How Much For Just The Planet

[retroenzo]

I love this book.

What I don't get though is how it was commissioned. Every single page of it feels like a Star Trek parody that got out of hand. Inflatable Enterprise, songs, Doctor Who crossover... It wouldn't have been out of place if it had been released as a Star Wreck book.

Any other fans of this totally bizarre book?

 

[Mage]

I'm only into nuWho, so I probably missed the Doctor Who crossover.....

But yeah, this book is crazy and I love it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I love this book.
What I don't get though is how it was commissioned.

The author got much acclaim for "The Final Reflection" and Pocket was keen for another, but the late John M. Ford hated to repeat himself, so he went parody musical for this one.

Mike Ford told us, here in Australia at a literary science fiction convention called Syncon, that his original intention was to list the show tunes in the front of the book, but Pocket Books' editors/lawyers said "No". We didn't think to ask him that weekend if all the songs definitely scanned exactly (and obviously some don't), nor whether this was for legal reasons, but I recall that he was both surprised and impressed that my fanatical musicals friends at the time had guessed as many sources as they had. We shoulda written it all down then!

Previously, the regulars here compiled this:
http://therinofandor.blogspot.com.au/p/how-much-for-just-planet-search-for.html

BTW, as Michael J Dodge, Mike wrote "Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure" (Which Way Books No 15).

 

[F. King Daniel]

Loved it. And would love to see more novels in a similar humorous vein (that aren't centred on Ferengi)

 

[Bibliomike]

The author got much acclaim for "The Final Reflection" and Pocket was keen for another, but the late John M. Ford hated to repeat himself, so he went parody musical for this one.

Mike Ford told us, here in Australia at a literary science fiction convention called Syncon, that his original intention was to list the show tunes in the front of the book, but Pocket Books' editors/lawyers said "No". We didn't think to ask him that weekend if all the songs definitely scanned exactly (and obviously some don't), nor whether this was for legal reasons, but I recall that he was both surprised and impressed that my fanatical musicals friends at the time had guessed as many sources as they had. We shoulda written it all down then!

Previously, the regulars here compiled this:
http://therinofandor.blogspot.com.au/p/how-much-for-just-planet-search-for.html

BTW, as Michael J Dodge, Mike wrote "Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure" (Which Way Books No 15).

Thank you for the list of songs! That would make a huge difference reading it. I haven't given it a try since I was a teen, and didn't enjoy it then, but only because I didn't "get" what he was doing.

 

[flandry84]

All I really remember is the Klingon ground vehicle...shouldn't Enterprise have carried something like that?

 

[F. King Daniel]

All I really remember is the Klingon ground vehicle...shouldn't Enterprise have carried something like that?

I don't know, put a motorbike on a starship and fans go ballistic

 

[Bibliomike]

Maybe that's where inspiration for the Argo in Nemesis came from.

 

[Idran]

Maybe that's where inspiration for the Argo in Nemesis came from.

I've heard that was just because Stewart really likes dune buggies; I can't confirm that, though.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I read all the Star Wreck books as well as this one when they were new. I definitely remember enjoying them all.

How Much For Just The Planet wasn't quite as silly as the Star Wreck books, but silly for Star Trek. For some reason I have this book, I think my Mom found it at a garage sale. I'll have to re-read it soon.

Wasn't this the one where McCoy was on the bridge and told the Klingons he had killed Kirk "I do so hate killing my friends"?

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

Oh, I loved this one.

 

[trynda1701]

Wasn't this the one where McCoy was on the bridge and told the Klingons he had killed Kirk "I do so hate killing my friends"?

That was in Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane.

I remember reading it for the first time and thinking how totally different it was from The Final Reflection, and yet the Klingons still followed the same backstory details Ford had established in that book.

And although it seems like parody, it's really like the comedy episodes in TOS (Tribbles, the Mudd episodes etc), just in prose/musical form!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ Thanks. It's been, what, 25+ years since these books came out? That's when I read them, when they were new.

 

[trynda1701]

^ Thanks. It's been, what, 25+ years since these books came out? That's when I read them, when they were new.

Same here! And as I have said elsewhere, that was when I kept a close eye for certain authors latest releases (Diane Duane, Howard Weinstein, Peter David).

But I'm SO far behind Trek novels these days. The last series I started was Vanguard, but I've still to get that finished, and the last I bought was the Gateway Saga!

 

[Reanok]

I like this book I liked the humor in it.I read the book again a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

 

[stardream]

When I read this book years ago I didn't know what the heck was going on with the plot. I thought it funny but the whole thing seemed a bit..off. It wasn't until I found out it was based on musical theater that it finally made sense.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Is this the book that has some sort of Vulcan drink with a name that sounds like what Curly is saying in this video at 1:34?

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[JD]

I've had this one sitting on my shelf for a few years but I've never gotten around to reading it. I'll have to remember to use Therin's song list before I read it.
So if this is inspired by musical theater, then I have to wonder, would it be possible to do it as a stage show? If than can find a way to make things like Harry Potter, and Spider-Man work on stage, it probably wouldn't be impossible to do Trek.

 

[Kor]

I have heard of schools doing musical Star Trek stage performances.

Kor

 

[JD]

That's awesome!