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Summary: William Shatner examines Capt. Kirk and himself as legends.
Review: "The Ashes of Eden" takes place in the last years of Kirk's career at Starfleet, just before the events seen in the film STAR TREK: GENERATIONS. The plot, which is compelling written by Shatner, centers on a mysterious doomsday project that the Romulan and Klingon empires have put into place to destroy the Federation. Kirk goes to investigate it, and in his absence, a traitor in Starfleet convinces everyone else (including now-Captain Sulu, who goes to hunt Kirk like the professional he is) that Kirk has turned traitor. The novel is one of the best of the STAR TREK line. I was pleasantly surprised by Shatner's writing, but I suppose that I shouldn't have been. After all, the man has "been" Kirk for three decades. Which leads me to the other surprising element of the book. "The Ashes of Eden" isn't just an exciting STAR TREK adventure, it's also a look inside the mind of Capt. Kirk. Shatner uses the novel to relate what it's like to be a living legend. Kirk encounters young crewmembers who know more about his adventures than he does and who want details that he can't remember. Kirk's response that he and his crew didn't set out to be heroes, but rather "we were just doing our job" applies to Shatner as well.
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Summary: Just Before The End
Review: After producers decided to kill off Captain James Kirk in the film Star Trek Generations, his alter ego, actor William Shatner came up with an idea that would bring the character back in a series of novels. Shatner and his collaborators (ghost writers?), Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, came up with an interesting storyline that begins with Ashes Of Eden. First published as a novel, the folks at DC Comics, asked the trio to adapt "Ashes" as a graphic novel in comic book form. Although the orginal novel had the benefiit of being able to go into greater detail, the graphic novel is still a solid read.The story takes place after Star Trek VI: TUC and just before Generations and continues the "send off" of the classic cast of The Original Series. The Enterprise-A is about to be decommissioned.It's famous crew is now scattered across the galaxy. Kirk is without a ship and a mission. In a defining moment Kirk decides to abandon Starfleet and live out his remaining days on the planet Chal, whose people believe they are doomed, they seek a defender of their way of life, a hero. Kirk gets more than he bargained for though, as he is caught up in a plot that spreads throughout Klingon and Federation space. The original authors do a fairly good job adapting their story within the comic book arena. Even though there are fewer pages in this version nothing is lost. The story's main plot is given its due. There are even some nice character bits that found their way in the graphic novel as well. Artists Steve Erwin and Jimmy Palmiotti do the beloved classic space heroes and their universe great justice within these pages. Everything that is familiar, looks as it should, while the stuff created in the novel, is how I thought it would be. Colors are bold and brilliant, which enhances this read greatly. Still worth a look, even if you have already read the original novel, recommended. The book has 94 pages.
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Summary: James T. Kirk in His Own Words
Review: I bought this book at the suggestion of the manager of the local bookstore to keep me occupied during an unwanted month-long trip to Poland. I normally don't read Star Trek novels, because Paramount doesn't recognize them as canon. That means that they never happened. They're basically authorized fan fiction. In fact, this is the first Star Trek novel that I've read all the way through. It's actually pretty good. In fact, I read so much of it at a time that I had nothing to do to relieve my boredom for the rest of the vacation. It's written by William Shatner. Who better to write a Captain Kirk story than James T. Kirk himself? This story is Kirk in his own words. It takes place between the end of "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and Kirk's apparent death in the opening scenes of "Star Trek: Generations". Kirk joins a young woman on a journey to save her homeworld and, perhaps, recapture his youth and be young forever. Sure, we know that he won't be young again. Sure, we know that he'll survive the events of the novel. It's still fun and exciting to read, though. Don't let "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" fool you. Shatner can write. The only complaints that I have are a few typos and Shatner's writing style. He often omits the word "and" in compound sentences, and he often uses incomplete sentences lacking subjects. He also writes a lot of the characters' thoughts into the narrative itself, which is supposed to be neutral. It's as if the narrator knows what the characters are thinking and agrees with them. Other than these things, which you can get used to, it's a good book. Shatner even references events in numerous TOS episodes and all of the TOS movies except for "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (which really didn't need to be referenced anyway). The story is bookended with scenes of Spock, standing over Kirk's grave on Veridian III, thinking about his late friend. Some historical notes are contradicted, such as when phasers were invented ("Enterprise") and the time period of Cochrane's first warp flight ("Star Trek: First Contact"), by later canon material, but the main story itself can still fit into the canon. The ending sets up Shatner's next Star Trek novel, "The Return". Overall, "The Ashes of Eden" is a good story and worth your time to read. It IS James T. Kirk.
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Summary: Wow! a long time trek book!
Review: I like this book. This is a fine trek book. This book of Star Trek The Ashes Of Eden is a very fine book. I like all the characters including Spock, MCCoy, Uhura, Drake and Curk himself. This book is cool. I bought this cassette back in 1999, and I never got tired of this. I'm a die-hard Star Trek fan. This book is one of the best. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Praise to Shatner
Review: I own the hardcover of this novel and I returned to it recently. People often say that an author should write what he knows and who better to do so than someone who was there at the beginning. Mr. Shatner gives all of our original series favorites intermingling with guests from the series along with new characters. I loved the tension between Sulu and Checkov and Uhura (Sulu defending his position as a Starfleet captain while Checkov and Uhura defend Captain Kirk). After resigning his commission, Kirk does what he has always done: help. There are surprises aplenty in this great book which sets the stage for Shatner's future novels.
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Summary: Kirk by Kirk
Review: This is a great story. I am absolutely amazed that Bill Shatner did this. I had never read any of his books before this. I know about the "Tek" series, I know he has written his memoirs, but no one else can be Captain Kirk like Bill Shatner. He writes this book from a place he must be feeling in his own life; a man who is feeling his age, and questioning where and what he is in this, the twilight of his life. This story is great in that he resurrects his life, his purpose. Like in "Generations," he has to "make a difference." It is rare to read a trek novel that doesn't feel serialized, this novel breaks the mold that has been set forth by countless authors in the genre. Kirk's devotion to a cause, and his willingness to break rules as he sees fit, are both great features of this book. I think that Shatner has truly captured the character he has played for all of these years. "Kirk" is truly represented in the book. He goes on a crusade of some better good, and puts at risk, his career, his friendships, and even his own life. So typical, but so profound at the same time. The idea of chivalry, that is so long gone, breaths new life in this book. Overall, this is a great book. It brings the cast together, even if they are divided. It is nice to see how Shatner puts his own spin on his character, and how, I think, he brings his own life into these pages.
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Summary: Star Trek The Ashes of Eden - The Shatnerverse begins!
Review: To date, "The Ashes of Eden" remains one of my favorite and most memorable reads in The Original Series Star Trek universe. This extraordinary novel serves well in what I'm gathering was William Shatner's desire to stay connected with the universe he helped create. I found this novel and it's follow up novel, "The Return" to both have been extraordinarily brilliant in the way William Shatner and his collaborators, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were able to perpetuate Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek universe, despite the character having been killed off in Star Trek Generations. Although some of William Shatner's later Star Trek novels in the ongoing story do not quite live up to this first one, I would have to say that he's carved himself a nice niche in the Star Trek universe, at least in the fictional sense. The cover art for this novel is brilliant and exciting, lending very well to the story! The premise: It is six months prior to that fateful day in which the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B is launched under Captain John Harriman and she heads off for her inexorable brush with a destiny that entails the loss of the Federations most renowned captains, James Tiberius Kirk. Captain Kirk finds himself facing the spectre of an unchallenging retirement when suddenly, a very beautiful young woman makes him an offer he couldn't refuse; a perilous voyage to an uncharted planet where he will confront that which poses a very real threat to the burgeoning peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Along the way, he has the opportunity to recapture his youth. Captain Kirk finds that he must turn his back on his closest friends and is that he's also being hunted by Captain Sulu and the USS Excelsior. He also finds that he must stand alone as the chief defender of an incredibly beautiful world and he must choose between conquering the gravest challenge of his career or surrendering to the greatest passion he's ever known. I highly recommend this novel and those Shatnerverse novels that follow for you will find that this incredible writing team of William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are capable of producing some the most memorable Star Trek fiction ever put to print. {ssintrepid}
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Summary: Star Trek The Ashes of Eden - The Shatnerverse begins!
Review: To date, "The Ashes of Eden" remains one of my favorite and most memorable reads in The Original Series Star Trek universe. This extraordinary novel serves well in what I'm gathering was William Shatner's desire to stay connected with the universe he helped create. I found this novel and it's follow up novel, "The Return" to both have been extraordinarily brilliant in the way William Shatner and his collaborators, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were able to perpetuate Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek universe, despite the character having been killed off in Star Trek Generations. Although some of William Shatner's later Star Trek novels in the ongoing story do not quite live up to this first one, I would have to say that he's carved himself a nice niche in the Star Trek universe, at least in the fictional sense. The cover art for this novel is brilliant and exciting, lending very well to the story! The premise: It is six months prior to that fateful day in which the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B is launched under Captain John Harriman and she heads off for her inexorable brush with a destiny that entails the loss of the Federations most renowned captains, James Tiberius Kirk. Captain Kirk finds himself facing the spectre of an unchallenging retirement when suddenly, a very beautiful young woman makes him an offer he couldn't refuse; a perilous voyage to an uncharted planet where he will confront that which poses a very real threat to the burgeoning peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Along the way, he has the opportunity to recapture his youth. Captain Kirk finds that he must turn his back on his closest friends and is that he's also being hunted by Captain Sulu and the USS Excelsior. He also finds that he must stand alone as the chief defender of an incredibly beautiful world and he must choose between conquering the gravest challenge of his career or surrendering to the greatest passion he's ever known. I highly recommend this novel and those Shatnerverse novels that follow for you will find that this incredible writing team of William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are capable of producing some the most memorable Star Trek fiction ever put to print. {ssintrepid}
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Summary: Welcome to the World of Star Trek Mr. Shatner!
Review: Welcome to the World of Star Trek Mr. Shatner!
Or should the ST world of literature welcome him. I had already read his Tek War books. Then they killed Kirk off in the movie GENERATIONS. I was disappointed because Kirk was always the star of ST for me. He had the kahoneys to write THE RETURN which was the second ST novel he wrote. I had tried to like the Star Trek books that came before Shatner returned to the world of ST but they were mostly mediocre at best. Well I liked the return and immediately read Shatner's first ST novel, Ashes of Eden. Shatner leads the reader astray a bit. At first you are thinking you are in the midst of a story written to satisfy an old guy who is in the middle of late life crises. You think it is a simple story of a man needing a young babe and a new mission. But it is a set up for a real interesting story... I'll let you read the rest for yourself. The novel is also the first of what became a double trilogy. This first trilogy is followed by THE RETURN 1996 and then AVENGER 1997. The next trilogy starts with a real good one called SPECTRE, 1998, followed by DARK VICTORY, also good, and concluding with PRESERVER, 2000. PRESERVER was a bit of a disappointment, but I also never actually read the book, having bought the Audio CD instead. William Shatner and friends, I am glad you stopped by the ST literature; your contributions are worthy reads! I wish you had written the 4 book series on the DOMINION WAR.
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Summary: Best Shatner Book
Review: William Shatner is one of my favorite actors and is a good author
espicaly at writing star trek books.He made this story sound like
a movie action packed with a little romace in between just like
star trek.This Fills up the big gap of years between Star Trek VI
and Star Trek:Genrations.I always read this after I watch
Star Trek VI
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