Book #119: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country by J.M. Dillard
J.M. Dillard
Released: January 1st, 1992
My 49th book for 2025 was J.M. Dillard’s "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
Here we are at the tail end of the TOS Era. Kirk and Crew set sail on one final voyage to boldly go where no man has gone before.
An explosion rips apart the Klingon energy production moon Praxis, and the Klingons face 50 years of life left due to the damage suffered. They seek the help of the Federation, to establish peace. This comes in spite of 2 recent attacks on scientific outposts, including one that left Dr. Carol Marcus in a coma. Captain Kirk is summoned to a meeting with Starfleet where he is ordered to escort the Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to peace conference. Kirk holds strong reservations about this in the years following the death of his son and injuring of Carol at the hands of the Klingons. During the escort, the Klingon ship is fired on and Gorkon is murdered in cold blood. Kirk insists they have not fired, despite the Enterprise computers showing they have. Kirk and McCoy are arrested and taken on trial before the Klingon Empire. They are found guilty and sentenced to manual labor on the frozen Klingon prison world of Rura Penthe. After escaping certain death, they are picked up by the Enterprise, who uncover a plot to raise war between the Federation and Klingons, with a surprise attack at the peace conference. By joining forces with Captain Sulu and the Excelsior, Kirk and company race to the peace conference at warp speed, to thwart the assassination attempt.
This is an interesting one. Evidently, I have been alive for two of the releases of the original Star Trek movies, and yet I hardly remember them. I vaguely recall images of promotional material for this one in 1991/1992. I always thought this cover was the best of the original movies. I think Generations outdid it with an even greater poster, but this one is creative and stylish.
Something about this one creates a special memory for me. I do have a nostalgic obsession with the late 80’s, early 90’s, so that could be my difficulty with it. I just picture this as something my dad or uncles would go off to the movies and see back then. Or renting on VHS, to go watch at home. Plus it’s the original Star Trek entering it’s 4th different decade.
There are a lot of literary themes in this one. Particularly Hamlet - Act 3, Scene 1, plays a particularly reoccurring arc over the events as they play out.
Dialogue with the Klingons suggest an array of Cold War events such as Nixon going to China, and U.S.-Russian relations of the 1980’s, with the Klingons taking the place of the Russians.
This book works to show just how much prejudice different groups of people can hold. It shows that we can grow beyond our differences, and work to champion new efforts to create peace and prosperity in our lives.
It is hard to believe this was the last one. Star Trek had a modest TV show with a huge syndication following. Their movie series expanded way beyond that and became an entity in their own right. You’ve seen these people now for 80 episodes, and 6 movies. It’s a cultural thing now, and will remain forever. It’s a good read and a fitting end to the original Enterprise crew.
Here is what I learned:
—————
- To “Star Trek” fans everywhere, who keep the dream alive.
- But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. - Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1
- Kwan-mei Suarez is the mathematician on the Themis project.
- Dr. Carol Marcus has gone into a coma.
- Carol once lived in a townhouse in suburban Virginia.
- “You come back into my life, and suddenly Genesis is destroyed and my four dearest friends are killed, murdered by a madman seeking revenge on you. Maybe Khan wasn't your fault. But then I lost David, and something in me broke....”
- Three weeks prior, the Klingons orchestrated a massacre on Kudao.
- Captain Sulu has finally taken command of the Excelsior.
- Lt. Commander Valtane is his science officer.
- Excelsior is on a 3-year mission in the Reydovan sector.
- There are 54 planets in the Reydovan sector.
- Praxis is a Klingon moon where they house their key energy production facility.
- Praxis is located at bearing three-two-three, mark seventy-five.
- Praxis is in the Amrita system.
- Admiral William Smillie is the youngest to ever achieve Commander-in-Chief force Starfleet.
- The incident on Praxis was caused by inventing and insufficient safety precautions.
- Old Vulcan proverb: Only Nixon could go to China.
- “But when David was killed, you didn’t have time to grieve for him. You were too busy trying to save the lives of your crew. You’ve always been the captain—always so busy taking responsibility for everyone else’s life that you don’t have time for your own.”
- Kirk and McCoy believe the treaty with the Klingons is a mistake.
- Spock was Lt. Valeris sponsor.
- Valeris graduated at the top of her Starfleet class.
- “How can history get passed people like me?”
- This is the last voyage for the original Enterprise.
- Kirk, McCoy, Scott, and Spock are retiring.
- Klingon culture glorified war.
- The Klingons believe they wrote Hamlet.
- “Our media have been playing on our feelings with the Kudao…incident.”
- Humans are susceptible to influence, especially media coverage.
- “If there is to be a brave new world, we old people will have the hardest time living in it.”
- Gorkon dies knowing Kirk didn’t betray him.
- “We’re not going to be the instigators of a full-scale war on the eve of universal peace.”
- Kirk and McCoy are arrested under Article 184 of Interstellar Law.
- “I’ve never trusted Klingons and never will.… I have never been able to forgive them for the death of my son. …”
- Rura Penthe had attained legendary status as the cruelest penal colony in the Klingon archipelago.
- Gravity boots are found in Ensign Dax’s room.
- Mortagh Outpost Three was understaffed, underfunded, decaying—in short, one of the least sought-after assignments in the Empire.
- The Enterprise keeps an emergency supply of viridium patches on bridge for tracking officers when departure is imminent.
- Spock is very much like Kirk in that he is stubborn, and refuses to give up hope even in the face of impossible odds.
- The Dakrobh is the latest in the Klingon vessel fleet. It is the only one in its class, and has the latest Klingon/Romulan technology.
- First rule of assassination: kill the assassins.
- Valeris killed Burke and Samno.
- Klingon works are very beautiful.
- Chekhov wants to retire from Starfleet and rekindle his relationship with Irina Galliulin.
- “I see no profit in standing in bed, Doctor. Vulcans sleep lying down.”
- “Captain’s log, USS Enterprise, Stardate 9529.1: This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of a new generation. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man … where no one has gone before.”
—————
Overall, good read. This story ties up the final tale of the original crew with one that is original, and thought provoking. Recommended.
Recommended, mainly for Trek fans and people who enjoy Cold War and theater references.
On to Book #120: Star Trek TNG: All Good Things by Michael Jan Friedman.
-----
Need to catch up? See previous blog post: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
-----
Want to read about just this series? See the other posts below:
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Comments
Post a Comment