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Star Trek: The Captain's Table #6
ستار تريك (طاولة القبطان 6): ملتقى البحر والسماء
“ثمَّة حانة تُسمَّى «طاولة القبطان»، يلتقي فيها قباطنة السفن العظيمة من كل شكل وعصر للاسترخاء ومشاركة الشراب بود ومحبة مع نظرائهم. قد ينشب شجار أحيانًا؛ ولكنه يُحَل دائمًا كما تُحَل الخلافات داخل الأسرة الواحدة. فقط تذكر أن أول جولة من الشراب يكون ثمنها قصة… حتى لو كانت مريبة.
قبل سنوات من تولِّي كيرك القيادة، قاد القبطان كريستوفر بايك سفينة الفضاء إنتربرايز في مهمة دامت خمسة أعوام. ساقت الرحلة بايك إلى العديد من الممالك الجديدة وغير المستكشفة، وكان أكثرها غرابة وخطورة ما وجده في نظام نجمي تعيش به كائنات حية ضخمة تسبح في الفضاء، والتي تعتبر ضرورية لحياة سكان النظام النجمي، ولكنها تعيث فسادًا في نظامٍ آخر يسكنه أشباه البشر. يتوجب على القبطان بايك أن يُقحِم الإنتربرايز في خطر مميت بينما يكافح لإنقاذ حضارة مُستضعفة دون أن يُهلِك الأخرى.”
قبل سنوات من تولِّي كيرك القيادة، قاد القبطان كريستوفر بايك سفينة الفضاء إنتربرايز في مهمة دامت خمسة أعوام. ساقت الرحلة بايك إلى العديد من الممالك الجديدة وغير المستكشفة، وكان أكثرها غرابة وخطورة ما وجده في نظام نجمي تعيش به كائنات حية ضخمة تسبح في الفضاء، والتي تعتبر ضرورية لحياة سكان النظام النجمي، ولكنها تعيث فسادًا في نظامٍ آخر يسكنه أشباه البشر. يتوجب على القبطان بايك أن يُقحِم الإنتربرايز في خطر مميت بينما يكافح لإنقاذ حضارة مُستضعفة دون أن يُهلِك الأخرى.”
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
22 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Oltion
220 books24 followersJerry Oltion (pronounced OL-tee-un) has been a gardener, stone mason, carpenter, oilfield worker, forester, land surveyor, rock 'n' roll deejay, printer, proofreader, editor, publisher, computer consultant, movie extra, corporate secretary, magazine columnist, and garbage truck driver. For the last 37 years he has also been a writer, with 15 novels and over 150 stories published so far.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 14, 2020
It flipped and flopped between 3 and 4 stars but I have settled on 3 and maybe just maybe a 3.5. don't get me wrong this was quite enjoyable. It was exciting, funny and well it is more Pike so how can I lose? That said the weird transition to Kirk for the last 10 pages it out of place and not needed. Pikes story felt unfinished because of it. Even though how it did leave off was something I was hoping would happen! Haha. Other than some very obvious continuity issue with Discovery, it was a very satisfactory tale.
November 22, 2020
I was never a big fan of "The Captain's Table" arc, as it ends up cutting into/interfering with the flow of the main story. It also pretty much brings the novel to a sudden halt, denying it a satisfying conclusion as it's too busy setting up the characters in the next book. A great pity: the writing style is fun, and Jerry Oltion has a lock on the characters inhabiting Captain Pike's Enterprise. I'm betting a stand-alone version of this story, with a proper conclusion, would be a much stronger read.
April 22, 2019
I really enjoyed Where Sea Meets Sky. Captain Pike is fun and adventurous. He's a great captain to follow. The only thing I didnt care for was that it left things open ended, switching to a prologue for Kirk's Captain's Table book. Overall, however a fun and interesting read.
July 17, 2023
The science fiction concept is pretty neat, but the sexism is very cringeworthy.
December 24, 2024
I love the space whales, but i really want to know who Nowan is.
January 10, 2024
I’ve been on a kick lately to read all the books written about Captain Pike’s time on the Enterprise. I think of Pike as Jeffrey Hunter at this time though I’m very fond of what has been happening with “Strange New Worlds” and Anson Mount.
I wish I could read them in chronological order, but so far I’ve found that impossible to determine.
I’ve just always liked the crew and flavor that was the original Star Trek pilot.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the ‘last’ Pike book that doesn’t imagine Anson Mount.
I haven’t read any of the other “Captain’s Table” books, but this one starts off well enough with Christopher Pike ducking into a mysterious dive bar to have a drink and be accosted by a seemingly time-lost depressed pirate. Thank god Whoopie Goldberg wasn’t there.
Pike is a Fleet Admiral now, five years off the Enterprise.
Then he proceeds to tell his ‘fish-story’ to the pirate of back when he was Captain.
As usual, being the nearest ship the Enterprise is called to a planet to help with their starship problems. It appears that all their starships are biological and they are having some problems.
It appears that Number One is named “Lefler” which is a helluva lot better than “Una”. I always though Majel was a nice name with an alien ring to it.
Pike also refers to speeding up the ship as “Time warp”. Which is not inaccurate.
Pike takes the Enterprise to the planet and beams a native up to discuss how they can help.
“She abandoned the effort when she saw me, letting her hair fall down around her oval face to her shoulders as she said, ‘Captain, I was just heading to the bridge to see you. I have those inventory figures you wanted.’
I had been concerned about perishable supplies, since it had been some time since we had put in at a starbase.”
“The guest suite has three large windows in each of its two rooms. They lean outward, following the curve of the ship’s hull, so a person can actually lie down against them and get the sensation of flying through space. The ship’s artificial gravity gets a bit odd at that close to the edge of the field, pulling to all sides rather than down, but that merely adds to the impression of free flight. “
“‘Warp engines are essentially big coils of wire, you know—‘
‘No, I didn’t’, the seaman said.
Pike didn’t let the interruption derail his train of though. ‘They are. And the pulse induced an enormous current in them. It surged straight down the main power bus into the matter-antimatter reaction chamber, where it diverted the antimatter stream for a moment, which tripped all the alarms and shut down the engines. And that in turn put us on battery power in the middle of a battle. Plus another pulse traveled to the bridge on the navigation control lines and fried our helm.’”
“The phasers drew energy directly from the main power banks; we didn’t have much reserve without the matter-antimatter generators on line.”
At one point in the medical bay, Pike pulls his hand laser on a patient! He has not been on a landing party so far, so does he wear a laser gun everywhere? Also, what is he going to do to the patient he has under the gun? Does it have a stun setting?
At Chapter Nine this book becomes the perfect ‘Star Trek’ situation. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong! This is fun.
“I was trying to decide if we had a Prime Directive problem on our hands.”
“I could have radioed Starfleet Headquarters for advice. They would mull it over for a year or three, kick it up to higher authority for review, and eventually come to a decision about the time the last Devernian was eaten.”
“When I finished the status report and still hadn’t heard from either of our guests, I asked the computer to locate them for me.
‘Both Perri and Lanned are in the cafeteria,’ it replied in its synthesized female voice, which I had always thought sounded just like Number One’s. I sometimes kidded her about it, telling her that it must mean she had the theoretically perfect pitch and intonation for easy understanding, but this time the computer’s words robbed all thought of teasing from my mind.”
“We dropped out of warp with our shields down. It was always a gamble to do that, but the energy attenuation fields cut the effectiveness of our sensors, and I preferred being able to see what was out there rather than hunkering down and waiting for it to come knock on our shell.”
I have never read any of the other ‘Captains Table’ books but I suspect they all have the same framing device — the captain walks into this inter-dimensional bar that crosses all time zones and has all sorts of different people in it having a drink.
It’s god-awful tedious and twee. It’s also hackneyed and even cliche to my mind. Cynosure is the first one I remember but I’ve seen and read multiple variations of it over the years and it has NEVER ONCE BEEN INTERESTING.
First, because there is no where that idea can really go. There’s no pay off for the idea. You meet different people from different times and then… you hear their stories and they’re just like yours! So what.
Second because since you know it’s this inter-dimensional central station you know it can’t really change so there is no drama in anything that could possibly happen there!
The story is interesting in itself that I’d like to read that story —- not the ‘telling’ of that story in some mystical bar with Whoopie Goldberg as the bartender!
“All hands, this is the captain. We are going to stealth mode two. Extinguish all lights visible from the exterior of the ship, and opaque all the windows.”
“On a Klingon ship, sleeping with the captain is an honor. If you truly cared for her you would have let the rest of the crew know she was your chosen mate.”
“The Enterprise’s engines are set way in back of the living quarters for a reason. The intense subspace distortion right next to the field generators can turn a person inside out if they’re too close. It can scramble your brain and short out every nerve in your body.”
“Regulations stipulate that a starship’s captain and executive officer shall meet once every seven days to coordinate duties and to exchange pertinent crew and mission information.”
Well, this wound up being a very good story only marred by the dumb framing device.
Honestly if you read only the EVEN chapters and stop at Chapter Thirty, you will have a complete story. It stops rather abruptly but doesn’t leave too much dangling.
At that point it’s a 3 star story.
Otherwise it’s a 2 star story.
I wish I could read them in chronological order, but so far I’ve found that impossible to determine.
I’ve just always liked the crew and flavor that was the original Star Trek pilot.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the ‘last’ Pike book that doesn’t imagine Anson Mount.
I haven’t read any of the other “Captain’s Table” books, but this one starts off well enough with Christopher Pike ducking into a mysterious dive bar to have a drink and be accosted by a seemingly time-lost depressed pirate. Thank god Whoopie Goldberg wasn’t there.
Pike is a Fleet Admiral now, five years off the Enterprise.
Then he proceeds to tell his ‘fish-story’ to the pirate of back when he was Captain.
As usual, being the nearest ship the Enterprise is called to a planet to help with their starship problems. It appears that all their starships are biological and they are having some problems.
It appears that Number One is named “Lefler” which is a helluva lot better than “Una”. I always though Majel was a nice name with an alien ring to it.
Pike also refers to speeding up the ship as “Time warp”. Which is not inaccurate.
Pike takes the Enterprise to the planet and beams a native up to discuss how they can help.
“She abandoned the effort when she saw me, letting her hair fall down around her oval face to her shoulders as she said, ‘Captain, I was just heading to the bridge to see you. I have those inventory figures you wanted.’
I had been concerned about perishable supplies, since it had been some time since we had put in at a starbase.”
“The guest suite has three large windows in each of its two rooms. They lean outward, following the curve of the ship’s hull, so a person can actually lie down against them and get the sensation of flying through space. The ship’s artificial gravity gets a bit odd at that close to the edge of the field, pulling to all sides rather than down, but that merely adds to the impression of free flight. “
“‘Warp engines are essentially big coils of wire, you know—‘
‘No, I didn’t’, the seaman said.
Pike didn’t let the interruption derail his train of though. ‘They are. And the pulse induced an enormous current in them. It surged straight down the main power bus into the matter-antimatter reaction chamber, where it diverted the antimatter stream for a moment, which tripped all the alarms and shut down the engines. And that in turn put us on battery power in the middle of a battle. Plus another pulse traveled to the bridge on the navigation control lines and fried our helm.’”
“The phasers drew energy directly from the main power banks; we didn’t have much reserve without the matter-antimatter generators on line.”
At one point in the medical bay, Pike pulls his hand laser on a patient! He has not been on a landing party so far, so does he wear a laser gun everywhere? Also, what is he going to do to the patient he has under the gun? Does it have a stun setting?
At Chapter Nine this book becomes the perfect ‘Star Trek’ situation. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong! This is fun.
“I was trying to decide if we had a Prime Directive problem on our hands.”
“I could have radioed Starfleet Headquarters for advice. They would mull it over for a year or three, kick it up to higher authority for review, and eventually come to a decision about the time the last Devernian was eaten.”
“When I finished the status report and still hadn’t heard from either of our guests, I asked the computer to locate them for me.
‘Both Perri and Lanned are in the cafeteria,’ it replied in its synthesized female voice, which I had always thought sounded just like Number One’s. I sometimes kidded her about it, telling her that it must mean she had the theoretically perfect pitch and intonation for easy understanding, but this time the computer’s words robbed all thought of teasing from my mind.”
“We dropped out of warp with our shields down. It was always a gamble to do that, but the energy attenuation fields cut the effectiveness of our sensors, and I preferred being able to see what was out there rather than hunkering down and waiting for it to come knock on our shell.”
I have never read any of the other ‘Captains Table’ books but I suspect they all have the same framing device — the captain walks into this inter-dimensional bar that crosses all time zones and has all sorts of different people in it having a drink.
It’s god-awful tedious and twee. It’s also hackneyed and even cliche to my mind. Cynosure is the first one I remember but I’ve seen and read multiple variations of it over the years and it has NEVER ONCE BEEN INTERESTING.
First, because there is no where that idea can really go. There’s no pay off for the idea. You meet different people from different times and then… you hear their stories and they’re just like yours! So what.
Second because since you know it’s this inter-dimensional central station you know it can’t really change so there is no drama in anything that could possibly happen there!
The story is interesting in itself that I’d like to read that story —- not the ‘telling’ of that story in some mystical bar with Whoopie Goldberg as the bartender!
“All hands, this is the captain. We are going to stealth mode two. Extinguish all lights visible from the exterior of the ship, and opaque all the windows.”
“On a Klingon ship, sleeping with the captain is an honor. If you truly cared for her you would have let the rest of the crew know she was your chosen mate.”
“The Enterprise’s engines are set way in back of the living quarters for a reason. The intense subspace distortion right next to the field generators can turn a person inside out if they’re too close. It can scramble your brain and short out every nerve in your body.”
“Regulations stipulate that a starship’s captain and executive officer shall meet once every seven days to coordinate duties and to exchange pertinent crew and mission information.”
Well, this wound up being a very good story only marred by the dumb framing device.
Honestly if you read only the EVEN chapters and stop at Chapter Thirty, you will have a complete story. It stops rather abruptly but doesn’t leave too much dangling.
At that point it’s a 3 star story.
Otherwise it’s a 2 star story.
May 19, 2024
I hadn't read this book since it came out in 1998 and had no memory of what it was like. I only remembered that I was really looking forward to reading it because the focus was on Pike and his crew and that's an often untapped era in Star Trek to cover.
This book was really tough to get through. It took me three weeks, on and off. Usually once I start a Trek novel I can't put it down. I put this down several times.
Once getting in to the enigmatic Captain's Table, Pike recounts a mission he and his crew had to investigate a large interstellar creatures that another race ride upon for warp travel. Think of these creatures as worms from Dune, but they're more like giant space whales. The culture that uses them for transportation is applying to enter the Federation, and they get the Enterprise to check out why a world close to them is trying to kill their space whales. The situation becomes complicated when the crew finds out the real story behind the creatures, but then it takes a wrong turn for the remainder (about half) of the book.
The crew have to investigate the origin of the creatures. This is absolutely what they should do, but it makes for absolutely boring reading. There are minor moments of action, but their resolutions can be predicted easily. The solution for the problem involving the space whales comes across as true to Trek, but just boring.
Worse still, I was more interested in the interruptions to the story that focused on the conversations going on in the bar. These interruptions impeded the A-story, but I found them much more engaging and surprising than what was going on with the space whales.
I found this a disappointing read and one that should not be attempted unless one is desperate for a Pike outing.
This book was really tough to get through. It took me three weeks, on and off. Usually once I start a Trek novel I can't put it down. I put this down several times.
Once getting in to the enigmatic Captain's Table, Pike recounts a mission he and his crew had to investigate a large interstellar creatures that another race ride upon for warp travel. Think of these creatures as worms from Dune, but they're more like giant space whales. The culture that uses them for transportation is applying to enter the Federation, and they get the Enterprise to check out why a world close to them is trying to kill their space whales. The situation becomes complicated when the crew finds out the real story behind the creatures, but then it takes a wrong turn for the remainder (about half) of the book.
The crew have to investigate the origin of the creatures. This is absolutely what they should do, but it makes for absolutely boring reading. There are minor moments of action, but their resolutions can be predicted easily. The solution for the problem involving the space whales comes across as true to Trek, but just boring.
Worse still, I was more interested in the interruptions to the story that focused on the conversations going on in the bar. These interruptions impeded the A-story, but I found them much more engaging and surprising than what was going on with the space whales.
I found this a disappointing read and one that should not be attempted unless one is desperate for a Pike outing.
September 20, 2022
1.5 STARS - Sixth novel in The Captain’s Table series and the first one I gave a shot... The framing mechanism in this series happens to be a bar unstuck in time where Captain's from any time can have a drink and swap a tale. In this episode Captain Pike steps into a the bar near Star Fleet Command and recounts an adventure where the Enterprise investigating why a member race's warp ships haven't returned from their annual migration?! Intrigued yet?
Well the Aronnians have a symbiotic relationship 'space whales' and only Pike & Co can help... I thought the book would be an interesting perspective as we Pike is a character not explored often. That being said this book didn't shed much more light on the captain and crew. Indeed, despite this mission being tailormade for Spock or Number One they were barely given anything to do let alone any characterizations. On top of which the sexism and casual misogyny really curtailed a lot of the enjoyment of this book [written in the 1990s but seemingly more out of touch with gender roles than the TV series of the 1960s this book is prequeling].
RECOMMENDATION: While the general concepts played with here weren't anything original (especially for Trek) and the story itself is kind of clumsily, the general momentum of the story and the many details on this particular space whale race were very well realized. Unfortunately that was alone was not enough to save this book from itself, so I would give it a wide berth!
Well the Aronnians have a symbiotic relationship 'space whales' and only Pike & Co can help... I thought the book would be an interesting perspective as we Pike is a character not explored often. That being said this book didn't shed much more light on the captain and crew. Indeed, despite this mission being tailormade for Spock or Number One they were barely given anything to do let alone any characterizations. On top of which the sexism and casual misogyny really curtailed a lot of the enjoyment of this book [written in the 1990s but seemingly more out of touch with gender roles than the TV series of the 1960s this book is prequeling].
RECOMMENDATION: While the general concepts played with here weren't anything original (especially for Trek) and the story itself is kind of clumsily, the general momentum of the story and the many details on this particular space whale race were very well realized. Unfortunately that was alone was not enough to save this book from itself, so I would give it a wide berth!
October 26, 2018
I didn't know what to expect from this book as I hadn't read a Pike story before and I don't believe I have read anything by this author. In terms of the Captain's Table it returns to the style from The Mist where the story is interrupted by shenanigans in the bar and distractions from the two people listening to the story. As far as the narrative went it was interesting enough with some space-faring whales being the centre of the story. I felt the ending kind of petered out and I didn't get enough of a resolution but that's just me I guess. Pike's crew had a whole different feeling to them as opposed to Kirk's as the Enterprise felt like a different ship. However, that wasn't a bad thing and felt kind of fun to put yourself in that version of Star Trek for a bit where Spock is there but not as central to the story as he would be in a Kirk Star Trek story. I liked it but the Captain's Table distractions and the ending kind of took away from something that would have been really interesting if it was done more in the style of Dujonian's Hoard.
January 16, 2021
I think this is the best "Captain's Table" entry of the three I've read. I think maybe it just has to do with the "magic" of Pike - just like a lot of fans fell in love with the Anson Mount-depiction on "Discovery," or even in the Kelvin-verse films or all the way back to "The Cage," there's just something about this second captain of the Enterprise that's engaging. I enjoyed a story set during his original five-year mission, with Spock and Number One (though I think they give a name for her here that's not considered canon, but whatever). I don't know if I liked or disliked the story interruptions in this tale - on one hand, I just want to continue the story. On the hand, it's not the "paciest" of books, so it does give you a break to breathe. I do think the story does takes it time and maybe gives more details than necessary (if you're a fan of the food chain, this book is for you!), but nothing wrong with some science, right? So while it's not the quickest read in the world, I do think it's a good Star Trek tale.
November 27, 2023
Even though this is the sixth book in The Captain’s Table series, it seems to take place before the others. In fact, from what I gather, the closing pages are from the beginning of the first book in the series, War Dragon, which is a really strange choice. Anyway, The Captain’s Table is a bar, and this one is Captain Pike telling a story about a mission involving titans, or space whales. And these sound very similar to the hyperspace whales from Star Wars Rebels, so I do wonder if Star Wars may have taken some inspiration from this. There are a couple awkward lines like Pike musing to himself about a Klingon woman’s cleavage or that Klingon woman saying that Klingons consider it an honor to sleep with a captain. But I do like the format of telling the story and having fun interactions with a couple people in the bar in between.
August 31, 2018
I really loved this book I couldnt hardly put it down, was interesting to learn more about Captain Pike too.
Only complaint is how at the end they merge the 1st Captain's Table book , I read that wasn't the authors choice so still give this book a solid 4 stars.
I also do wish as well pictures for the Titans whales were available, as well as more information on the other characters Hompaq and Nowan,I would very much have liked to find out what happened to both of them.
Only complaint is how at the end they merge the 1st Captain's Table book , I read that wasn't the authors choice so still give this book a solid 4 stars.
I also do wish as well pictures for the Titans whales were available, as well as more information on the other characters Hompaq and Nowan,I would very much have liked to find out what happened to both of them.
January 15, 2019
This was a fun read that is part of the 'Captain's Table' series. The premise of a bar that only appears to ships' captains when they need it and shows up regardless of when/where they are allows for some interesting combinations of characters. Overall there isn't a lot of difference between this venue and a normal Star Trek book but it does at a bit of light-heartedness to what could otherwise be a dark story.
April 15, 2020
The story has a few points that are annoying. Blatant cis-heteronormativity for example, as well as way too explicit battle scenes. Also it’s a bit too focused on action for my liking. Only exploring the secret of the pub (more than Pike has done here) would have been enough for a novel for me. I’m more for exploring and personal insights and don’t need any action, danger or battles. But in general I found this novel to not be as bad as the reviews here made me fear.
January 27, 2024
I rarely see a Captain Pike novel so I eagerly picked this book up only to be incredibly disappointed. What should have been a quick read was made long because the characters were so incredibly flat, and the plot dull. The worst was the last ten pages were a teaser for the first novel in the series (each book is a stand alone that focuses on a different Star Trek Captain). 267 pages of disappointment.
June 5, 2024
Christopher Pike finds his way to the Captain’s Table for his turn as a storyteller. He tells of a pair of close by planets who have a problem with oversized leviathans who seem to be devastating the local solar systems and theirs as well. After quite the tale, things work out in the end. Recommended
January 20, 2025
This was an enjoyable read. I wish Strange New Worlds had stuck with the canon a bit more. The concept of this series is slightly lame (a bar where captains from any place can show up here and tell a tale) but the story in and of itself is a good one that give us a chance to see Chris Pike on his own.
October 16, 2023
I loved it.
This is first of the Captains Table series that I have read. I found it to be quite enthralling. It's adventure telling that is different from the other Star Trek books. I was quite impressed. I suggest that you give it a try.
This is first of the Captains Table series that I have read. I found it to be quite enthralling. It's adventure telling that is different from the other Star Trek books. I was quite impressed. I suggest that you give it a try.
May 21, 2022
Not a fan of "the captain's table" series, but this one was pretty good. Space Whales... Kraken... Yeoman Colt... and a Klingon babe.... all good.
June 3, 2024
Pike stumbles into the Captain's Table and tells a good story of pursuing "space whales". He has a pretty good adventure. The crew of the Enterprise save the day.
October 3, 2024
Excellent Story
This is an excellent story featuring Captain Pike, a character who hasn't been given enough attention in the Star Trek novels.
This is an excellent story featuring Captain Pike, a character who hasn't been given enough attention in the Star Trek novels.
May 31, 2013
“Where Sea Meets Sky” by Jerry Oltion is the sixth novel in The Captain’s Table series of Star Trek novels. However, as the story chronologically takes place prior to the other novels in the series I am reading it first which does produce one minor issue I will discuss later on in the review. For those of you who don’t know the premise behind The Captain’s Table series is that there is mystical bar that captains of all races and times can enter and enjoy socialising and reminiscing with each other.
This novel in the series is based around Captain Pike visiting the bar and discussing a previous adventure of his whilst he was captain of the Enterprise. The story he recounts follows the Enterprise investigating why a species of warp capable creatures that are utilised by an alien race known as the Aronnians as a form of interstellar blimp have not returned from their annual migration. The investigation explores the relationship between these “space whales” and the various star systems they inhabit.
Don’t be fooled by the synopsis above as the story is not as cerebral as it may imply. There is actually a fair amount of action and an incredibly fast pace that results in the reader being whisked around the galaxy from one dangerous scenario to the next. However, whilst I found Oltion’s writing to be competent, the plot itself felt a little ridiculous at times. I just couldn’t take these “space whales” seriously and some of the events that occur were just plain silly. I am still incredulous about some of the crew riding one of the creatures at warp in just their space suits and don’t even get me started on the killer eggs from space.
One aspect of the plot I enjoyed however was the framing story which followed Pike as he engaged with captains from other time periods within the bar. It was specifically interesting watching his interactions with a Klingon female from a future time period that dropped hints at what was awaiting both Pike and the Federation. The only slight issue I have with the framing story is that it just doesn’t gel with me as really belonging to the Star Trek universe. I am sure there must be some regulation that these Starfleet captains are breaking by talking to people from other timelines, especially those from earlier in Earth’s own history.
As with other stories covering this time period, the real plus point of this novel is being able to witness some of the escapades of Pike and his crew. Whilst, I am not sure we learn anything new from this novel in regards to the way in which the crew works together, I did find that Oltion seemed to capture the individual characters well and they came across as I have previously envisioned them.
My final point is in regards to the final twenty or so pages that didn’t make any sense to me. It turns out that these pages are linking this story to the first story in the series to try and create a complete loop. To be honest it doesn’t actually matter a jot to this specific story so you can read this book without reading the others but if you do then you should probably just skip the final pages.
Overall, I can’t say this was a favourite of mine due to me finding the storyline to be rather silly. However, if you can ignore that or you think I am being overly picky then you will probably find this novel to be a fun and fast paced story full of action and adventure that explores a period of Star Trek rarely seen.
This novel in the series is based around Captain Pike visiting the bar and discussing a previous adventure of his whilst he was captain of the Enterprise. The story he recounts follows the Enterprise investigating why a species of warp capable creatures that are utilised by an alien race known as the Aronnians as a form of interstellar blimp have not returned from their annual migration. The investigation explores the relationship between these “space whales” and the various star systems they inhabit.
Don’t be fooled by the synopsis above as the story is not as cerebral as it may imply. There is actually a fair amount of action and an incredibly fast pace that results in the reader being whisked around the galaxy from one dangerous scenario to the next. However, whilst I found Oltion’s writing to be competent, the plot itself felt a little ridiculous at times. I just couldn’t take these “space whales” seriously and some of the events that occur were just plain silly. I am still incredulous about some of the crew riding one of the creatures at warp in just their space suits and don’t even get me started on the killer eggs from space.
One aspect of the plot I enjoyed however was the framing story which followed Pike as he engaged with captains from other time periods within the bar. It was specifically interesting watching his interactions with a Klingon female from a future time period that dropped hints at what was awaiting both Pike and the Federation. The only slight issue I have with the framing story is that it just doesn’t gel with me as really belonging to the Star Trek universe. I am sure there must be some regulation that these Starfleet captains are breaking by talking to people from other timelines, especially those from earlier in Earth’s own history.
As with other stories covering this time period, the real plus point of this novel is being able to witness some of the escapades of Pike and his crew. Whilst, I am not sure we learn anything new from this novel in regards to the way in which the crew works together, I did find that Oltion seemed to capture the individual characters well and they came across as I have previously envisioned them.
My final point is in regards to the final twenty or so pages that didn’t make any sense to me. It turns out that these pages are linking this story to the first story in the series to try and create a complete loop. To be honest it doesn’t actually matter a jot to this specific story so you can read this book without reading the others but if you do then you should probably just skip the final pages.
Overall, I can’t say this was a favourite of mine due to me finding the storyline to be rather silly. However, if you can ignore that or you think I am being overly picky then you will probably find this novel to be a fun and fast paced story full of action and adventure that explores a period of Star Trek rarely seen.
February 18, 2025
A short story stretched into a novel
Before reading this novel, I was very excited to see one of the earlier takes on Pike and his crew. Unfortunately, this book was a huge let down. As a part of the Captain’s Table miniseries, the story of this novel is intercut with “present day” Captain Pike telling the story to someone. Since Pike is telling the story, the main narrative is written in first person, something I do not enjoy. The main story was a mediocre tale about space whales, but it was so hard to follow with all the interruptions that it was hardly worth reading.
Don’t read this; there are plenty of books that are actually worth your time.
Before reading this novel, I was very excited to see one of the earlier takes on Pike and his crew. Unfortunately, this book was a huge let down. As a part of the Captain’s Table miniseries, the story of this novel is intercut with “present day” Captain Pike telling the story to someone. Since Pike is telling the story, the main narrative is written in first person, something I do not enjoy. The main story was a mediocre tale about space whales, but it was so hard to follow with all the interruptions that it was hardly worth reading.
Don’t read this; there are plenty of books that are actually worth your time.
December 30, 2021
On the one hand this book had a lot going for it and many scenes hearkened back to earlier iterations of science fiction and Star Trek, but the story was slow-moving. I was more drawn to the patrons in the bar, the Captain's Table than I was to the Enterprise crew. The story was in many ways a collage of other tales, "The Cage" being the most obvious. Oltion drew from a lot of the language from that episode, for example, when the crew speaks of lasers, rockets, jetpacks; i.e. a lot of terms that we don't hear in later versions of Star Trek, even the Original Series. At times I felt like I was reading a novelization of a Gold Key Comics story, particularly when the away team was fighting monsters on the Davernian's homeworld. Other scenes reminded me of classic 40's, 50's, 60's science fiction. One of the characters from The Captain's Table was taken straight out of 20,000 leagues under the sea . . .and quite literally deposited in the novel. Ultimately, the story is an homage to Moby Dick as are many Star Trek adventures, but it's a really obvious homage. In the end, there is less of a conclusion than just an abrupt stop, and the author carries that into another tale about Kirk and Sulu. I didn't understand that transition at all and I didn't want to read the Captain's Table #1-4.
I was led to this after reading Captain's Table: Once Burned (Mackenzie Calhoun, #5). For me the true test of a good ST novel is if it leads you to something else. For me, at least, "Where Sea Meets Sky" is a dead end. I'm glad I read it; don't get me wrong, but it doesn't lead me to another novel in this series.
I was led to this after reading Captain's Table: Once Burned (Mackenzie Calhoun, #5). For me the true test of a good ST novel is if it leads you to something else. For me, at least, "Where Sea Meets Sky" is a dead end. I'm glad I read it; don't get me wrong, but it doesn't lead me to another novel in this series.
March 10, 2016
The writing can be a little clunky, and even though Pike is an introspective guy, his voice didn't jump out as unique or Pike-ish. But it's close enough, and I absolutely adore space whales, plus there's some awesome sci-fi imagery they'd never have been able to put onscreen with a TV budget. Not only the whale ecology getting more and more complex, and the descriptions of exotic solar systems, but also some cool ideas like being able to see themselves on the viewscreen after a warp because they moved faster than their own light.
Like Pike, the alien characters are a big lackluster personality-wise. Yeoman Colt, the redhead from "The Cage," is a surprising standout though! I love her honesty, the fact that she's "cute" and "delicate" but actually smart, capable, kind of a badass, and valued for those things by the captain who doubted her at first. What's more, Colt came to Starfleet for new worlds and new civilizations, for adventure. She enjoys the two alien dudes flirting with her, but doesn't take it too seriously -- she admits to Pike they'll only be on the ship a few weeks and "that will be just about right." It's refreshing to see a woman with all those sides to her. (Number One had absolutely nothing to do though, and that's a crying shame. She could've been any random crewman.)
It's not high literature and it's not an emotional investment, but it was super fun to read, especially if you're curious about Pike and his crew, or if you like space whales. :D
Like Pike, the alien characters are a big lackluster personality-wise. Yeoman Colt, the redhead from "The Cage," is a surprising standout though! I love her honesty, the fact that she's "cute" and "delicate" but actually smart, capable, kind of a badass, and valued for those things by the captain who doubted her at first. What's more, Colt came to Starfleet for new worlds and new civilizations, for adventure. She enjoys the two alien dudes flirting with her, but doesn't take it too seriously -- she admits to Pike they'll only be on the ship a few weeks and "that will be just about right." It's refreshing to see a woman with all those sides to her. (Number One had absolutely nothing to do though, and that's a crying shame. She could've been any random crewman.)
It's not high literature and it's not an emotional investment, but it was super fun to read, especially if you're curious about Pike and his crew, or if you like space whales. :D
August 15, 2010
This book is really tough to rate. The writing is really good and Oltion captured how Captain Pike sounds in my head. The bad news? The story is ridiculous. The aliens are called "titans", but I prefer "space whales". They are the most absurd aliens I have ever seen/read about/dreamed of why on Nyquil. They and the story are so bizarre and, well, wrong, that I found I couldn't stop reading. I've sent copies of this book to several people because it begs for a shared experience.
Do I recommend it to strangers? Tough call! The demented joy I had isn't the kind of measurement that I should use when reviewing a book. On the other hand, Oltion does a really good job Pike so I hate to give it 1-star.
Warning! The last part of this book doesn't make sense if you haven't read the first book, but if you have read the first book you have no need to read the last 20 pages or so. It makes for a hokey, cheese-ball "ending" that is appropo as it sums up how this series was filled with promise, but hampered by poor execution, boring plots, and gimmicky story telling.
Do I recommend it to strangers? Tough call! The demented joy I had isn't the kind of measurement that I should use when reviewing a book. On the other hand, Oltion does a really good job Pike so I hate to give it 1-star.
Warning! The last part of this book doesn't make sense if you haven't read the first book, but if you have read the first book you have no need to read the last 20 pages or so. It makes for a hokey, cheese-ball "ending" that is appropo as it sums up how this series was filled with promise, but hampered by poor execution, boring plots, and gimmicky story telling.
August 12, 2016
Just about everything Star Trek happens here: speculation on alien life, some aliens who are humanoid but for one physical difference (a thing some science fiction fans have criticized about the franchise, but I actually find quite charming), and a story with parallels to human events. Add to that Captain Pike and it's just about perfect for me. I was initially unsure about the Captain's Table concept and how it would fit in a hard science fiction setting, but it's handled well by the author without him having to explain everything away.
The ending of Pike's tale isn't a blockbuster movie flash-bang spectacle, but it is a good and logical ending that makes sense with the philosophy of Starfleet.
Toward the end of the book, I thought the author was leading up to something interesting that would have made the Original Series Trek fan in me very happy, but it wound up just being a preview for another novel in the series. Not entirely unwelcome, but tacked on to the narrative as it was was off-putting.
So far this is the best Pike story I've read in the expanded universe.
The ending of Pike's tale isn't a blockbuster movie flash-bang spectacle, but it is a good and logical ending that makes sense with the philosophy of Starfleet.
Toward the end of the book, I thought the author was leading up to something interesting that would have made the Original Series Trek fan in me very happy, but it wound up just being a preview for another novel in the series. Not entirely unwelcome, but tacked on to the narrative as it was was off-putting.
So far this is the best Pike story I've read in the expanded universe.
August 18, 2022
I love the concept of the ecosystem they explore in this book. I first read this book when it came out in 1998 and I was in high school and I had never read about anything like it. More than twenty years later, I still have never encountered a similar ecosystem in my reading. Since I am not a scientist, I have no idea how the technical language was in terms of accuracy or scientific probability, but the writing of the action scenes was excellent. It was very interesting encountering Mr. Spock in this book and seeing how he was written when working with someone other than Captain Kirk, just like the difference when watching the original pilot versus the remainder of the series.
Unlike some other readers, I enjoyed the occasional interruptions by what was happening back in The Captain's Table. Also, the description of the difficulty in ordering pizza for a group of people is amazingly accurate. Some things transcend time and space.
Unlike some other readers, I enjoyed the occasional interruptions by what was happening back in The Captain's Table. Also, the description of the difficulty in ordering pizza for a group of people is amazingly accurate. Some things transcend time and space.
July 16, 2012
I thought the book would be an interesting perspective on a character that we don't see much in the Star Trek series. That said, however, I don't think that this book particularly shed too much light on the class captain. Additionally, while the general idea (i.e. space aliens) isn't one that is original to this work, the way that it is executed is done so clumsily, with the idea that one could ride on one being of these going at such high speeds in nothing but a space suit is just as ridiculous. Unfortunately, the many opportunities this book had to be great were overlooked.
August 30, 2013
I like Captain Pike. He has one of the best personalities of all the Star Trek Captain's, in my opinion.No arrogance, no self-importance, he just seems like a normal guy who happens to be a Starfleet captain.
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