Julia Ecklar

Julia Ecklar’s 1989 novel, Star Trek: The Kobayashi Maru, begins with the Enterprise traveling to the Hohweyn system to check on the Venkatsen Research Group, with whom the Federation lost contact. The Venkatsen group is on Hohweyn VII, one of forty-seven planets – natural, captured, and rogue – orbiting an unstable tertiary sun. Just to add to the difficulty, various debris clouds and asteroid belts, including iron- and nickel-rich asteroids that disrupt sensors, orbit along with the show more planets. Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy, Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, Lieutenant Commander Hikaru Sulu, and Chief of Security Lieutenant Pavel Chekov travel to the planet in the shuttlecraft Halley as the small size of the craft makes it more maneuverable in the chaotic environment of the Hohweyn system, leaving First Officer Spock in command of the Enterprise.

Unfortunately, they encounter a gravitic mine and only barely survive, though with their shuttlecraft disabled. With no way to signal the Enterprise for rescue, the shuttlecraft crew’s minds turn to the Kobayashi Maru test from Starfleet Academy and they share their respective experiences. From there, the novel alternates between characters’ memories of the Kobayashi Maru test and their efforts to repair the shuttlecraft Halley or signal the Enterprise. Ecklar spends the most time on Chekov and Sulu’s Koyayashi Maru test, using the opportunity for excellent character development, while Scott’s own test gives a bit of light humor. Her depiction of Kirk’s test both fits his character and far surpasses the depiction in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek film.

The novel’s flashback scenes foreshadow Pocket Books’ 3-book Star Trek: The Original Series – Starfleet Academy series of young adult novels from 1996 and Diane Carey’s subsequent 1997 novelization of the Starfleet Academy CD-ROM game. These flashbacks offer an interesting look at what Starfleet Academy could have resembled in the 2240s-2260s of the Prime Timeline, helping to explore the types of tests command training school involved. The novel begins with an historical note indicating that it takes place shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, though the overall tone of the story more closely resembles that of the Original Series novels. Further, Ecklar uses character ranks more in keeping with TOS as, between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Kirk was an admiral rather than a captain. In fact, the only character whose rank resembles the films is Chekov, having changed from navigation to security. show less

I may have been slightly overenthusiastic in reviewing book one, Present Tense, of L.A. Graf's trilogy - the follow-up was a bit of an anti-climax in comparison. I can appreciate the time-travel concept, and the alternative future with the gorns (heh), but without Kirk, who only features in a 'reduced' role here, I quickly lost interest. Sorry - no fault of Graf's - but I found myself skipping through the Sulu/alternate Chekov scenes on the gorn homeworld, and even the arrival of Mr Spock show more failed to liven up the underground time portal scenes. Clever - but stretched a bit too thin. Hopefully book three will restore the status quo in time honoured Trek fashion! show less

First mentioned in Star Trek II, The Kobayashi Maru is legendary in Trek fandom as the infamous no-win scenario simulation that Academy cadets must face. Julia Ecklar gives us a look into how Kirk, Chekov, Sulu, and Scott faced the simulation while dealing with a literal life-and-death situation. The accounts are personal to each man as we get a glimpse of these characters when they were just cadets, personally I can not pick one as the best of the four however I will say that Ecklar's show more version of Kirk's creative solution is more impressive than presented in the 2009 Star Trek film. This is by far the best Star Trek novel I've read and I found it difficult to put down. show less

This is a collection of short stories loosely linked into a story arc, all featuring the same protagonist: a field agent from Noah's Ark who likes animals a whole lot better than she likes people.

The stories are science fiction that involve (mostly alien) biology and ecological processes, along with an element of political intrigue that increases as the stories progress. The protagonist is a good strong female character that I find likable despite (or because of?) how unsociable she is. show more

Also, this kind of linked-into-a-story-arc collection is my favorite way to read short stories.

A good, reliable, rereadable collection. show less