D. C. Fontana (1939–2019)

I always enjoy reading the rare Star Trek novels written by writers from the original series, as well as ones set during Pike's tenure as captain of the Enterprise. In this respect D.C. Fontana's book is a double treat, as she lends her considerable experience as a writer and script editor for the show to tell the story of Spock's first mission aboard the starship. Her characterization is assured, as she adds to the existing base of characters from the original pilot several new creations show more that provide greater depth to her tale. This crew soon finds itself involved in a series of events — some related, others not — that range from the important to the amusingly mundane, all of which combine to provide the rare sense of the complex interactions taking place in a vessel as large as the Enterprise. It's a testament to Fontana's skills as an author that she makes it all work as well as it does, and when I finished the book I did so with considerable regret that she never returned to the precursor she created for further adventures, for she demonstrated the fresh storytelling possibilities that exist with an Enterprise that contains within it a unique mix of the familiar and the new. show less

Most people know Gene Roddenberry for "Star Trek;" however, his writing for television extends far beyond Captain Kirk and crew. In the Roddenberry universe, "The Questor Tapes" fills a unique niche. Conceived in the early 1970s (after The Original Series ended its three-season run), "The Questor Tapes" was Roddenberry's ambitious attempt, through science fiction, to explore artificial intelligence and the essence of humanity. D.C. Fontana, a key figure in the "Star Trek" universe, adapted show more his teleplay into a novel, enriching the narrative with her nuanced understanding of Roddenberry's vision. Gene L. Coon, another "Star Trek" alum, also contributed to the work, making the 1974 television pilot and its subsequent book a collaborative effort among some of the most influential minds in 1960s science fiction.

The novelization presents an early exploration of themes that would later become central in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". The story follows Questor, an android with superhuman intelligence, on his journey to understand his purpose. Along the way, he learns the intricacies of human nature, similar to the "if only I could be human" theme used with Mr. Data a decade later.

The creation of the android by "mechanic" Jerry, based on plans from the vanished creator Vaslovik, feels forced at times, as do the "pretty girl with a secret" and "evil government man who eventually turns good" tropes, but it still makes for good storytelling. The premature revelation of Vaslovik as an alien robot sent to watch over the world is surprising and arguably unnecessary. It's as if Roddenberry knew the pilot would not get picked up as a series and wanted to provide some kind of closure. It leaves you wondering how the story would have unfolded without that detail throughout a prospective first season.

Looking back on the book and teleplay today, they are prescient. Roddenberry anticipated discussions around AI superintelligence, the ethical boundaries of robotics, and the quest for meaning in an era of technological omnipresence. Questor's journey mirrors our contemporary dilemmas and serves as a poignant reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and technology. The exploration of companionship and understanding between Questor and his human counterpart offers valuable insights into the potential dynamics of human-robot interactions.

All in all, "The Questor Tapes" was a good, fast read. If so inclined, you can find the full television pilot on YouTube and in the Internet Archive. For Roddenberry aficionados or those interested in the ethical dilemmas surfaced by AI, both are worth your time. show less

How can I review this book impartially? It's the novelization of a Gene Roddenberry TV movie/pilot that I've been a fan of for a long time.

The pilot wasn't picked up, unfortunately. But The Questor Tapes remains an intriguing and deeply enjoyable movie. Veteran Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana did a fine job of novelizing the story of an android with incomplete programming, searching for the riddle of his existence with the help of a human friend - and with the usual Javert figure in pursuit.

As show more I said, I'm not sure what I would have thought of this book if I'd never seen the movie. But as a novelization, and compared to other novelizations that I've read, it works very well. Fontana must have worked from a late script, or even written the manuscript after the movie was filmed; there are none of those annoying omissions that so often mar novelizations which are based on early scripts.

There's humor, and moments of thoughtfulness. There's a quasi-religious element to the plot and some religious philosophizing that I find slightly irritating (and I'm not usually that sensitive to that sort of thing, believe it or not), but those were present in the original movie. All in all, a very enjoyable book. show less

So, not too long ago I watched "The Enterprise Incident", one of my favorite Original Series episodes. While looking into the costuming for the episode (I want to make the Commander's dress), I read a little about the making of the episode, including the creative differences between how Mr. Roddenberry wanted to handle the romantic bits and how Mr. Nimoy and Ms. Fontana thought they should be done. Thankfully, the latter's vision was aired, and made for a very compelling (read: hawt, at show more least to this nerd girl's heart) scene.

That same reading mentioned this book, saying that it explored how Ms. Fontana envisioned Vulcan romance to play out. So, of course, I had to read it.

Think Star Trek romance novel, without the cheese factor usually involved in the romance genre. The story was good, the writing excellent, and the Vulcan smut alone was worth the price of admission. Mind you, there wasn't anything terribly explicit; all nudity was implication and allusion. But Vulcans are touch telepaths; the imtimate yet not at all explicit possibilities are delightfully vast.

Since I've marked this as containing spoilers, I won't just hint at the bit I didn't like. I saw T'Pris's murder coming from so far away it was amazing. My dog saw that coming, and she can't read. It was terribly, terribly trite. I fussed about it, but kept reading. Ms. Fontana did manage to make that death work as part of Spock's development as a character. It was a good bridge between Spock of "The Cage" and Spock of the rest of the series.

All in all, a very good read :) show less