Star Trek (#24) "Killing Time" by Della Van Hise

[Daddy Todd]

It’s n

It seems like ISBN 0-671-52488-7 is the 1st printing (pre-recall) & 0-671-65921-9 is the heavily edited version.

Can anyone verify?

It’s not that simple. Back in those days, every time the price changed, the book would get a new ISBN. I’ll check my database when I get home from work to confirm, but I think there were 3 printings with the original ISBN. Only the first printing contained the unexpurgated text.

An easy way to tell: if the title is in embossed gold letters, it’s the naughty version. If it’s flat letters of fake gold, yellow or red, it’s the boring version (unless it’s the Canadian printing, which has flat fake gold title, and a maple leaf on the cover. That has the naughty text.)

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

It’s n

It’s not that simple. Back in those days, every time the price changed, the book would get a new ISBN. I’ll check my database when I get home from work to confirm, but I think there were 3 printings with the original ISBN. Only the first printing contained the unexpurgated text.

An easy way to tell: if the title is in embossed gold letters, it’s the naughty version. If it’s flat letters of fake gold, yellow or red, it’s the boring version (unless it’s the Canadian printing, which has flat fake gold title, and a maple leaf on the cover. That has the naughty text.)

Okey Dokey. I see 2 ISBN's on ebay, and they seem to match based on the descriptions to what I typed.

I'm sure I had a copy of #24, purchased new in the late 80's, so probably not the naughty version.

 

[JD]

It’s n

It’s not that simple. Back in those days, every time the price changed, the book would get a new ISBN. I’ll check my database when I get home from work to confirm, but I think there were 3 printings with the original ISBN. Only the first printing contained the unexpurgated text.

An easy way to tell: if the title is in embossed gold letters, it’s the naughty version. If it’s flat letters of fake gold, yellow or red, it’s the boring version (unless it’s the Canadian printing, which has flat fake gold title, and a maple leaf on the cover. That has the naughty text.)

I'm assuming the e-book is one of the cleaned up editions?

 

[Daddy Todd]

I'm assuming the e-book is one of the cleaned up editions?

So, here's what I know: The first ISBN is 0-671-52488-7. This was on the first through fourth US printings, which had a cover price of $3.50. It was also on the first (only?) Canadian printing, with a cover price of $3.95.

The first US and first Canadian printings had the unexpurgated text. ALL subsequent mass market paperback printings have the revised text (including the UK Titan printings and the e-book).

The next ISBN is 0-671-65921-9, on the 5th and 6th printings. These had a cover price of $3.95.

The 7th printing had an ISBN of 0-671-70597-0 and a $4.50 cover price.

I believe there was at least one additional printing, because I think I've seen a copy with a cover price of $4.95, but I've never examined one. I assume it would have a different ISBN, but perhaps not -- they stopped assigning a new ISBN with every price change in the early '90's, and this printing would have been around 1991.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It seems like ISBN 0-671-52488-7 is the 1st printing (pre-recall) & 0-671-65921-9 is the heavily edited version.
Can anyone verify?

I have a first printing (but it's in storage). I really doubt too many copies were actually recalled. In those days, the second printings were pretty fast out of the box, and first printings didn't sit around too long.

I recently picked up a seventh printing and it's ISBN 0-671-70597-0.

 

[Daddy Todd]

It also seems that the print runs of reprints were a lot smaller than the first printings. If eBay is any indication, there are more copies of the first printing than of all subsequent printings combined.

 

[Daddy Todd]

I just remembered there is another edition of Killing Time: There is a hardcover reprint in 1987 from Chivers in the UK. It uses the unexpurgated, original text (I checked my copy.) Which is weird, as the US Pocket paperback had been using the edited text for a couple years by then. The ISBN for that one is 0-85997-925-3.

These were mostly sold to libraries, with fairly small print runs. ABE doesn’t have a copy on offer anywhere in the world at the moment, nor does eBay. Amazon lists 4 copies starting at over $100 for one in “good” condition, which is pretty low grade. “Very Good” copies start over $500.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I just remembered there is another edition of Killing Time: There is a hardcover reprint in 1987 from Chivers in the UK. It uses the unexpurgated, original text (I checked my copy.) Which is weird, as the US Pocket paperback had been using the edited text for a couple years by then.

What version did the US hardcover by Gregg Press (EDIT: not Firecrest) use, also 1987? Also made for public libraries, possibly at the same time as Chivers?

 

[Daddy Todd]

What version did the US hardcover by Firecrest use, also 1987? Also made for public libraries, possibly at the same time as Chivers?

The Firecrest and Chivers editions are one and the same, and were only officially distributed in the UK.The title page says "Firecrest" then below, "Chivers Press" and below that "Bath".

Gregg Press handled the US distribution of hardcover reprints of Star Trek titles in 1984, 1985 & 1986. Some were printed in the USA, others in the UK.

Chivers/Firecrest handled the UK editions of almost all those titles (They didn't do the novelization of TWoK, as Macdonald had already done a reprint of that one back in 1982 or 1983). Gregg Press discontinued the Star Trek series (and pretty much everything else) in 1986, so the final set of 6 hardcover reprints were only published by Chivers/Firecrest in 1987. Some may have found their way across the pond, but my copies of those 6 titles (acquired 15-20 years ago) all came from UK dealers.

I've never seen any of the Chivers/Firecrest versions of the titles handled by Gregg Press in the USA. The Gregg printings are reasonably plentiful on my side of the pond, but not the Chivers/Firecrest printings. I don't know if Chivers actually did unique printings1984, 1985 & 1986K, or just repurposed copies from Gregg Press. They have a separate ISBN, so who knows?

 

[Daddy Todd]

It strikes me there's an article in the saga of Star Trek reprints. But I'm probably one of five people on the planet that care (and Therin might be one of the other four!)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

An easy way to tell: if the title is in embossed gold letters, it’s the naughty version. If it’s flat letters of fake gold, yellow or red, it’s the boring version (unless it’s the Canadian printing, which has flat fake gold title, and a maple leaf on the cover. That has the naughty text.)

Here's an even easier way: If the title is on two lines (i.e. "KILLING" is above "TIME"), then it's the original. If the title is on one line ("KILLING TIME"), it's the revised one.

 

[Daddy Todd]

Here's an even easier way: If the title is on two lines (i.e. "KILLING" is above "TIME"), then it's the original. If the title is on one line ("KILLING TIME"), it's the revised one.

Sorry, that's not correct. Second and third printings have the title on two lines, and have the revised text.

The single-line title didn't appear until the fourth printing, when the Star Trek logo was added to the cover design.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Sorry, that's not correct. Second and third printings have the title on two lines, and have the revised text.

The single-line title didn't appear until the fourth printing, when the Star Trek logo was added to the cover design.

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[Therin of Andor]

Gregg Press handled the US distribution of hardcover reprints of Star Trek titles in 1984, 1985 & 1986. Some were printed in the USA, others in the UK.

Gregg Press! That was the name I was searching for yesterday when Google suggested Firecrest. Thanks.

 

[Damian]

Below is a website that will give you information about how to find out if you have a first release version or the revised release. One way to tell is the cover does not have the title Star Trek on it but just "the New Star Trek Novel" on it. Killing Time is two lines and is raised off the cover. At least that's my edition. Below has additional information though.

https://lexx-the-flex.livejournal.com/877.html

 

[Damian]

I completed this novel this weekend. Overall it was an up and down novel. There were good parts that I liked and others that I didn't.

I always liked alternate universes and timelines, even if they are a bit overdone in Star Trek. This was a bit different in that it still had our characters, but in different roles, esp. with Kirk being an ensign and Spock being the captain. Van Hise used the plot device of dreams and people slowly going insane to account for how the characters know something is wrong. It sort of made me think of being tied to an anchor. Almost how Jake Sisko was dragging his father like an anchor in "The Visitor", in this case the 'correct' timeline was weighing down this alternate timeline like an anchor. And for some reason that isn't really adequately explained in the novel, the altered timeline is not stable. So there were elements of the main plot that were ok and others that were sort of left hanging.

As far as the Romulan Commander (here named Thea and Praetor of the Empire), she reminded me almost of nothing of the commander. At one point Spock starts to go through Pon Farr and she, um, let's say 'rescues' Spock and that was actually one of the very few times in the novel I was able to picture the Commander. Later she seems to fall in love with Spock, or at least the Romulan equivalent, though she reluctantly helps him and Kirk.

As for the so called homo-erotic elements of this novel, I think they are greatly overstated. There are maybe 2 overt scenes in the book that could be construed in that manner, maybe a few other sections if you read into it more then what is there. But there is much more with the Price of the Phoenix novel then there is here. Spock and Kirk are portrayed to have a close connection, which we all already knew. But if I read this novel without knowing anything else, I would probably think it's closer to familial then romantic. She focuses a lot on their relationship, yes, but I was hard pressed to see it as a romantic, or sexual relationship for the most part.

 

[Christopher]

One way to tell is the cover does not have the title Star Trek on it but just "the New Star Trek Novel" on it.

Both the original and the first revised edition are like that, since they didn't begin adding the Star Trek logo to the covers until two years later. If it does have the logo, then yes, it's a later reprint of the revised edition, but if it doesn't have the logo, it could be either version.

 

[Damian]

Both the original and the first revised edition are like that, since they didn't begin adding the Star Trek logo to the covers until two years later. If it does have the logo, then yes, it's a later reprint of the revised edition, but if it doesn't have the logo, it could be either version.

Right, I should have added that. The link I found is a surefire way to check the edition though, it even includes dialogue that was revised so someone can check to see if they have an unaltered edition or not.

 

[thribs]

Basically the story is about the Romulans trying to change history so the Federation is never formed by killing the 3 men most responsible for it's creation

So Archer, the person who created the Control AI and... Shran?

 

[Dukhat]

I was able to get a first edition on eBay for about $8, and once I read it I'll post my thoughts.