Book #122: Star Trek: The Return by William Shatner

Star Trek: The Return

William Shatner

Released: April 1st, 1996

My 52nd book for 2025 was William Shatner’s "Star Trek: The Return.

I believe I found this book at Wonderbook. I’m a huge fan of Generations, and was excited to see a sequel novel. This is what started the chain-of-events that led to the reading of the Star Trek series. I didn’t realize until after I had read it, that this is actually book 2 of a “Shatnerverse” series post-Generations. I just read it as a sequel to Generations, which in the long run, it is, as the prior book in the Shatnerverse series was a prequel to Generations. So no real harm done.

Funny story, I was telling my sister about this book, and realized she does not know who William Shatner is. After conference-calling my father on to the line from Cancun, to learn the error of his parenting, we all enjoyed a good laugh. See below:

The story picks up just after Generations. The U.S.S. Enterprise-D is destroyed, and a Starfleet team has been assigned to recover the pieces and ensure no trace is left of the accident. Elsewhere on Veridian III, Riker leads a team to escort Ambassador Spock to Kirk’s rocky grave. During this, an alert is given, and Riker & his team beam straight into an attack. The Romulans and Borg have forged an alliance and are hellbent on assimilating one thing: Captain James T. Kirk. As the story continues on, various teams of TOS and TNG are brought together for one final mission to allow Kirk a second chance to “make a difference”.

This one is sort of a blend of a Borg TNG story, and “Turnabout Intruder”. For those unfamiliar, the Borg are the cybernetic beings who serve as the ultimate villains of the Next Generation series. In other words, an entire population of Terminators that fly around the universe in cubes. “Turnabout Intruder” was the final episode of The Original Series. While generally panned, it is notable for Kirk having a clone of himself that is murderous. That parallels this story with a Borg-based Kirk.

Spock and McCoy return here, absent from Generations. The culmination of this, suggests exactly what Generations should have ended as. While the story of Generations is strong, the ending here is more Kirk-worthy.

Riker seems a bit testy here. He’s not a fan of Spock and seems distrusting of the original crew.

Picard plays an interesting role here as Locutus returns to the series, allowing Picard to utilize his Borg connections to play a disruptive role against them.

Here is what I learned:

—————

My sister doesn’t know who William Shatner is.

I have another life having nothing to do with acting, directing or writing. It involves my universe of horses, those beauteous creatures whose form and function fill me with delight. So to that world of horses, to the people who train and care for my four-footed friends, to the driven, excuse the pun, fellow competitors who try to take the blue ribbon away from me, but most especially to my pals, the horses, I dedicate this

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: My thanks to…Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens, whose creative skills made the book possible. Kevin Ryan, who as they say in the biz, "put the package together." Carmen LaVia, who did his thing.

Lt. Baru of the Farragut, is personally recommended by the ship’s chief of staff to be part of the honor guard to escort Kirk’s remains back to Earth.

“What could it be like, to lose your closest friend, the seventy-eight years later, to lose him again.”

The Enterprise salvage site is under attack.

Spock is 143 years old.

“Perhaps some journeys were never meant to end.”

The “Avatar of Tomed” I almost twice the length of a Galaxy-class vessel.

The U.S.S. Monitor is the latest in the Defiant-class.

The Defiant-class was built in anticipation of a war with the Borg.

Starbase 804 has been assimilated by the Borg.

Vox becomes the Romulan speaker for the Borg Collective.

“Sometimes, things happen for no reason at all…. Accept it and move on.”

The Enterprise-A was destroyed at Chal.

Worf fights and kills a Krencha.

Worf loses a battle with a k’hartagh.

78 people were stationed on Starbase 804.

Counselor Troi taught Data to swear.

Geordi is not a fan of Data swearing.

Trilex Prime had gone nova without warning.

All computer systems on the planet were wiped clean.

The U.S.S. Hoagland was a Miranda-class vessel lost at the Battle of Wolf 359.

There is a ship named “Claw That Rends Out Enemies’ Flesh”.

The recreational area on Challenger, similar to to Enterprise-D’s Ten-Forward is called Shuttlebay Four.

Data and Dr. Bashir perform surgery on the Borg Kirk.

Dr. McCoy is still alive at 144.

He is on his third heart and a new set of lungs every year.

“And he wondered who, in eighty years, might cry for him.”

When Spock mind-melds with Kirk and Picard, he learns V’Ger was reconfigured by the Borg. (V'Ger was the antagonist from Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

"Yes, Commander... but I found nothing."

Salatrel turned to Vox. "It must be an anomaly."

Vox stared at her coldly. "Or James T. Kirk."

McCoy was always the first to react to a situation. Spock was always the first to think a situation through. And Kirk was always the first to put the two extremes together and come up with the winning plan. Or, at least, a plan.

—————

Overall, not too bad. The premise is strong, it’s a good follow-up to the movie, and reaches an ending the film was not able to secure. Good sci-fi novel.

Recommended. Especially for TOS and TNG fans.

On to Book #123: Star Trek VIII: First Contact by J.M. Dillard.

-----

Need to catch up? See previous blog post: Star Trek VII: Generations.

-----

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