Chain of Attack
by Gene DeWeese
Star Trek (novels) (1987.02), Star Trek: The Original Series (32), Star Trek (1987.02)
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While mapping a series of gravitational anomalies, the "U.S.S. Enterprise™ " is suddenly hurled millions of light-years through space, into a distant galxy of scorched and lifeless worlds...into the middle of an endless interstellar war.With no way back home, the crippled starship finds itself under relentless and suicidal attack by "both" warring fleets! And Captain Kirk must gamble the lives of his crew on his ability to stop a war that has raged for centuries -- and ravaged a galaxy...Tags
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The copy on the back cover promises an exciting read: “While mapping a series of gravitational anomalies, the Enterprise is suddenly hurled millions of light-years through space . . . into the middle of an endless interstellar war.” It’s unfortunate that the book itself doesn’t live up to the potential of this premise. What James Kirk and his crew encounter instead is planet after planet blasted into irradiated ruins, with weeks passing before meeting up with the first ships in this far-off part of the universe. These vessels are primitive compared to the Federation’s pride-and-joy, which works for the story but also saps the encounters of any suspense – after all, what threat exists from ships that can be outrun and show more outfought?
Gene DeWeese seems to have appreciated this, which is why he inserts a wild-card into the plot in the form of Jason Crandall, a scientist and administrator who was aboard for the mapping mission and found himself along for the unexpected ride. As a narcissistic psychopath his existence in the story is so obviously to disrupt Kirk’s efforts to navigate their situation that DeWeese might as well have just named the character “Monkey Wrench.” Moreover, Crandall only poses the threat that he does in the novel because of Kirk’s too-trusting nature, which strains the reader’s credulity to the breaking point. Perhaps DeWeese should have paid closer attention to the episodes of the original series (which he boasts of having re-watched as research for the book) with a similar plot device, as it was much better done in episodes such as “A Taste of Armageddon” (a clear inspiration for DeWeese’s story), “The Doomsday Machine,” and “The Deadly Years,” to name just three. In DeWeese’s hands it just feels like unnecessary tension added because it was absent from his central plot. show less
Gene DeWeese seems to have appreciated this, which is why he inserts a wild-card into the plot in the form of Jason Crandall, a scientist and administrator who was aboard for the mapping mission and found himself along for the unexpected ride. As a narcissistic psychopath his existence in the story is so obviously to disrupt Kirk’s efforts to navigate their situation that DeWeese might as well have just named the character “Monkey Wrench.” Moreover, Crandall only poses the threat that he does in the novel because of Kirk’s too-trusting nature, which strains the reader’s credulity to the breaking point. Perhaps DeWeese should have paid closer attention to the episodes of the original series (which he boasts of having re-watched as research for the book) with a similar plot device, as it was much better done in episodes such as “A Taste of Armageddon” (a clear inspiration for DeWeese’s story), “The Doomsday Machine,” and “The Deadly Years,” to name just three. In DeWeese’s hands it just feels like unnecessary tension added because it was absent from his central plot. show less
This novel is #32 in the Pocket Book series of Star Trek novels, and was first published in February 1987. The characters we know from the TV series and films seem to be presented pretty well - no one acting in ways to make the reader groan. The jerk of the week here is a Dr. Jason Crandall who is perhaps the most unbelievable thing in a book that has a rather interesting situation to be resolved. The Enterprise finds itself in a far away galaxy unable to return home and in the midst of what appears to be a never-ending war between two humanoid species. Everywhere the Enterprise looks they find destroyed worlds and then they themselves are attacked.
These books aren't high literature and no one expects that. You read these for a bit of show more fun and there is enough excitement and twists here to keep things interesting, even though I had a rather intense dislike for the evil Dr. Crandall. This novel would have been a better story if everything concerning Dr. Crandall had been excised. His story arc adds nothing to the book and distracts from the larger story.
I have not read many of these Trek novels, but this one seems OK. I did enjoy this adventure with some old friends. show less
These books aren't high literature and no one expects that. You read these for a bit of show more fun and there is enough excitement and twists here to keep things interesting, even though I had a rather intense dislike for the evil Dr. Crandall. This novel would have been a better story if everything concerning Dr. Crandall had been excised. His story arc adds nothing to the book and distracts from the larger story.
I have not read many of these Trek novels, but this one seems OK. I did enjoy this adventure with some old friends. show less
This novel seemed a lot like an actual TOS plot, and I'm not sure that's a compliment.
The USS Enterprise finds herself stranded in a distant galaxy! What could be worse? When the planets of that galaxy are found to be ravaged and lifeless from centuries of war, starships do not communicate with each other and fire upon every ship they encounter, making matters worse. Can the crew of the Enterprise survive long enough to find a way home or will they find death in that distant cold space?
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Author Information
Thomas Eugene DeWeese was born in Rochester, Indiana on January 31, 1934. He received an associate degree in electronics from Valparaiso Technical Institute in 1953. He worked for General Motors' Delco Electronics Division as a technician from 1954 to 1959 and as a technical writer from 1959 to 1974. Afterwards, he became a full-time freelance show more writer. His first novels, The Invisibility Affair and The Mind-Twisters Affair were both published in 1967 and were part of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. series written under the pseudonym Thomas Stratton with Buck Coulson. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Gene DeWeese and Jean DeWeese. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 40 books including novels in the Star Trek, Ravenloft, Dinotopia, and Amazing Stories series. His young adult novel The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf was made into a television movie of the same name. He died from Lewy body dementia on March 19, 2012. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Star Trek (novels)
626 works (1987.02)
Star Trek: The Original Series
97 works (32)
Star Trek
1004 works (1987.02)
Belongs to Publisher Series
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Chain of Attack
- Original title
- Chain of Attack
- Alternate titles
- Star Trek: Chain of Attack; Star Trek: Zwischen den Fronten
- Original publication date
- 1987-02 (eng.) (eng.); 1991 (deu.) (deu.)
- People/Characters
- Montgomery Scott (Scotty); James T. Kirk; Spock; Dr. Crandall
- Important places
- a war-ravaged galaxy millions of light years away
- Dedication
- For
Juanita Coulson,
whose talent and persistence opened the door for serendipity. - First words
- According to even the most conservative estimates, the Milky Way galaxy contains more than on hundred billion stars, and there are at least that many other galaxies beyond our own.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"No," Kirk said, more conscious than ever of the evidence of the Vulcan's ordeal, the gravelly quality that still coated his voice and the greenish-red tinge still visible in his eyes, "thank you, Mr. Spock."
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Statistics
- Members
- 643
- Popularity
- 44,949
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.33)
- Languages
- Czech, English, German, Japanese
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 5
