The Disinherited

Star Trek: The Original Series #59

by Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger

Gamma Xaridian is a peaceful Federation research colony that becomes the third Federation world to suffer a brutal attack at the hands of a mysterious alien fleet. With Lt. Uhura gone on an important mission of her own, Captain Kirk and the "U.S.S. Enterprise" TM are dispatched to investigate the attacks, only to find the planets completely devastated. When another nearby colony is attacked, the U.S.S. "Enterprise" is ready and encounters a fleet of quick, small and deadly ships. Though Kirk and his crew manage to turn the raiders away, the U.S.S. "Enterprise" is severely damaged and the aliens escape.As Kirk and his crew prepare for their next encounter with the raiders, Mr. Spock makes a startling discovery about the purpose behind the alien attacks, a purpose that, if realized, could have deadly consequences for the Federation and the U.S.S. "Enterprise."

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Star Trek Original Series, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Space

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard "feel good" Trek fare, with a space opera flavor. No big surprises, but competently done, which is a bit surprising with multiple authors involved. My favorite bits were the depiction of a very green Chekov, who after a few critical mistakes finds himself on the outs with Kirk, beating himself up and seriously pondering whether he has a future on the Enterprise. All his nervous energy, eagerness, ambition and drive really come through. The authors also do an admirable job conveying Uhura's compassion and brilliance.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, I know; I've been short on time a lot lately, but, here is my quick review: This was better than usual for this series...but still not amazing or anything.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gamma Xaridian is attacked by mysterious raiders who have left the planet devastated. The 'Enterprise' is deployed to protect the colony and stop the attacks. Chekov finds himself in trouble when he questions Kirk's orders on the bridge.

On temporary assignment to the 'U.S.S. Lexington', Uhura works to protect a race who communicate with sign as well verbal language. She soon finds a mystery which endangers the Federation's relationship with the new species, who appear to be hiding something.

A novel by committee is often found lacking, but the 'Star Trek' characters move briskly through a lively plot.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

More "Star Trek" comfort food: not very challenging, but rather pleasant all the same. The plot is fairly ho-hum -- much more TNG than Classic Trek. This is counter-balanced by a superb grasp of the characters, some nice retcon work with Chekov, and a fluid writing style that makes it difficult to believe that three authors worked on this novel. One chapter in particular involving running trains on time had me laughing appreciatively on any number of ironic historical levels.

[Frank Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story in my view, at least the idea was really good. The title gives away a lot once you get going but the Mission is intriguing. Actually it's a split plot with two missions occurring simultaneously that will eventually be linked up.

Uhura gets passed over to another ship to share her talents and everyone is afraid that her new C.O. will steal her away, meanwhile Chekov behaves like a bumbling fool back on the Enterprise.

Surprisingly unfamiliar crew considering that at least two thirds of the listed authors were established Trek writers. Maybe it's an issue of the joint writing project or maybe they just had a story they wanted to write and so had to mold the characters to make them fit the idea.

[Rob Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, so well written story with a brilliant use of recurring characters from the series.

[Nina Miteva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ревюто в Wanderbook

ако изключим неодобрителните смръщвания и тръпките, които ме полазваха при една или друга фраза, "Без наследство" беше много приятна книжка, от която без съмнение би излязъл и чудесен епизод. Учудващо (много учудващо!) тук Кърк не беше в центъра, на което в голяма част се дължеше и очарованието на историята. Акцентът вместо това е разпределен между двама по-неочаквани главни герои - лейтенант Ухура и младши лейтенант Чеков. Сюжетът пък е следният: на Ухура се налага да напусне временно "Ентърпрайс", за да участва във важна дипломатическа мисия заедно с кораба "Лексингтън". Всичко върви чудесно и преговорите напредват бързо и гладко, докато един случайно направен коментар за културата на този народ не обръща отношението им на 180 градуса. Докато Ухура и новият ѝ екип се опитват да открият причината за това охладняване, "Ентърпрайс" има дори по-важна задача. В съседно кътче на галактиката тайнствени мародери разрушават цели светове без видима причина или логика.

Много се зарадвах да видя Ухура в центъра на събитията. Тя е прекрасен персонаж, който наистина заслужава повече възможности да разкрие потенциала си. В тази история именно чрез нея, благодарение на нейните комуникационни и дипломатически умения, се предава основната идея на цялата вселена на Стар Трек - да откриеш, да общуваш, да разбереш и да приемеш някой коренно различен от теб. Точно тези сцени най-много от всичко ми се искаше да видя във филмов вариант - начинът на разговор на тези извънземни, различните нюанси, които могат да вложат в думите и в жестовете, водейки диалога на различни пластове.
Докато "Лексингтън" води тази дипломатическа мисия, "Ентърпрайс" е на първа линия на бойното поле - само че срещу изключително мистериозен враг. Събитията от тази страна на историята в голяма степен са предадени чрез Чеков, който е още пълен новак на кораба. Това, освен че ни спести купищата чар, които обикновено лее Кърк, направи нещата и много по-лични. Видяхме разрушения и опожарен свят не през очите на обръгналия капитан, а през тези на току що излезлия от Академията младши офицер. Съпреживявах на Чеков неочаквано много - на несигурността му, на глождещите мисли,че не е достатъчно добър и че не му е мястото на борда, на желанието му да се докаже комбинирано със страха да не обърка нещо. Образите и на двамата изгряха, не в нова, но в много по-ярка светлина. Сюжетите пък се развиха и преплетоха повече от задоволително, за да се стигне до една кулминация много... а ла Кърк. Но какво да се прави :D
Единствено като минус мога да кажа, че някои сцени, които щяха да изглеждат добре на екрана, не бяха предадени съвсем задоволително на книга, беше се позагубил и поразмил още един елемент. Последното беше и сравнително важно - авторите са решили да кръстят цялата история на чувството да си останал без морално наследство. Да са прекъснати корените ти, миналото не просто да ти е отнето, а да се е отрекло от теб. За това към какво може да тласне хората тази рана, и как може да бъде излекувана. А това е чудесна тема, богата и въздействаща, но не беше достатъчно интегрирана както в течение на историята, така и във финала.

[TheTick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up because of Peter David, and it was a solid read. I always liked Chekov, and having a storyline focusing on Uhura using 'communications' skills beyond putting someone on the viewscreen was a nice change.

Even my younger self thought the Comm officer from the Lexington was a rote "misunderstood loner" character but he did help tie the two storylines together. This isn't one of the ST books that I re-read constantly, but it was definitely worth the purchase.

[Brian Burriston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes place between the first and second season of the old TV show and highlights Chekov's early months on the Enterprise (but not his initial ones). Uhura has a big part, Spock and McCoy very little. For those who like first meetings with aliens or negotiation stories this will please. There are two mysteries to solve and some space battles to spice things up at the end. A nice balance.

[Andrew Beet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it was great to see uhura on another ship to help out and it was a change to not hear her say hailing frequencies as she did in the TV series and with the character of Chekov get himself in trouble and quoting a strategy to Captain Kirk while they were battling the raiders that were attacking gamma xarid and you just knew that Kirk would relieve him of duty I also liked that there was equal time devoted to both the A story and the B story overall very enjoyable novel

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were, I think, three Trek novels were three of the guys who wrote for the comic did it together. This is one of the better ones.
Given that, it's still only an okay book, Uhura gets some time in the spotlight, which is nice but the rest of the book wasn't terribly memorable and the three writing styles didn't always mesh well for me.

[Stephen Fender · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the author wove two differing stories, one on the Enterprise and the other on the Lexington, together to form a cohesive novel. The characters are well thought out, the story plot is true Trek, and the space battles are what anyone could come to expect from a typical big-budget Trek movie. Well done. A good read for any Trek fan.

[Chris Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Peter David touches (in the ST universe anyway) turns to gold.

[Kreg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice spotlight on Uhura. A few problems meshing three different writing styles, but overall a decent story.

[John]

Good solid classic Trek book, full of all the usual...space battles, political intrigue, etc.

[Paul Riches]

Star Trek The Disinherited Is A Great Uhura Tale 



It was once the oldest unread book in my collection, having existed on my shelves since 1992, when it was first published.

And now, in the fall of 2021, I have finally read it.

Twenty-nine years later.

That is, of course, what this book is all about.

Actually, not really, as you all know.

The book in question is the paperback Star Trek pocket novel number 59 The Disinherited by Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, and Robert Greenberger. This was the second multi-author Star Trek book, with The Next Generation book Doomsday World having come out in 1990. That one I read as soon as it was released. The fun secret of these volumes was that they never revealed which authors wrote which storylines.

The Disinherited has three tales entwined together, hence three writers.

Marauders are attacking Federation colonies and Captain Kirk has to find them and stop them. They are fast and dangerous and devastate and keep getting away. Kirk must push his ship and crew to the limit in order to stop them and find out what they want.

Ensign Checkov has just started duty on the Enterprise, and he is really really worried about not doing well. He meets the senior officers and they try their best to encourage and relax him. One big mistake gets him in trouble, and while we know he will recover, it is interesting who helps him get his bearings.

Lieutenant Uhura is being temporarily reassigned to another starship, all to help negotiate with a race who communicate verbally and with hand gestures. She easily gets things done with the aliens, but notices a mystery. As she solves this, she also helps another crewmember deal with longstanding issues.

Like with Doomsday World, I have no clue who wrote what, which is fun and interesting. You can make educated guesses based on the authors past work, but they might have switched it up just to drive the readers crazy.

I found the mystery of the marauders rather easy to figure out, along with all the plot around them. And the Checkov story is nice, but his big mistake feels overblown to put it mildly.

My definite favourite storyline was Uhura’s, which showed how smart and compassionate and dedicated and respected she is. She is wanted for this assignment because of how smart she is, the other crewman confides in her because of how compassionate she is, she solves the mysteries because of how dedicated she is, and everyone seeks out her opinions because of how respected she is. If you are a big Uhura fan, then The Disinherited comes through massively.

As a Star Trek adventure, which takes place during Kirk’s first five year mission, which is the 1960’s show, The Disinherited is okay and features all the characters doing stuff. As a character feature on Uhura, it is really really great. I wish I had read it earlier.

Scoopriches

[Don Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my sixth Star Trek novel and #59 in the Simon and Shuster series. The Enterprise is sent on a mission to stop a collection of small spaceships that are destroying Federation colonies. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Uhura is on special assignment aboard the Lexington under commander Commadore Wesley. Their mission is to go to Rithra to negotiate the establishment of a Federation Base as this planet is near Gorn territory. While on their mission, they are asked to assist the Rithrim in setting up a shield to protect a special colony/birthing area called Girin Gatha from a lava flow.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise struggles in defeating these spaceships given their small size and maneuverability. As it turns out, these spaceships are a broken off faction of the Rithrim who have been hired by a race from Parath'aa to steal Federation parts in order to build a plasma canon so that they can conquer other worlds.

As it turns out, there are some hostile species in space. What I enjoyed about this novel is how true it is to the original series. While the story appears complicated, it flows nicely and is a quick page turner. Another interesting thread from this story is it occurs during a time when navigator Pavel Chekov first joins the Enterprise and he is continually nervous about his performance and the impression he makes on Captain Kirk. There is only one reference in the novel to a star date which is on page 247, Captains Log, star date 3034.6. My only question here is, I believe this star date post dates the arrival of Chekov aboard the Enterprise. If I am correct, then this is an inaccuracy and if anything we Trekkies want to ensure that all things are accurate.

I am truly enjoying reliving Star Trek: The Original Series through these novels. Looking forward to my seventh novel.

[Reesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the overall story and the way it folded back on itself, and I appreciated the unique new species and the glimmers of humour in the text.

What I found difficult to believe was the over-the-top glumness of Chekov that permeated the entirety of the book and never seemed to improve no matter what was happening. It didn't feel in character for Chekov to be constantly down on himself - nervous, sure, but not neurotically self-hating like this.

In addition, the text was in need of a thorough editing ("disappeared into the either"?) and the trio of male authors would have benefited from having a woman around to point out their occasional misogynistic takes or turns of phrase.

I loved the important role Uhura played and how her impressive abilities and professionalism were appreciated by her superiors. I also enjoyed meeting the new character who was in a bad place personally, though I didn't find it very believable that about 5 words from someone else fixed all his problems.

All in all, a good story, worth a read, but not really a standout among TOS novels.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both the A plot (with Kirk and the Enterprise) and B plot (Uhura and the Lexington) were a good read and had enough mystery and action to keep me engaged. I also liked the C plot (as it were) with Chekhov and him finding his feet with joining the Enterprise. The entire theme of the book is all about fitting in and finding your place and the consequences of either not being able to or not wanting to change. There is the underlying temptation for Uhura to leave but the reader and Uhura never seem to sway from their opinion as we all know she doesn't but there is the chance that the authors throw a wrench in the timeline...

Anyway, I found the humour and banter went a little too far at times as some characters just seemed a little too quippy for who they are and the seriousness of the moment was lost. So that's why it lost a star. However, the story was good and what they had to achieve were a great read.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect Star Trek novel. Set a few months after Ensign Chekov has joined the crew, the Russian is eager to please Captain Kirk, but he's making rookie mistakes that's not earning him any praise. The story follows Uhura who's been moved to another ship to help with negotiations with an alien race, while the crew of the Enterprise deals with some mysterious raiders that are destroying colonies on several worlds.

The dialogue is perfect, sounding exactly what the characters would say, the characters' actions are on point, the action is great, and the twists in the story are excellent.

There are several references to Star Trek episodes, but they wouldn't lose anyone if this is the their first Trek.

When I saw who the authors were of this book I knew I was going to be in for a fun read. They did not disappoint. Absolutely recommended for any fan of Star Trek.

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to settle on 2 stars because, as the Goodreads caption says at 2 stars "it was ok." In many ways it was superior to Perry's Planet, but Peter David writes basically high-quality fan fiction here. The characters sound genuine most of the time and the plot was interesting. But there were quite a few serious lapses in prose style and obvious fan-service moments that killed off the good vibe that was going (e.g. Bones telling Chekov about how Kirk rigged the Kobayashi Maru was totally redundant and felt like a lame movie-tie-in moment).

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and a little different

One of best and most interesting parts of the story is showing how another starship and its commander operate. The parts on the Lexington and its mission are well done and it might be interesting to see an entire story set there. The parts set on the Enterprise feel like they mesh with the Original Series from the show. Overall a good story done well.

[Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty enjoyable entry in the series. I liked that they gave Uhura something to do. I always appreciated them showing the chain of command and treating the Enterprise like an actual, functional unit. It added some realism to the relationship aboard.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gamma Xarid is a Federation colony and the third to suffer an attack in the last few days. The Enterprse is sent to investigate. Meanwhile Uhura has been reassigned temporily to the Lexington for their assignment.
An entertaining re-read.

[Ian Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there are several moments that I don’t think any of the three authors may have enjoyed writing, this is a lot of fun. The characters are great and the story has a proper Trek vibe to it. And any tale that features Uhura being amazing is ok in my book.

[Salustra Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable story

I liked the plot and the characters seemed on point for TOS. The actual writing was a bit disappointing as not up to previous Peter David books I have read and the poof reader or conversion from print had lots of annoying errors.

[Gary Barrentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good combination of two stories involving two Starships. Set in the earlier days.

[Andrew Beet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book both the a and b stories were good the authors devoted equal time to both stories

[Katrina Veerkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked this novel very much. Lots of background and action! Shows Chekov when he was first on the Enterprise. Uhura has a big and very interesting story line which I enjoyed thoroughly. Good read

[Jackson Whiting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun and exciting story with the original crew. If you want a book about the original series crew this is your ticket.