Spock's World (1988)

This is the only Star Trek tie-in novel I have read. I have never seen the original series or any of the spinoffs save the 2009 reboot. This probably disqualifies me completely to review it, given the rich, rich context from whence it sprang, but I'm gonna go ahead anyway.

Because [a:Diane Duane|11761|Diane Duane|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg] is awesome, and this comes very close to standing on its own. I am not sure how close -- I have some small knowledge of the Star Trek-verse (very small), and I have been reading fanfiction for a good long while now, which requires skills in extrapolation and extension which I am sure I was using in reading this (without noticing). But I think I would have noticed infodumps, which this does not have, and I think I would have noticed any over-reliance on canon, which this almost doesn't have. The only point on which this book falls down on independence of story is its reliance on some event about a duel and an engagement and some chick named T'Pring, for backstory. I am missing nuance about that event, but it didn't ruin the experience for me.

This is a book by a young Duane, in which some of the flaws of the early Young Wizards books are even more glaring -- her love of science sometimes overwhelms her storytelling, and her use of jargon could have used a much heavier editing session (the early chapters on the creation of Vulcan, the planet, are 98% skippable unless you really like a cross of cosmology and Big Bang physics). The transitions between Vulcan chapters 4, 5, and 6 are just plain weird and abrupt.

But it is eminently readable, has some great character interactions -- and some great, incredibly *alien* aliens, creates a living, breathing culture for Starfleet which has only minimal misogyny in its bones, and is funny as hell. Would read again! ( )

My favorite aspect of this glorious book is the worldbuilding. Read this before you visit Vulcan. ( )

Interesting vignettes on Vulcan history. The "present-day" story is not nearly as compelling however. Duane is clearly a fan of McCoy, but his actions and conveniently-acquired skills were pretty unbelievable. ( )

Star Trek book which moves back and forth between a storyline following debates on Vulcan in the 23rd century regarding whether they should secede from the Federation (the triumvirate are involved, natch) and a storyline which traces the history of Vulcan. May not sound terribly gripping, but Duane pulls it off by including a lot of humor and lightness in the debates storyline and solid characterization in the history bits. The resolution of the debates storyline is a tad anti-climactic, but as the point of the thing is the history of the Vulcan people, it's a forgivable flaw. ( )

Just utterly lovely, this one. Diane Duane's Star Trek novels are always good SF, as well as being good Star Trek, and they are very good examples of both. The plot of this one is rather leisurely and political, no phasers and no yelling, and beautifully subtle with it: Vulcan, or at least some elements of it, are considering secession from the Federation, and the usual suspects have to participate in the debates that will decide the matter. At the same time the author treats to an episodic history of Vulcan, key incidents in its history interspersed with the political main plot, and I think in other hands they would be self-indulgent and dull, whereas in hers, they are readable as are the chapters about the Enterprise crew.

Highlights include Bones learning Vulcan (the really hard way), Amanda introducing Sarek to the concept of jokes, the revelation that there are short redhead Vulcans, Spock and McCoy arguing about popcorn, and the return of Duane's own characters: K'tl's'k, the enormous glass arachnoid physicist, Moira the sentient computer, and Ensign Naraht, who is a living breathing rock and very self-effacing with it. This isn't her best novel - I'd say The Wounded Sky edges out just a tiny bit - but it's excellent, nevertheless. ( )