What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Trek: The Original Series
The Rings of Time: The Original Series: The Rings of Time
When a mining colony on an endangered moon is threatened, it’s a race against time for the Enterprise crew to find a solution in this original novel set in the universe of Star The Original Series.The USS Enterprise responds to a distress call from a vital dilithium-mining colony in the Klondike system. The colony is located on Skagway, a moon orbiting Klondike-6, a gas giant not unlike Saturn. For unknown reasons, the planet’s rings are coming apart, threatening the colony and its inhabitants. Kirk and his crew need to find a solution—fast.There are more than 3,000 colonists, including hundreds of families, on Skagway, which is more than even the Enterprise can take on, and there are no other rescue ships or habitable planets anywhere in the vicinity. Meanwhile, an approaching comet that may be the source of the crisis turns out to be a mysterious alien probe. Sensors indicate that the probe is incredibly old and running low on power. Suspecting that the probe may have something to do with the threat to Skagway, Kirk has the probe beamed aboard the Enterprise. Suddenly after a blinding flash, Kirk suddenly finds himself floating in orbit above Saturn in our solar system, drifting in space wearing a twenty-first century NASA spacesuit. What just happened?
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2012
49 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 17, 2019
Bah, I didn’t write a review for this one. Mmphs. Right, so… One of those occasions when I wandered into a used book store and wandered out with books. Despite the fact that I rarely read physical books now-a-days.
This specific book was quite interesting, actually. Both for the Star Trek people, and the non-Star Trek people, but a vast majority of the interestingness of the book was the non-Star Trek parts. For, you see, this book includes two time periods. One in the Kirk time period (based on original television show, not the new alt-universe Kirk films), and one in the twenty-first century. You know who else is in the twenty-first century? Me.
A good chunk of the book follows NASA (yes, NASA) sending a rudimentary space ship for exploration. Specifically exploration of our own solar system (the ship, and the time period, is pre-warp capable star ships). The mission is designed to send three NASA astronauts out to explore (specifically Saturn and it’s rings), a ship’s captain, a medical doctor type and . . . I forget now if the third had a specific job duty other than being female, an ex-girlfriend of the ship captain, and being overly military in bearing. Designed, yes, but in actuality the ship ends up flying through the solar system with four people on board. It includes a stow-a-way blog reporter type person. So, the ship ends up having two women, and two men. All but the ship’s doctor are single. Which does, actually, play a major part in the story line.
That other chunk of book? Well, there needs to be a way for this book to exist, no? Well, technically I’ve seen Star Trek books that told parts of Star Trek history without including Star Trek people, but most of the time there needs to be visible Star Trek people in a Star Trek book. So that other chunk follows Captain Kirk and crew post-five year voyage. While doing whatever, the Enterprise receives a distress call, and they are the closet ship. By a wide margin. The rings have become unstable and are putting a colony on a moon in danger. This being Klodike-6, some gas giant in some other solar system.
Both ships from the two time periods encounter a strange comet flying nearby. [rereads book description . . . eh, over-informative it is] Well, I have to mention as it drives the story: the comet turns out to be alien in origin, and ‘something’ puts Kirk back in the 21st century and pulls the captain of that older ship onto the Enterprise.
Book continues. Stuff happens.
The NASA stuff was quite exciting/interesting/fun. The Kirk stuff was . . . interesting enough, though less so. Some of the twists and turns kept me from rating this higher than I did, but I still rather enjoyed this book.
Rating: 4.45
October 17, 2019
This specific book was quite interesting, actually. Both for the Star Trek people, and the non-Star Trek people, but a vast majority of the interestingness of the book was the non-Star Trek parts. For, you see, this book includes two time periods. One in the Kirk time period (based on original television show, not the new alt-universe Kirk films), and one in the twenty-first century. You know who else is in the twenty-first century? Me.
A good chunk of the book follows NASA (yes, NASA) sending a rudimentary space ship for exploration. Specifically exploration of our own solar system (the ship, and the time period, is pre-warp capable star ships). The mission is designed to send three NASA astronauts out to explore (specifically Saturn and it’s rings), a ship’s captain, a medical doctor type and . . . I forget now if the third had a specific job duty other than being female, an ex-girlfriend of the ship captain, and being overly military in bearing. Designed, yes, but in actuality the ship ends up flying through the solar system with four people on board. It includes a stow-a-way blog reporter type person. So, the ship ends up having two women, and two men. All but the ship’s doctor are single. Which does, actually, play a major part in the story line.
That other chunk of book? Well, there needs to be a way for this book to exist, no? Well, technically I’ve seen Star Trek books that told parts of Star Trek history without including Star Trek people, but most of the time there needs to be visible Star Trek people in a Star Trek book. So that other chunk follows Captain Kirk and crew post-five year voyage. While doing whatever, the Enterprise receives a distress call, and they are the closet ship. By a wide margin. The rings have become unstable and are putting a colony on a moon in danger. This being Klodike-6, some gas giant in some other solar system.
Both ships from the two time periods encounter a strange comet flying nearby. [rereads book description . . . eh, over-informative it is] Well, I have to mention as it drives the story: the comet turns out to be alien in origin, and ‘something’ puts Kirk back in the 21st century and pulls the captain of that older ship onto the Enterprise.
Book continues. Stuff happens.
The NASA stuff was quite exciting/interesting/fun. The Kirk stuff was . . . interesting enough, though less so. Some of the twists and turns kept me from rating this higher than I did, but I still rather enjoyed this book.
Rating: 4.45
October 17, 2019
May 2, 2015
Some classic Star Trek here. We have an original story that ties into an episode from the original series run and time travel is involved. More like time travel via body switching but still pretty cool.
There are two storylines here. One is in our not too distant future with the first manned mission to Mars. The leader of the mission? Shaun Christopher, the son of the John Christopher that Kirk and company met in the episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday". In the 23rd century Kirk and the crew are responding to a colony's distress call. A probe is seen in both storylines and when the men touch it Kirk finds himself in Shaun's body in the past and Shaun's in Kirk's in the future. Cue Kirk trying to get the heck out of the past while dealing with an issue on the Saturn mission while Spock mostly deals with the emergency and McCoy keeps Shaun away from everyone to preserve the timeline.
You can definitely tell the difference between the two stories. The 21st century storyline reads like it's familiar but just enough not so to feel futuristic. There's enough tongue and cheek pop culture references going on too. The Trek storyline was almost less exciting than that one if only because there was surprisingly little happening in comparison. Spock had his work cut out for him but once they are able to think about getting Jim back it seems very rushed and just glossed over a bit too much for my liking.
Overall, it was a fun read though. I'm always a sucker to for a good trek novel with a great tie in to the original series too.
There are two storylines here. One is in our not too distant future with the first manned mission to Mars. The leader of the mission? Shaun Christopher, the son of the John Christopher that Kirk and company met in the episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday". In the 23rd century Kirk and the crew are responding to a colony's distress call. A probe is seen in both storylines and when the men touch it Kirk finds himself in Shaun's body in the past and Shaun's in Kirk's in the future. Cue Kirk trying to get the heck out of the past while dealing with an issue on the Saturn mission while Spock mostly deals with the emergency and McCoy keeps Shaun away from everyone to preserve the timeline.
You can definitely tell the difference between the two stories. The 21st century storyline reads like it's familiar but just enough not so to feel futuristic. There's enough tongue and cheek pop culture references going on too. The Trek storyline was almost less exciting than that one if only because there was surprisingly little happening in comparison. Spock had his work cut out for him but once they are able to think about getting Jim back it seems very rushed and just glossed over a bit too much for my liking.
Overall, it was a fun read though. I'm always a sucker to for a good trek novel with a great tie in to the original series too.
September 16, 2013
Given Cox's pedigree, I was unpleasantly surprised at how badly this book was written. I don't want to spend a lot of time on the review because, honestly, I barely finished the book. The plot idea was a good one, and revisiting a storyline from the original series was fun. But Cox is a lazy writer. This reads almost like a first draft that he handed to the publisher and they set the type without any editing whatsoever. Cox's apparent need to reference TOS episode plots every other paragraph really got on my nerves. It's like he had a checklist of TOS references and ticked them off, one by one, as he "worked them in."
What he did well was capture character idiosyncracies (McCoy's attitude, Spock's "stay on target" logic during the crisis, and Kirk's sense of wonder at discovery). I don't want to give any spoilers, but while the general concept (continuing that earlier episode about a certain pilot named Christopher) was interesting, the execution was weak. Heavy editing needed, along with a "are you sure you want to say it that way" best friend talk for the author.
What he did well was capture character idiosyncracies (McCoy's attitude, Spock's "stay on target" logic during the crisis, and Kirk's sense of wonder at discovery). I don't want to give any spoilers, but while the general concept (continuing that earlier episode about a certain pilot named Christopher) was interesting, the execution was weak. Heavy editing needed, along with a "are you sure you want to say it that way" best friend talk for the author.
February 24, 2022
It zips along at quite the clip, the regular cast is perfectly depicted, and it's enjoyable in the moment...but it ends up feeling curiously empty. The end of the five-year mission is mentioned, yet very little is made of any end-of-era feeling. The use of fanwank, involving multiple past episodes and then-recent novels, is extremely clever, but never rises above that cleverness. And the surprise revelation at the end feels curiously trite. It's a solid adventure, but it feels more like an exercise in writing a certain type of story, as opposed to writing a story that carries you away.
August 21, 2012
The Rings of Time brings together a superbly rich tapestry of Trek lore from across the vast tapestry of the Trek Universe and a space program in our not to distant future. The book opens with the crew of the USS Lewis and Clark engaging in their first manned flight to Saturn. The 2020 NASA space flight is manned by astronaut Colonel Shaun Christopher whose surname may be very familiar to Trek fans, he is the son of Captain John Christopher, a U.S. Air Force pilot who had a brush with the U.S.S. Enterprise after the ship went through a time warp that brought them to the late 1960s in the episode Tomorrow Is Yesterday. This character gets mentioned by the crew of the Enterprise later in the book, more on that in a moment.
The author, Greg Cox, is renown and lauded for his well researched novels, not only in all things Trek, but any other items he will need to tie into a story. The Rings of Time is an exceptional example of this. I was astounded by the brilliantly detailed ship, launch, departure and flight of the USS Lewis and Clark, but also but the intensely alluring view of the crew as they move through the solar system and arrive at Saturn. This detail is drawn from a plethora of material that Cox cites in his bibliography at the end of the book.
Whether the reader is a newbie to Trek and this is their first novel, or a veteran Trekkie picking it up, the allure is in the opening sequences and its relative closeness to our own time. We are presented with many similar issues the 2020 crew has with the NASA space program as we do today. In 2020 many private companies are now leading in the development of space flight, currently happening, and the social and political climate is relatively the same if not a tad worse. In a similar vein this 2020 flight to Saturn is a much a drive to drum interest in the NASA space program as I feel the current news about the Mars Curiousity rover is today. There are enough references to Khan, and related Trek items, plus a lot of pop culture references to keep the reader drawn in and connected to.
The item that syncs the two stories together is the probe. The Enterprise rushes to the aide of a ringed planet, not entirely dissimilar from Saturn, which has a mining colony on the orbiting moon that is being assaulted by the destabilizing rings. Each crew, Christopher's and Kirks, both encounter a strange alien probe in their respective timeframes. The book flips back and forth between the events of 2020, the Enterprise and both Kirk and Christopher. As each crew sets outs to examine the strange probe, Kirk and Christopher both touch the alien hieroglyphs on the probe, and BLAM! This is how they manage to swap bodies across time and space.
When this occurs and we have Kirk's memories and mind in the body of Christopher and vice versa it is fully believable to me to envision each character within the body of the other. I mean that when we have Kirk in the body of Christopher and interacting with the 2020 crew I don't see Kirk in my mind, I see Christopher with Kirk animating it. This is how it is described and what ensues are the problems with Kirk's knowledge of the future and his struggle to maintain a course within the limits of 2020. This is also the case when Christopher awakes in Kirk's body and his anxiety of the situation. Only certain crew members know what is going on, plus you have those Enterprise staff who recall the encounter with Shaun's father, the Captain in Tomorrow is Yesterday.
The events of each era present challenges not only to the crews involved but primarily how Kirk and Christopher react and can assist in their respective time frames. I really felt that the struggle of Kirk and Christopher, not only in swapped bodies but in different time and space, was exceptionally written, plus the mutual respect each gain for the other's surroundings.
How this gets resolved I will not spoil, it appeared to be the natural and logical choice on how to swap Kirk and Christopher back. I did feel that the end was too neatly tied up and the cause of the challenges each crew experienced a bit to easy. This very successful, fantastically told story has a bit of twist at the end that some previous reviewers were not entirely happy with and I have to agree, it is a bit to pat and neat. Overall tho' I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it
The author, Greg Cox, is renown and lauded for his well researched novels, not only in all things Trek, but any other items he will need to tie into a story. The Rings of Time is an exceptional example of this. I was astounded by the brilliantly detailed ship, launch, departure and flight of the USS Lewis and Clark, but also but the intensely alluring view of the crew as they move through the solar system and arrive at Saturn. This detail is drawn from a plethora of material that Cox cites in his bibliography at the end of the book.
Whether the reader is a newbie to Trek and this is their first novel, or a veteran Trekkie picking it up, the allure is in the opening sequences and its relative closeness to our own time. We are presented with many similar issues the 2020 crew has with the NASA space program as we do today. In 2020 many private companies are now leading in the development of space flight, currently happening, and the social and political climate is relatively the same if not a tad worse. In a similar vein this 2020 flight to Saturn is a much a drive to drum interest in the NASA space program as I feel the current news about the Mars Curiousity rover is today. There are enough references to Khan, and related Trek items, plus a lot of pop culture references to keep the reader drawn in and connected to.
The item that syncs the two stories together is the probe. The Enterprise rushes to the aide of a ringed planet, not entirely dissimilar from Saturn, which has a mining colony on the orbiting moon that is being assaulted by the destabilizing rings. Each crew, Christopher's and Kirks, both encounter a strange alien probe in their respective timeframes. The book flips back and forth between the events of 2020, the Enterprise and both Kirk and Christopher. As each crew sets outs to examine the strange probe, Kirk and Christopher both touch the alien hieroglyphs on the probe, and BLAM! This is how they manage to swap bodies across time and space.
When this occurs and we have Kirk's memories and mind in the body of Christopher and vice versa it is fully believable to me to envision each character within the body of the other. I mean that when we have Kirk in the body of Christopher and interacting with the 2020 crew I don't see Kirk in my mind, I see Christopher with Kirk animating it. This is how it is described and what ensues are the problems with Kirk's knowledge of the future and his struggle to maintain a course within the limits of 2020. This is also the case when Christopher awakes in Kirk's body and his anxiety of the situation. Only certain crew members know what is going on, plus you have those Enterprise staff who recall the encounter with Shaun's father, the Captain in Tomorrow is Yesterday.
The events of each era present challenges not only to the crews involved but primarily how Kirk and Christopher react and can assist in their respective time frames. I really felt that the struggle of Kirk and Christopher, not only in swapped bodies but in different time and space, was exceptionally written, plus the mutual respect each gain for the other's surroundings.
How this gets resolved I will not spoil, it appeared to be the natural and logical choice on how to swap Kirk and Christopher back. I did feel that the end was too neatly tied up and the cause of the challenges each crew experienced a bit to easy. This very successful, fantastically told story has a bit of twist at the end that some previous reviewers were not entirely happy with and I have to agree, it is a bit to pat and neat. Overall tho' I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it
February 23, 2012
It’s unusual these days to have stand-alone Trek novels, though the changes in the publishing schedules have made the long-term continuity-driven “events” less and less viable. (Just look at how the post-series relaunches and “New Frontier” line have fallen in priority.) Despite my love for long-form fiction with a sprawling story, it was a treat to sit down and read a relatively quick and self-contained novel in the Trek universe.
The astronomer in me was gratified to see that the “mysterious Saturn hexagon storm” was used as an important plot element. If nothing else, it should get a lot of people looking up the phenomenon and learning more about an actual scientific subject of interest, which I am always happy to see. In terms of the story, I like that the mystery wasn’t entirely solved. Its role in the story was explained, of course, but the exact nature and purpose of the “hexagon” was left more open.
The explanations intersect with some of the more arcane lore of the original “Star Trek”: several episodes are referenced directly or indirectly as the novel marches on. On occasion, this leads to some unwieldy dialogue, as the author attempts to roust the memory by pointing right at those previous events. That said, there is never a point where one needs to remember the full details of an old episode to understand the context of a plot or character beat.
This is also true of the elements that the author pulled in from other books he’s written in the Trek universe, some going back more than a decade. Knowledge or memory of those earlier works will help round out some of the references and revelations in this book, as they complement each other well, but again, it’s not necessary to have that background.
Despite juggling two different time periods and more than a few plot elements, the book is very straightforward. I read this in the space of a few hours over the course of a week. In fact, it’s so straightforward that it’s very easy to miss the clues to one of the reveals at the end of the book. The author uses one of his more well-trodden personal tropes to great effect, since it’s easy to write off a certain character as literary “eye candy”, and thus overlook what is later rather obvious.
If one is looking for a relatively light and easy foray into the Trek universe, this is a good place to turn. If one has already read several earlier books by the author, then it’s a solid addition to his lineup.
The astronomer in me was gratified to see that the “mysterious Saturn hexagon storm” was used as an important plot element. If nothing else, it should get a lot of people looking up the phenomenon and learning more about an actual scientific subject of interest, which I am always happy to see. In terms of the story, I like that the mystery wasn’t entirely solved. Its role in the story was explained, of course, but the exact nature and purpose of the “hexagon” was left more open.
The explanations intersect with some of the more arcane lore of the original “Star Trek”: several episodes are referenced directly or indirectly as the novel marches on. On occasion, this leads to some unwieldy dialogue, as the author attempts to roust the memory by pointing right at those previous events. That said, there is never a point where one needs to remember the full details of an old episode to understand the context of a plot or character beat.
This is also true of the elements that the author pulled in from other books he’s written in the Trek universe, some going back more than a decade. Knowledge or memory of those earlier works will help round out some of the references and revelations in this book, as they complement each other well, but again, it’s not necessary to have that background.
Despite juggling two different time periods and more than a few plot elements, the book is very straightforward. I read this in the space of a few hours over the course of a week. In fact, it’s so straightforward that it’s very easy to miss the clues to one of the reveals at the end of the book. The author uses one of his more well-trodden personal tropes to great effect, since it’s easy to write off a certain character as literary “eye candy”, and thus overlook what is later rather obvious.
If one is looking for a relatively light and easy foray into the Trek universe, this is a good place to turn. If one has already read several earlier books by the author, then it’s a solid addition to his lineup.
April 28, 2012
Star trek meets classic sci-fi story-telling...,
I really liked this approach of showing a new facet of the star trek universe; if the mission of the USS Lewis & Clark in 2020 reminded me many times of Arthur C. Clarke's ground-breaking Space Odysseys, so had it much more characterization and philosophy in it, which always were part of good star trek yarn. But the story also takes political, social and economic issues in account, such as the ramifications the present day economic crisis would have to such an ambitious space mission merely 8 years from now and mixes it with star trek historic footnotes. Also the problems to body and mind Colonel Shaun Christopher and Captain James T. Kirk experienced respectively, misplaced in time with the unfamiliar environmental conditions they find themselves in was believable described. The plot paced at Stardate 7103.4 at the mining colony Klondike VI, which is orbiting a ringed gas giant not unlike Saturn read like an Action scifi-movie full of special effects and offers the reader a glimpse how an astronaut out from 2020 may experience the future of the 23rd century . All in all one of the best classic Star trek yarn I was reading in a while and maybe of the best in respects of classical science fiction I can only highly recommend "The Rings of Time" by Greg Cox.
I really liked this approach of showing a new facet of the star trek universe; if the mission of the USS Lewis & Clark in 2020 reminded me many times of Arthur C. Clarke's ground-breaking Space Odysseys, so had it much more characterization and philosophy in it, which always were part of good star trek yarn. But the story also takes political, social and economic issues in account, such as the ramifications the present day economic crisis would have to such an ambitious space mission merely 8 years from now and mixes it with star trek historic footnotes. Also the problems to body and mind Colonel Shaun Christopher and Captain James T. Kirk experienced respectively, misplaced in time with the unfamiliar environmental conditions they find themselves in was believable described. The plot paced at Stardate 7103.4 at the mining colony Klondike VI, which is orbiting a ringed gas giant not unlike Saturn read like an Action scifi-movie full of special effects and offers the reader a glimpse how an astronaut out from 2020 may experience the future of the 23rd century . All in all one of the best classic Star trek yarn I was reading in a while and maybe of the best in respects of classical science fiction I can only highly recommend "The Rings of Time" by Greg Cox.
April 16, 2021
i liked it it was a solid read i liked that you were in the year 2020 and then the year 2370. it had a great story and it had echoes of the original series episode Turnabout Intruder when Kirk swapped bodies with Janice Lester. Very good story it was one of those star trek books where you want to find out what's going to happen to the character e.g Kirk to see if he wil get back to his own time and body.
May 23, 2012
A fascinating time travel romp. I loved reading this.
May 21, 2024
Book #: 41
Title: Star Trek: The Rings of Time
Author: Greg Cox
Series: Star Trek
Format: 370 pages, Mass Market Paperback, own
Pub Date: First published February 1, 2012
Started: 5/3/24 Finished: 5/5/24
Awards:
Categories:
PS18 A book set in space; PS19 A book set in the future; GR11 A book with an X connection (X in author's name); GR15 A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX); GR21 A book with a title containing 6+ words; GR35 A science or science fiction book; GR37 A book that is part of a series; CCLS23 A Book about a TV Show; CCLS42 A Book with more than 200 Pages; CCLS44 A Science Fiction Book; A Book about Time Travel; A Book with Dual Timelines;
Rating: **** four out of five stars
In ST:TOS S1E21 "Tomorrow is Yesterday", the Enterprise journeys backwards in time to the 1960's and encounters Captain John Christopher, an Air Force pilot. They have to return him to his own timeline because his son Shaun Christopher is destined to be an astronaut and lead the first manned expedition to Saturn. It's now 2020, the book was published in 2012, and Colonel Shaun Christopher is leading the USS Lewis and Clark, the first manned expedition to Saturn. Saturn is a gas giant with a mysterious hexagon surmounting its north pole. But the mission is far more complicated than they expected. First, they find a stowaway on board. Next, they discover the rings of Saturn and the mysterious hexagon are both collapsing in on themselves. A mysterious alien probe fires into hexagon which begins to increase back to its regular size and the rings right themselves and resume their regular orbits. Colonel Shaun Christopher spacewalks in an attempt to capture the probe, but as soon as he makes contact, he finds himself transported thru space and time and into the body of Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise.
Stardate 7103.4 The Enterprise has been responds to a urgent distress call from a mining colony orbiting Klondike VI, a ringed gas giant whose rings contain dilithium crystals. Like Saturn, Klondike VI also has a hexagon surmounting its north pole. The rings and the hexagon are both collapsing in on themselves. The rings are battering the colony and pushing it into the planet's gravity well where it will burn up in entry. There are far more colonists than the Enterprise could possibly rescue. The probe appears again, much older, battered, and barely functional. The probe orients itself with the hexagon and then dies without firing. Kirk orders the probe beamed aboard. As soon as he touches it, he finds himself transported thru space and time and into the body of Colonel Shaun Christopher of the USS Lewis and Clark.
Greg Fox has written an insane number of "Media Tie-In" novels for an impressive number of SF TV shows. He's even won awards for a few of them. This novel is an homage to the original series, and you could almost make a drinking game out of the sheer number of ST:TOS episodes he manages to reference in this novel. Both Christopher and Kirk attempt to carry out an impersonation of each other to avoid being committed or disrupting the timeline. Both fail. However, each man brings a knowledge of their times' technology to their current end of the common problem. I have to admit the plot twist caught me completely flat footed, I never saw it coming despite the hints Greg dropped.
Title: Star Trek: The Rings of Time
Author: Greg Cox
Series: Star Trek
Format: 370 pages, Mass Market Paperback, own
Pub Date: First published February 1, 2012
Started: 5/3/24 Finished: 5/5/24
Awards:
Categories:
PS18 A book set in space; PS19 A book set in the future; GR11 A book with an X connection (X in author's name); GR15 A book whose author’s name includes one of the 4 least used letters in the alphabet (JQZX); GR21 A book with a title containing 6+ words; GR35 A science or science fiction book; GR37 A book that is part of a series; CCLS23 A Book about a TV Show; CCLS42 A Book with more than 200 Pages; CCLS44 A Science Fiction Book; A Book about Time Travel; A Book with Dual Timelines;
Rating: **** four out of five stars
In ST:TOS S1E21 "Tomorrow is Yesterday", the Enterprise journeys backwards in time to the 1960's and encounters Captain John Christopher, an Air Force pilot. They have to return him to his own timeline because his son Shaun Christopher is destined to be an astronaut and lead the first manned expedition to Saturn. It's now 2020, the book was published in 2012, and Colonel Shaun Christopher is leading the USS Lewis and Clark, the first manned expedition to Saturn. Saturn is a gas giant with a mysterious hexagon surmounting its north pole. But the mission is far more complicated than they expected. First, they find a stowaway on board. Next, they discover the rings of Saturn and the mysterious hexagon are both collapsing in on themselves. A mysterious alien probe fires into hexagon which begins to increase back to its regular size and the rings right themselves and resume their regular orbits. Colonel Shaun Christopher spacewalks in an attempt to capture the probe, but as soon as he makes contact, he finds himself transported thru space and time and into the body of Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise.
Stardate 7103.4 The Enterprise has been responds to a urgent distress call from a mining colony orbiting Klondike VI, a ringed gas giant whose rings contain dilithium crystals. Like Saturn, Klondike VI also has a hexagon surmounting its north pole. The rings and the hexagon are both collapsing in on themselves. The rings are battering the colony and pushing it into the planet's gravity well where it will burn up in entry. There are far more colonists than the Enterprise could possibly rescue. The probe appears again, much older, battered, and barely functional. The probe orients itself with the hexagon and then dies without firing. Kirk orders the probe beamed aboard. As soon as he touches it, he finds himself transported thru space and time and into the body of Colonel Shaun Christopher of the USS Lewis and Clark.
Greg Fox has written an insane number of "Media Tie-In" novels for an impressive number of SF TV shows. He's even won awards for a few of them. This novel is an homage to the original series, and you could almost make a drinking game out of the sheer number of ST:TOS episodes he manages to reference in this novel. Both Christopher and Kirk attempt to carry out an impersonation of each other to avoid being committed or disrupting the timeline. Both fail. However, each man brings a knowledge of their times' technology to their current end of the common problem. I have to admit the plot twist caught me completely flat footed, I never saw it coming despite the hints Greg dropped.
December 28, 2017
I don't know if it's just because I've been away from the series for a bit or if it's because much of the other genre fiction I've read lately has been disappointing me, but it's a pleasure to read a good old-fashioned stand-alone Star Trek novel that is fast-paced, coherent and entertaining. Greg Cox has written several previous Trek novels that I enjoyed, including the Eugenics Wars series, but this may be his most complete effort to date.
In the year 2020, the U.S.S. Lewis and Clark sets out on a mission to explore Saturn under the command of Colonel Shaun Christopher. Upon arrival, they find that the rings of Saturn are beginning to decay. While they are researching this phenomenon, an alien artifact appears over a hexagon shaped storm in the planet's atmosphere and Christopher heads out to investigate.
In the 23rd century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise receive an urgent distress call from a far-flung mining colony above a gas giant planet whose rings are beginning to disintegrate, putting the colony in extreme danger. When they arrive, they find a mysterious alien probe in the system which they transport on board to investigate. Could it have something to do with the collapse of the rings and the strange hexagon-shaped storm on the planet below? But when Kirk touches the probe, he suddenly finds himself in a bulky old space suit, high above the planet Saturn.
Cox borrows elements from a whole bunch of Original Series episodes here, focusing primarily on "The Paradise Syndrome" and "Tomorrow is Yesterday" but also briefly referencing "The Squire of Gothos" and "Turnabout Intruder" among others. What emerges is a story that actually feels like it is made from the whole cloth of the larger Star Trek universe. He handles the characters and their relationships quite deftly and the dialogue is witty and authentic.
What's more, most of the science seems pretty plausible. Sure, the use of alien technology to resolve certain dilemmas represents a huge Deus ex Machina, but within the Star Trek universe, alien technology is a given, much as traveling in time and space instantaneously is for Doctor Who. Within the world of the 2020 expedition, Cox seems to have done his homework and the ways in which the astronauts interact with their ship and their environment seem realistic. The realism of the 21st century expedition also allows for some "fish out of water" moments as Kirk has to get up to speed on much more primitive spacefaring techniques.
The book jumps back and forth between the two timelines, letting the events unfold in each place at their own pace. The final resolution of the crises in both timelines requires the unique skills and knowledge of both crews, another piece I really appreciated.
I have one minor plot quibble with this book, but I can't reveal it without giving away one of the book's big reveals. And that slight misstep is not enough to dampen my overall enthusiasm for this particular novel. This book flew by for me, and may be one of the most entertaining Original Series books I have read. Recommended.
In the year 2020, the U.S.S. Lewis and Clark sets out on a mission to explore Saturn under the command of Colonel Shaun Christopher. Upon arrival, they find that the rings of Saturn are beginning to decay. While they are researching this phenomenon, an alien artifact appears over a hexagon shaped storm in the planet's atmosphere and Christopher heads out to investigate.
In the 23rd century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise receive an urgent distress call from a far-flung mining colony above a gas giant planet whose rings are beginning to disintegrate, putting the colony in extreme danger. When they arrive, they find a mysterious alien probe in the system which they transport on board to investigate. Could it have something to do with the collapse of the rings and the strange hexagon-shaped storm on the planet below? But when Kirk touches the probe, he suddenly finds himself in a bulky old space suit, high above the planet Saturn.
Cox borrows elements from a whole bunch of Original Series episodes here, focusing primarily on "The Paradise Syndrome" and "Tomorrow is Yesterday" but also briefly referencing "The Squire of Gothos" and "Turnabout Intruder" among others. What emerges is a story that actually feels like it is made from the whole cloth of the larger Star Trek universe. He handles the characters and their relationships quite deftly and the dialogue is witty and authentic.
What's more, most of the science seems pretty plausible. Sure, the use of alien technology to resolve certain dilemmas represents a huge Deus ex Machina, but within the Star Trek universe, alien technology is a given, much as traveling in time and space instantaneously is for Doctor Who. Within the world of the 2020 expedition, Cox seems to have done his homework and the ways in which the astronauts interact with their ship and their environment seem realistic. The realism of the 21st century expedition also allows for some "fish out of water" moments as Kirk has to get up to speed on much more primitive spacefaring techniques.
The book jumps back and forth between the two timelines, letting the events unfold in each place at their own pace. The final resolution of the crises in both timelines requires the unique skills and knowledge of both crews, another piece I really appreciated.
I have one minor plot quibble with this book, but I can't reveal it without giving away one of the book's big reveals. And that slight misstep is not enough to dampen my overall enthusiasm for this particular novel. This book flew by for me, and may be one of the most entertaining Original Series books I have read. Recommended.
July 14, 2017
There is a book that comes alone once in a while that is SO engrossing that you get lost in it. And this book did it for me. I loved the dual time lines, going between the 23rd and 21st centuries as Kirk and Shaun Christoper (Captain John Christopher from the "Tomorrow is Yesterday" TOS episode) trade bodies. I learned some things about Saturn that I didn't know about, like there is a hexagon shape at the planet's North pole and there is a similar hexagon shape on Klondike VI in the 23rd century. There are some twists and turns, what I love about Kirk is that no matter what century he finds himself in, even in someone else's body, he can out think any desperate situation. He doesn't believe in the no-win scenario. I read some of this book while riding the bus to and from work and I almost missed my stops :) The sad thing about this book was that it had to end. Greg Cox is one of my fave authors and this book is one of my favorites.
July 26, 2024
I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard Harry Potter, YouTube, or Submariner comics mentioned in Star Trek before. The latter is strange given the past crossovers with X-Men.
This one is split between two time periods: 2020 and 2270 (pretty much the end of the 5-year mission). Given that this came out 2012, 2020 is obviously different from expected, and involves a Saturn mission with a stowaway. Planet rings and a probe tie the periods together as this becomes a fascinating Quantum Leap type story. The dialogue was very snappy, making this a breezy read.
As I was reading, I also inferred that Zoe Querez and Qat Zaldana may have been named after Zoe Saldana. Having finished the story, I feel that’s even more likely.
Also thought it was strange having a character mention Khan was attractive tyrant or not. Cox did write the Khan novels, so I guess references (including his activities in the ‘90s) were bound to pop up here.
This one is split between two time periods: 2020 and 2270 (pretty much the end of the 5-year mission). Given that this came out 2012, 2020 is obviously different from expected, and involves a Saturn mission with a stowaway. Planet rings and a probe tie the periods together as this becomes a fascinating Quantum Leap type story. The dialogue was very snappy, making this a breezy read.
As I was reading, I also inferred that Zoe Querez and Qat Zaldana may have been named after Zoe Saldana. Having finished the story, I feel that’s even more likely.
Also thought it was strange having a character mention Khan was attractive tyrant or not. Cox did write the Khan novels, so I guess references (including his activities in the ‘90s) were bound to pop up here.
August 21, 2018
The Rings of Time is an adventurous, coherent, and entertaining story that features the crew of the USS Enterprise (from the 23rd century) and the crew of the USS Lewis and Clark (from 2020.)
The book jumps back and forth between the two timelines and also has a Freaky Friday-esque plot device. I enjoyed how both crews are able to use the expertise from a member of the other crew in order to successfully reach a resolution. I also liked how Cox kept the characters feeling like their genuine selves.
There were a number of original series episodes referenced in the text including "The Paradise Syndrome," "Squire of Gothos," "Tomorrow is Yesterday," and "Turnabout Intruder." I would say that it wouldn't hurt to re-familiarize yourself with those if you haven't watched them in awhile.
Fun stuff. :)
The book jumps back and forth between the two timelines and also has a Freaky Friday-esque plot device. I enjoyed how both crews are able to use the expertise from a member of the other crew in order to successfully reach a resolution. I also liked how Cox kept the characters feeling like their genuine selves.
There were a number of original series episodes referenced in the text including "The Paradise Syndrome," "Squire of Gothos," "Tomorrow is Yesterday," and "Turnabout Intruder." I would say that it wouldn't hurt to re-familiarize yourself with those if you haven't watched them in awhile.
Fun stuff. :)
April 29, 2024
Rating 3.5
Overall I thought this was better than I was expecting. The two time period stories are both interesting even if the earlier one definitely held the attention more.
Even though I have watched and read a lot of Star Trek over the years wouldn’t really count myself as a hard core fan of the various shows, so I no doubt missed some of the references to other stories. Some reviewers have said that these were a bit too much but for me nothing seemed really overdone.
The ending is probably what dropped it from 4 to 3 tbh, the resolve of the stowaway storyline didn’t work for me for whatever reason but as a whole it was a really enjoyable read.
Definite recommendation I think for casual Star Trek readers as well as long time fans
Overall I thought this was better than I was expecting. The two time period stories are both interesting even if the earlier one definitely held the attention more.
Even though I have watched and read a lot of Star Trek over the years wouldn’t really count myself as a hard core fan of the various shows, so I no doubt missed some of the references to other stories. Some reviewers have said that these were a bit too much but for me nothing seemed really overdone.
The ending is probably what dropped it from 4 to 3 tbh, the resolve of the stowaway storyline didn’t work for me for whatever reason but as a whole it was a really enjoyable read.
Definite recommendation I think for casual Star Trek readers as well as long time fans
August 14, 2017
Just today in the newspaper: "NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun its final five orbits around Saturn "
What can be more appropriate? Far-fetched and fairly predictable but with a good explanation at the end and a big surprise so possible and surprising... Beautiful use of the juxtaposition beetween persons, time, place, etc - the contract alone makes it worthwile reading.
Plenty of action, combat and some humour - my favourite ingredients.
A not so subtle hint to the present where HEL from the book stands for groups all over the world that we see rise and take over today. There is hope, if we believe in Star Trek, but WWIII first has to be fought.
What can be more appropriate? Far-fetched and fairly predictable but with a good explanation at the end and a big surprise so possible and surprising... Beautiful use of the juxtaposition beetween persons, time, place, etc - the contract alone makes it worthwile reading.
Plenty of action, combat and some humour - my favourite ingredients.
A not so subtle hint to the present where HEL from the book stands for groups all over the world that we see rise and take over today. There is hope, if we believe in Star Trek, but WWIII first has to be fought.
February 6, 2023
The Governor of Skagway, a mining colony on one of the moons of Klondyke VI, begs the Federation for help when the Saturn-like rings around the planet begin to collapse and drag the moon towards the planet's surface. The U.S.S. 'Enterprise' is the only ship in range. Whilst investigating an alien probe which appears to be analysing the collapse of the rings, Captain Kirk is hurled back into the dawn of space exploration and a similar crisis on Saturn in 2020.
Cox is faithful to the style and substance of 'Star Trek', making the "history" of 'Star Trek' feel real and believable. The plot is designed to tie into Cox's other novels and the climax links the past, present and future together.
Cox is faithful to the style and substance of 'Star Trek', making the "history" of 'Star Trek' feel real and believable. The plot is designed to tie into Cox's other novels and the climax links the past, present and future together.
September 29, 2024
A strange and interesting caper across time. Makes me want to learn more about IRL space so it earns points for that. Not as predictable as the last book I read from this author, which is appreciated.
This author is still really heavy on the episode references (in my opinion, in ways that are unnecessarily wordy. You can mention canon locations and characters and IYKYK. If you don’t know, you get to find out, and how lucky you are! We don’t need a paragraph per reference though.)
The last chapter seems to be aiming to introduce the Q, and I don’t know how I feel about that. Everything else was pretty on point though.
This author is still really heavy on the episode references (in my opinion, in ways that are unnecessarily wordy. You can mention canon locations and characters and IYKYK. If you don’t know, you get to find out, and how lucky you are! We don’t need a paragraph per reference though.)
The last chapter seems to be aiming to introduce the Q, and I don’t know how I feel about that. Everything else was pretty on point though.
February 16, 2025
I'm not a huge fan of time-hopping stories that jump from one period to the next and then back again. There's a character in the book that in the end seems remarkably like a more modern prankster that appears in Trek lore. But, it wasn't a difficult read and was mildly interesting as Trek adventures go.
February 18, 2019
Labor of love. I like Cox's work and this book is true to Star Trek. I always thought it weird when Star Trek books "forget" the history but had a memory almost every other page. I am pretty sure Kirk did not know about his son till Wrath of Khan. Still fun.
June 4, 2020
REALLY good story about time travel and the NASA space program and alien encounters and all sorts of stuff. And Cox has clearly done his homework, his descriptions of current space travel sound interesting and totally plausible. Loved this one.
February 10, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the hopping back and forth between time periods. The 2020 time period was my favorite.
April 2, 2025
Good story! well written!
If you want a good read with some of your favorite Star Trek characters then I believe you will enjoy this book. Pure fun!
Mark Bowser
Author of “Some Gave it All” w/Danny Lane and “ Thrown IN”
If you want a good read with some of your favorite Star Trek characters then I believe you will enjoy this book. Pure fun!
Mark Bowser
Author of “Some Gave it All” w/Danny Lane and “ Thrown IN”
August 9, 2025
An interesting premise, but only moderately well executed. More than the usual hand-waiving to solve problems, and while I appreciate fan service, it was a little overdone and clunky here. But the basic story was good and characters well written.
May 8, 2019
Great Star Trek novel, highly recommended it. Make sure you know your Star Trek history.
December 28, 2020
One of the better ST:TOS novels.
October 15, 2021
This is the first Trek novel I've read, and it's a fine entry into canon. There are many references to other adventures and times, and the story is compelling.
June 9, 2023
To many spoilers for other books in the series by this authour fir my liking
September 2, 2024
Classic Star Trek - This read like an episode from the Original Series - Really Enjoyed it - Fast Read
July 16, 2024
A fun classic Star Trek adventure!
In another timeline humanity sends its first manned mission to Saturn in the year 2020, but things aren’t what they expected… In the years 2020 and 2270, two crews encounter a similar anomaly appearing at the North Pole of ringed gas giants. Is there a connection across 250 years? (Yes, obviously, it’s Star Trek)
Rings of Time feels just like an episode of Star Trek The Original Series, and is set in an imaginary “season 4” time frame. Just like many TOS stories, the novel primarily focuses on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but the characters in the 2020 portion of the story are also very fleshed out. This was a super quick read, and it was just what I needed to get back into Star Trek. Honestly, this would be a great first read for any Star Trek TOS fans.
In another timeline humanity sends its first manned mission to Saturn in the year 2020, but things aren’t what they expected… In the years 2020 and 2270, two crews encounter a similar anomaly appearing at the North Pole of ringed gas giants. Is there a connection across 250 years? (Yes, obviously, it’s Star Trek)
Rings of Time feels just like an episode of Star Trek The Original Series, and is set in an imaginary “season 4” time frame. Just like many TOS stories, the novel primarily focuses on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but the characters in the 2020 portion of the story are also very fleshed out. This was a super quick read, and it was just what I needed to get back into Star Trek. Honestly, this would be a great first read for any Star Trek TOS fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews