Search - William Shatner :: Return

Shatner's attempt to rebirth Kirk is imaginative...

06/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard that William Shatner wrote a "Trek" novel that brings legendary Captain Kirk back to life, my first impression was "How corny and desperate is Shatner to do this?" and I was reluctant to even digest the idea. However, being a die-hard trekkie, I admit I was quite curious to the concept. To my delight, Shatner's tale of rebirth and unification of Spock and McCoy with the Next Generation crew was not only un-corny, but very imaginative, as well. This novel combines the action and humor of both generations of "Trek" far superior than "Star Trek - Generations" did. The idea of a Borg / Romulan dissentor alliance was unique, and the way Shatner describes the re-generation tecniques is believable when put into a 24th century context. The new Starfleet equipment (starships, cloak detection devices, etc.) are very exciting, and one must wonder if the Borg are to make a return. (Their homeworld is destroyed and the remaining collective throughout the universe is in dissarray.) Can the Borg ever recover? That question may or may not be answered in the sequel, "Avenger", also written by Shatner, which I will start as soon as I finish this review. This is an excellent novel, a page-turner, and I have a new respect for Shatner the writer, and I may even sample his "Tek" series. This is for old-school trekkies such as myself...the constant references to the original "Trek" t.v. show were a delight, and the Borg / V'Ger connection was brilliant. Great work, Mr. Shatner."

Interesting read, but annoyed

12/29/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After reading this book I can honestly say that it is one of the most intriguing trek novels written to date. I give Shatner his due, he tells a fun story, if implausible at times. I liked the Borg element and the way Shatner put together some interesting ideas. I guess what really annoyed me is the way Shatner treats characters other than kirk. In a word he butchers them. Kirk defeats worf in combat. Picard a blithering idiot while kirk has the situation well in hand. The next generation crew idiotic compared to him. Kirk is made out to be the greatest thing the galaxy has ever known. In other words superman!! But I suppose the most troubling thing about the 2 Shatner books that I have read so far(I also reviewed avenger tonight) is how the next generation crew are dumped on by Shatner. I have spectre, dark victory, and preserver and I am concerned What will be next? Kirk defeats the entire dominion in a runabout. I don't know, I liked the return because Shatner told a good story but something has to be done about the damage that gets done to characters. Mr. Shatner help me out!!"

Okay but not great

Paul H. Cho | Colleyville, Texas United States | 05/14/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After reading many Star Trek books throughout the years, it amazes me the number of stories that can supposedly occur between episodes shown on TV and film. This story by William Shatner takes place between ST VII Generations and ST VIII First Contact. It is an engaging, but not particularly exceptional story of what happens after Jean-Luc Picard buries the legendary James Tiberius Kirk in a cairn of rocks on Veridian III. Without spoiling too much (the title gives it away anyway) Kirk is returned to life, and leads another adventure against a Romulan-Borg plot to destroy the Federation. I found some of the characterizations of the main characters, particularly Spock, Kirk, Picard, and Riker to be rather one-dimensional and shallow, but overall the book was a good read and better appreciated if you forgive certain inconsistencies of character and implausible scenarios (like Kirk's confrontation with Worf). Best read if you are killing time (like waiting for a flight) or by the beach/poolside."