The Star Trek novel on the Book Shelf this week is the last one to feature an author created character in the lead role. Commander Piper, previously appearing in Dreadnought! is back in this follow-up that is set only weeks after the first novel. Told in the first person, Piper’s story is exciting, and fits…
Category: star trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Manhunt, and The Emissary
Captain’s log: stardate 42859.2 Between last week’s episode Up the Long Ladder, and the first episode this week, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier opened on 9 June, 1989. It was also the only Trek movie I never saw in the theatre. ten days later, on 19 June, (days after I graduated high school) Manhunt aired…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Samaritan Snare, and Up the Long Ladder
Captain’s log: stardate 42779.1 Samaritan’s Snare written by Robert McCullough, first aired on 15 May, 1989. It’s not the best episode of the season by any standards, but it’s a fair sight better than the following one. While Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Wesley (Wil Wheaton) head to Starbase 515 in a shuttlecraft – Wesley…
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Vonda N. McIntyre
This week’s Book Shelf brings me to the movie adaptation of Star Trek IV, as I continue to enjoy, discover new stories and revisit old ones with the Pocket Book novels. Working from the film’s original script, McIntyre expands on the film’s story, as well as tying it more strongly into her own stories and…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Pen Pals, and Q Who
Captain’s log: stardate 42695.3 Melinda M, Snodgrass writes the teleplay for this episode, based on a story by Hannah Louise Shearer. Pen Pals first aired on 1 May, 1989. There are some good ideas at work in the episode. Data (Brent Spiner) answers a distress call from a young being on a planet in an…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Time Squared, and The Icarus Factor
Captain’s log: stardate 42679.2 Maurice Hurley pens the teleplay for this episode, that first aired on 3 April, 1989, basing it on a story by Kurt Michael Bensmiller. I’ve always liked this one, or at least most of it, I wish they had done more with the second Picard (Patrick Stewart). But I am getting…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Contagion, and The Royale
Captain’s log: stardate 42609.1 Airing on 27 March, 1989, Contagion is a fairly solid story written by Steve Gerber and Beth Woods. In response to a distress call from their sister ship, the U.S.S. Yamato, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) orders the Enterprise to violate the Romulan Neutral Zone. Racing towards the ship, the Enterprise downloads…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – The Measure of a Man, and The Dauphin
Captain’s log: stardate 42523.7 The Measure of a Man, definitely in the top ten Trek episodes of all time, this gem was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass this classic first aired on 13 February, 1989. Data (Brent Spiner) is on trial for his synthetic life as the debate on whether or not he is a…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Unnatural Selection, and A Matter of Honor
Captain’s log: stardate 42494.8 Unnatural Selection made it’s debut on 20 January, 1989. Written by John Mason and and Mike Gray, the story puts the ship’s new doctor, Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) on centre stage, as the Enterprise responds to a distress signal from the starship, Lantree. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew investigate, as Pulaski…
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – Loud as a Whisper, and The Schizoid Man
Captain’s log: stardate 42477.2 Loud as a Whisper first aired on 9 January, 1989. Written by Jacqueline Zambrano, I’m sure there is a fairly solid tale in here somewhere, with a great message. But it gets a little lost along the way. The story line revolves around a deaf mute diplomat and negotiator named Riva…
The Mind Reels 