Enterprise

by Vonda N. McIntyre

Book Overview

James T. Kirk is the youngest man to be promoted to the rank of captain in Federation history. His crew consists of a first officer who finds him impetuous; a chief engineer who finds him arrogent; a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671625810
• ISBN13: 9780671625818
• Release Date: July 1987
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 371 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.

Customer Reviews

fantastic

as gene roddenberry is quoted saying on the back of the book "a most creative and enjoyable tale of Star Trek's beginning' I couldn't agree more... anyone who's a fan of star trek knows how all these characters interact...but even knowing the end result, McIntyre still makes HOW they started to form those interactions enjoyable and engaging... really a great Trek Adventure for fans old and new

Excellent

McIntyre has captured the true feel of Trek. This story is full of great introductions and wonderful character interactions. The plot is among the best of the Trek novels I have read. I highly recommend this to any fan. It gives you a great setup for the five year mission. This is one to definately re-read as the years go by.

Kirk's VERY FIRST MISSION as Captain of the USS Enterprise!

Few people remember that before this book came out, all Star Trek books were small, episodic paperbacks that you could read in an afternoon. This book was an important step in Trekdom as it is the very first Star Trek book that was written as a full-blown novel of original material. Here, we are introduced to Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, "Bones" McCoy, and all the other Trek favorites when they first meet each other. All is not well aboard ship, and the cameraderie we know and love from these characters is all but absent, initially. They are wary of each other, distracted by duty, obsessed with personal agendas, and so on.We see the crew of the Starship Enterprise as a bunch of individuals rather than the cohesive core of the ship we know from other stories, but it is utterly fascinating to see this crew meld together in crisis, not knowing the long history they will have together.Kirk is the youngest man to captain a starship in the Federation, and some of his crew are not impressed with him. Kirk's main critic is Spock, who sees the Captain as "impetuous." But Kirk has more problems on his hands than a disapproving Vulcan: The ship's surgeon has yet to report to duty, the helmsman wants to be anywhere else than at the helm of the Enterprise, and Kirk soon realizes that his first mission as Captain of the Enterprise is far less the exciting mission he expected. He is ordered to transport a group of performers on a morale-boosting tour for the Federation. What no one knows is that this presumably tame mission could be their last!If you thought you knew Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest of the crew, you haven't read anything yet. Written by noted SF author, Vonda N. McIntyre, this is a wonderful prequel that captures the essence of why we love Star Trek in the first place. If you ever wondered what it was like to see the Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise on it's first mission together, look no further. You'll be happy to have been along for the ride.

Creative aliens and multiple subplots

I count this among my favorite TOS novels. It was written back in 1986, during the heyday of Trek novels, before things became so cookie-cutter formularized. This book is thick enough (371 pages) to have multiple well-developed subplots in addition to the main storyline about the change of command from Captain Pike to Captain Kirk. Although some reviewers see this as "rambling," I see it as good writing, where seemingly unrelated threads all come together eventually. (Perhaps my love of mystery novels makes me more tolerant than most when it comes to details that seem "irrelevant" until the end of the book.)The story features some interesting first-contact aliens, a variety of non-human crewmembers (pay special attention to the "green roommate"), a genetically engineered equiraptor (winged horse), a "perverted" Vulcan who seeks out emotional experiences for thrills, and a renegade Klingon from a minority Klingon culture where everyone veils their faces. I especially enjoyed McIntyre's portrayal of the first interactions between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, as well as her great backstory about Yeoman Janice Rand. As Gene Roddenberry himself said on the cover, "I heartily recommend ENTERPRISE: THE FIRST ADVENTURE as a most creative and enjoyable tale of Star Trek's beginning..."

Sweet Begining

The book Enterprise by Vonda N. McIntyre is both a sweet adventure and an unusual interpretation of the Star Trek universe.While the seemingly soft characterizations and undeveloped friendships within the original Enterprise crew might be off- putting for some, it represents an original concept through the author's mind, allowing voice for her own interpretation of the beloved characters of the favourite television show. I myself liked the interactions between the newly-aquainted Kirk and Spock. Here, the author introduces a feeling of testing the waters of a friendship between the two men, which becomes strong as their lives moved on past their first mission together. Also, a lovely touch are Spock's observations of human nature in the light of a traveling vaudeville's performance, related to Captain Kirk; his observations and Kirk's reactions are a precursor to the friendly barbs traded between the two men in the future. I reccomend this book for anyone who questions and wonders about the first mission of the Enterprise under the command of Captain Kirk. . . It is a question previously not answered in the Star Trek universe.L.L.A.P.