Rating: 
Summary: The Ultimate Star Trek Novel
Review: I think of all the Trek novels ever published, this was the most faithful to Gene Roddenberry's original version of Star Trek, a place of wonder, of exploreing the universe, and searching for the truth about what it means to be human (or Vulcan in this case). Diane Duane writes Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the rest of the characters in a freshly detailed way that makes them beliveable and as characters you can care about. This was written back in the days when Star Trek was still Star Trek, and I'm afraid they just don't write them this good anymore.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst Star Trek Novel?
Review: I'm a very junior-level Star Trek fan. I've always enjoyed the movies and television series, but I longed for a deeper understanding of the characters and the plots, and I thought that's what the book series would get me. I've read about a dozen so far.
As Spock is my favorite character, I was excited to read this title.
Diane Duane appears to be one of the most prolific formula fiction writers of our time, contributing several novels eachto a few different series before starting one of her own. Quality was apparently overwhelmed by quantity early in her career, as this book leaves the reader with absolute tripe!
I've just forced myself to finish it, and I think I might be demanding my money back. The story is almost incoherent, lost in rambling tangents that add little or nothing to the story. The hardcore fan might find them incredible sources of trivia and background, but a casual fan like me will find them boring and distracting. Worst of all, unrewarding, as dozens of pages of story end without any link to the main story, consequence to its story line or characters, or without any internal resolution, either!
Stripping away these digressions would leave the reader with a book about a third as long, and many times more readable. But it would also help the reader realize that the underlying story (about Vulcan's plan to secede from The Federation) is held together weakly, with holes as big as the great outdoors. The plot twits are poorly planned, weakly executed, and randomizing even against the disarray of the book's twitchy timeline.
Read it if you want to win a trivia contest at a convention. Otherwise, save your free time for a more worthy pursuit.
Rating: 
Summary: Some very good and some very boring chapters
Review: It took me quite a lot of determination to get through the first part of this book. A significant part of the first half existes of descriptive writing that I hadn't bargained for, for example 10 pages covering the start of the universe and a star system without even featuring a protagonist. That's also dull because of the predictability of it all. We already know how it started, and writer doesn't add something that would change that. The description of the earlier stages of Vulcan history luckily has protagosts in it, but shows a yawning resemblance of "The clan of the Cave Bear", the first chapter of "2001 Space Odyssey", or any one of the many prehistoric novels that have been so popular not so long ago. No news there, no reason to read. But what makes the book worth buying are 1. the story of Surak; 2. the speach of McKoy; 3. the story of Sarek. These are very well told, intelligent and moving parts. Very good. And it was interesting to learn more about Surak and his filosophy, to learn more about the Vulcan way, and the deeper motivations of Sarek and how he came to marry Amanda. Thus uncovering parts of the Star Trek universe that have been there (implicitely) from the very beginning, but never where explored this way before. Fans will appreciate these chapters very much. But I should warn you: these events all take place after page 283 and, for your information: it's a 388 page book. Really to bad that this book is such an untuned mixture of beauty and boredom.
Rating: 
Summary: The best Star Trek novel yet written.
Review: Of course, this is only one person's biased opinion. At a time when the Star Trek novelization universe was dying on its feet (for this reader,) this hardcover came along. The interlaced history / current crisis is a little cumbersome, but I loved both aspects of the story. It helped me to read the current chapters simultaneously, and then go back and read the history chapters. At any rate, an insightful and entertaining read, and very faithful to the ideals of exploration and discovery. Be warned - if you're looking for space battles and hand-to-hand phaser duels you'll be disappointed. If you're looking into one take on why Vulcans are Vulcans (and maybe 'Whither Homo Sapiens' in the 20th century,) this is a great book!
Rating:
Summary: NEED SUMMARY OF SPOCK'S WORLD
Review: Please, help me! I am a Star Trek fan and I have to read three books for school. They are very interesting, but I have to sum up them in English. It's very hard for me because I cannot write English sentences. I'm an Austrian and so it's horribel to write something in English. Please help me, I need summaries of: Diane Duane, Spock's World David Dvorkin, The Tresllisane Confrontation Barbara Hambly, Crossroad
Rating:
Summary: The Best Trek Novel, Bar None
Review: Spock's World by Diane Duane is the best Star Trek novel ever written, bar-none. Duane's anecdotal history of the planet Vulcan is juxtaposed with a framing sequence wherein the planet considers secession from the Federation, and the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk is sent to remind Vulcan "of favors done it in the past by the Federtation" ... also, to allow several of her officers to testify in the debates. The historical chapters function to inform us why Vulcan Society would consider turning inward to isolationism at this point in its history... while the Enterprise chapters show us HOW this political movement unfolded... We learn who is behind it... and, ultimately, we come away with the unshakeable sense that, for Duane, the planet Vulcan (and its... fascinating inhabitants) are very, very real... For the stretch of this novel (and perhaps for a long while afterwards), you will feel the same. (Incidentally, Duane's other classic, THE ROMULAN WAY--parts of which are excerpted in SPOCK'S WORLD--does the same for Romulans...)
Rating:
Summary: Vulcan for Dummies
Review: Spock's World fleshes out the background of one of ST:TOS's most beloved characters. Who are these people with the odd years and horrible haircuts? Perhaps most useful is the understanding one gets of that key Vulcan trait: Control of emotions. It turns out that there are important historical reasons for Vulcans to want to control strong emotions and follow a more "logical" path. Admittedly, the story is a tad bit disjointed. But the clear writing style and the excellent back-story more than make up for chapter-flipping.
Rating:
Summary: The history of Vulcan
Review: SPOCKS WORLD, logically enough, focuses on Vulcan and its citizens. The story shifts through various turning points in Vulcan's history, ranging the 'present day' crisis concerning Vulcan's proposed withdrawal from the Federation to the earliest days of Vulcan prehistory.
The Enterprise crew is called to Vulcan to testify in favor of Vulcan remaining a part of the Federation. Many 'old friends' from both the TV series and previous books are included in this book. Among the more well known are T'Pau and T'Pring as well as Spock's parents, Amanda and Sarek. The real star of this novel is Vulcan itself. We are given much background into the workings of the planet and its society, background that is well thought out, consistent with the original series and immentiently logical.
This is one of my all time favorite Trek novels of any series (of the 100+ I've read so far) and definitely a must for any Trek fan. This one could also be enjoyed by someone with only a passing acquaintence with TOS but would probably not be of much interest to anyone completely unfamiliar with the original series.
Rating:
Summary: One good story, one not-so-good story
Review: Star Trek novels are usually pretty bad. Spock's World is half an exception. There are two stories in this book. One is a fascinating history of the planet Vulcan. That story gets four stars. The other story is a ridiculous 23rd century piece about Vulcan withdrawing from the Federation. None of the Star Trek regulars are believable, and McCoy in particular is totally out of character. That half gets two stars. Recommended, if you want to read every other chapter...
Rating:
Summary: As Spock would say, "Fascinating"...
Review: That is the best word to use in regards to this great novel by Star Trek author Diane Duane, who has never let us down before. She definitely displays a deep understanding of not only the bond between Spock and Kirk, but the loyalties to both ship and home-world. I eagerly add this to other sci-fi titles: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "I,Robot", "Starship Troopers", "Childhood's End", "2001", "2010", "Advent of the Corps", and many more.
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