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Book Review : William Shatner Prequel Novel The Academy Collision Course

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By GustavoLeao / 22:06, 6 October 2007 / Trek Books

Review by Jeff Ayers

Quote from two people while I was reading William Shatner's latest book on the bus.  "William Shatner wrote a book?"

 

The pretty cover does not illustrate the travesty of prose that is to follow.  It has always been my understanding that Kirk and Spock didn't meet until the day he took command of the Enterprise.  Apparently that is not the case, at least according to Shatner's new book, The Academy Collision Course (co-written with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens). 

 

To further scare the reader, there is a paragraph at the front of the book that says: "The plot, story lines, and historical narrative presented in Star Trek: The Academy Collision Course constitute an imaginative work deriving solely from the author's unique personal vision."  So how does Shatner depict the first meeting of Kirk and Spock?  Kirk, hiding in a strip club after stealing a Starfleet vehicle and then trying to hide from the authorities, trips Spock, who was selling a stolen Vulcan artifact in the same club.  Yes, you read that right.

 

Kirk is still traumatized by the events that occurred on Tarsus IV and he still blames Starfleet for not coming to their rescue sooner.  His brother, Sam, steals equipment for money and is a basic lowlife.  Their father is a total drunk and loses his name of George halfway through the novel and becomes Joseph.  Kirk can't help but assist a beautiful cadet in proving her innocence of stealing dilithium and ends up being a hindrance to her career.  Meanwhile Spock is trying to learn Earth culture, deal with his Vulcan heritage, and investigate thefts from the Vulcan Embassy.  They of course team up and save the day.

 

The storyline is totally ludicrous from the start.  Kirk calls Spock "Stretch" throughout the novel. If this was really his nickname for Spock, like Bones for McCoy, you would think we would have heard it WAY before now.  The climax of the story goes so over the top and is so unbelievable that the reader is left laughing with the sheer lunacy and crying because you've wasted so much time reading this junk.  The idea that Starfleet could be this incompetent is inexcusable.  You might wonder how they end up in Starfleet-the answer is they must enlist or be sent to a penal colony.  Yes, you read that right.

 

A couple of the thousands of questions that pop in the reader's head include: If they were in the Academy at the same time, then why did Spock end up with Captain Pike for several years and develop such a loyalty to him that Kirk didn't realize?  Where is Gary Mitchell in all of this? 

 

The last page says: "Midshipman Jim Kirk will return in Star Trek The Academy Trial Run."  Run indeed.  Run far away.

 

* out of ****   (** if you imagine that Kirk and Spock are not the same characters we know and love while reading).

Reviewer Jeff Ayers is the author of Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion trade paperback, and webmaster of VoyagesOfImagination.com,



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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: admiraltigger (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:31:54 on Oct 07, 2007 | Edit History (1)



--------

"Speak for yourself sir, I plan to live forever." Commander William T Riker Star Trek Generations


"Everyone needs to shut the heck up and just watch the damn movie. It will be the only cannon Trek we get for some time. Star Trek is Star Trek just watch it and quit your complaints. Shatners Kirk is Dead so be done with it!" Me on the new movie 08/30/2007


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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: Yesterday's Lemmiwinks (Odo's file, contact) @ 16:27:57 on Oct 08, 2007

Wow. Not meaning to gush, but it's neat to see you guys here. Thanks for all your contributions to the franchise!

-Lemmiwinks

--------

"A billion robot lives are about to be extinguished! Oh, the Jedis are going to feel this one..."
-Hubert Farnsworth (Futurama: Crimes of the Hot)
----
"The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one!"
-Shran (ENT: Proving Ground)

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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: TrippingOverGod (Odo's file, contact) @ 07:01:21 on Oct 08, 2007

"On a personal note, we’re guessing this might be another opportunity to apologize again to you for inadvertently declining the interview you requested for your book. Our fault entirely, and we remain, as we have told you, available for a make-up interview anytime there might be a second edition, or for any other project."

Cheap, guys. Very cheap.

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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: Captain Patti (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:08:53 on Oct 07, 2007

I am not sure if that response was really by J&G. However it appears that Jeff didn't read the book and is just trashing it for no apparent reason.





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RE: Ouch! by Jeffayers @ 22:17:12 on Oct 07
    RE: Ouch! by TrekFan70 @ 15:33:56 on Nov 08
    RE: Ouch! by Captain Patti @ 04:09:13 on Oct 08
       RE: Ouch! by c.p. @ 12:43:47 on Oct 09
          RE: Ouch! by Captain Patti @ 16:49:50 on Oct 09
       RE: by rassmguy @ 12:42:46 on Oct 08
          RE: by Captain Patti @ 16:09:32 on Oct 08
       RE: by rassmguy @ 12:42:34 on Oct 08
       RE: Ouch! by GustavoLeao @ 05:42:02 on Oct 08
          RE: Ouch! by Captain Patti @ 16:02:52 on Oct 08
          RE: Ouch! by Sam Cogley @ 13:31:43 on Oct 08
             RE: Ouch! by Captain Patti @ 16:11:53 on Oct 08

RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: HotStove (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 17:58:43 on Oct 07, 2007

I've said it before on this site and I'll say it again: If it has "Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens" on the cover, I'll give it a chance. Yeah, the "Shatnerverse" novels are the cotton candy of Trek stories, but I like cotton candy every once and a while. So, I'll read "Collision Course" before I knock it.

--------

"Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise."
Jean-Luc Picard, Yesterday's Enterprise

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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: TRexx (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:43:03 on Oct 07, 2007 | Edit History (1)

Quote from J&G:
As the Star Trek Chronology points out, references in several TOS episodes suggest Spock and Kirk were at the Academy at the same time, though the precise year of their enrolment can't be determined.


I don't recall an onscreen indication of Kirk and Spock attending the Academy together, but neither is there a counter indication. Character bio data at CBS/Paramount's official Star Trek website gives novelists (and JJ Abrams) some wiggle room.

I haven't read Collision Course, but Jeff Ayers' review reads as ridiculously jaded.


----------------

Star Trek: Academy - Collision Course

Image

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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 15:50:49 on Oct 07, 2007

Judith and Garfield,

Thanks for your comments regarding Jeff's interview. I am a big fan of your work and really appreciate it. Thanks for visiting TrekWeb,

Gustavo

--------

TrekWeb.com Supervising Editor

gl2000@uol.com.br

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RE: Ouch! | Report this post to moderator
By: admiraltigger (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:32:00 on Oct 07, 2007

Good work on Enterprise guys. Hope you can continue to tell stories that we would have seen in season 5

--------

"Speak for yourself sir, I plan to live forever." Commander William T Riker Star Trek Generations


"Everyone needs to shut the heck up and just watch the damn movie. It will be the only cannon Trek we get for some time. Star Trek is Star Trek just watch it and quit your complaints. Shatners Kirk is Dead so be done with it!" Me on the new movie 08/30/2007


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