Star Trek - Log One

Author: Alan Dean Foster

First Published: 1974

Pages: 184pp
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine

It wasn't too long ago that I reviewed another book by Alan Dean Foster. Splinter of the Mind's Eye was his story based upon the intent of George Lucas to produce a lower budget sequel to Star Wars if it didn't do well in theatres. Well we know how that panned out, so Foster's Star Wars sequel remains a quirky novel in the expanded universe for fans of the franchise.

Before Lucas approached him, Foster also took on what was to become another science fiction cinematic and televisual franchise. Star Trek: The Original Series had been cancelled fours years previously (in 1969) but was proving immensely popular via syndication. This resulted in the shows creator, Gene Roddenberry, to decide to continue the series in an animated form. To the delight of fans, much of the original cast returned to provide voice-overs for their original characters. Show writers David Gerrold and D. C. Fontana characterised The Animated Series as a fourth season of The Original Series.

Star Trek: The Animated Series, aired as "Star Trek" and as "The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek" from 1973 to 1974 consisting of 22 episodes over two seasons. Set in the 23rd century, with Earth as part of a United Federation of Planets, it followed the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Enterprise as it explored the galaxy.


Bantam Books had been publishing adaptations of the the original live action television episodes for a few years, and that had proved very successful. Noted science fiction author James Blish had been asked to write them, and rather reluctantly, he accepted. He has admitted the income from these novelisations was very welcome, but my own experience of reading them in days gone by is patchy. Some of them cover rather a lot of episodes in quite short books - I'm not sure they are very good, but hey - they sold well.

Star Trek 1, 1967

So Del Rey, under the Ballantine Science Fiction banner took up the task of adapting The Animated Series into book format and approached Foster to take up the mantle. It's a good job he accepted, because in my opinion they are a step up from Blish's books. With only 22 episodes to work from Del Rey must have decided early on to pad out the run by covering three episodes per paperback (and in actual fact the final few books in this 10 book run cover just a single episode each). This allowed Foster the room to expand where necessary, and add in any details possibly not seen in the 25 minute format of the 1973/74 television version.

The only thing I consider better in the Blish adaptations over the Foster ones..... are the original 60's covers. Some of the Log covers are really pretty awful looking. My own copies are the late 70's editions with the single picture of the USS Enterprise swooping across the cover in garish yellows, greens, blues etc. Cute some might say - but really?

So how do the actual stories hold up. Very well indeed. We will deal with each story separately:

Beyond the Farthest Star

The opening story of Log One involves the Enterprise, on route to the Time Planet (covered in the following story), being diverted to take readings and map a previously unknown sector of space. Whilst there the ship begins to increase in speed despite the actions of Sulu at the helm. Whatever action they take the ship continues to increase in speed until they spot a kind of black planet in space that seems to be attracting them into its centre. As they manage to avoid total destruction by maintaining a steady orbit around the strange spheroid, they also detect another ship in orbit. This vast ancient spaceship appears derelict and abandoned, no life can be detected on board it. However, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty beam aboard to try and discover its' fate. This is a nice start to the series, and evokes many similar episodes from the original series.

Yesteryear

This is great if you know your Star Trek. The Enterprise finally arrives at the Time Planet. Kirk, Spock and McCoy accompany three scientists down to the Guardian to conduct an experiment. McCoy (understandably) does not join in with Kirk, Spock and one lucky scientist as they jump through time for a quick study. Upon returning however, something strange has happened. Nobody recognises Spock! He has been replaced by a Tholian First Officer (Kirk and the scientist who accompanied them are unaffected by this sudden change in events). It transpires that something from Spock's past must have been altered. He must travel back in time to his childhood and rectify whatever has been changed. We get some great interaction between adult Spock and his family in this story.

One of Our Planets is Missing

My favourite story from Log One. The plot reminded me so much of a mix between the film Fantastic Voyage, and the story that would eventually become Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The Enterprise is called into action to investigate a strange phenomenon approaching the Pallas system on the edge of Federation territory. What they encounter is an immense space-bound entity that engulfs entire planets and devours them in order to use the energy contained within to sustain its' existence. As the entity approaches the highly populated planet of Mantilles, Kirk, his crew and the USS Enterprise are drawn inside the mysterious being and must figure out how to stop it before time runs out.

Star Trek Log One is great. I really enjoyed revisiting Kirk, Spock McCoy etc in these short stories by Foster. He applies a neat device by describing them as happening in chronological order. They are just pitched at the right level for a Star Trek adventure. And the fact they were unknown to me added an extra highlight. But why on earth are these not available in eBook format? What the f@@k? Star Trek books you cannot get on your eReader? I'm flabbergasted.

Highly recommended.