Book #100: Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry

 Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Gene Roddenberry

 Released: December 1st, 1979

My 43rd book for 2025 was Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".  

I read some of the Star Trek novels way back in 2009.  My roommate Ed got me into the TV series as he was a passionate fan.  I found the books at the local Wonderbook, and became excited to see the adventures play out in literary form.  I read books [movies] 2-4.  The trilogy was epic, and I enjoyed it very much.  I continue her to collect the novels over time, and have always said I had hoped to read the series at some point.  That time is now.  

I don't have a vivid recollection of seeing The Motion Picture, but know it came some time in 2009/2010.  It's arguably the most boring Star Trek film of them all (Yes, even Final Frontier has more action, flaws aside).  This was more of an intellectual Star Trek.  Roddenberry attempted to channel the more philosophical side of the original series.  Sadly, the idea fell a bit flst.  The Director's Cut that was released a few years ago breathed new life into the movie, and made it a bit more engaging.  I saw it in theaters when it came out and enjoyed it a bit more on the big screen.  

The novel is a continuation of the Original Series (and technically the animated series a few years prior which reignited interest in Star Trek).  In the later films, the crew acknowledges aging, however in this one, they attempted to retain more youthful looks and features which is something that stands out.

In this story, an intruding spacecraft of colossal size is approaching Earth, and destroying starships and outposts as it searches for something.  The Enterprise crew is brought back together when the now-Admiral James T. Kirk is reinstated as the head of the famous starship.  Captain William Decker is blindsided by the news as he had personally overseen the rebuilding and retrofitting of the new Enterprise.  Doctor Leonard McCoy is reenlisted as the ship's doctor against his will.  Science Officer Spock returns to take his former position after having a disturbing vision on Vulcan while attempting to achieve an ancient Vulcan trial.  As the crew readies the ship and sets off, the mysterious visitor leaves them clueless as to what it's ultimate goal is.  As the encounter and interact with the intruder known as "Vejur", they must overcome incredible odds and challenging puzzles to discover it's true intent, and how to neutralize its threat.  

Among the sci-fi themes, there are overtones of sex and procreation.  Lots of sexual references and metaphors are used, however instead of at smutty seductive sense, its very philosophical and introverted in nature.  This is evident in a new character nature Ilya.  She is a member of the Deltan.  A race known for deep sexualized culture.  The seemingly taboo conduct is fairly common for them, and to reenlist on a starship, they must take an oath of celibacy.  Despite this, it is revealed that she and Captain Decker have had relations in the past.  The Deltan females release a pheromone that makes them irresistible to human males.  This leads to an interesting scene when Ilya's body is taken over by a probe of the Vejur, and Captain Decker nearly makes love to a machine.  It almost sounds like a sci-fi nerd's plot on how to get laid.

There is also a sense that we are seeing Captain Kirk out of his element.  McCoy reminds him that he feels the biggest mistake of his life was accepting a promotion to the Admiral rank.  Kirk spent years chasing knowledge and adventures in the stars, and for him to settle into a more formal Earth-based job has left him bored and unfulfilled.  McCoy speculates that Kirk saw this approaching probe as an opportunity to regain his starship.  This is a noyion that Kirk himself begins to wonder after being questioned on the matter.

While the movie plays out slowly, the book read rather well.  The emotion and thematic elements are there in classic Star Trek form.  Thankfully, the lackluster response lead to the outstanding sequel The Wrath of Khan next in the series that made Star Trek an enduring success, and made a name for the film series.  

Here is what I learned:

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• Spock’s mother Amanda is from Earth.

• James Kirk had a grandfather named Samuel.

• Samuel was obsessed with Roman emperor Tiberius.

• Kirk’s mom had a love instructor.

• Kirk’s academy crew was the first selected based on limited intellectual agility.

• 94 of Kirk’s crew died during the Enterprise’s 5-year mission.

• Starfleet personnel are implanted with a senceiver.

• Kirk is touring Africa’s oldest cities.

• Klingon K’t’inga-class heavy cruisers are feared to be stronger than Starfleet’s First Line Constitution-class starships.

• The outpost station Epsilon Nine is located on the border of the Klingon Empire.

• After Enterprise’s 5-year mission, Spock returns to Vulcan to attempt and achieve Kolinahr at the plateau of Gol.

• Rumors exist of Kirk and Spock being lovers.

• “Why fight so hard to be a part of only one world?  Why not fight to be the best of both?”

• The cloud-like machine is approaching Earth at Warp 7.

• Captain Decker replaced Kirk on the Enterprise.

• “You can go home again!  Whoever denied that had been wrong.”

• Chekov recently returned from Weapons Defense Command School.

• The Intruder is being monitored by Outpost Station Epsilon Nine.

• The happiest time of Scotty’s life was redesigning and rebuilding the Enterprise.

• “Enterprise, what we got back…didn’t live long.  Fortunately.”

• The new Enterprise is retrofitted with the largest single interior ever designed into a starship.

• Lt. Commander Brach commands the Epsilon Nine Outpost.

• The Enterprise loses 31 crew members to reassignment after Epsilon Nine is destroyed.

• Deltans are known for releasing pheromone scents around human counterparts.

• Lt. Ilia is a Deltan who took an oath of celibacy prior to serving onboard the Enterprise.

• “Pon Farr” is a physical love that Vulcans endure a need for every 7 years, requiring a return to their home planet.

• Kirk questions whether he is essential to the mission, or merely sought a way to regain a starship.

• Deltan lovebands are headbands that trigger strong sexual urges in Deltan females when a male touches it.

• Decker bought Ilya a loveband accidently.

• Vejur considers humans to be an infestation of Earth.

• Voyager 6 was the first man-made object to enter a time continuum.

• Once it arrived on the other side of the universe, it was pulled into a planet run entirely by machines.  They obeyed Voyager’s commands and gave it the power necessary to not only collect information, but return to its point of origin.

• By its very nature, a Creator has, and is, every answer to everything.

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Overall, was a good read, especially for fans of the series.  The book reads much better than the film, leading to a sense that perhaps Roddenberry was justified in his vision of a Star Trek motion picture film, but faced challenges in bringing his story to fruition.

Recommended.

On to Book #101: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by Vonda N. McIntyre.