Var," Spock tries to hide a serious physiological issue from Dr. McCoy, for no apparent reason other than to make the story more dramatic. And "The Hunting" features McCoy tracking Spock on foot across an alien planet for over a week, rather than using the Enterprise's sensors to make the search infinitely easier (and admittedly less interesting).
Some of these stories are blatant re-treads of original episodes, such as "The Winged Dreamers," which closely apes the plot of the classic STAR TREK episode "Shore Leave." The story "Ni Var" basically posits what might have occurred if the events in "The Enemy Within" happened to Spock rather than Kirk. And "Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" is a companion piece to another, unpublished work of fan fiction.
Though not terrible, these stories mostly seem like throwaway adventures, like the kind of thing you'd expect from Filmation's STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES. For my money, the best story in this collection is "Intersection Point" by Juanita Coulson, since it comes the closest to feeling like it could be part of the STAR TREK canon.
On a final note, each of these stories comes with a short introduction by one of the original cast members. However, since the actors mostly just give their thoughts about the characters they played and about STAR TREK in general, it's not clear they even read the stories they're introducing.
Too bad that a book composed of such unusual elements ended up being so thoroughly mediocre.
September 17, 2022
Review 9/17/22: During the lean years between the cancellation of the original series and the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the fans kept Star Trek alive. Through fanzines and fan fiction; through the early conventions and cosplay. Marshak and Culbreath were part of those early years and they gathered together two collections of fan written new fiction about our favorite science fiction characters. These stories were some of the first that I read as a newly minted Trek fan. My first Star Trek books were a set of five or six of the first Pocket Book ST novels and I quickly moved on from those to search out all the Trek I could find in book form (not to mention gluing myself to the TV when the episodes came on in syndication). These short stories were like manna from heaven for a girl hungry for more Trek and I loved them. Rereading them forty-ish years later, I still find them to be pretty darn good stories even though a few of them recycle tropes from episodes and some are clearly wish-fulfillment. But they do so in fresh, inventive ways--particularly in the context of when they were written. "Mind-Sifter" is easily the best of the collection. I gave this ★★★★ before and see no reason to change the rating now.
"Ni Var" by Claire Gabriel: Like his captain before him (in "The Enemy Within" season 1, episode 5), Spock finds himself divided into two separate beings: one all human and one all Vulcan. Getting these two back together may be more difficult than rejoining Kirk's good and evil.
"Intersection Point" by Juanita Coulson: The Enterprise has a collision...with nothing (apparently). They soon discover that the "nothing" is another dimension and contact with it will destroy everything. An important piece of the Enterprise has been sucked into the "nothing" and someone will have to go get it.
"The Enchanted Pool" by Marcia Ericson: The Enterprise is sent to retrieve a shuttlecraft from the U.S.S Yorktown that is carrying a new top-secret weapon (code name "Excalibur") before a group of renegade Andorians can get their hands on it. The last trace of the craft shows it headed towards the planet Mevinna and Spock and a shuttlecraft team are sent to investigate.
"Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" by Ruth Berman: A fun read wherein Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley are somehow (no explanation given) transported to the real Enterprise while filming an episode of Star Trek. The story revolves around them making brief efforts to fill the shoes of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy while Scotty figures out how to get everyone back where they belong. [a companion story to an earlier one which showed events in Hollywood with our Enterprise trio]
"The Face on the Barroom Floor" by Eleanor Arnason & Ruth Berman: Kirk decides to go incognito while on shore leave. His adventures include buying (and wearing) a bizarre pseudo-samurai outfit, playing darts, a barroom brawl, and a stint in jail as "Harry, a junior officer from the Deneb Queen"--all while Spock & co. are trying to find their wandering captain so they can respond to a distress call.
"The Hunting" by Doris Beetam: This time McCoy joins Spock on shore leave only to find himself supporting the Vulcan in an odd hunting party to fulfill a Vulcan coming-of-age ritual.
"The Winged Dreamers" by Jennifer Guttridge: Another take on Kirk and Spock rescuing most of the crew from a "Paradise" that will ensnare them.
"Mind-Sifter" by Shirley S. Maiewski: After being captured by Klingons and subjected to the tortures of their mind-sifter, Kirk is marooned (through the Guardian of Forever) in 1950s Earth. His state after the torture results in him being admitted to a mental facility. Spock and the crew must figure out where their captain is and rescue him...
"Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three" by Shirley Meech: A lovely poem from a certain Vulcan to the girl he left behind in "This Side of Paradise."
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
**************
Previous short review: Absolutely delightful! Mindsifter is one of the best.
"Ni Var" by Claire Gabriel: Like his captain before him (in "The Enemy Within" season 1, episode 5), Spock finds himself divided into two separate beings: one all human and one all Vulcan. Getting these two back together may be more difficult than rejoining Kirk's good and evil.
"Intersection Point" by Juanita Coulson: The Enterprise has a collision...with nothing (apparently). They soon discover that the "nothing" is another dimension and contact with it will destroy everything. An important piece of the Enterprise has been sucked into the "nothing" and someone will have to go get it.
"The Enchanted Pool" by Marcia Ericson: The Enterprise is sent to retrieve a shuttlecraft from the U.S.S Yorktown that is carrying a new top-secret weapon (code name "Excalibur") before a group of renegade Andorians can get their hands on it. The last trace of the craft shows it headed towards the planet Mevinna and Spock and a shuttlecraft team are sent to investigate.
"Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited" by Ruth Berman: A fun read wherein Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley are somehow (no explanation given) transported to the real Enterprise while filming an episode of Star Trek. The story revolves around them making brief efforts to fill the shoes of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy while Scotty figures out how to get everyone back where they belong. [a companion story to an earlier one which showed events in Hollywood with our Enterprise trio]
"The Face on the Barroom Floor" by Eleanor Arnason & Ruth Berman: Kirk decides to go incognito while on shore leave. His adventures include buying (and wearing) a bizarre pseudo-samurai outfit, playing darts, a barroom brawl, and a stint in jail as "Harry, a junior officer from the Deneb Queen"--all while Spock & co. are trying to find their wandering captain so they can respond to a distress call.
"The Hunting" by Doris Beetam: This time McCoy joins Spock on shore leave only to find himself supporting the Vulcan in an odd hunting party to fulfill a Vulcan coming-of-age ritual.
"The Winged Dreamers" by Jennifer Guttridge: Another take on Kirk and Spock rescuing most of the crew from a "Paradise" that will ensnare them.
"Mind-Sifter" by Shirley S. Maiewski: After being captured by Klingons and subjected to the tortures of their mind-sifter, Kirk is marooned (through the Guardian of Forever) in 1950s Earth. His state after the torture results in him being admitted to a mental facility. Spock and the crew must figure out where their captain is and rescue him...
"Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three" by Shirley Meech: A lovely poem from a certain Vulcan to the girl he left behind in "This Side of Paradise."
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
**************
Previous short review: Absolutely delightful! Mindsifter is one of the best.
August 31, 2025
Some of this was a slog. The final story made the whole collection worth it though.
March 26, 2022
Sometimes nostalgia lies to you.
I read this a year or so after publication, but thirty some-odd years later, it does not match up to those memories. The best parts that I can recommend are the introductions written by the original cast and Gene Roddenberry, and the story involving Kirk's misadventures on shore leave. That story will leave you laughing so hard, Romulan Ale may shoot out of your nose. It is also why I gave the book three stars instead of two.
A must-read for Star Trek fans and an interesting peek at the incredible fandom of Star Trek just as word that the first movie was going to be a reality.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
I read this a year or so after publication, but thirty some-odd years later, it does not match up to those memories. The best parts that I can recommend are the introductions written by the original cast and Gene Roddenberry, and the story involving Kirk's misadventures on shore leave. That story will leave you laughing so hard, Romulan Ale may shoot out of your nose. It is also why I gave the book three stars instead of two.
A must-read for Star Trek fans and an interesting peek at the incredible fandom of Star Trek just as word that the first movie was going to be a reality.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
August 28, 2016
10/10 would read again. last story was like a spirk fanfic, like dis if u cri everytime.
August 6, 2022
I am very fond of Star Trek: The New Voyages.
Society does not often look fondly upon the literary art that is Fan Fiction, but to know that the Star Trek franchise views it favorably enough to publish not one, but two books dedicated to stories written by fans for fans reminds me why I love Star Trek so dearly. As a fanfic writer myself, it was very special to read the works of the legends that came before sites like Fanfiction.net or Archive of Our Own. Those people who paved the way for writers in my time deserve recognition and it is so wonderful and validating to see their stories in published works.
There is a rumor in the Star Trek fandom that K/S was the first slash relationship. Whether this be myth or truth does not matter anymore— it is a point of pride for many Trekkies both new and old. Truthfully, this relationship, whether platonic or amorous saved the Star Trek fandom and is one of the main reasons we are still blessed with new content today. The New Voyages had hints of the infamous K/S relationship in many of its stories— my particular favorite being the Winged Dreamers.
Usually my biggest critique of ST fanfiction (my own included) is how Spock is written. Few authors really capture his character as asserted in TOS. However, there were several stories in this book that managed to capture the enigma that is Spock. As a Spock “girly” myself, I was quite fond of how “The Enchanted Pool,” The Hunting,” and even “The Mindsifter” seemed to capture Spock’s voice, inner turmoil, and most importantly, deeply affectionate regard for Jim Kirk.
I want to leave this review with a quote from my favorite introduction by DeForest Kelly:
… it can be called fanfiction. It is that, but it is more than that; it is simply italicized Star Trek fiction. It is a fanfiction of the kind that people write for one, simple reason: they cannot help themselves. It was not written for money. During all those years, for legal reasons, there was no possibility of publishing Star Trek fan fiction professionally and it seems certain there never would be… yet many professional writers and those on the way to becoming professionals wrote it as cheerfully and as passionately as those who have never written anything before, even knowing it could never be published except in small fan magazines put out for and by fans…”
I’d like to remember this paragraph forever because, as someone very fond of fan fiction, it really resonated with me. It encouraged me to keep writing about characters I love even if the only people who will read, understand, and appreciate it are people like me. Star Trek: The New Voyages reminds me there’s nothing to be ashamed about fan fiction. It is literature in its own right, and often very good literature at that.
Society does not often look fondly upon the literary art that is Fan Fiction, but to know that the Star Trek franchise views it favorably enough to publish not one, but two books dedicated to stories written by fans for fans reminds me why I love Star Trek so dearly. As a fanfic writer myself, it was very special to read the works of the legends that came before sites like Fanfiction.net or Archive of Our Own. Those people who paved the way for writers in my time deserve recognition and it is so wonderful and validating to see their stories in published works.
There is a rumor in the Star Trek fandom that K/S was the first slash relationship. Whether this be myth or truth does not matter anymore— it is a point of pride for many Trekkies both new and old. Truthfully, this relationship, whether platonic or amorous saved the Star Trek fandom and is one of the main reasons we are still blessed with new content today. The New Voyages had hints of the infamous K/S relationship in many of its stories— my particular favorite being the Winged Dreamers.
Usually my biggest critique of ST fanfiction (my own included) is how Spock is written. Few authors really capture his character as asserted in TOS. However, there were several stories in this book that managed to capture the enigma that is Spock. As a Spock “girly” myself, I was quite fond of how “The Enchanted Pool,” The Hunting,” and even “The Mindsifter” seemed to capture Spock’s voice, inner turmoil, and most importantly, deeply affectionate regard for Jim Kirk.
I want to leave this review with a quote from my favorite introduction by DeForest Kelly:
… it can be called fanfiction. It is that, but it is more than that; it is simply italicized Star Trek fiction. It is a fanfiction of the kind that people write for one, simple reason: they cannot help themselves. It was not written for money. During all those years, for legal reasons, there was no possibility of publishing Star Trek fan fiction professionally and it seems certain there never would be… yet many professional writers and those on the way to becoming professionals wrote it as cheerfully and as passionately as those who have never written anything before, even knowing it could never be published except in small fan magazines put out for and by fans…”
I’d like to remember this paragraph forever because, as someone very fond of fan fiction, it really resonated with me. It encouraged me to keep writing about characters I love even if the only people who will read, understand, and appreciate it are people like me. Star Trek: The New Voyages reminds me there’s nothing to be ashamed about fan fiction. It is literature in its own right, and often very good literature at that.
September 14, 2025
My official rating is more around a 3.5, but until Goodreads adds half stars this is a 4 I guess.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I think it’s so funny that they acknowledged the stories in this as fanfiction. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t know they called it that in the 70s. I also loved how every story was written by a woman!! I trust women with these characters more than I would trust any man so I was very content. The introductions are mostly heartfelt and very well-written. I have to shout-out Leonard Nimoy’s and DeForest Kelley’s bc those two both made me so emotional and all fuzzy inside.
Individual ratings:
- Ni Var: 4.5/5 Claire Gabriel I know what you are and it’s a Kirk/Spock shipper and I thank you for this story. Just filled to the brim with ridiculously romantic lines. Those men love each other and I love that. My one complaint is not enough Bones but is there ever really enough of him
- Intersection Point: 3/5 A little boring but has some cute moments between our main three
- The Enchanted Pool: 3/5 They put Spock in a fairytale and made him kiss a woman could we not
- Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited: 4/5 Oh it’s so fun! I do want to read the other half of it tho bc I need to see what Bones would do on a studio set lmao
- The Face on the Barroom Floor: 2.5/5 Not horrible I guess but just weird. I don’t like it when Kirk is in a situation like this. But still, Spock stayed for him and that’s very important to me.
- The Hunting: 3.5/5 I’ll take any Spock/McCoy content you give me, their dynamic is my favorite in the whole show. Bones leaving a message that if he died, it would be his fault alone is making me go crazy. It’s basically a companion piece to Amok Time except this time Spock isn’t horny, he’s mostly just primal I guess if that’s the right word. I like it better when he’s horny
- The Winged Dreamers: 3.5/5 I liked all the time we spent with our main three!! Why did Spock lowkey proposition Jim tho. Hello. Did anyone else see that. There’s no other possible explanation. Jennifer Guttridge I love you lots
- Mind-Sifter: 3/5 This was obviously written by someone in love with Kirk, which fair play I suppose. Some good Spock/McCoy and Kirk/Spock action going on here! It is a little disturbing to experience Kirk’s pain and also the break between Spock and McCoy. But worth it for their overall character dynamics
- The poem at the end is beautiful oh my lord! I know it’s in reference to an Earth woman ok, but walk with me here…Kirk? Anyways! The thought of Spock writing a poem has me bouncing off the walls :)
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I think it’s so funny that they acknowledged the stories in this as fanfiction. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t know they called it that in the 70s. I also loved how every story was written by a woman!! I trust women with these characters more than I would trust any man so I was very content. The introductions are mostly heartfelt and very well-written. I have to shout-out Leonard Nimoy’s and DeForest Kelley’s bc those two both made me so emotional and all fuzzy inside.
Individual ratings:
- Ni Var: 4.5/5 Claire Gabriel I know what you are and it’s a Kirk/Spock shipper and I thank you for this story. Just filled to the brim with ridiculously romantic lines. Those men love each other and I love that. My one complaint is not enough Bones but is there ever really enough of him
- Intersection Point: 3/5 A little boring but has some cute moments between our main three
- The Enchanted Pool: 3/5 They put Spock in a fairytale and made him kiss a woman could we not
- Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited: 4/5 Oh it’s so fun! I do want to read the other half of it tho bc I need to see what Bones would do on a studio set lmao
- The Face on the Barroom Floor: 2.5/5 Not horrible I guess but just weird. I don’t like it when Kirk is in a situation like this. But still, Spock stayed for him and that’s very important to me.
- The Hunting: 3.5/5 I’ll take any Spock/McCoy content you give me, their dynamic is my favorite in the whole show. Bones leaving a message that if he died, it would be his fault alone is making me go crazy. It’s basically a companion piece to Amok Time except this time Spock isn’t horny, he’s mostly just primal I guess if that’s the right word. I like it better when he’s horny
- The Winged Dreamers: 3.5/5 I liked all the time we spent with our main three!! Why did Spock lowkey proposition Jim tho. Hello. Did anyone else see that. There’s no other possible explanation. Jennifer Guttridge I love you lots
- Mind-Sifter: 3/5 This was obviously written by someone in love with Kirk, which fair play I suppose. Some good Spock/McCoy and Kirk/Spock action going on here! It is a little disturbing to experience Kirk’s pain and also the break between Spock and McCoy. But worth it for their overall character dynamics
- The poem at the end is beautiful oh my lord! I know it’s in reference to an Earth woman ok, but walk with me here…Kirk? Anyways! The thought of Spock writing a poem has me bouncing off the walls :)
February 10, 2019
Yes - I nerded out and read this. But I liked it so hear me out!
I found this at a used book store for $2. It looked mildly interesting - pure 70s sci fi fan fiction. So I bought it and dived in.
Let's set the stage here. The book was published in 1976. Only the Star Trek original series had been released (in the 60s) and the cartoon series. No Star Trek movies, no other Star Trek TV series yet. Hardly any Star Trek books either. And this was "fan fiction" - these authors were not professional writers nor did they become professional writers later. Pure fan fiction introduced prior to the onslaught of Star Trek movies, new shows and new books.
Each short story was like a new TV episode, true to the show and the characters, cheesiness included. You could picture the events happening. Some stories were better than others, but each was unique and kept the Star Trek adventures going. A bunch of amateur writers kept the Star Trek mission alive to explore strange new worlds and boldly go...
I liked this book because it was an early example of what made Star Trek live on. Prior to all the Star Trek movies and new series, this book showed an early example of why Star Trek worked.
I found this at a used book store for $2. It looked mildly interesting - pure 70s sci fi fan fiction. So I bought it and dived in.
Let's set the stage here. The book was published in 1976. Only the Star Trek original series had been released (in the 60s) and the cartoon series. No Star Trek movies, no other Star Trek TV series yet. Hardly any Star Trek books either. And this was "fan fiction" - these authors were not professional writers nor did they become professional writers later. Pure fan fiction introduced prior to the onslaught of Star Trek movies, new shows and new books.
Each short story was like a new TV episode, true to the show and the characters, cheesiness included. You could picture the events happening. Some stories were better than others, but each was unique and kept the Star Trek adventures going. A bunch of amateur writers kept the Star Trek mission alive to explore strange new worlds and boldly go...
I liked this book because it was an early example of what made Star Trek live on. Prior to all the Star Trek movies and new series, this book showed an early example of why Star Trek worked.
June 16, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this. Some of the stories weren’t great and I didn’t enjoy them. But the overall experience was good. I especially enjoyed Mind-Shifter, Ni Var, The Winged Dreamers and The Hunting (it seems to be a trend in the reviews that the first three mentioned are favourites, and I guess I’m no different haha)
Mind-Shifter was very entertaining and felt very true to Star Trek as I know it, but with a little bit of added spice. Same with Ni Var, building it upon a concept in an aired episode but make it Spock instead of Kirk.
The Hunting was fascinating, and not something I was expecting. But I really do enjoy fans exploring Vulcan culture and testing it’s limits. Because it is interesting how such a so-called “logical” culture still reverts to what is perceived as illogical rituals and traditions. It is definitely something I would like to explore further, that a modern “logical” culture can co-exist with a more traditional indigenous one.
(Also, Spocks sonnet at the very end of the book? That’s gay shit.)
Mind-Shifter was very entertaining and felt very true to Star Trek as I know it, but with a little bit of added spice. Same with Ni Var, building it upon a concept in an aired episode but make it Spock instead of Kirk.
The Hunting was fascinating, and not something I was expecting. But I really do enjoy fans exploring Vulcan culture and testing it’s limits. Because it is interesting how such a so-called “logical” culture still reverts to what is perceived as illogical rituals and traditions. It is definitely something I would like to explore further, that a modern “logical” culture can co-exist with a more traditional indigenous one.
(Also, Spocks sonnet at the very end of the book? That’s gay shit.)
July 2, 2024
I must confess, I haven't really engaged with fanfiction before, but The New Voyages very well might change that.
These stories, although they vary in quality, length and tone, are indicative of the heart, passion and thoughtfulness of the TOS Trekkies back in the seventies. I can hardly speak to the climate, or the context of that time myself, but having read these stories, I do know that they needed more Trek, and they knew just how to find some. A few of these stories would make great television episodes themselves, whilst others could never have been filmed at all!
As an added bonus, and as a strong highlight of the anthology, introductions written by the original cast begin every chapter. The show had ended, but reruns were going wild overseas, and you could tell they all knew something more was coming soon. Their enthusiasm was charming, and in particular, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols had some excellent insights of their own. All of their introductions are worth a read, for that matter, but Nimoy and Nichols were my particular favourites. Sadly though, much like TAS, Koenig was left out of the group.
Now then, I’ll discuss each short story in a little detail.
Ni Var by Claire Gabriel
Following Spock Must Die!’s lead, Ni Var once again prominently features two Spocks. There really wasn’t enough Spock to go around back then it seemed. Spock is inexplicably divided into two halves, human and Vulcan - a fascinating idea, and one that would be explored decades later in Strange New Worlds - though the outcome was very different.
A highlight of the anthology, Ni Var explores the discord and opposing sides of one's mind. Isolated from each other, the two Spocks find themselves incomplete and those around them, especially Kirk, come to reevaluate their assumptions regarding Mr Spock’s Vulcan-ness.
It is a slow, calm and thoughtful story. Although Kirk and Spock are particularly harsh and serious about the rather goofy sci-fi gimmick, it is refreshing to see such simple and serious topics like self-love, compassion and prejudice be so earnestly examined. Which is in essence, one of TOS’ greatest strengths after all.
The technobabble can wear a little thin, as usual. There are some dangers and complications that are introduced later on with little foreshadowing that upsets the pacing, but the story weathers those minor problems in general.
Definitely worth reading.
Intersection Point Juanita Coulson
Intersection Point is not a heartfelt character piece, but an exploration of a weird spatial phenomenon that introduces great tension and stakes to a simple story of bravery and courage.
The Enterprise has suffered a huge hull breach in the form of an interdimensional rift. A critical component needed to escape has been lost into the strange void and lives are soon placed on the line to salvage it. The odd rift and the otherworldly mystery that goes on behind it is the highlight of this short story, as the personal drama occurring amongst the crew falls short.
Two new crewmembers are created for this story, Jerry and Lissa, and they’re both terrible one dimensional. It's hard to care about the danger threatening the crew until Spock and Scotty take more prominent roles. Lissa in particular is a horrible unlikeable and disappointing ‘hysterical woman’ that often plagued the 60s and 70s.
Once Spock throws himself into the void with some astonished remarks from Scotty and the crew, the tension establishes itself more deeply. Despite knowing he’ll be alright, no one wants to see Spock suffer or dazed and confused, and his peril and drive for answers might just make this story worth reading.
The conclusion is simple and pleasant which does detract from the anomaly, but it leaves the story on a satisfactory note.
The Enchanted Pool Marcia Ericson
A very bizarre and entertaining story! Combining Spock with the ethereal results in pure charm and dead-pan comedy.
Having crash landed in a beautiful glade in pursuit of criminals, Spock finds himself confronted with a self proclaimed wood nymph, who speaks of fairy tales and magical kisses. Disgruntled, and besieged, Spock continues to encounter the nymph, and is increasingly confounded by her and the tales she spins.
At its core, this is a Spock out of water story, and it succeeds in unsettling the Vulcan, but at times crosses the line and struggles to suspend disbelief. Spock is a little too easygoing with the mythical creature, and the resolution to the mystery is too simple for such a sparkling tale.
Nevertheless, The Enchanted Pool may be the most fun short story of the anthology, and I recommend reading it.
Visit to a Weird Planet: Revisited by Ruth Berman
A story only made possible by fanfiction, Visit to a Weird Planet shatters the fourth wall by featuring Will Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley as themselves aboard the Enterprise.
The trio are torn from their film studio and transported into space, to be met by the real Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekov and the rest of the crew. Who’re awaiting for instruction, orders and leadership from the bemused actors.
There’s little plot or depth to be found, it's more of a tribute to the performers, as they slide into their roles once again and attempt to navigate the stars for a brief moment for real.
It's short, fun and sweet, but there’s little meat to chew on and the actors' misplacement is solved easily enough.
The Face on the Barroom Floor by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman
The crew are on shore leave. Even Kirk’s taking some time off, leaving the Enterprise in Spock’s capable hands. But following some odd fashion choices and foolish socialising on the planet Krasni, Kirk’s soon missing when the rest of the crew are preparing to leave for an emergency rescue mission.
In essence, this is a comedic story about Captain Kirk losing himself in anonymity and quickly finding life without his authority to be very troublesome. But as amusing as Kirk getting beaten up in a bar might be, the brief drama and conflict aboard this dinky, boring planet with boring, stereotypical characters isn’t enough to sustain the story, despite its shortness.
There are a few pleasant moments with Bones, Sulu and Kirk bonding, but it's not overly well done, and their discussions are fairly dated, as far as small talk goes. Otherwise, unless you enjoy Kirk rising from the bottom of normality, I would not recommend this short story.
The Hunting by Doris Beetem
This short story features its own special psychic Vulcan ceremony, never seen before, or again. Of course, in fanfiction, there should be free licence to create something new, unique and original, but there should also be care taken to ensure it serves a purpose. That it justifies its existence.
The Hunting’s strange addition of the Mok Farr, a ritual where a Vulcan attempts to capture, and subdue the most violent, savage beast in the lands via mind meld is not a huge success. It struggles to differentiate itself from Pon Farr, which was itself an often violent or violating fugue state of mind.
Mok Farr took care to once again highlight the regrettably toxic side of Vulcan culture and their nonconsensual melds, or mind rapes. But it removes the sexual violence from the overall violence inherent in Pon Farr. Which, whilst it had never been executed particularly well, at least approached more complex and uncomfortable themes and discussions. Instead, Mok Farr leaves us with the standard logic vs savagery story, which was tiring even in TOS days. It's a false equivalency, that fails to really look deeper into the differences between human and Vulcan culture, by reducing humanity to ‘primitive emotions’. There is little nuance to be found here.
There was a scene toward the end of the story where Spock discussed the euphoria of occupying an animalistic state. It was an interesting perspective which brought a little meaning to the silly descriptions of Spock running about the desert on all fours from earlier. But the discussion was brief, and we were never actually shown euphoria from his perspective earlier in the story, which detracted from the idea.
Mok Farr, and the disappointing reductiveness of Vulcan rituals aside, The Hunting does feature some good McCoy and Spock moments. Where in Bones puts in an effort for his friend, despite admitting his good intentions to no one. Including himself.
This was not a favourite short story of mine, but if you’re not looking to take the Vulcan silliness seriously, there is still some charm to be found within.
The Winged Dreamers by Jennifer Guttridge
The Winged Dreamers is a mixture of This Side of Paradise, and Shore Leave, only not quite so goofy as you might imagine for a combination like that.
The crew are on shore leave, surprise surprise, on a beautiful, enchanted forest type world, but without any of the beasts, dangers or magic. Or at least it should be, of course. Naturally, this perfectly lovely world is innately suspicious, thanks to the fantastically colourful and charming picture painted of the unnamed planet. How could nothing go wrong in such a harmless landscape.
It is that dreamy, ethereal atmosphere that evokes the appropriate tension when people start disappearing, and dreams begin to come to life. There are no singing songs or upside-down Spock’s hanging from trees to lighten the mood. Of course, there are still light, fun moments, but the strangeness prevails. Especially as the crew begin to behave differently, and turn on Kirk, Spock and Bones.
What drags this story down however, is the lacklustre mystery behind the strange behaviour of the crew and manifestations down on the planet. Little surprise awaits you at the end, despite the good time getting there.
Mind-Sifter by Shirley S. Maiewski
Mind-Sifter is the absolute highlight of the anthology. Drawing from one small element from the TOS episode Errand of Mercy, wherein Spock endured the Klingon’s interrogation device that drains the victims mind for information. Mind-Sifter features Captain Kirk is at the machine’s mercy, and without Spock’s Vulcan powers, he’s left a helpless vestige of himself, trapped back in time, in an underfunded, ill equipped old fashioned mental asylum.
Two converging narratives take place, in this not so short, short story. In the first, we follow an amnesiac, tortured Kirk, and Jan, the one nurse with the compassion present to care for him. In the second narrative, we follow Spock, now acting captain, and his crew of bitter, unhappy individuals - all given their very grumpy voice by Doctor McCoy.
The story doesn’t shy away from unpleasantry or difficulty. It stands out from the rest of the pack, by placing our characters in legitimate peril and including genuine character conflict. Spock and McCoy’s relationship is pushed far further than ever before. It can be hard to listen to, but the build up only emphasises the eventual cathartic release.
Kirk has only approached the level of vulnerability shown in this story, in the most devastating scenes from the films. But this time, he remains in that broken, sincere and frightful state for almost the entire tale. In the very beginning, it was hard to recognise him, but fragments and hints of his true self poked through the further the narrative progressed.
Nurse Jan and Kirk’s relationship, though a little straightforward, was deeply evocative. The pair were deeply sympathetic, and the environment they were trapped in elevated their simple caregiver, patient relationship immensely.
The pacing of the text was a standout. Kirk’s sections were written with great care and thought. His thoughts and the descriptions of the environment were written using short sentences that skillfully highlighted the frantic, fearful atmosphere and energy. Whilst Spock’s sombre and depressing stint as Captain was contrastingly cold, distant and of course, logical. In sparing the brevity, author Shirley Maiewski allowed us to really feel the tension in the air aboard the Enterprise. A particular highlight was when Sulu spoke out against Spock, and then hopelessly fell in line under his uninspiring leadership.
Overall, I highly recommend reading Mind-Sifter. If you’re to read one story from this anthology, make it this one. If you were planning to skip this anthology, reconsider, and read this one! It's worth it.
These stories, although they vary in quality, length and tone, are indicative of the heart, passion and thoughtfulness of the TOS Trekkies back in the seventies. I can hardly speak to the climate, or the context of that time myself, but having read these stories, I do know that they needed more Trek, and they knew just how to find some. A few of these stories would make great television episodes themselves, whilst others could never have been filmed at all!
As an added bonus, and as a strong highlight of the anthology, introductions written by the original cast begin every chapter. The show had ended, but reruns were going wild overseas, and you could tell they all knew something more was coming soon. Their enthusiasm was charming, and in particular, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols had some excellent insights of their own. All of their introductions are worth a read, for that matter, but Nimoy and Nichols were my particular favourites. Sadly though, much like TAS, Koenig was left out of the group.
Now then, I’ll discuss each short story in a little detail.
Ni Var by Claire Gabriel
Following Spock Must Die!’s lead, Ni Var once again prominently features two Spocks. There really wasn’t enough Spock to go around back then it seemed. Spock is inexplicably divided into two halves, human and Vulcan - a fascinating idea, and one that would be explored decades later in Strange New Worlds - though the outcome was very different.
A highlight of the anthology, Ni Var explores the discord and opposing sides of one's mind. Isolated from each other, the two Spocks find themselves incomplete and those around them, especially Kirk, come to reevaluate their assumptions regarding Mr Spock’s Vulcan-ness.
It is a slow, calm and thoughtful story. Although Kirk and Spock are particularly harsh and serious about the rather goofy sci-fi gimmick, it is refreshing to see such simple and serious topics like self-love, compassion and prejudice be so earnestly examined. Which is in essence, one of TOS’ greatest strengths after all.
The technobabble can wear a little thin, as usual. There are some dangers and complications that are introduced later on with little foreshadowing that upsets the pacing, but the story weathers those minor problems in general.
Definitely worth reading.
Intersection Point Juanita Coulson
Intersection Point is not a heartfelt character piece, but an exploration of a weird spatial phenomenon that introduces great tension and stakes to a simple story of bravery and courage.
The Enterprise has suffered a huge hull breach in the form of an interdimensional rift. A critical component needed to escape has been lost into the strange void and lives are soon placed on the line to salvage it. The odd rift and the otherworldly mystery that goes on behind it is the highlight of this short story, as the personal drama occurring amongst the crew falls short.
Two new crewmembers are created for this story, Jerry and Lissa, and they’re both terrible one dimensional. It's hard to care about the danger threatening the crew until Spock and Scotty take more prominent roles. Lissa in particular is a horrible unlikeable and disappointing ‘hysterical woman’ that often plagued the 60s and 70s.
Once Spock throws himself into the void with some astonished remarks from Scotty and the crew, the tension establishes itself more deeply. Despite knowing he’ll be alright, no one wants to see Spock suffer or dazed and confused, and his peril and drive for answers might just make this story worth reading.
The conclusion is simple and pleasant which does detract from the anomaly, but it leaves the story on a satisfactory note.
The Enchanted Pool Marcia Ericson
A very bizarre and entertaining story! Combining Spock with the ethereal results in pure charm and dead-pan comedy.
Having crash landed in a beautiful glade in pursuit of criminals, Spock finds himself confronted with a self proclaimed wood nymph, who speaks of fairy tales and magical kisses. Disgruntled, and besieged, Spock continues to encounter the nymph, and is increasingly confounded by her and the tales she spins.
At its core, this is a Spock out of water story, and it succeeds in unsettling the Vulcan, but at times crosses the line and struggles to suspend disbelief. Spock is a little too easygoing with the mythical creature, and the resolution to the mystery is too simple for such a sparkling tale.
Nevertheless, The Enchanted Pool may be the most fun short story of the anthology, and I recommend reading it.
Visit to a Weird Planet: Revisited by Ruth Berman
A story only made possible by fanfiction, Visit to a Weird Planet shatters the fourth wall by featuring Will Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley as themselves aboard the Enterprise.
The trio are torn from their film studio and transported into space, to be met by the real Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekov and the rest of the crew. Who’re awaiting for instruction, orders and leadership from the bemused actors.
There’s little plot or depth to be found, it's more of a tribute to the performers, as they slide into their roles once again and attempt to navigate the stars for a brief moment for real.
It's short, fun and sweet, but there’s little meat to chew on and the actors' misplacement is solved easily enough.
The Face on the Barroom Floor by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman
The crew are on shore leave. Even Kirk’s taking some time off, leaving the Enterprise in Spock’s capable hands. But following some odd fashion choices and foolish socialising on the planet Krasni, Kirk’s soon missing when the rest of the crew are preparing to leave for an emergency rescue mission.
In essence, this is a comedic story about Captain Kirk losing himself in anonymity and quickly finding life without his authority to be very troublesome. But as amusing as Kirk getting beaten up in a bar might be, the brief drama and conflict aboard this dinky, boring planet with boring, stereotypical characters isn’t enough to sustain the story, despite its shortness.
There are a few pleasant moments with Bones, Sulu and Kirk bonding, but it's not overly well done, and their discussions are fairly dated, as far as small talk goes. Otherwise, unless you enjoy Kirk rising from the bottom of normality, I would not recommend this short story.
The Hunting by Doris Beetem
This short story features its own special psychic Vulcan ceremony, never seen before, or again. Of course, in fanfiction, there should be free licence to create something new, unique and original, but there should also be care taken to ensure it serves a purpose. That it justifies its existence.
The Hunting’s strange addition of the Mok Farr, a ritual where a Vulcan attempts to capture, and subdue the most violent, savage beast in the lands via mind meld is not a huge success. It struggles to differentiate itself from Pon Farr, which was itself an often violent or violating fugue state of mind.
Mok Farr took care to once again highlight the regrettably toxic side of Vulcan culture and their nonconsensual melds, or mind rapes. But it removes the sexual violence from the overall violence inherent in Pon Farr. Which, whilst it had never been executed particularly well, at least approached more complex and uncomfortable themes and discussions. Instead, Mok Farr leaves us with the standard logic vs savagery story, which was tiring even in TOS days. It's a false equivalency, that fails to really look deeper into the differences between human and Vulcan culture, by reducing humanity to ‘primitive emotions’. There is little nuance to be found here.
There was a scene toward the end of the story where Spock discussed the euphoria of occupying an animalistic state. It was an interesting perspective which brought a little meaning to the silly descriptions of Spock running about the desert on all fours from earlier. But the discussion was brief, and we were never actually shown euphoria from his perspective earlier in the story, which detracted from the idea.
Mok Farr, and the disappointing reductiveness of Vulcan rituals aside, The Hunting does feature some good McCoy and Spock moments. Where in Bones puts in an effort for his friend, despite admitting his good intentions to no one. Including himself.
This was not a favourite short story of mine, but if you’re not looking to take the Vulcan silliness seriously, there is still some charm to be found within.
The Winged Dreamers by Jennifer Guttridge
The Winged Dreamers is a mixture of This Side of Paradise, and Shore Leave, only not quite so goofy as you might imagine for a combination like that.
The crew are on shore leave, surprise surprise, on a beautiful, enchanted forest type world, but without any of the beasts, dangers or magic. Or at least it should be, of course. Naturally, this perfectly lovely world is innately suspicious, thanks to the fantastically colourful and charming picture painted of the unnamed planet. How could nothing go wrong in such a harmless landscape.
It is that dreamy, ethereal atmosphere that evokes the appropriate tension when people start disappearing, and dreams begin to come to life. There are no singing songs or upside-down Spock’s hanging from trees to lighten the mood. Of course, there are still light, fun moments, but the strangeness prevails. Especially as the crew begin to behave differently, and turn on Kirk, Spock and Bones.
What drags this story down however, is the lacklustre mystery behind the strange behaviour of the crew and manifestations down on the planet. Little surprise awaits you at the end, despite the good time getting there.
Mind-Sifter by Shirley S. Maiewski
Mind-Sifter is the absolute highlight of the anthology. Drawing from one small element from the TOS episode Errand of Mercy, wherein Spock endured the Klingon’s interrogation device that drains the victims mind for information. Mind-Sifter features Captain Kirk is at the machine’s mercy, and without Spock’s Vulcan powers, he’s left a helpless vestige of himself, trapped back in time, in an underfunded, ill equipped old fashioned mental asylum.
Two converging narratives take place, in this not so short, short story. In the first, we follow an amnesiac, tortured Kirk, and Jan, the one nurse with the compassion present to care for him. In the second narrative, we follow Spock, now acting captain, and his crew of bitter, unhappy individuals - all given their very grumpy voice by Doctor McCoy.
The story doesn’t shy away from unpleasantry or difficulty. It stands out from the rest of the pack, by placing our characters in legitimate peril and including genuine character conflict. Spock and McCoy’s relationship is pushed far further than ever before. It can be hard to listen to, but the build up only emphasises the eventual cathartic release.
Kirk has only approached the level of vulnerability shown in this story, in the most devastating scenes from the films. But this time, he remains in that broken, sincere and frightful state for almost the entire tale. In the very beginning, it was hard to recognise him, but fragments and hints of his true self poked through the further the narrative progressed.
Nurse Jan and Kirk’s relationship, though a little straightforward, was deeply evocative. The pair were deeply sympathetic, and the environment they were trapped in elevated their simple caregiver, patient relationship immensely.
The pacing of the text was a standout. Kirk’s sections were written with great care and thought. His thoughts and the descriptions of the environment were written using short sentences that skillfully highlighted the frantic, fearful atmosphere and energy. Whilst Spock’s sombre and depressing stint as Captain was contrastingly cold, distant and of course, logical. In sparing the brevity, author Shirley Maiewski allowed us to really feel the tension in the air aboard the Enterprise. A particular highlight was when Sulu spoke out against Spock, and then hopelessly fell in line under his uninspiring leadership.
Overall, I highly recommend reading Mind-Sifter. If you’re to read one story from this anthology, make it this one. If you were planning to skip this anthology, reconsider, and read this one! It's worth it.
May 29, 2010
[These notes were made in 1981:]. If the television series Star Trek was largely a male phenomenon - conceived, directed, produced, principally acted by men - here is the other half of the story. Eight stories by women, chosen by women, and as might be expected from a woman, I find the principal themes of the stories sympathetic. Almost without exception, these writers have abandoned the adventure format, except as a secondary device, and concentrate on the emotional side of their three principal characters -- McCoy, Kirk and (especially) Spock. At least half of the stories might have been written by the same person, so close in sensibility are they, so unanimous in their vision of the central relationship of the series -- Kirk and Spock. Tying their own stories firmly to our shared memories of the original by constant reference back to the more impassioned episodes, these women have explored all the things we always wanted to explore -- Spock's double nature, Spock and McCoy, Spock and Kirk. And always an insistence on Spock's humanity and an acceptance of his Vulcan nature. For these women have avoided the pitfall of the (male?) screenwriter of Star Trek - the Motion Picture. They realize that Spock's humanity is moving only as long as it is in contrast and conflict with something else which is also essential Spock. The movie-writer, when he made Spock human, destroyed Spock forever. At its most daring, this book (it really does seem quite unified) only plays gently with "what ifs". And most of the time, it presents a balance - in Spock, in Kirk, in Spock-and-Kirk - a sane and orderly and loving view of interpersonal relationships which is quite heartwarming and makes us sigh for this future Golden Age. One has the feeling that these writers have become far more personally involved and attached to Star Trek than its original creators - even such thoughtful ones as Roddenberry and Nimoy - who had, after all, to deal with the physical and financial as well as the thematic and emotional side of the TV series which took on a life of its own. Oh dear, yet another page of impressionistic criticism! Comment added January 1991: Although this now appears rather naive, given all that I have learned in the past ten years about the ST fiction underworld, and especially about the K/S phenomenon, of which Marshak & Culbreath are indubitably a part, yet I am amused and gratified to see how much of that phenomenon I actually identified in 1981: the narrowing in on the emotional relationships, the fascination with the Vulcan/human dichotomy, the obsessive anchoring in the original episodes as a sort of bible of "truth" about the ST universe. And of course I was right to notice that it is a particularly female twist (one that, incidentally, the preface-writers, members of the original cast, were already visibly uneasy with even in 1976 when this was published).
January 5, 2017
That was...rough. The first foray "Star Trek" made into an expanded universe of literature was this short story collection, solicited from fans. The end result is a collection of fan fiction that, unfortunately, reads like fan fiction. I would classify two of the stories (The Enchanted Pool & The Face on the Barroom Floor) as solid outings for the original series crew, but as for the rest? There's such an earnestness present, such overly-intense emotional engagement, and heavy hints of the mind-boggling Kirk/Spock slash obsession that is seemingly woven into the very fabric of certain elements of Trek fandom. It screams of self-indulgence and over-used fanwank. The final story especially (Mind-Sifter) seems to be an attempt to re-create "The City on the Edge of Forever", but it's far too overwrought for its own good. Naturally, all of this is subjective (and might be hypocritical coming from me, who has a past career in "Doctor Who" fan fiction), but this collection of stories simply leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
June 25, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, because it features probably the earliest published Star Trek fan fiction, as well as Kirk/Spock related fiction (albeit not too explicitly portrayed). However, the writing is very poor and most stories are rather boring. The Winged Dreamers surprised me with its Kirk/Spock twist, and Mind Sifter was the most interesting story in this collection.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this book. I got a glimpse of what fanfiction was like in the 70s and got to read Gene Roddenberry's forward and members' of the cast introductions to individual stories.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this book. I got a glimpse of what fanfiction was like in the 70s and got to read Gene Roddenberry's forward and members' of the cast introductions to individual stories.
November 26, 2014
Damn, these short stories are pretty on par with stuff I read on fanfiction.net in high school, but...that's not saying I didn't have a huge smile on my face while reading most of these. And, after looking into it I found out these stories actually WERE fan fiction of the pre-internet days. Some of the authors wrote for Spockanalia (yes this existed, look it up!) and other late 60's Trek zines... Brave early fans boldly going where many MANY nerds will go.
October 3, 2016
some great stories, a few not as good but none that were unreadabe. What i enjoyed most was the introductions to some stories, they were a nice touch.
February 19, 2018
When I was about ten years old, I discovered an amazing thing—Star Trek: The New Voyages—a book of brand new Star Trek stories. This wasn’t the retelling of television episodes, these were brand new never-before-seen adventures. Inside was a short story called Mind Sifter by Shirley S. Maiewski which could reasonably be described as changing my life. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Something about the idea that there could be more new Star Trek stories just caught hold of me and wouldn’t let go. I wanted to be one of the people who got to write new Star Trek tales! So I found a notebook and started creating my own Star Trek—complete with pathetically bad drawings and I’m still writing today thanks in a large part to the impact this story had on me. So as I’m sure you can imagine it’s with a great amount of trepidation that I’ve picked up this volume four decades later to see if I can still see what first moved me within its pages.
Ni Var by Claire Gabriel
The best thing about the first story in the collection is that it is well grounded in the series drawing on The Enemy Within when Kirk was split into good and evil selves. In Ni Var a scientist searches for medical applications based on the accident in the original episode. He wants to help the progeny of interspecies romances cope and he needs Mr. Spock’s help—willingly or not.
Intersection Point by Juanita Coulson
This story read just like a TV episode. Caught in an intersection of our universe and another one, the Enterprise is damaged and in danger of destruction. It’s quite well done.
The Enchanted Pool by Marcia Ericson
This is perhaps the cleverest story in the series. In many ways it feels like one of the many episodes where in someone falls in love with Spock and runs into his logical monotone, but there’s a twist that makes this one a delight.
Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited by Ruth Berman
A laugh out loud adventure where actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley find themselves on the real USS Enterprise.
The Face on the Barroom Floor by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman
A little shore leave mishap where Kirk has to extricate himself from an embarrassing problem.
The Hunting by Doris Beetem
McCoy takes advantage of a chance to get to know everyone’s favorite half-Vulcan better and ends up in danger of losing his life.
The Winged Dreamers by Jennifer Guttridge
In a story very similar to the classic episode, Shore Leave, the crew of the enterprise starts to experience their daydreams and nightmares.
Mind Sifter by Shirley S. Maiewski
This is the story I most wanted to reread and it mostly held up to my memories. It opens on a mystery, Jim Kirk is in an insane asylum in earth’s past and he doesn’t remember who he is or how he got there. In fact, he acts like an abused and terrorized child which is so unlike Kirk that it makes the story even more intriguing. This one could very easily have been a televised episode. It was really wonderful to reread it again.
Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three by Shirley Meech
I’m not a great fan of poetry, but this sonnet from Spock to Leila Kalomi from the episode This Side of Paradise worked for me. It’s a short but haunting piece and I remembered the final stanza decades after first reading it. That’s not a bad accomplishment for any author.
Overall, this is a fun collection of Star Trek dreams and in showing the public’s hunger for all things Star Trek it undoubtedly did its part to spur the publishing of well over one hundred other Star Trek tales but six additional television series, thirteen movies and counting—not to mention inspiring who knows how many people such as myself to write their own stories.
Ni Var by Claire Gabriel
The best thing about the first story in the collection is that it is well grounded in the series drawing on The Enemy Within when Kirk was split into good and evil selves. In Ni Var a scientist searches for medical applications based on the accident in the original episode. He wants to help the progeny of interspecies romances cope and he needs Mr. Spock’s help—willingly or not.
Intersection Point by Juanita Coulson
This story read just like a TV episode. Caught in an intersection of our universe and another one, the Enterprise is damaged and in danger of destruction. It’s quite well done.
The Enchanted Pool by Marcia Ericson
This is perhaps the cleverest story in the series. In many ways it feels like one of the many episodes where in someone falls in love with Spock and runs into his logical monotone, but there’s a twist that makes this one a delight.
Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited by Ruth Berman
A laugh out loud adventure where actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley find themselves on the real USS Enterprise.
The Face on the Barroom Floor by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman
A little shore leave mishap where Kirk has to extricate himself from an embarrassing problem.
The Hunting by Doris Beetem
McCoy takes advantage of a chance to get to know everyone’s favorite half-Vulcan better and ends up in danger of losing his life.
The Winged Dreamers by Jennifer Guttridge
In a story very similar to the classic episode, Shore Leave, the crew of the enterprise starts to experience their daydreams and nightmares.
Mind Sifter by Shirley S. Maiewski
This is the story I most wanted to reread and it mostly held up to my memories. It opens on a mystery, Jim Kirk is in an insane asylum in earth’s past and he doesn’t remember who he is or how he got there. In fact, he acts like an abused and terrorized child which is so unlike Kirk that it makes the story even more intriguing. This one could very easily have been a televised episode. It was really wonderful to reread it again.
Sonnet from the Vulcan: Omicron Ceti Three by Shirley Meech
I’m not a great fan of poetry, but this sonnet from Spock to Leila Kalomi from the episode This Side of Paradise worked for me. It’s a short but haunting piece and I remembered the final stanza decades after first reading it. That’s not a bad accomplishment for any author.
Overall, this is a fun collection of Star Trek dreams and in showing the public’s hunger for all things Star Trek it undoubtedly did its part to spur the publishing of well over one hundred other Star Trek tales but six additional television series, thirteen movies and counting—not to mention inspiring who knows how many people such as myself to write their own stories.
August 5, 2023
WARNING: silly review ahead (with spoilers) (its not a very serious review) (i talk about random stuff with each short story)
ni var by claire gabriel - 5/5
OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD I LOVED THE EXPLORATION OF SPOCKS HUMAN PART AND VULCAN PART and how they need to both exist in unison to be spock.......
and seeing this representation of the care jim and spock (human and vulcan) have for each other is so 😭😭😭😭😭😭 AND THE TELEPATHIC BOND THEY HAD 😭😭😭😭😭
i also liked the scene where jim bones and human spock were talking/bickering together because it was so in character AND SO THEM
the comparison between this story and tos s1e4 "the enemy within" HIT ME IN THE HEART..... jim does for spock what spock did for him and that is lovely
intersection point by juanita coulson - 4/5
an interesting and intriguing story i dont have much to say about. all the main characters were present and characterized wonderfully. interesting premise and good dynamics between characters
the enchanted pool by marcia ericson - 4/5
silly little story. i didnt like it at first then got to the little twist and was like OHHHHHH EHEHEHHEHE OKAY I GET IT
also the little flirtings..... 😏
spocks characterization was interesting but i liked all his dialogue and imagined it in his voice. HE DEF HAS A STORY TO TELL HIS BESTIES ABOUT LATER 😳😳😳
visit to a weird planet revisifed by ruth berman - silly/5
this was just a fun little story about the actors being in the star trek universe through some sort of anomaly. teehee !
the face on the barroom floor by eleanor arnason and ruth berman - boring/5
jim got in a fight at a bar on shore leave. in a samurai constume. then got arrested. and had to break out of jail. and went to a wedding. yeah it was a story
the hunting by doris beetem - 5/5
SPONES STORY. pretty much just pon farr but its mok farr. its with spock and bones instead of spock and jim. I ENNJOYED IT THOROUGHLY
the winged dreamers by jennifer guttridge - 5/5
OMGGGGGG THIS STORY WAS AWESOME !!! the characterization for spock, jim, and bones was superb. i loved how much they cared for each other and u could see it in all their dialogue. this was very well written and was both funny, suspenseful, and serious all at the same time. it was also super mcspirk and mckirk and spones and spirk. i think this was my fav story in the whole collection
the mind-sifter by shirley maiewski - 5/5
i was captivated and interested this entire story !!!!! the plot was a little ...... INTENSE and a bit out there ('"creative" u could say) but knowing this was before any of the movies, i think it was really interesting to see ~2 years of the five year mission filled in with captain kirk missing and spock desperately looking for him (and keeping that secret to himself till he can prove it... AND ALSO TO PROTECT BONES (AND THE OTHERS) FROM THE PAIN AND ALSO BECAUSE HE WAS SCARSD THEY WOULDNT BELIEVE HIM 💔💔💔💔💔💔)
this was also the longest short story in the whole collection, i think its like 60 pages. i stayed up super late just to finish reading it and i am extremely SATISFIED with the whole thing.
all in all im super glad to have read all of these important star trek fanworks that are forever a part of trek history!!!
ni var by claire gabriel - 5/5
OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD I LOVED THE EXPLORATION OF SPOCKS HUMAN PART AND VULCAN PART and how they need to both exist in unison to be spock.......
and seeing this representation of the care jim and spock (human and vulcan) have for each other is so 😭😭😭😭😭😭 AND THE TELEPATHIC BOND THEY HAD 😭😭😭😭😭
i also liked the scene where jim bones and human spock were talking/bickering together because it was so in character AND SO THEM
the comparison between this story and tos s1e4 "the enemy within" HIT ME IN THE HEART..... jim does for spock what spock did for him and that is lovely
intersection point by juanita coulson - 4/5
an interesting and intriguing story i dont have much to say about. all the main characters were present and characterized wonderfully. interesting premise and good dynamics between characters
the enchanted pool by marcia ericson - 4/5
silly little story. i didnt like it at first then got to the little twist and was like OHHHHHH EHEHEHHEHE OKAY I GET IT
also the little flirtings..... 😏
spocks characterization was interesting but i liked all his dialogue and imagined it in his voice. HE DEF HAS A STORY TO TELL HIS BESTIES ABOUT LATER 😳😳😳
visit to a weird planet revisifed by ruth berman - silly/5
this was just a fun little story about the actors being in the star trek universe through some sort of anomaly. teehee !
the face on the barroom floor by eleanor arnason and ruth berman - boring/5
jim got in a fight at a bar on shore leave. in a samurai constume. then got arrested. and had to break out of jail. and went to a wedding. yeah it was a story
the hunting by doris beetem - 5/5
SPONES STORY. pretty much just pon farr but its mok farr. its with spock and bones instead of spock and jim. I ENNJOYED IT THOROUGHLY
the winged dreamers by jennifer guttridge - 5/5
OMGGGGGG THIS STORY WAS AWESOME !!! the characterization for spock, jim, and bones was superb. i loved how much they cared for each other and u could see it in all their dialogue. this was very well written and was both funny, suspenseful, and serious all at the same time. it was also super mcspirk and mckirk and spones and spirk. i think this was my fav story in the whole collection
the mind-sifter by shirley maiewski - 5/5
i was captivated and interested this entire story !!!!! the plot was a little ...... INTENSE and a bit out there ('"creative" u could say) but knowing this was before any of the movies, i think it was really interesting to see ~2 years of the five year mission filled in with captain kirk missing and spock desperately looking for him (and keeping that secret to himself till he can prove it... AND ALSO TO PROTECT BONES (AND THE OTHERS) FROM THE PAIN AND ALSO BECAUSE HE WAS SCARSD THEY WOULDNT BELIEVE HIM 💔💔💔💔💔💔)
this was also the longest short story in the whole collection, i think its like 60 pages. i stayed up super late just to finish reading it and i am extremely SATISFIED with the whole thing.
all in all im super glad to have read all of these important star trek fanworks that are forever a part of trek history!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2021
A collection of eight short stories, and if I recall correctly from the introduction, this was the first book of Star Trek fiction published that wasn't either written by James Blish or an episode novelisation. Notably, all the stories here were written by fans. And frankly, they're written at a higher level than a lot of the subsequent official tie-in fiction. Two of the stories at least are very good, and it's because of them that the collection's gotten four stars from me.
Those stories are "Ni Var" by Claire Gabriel and "Mind-Sifter" by Shirley S. Maiewski. Both of these stories deal very closely with the relationship between Kirk and Spock, and it's very easy to read the both of them through a slash lens. Of the eight stories collected here, it has to be admitted that Spock is the centre of most of them. And in one sense that's fair, as he was the break-out character of the series, but each of the stories is introduced by a member of the original cast, and it would have been nice, for instance, to have Nichelle Nichols introduce a story about Uhura, instead of another about Spock, and so on. That is a small quibble, however, especially given how well that focus worked out in the two stories mentioned above.
Notable, too, for any science fiction anthology (especially those produced in the 1970s), is that all of the authors included are women. As are the two editors, and it's a nice reminder that a lot of the heavy lifting done in Star Trek fandom back in the day was done by women, as that often gets forgotten.
Those stories are "Ni Var" by Claire Gabriel and "Mind-Sifter" by Shirley S. Maiewski. Both of these stories deal very closely with the relationship between Kirk and Spock, and it's very easy to read the both of them through a slash lens. Of the eight stories collected here, it has to be admitted that Spock is the centre of most of them. And in one sense that's fair, as he was the break-out character of the series, but each of the stories is introduced by a member of the original cast, and it would have been nice, for instance, to have Nichelle Nichols introduce a story about Uhura, instead of another about Spock, and so on. That is a small quibble, however, especially given how well that focus worked out in the two stories mentioned above.
Notable, too, for any science fiction anthology (especially those produced in the 1970s), is that all of the authors included are women. As are the two editors, and it's a nice reminder that a lot of the heavy lifting done in Star Trek fandom back in the day was done by women, as that often gets forgotten.
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