Book #121: Star Trek Generations by J.M. Dillard

Star Trek VII: Generations

J.M. Dillard

Released: December 1st, 1994

My 51th book for 2025 was J.M. Dillard’s "Star Trek VII: Generations.

I remember living on Gardner Avenue in Rouzerville when I first encountered this story. My dad had borrowed it either from one of my uncles or Blockbuster. I remember being super excited and captivated by it. The images stuck in my head until adulthood.

In this one, the Enterprise-B is about to head out on her maiden voyage. To add to the ceremonies, legendary Admiral James T. Kirk will be there personally to see it off. During this time, a ship caught in a temporal vortex is trapped and requires assistance. Using Kirk's help, the Enterprise-B works to save the passengers. Kirk is sacrificed during the event. 78 years later, the Enterprise-D encounters a madman hellbent on getting back to an electronic ribbon in space called the "Nexus" that allows the individual to experience the embodiment of pure joy. He succeeds in his plan killing everyone, except Picard who survives and follows him into the Nexus. While experiencing everything he ever wanted, Picard feels for the dead, and decides to go back and save everyone with the help of Captain Kirk.

This movie often gets overlooked for things the fans did not enjoy, but I personally enjoyed both the novel and the film.

I think the Nexus is a novel concept. It takes strong will and determination to want to leave a place where everything you ever dreamed of is available at you fingertips. I remember for years the scene of Patrick Stewart as Picard, hugging his wife and children and embracing the life he never had. It was the perfect Christmas.

Data gets an emotion chip in this one, and we see how a robot plays out with human emotions. This leads to some growing pains and frustrations among the crew as they come to terms with Data's new highs and lows.

The meeting between Picard and Kirk feel great. It's a shame we only ever got this one meeting. People have long debated Kirk vs. Picard, and while this one does not give a definitive answer, it's neat to see 2 legendary characters trade words and save the world together on screen.

I read this both hardcover and digitally. I discovered that there are multiple editions that exist. In the original hardcover, Kirk is shot, and dies from his wounds. In the digital version, he dies as a result of falling from a scaffold. The reason for the change is because the novelization was released prior to the film, and due to test audiences not caring for the way Kirk dies, the filmmakers opted to reshoot the film with the current ending.

I really enjoy this, and also, check out the cover art, which was the same used for the film. It doesn't get any more iconic than that.

Here is what I learned:

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For my amazing mother.

James Kirk has a hologram of his son David.

It is always the first thing he unpacks, and the last thing he packs.

The Khitomer mission was the Enterprise-A’s last mission.

Carol Marcus is recovering from a Klingon attack.

She is set to rebuild the Themis research station.

McCoy gives Kirk Saurian Brandy as a retirement gift.

Spock gives McCoy a Vulcan mandala as a retirement gift.

Kirk gives Spock the book Horatio Hornblower as a retirement gift.

Kirk gives McCoy a mantel clock s as a retirement gift.

“It was funny, but even as I was falling, I knew I wouldn’t die…because the two of you were with me. I’ve always known I’ll die alone.”

Irina Galliulin was Pavel Chekov’s love from his Academy days.

Kirk enjoys orbital skydiving.

When the Enterprise-A was decommissioned, Kirk swore he would never step foot on another starship.

John Harriman is the caption of the brand new Enterprise-B.

The Enterprise-B is the first starship Enterprise in 30 years without Captain Kirk at the helm.

Sulu has a daughter named Demora. She is the helmsman of the Enterprise-B.

The Lakul is one of two ships transporting El Aurian refugees to Earth.

Chekov doubles as a ship doctor.

Only 47 of the 415 refugees survived.

Tolian Soren was aboard the Lakul.

Soren is from Sadorah City.

His wife and children were killed.

Sadorah City was destroyed.

Soren spent his honeymoon on a resort called Talaal.

Chekov received emergency medical training as head of security aboard the U.S.S. Reliant.

According to Kirk, the first thing you learn as a Captain is how to cheat death.

Excelsior was star-mapping the Thanatos sector.

Captain Sulu’s first officer is Masoud Valtane.

Commander Worf is promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

“Imagine what it was like Will. No engines…no computers…just the wind, the sea, and the stars to guide you.”

“It was freedom, Will. No ties…and the best thing about a life at sea was that they couldn’t reach you.”

Will Riker had a jealousy feud with Worf for seeking a relationship with Deanna Troi.

The Amargosa Observatory has fallen under attack.

The station’s complement was 19 people.

Data has an emotion chip designed by his creator Noonien Soong.

Data has been around for 34 years.

Geordi La Forge installs the emotion chip into Data.

“We leave so many things unfinished in our lives…”

Data recalls a joke Geordi made on the Farpoint mission 7 years prior.

René wanted to become a starship captain like his uncle.

“Time is the fire in which we burn.”

“There’s nothing selfish about pursuing your own life, your own career.”

“There are fewer days ahead than there are behind.”

A quantum implosion occurred within the Amargosa star.

The implosion has caused a Level-12 shock wave. Enough to destroy everything in the system.

Data experiences fear for the first time.

Lursa and B’Etor, the Duras Sisters, ride around in an old Class 12 Bird-of-Prey.

Soran is an El Aurian.

He lost his entire family when the Borg destroyed his homeworld.

The Nexus is another realm rooted entirely in joy. You get there via the Nexus Ribbon.

“There aren’t words strong enough to make you see, to make you understand. It’s beyond any drug, any implant; it envelops people in the most potent narcotic there is: love and belonging. Don’t get near the ribbon. If you go into that nexus, you’re not going to care about Soran or the Enterprise or me. All you’re going to care about is how it feels to be there. And you’re never going to come back.”

Trilithium is an experimental compound developed by the Romulans.

Soran injected a nanoprobe into La Forge’s bloodstream. It attached to his left ventricle and can induce heart attacks.

A human heart can stop for up to six minutes before the onset of brain damage.

Two of Picard’s favorite places on the Enterprise are the holodeck and the stellar cartography.

“Part of having emotions is learning how to integrate them into your life. How to deal with them no matter what the circumstances.”

And, perhaps … unlikely, but just perhaps there might be some lucky few caught in the reverberations from the energy ribbon who would be transported to the nexus. Their bodies would perish in this universe, but their echoes would live eternally. He was doing those possible few a favor.

Soran gives the Klingons information to build a trilithium weapon.

Class D12 Bird-Of-Preys were retired from service due to defective plasma coils.

Plasma Coils run their cloaking devices.

A teddy bear, dropped by a small child, was left behind on the battle section of the late Enterprise-D.

Picard had five children in the Nexus.

Here was Olivia, the eldest at thirteen, grown suddenly tall and willowy this past year; and here was Matthew, just seven, still chubby-cheeked, with his mother’s brilliant mind for mathematics. And here was Madison, aged ten, with his father’s dark hair and love of military history, and Thomas, his twin—and Mimi, the baby at five, the much-adored apple of her father’s eye.

Picard receives an 1820 sextant for Christmas.

The Christmas tree in the Nexus has a scowling ornament of the Veridian shock wave.

“Think of me as… an echo of the person you know. A part of her she left behind.”

In the Necus, Kirk marries Carol Marcus.

Sulu officiates the wedding.

Kirk jumps through several memories in the Nexus.

He goes back to the day he told an ex he was returning to Starfleet.

He made her Ktarian eggs to soften the blow.

“You said history considers me dead. Who am I to argue with history?”

“I don’t need to be lectured by you. I was out saving the galaxy when your grandfather was still in diapers. And frankly, I think the galaxy owes me one.”

The physical and digital copies have different versions of Kirk’s death.

“I’ve been at places where they weep at births and celebrate deaths.”

“It’s not how many years you’ve lived, Will … but how you’ve lived them.”

“Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalks us all our lives. But maybe time is also a companion … who goes with us on our journey, and reminds us to cherish the moments of our lives— because they will never come again. We are, after all, only mortal.”

The Farragut saves the surviving crew of the Enterprise-D.

Per AI: The reason for the difference is that the original hardcover and digital editions of the Star Trek Generations novelization were based on the initial script, while the theatrical release featured a rescripted and reshot ending after negative test audience feedback.

Original Version (Novelization): In the original version, Captain Kirk's death was abrupt and less heroic; he was simply shot in the back by the villain, Dr. Soran.

Theatrical Version (Film and later paperback editions): Test audiences felt this was an unfitting, inglorious end for such an iconic character. The scene was subsequently rewritten and reshot to be more action-oriented and heroic, with Kirk dying after a fall from a collapsing catwalk structure while successfully preventing the villain's plan.

The novelization was published before the reshoots occurred, so the first edition reflects the original, unseen ending. Subsequent paperback and digital releases were updated to match the film's final, reshot ending.

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Overall, good book, and a solid read. Kirk and Picard finally meet, we see the final appearance of Captain Kirk in the original timeline, and we see the Next Generation's first full-length big screen adventure played out. Recommended.

Recommended.

On to Book #122: Star Trek: The Return by William Shatner.

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Need to catch up? See previous blog post: Star Trek TNG: All Good Things...

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Want to read about just this series? See the other posts below:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Star Trek: Probe

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier