The Star Trek Series

First published: 1967

Type of work: Novels

Type of plot: Science fiction—interplanetary romance

Time of work: The twenty-third and twenty-fourth centuries

Locale: Various planets and locations in space

The Plot

The Star Trek novels are based on a television series that originally aired between 1966 and 1969. The crew of the starship Enterprise is on a mission for the Federation, an interplanetary alliance, to explore new worlds. It is guided by Captain James T. Kirk; Mr. Spock, a human-Vulcan who is the first officer and the science officer; and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Their orders are obeyed by various other crew members staffing positions in communication (Lieutenant Uhura), engineering (Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), and navigation (Sulu and Pavel Chekov), among others. First names never were given for Uhura, Sulu, and Spock. In each episode, these officers in the Federation’s paramilitary force, Starfleet, face challenges and danger arising from humans, aliens, or nature. Interplanetary travel, and occasionally intergalactic travel, is possible because the “warp drive” produces speeds in excess of the speed of light, and ships can burrow through wormholes in the fabric of conventional space and time. This series often is referred to as “classic Star Trek” and has enjoyed success in syndication. Because it incorporated dozens of scripts by different writers, many types of story lines were included, such as alien civilizations, time travel, interplanetary war, and artificial intelligence.

A large number of people in the television audience became loyal fans, and they were an erudite group. When the original screenplays from the television series were adapted to the novel format between 1967 and 1975, fans avidly bought and read the books. James Blish, a noted science-fiction writer, novelized the screenplays, beginning with Star Trek (1967) and continuing through Star Trek 12 (1977), finished by J. A. Lawrence, Blish’s widow. Another noted writer, Alan Dean Foster, novelized scripts from an animated spin-off that used the framework and characters from classic Star Trek, beginning with Star Trek Log 1 (1974) and continuing through Star Trek Log 10 (1978). In addition to these books authorized by Paramount Pictures, fans wrote their own, unofficial Star Trek novels that continued many of the story lines from the characters in the television series. Seven classic Star Trek films were made between 1979 and 1994, and these films also were turned into novels.

A line of original novels using the plot and characters from classic Star Trek appeared in 1970. There were more than 110 titles in this series by 1995.

The continued popularity of classic Star Trek convinced television executives that a new television series might work. Star Trek: The Next Generation aired from 1987 to 1994. Its action takes place seventy-five years after the first series, in the twenty-fourth century. The crew of the refitted Enterprise was led by a cast that operated more like an ensemble than the crew of classic Star Trek, with its three primary protagonists. Although there was still a powerful captain, Jean-Luc Picard, he did not have intimate friends like Kirk’s. The new crew included Commander William Riker, first officer; Data, an android and science officer; Dr. Beverly Crusher; Counselor Deanna Troi, a human-Betazed; and Lieutenant Worf, a Klingon. Their approach to interplanetary exploration was more peaceful and cerebral than that of the original series. More than thirty books based on this series had been published by 1995, including both televised scripts and original stories.

A third series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, was launched on television in 1993. It continues the main plot lines, but in a stable space station fortuitously situated at a wormhole instead of on a starship. The wormhole allows interplanetary travel to the Gamma Quadrant across previously prohibitive distances. More conflict is built into this story line than in Star Trek: The Next Generation, with more interspecies problems and more limited material resources. The Federation controls the station, and humans are the major characters. Captain Benjamin Sisko is a widower with an adolescent son, Jake; Major Kira Nerys is a hot-tempered former commando representing the interests of an unstable, volatile planet, Bajor; Odo is a “changeling” in charge of security; and Jadzia Dax is a female Trill/symbiont and science officer. A doctor, Julian Bashir; a chief engineer, Miles O’Brien; and an alien Ferengi rascal fill out the cast of main characters. This series had generated eleven novelizations by 1995.

In 1995, a fourth series, Star Trek: Voyager, was initiated. A crew is “thrown” to a far distant space. Even with a warp drive, it will take seventy-five years to return to Federation space. Although the plot has the same general characteristics, the characters have more diverse backgrounds. The crew includes the first female captain, Katheryn Janeway; the first female Hispanic-Klingon, B’Elanna Torres; the first Hispanic-Native American commander, Chakoty; the first black Vulcan, a tactical officer named Tuvok; the first Chinese communications officer, Harry Kim; and a grouchy white male physician/ hologram, Doc. There are new aliens as well, including Tess, an Ocampa, and Neelix, a Talaxian. This series inspired three novels within the first six months of being aired.