Spoilers TOS: Legacies: Book 1: Captain to Captain by Greg Cox Review Thread

Regarding typos appearing out of nowhere, I hear that. I spend my Saturdays docenting at the International Printing Museum (Carson, California), and a few years ago, our lead docent and fellow docents published -- including physically printing all copies, by letterpress, from type formes we set on one of our Linotype machines (with a few lines set on our Ludlow machines) -- his uncle's fictionalized memoir of surgical residency at the hospital we now call County-USC. And since it took over four years (working only on weekends), it was kind of inevitable that some typos would slip in unnoticed. Some of them quite large.

At any rate, last night, I verified that Captain to Captain is in stock at the local B&N; maybe as soon as Friday, I'll pick it up (and while I'm at it, probably also pick up a copy of David Daley's political work, Ratf**ked [that's how it's spelled on the cover]). But at the moment, I need to deal with a failed engine on my car.

Michael Palin as Captain April?!? I'm not sure who I envision as April, but I have trouble picturing a Monty Python alum in the role.

 

I hadn't thought of that, but I think it's a splendid idea, having seen plenty of the older Palin in his many world-travel documentary miniseries over the years. He's got the soft-spoken English charm and gentle wit of Carey's April, and he's definitely got the intrepid spirit of exploration and the fascination with exotic places and civilizations.

 

I got my copy of the book this morning. I'm looking forward to reading this story.

 

By the way, I checked the casting thread, and Mr. Laser Beam suggested Michael Palin nine years ago, and I was quite fond of the idea then too. On reflection, I thought it sounded familiar. Anyway, I'm amazed at how long that thread's been around. It's more than a decade old now.

 

Good Lord, and I'm pretty sure I've been reading it for at least most of that time. I remember the Michael Palin suggestion and your own casting of David Warner (which I think was a genius stroke). Greg, as someone who loves those Diane Carey Robert April novels, I'm really glad you're keeping consistent with April's character as established there. It's nice to see that era further explored, period.

As far as the book goes, I got my copy yesterday and haven't made it very far in yet, but am vastly enjoying myself with it thus far. I love what you've done about Number One's name, and the scene with her and Spock

Spoiler

discussing Captain Pike

touched a lovely nerve.

A question, though: was there any particular reason you did not decide to stay in-continuity with Vulcan's Glory, in which Scotty joined the Enterprise crew at about the same time as Spock?

 

You know, I flirted with keeping Scotty as a member of PIke's crew when I wrote Child of Two Worlds, but that's been ignored by pretty much every Pike novel and comic book since Vulcan's Glory, and you can make it a case that it kinda begs the question of why this never came up in "The Menagerie." You'd think Scotty would have more to say about the Pike situation if he'd served under Pike along with Spock.

Basically, I talked it over with some folks, and decided not to go there a book ago. And, honestly, the plot didn't require Number One to have any sort of history with Scotty, like she does with Spock.

 

Fair enough (and thanks for answering my question ). I never actually liked Scotty being on the Enterprise with Pike very much either, not only for the reasons you cite, but also because it just never seemed right to me that Spock had known Scotty longer than he'd known Kirk.

 

Yeah... I always got the sense that Kirk and Spock hadn't known each other very long at the time of "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and that the events of that episode were a formative moment in their friendship. There's also the fact that Spock should've been serving on Pike's Enterprise for at least the latter couple of years of Kirk's Academy tenure.

 

An earlier meeting is not inconsistent with a later friendship.

 

Sure, but if you're going to tell a prequel story that has Kirk and Spock together at the Academy, you're not just gonna have them be passing acquaintances; you're gonna want to use it as an opportunity to show the beginnings of their iconic friendship. That's what the '09 movie did, it's what Harve Bennett's rejected prequel idea would've done, and I think it's probably what Shatner's Academy: Collision Course did, though I'm not sure.

 

I plan to get this book on Fri. I will be near a B&N that day.

 

So when in the novels, did Scott join the Enterprise? Shortly before WNMHGB?

 

^ In SCE: Foundations, Scotty finally got appointed Chief Engineer not long before Pike stepped down as commanding officer in 2264 (right before the events of Enterprise: The First Adventure).

 

Got mine, and only cost me $6.50 thanks to $1.57 worth of Apple's guilt.

 

So, I enjoyed this book and will definitely read it again (likely after the other two Legacy books come out, so I can read them together at a faster pace than once a month). I liked the characterization, the story, the conflict, and the intrigue - I especially liked the twist at the end, and I certainly would enjoy seeing more of the Federation circa the 2240s (whether through the eyes of Captain April and the Enterprise, or through other characters).

 

Maybe it will arrive by next week....

 

I read the first 3 chapters and I really liked the scene with Number One being annoyed at how robotic the voice of the Enterprise computer sounds using her voice.

 

Thank you, Peter David, for setting that joke up for me!

 

^Haha, yeah...finally was able to sit down and start this one a few nights ago, and got a big chuckle out of that reference.