By BWilliams / 00:55, 8 February 2005 / Reviews - Books

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Christopher L. Bennett is a new face to the STAR TREK novel group, yet he's no stranger to the STAR TREK universe overall, having made prior contributions to the S.C.E. series and the DS9 anthology PROPHECY AND CHANGE, as well as being an active presence on the PsiPhi BBS board. Now, Bennett has graduated to the big leagues with his first novel EX MACHINA, a wonderful tale that puts the crew of the Enterprise at the heart of their most introspective battle yet.

EX MACHINA picks up two weeks after the events of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, with everyone on Earth and on the Enterprise feeling the effects of the V'Ger incident. But Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are not content with sitting around feeling melancholy. After all, this is STAR TREK we're talking about here, and one of the tenets of a successful tale is finding adventure, and that's exactly what Bennett does in EX MACHINA by picking up the threads of one of the Original Series episodes and expanding upon it. The Fabrini home world, last seen in the third season episode 'For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky"�, is experiencing significant change at its very cultural and political heart. When the Fabrini home world undergoes a major political movement that threatens its very religion to the core, it's up to Kirk and company to set things right while coming to terms with what's been eating away at their souls for the past three years.

Bennett has an extremely strong insight into the STAR TREK universe, and his tale is ripe with references from all of the television series and the various comics and novels. Keeping a watchful eye on continuity, Bennett successfully manages to blend the various references throughout EX MACHINA while at the same time crafting a well-developed story in the process. Attention to scientific detail is at the forefront of Bennett's tome, as he carefully integrates scientific reality into the framework of the tale. I haven't seen such attention to detail since the works of Diane Duane!

Another strong quality Bennett brings to EX MACHINA is a deep exploration of the many alien cultures that populate the Enterprise. Referenced only in passing in promotional materials from TMP, Bennett gives life to the many aliens and cultures devised by Robert Fletcher for the film. No alien culture escapes Bennett's careful eye, especially Ensign Zaand, the bug-eyed alien 'boy"� from TMP who took offense to Kirk's command of the Enterprise. Bennett brings him front and center as a key player in the tale's events, coming to terms with his professional bias towards Kirk. Bennett also further fleshes out the main cast's personal struggles "" Kirk with his decisions about command, Spock with the post-Kohlinahr training on Vulcan, McCoy with returning to active starship duty, Sulu pursuing the command track, and Chekov being taken seriously in his work "" making TMP all the more understandable when viewed in context with this novel. He's got a solid grasp on characterization all the way throughout EX MACHINA, and no one escapes his watchful eye or is considered insignificant. That's the mark of a great writer, one who makes you care about all of the people in a story, and this is one of Bennett's many strengths.

And yet, Bennett writes this tale with an awareness of modern-day events influencing the tale in the process, with allusions to the recent Iraqi elections, the constant military conflicts in Iraq, and the ongoing debates of teaching creation or evolution to young people in schools. At its best, STAR TREK shows us what our world is like through futuristic eyes, and Bennett succeeds in showing us what our world is like and what we need to do to make it better while at the same time improving upon our own individual conditions.

EX MACHINA is an excellent debut outing for Christopher Bennett, one that you cannot help but enjoy. My only recommendation: cue up the Jerry Goldsmith score to TMP, sit back, and absorb yourself in a first-class adventure!

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