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Star Trek: Movie Novelizations #2
Star Trek Into Darkness
The official movie tie-in novelization of the highly anticipated sequel to 2009’s blockbuster feature film Star Trek !
Months after the dramatic events seen in the 2009 blockbuster film Star Trek, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise—including Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer Spock, Doctor Leonard McCoy, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, and Ensign Pavel Chekov—is called back home. But an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has declared all-out war on Starfleet and everything it stands for, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. Now with a personal score to settle as a result, Kirk must lead a covert manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. As these valiant heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Captain Kirk has his crew.
Months after the dramatic events seen in the 2009 blockbuster film Star Trek, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise—including Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer Spock, Doctor Leonard McCoy, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, and Ensign Pavel Chekov—is called back home. But an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has declared all-out war on Starfleet and everything it stands for, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. Now with a personal score to settle as a result, Kirk must lead a covert manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. As these valiant heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Captain Kirk has his crew.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
94 people are currently reading
1239 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,033 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 7, 2017
As great as the movie!
This is the novelization of the second film in the new parallel universe of "Star Trek" introduced in the previous movie of 2009, commonly known as "Abramsverse" or "Kelvin Timeline".
THE RICHNESS OF A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
When I watched this film, all my still reservations about this new parallel universe were solved and I totally was able to embrace this concept as another bold addition to the franchise.
I wanted to read the novelization to check if I can get some new details or deeper insight about the story.
It wasn't the case, BUT...
...it was a good reading experience!
Since it's the novelization of a really good film! So still you win at reading it!
Star Trek into Darkness proved that the new parallel universe had real potential to show an interesting alternate history of Star Trek taking in account with careful notice to details of how the things happened in the original universe.
Taking the non-travelled paths and/or presenting amusing alternate situations.
Everything that you love in a parallel universe based on an already known established fiction franchise.
INTO GREATNESS
In the previous film, the arrival of the ship of the villain Nero gave birth to a new parallel universe.
The ship of Nero was from the future (even a future ahead of where the expanded universe prose books are nowadays) and it was a vessel so powerful that scared to all the major powers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, and this very fact provoked a cascade of events that you can appreciate in this sequel.
The Federation accelerated its exploration program generating to "find" several advanced technologies and alien species way before than in the original universe.
The Klingon Empire suffered a heavy loss in its battle fleet, so they needed to mine a lot faster to Praxis, one of its moons and key facility of dilithium, generating its explotion way before than in the original universe...
...in a moment where the Federation hadn't any reason or eagerness to negotiate any peace treaty and/or to help them in any way.
DIFFERENT KIRK, BUT STILL KIRK
One thing that bothered me a lot in the previous film was that Jim Kirk was too young to be a captain of a starship.
HOWEVER, while he still was quite young, on this sequel, there is a moment where this Jim Kirk, of this parallel universe, he admits that very fact...
...he tells to Spock that he isn't still prepared to "the big chair" and that...
...SOLD ME this Jim Kirk.
There isn't anything better to appreciate the greatness of a character when he/she admits without reservations his/her limitations and/or weaknesses.
Humility and self-honesty are the best ways to achieve greatness.
ALTERNATE TAKES, THE WHOLE POINT OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES
The story "played" brilliantly with the factor "what if" interchanging roles of Kirk and Spock in the climax of the story that I think it's the very beauty of watching/reading a parallel universe.
Being able to know an alternate approach.
I've been a "Trekker" for more than 20 years (and counting!) and while I had needed some time to accept a new "spin-off" or an "alternate universe", at the end, I've been able to appreciate the potential and personality of each new addition, knowing that with each one of those, the franchise just get stronger and stronger.
Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
This is the novelization of the second film in the new parallel universe of "Star Trek" introduced in the previous movie of 2009, commonly known as "Abramsverse" or "Kelvin Timeline".
THE RICHNESS OF A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
When I watched this film, all my still reservations about this new parallel universe were solved and I totally was able to embrace this concept as another bold addition to the franchise.
I wanted to read the novelization to check if I can get some new details or deeper insight about the story.
It wasn't the case, BUT...
...it was a good reading experience!
Since it's the novelization of a really good film! So still you win at reading it!
Star Trek into Darkness proved that the new parallel universe had real potential to show an interesting alternate history of Star Trek taking in account with careful notice to details of how the things happened in the original universe.
Taking the non-travelled paths and/or presenting amusing alternate situations.
Everything that you love in a parallel universe based on an already known established fiction franchise.
INTO GREATNESS
In the previous film, the arrival of the ship of the villain Nero gave birth to a new parallel universe.
The ship of Nero was from the future (even a future ahead of where the expanded universe prose books are nowadays) and it was a vessel so powerful that scared to all the major powers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, and this very fact provoked a cascade of events that you can appreciate in this sequel.
The Federation accelerated its exploration program generating to "find" several advanced technologies and alien species way before than in the original universe.
The Klingon Empire suffered a heavy loss in its battle fleet, so they needed to mine a lot faster to Praxis, one of its moons and key facility of dilithium, generating its explotion way before than in the original universe...
...in a moment where the Federation hadn't any reason or eagerness to negotiate any peace treaty and/or to help them in any way.
DIFFERENT KIRK, BUT STILL KIRK
One thing that bothered me a lot in the previous film was that Jim Kirk was too young to be a captain of a starship.
HOWEVER, while he still was quite young, on this sequel, there is a moment where this Jim Kirk, of this parallel universe, he admits that very fact...
...he tells to Spock that he isn't still prepared to "the big chair" and that...
...SOLD ME this Jim Kirk.
There isn't anything better to appreciate the greatness of a character when he/she admits without reservations his/her limitations and/or weaknesses.
Humility and self-honesty are the best ways to achieve greatness.
ALTERNATE TAKES, THE WHOLE POINT OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES
The story "played" brilliantly with the factor "what if" interchanging roles of Kirk and Spock in the climax of the story that I think it's the very beauty of watching/reading a parallel universe.
Being able to know an alternate approach.
I've been a "Trekker" for more than 20 years (and counting!) and while I had needed some time to accept a new "spin-off" or an "alternate universe", at the end, I've been able to appreciate the potential and personality of each new addition, knowing that with each one of those, the franchise just get stronger and stronger.
Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.
July 31, 2016
Well, honesty, I still don't why Uhura and Spock were so unprofessional on the shuttle. It's workmen like but not as a engaging as the novelization of the first movie.
Quick read though.
(Actually, I need to dig out my Log books, but the old cat is sleeping in front of them and I don't want to move her. I'm such a wimp.)
Quick read though.
(Actually, I need to dig out my Log books, but the old cat is sleeping in front of them and I don't want to move her. I'm such a wimp.)
January 18, 2016
This book is so terrible. I got to the point where the Star Fleet "Library" gets blown up and I couldn't read any more. The author is the king of purple prose. It was so incongruous with the inserted dialogue from the movies. I had to fight several urges to just throw the book across the room, so I just decided to never finish it. 1/10, D-, would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2017
Another good one from the Abramsverse Star Trek universe.
July 1, 2022
I bought this book back when the earth was new ... okay 2013
Probably after I saw the very disappointing movie
When I stumbled over it I thought I will give it another glance. And 9 years later it was fun to revisit
Probably after I saw the very disappointing movie
When I stumbled over it I thought I will give it another glance. And 9 years later it was fun to revisit
June 20, 2013
Fine Novelization of “Star Trek Into Darkness” from Alan Dean Foster
Having been a huge fan of Alan Dean Foster’s earlier “Star Trek” novels based on the animated series as well as his own substantial body of original space opera science fiction, it was only logical that I would read his novelization of “Star Trek Into Darkness”, the second film directed by J. J. Abrams and the twelfth in the cinematic franchise. Working from one of the final drafts of the screenplay co-written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, Foster does an admirable job in fleshing out the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura, as well as in exploring further, the emotionally complex personalities of Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus and Commander John Harrison, who does identify himself as “Khan”, the vain, power-hungry villain of The Original Series episode “Space Speed” and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”; the latter most people would regard still as the best “Star Trek” movie ever filmed and one that is light-years ahead of “Star Trek Into Darkness” with regards to its writing and direction and acting. (However, I recommend viewing “Star Trek Into Darkness” merely to watch Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Khan.) To his credit, Foster depicts Marcus and Khan as two very obsessed, emotionally complex, personalities; in Marcus’ case, it is a grave concern that Starfleet may not be prepared to meet the potential threat posed by an expansionist, aggressive Klingon Empire; in Khan’s, it is to ensure his survival and that of his 72 frozen shipmates. Foster has written a compelling readable page-turner that is among the better novelizations of a film I have read, and, frankly, he has written a novel far more compelling than the movie itself. A novel that does a most admirable job in depicting the paranoid behavior of troubled protagonists like Marcus and Khan, and how Starfleet has changed in the aftermath of the destruction of the planet Vulcan as seen in the earlier J. J. Abrams’ directed “Star Trek” film. This is a novel that warrants favorable comparisons with Foster’s earlier “Star Trek” fiction.
Having been a huge fan of Alan Dean Foster’s earlier “Star Trek” novels based on the animated series as well as his own substantial body of original space opera science fiction, it was only logical that I would read his novelization of “Star Trek Into Darkness”, the second film directed by J. J. Abrams and the twelfth in the cinematic franchise. Working from one of the final drafts of the screenplay co-written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, Foster does an admirable job in fleshing out the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura, as well as in exploring further, the emotionally complex personalities of Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus and Commander John Harrison, who does identify himself as “Khan”, the vain, power-hungry villain of The Original Series episode “Space Speed” and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”; the latter most people would regard still as the best “Star Trek” movie ever filmed and one that is light-years ahead of “Star Trek Into Darkness” with regards to its writing and direction and acting. (However, I recommend viewing “Star Trek Into Darkness” merely to watch Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Khan.) To his credit, Foster depicts Marcus and Khan as two very obsessed, emotionally complex, personalities; in Marcus’ case, it is a grave concern that Starfleet may not be prepared to meet the potential threat posed by an expansionist, aggressive Klingon Empire; in Khan’s, it is to ensure his survival and that of his 72 frozen shipmates. Foster has written a compelling readable page-turner that is among the better novelizations of a film I have read, and, frankly, he has written a novel far more compelling than the movie itself. A novel that does a most admirable job in depicting the paranoid behavior of troubled protagonists like Marcus and Khan, and how Starfleet has changed in the aftermath of the destruction of the planet Vulcan as seen in the earlier J. J. Abrams’ directed “Star Trek” film. This is a novel that warrants favorable comparisons with Foster’s earlier “Star Trek” fiction.
January 3, 2023
This isn't a patch on The Wrath of Khan, but it's still enjoyable - I think I liked it more than the movie, to be honest. Although I've forgotten most of the movie, so it can't have been that great. The strength of the adaptation is how well it portrays Kirk as simply not being entirely ready to be captain. He's immature, hotheaded, and thinks he's kind of above the rules that the rest of Starfleet has to play by. In all fairness, sometimes that pays off, but it's unsustainable and frankly dangerous over the long run. The Captain Kirk of that original five year mission could be impulsive, but he was more often calculating and measured. He was a good captain - and Kirk, here, is not so much. He redeems himself with the big sacrifice at the end, but Foster's characterisation is almost too successful. Spock ends up looking like the more competent option for captain, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Extra points for Scotty, though, who is willing to resign - and does - because he's not willing to cut corners in a way that would endanger the ship and his crewmates. It's thoroughly admirable of him, and it's nice to see him highlighted in this way.
Extra points for Scotty, though, who is willing to resign - and does - because he's not willing to cut corners in a way that would endanger the ship and his crewmates. It's thoroughly admirable of him, and it's nice to see him highlighted in this way.
June 18, 2013
Star Trek Into Darkness.
Short review
There is only one reason why you are reading this book. You are a Trekkie and want to know if any of the massive plot holes from the movie have been filled in through the healing power of literature. The answer: MIXED to POOR results.
Long review
Lets get to some details. Question answered in order of importance.
John Harrison is Khan, right? Right.
Does the convoluted plot of Admiral Marcus make sense now? No.
Does the convoluted plot of Khan make sense now? No.
Does Khan really "transwarp beam" all the way to the Klingon homeworld? No, that would be silly. He beams to an orbiting relay station, then hundreds of light years to Q'onos. Only his superhuman strength allows him to do this, you see, Theo.
Does the Enterprise really orbit the Klingon homeworld undetected? Yep. There are not a lot of Klingons at home.
How does the Enterprise warp from Q'onos (or Qo'Nos, depending on your accent) to Earth in 5 seconds? A wizard did it.
How come there are no other starships around when Marcus' supership is fighting the Enterprise? Friendly fire accidents happen all the time, says Marcus, its no big deal.
How come there are no other starships around when the Enterprise is crashing into Earth? um...
If Khans' blood can fix any medical problem, why can't the other 72 superhumans' blood do the same? McCoy has a lot of really bad excuses. It might be a waste of time. They might not be the same. No time to defrost them...
So now Khans' blood solves death, is everyone immortal? No. Khans' blood only works on Tribbles.
Wait, what? You heard me.
How does Uhura reach Elder Spock for Younger Spock's lifeline call? Its very complicated and Uhura does this kick-ass stuff and Spock calls her a Wizard. Not even kidding. So, I guess Uhura did the wizardry above too.
Did Kirk redeem the memory of his father/father figure again and grow as a person? I'm told he does.
LAST WORD:
Foster does his best... except for the third act, where he, like the screenwriters before him, just give up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2013
"Maybe it was because of all he had been forced to go through. But the James T. Kirk who solemnly greeted Starfleet personnel and civilians alike following the services was not the same man who had steered forth the Starship Enterprise on its most recent voyage. The boldness, the inescapable tendency to impetuosity: All of that was still there, but now it was leavened by a new maturity. It was a strange feeling, but it felt...right."
I know I may have mentioned this previously, but I really am not a fan of movie novelizations. This is basically because...I'm a book snob. There, I said it. And its true. But this book by Alan Dean Foster has forever changed the way I view books like this. I loved everything about it. The dialogue, the action, the storyline, and most of all the relationships between the characters. Jim, Scotty, Bones, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, and of course Spock; these guys are the reason I became a fan of Trek in the first place. That amazing camaraderie between these characters just shines through the pages and makes this book even more special than it already was.
I know I may have mentioned this previously, but I really am not a fan of movie novelizations. This is basically because...I'm a book snob. There, I said it. And its true. But this book by Alan Dean Foster has forever changed the way I view books like this. I loved everything about it. The dialogue, the action, the storyline, and most of all the relationships between the characters. Jim, Scotty, Bones, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, and of course Spock; these guys are the reason I became a fan of Trek in the first place. That amazing camaraderie between these characters just shines through the pages and makes this book even more special than it already was.
September 8, 2013
I really enjoyed the movie, but the book, which was read by Alice Eve, was also very well done. Alan Dean Foster, who also ghostwrote the original Star Wars novel and the first EU book, Splinters of the Mind's Eye, is a master at bringing movies to life in the written word as well. He elucidates some of the key moments, switching perspectives with ease. Considering the amount of characters he has to juggle, this is no mean feat. He does especially well with Kirk and Spock, and many of the key moments that they share. I know that many people dislike the movie for certain elements which parallel The Wrath of Khan, but I'd urge them to read the book as well, or even instead of the movie. I very nearly cried at certain moments, which shall go nameless for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, and I had already seen the movie. It was a touching book, filled with the action of the movie, and very well written. In the audio version,
Alice Eve gave a wonderful performance, giving all the characters unique voices, which isn't all that easy to do with such a large cast of characters. Either reading or listening to it is worth it.
Alice Eve gave a wonderful performance, giving all the characters unique voices, which isn't all that easy to do with such a large cast of characters. Either reading or listening to it is worth it.
May 1, 2019
Wonderful movie and a wonderful novelization
August 9, 2019
Listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a pretty good job on the different events, even Benedict Cumberbatch's disaffected Kahn.
January 21, 2023
Some bachelors who will be care about to save the world like some lesbian pairs and never get married
January 12, 2019
Two years before, I watched Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Trek Into Darkness is the sequel to Star Trek (2009). It is about the USS Enterprise crew who explore space. Int his particular movie, the Enterprise crew have to face off with a formidable foe – Khan (or more appropriately, KHAAAAN!!!).
The movie was full of action, tension, a fair amount of fun and had something to it that drew me to find out more about Star Trek than ever. However, there were a few bits of Star Trek Into Darkness that have left viewers (or maybe just me) not too sure what could have been happening, or perhaps all the science-y explanations left us wondering what?? afterwards. When I found out that there was a movie novelisation with the same name (written by Alan Dean Foster), I got excited and got my hands on a copy as soon as possible (coincidentally, as if answering to my wish, I found a copy, or well, a stack of copies at a bookstore).
The novelisation translated well from screen to page. The best part of the book, I would say, is the extra detail and descriptions, that lets readers gain more of an understanding of what is going on and why something matters. It definitely cleared up parts of the movie that were unclear or were too fast to be interpreted well on screen. This applies especially to scenes where Khan and Spock are “playing chess”. As they say, you do not play chess with a Vulcan.
I would still recommend watching the movie first before reading this book. It helps with visualising the scenes, starships and characters. Even so, it would also be completely alright to just watch the movie and not read the book. As mentioned, this book just clears up some things, even if they are trivial, such as the surprisingly British-accented Carol Marcus.
Alan Dean Foster uses big words sometimes. Words that I can hardly remember or understand and of which I unfortunately didn’t write down so I can’t remember them, which makes my point not all that strong. Still. It doesn’t affect the book on the whole or the reading process so I deem that more than acceptable, it’s not a problem. The writing was straightforward and the reader was made to understand the stakes and everything else directly. I understand that if you read the book while holding the movie scenes in your head, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience, which I would also recommend for you to do.
I enjoyed this book, partly I suppose because I enjoyed the movie. Still, there’s a lot that when out into words, can be quite fun, like that but where Spock is being jealous of newcomer Carol, which has been explored thoroughly on Tumblr, and there’s this quote from the movie that I wish had made it into the book.
The movie was full of action, tension, a fair amount of fun and had something to it that drew me to find out more about Star Trek than ever. However, there were a few bits of Star Trek Into Darkness that have left viewers (or maybe just me) not too sure what could have been happening, or perhaps all the science-y explanations left us wondering what?? afterwards. When I found out that there was a movie novelisation with the same name (written by Alan Dean Foster), I got excited and got my hands on a copy as soon as possible (coincidentally, as if answering to my wish, I found a copy, or well, a stack of copies at a bookstore).
He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can’t even break a rule – how can you be expected to break bone?
The novelisation translated well from screen to page. The best part of the book, I would say, is the extra detail and descriptions, that lets readers gain more of an understanding of what is going on and why something matters. It definitely cleared up parts of the movie that were unclear or were too fast to be interpreted well on screen. This applies especially to scenes where Khan and Spock are “playing chess”. As they say, you do not play chess with a Vulcan.
I would still recommend watching the movie first before reading this book. It helps with visualising the scenes, starships and characters. Even so, it would also be completely alright to just watch the movie and not read the book. As mentioned, this book just clears up some things, even if they are trivial, such as the surprisingly British-accented Carol Marcus.
Alan Dean Foster uses big words sometimes. Words that I can hardly remember or understand and of which I unfortunately didn’t write down so I can’t remember them, which makes my point not all that strong. Still. It doesn’t affect the book on the whole or the reading process so I deem that more than acceptable, it’s not a problem. The writing was straightforward and the reader was made to understand the stakes and everything else directly. I understand that if you read the book while holding the movie scenes in your head, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience, which I would also recommend for you to do.
I enjoyed this book, partly I suppose because I enjoyed the movie. Still, there’s a lot that when out into words, can be quite fun, like that but where Spock is being jealous of newcomer Carol, which has been explored thoroughly on Tumblr, and there’s this quote from the movie that I wish had made it into the book.
There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that’s not who we are.
January 3, 2019
2/10 Stars
I knew I wasn't going to enjoy this, and I should have avoided picking it up at all. Alan Dean Foster has a habit of overwriting. Endless paragraphs of cluttered sentences with similar structure (so many complex sentences with modifying clauses) made for a monotonous reading experience. And in his clear desire to follow the script, Foster misses so many opportunities to delve into the characters. Movie novelizations are supposed to give fans a look into complex inner thoughts--stuff that can't be portrayed easily in film. Instead, Foster gives a direct play-by-play interjected with scientific and technical explanations that would bore even Spock.
I knew I wasn't going to enjoy this, and I should have avoided picking it up at all. Alan Dean Foster has a habit of overwriting. Endless paragraphs of cluttered sentences with similar structure (so many complex sentences with modifying clauses) made for a monotonous reading experience. And in his clear desire to follow the script, Foster misses so many opportunities to delve into the characters. Movie novelizations are supposed to give fans a look into complex inner thoughts--stuff that can't be portrayed easily in film. Instead, Foster gives a direct play-by-play interjected with scientific and technical explanations that would bore even Spock.
August 8, 2013
This book was definitely more polished than the 2009 movie novelization. I have the blu ray pre-ordered, and reading this definitely has helped through the wait. Bring on September!
Alan Dean Foster is a solid writer. He depicted the story seamlessly. What I love about these novelizations is getting the opportunity to get in the characters' heads, rather than being a fly on the wall watching everything happen. It enhances the story a lot, particularly through the eyes of Kirk and Spock. If you enjoyed the movie, you'll likely benefit even more from this read.
Alan Dean Foster is a solid writer. He depicted the story seamlessly. What I love about these novelizations is getting the opportunity to get in the characters' heads, rather than being a fly on the wall watching everything happen. It enhances the story a lot, particularly through the eyes of Kirk and Spock. If you enjoyed the movie, you'll likely benefit even more from this read.
May 25, 2013
Surprise...It's way better than the movie - just like the last one!
Want to read
May 24, 2013I have to. Benedict played Khan so well I just have to.
May 28, 2013
I like how this fills in some small holes from the movie, like Dr. Marcus accent!!
June 3, 2013
I always liked the old tv series. I love Star Trek and excellent book. Can't wait to watch the movie.
June 12, 2013
Pretty readable, but not much information that wasn't in the movie
June 30, 2020
I have several bones to pick with this book and none of them have anything to do with Leonard McCoy. That being said, the overarching plot, provided by the movie which I already knew I loved, was still the same so three stars is where it sits.
I'm not sure if my opinion and overall audience experience with reading it would have been better or worse if I hadn't seen the movie first but more than once I found that the things that were added or changed either didn't fit with my own personal interpretations of characters and their actions in the movie, or directly contradicted things that I considered to be vital points of character development and therefore were very important to my perception of said characters and events.
The biggest problem I had was his characterization of Jim. At first it was small things like going out of the way to describe that he pushed people aside to make way for him to walk, but then I got to the part where It really, I felt, detracted from Jim's character. The change, on top of being unnecessary, actually damaged the character and my enjoyment of the book.
There were other smaller changes that I disagreed with, some for mere personal preference and my own interpretation of characters and their emotional reactions to events, others because they just seemed sloppy.
That being said, there were several things that were added that I really appreciated and enjoyed. The fact that, more than once, Khan and Spock were written as being similar, was really cool. The movie hints at drawing those comparisons, but the book just takes it a step further and it made for an interesting dynamic. There's a part where Jim describes one of Khan's actions as "disarmingly Spock-like" and I actually had to stop and just let that sink in for a bit. I also found it interesting that Khan was repeatedly described as looking at Kirk with pity which is an emotion I tend to consider outside of Khan's personal inventory, both in AOS and TOS, but it added a layer to the character that I'd never really considered before. Still not sure I agree but I don't strictly... disagree either. If that makes sense.
Other great lines include:
'But that was a long time ago, and that bitch reality kept poking him in the side with the ugly stick of immediacy.'
Scotty: "What'd you do to me core?"
Chekov: "Nothing. You can have it back!"
Jim is referred to as a game piece in the midst of a drawn out metaphor about Khan and Spock playing chess with each other.
Jim, to Spock: "[...] When Pike tells us we've been selected for the mission, I promise to exercise moderation by saying 'I told you so' only one time. Per day. For no more than several weeks, whose absolute number shall remain indeterminate until you express contrition."
So overall, the book offers some interesting insights and entertaining bits of dialogue and narration and, aside from a few glaring inconsistencies that may be frustrating to some (myself included) I would consider it worth the read if you want to delve a bit deeper into the universe of the movies. I personally found it to be more of a "take what you want from it as canon but leave the bits you don't like" experience, and after coming to that conclusion, I found reading it to be much more enjoyable.
I'm not sure if my opinion and overall audience experience with reading it would have been better or worse if I hadn't seen the movie first but more than once I found that the things that were added or changed either didn't fit with my own personal interpretations of characters and their actions in the movie, or directly contradicted things that I considered to be vital points of character development and therefore were very important to my perception of said characters and events.
The biggest problem I had was his characterization of Jim. At first it was small things like going out of the way to describe that he pushed people aside to make way for him to walk, but then I got to the part where It really, I felt, detracted from Jim's character. The change, on top of being unnecessary, actually damaged the character and my enjoyment of the book.
There were other smaller changes that I disagreed with, some for mere personal preference and my own interpretation of characters and their emotional reactions to events, others because they just seemed sloppy.
That being said, there were several things that were added that I really appreciated and enjoyed. The fact that, more than once, Khan and Spock were written as being similar, was really cool. The movie hints at drawing those comparisons, but the book just takes it a step further and it made for an interesting dynamic. There's a part where Jim describes one of Khan's actions as "disarmingly Spock-like" and I actually had to stop and just let that sink in for a bit. I also found it interesting that Khan was repeatedly described as looking at Kirk with pity which is an emotion I tend to consider outside of Khan's personal inventory, both in AOS and TOS, but it added a layer to the character that I'd never really considered before. Still not sure I agree but I don't strictly... disagree either. If that makes sense.
Other great lines include:
'But that was a long time ago, and that bitch reality kept poking him in the side with the ugly stick of immediacy.'
Scotty: "What'd you do to me core?"
Chekov: "Nothing. You can have it back!"
Jim is referred to as a game piece in the midst of a drawn out metaphor about Khan and Spock playing chess with each other.
Jim, to Spock: "[...] When Pike tells us we've been selected for the mission, I promise to exercise moderation by saying 'I told you so' only one time. Per day. For no more than several weeks, whose absolute number shall remain indeterminate until you express contrition."
So overall, the book offers some interesting insights and entertaining bits of dialogue and narration and, aside from a few glaring inconsistencies that may be frustrating to some (myself included) I would consider it worth the read if you want to delve a bit deeper into the universe of the movies. I personally found it to be more of a "take what you want from it as canon but leave the bits you don't like" experience, and after coming to that conclusion, I found reading it to be much more enjoyable.
September 12, 2019
Author Alan Dean Foster brings us the novelization of the 12th Star Trek feature film and the second in the Kelvin timeline. It should be noted that the book dose follow the events of the film but it is also based on a slightly early version of that script. The book opens up on the planet Nibiru where the crew of the Enterprise are trying to prevent the pre-warp civilization from being destroyed by a volcano in which Commander Spock has to set off a cold fusion device. Later once they do and the Enterprise's transporters can't lock onto Spock, Captain Kirk orders the starship to rise out of the water and head over the volcano violating the Prime Directive in order to save Spock. (Nitpicking here, the Enterprise is a starship and they should've been in orbit not in the ocean.) After this mission they are ordered back to Earth where Admiral Pike (Former Captain of the Enterprise) dresses down Kirk because he lied in his Captain's log. Pike also informs Kirk that because of this StarFleet has taken the Enterprise away from him and sent him back to the Academy. While this is going on a Section 31 building in London is destroyed by a man who was manipulated in order to save his daughter. This causes a meeting to happen in which Kirk is now Pike's first officer and all of the command officers in the sector are called in order to combat this move by 'John Harrison'. Admiral Marcus, the father of Carol Marcus (See Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and the novelization of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to know who she is) orders all of Starfleet on high alert to hunt down and kill 'Harrison". 'Harrison' attacks the meeting killing Admiral Pike and other starfleet officers before he transports away using Scotty's transwarp formula in order to transport to the Klingon homeworld. Marcus orders Kirk to follow and kill him setting off the events that lead to us learning that he is Khan (ST:TOS: Space Seed & STII: The Wrath of Khan) to and the discovery of Admiral Marcus's ship the Vengeance who fires on the Enterprise. This is a good novelization and one that I do recommend for any Star Trek fans.
May 20, 2022
Star Trek: Into Darkness is a novelization by Alan Dean Foster of the script of the movie. The audio book is read by Alice Eve who also starred in the movie.
This “story” was okay for the purpose I bought it for from a library book sale for a few dollars. I wanted something for an 8-hour car ride. It kept me awake and in my lane on the road.
From what I remember of the film, the author’s novelization kept true to the script. I don’t believe he added much extra material to expand on the story or explain any gaps that a movie may fail to cover. I’m sure his contract strictly defined what he was allowed or not allowed to do.
Alice Eve is a nice narrator to listen to. I was impressed with the way she handled all the various character voices. Maybe only with Khan’s voice I felt she was a little off. Her tone seemed more overtly evil than when I listen to Benedict Cumberbatch delivering his lines. That is just a minor point and may be my personal bias. Otherwise, she did a great job.
My major complaint is the same I had in seeing the movie, the story. In J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek the writers were lazy and instead of an original tale from Kirk’s early years, they just repackaged and reworked one of the best Star Trek movies with the original cast, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
They tried to be clever and hide the protagonist behind another character, but once we got the big reveal, they just reworked the best scenes and took the easy way out to structure their movie. Swapping out characters in some of the most heartfelt scenes filmed for Star Trek.
I really wish they would have gone with a more original tale. Even after all these decades, with a huge unexplored galaxy, there are unique stories left of strange new worlds, new life and new civilizations to tell. Too bad this story was not one of those.
This “story” was okay for the purpose I bought it for from a library book sale for a few dollars. I wanted something for an 8-hour car ride. It kept me awake and in my lane on the road.
From what I remember of the film, the author’s novelization kept true to the script. I don’t believe he added much extra material to expand on the story or explain any gaps that a movie may fail to cover. I’m sure his contract strictly defined what he was allowed or not allowed to do.
Alice Eve is a nice narrator to listen to. I was impressed with the way she handled all the various character voices. Maybe only with Khan’s voice I felt she was a little off. Her tone seemed more overtly evil than when I listen to Benedict Cumberbatch delivering his lines. That is just a minor point and may be my personal bias. Otherwise, she did a great job.
My major complaint is the same I had in seeing the movie, the story. In J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek the writers were lazy and instead of an original tale from Kirk’s early years, they just repackaged and reworked one of the best Star Trek movies with the original cast, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
They tried to be clever and hide the protagonist behind another character, but once we got the big reveal, they just reworked the best scenes and took the easy way out to structure their movie. Swapping out characters in some of the most heartfelt scenes filmed for Star Trek.
I really wish they would have gone with a more original tale. Even after all these decades, with a huge unexplored galaxy, there are unique stories left of strange new worlds, new life and new civilizations to tell. Too bad this story was not one of those.
April 1, 2019
Da brava super fan di Star Trek non potevo farmi sfuggire questo libro 🚀
Si tratta semplicemente del secondo film ma sottoforma di libro.
Dato che ho rivisto Into Darkness giusto qualche giorno fa ho potuto constatare che tutte le battute sono riportate in modo estremamente fedele e le scene riprendono esattamente quelle del film.
Ammetto di aver saltato giusto qualche scena iniziale e una o due verso la metà ma, anche se la memoria in questo caso era freschissima, non ho resistito alle scene con Khan uno dei personaggi migliori di Star Trek che ovviamente grazie al film ho potuto immaginare con la faccia di Benedict Cumberbach 🤣
Vista la mia ossessione per Spock ho amato tutte le scene con lui, lo amo tantissimo fin da quando ero piccolissima ♡
Tra l'altro devo ammettere che mi aspettavo uno stile di scrittura piuttosto blando, come mi capita spesso quando un libro è tratto da un film o da un videogioco, invece sono rimasta piacevolmente stupita dall'attenzione alla scrittura, dai dettagli e dal modo in cui le emozioni dei personaggi sono state trattate.
Ho avuto comunque modo di scoprire qualcosa in più sull'equipaggio e sul loro carattere quindi lo consiglio tantissimo a tutti i fan della serie!
Per il resto vi auguro lunga vita e prosperità 🖖🏻❤
Si tratta semplicemente del secondo film ma sottoforma di libro.
Dato che ho rivisto Into Darkness giusto qualche giorno fa ho potuto constatare che tutte le battute sono riportate in modo estremamente fedele e le scene riprendono esattamente quelle del film.
Ammetto di aver saltato giusto qualche scena iniziale e una o due verso la metà ma, anche se la memoria in questo caso era freschissima, non ho resistito alle scene con Khan uno dei personaggi migliori di Star Trek che ovviamente grazie al film ho potuto immaginare con la faccia di Benedict Cumberbach 🤣
Vista la mia ossessione per Spock ho amato tutte le scene con lui, lo amo tantissimo fin da quando ero piccolissima ♡
Tra l'altro devo ammettere che mi aspettavo uno stile di scrittura piuttosto blando, come mi capita spesso quando un libro è tratto da un film o da un videogioco, invece sono rimasta piacevolmente stupita dall'attenzione alla scrittura, dai dettagli e dal modo in cui le emozioni dei personaggi sono state trattate.
Ho avuto comunque modo di scoprire qualcosa in più sull'equipaggio e sul loro carattere quindi lo consiglio tantissimo a tutti i fan della serie!
Per il resto vi auguro lunga vita e prosperità 🖖🏻❤
March 6, 2020
What can I say except that I loved it like I loved the movie?
The majority of the book has the details copied from the movie to the highest degree,although since we get to see inside the characters' thoughts,we empathize with them more,especially the despair of the tragic father,who has to sacrifice his beliefs and honor to save his daughter with Khan's blood.
The stakes for the crew of the Enterprise get bigger as they face one threat after the other with shadowy motives behind those who give the orders.
Alan Dean Foster is a master of weaving the scenes together in such a way that you don't need to see the movie first or second from the book,because you exlerience them in your mind.
Special credit has to be given to the author,because I learned new words as well.
Salubrious:υγιεινός
Refulgence:λάμψη
Attenuate:λεπτύνω
Conurbation:αστικό περιβάλλον
Polemic:λεκτική ή γραπτή επίθεση
Stolid:απαθής
Interstitial:διάμεσος
Insalubrious:ανθυγιεινός ή ανυπόφορος
Antimony:ασημένιου χρώματος(από το στοιχείο)
Sinter:συσσωμάτωση
Avuncular:συντροφικός
Lambent:τρεμοσβύνων
Concomitant:συνακόλουθο
Concatenation:αλληλουχία
The majority of the book has the details copied from the movie to the highest degree,although since we get to see inside the characters' thoughts,we empathize with them more,especially the despair of the tragic father,who has to sacrifice his beliefs and honor to save his daughter with Khan's blood.
The stakes for the crew of the Enterprise get bigger as they face one threat after the other with shadowy motives behind those who give the orders.
Alan Dean Foster is a master of weaving the scenes together in such a way that you don't need to see the movie first or second from the book,because you exlerience them in your mind.
Special credit has to be given to the author,because I learned new words as well.
Salubrious:υγιεινός
Refulgence:λάμψη
Attenuate:λεπτύνω
Conurbation:αστικό περιβάλλον
Polemic:λεκτική ή γραπτή επίθεση
Stolid:απαθής
Interstitial:διάμεσος
Insalubrious:ανθυγιεινός ή ανυπόφορος
Antimony:ασημένιου χρώματος(από το στοιχείο)
Sinter:συσσωμάτωση
Avuncular:συντροφικός
Lambent:τρεμοσβύνων
Concomitant:συνακόλουθο
Concatenation:αλληλουχία
November 18, 2017
My curiosity has been sated. I picked up this book and its predecessor in order to indulge my curiosity about novelizations. I liked the first book but loved the movie. With this book, I found myself enjoying it as much as I enjoyed the movie. Foster does a better job in this book of characterization as well as filling in the gaps movies always leave. It's a really fun book to read as well. Great literature it isn't, but then it wasn't written to be. I suspect it was definitely written to capitalize on the movie's and characters' popularity and make money.
As a writer, I was quite curious to see just how novelizations work and how a fiction writer can take established movie characters and give them life on the page. Foster succeeds in this regard. In this book he also takes a bit more time to set the stage for each scene. Much less cutesy stuff also, but then the subject matter of this story is darker than in the first movie/novelization.
I'd recommend this book to Star Trek fans who enjoy the alternate Kelvin timeline. It won't make diehard TOS fans that happy, I think. But if you've seen the movie and love to read, it's a fun book to read.
As a writer, I was quite curious to see just how novelizations work and how a fiction writer can take established movie characters and give them life on the page. Foster succeeds in this regard. In this book he also takes a bit more time to set the stage for each scene. Much less cutesy stuff also, but then the subject matter of this story is darker than in the first movie/novelization.
I'd recommend this book to Star Trek fans who enjoy the alternate Kelvin timeline. It won't make diehard TOS fans that happy, I think. But if you've seen the movie and love to read, it's a fun book to read.
February 3, 2020
The book is a little slow to start, but the action picks up once all of the major characters are in place. Most of the films flaws are still here, though a minor change makes the resolution much more palatable.
A note on the audiobook as read by Alice Eve: It's awful. I don't know how it was approved for release. I always like when they get actors from the films to read the audio and thought Alice Eve was very good in the movie. However, this was a real bomb. Most of the issues stem from attempting to hide her accent for the character dialogue, which just made fore slow and painfully awkward interactions. I had to stop and find the print book because this was unusable. This is quite honestly the worst audi0book I've ever heard.
In conclusion, avoid the audiobook, but pick up the novel if you are fan of Star Trek or Alan Dean Foster. We interviewed the author on a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
A note on the audiobook as read by Alice Eve: It's awful. I don't know how it was approved for release. I always like when they get actors from the films to read the audio and thought Alice Eve was very good in the movie. However, this was a real bomb. Most of the issues stem from attempting to hide her accent for the character dialogue, which just made fore slow and painfully awkward interactions. I had to stop and find the print book because this was unusable. This is quite honestly the worst audi0book I've ever heard.
In conclusion, avoid the audiobook, but pick up the novel if you are fan of Star Trek or Alan Dean Foster. We interviewed the author on a special episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
September 10, 2018
I enjoy reading movie novelizations sometimes because it adds to my enjoyment of the movie. These books either give more details and background which did not make it into the movie or fill in plot holes. There wasn't much extra detail here, but the book did address a few plot holes. Some I didn't consider and one I had wondered about. This was ok.
I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have though because I don't care for Alan Dean Foster's writing style. It seems a bit bland and clinical at the best of times and quite awkward at others. I watched the movie again as I was coming to the end of it, and I was struck at how exciting and fun it was, but ADF's style just brought the book down. I'm hesitant to try other movie novelizations by him in the future. I have read others which were so much better. Vonda McIntyre's "The Search for Spock" comes to mind.
I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have though because I don't care for Alan Dean Foster's writing style. It seems a bit bland and clinical at the best of times and quite awkward at others. I watched the movie again as I was coming to the end of it, and I was struck at how exciting and fun it was, but ADF's style just brought the book down. I'm hesitant to try other movie novelizations by him in the future. I have read others which were so much better. Vonda McIntyre's "The Search for Spock" comes to mind.
May 21, 2023
Alan Dean Foster does a serviceable job retelling the movie. The script itself isn’t his doing, of course, so there’s only so much he can work with. Doesn’t even explicitly say Khan’s face was physically altered like the comics would later explain. The writing is smooth enough, mainly in the back half I’d say. You do get Spock’s though process on wanting to kill Khan to prevent more murders. But there are little things that I guess Foster was not informed that he should include. In the film, Spock Prime specifically says Khan’s full name, whereas he does not here. (You gotta wonder how funny it would’ve been if the Khan they met in this film was just some other dude named Khan and not Khan Noonien Singh, and then they get misinformed by Spock Prime.) The “Space, the final frontier…” speech is also omitted, which is a shame because that’s a highlight.
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