Customer Reviews (3)

Before there was Star Trek...
I've read that many of Blish books are similar to Star Trek. This is the first Blish novel I've read, and in many ways it is like it. There as an crew of a space craft (which only numbers 3 people) who go off to negotiate a peace treaty with an alien race that is vastly different than humans. The crew all belong to a special group of cadets (Star Fleet Academy, perhaps?) who are smarter than the average human. The book is relatively short, 128 pages, and so the plot isn't too complex, but it has about as much depth as a one hour epside of Star Trek.

In a few parts it starts to read like a Heinlien novel as the characters start talking about how stupid people were back in the old days, and how everything they do now-a-days is so much better. That is to say, they speak just to give the chance for the author to promote his own agenda for how the world should be. But these parts are rare and don't overwhelm the story at all.

Beautiful cover, at least
I bought the 1961 Berkley paperback for its lovely red/purple cover.The novel, which is short by today's standards, 128 pages, is weak.The plot consists of an interesting trip through space to meet some interesting aliens, but also some boring diplomacy which Blish tries to make more interesting by piling on lots of silly melodramatic moments, including what amounts to a courtroom scene in which the star witness climbs out of his sickbed to provide crucial testimony.Worst of all the first half of the book consists of stereotypical cardboard characters sitting around yakking away.

You might like this if you are interested in pacifistic SF in which aliens have to keep us violent humans in line, or were wondering about James Blish's theories on education, popular music and censorship, but otherwise I have to advise that you steer clear.

One of James Blish's few none Star Trek novels.
If you are a fan of the novelizations of Star Trek episodes done by James Blish, then this is a novel you will want to eventually get.

The Star Dwellers is a simple story of earthlings and alien "angels".It is a storyline that has been done better since this novel.But it will help you determine whether you like Blish's writing because it is Star Trek or not. ... Read more

Product Description
James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. The Star Trek Reader III collects three of these anthologies: Star Trek 5, Star Trek 6, and Star Trek 7. The episodes present include: Star Trek 5: Whom Gods Destroy; The Tholian Web; Let That Be Your Last Battlefield; This Side of Paradise; Turnabout Intruder; Requiem for Methuselah; The Way to Eden. Star Trek 6: The Savage Curtain; The Lights of Zetar; The Apple; By Any Other Name; The Cloud Minders; The Mark of Gideon. Star Trek 7: Who Mourns for Adonais?; The Changeling; The Paradise Syndrome; Metamorphosis; The Deadly Years; Elaan of Troyius. ... Read more

Product Description
James Blish (1921-1975) was one of those rare authors who sought to fuse the imagination and ideas of science fiction with the language and power of mainstream fiction.He wasn't rare for attempting this combination, he was rare because he succeeded.His novels and short stories illuminated a bold new style of writing that helped shape the Golden Age of science fiction, and continued for more than thirty years.

For the first time in more than twenty years, we're pleased to present this collection of his best short fiction. Chosen and including an introduction by his wife, Judith Blish, these masterful short stories capture the essence of James's visionary fiction. Includes the stories Citadel of Thought, Nor Iron Bars, A Dusk of Idols and many more. (20021201) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

pleasant surprise for fans of speculative fiction
This anthology is a pleasant surprise for fans of speculative fiction as James Blish passed away in the 1970s, but as this work will prove he was and still is one of the best.The ten stories, introduction, and a poem were all written in 1950s and 1960s.Each of the ten tales is a superb example of why Mr. Blish is still considered a genius by the genre's writers.The tales are complex in spite of each being relatively short.Intricate but exciting writing is a trademark of this author and this anthology provides that and more.Fans of science fiction short stories will want to read this powerful collection and this reviewer also recommends the novels BLACK EASTER and THE DAY OF JUDGMENT for an interesting spin on the War for Heaven and earth.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. The Star Trek Reader collects three of these anthologies: Star Trek 1, Star Trek 4, and Star Trek 9. The episodes present include Charlie's Law; Dagger of the Mind; The Unreal McCoy; Balance of Terror; The Naked Time; Miri; The Conscience of the King; All Our Yesterdays; The Devil in the Dark; Journey to Babel; The Menagerie; The Enterprise Incident; A Piece of the Action; Return to Tomorrow; The Ultimate Computer; That Which Survives; Obsession; The Return of the Archons; and The Immunity Syndrome. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Star Trek Reader II
This is a good book.I like it because it has novelized eight different star trek episodes. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a great series of adventure and space travel. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not the best work from this Sci-Fi giant
Noted science fiction writer James Blish writes a passible furture tale were genetic engineering hasproduced a group of nine foot giants that are the objects of ridicule for most of the population. The story suffers fromseveral flaws, It's hard tosympathize with the main characters, they arevery two dimensional. The vilain is more interesting but not by much. Thestory also uses some staid plot mechanims such as "hero is framed formurder he did not commit". And the title character is not reallydeveloped. The reader can easily see Blish's Utopian leanings, but theyjust don't register.

Not the best work of this Sci-Fi giant
The title is deceptive as the stoy's main character is not the one called Titan's Daughter. Instead the main character is her husband/fiancee. This work by "Futurian Society" author James Blish suffers not for thepassing years in terms of hard science; the technology is kept generalizedand deliberatly vauge. So it reads as well today as when it was published.Its most delightful and disappointing fact is that the villian is morethree dimensional then the two other main characters. And that is sayingsomething in a novel meant to show the evils of prejudice by pittingnormal(evil) humans against genetically manipulated(good) eight footgiants. A quick read, but has some staid plot mechanisms; old but belovedscientist-grandfather type who is murdered by villian in order to set upthe climax. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It is impossible to capture the visual intensity of these episodes, although Blish does the best possible
As an original fan of Star Trek, I must always put myself into a different frame of mind when I read these adaptations of the original Star Trek episodes. As someone who can recite most of the dialog and describe minute details of the plots, it disturbs me when Blish performs acts of poetic license. Nevertheless, my response to these books is generally favorable when the episodes are ones I enjoy and negative when the original episodes were terrible.
The episodes adapted in this book are:

*) Return to Tomorrow
*) The Ultimate Computer
*) That Which Survives
*) Obsession
*) The Return of the Archons
*) The Immunity Syndrome

In general, these episodes are in my "pretty good" category, my favorite of the group is "The Ultimate Computer." Although it is anti-technology, the casting of William Marshall as Dr. Daystrom was a stroke of genius and far ahead of its time. His booming voice gave him a presence that projected both intellect and a sense of disturbance. The casting of a black man as one of the smartest people in the Federation also was revolutionary. Unfortunately, it is impossible to capture the drama of this episode on the printed page.
The other adaptations in this collection also suffer from the same problem. For example, William Shatner was superb in depicting a futuristic Ahab in "Obsession" and it is hard to get that sense in the printed word. Blish still does the best job that was possible under those circumstances.

It is impossible to capture the visual intensity of these episodes, although Blish does the best possible
As an original fan of Star Trek, I must always put myself into a different frame of mind when I read these adaptations of the original Star Trek episodes. As someone who can recite most of the dialog and describe minute details of the plots, it disturbs me when Blish performs acts of poetic license. Nevertheless, my response to these books is generally favorable when the episodes are ones I enjoy and negative when the original episodes were terrible.
The episodes adapted in this book are:

*) Return to Tomorrow
*) The Ultimate Computer
*) That Which Survives
*) Obsession
*) The Return of the Archons
*) The Immunity Syndrome

In general, these episodes are in my "pretty good" category, my favorite of the group is "The Ultimate Computer." Although it is anti-technology, the casting of William Marshall as Dr. Daystrom was a stroke of genius and far ahead of its time. His booming voice gave him a presence that projected both intellect and a sense of disturbance. The casting of a black man as one of the smartest people in the Federation also was revolutionary. Unfortunately, it is impossible to capture the drama of this episode on the printed page.
The other adaptations in this collection also suffer from the same problem. For example, William Shatner was superb in depicting a futuristic Ahab in "Obsession" and it is hard to get that sense in the printed word. Blish still does the best job that was possible under those circumstances.

Adaptations of 6 episodes, some from each season
First published in 1973, these short stories are Blish's adaptations of the screenplays of various episodes from the original series. The episodes aren't sorted into books according to either chronological order or identity of screenwriter.

"Return to Tomorrow" (episode 51, season 2, screenplay Gene Roddenberry and John T. Dugan). Investigating a planet left lifeless by a long-ago disaster, ENTERPRISE's crew is telepathically contacted by a surviving intelligence: three of the planet's finest minds were stored in globes during a war that destroyed their species millenia ago, and they now exist as pure thought. Sargon, his wife Thalassa, and their former enemy Hanoch offer a deal: their knowledge in exchange for help in constructing android bodies.

"The Ultimate Computer" (episode 53, season 2, screenplay Dorothy C. Fontana from a story by Laurence N. Wolfe) is the AI M-5, which despite 4 previous failed prototypes is brought aboard ENTERPRISE and installed by its creator, Richard Daystrom, to be tested in a series of 2-on-1 wargames, with ENTERPRISE further handicapped by running with a skeleton crew. [Speaking as a programmer: gang, haven't y'all ever heard of running *small* tests before hooking the AI up to a starship with heavy weaponry?]

"That Which Survives" (episode 69, season 3, screenplay John Meredyth Lucas and Dorothy C. Fontana) In a change of pace, Spock and Scotty remain aboard and have their own problems to deal with: as the away team begins investigating an apparently empty planet showing signs of terraforming, ENTERPRISE triggers its defense system: the starship is thrown nearly a thousand light-years from the planet, while a mysterious woman appears periodically to kill with a touch, despite the fact that the crew hadn't made any aggressive moves, or even been issued a warning.

"Obsession" (episode 47, season 2, screenplay Art Wallace) Dovetails well with aspects of Kirk's character from "Conscience of the King" - someone who can be unscrupulous in what he sees as a good cause. In this case, when the away team encounters a deadly cloud-creature, Kirk identifies it as the thing that killed half the FARRAGUT's crew 11 years before. On the grounds that it is obviously intelligent and poses a threat to inhabited planets, ENTERPRISE gives chase - but how much of the captain's real reason is atonement for hesitating to fire on the creature as a youngster?

"The Return of the Archons" (episode 23, season 1, screenplay Boris Sobelman) ENTERPRISE, investigating the area of Beta III to try to resolve the mysterious disappearance of the ARCHON a century ago, learns that the culture of Beta III has some mysterious form of brainwashing that can even effect some members of away teams - and for some reason, their rigidly controlled society disintegrates into complete anarchy in periodic festivals. There's an underlying pattern, but what is it?

"The Immunity Syndrome" (episode 48, season 2, screenplay Robert Sabaroff). A giant space amoeba has destroyed the INTREPID, all hands lost - one of the Fleet's all-Vulcan crews. Spock, more than Kirk, deals with the threat in this one.

More James Blish novelizations of Star Trek episodes
James Blish was a biologist as well as a prolific writer who wrote more than 27 novels including the Hugo Award-winning "A Case of Conscience."He was also the writer who got to novelize all of the original Star Trek episodes and I have not read anybody who can do it any better ever since.In his ninth collection of Star Trek episodes Blish offers up "Return to Tomorrow," "The Ultimate Computer," "That Which Survives," "Obsession," "The Return of the Archons," and "The Immunity Syndrome."If you have the episodes pretty much memorized, then you will appreciate the small touches Blish adds in filling in the details.It is about time Blish's work is republished for another generation of Star Trek fans.

More awesome Star Trek adventure!
Star Trek 9 has six more awesome episodes of the classic show, including "That Which Survives."It's a must have for all fans of the show. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The hypnoglyph
I read this collection of short stories the year it came out. I was in highschool.That was fifty-four years ago.I have never forgotten the Hypnoglyph. The book is an excellent collection of science fiction stories. ... Read more

Product Description
James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. The Star Trek Reader IV collects two of these anthologies: Star Trek 10, and Star Trek 11, and Blish's original Star Trek novel, Spock Must Die!. The episodes present include: The Alternative Factor; The Empath; The Galileo Seven; Is There in Truth No Beauty?; A Private Little War; The Omega Glory; What Are Little Girles Made Of?; The Squire of Gothos; Wink of an Eye; Bread and Circuses; Day of the Dove; and Plato's Stepchildren. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER FOR STAR TREK FANS


STAR TREK READER IV contains 12 novelized episodes of the program with an added story, Spock Must Die!. Originally these stories come from paperbacks STAR TREK 10, AND STAR TREK 11.An additional story, Spock Must Die, comprised Book III in this volume.

What's better than having these stories in soft cover, mass market?The four volumes in hardcover that comprise STAR TREK READERS I, II, III, AND IV.These books all saw the light of day back in the 1970s, yet they read very well today and can be bought for little to nothing even today.In fact I obtained my set at a local Goodwill store for $1.35 apiece.Great bargain no matter where you get them.

Contents:

Star Trek 10

Preface
he Alternative Factor
The Empath
The Galileo Seven
Is There in Truth No Beauty?
A Private Little War
The Omega Glory

Star Trek 11

Preface
What Are Little Girles Made Of?
The Squire of Gothos
Wink of an Eye
Bread and Circuses
Day of the Dove
Plato's Stepchildren

Book III

Spock Must Die!

Live long and (read Star Trek) prosper.

Semper Fi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nice Collection
James Blish, famous for his Hugo winning novel, A Case of Conscience, early Star Trek novelizations, and the Cities in Flight series also wrote some interesting short shorties.This volume includes a selection of his work from the 1950s: `Tomb Tappers', `King of the Hill', `Common Time', `A Work of Art', `To Pay the Piper', `Nor Iron Bars', `Beep', and `This Earth of Hours.`

Some spoilers to follow -- kind of unavoidable since they are short stories...

(4/5) `Tomb Tappers' (1956) is a wonderful and haunting story set sometime during Cold War with a spine chilling twist.McDonough, a member of the Air Intelligence arm of the CAP (Civil Air Patrol) has the unfortunate job of reading the minds of recently dead Russian pilots who crash during bombing runs over the United States.A mysterious rocket/plane is found in a train tunnel somewhere in the Northwest USA and McDonough is sent to investigate....

(3/5) `King of the Hill' (1955) is another tale set during the Cold War.The culmination of the US government's foreign policy is a weapons satellite which has the ability to drop atomic bombs at precise parts of the world at a moment's notice.However, in an effort to save cost, the lone officer in charge of the platform stays over his allotted time with grave consequences.`King of the Hill' is an interesting study of a man under stress but rather banal.

(3/5) `Common Time' (1953) describes early attempts at faster-than-light interstellar travel.Here, Blish explores a bizarre formulation of time dilation.The main character Garrard slowly figures out that time around him is moving infinitesimally slow in comparison to his mind.Also, his body functions are also infinitesimally slow...As a result Garrard has to control his his emotions (since the glandular reactions last hours) and movements (which exert extreme force).Blish is fantastic in ploting Garrard's slow realization of his surroundings.However, the story is weakened by a rather timid/silly introduction of aliens into a fascinating example of early hard science fiction.

5/5 `A Work of Art' (1956) is by far the best story in the collection.Mind sculptors sculpt famous human minds on otherwise talentless individuals in an attempt to one-up each other.The mentality and ability of the famous composer Strauss is sculpted on the mind of a musically ignorant individual.The story is actually quite touching and sad as this new Strauss realizes his fate and the circumstances of his creation when he is unable to compose anything but a hollow shell of his previous works -- likewise, the music produced is only well received since it shows the expertize of the mind sculptors.This fascinating story reminded me of Philip K. Dick's works which explore the mind, consciousness, and individuality.

4/5 `To Pay the Piper' (1956) is another gem.I've always been a fan of sci-fi stories about humans retreating to fallout shelters and other underground installations because of various apocalyptic events.This particularly disturbing take develops the problems that arrive when the survivors get wind the potentially of returning to the surface.The most disturbing aspect is the continued hatred of the enemy despite the virtual annihilation of the two parties.

3/5 `Nor Iron Bars' (1956 and 1957) is one of the weaker stories in the collection.Blish describes Earth's continued attempts at faster-than-light interstellar travel.Here, time dilation doesn't occur, instead matter becomes expanded and more porous.The most interested section is definitely Blish's inclusion of interracial relations.One of the passengers is a super famous white explorer whom all the other female characters fawn over.We eventually learn that his fiance is a young African-American woman who is dieing.Even the main characters have to question their own racial prejudices (which they thought they had expunged years before).Other than that, the story is forgettable.

2/5 `Beep' (1954) is by far the worst of the the bunch.The Service has developed a way to look into the future using an instantaneous interstellar communication device (here, once again, time dilation makes this possible).A new recruit uncovers this secret and as a result is promoted.Boring and just plain silly.

2/5 `This Earth of Hours' (1959) is another poor entry.Interstellar travel is finally become a practicality and an unintelligent telepathic alien race in the core planets of the galaxy is discovered.Blish tries to make this premise interesting by interjecting randomly some tidbits of the Matriarchy government on earth an its colonies created as a result of the ability to chose the sex of one's children.This story is forced and unexciting and its conclusion is anti-climatic.

Just your typical run-of-the-mill 1950s themes
After reading Cities in Flight, which left me wondering why most people in SF highly regard it, I wanted to delve into some more of what some consider a brilliant SF mind. When I found Galactic Cluster, I thought a book of eight unlinked short stories would give a decent snapshot of an author's style and general mindset and finally reveal Blish's elusive brilliantness. Mmm, I didn't find it. All the stories are of somewhat 1950s typical blandness: Cold War themed xenophobia, reminiscing about the homeland or better times, and psychic powers. Pass.

Tomb Tapper (1956) - 3/5 - A grounded aircraft is found in a tunnel, where two investigators probe the wing-less wreck. When a bizarre brainwave pattern is found within, the team set to enter and interrogate the possible Soviet or alien. 20 pages

King of the Hill (1955) - 3/5 - The lone member of an orbital missile platform hallucinates other people aboard his vessel, who shout commands yet to be passed. He consults the civilian agency in charge of such emergencies. When the civilian boards the vessel, who is the unintentional hermit to say what is real and what is imaginary? 11 pages

Common Time (1953) - 3/5 - Travelling at 22.4 times the speed of light, a pilot begins to experience a time difference in relationship to the ship; ten months for the ship is six-thousand years for the pilot. When the time starts to swing in the opposite extreme, the pilot has a sort of outer-body experience. 21 pages

A Work of Art (1956) - 4/5 - The persona of composer Richard Strauss is reincarnated in the year 2161 where the music of the day is automatically created. Richard is asked to compose a piece of the modern audience, where the mind sculptors and contemporary music maestros have eager ears. 15 pages

To Pay the Piper (1956) - 3/5 - Post-war underground society develops a treatment to withstand the harsh condition found on the plague ridden surface. The policy makers grapple with whom to `immunize' first- soldiers or citizens. With the enemy sabotaging allied cities, the process must be found acceptable to the population. 14 pages

Nor Iron Bars (1957) - 3/5 - A new interstellar drive is being tested with passengers aboard. When the turn it on they find themselves within an atom, orbiting an electron, which they try to land on. It's a matter of finding out how they got there, how to get out and how to get back. 38 pages

Beep (1954) - 4/5 - The secret Dirac transmitter has created real-time communication between the stars. At the same time, a videographer approaches the government with a document predicting the transmitter's existence and specific details of future events. When it comes down to boy-meets-girl, everything must go on as usual. 36 pages

This Earth of Hours (1959) - 2/5 - Stranded war ship around alien planet makes contact with psychically connected worm-like species from the galactic center. From a previous confrontation, a captured crewman gives thought provoking evidence to the origins of the worms and the human species, too. 20 pages

Dated
Collection of science fiction short stories. A bit tricky to assess at this point, while they contain a lot of neat ideas they're also ideas I've seen used a lot since, and in many cases a lot better. Blish is pretty good at executing a story and his prose is competent, but there's not enough humor, raw creativity or bite to his descriptions to make his short fiction stand the test of time like an Asimov or a Philip K. Dick. While I liked Blish's A Case of Conscience quite a deal, this particular anthology left me much colder, and is probably part of the reason I didn't get around to read it until four years after I bought this volume.

Still, if I was reading this in 1959 I'm sure I would have had my mind blown several times, and none of the stories stand out as bad, or even boring. I was most found of Beep. Overall, I'd say this collection was worth the look.

Similar to and better than: Fritz Leiber's Gather, Darkness!
Similar to and worse than: Isaac Asimov's The Early Asimov

With all the Flavor of the Fifties!
James Blish (1921-1975) was a well known sci-fi writer. Here we have a very representative collection of short tales; this is the original Signet edition from 1959, collected from stories printed in sci-fi magazines between 1953 and 1959.

These narrations have the very special "flavor" of the `50s that I fondly remember from my teens.

There are several typical products of the "Cold War Era" stories; "Tomb Tapper" is one of them and the weakest of the collection.
"The King of the Hill" also pertains to this kind, but is far more interesting, dealing with people under stress and how they channel it.
"To Pay the Piper" here again we are presented a "Cold War Era" scenery with Hot War still raging after fifty years.

"Common Time" is an excellent account about the consequences of piloting a starship faster than light. A kind of tale that the reader regrets it's only a short story, bursting with interesting issues that may deserve a full length novel to develop them completely.
"Nor Iron Bars" is situated is the same universe as "Common Time" telling about a new flying method... and its consequences. This is a great story!

"A Work of Art" explores a recurrent sci-fi theme: what happens when a persona is revived into a new body by scientific method?

"Beep" is a very good story about communications, intelligence services and being able to know the future.
In "This Earth of Hours" Blish is at his best, unbounded, he describes a far future universe with intricate new social forms and puzzling aliens.

I wholeheartedly recommend this collection to sci-fi lovers!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
... Read more

Product Description
James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, most notably the Cities in Flight series, and A Case of Conscience, for which he won a Hugo Award. He also was a highly respected critic, and his criticism in collected in the books The Issue at Hand, and More Issues at Hand, (published under the pen name of William Atheling, Jr.). Using the original scripts, which sometimes differed from the final filmed episode, Blish turned each episode of the original Star Trek into a short story, which were collected into anthologies and published as paperback originals. The Star Trek Reader collects three of these anthologies: Star Trek 2, Star Trek 3, and Star Trek 8. The episodes present include The City on the Edge of Forever; Arena; A Taste of Armageddon; Tomorrow Is Yesterday; Errand of Mercy; Court-Martial; Operation--Annihilate!; Space Seed; The Trouble With Tribbles; The Last Gunfight; The Doomsday Machine; Assignment: Earth; Mirror, Mirror; Friday's Child; Amok Time; Spock's Brain; The Enemy Within; Catspaw; Where No Man Has Gone Before; Wolf in the Fold; and For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The first and best collection of James Blish's adaptations
James Blish was a science fiction writer who wrote over 27 novels, including "A Case of Conscience" for which he won a Hugo Award and one of the earliest Star Trek novels "Spock Must Die!" He also adapted the original Star Trek novels for a series of Star Trek Readers in the late 1960's and proved himself to be as good at novelization, or whatever we call it in this case, as anybody I have ever come across. The details he puts into the stories, without adding anything new to the actual tale, are amazing. Just read the beginning of his version of "The Trouble with Tribbles" where he talks about how the "harmless" little creatures.

The first volume in "The Star Trek Reader" series brings together volumes 2, 3 and 8 of the original "Star Trek" paperback series into one volume and what is arguably the best of Blish's efforts in this series in his version of "The City on the Edge of Forever."It is actually really and truly Blish's version because he takes what he thinks is the best of Harlan Ellison's original script and the teleplay of what actually aired way back when. Blish admits this was a tricky thing to try and manage and fretted that he might owe apologies all the way around. What Blish is able to salvage is mainly Ellison's original conclusion, although we know Harlan would have liked it if the character of Trooper had made it into Blish's version. But certainly it is a valiant effort.

The other episodes from "Star Trek 2" are "Arena," "A Taste of Armageddon," "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," "Errand of Mercy," "Court-Martial," "Operation--Annihilate!" and "Space Seed." If I remember, correctly, the rationale behind what episodes were included in each volume had to do with their relative popularity, which explains why you have several first-rate episodes in this particular volume. Blish was an excellent writer, who died well before his time, and his adaptation of the Star Trek episodes prove that it was the stories rather than the specific effects that made it a special series. From "Star Trek 3" we have "The Trouble With Tribbles," "The Last Gunfight," "The Doomsday Machine," "Assignment: Earth," "Mirror, Mirror," "Friday's Child" and "Amok Time." "Star Trek 8" provides "Spock's Brain," "The Enemy Within," "Catspaw," "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "Wolf in the Fold," and "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky."

With not only "The City on the Edge of Forever" but "The Trouble with Tribbles," it is easy to make the case that "The Star Trek Reader I" is the best of the four volumes."Space Seed," "Mirror, Mirror," and "Amok Time" are also episodes that tend to pop up on a lot of the Top Ten lists by "Star Trek" fans.In the old days, when the original "Star Trek" was in syndication in your market, if you were lucky and videotapes were way in the future, these books by Blish were pretty much all a lot of us had. So the only way to really enjoy the episodes was to collect the paperbacks with these adaptations. Now we just have to get these books reprinted again for the next generation of Trekkers to enjoy because in many ways they hold up better than the original series (better special effects in your mind's eye). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

My response to the adaptations mirrored my opinion of the episode being adapted
When I read these adaptations of the episodes of the original Star Trek series, I must take a virtual chill-pill before I begin. As an original trekkie, I know a great deal of the dialog by heart, so when Blish has the characters say something that does not precisely match the original dialog, I catch it. Also, as Blish acknowledges, he does not always follow the plot of the episode precisely. Sometimes I consider this a good thing and at other times it comes across as a point of decline.
The episodes adapted in this book are:

*) What Are Little Girls Made of?
*) The Squire of Gothos
*) Wink Of an Eye
*) Bread and Circuses
*) Day of the Dove
*) Plato's Stepchildren

In this case, my response to the adaptations largely mirrors my opinion of the original episodes. I consider "Wink of an Eye" and "Plato's Stepchildren" to be two of the worst episodes in the series, "The Squire of Gothos" as one of the best and the rest somewhere in the middle. I very much enjoyed what Blish did with "The Squire of Gothos" and struggled through "Wink of an Eye" and "Plato's Stepchildren." I don't blame Blish for this; the original stories were just too weak.
Despite all of their faults, the set of books by Blish containing adaptations of the episodes of the original series filled a very valuable role. Having been published shortly after the original series was cancelled; they kept the Trek flame alive, helping nurture it into the "Enterprise" that it has become.

My response to the adaptations mirrored my opinion of the episode being adapted
When I read these adaptations of the episodes of the original Star Trek series, I must take a virtual chill-pill before I begin. As an original trekkie, I know a great deal of the dialog by heart, so when Blish has the characters say something that does not precisely match the original dialog, I catch it. Also, as Blish acknowledges, he does not always follow the plot of the episode precisely. Sometimes I consider this a good thing and at other times it comes across as a point of decline.
The episodes adapted in this book are:

*) What Are Little Girls Made of?
*) The Squire of Gothos
*) Wink Of an Eye
*) Bread and Circuses
*) Day of the Dove
*) Plato's Stepchildren

In this case, my response to the adaptations largely mirrors my opinion of the original episodes. I consider "Wink of an Eye" and "Plato's Stepchildren" to be two of the worst episodes in the series, "The Squire of Gothos" as one of the best and the rest somewhere in the middle. I very much enjoyed what Blish did with "The Squire of Gothos" and struggled through "Wink of an Eye" and "Plato's Stepchildren." I don't blame Blish for this; the original stories were just too weak.
Despite all of their faults, the set of books by Blish containing adaptations of the episodes of the original series filled a very valuable role. Having been published shortly after the original series was cancelled; they kept the Trek flame alive, helping nurture it into the "Enterprise" that it has become.

Adaptations of 6 episodes, some from each season
First published in 1975, these short stories are Blish's adaptations of the screenplays of various episodes from the original series. The episodes aren't sorted into books according to either chronological order or identity of screenwriter.

"What Are Little Girls Made Of?" (episode 10, season 1, screenplay by horror-writer Robert Bloch). The first episode really featuring Christine Chapel, as the ENTERPRISE has arrived at Exo III to check up on Dr. Roger Korby, Christine's fiance, who's been missing and presumed dead somewhere on the planet for 5 years. ENTERPRISE's crew is surprised to easily establish contact with Korby's archaeological expedition on arrival, and Chapel and Kirk beam down to check it out. The dead civilization had some amazing robotics technology, and Korby's exploration of that technology has some disturbing consequences. (Chapel's backstory as shown in this episode goes a long way toward explaining her later attachment to Spock, someone 'safe'.)

"The Squire of Gothos" (episode 18, season 1, screenplay Paul Schneider) is a Q-like alien who's fascinated by Earth, but his information is centuries out of date, and he only knows the appearance rather than the reality of things: 18th century costume, food without taste, fire without heat. He treats ENTERPRISE's crew as a collection of live toys, and moves his planet back into their path whenever they attempt to leave. (One Star Trek: TNG novel actually put Trelane together with Q, as poetic justice on poor Q.)

"Wink of an Eye" (episode 68, season 3, screenplay Arthur Heinemann and Gene L. Coon (as Lee Cronin, a bad sign)) An aliens-need-human-mates scenario, naturally involving Kirk being seduced by a beautiful woman. The catch is that the sterility of the Scalosian males was a side effect of a condition that accelerated their perception of time, so that they move too quickly to interact with humans unless the humans are likewise accelerated; Kirk must find a solution to the problem that defeated the Scalosians. Some serious plot holes in the source episode, not least of which is the Scalosians' ultimate fate.

"Bread and Circuses" (episode 43, season 2, screenplay Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon). Serious flaw in the source episode: alternate history is all very well, but not when claiming that an alien culture in the same universe just happened to evolve in parallel - in this case, a Roman Empire that lasted to develop 20th century technology but kept most of the external trappings, such as televised public games. ENTERPRISE stumbles across the planet while tracing the lost ship BEAGLE - to find that her captain, a classmate of Kirk's, opted to set himself up as emperor here, killing all his crewmembers who resisted, and takes the away team prisoner to avoid being hauled home and court-martialed.

"Day of the Dove" (episode 66, season 3, screenplay Jerome Bixby). Opens with a series of bizarre incidents: distress signals from a non-existent human colony reporting attack, and a Klingon ship suffering a mysterious series of explosions, whose commander claims the ENTERPRISE attacked him without provocation. At least one side is being manipulated into a confrontation, but why? Very unusual episode, in which the Klingons are people, and sympathetic characters, rather than stage-prop villains. Commander Kang even has a mixed-gender crew, and is accompanied by his wife, Mara, the first female Klingon we've ever met.

"Plato's Stepchildren" (episode 67, season 3, screenplay Meyer Dolinsky) are a group of humanlike aliens who call themselves Platonians, having admired the human philosopher Plato in the long-ago days when they visited Earth. They have very strong psionic powers, and are used to forcing any weaker than themselves to do as they wish - such as Alexander, a dwarf born among them without powers of his own, who has suffered cruelly for their entertainment. After seeking medical help for a man with an injured leg, one of the things they want is to retain McCoy's services permanently, quite apart from wanting new lives toys to play with...

Not bad.
The James Blish "Star Trek" series is a twelve book series of adaptations of the stories from the original "Star Trek" television series. Frankly, Blish didn't do a very good job of it, and mostof the series is pretty weak, even for a longtime fan of the series. Butthis volume is better than most; it has some of the better episodes, andalso the writing itself seems a bit better; perhaps by this volume, Blishwas finally getting a handle on the characters.

The first of six episodesadapted in this book is "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", whichis far and away the weakest story of the lot (Kirk and Nurse Chapel beamdown to a planet to meet her fiance, previously missing for five years andpresumed dead, to find that his memories live on in an android which onlyTHINKS it has emotions).

Next is "The Squire Of Gothos", one ofthe all-time classic stories from the series, in which the Enterprise crewencounter Squire Trelane, the prototype for the character "Q"from the "Next Generation" series.

Then comes "Wink Of AnEye", a story which requires more than the usual amount of suspensionof disbelief, in that the crew is threatened by a race which moves at manytimes the human rate, so fast that they cannot even be seen by the nakedeye, and sound like the buzzing of insects. If you can swallow enoughdisbelief to accept the basic premise, and the inconsistencies andillogicalities required to make that basic plot point work, it's actually apretty good story. But I've never been able to manage that trick. I mean,the opposition moves so quickly they can't be seen, but yet the Enterprisepeople accomplish a great deal before they've finished what they're doing;it's almost as if they only move at that speed when nobody's looking, andonly at normal speed otherwise. Further, they beamed aboard by"piggybacking" when the landing party returned to the ship,invisibly joining in the beamup. Yet, for one thing, Scotty (or whoever wasat the controls) should by rights have noticed that there was more massbeing beamed aboard than expected, for another, no matter how fast theywere CAPABLE of moving, they would have needed to stand still for theduration of the beamup process, which would have left them visible, andthey would have needed to be standing so close to the crew they werebeaming up with that they should have been felt, even if they couldn't beseen.

Fourth is "Bread And Circuses", in which the Enterpriseencounters a parallel earth, in which Rome never fell, and so the planethas developed to the point equivalent in technology to that of the midtwentieth century on Earth, but with a culture and political situation ofwhat Rome would have become.

Fifth is "Day Of The Dove", inwhich the Enterprise crew and the survivors of a Klingon ship must resisttheir natural antipathy for one another, in spite of the prodding of anenergy being who feeds on the violent emotions.

And last is "Plato'sStepchildren", in which they encounter a planet inhabited by threedozen highly powerful telepathic telekinetics, all with as much concern forthe feelings of "lesser mortals" as one might expect.

If youenjoy "Star Trek", even if you aren't a serious collector of"Star Trek" books, this one is worth reading. The best of amediocre series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great kids SF book
I first read this book 20 years ago and still remember it as one of my most memorable childhood reading experiences.

The book concerns Dolph, a teenager who discovers that an anti-gravity field can be generated from simple electronics.Using further parts from army surplus stores hedecides to outfit a simple spacecraft for a sojourn to Mars.He goes...andgets stranded due to the failure of a simple, but irreplaceablepart.

Sounds kinda dumb, but the book is well written, the characters areintelligent and believable in the face of adversity...and the ending isgreat.All in all its a fantastic kids book and a good intro to SF forkids...I wish I could get hold of a copy of this book... ... Read more