Re: TOS: Crisis of Consciousness by D. Galanter Review Thread (Spoiler
This book may well be the perfect Star Trek novel. The characters are spot on, the plot is interesting, the writing is crisp, and we're left with ideas to think about.
Kirk and Spock both get major screen time in this book, Scotty gets a fun sub-plot, and Uhura gets to do a bit more than the original episodes gave her a chance to do. (McCoy is in the novel, but he's not a focus, so if he's your favorite character, this probably isn't the book for you.) For me, my favorite character is Spock, and this book gives him a LOT to do, while not short-changing Kirk. Spock gets to use his special Vulcan powers to such a large extent that I was worried the poor guy would be collapsing from exhaustion by the end. :-)
The aliens in this book are interesting; they're similar to a major Federation race in some respects while being wildly different in other respects. That difference is both a source of strength and a source of weakness for them, and the author spends some time showing us what the aliens' minds are like while still keeping the focus firmly on Kirk and Spock. I've always been interested in both telepathy and in Dissociative Identity Disorder (what used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder and may still be best known under that name), and the new aliens have aspects of both of those elements in their makeup.
Carolyn Palamas -- the Archeology, Anthropology, and Ancient Civilizations officer introduced in "Who Mourns for Adonis" -- is in this book, and while she's not a huge focus, the book does flesh out her character a bit and gives some backstory that makes Scotty's crush on her (in that episode) seem more plausible. She turns out to be a consummate Starfleet officer and not just a pretty girl, a touch this female reader found most welcome.
We probably all have our own "wish list" for Star Trek novels, but to me, a great Star Trek novel should have the following elements:
1. A major role for Spock. He should either be thinking his way out of whatever problems the novel throws at them or using mind melds or neck pinches or other Vulcan superpowers to save the day; ideally, he'd be doing both. Bonus points for his inspiring or training or otherwise leading the scientists under his command and for the author's remembering that his role isn't just FIRST officer, it's also SCIENCE officer. More bonus points for allowing him a chance to show what a wonderfully ethical, dutiful, and self-sacrificing person Spock can be.
2. A major role for Kirk. He should either be swaying people through the power of his oratory or getting the Enterprise and/or the landing party out of whatever problems the novel throws at them through tactical genius. Ideally, he'd be doing both. Bonus points for inspiring or nurturing or otherwise leading the crew under his command and/or for solving problems through non-violent means.
3. A chance for some of the minor characters (McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, or Chapel) to shine while still not taking the focus off of the main two.
4. A positive view of Starfleet and the Federation, not a plot where the Federation is actually evil or Starfleet is evil or incompetent.
5. Interesting new problems or situations, not just a tired retread of things that have happened in the episodes. But a brief nod to an episode or a slight tie-in to an episode is nice and helps to anchor the novel in what we know.
6. A lessened focus on the Spock-McCoy bickering (compared to the episodes), since while the things McCoy said seemed funny to people in 1966, they seem racist to modern eyes.
7. While the focus is mostly on the plot, there should be some nods to the relationships among the characters, with the Kirk-Spock friendship foremost here.
Galanter hits EVERY ONE of the wishes on this list and delivers exactly what I want from a Star Trek novel. Really, it feels as if this book was written with me in mind, for all that I've never met the author and know nothing about him. Maybe I'm just a typical Star Trek fan. :-)
I hate it when people write the Star Trek characters out of character, which far too many people do, in my opinion. But Galanter clearly knows his Star Trek, and Kirk and Spock feel exactly like they should. I also hate it when people write plots with holes you could drive the Galileo through, which also happens far too often in other books, and again, Galanter avoids this. The plot makes sense, and no one does something that makes me shout at the characters that X is a stupid thing to do or what about this other course of action that might work better? Another pet peeve for me in Star Trek novels is when the author is so interested in their original characters that they forget to give us much of the Enterprise's crew. Again, Galanter avoids this pitfalll; his aliens are truly interesting without taking the focus away from Kirk and Spock.
The only thing I didn't like was Spock's thinking about kolinahr at the end, because I hate the whole idea of kolinahr. I think it was wildly out of character for Spock to attempt kolinhar and wonder what drugs Roddenberry was on when he thought it up. So I just stick my fingers in my ears and say "La, la, la" when people talk about it. :-) But that shouldn't be counted against the author, since it IS canon.
In summary, this is a wonderfully in-character novel with an interesting plot, good writing, and some fresh ideas. Full marks!
