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Star Trek
The Unsettling Stars
An original novel based on the thrilling Star Trek movies directed by J.J. Abrams!
Taking place in an alternate timeline created when the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by a Romulan invader from the future, this bold new novel follows Captain James T. Kirk and an inexperienced crew commandeering a repaired U.S.S. Enterprise out of spacedock for a simple shakedown cruise. When a distress call comes in, the Enterprise must aid a large colony ship of alien refugees known as the Perenorean, who are under siege by an unknown enemy. But Kirk and his crew will find that the situation with the peaceful Perenorean is far more complicated than they bargained for, and the answers as to why they were attacked in the first place unfold in the most insidious of ways…
Taking place in an alternate timeline created when the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by a Romulan invader from the future, this bold new novel follows Captain James T. Kirk and an inexperienced crew commandeering a repaired U.S.S. Enterprise out of spacedock for a simple shakedown cruise. When a distress call comes in, the Enterprise must aid a large colony ship of alien refugees known as the Perenorean, who are under siege by an unknown enemy. But Kirk and his crew will find that the situation with the peaceful Perenorean is far more complicated than they bargained for, and the answers as to why they were attacked in the first place unfold in the most insidious of ways…
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First published April 14, 2020
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About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,032 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 111 reviews
September 13, 2024
Title: The Unsettling Stars (Star Trek: Kelvin / Movie Universe
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Publication year: 2020
Review: I don't love J. J. Abrams' Kelvin Universe. He bastardized a lot of the things fans of "The Original Series (TOS)" enjoyed about the old TV Show enjoyed. I think that I can appreciate a lot of what he seems to try to do to "update" the content, but it feels less like homage, and more like "I want to create my own version of Star Trek."
Here, the newly graduated students of Starfleet Academy, (you know these people as Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov as played by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, etc.) receive a distress call while on a shakedown mission. There is a certain urgency to the distress call which behooves the crew and especially Capt. Kirk to act quickly. Therefore, when the Enterprise arrives and witnesses the Perenorean ship (a ship of refugees) surrounded by numerous other unknown alien vessels, the Enterprise acts and becomes involved in a dramatic, near-apocalyptic dilemma.
Alan Dean Foster is an exceptional science fiction writer and his ability to take the sacred cow of Trek fans and give the franchise interesting, new villainous aliens, fascinating plots, and the restoration of accepted canon is dead on perfect. I enjoyed the story, regardless of the universe it hails from.
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Publication year: 2020
Review: I don't love J. J. Abrams' Kelvin Universe. He bastardized a lot of the things fans of "The Original Series (TOS)" enjoyed about the old TV Show enjoyed. I think that I can appreciate a lot of what he seems to try to do to "update" the content, but it feels less like homage, and more like "I want to create my own version of Star Trek."
Here, the newly graduated students of Starfleet Academy, (you know these people as Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov as played by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, etc.) receive a distress call while on a shakedown mission. There is a certain urgency to the distress call which behooves the crew and especially Capt. Kirk to act quickly. Therefore, when the Enterprise arrives and witnesses the Perenorean ship (a ship of refugees) surrounded by numerous other unknown alien vessels, the Enterprise acts and becomes involved in a dramatic, near-apocalyptic dilemma.
Alan Dean Foster is an exceptional science fiction writer and his ability to take the sacred cow of Trek fans and give the franchise interesting, new villainous aliens, fascinating plots, and the restoration of accepted canon is dead on perfect. I enjoyed the story, regardless of the universe it hails from.
July 3, 2023
The Enterprise is off in space when it gets a distress call… sound familiar? They meet up with some unfamiliar aliens… but are they friend or foe? And will Kirk and company ever actually consider obeying the Prime Directive? Please. We all know the answer to that one! This was a cool read with hints of Spock and Uhura for shippers 😊. I’d recommend it for Trek fans who enjoy the old TV series as it felt more like an old-school hour-long episode rather than one of the new movies. A fun classic read!
October 10, 2023
This could've made a very interesting short story. Or an episode for tv, but it was dragged into a full length novel. Listening to the audio made it more
entertaining, mostly because the narrator is adept at mimicking the Original Series characters' speech patterns, which made it amusing.
And on that note, other than a few mentions (too many, if you ask me) of Spock's refugee status, and his relationship with Uhura, the characters were basically identical, TOS and Kelvin timeline. It almost seemed like those mentions and the brief encounters between Spock and Uhura were added after the fact to make it a Kelvin timeline book.
Also the "rescue" was basically a
"Deus ex Macchina", which I didn’t find as clever as I think I was meant to.
The writing was not bad per se, just boring and nothing special.
entertaining, mostly because the narrator is adept at mimicking the Original Series characters' speech patterns, which made it amusing.
And on that note, other than a few mentions (too many, if you ask me) of Spock's refugee status, and his relationship with Uhura, the characters were basically identical, TOS and Kelvin timeline. It almost seemed like those mentions and the brief encounters between Spock and Uhura were added after the fact to make it a Kelvin timeline book.
Also the "rescue" was basically a
"Deus ex Macchina", which I didn’t find as clever as I think I was meant to.
The writing was not bad per se, just boring and nothing special.
November 1, 2022
A well written but, fairly by the numbers Trek story. When responding to a distress call Kirk and the Enterprise crew find an unknown race of refugees under attack by another race of previously unknown aliens. After rescuing the refugees they are warned by the former aggressors that they have in fact lost. While the dory is interesting in it formulaic and predictable. I expected better.
May 13, 2023
From the start I was convinced that Alan Dean Foster wanted to screw with our minds and show us how wrong our usual perception are. In retrospect I don‘t think he was trying to be particularly inventive or trying to open our minds. This was a pretty straight forward story with a very predictable outcome, set shortly after the events of the first Abrams Star Trek reboot movie.
It was not a gripping read for me, I started to lightly skim from a third into the book, wanting Foster to just get on with the story and make his point. There wasn‘t much of a point though. This felt like one of the more amusing episodes of the old Enterprise, set in the new universe. I have read quite a few ST:AOS fanfiction stories with a lot more depth, suspense and more complex plots and characterizations. It’s all very superficial. Kirk is a bit more insecure than Shatner‘s Kirk would have been, due to his rapid ascension to the center chair and Spock mentions his refugee status a few times, that‘s as deep as it goes.
Nonetheless, there were some goods points as well. The creatures on the moon of DiBor and the aliens were colourful and entertaining. Foster has always been good at that. And it was a nice touch to incorporate Voyager into the story, considering that Foster came up with the narrative for ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’, including the tie-in novel.
Bottomline, this book put me to sleep quickly in the evenings. I am going to give any other Foster movie tie-in novels a wide berth from now on. And my plans to re-read his original fiction have taken an indefinite backseat now.
🚀🚀½☆☆, rounded up.
Another more positive review:
http://blog.trekcore.com/2020/04/book...
It was not a gripping read for me, I started to lightly skim from a third into the book, wanting Foster to just get on with the story and make his point. There wasn‘t much of a point though. This felt like one of the more amusing episodes of the old Enterprise, set in the new universe. I have read quite a few ST:AOS fanfiction stories with a lot more depth, suspense and more complex plots and characterizations. It’s all very superficial. Kirk is a bit more insecure than Shatner‘s Kirk would have been, due to his rapid ascension to the center chair and Spock mentions his refugee status a few times, that‘s as deep as it goes.
Nonetheless, there were some goods points as well. The creatures on the moon of DiBor and the aliens were colourful and entertaining. Foster has always been good at that. And it was a nice touch to incorporate Voyager into the story, considering that Foster came up with the narrative for ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’, including the tie-in novel.
Bottomline, this book put me to sleep quickly in the evenings. I am going to give any other Foster movie tie-in novels a wide berth from now on. And my plans to re-read his original fiction have taken an indefinite backseat now.
🚀🚀½☆☆, rounded up.
Another more positive review:
http://blog.trekcore.com/2020/04/book...
May 12, 2020
I was looking forward to this for two reasons: kelvin timeline and Alan Dean Foster. I will say it started out strong. However, it quickly faded into the typical mediocre Trek novel. The alternate timeline really played no integral part in this novel. It could have been any of the Star Trek series. I consider that a wasted opportunity. I have read many of Foster’s books including his early novels of the animated Star Trek. I expected more. Finally, did anyone else feel like the book just stopped?! The ending was so quick and ridiculous that it seems like the editors just cut out a couple of chapters and said wrap it up here!
Oh what I would give for a quality Star Trek novel these days. Am I just expecting too much?
Oh what I would give for a quality Star Trek novel these days. Am I just expecting too much?
May 4, 2020
I don't give praise easily to the Abrams-universe/Kelvin timeline...in fact, only "Star Trek Beyond" manages to use it to capture the essence of Star Trek properly. That said, I can't fault this novel at all. Delayed 10 years, Alan Dean Foster is a master science fiction author who manages the enormous task of making the Kelvin-version of the crew sympathetic, while engaging in a simple but proper SF mystery. It's a breezy read, a well-written read, and a surprisingly enjoyable read. To be honest, I wasn't expecting any of that, given with the author had to work with...so major congratulations to him.
May 11, 2023
What a fascinating book! I've enjoyed reading the Star Trek novels recently, and I really liked the actors and characters of the Kelvin Timeline, despite not loving the movies themselves. I thought that this timeline is ripe for exploration in character and story, as it provides an opportunity to produce new novels and maybe even tv series?
This book was one of four originally written to tie-into and release around the Star Trek (2009) Movie. However, when the movie was released, these books were scrapped for some reason. They simply sat on the shelves at Gallery Books until this and one other were allowed to release in 2020. Alan Dean Foster touched up the story from my understanding, but this is still the book written for release in 2010.
This book actually feels like it could have been an Original Series novel. The way the aliens and themes work together really feel like classic Trek, something the Kelvin Timeline doesn't always feel like. The continuity and the interpersonal drama of the characters (specifically the romance of Uhura and Spock) lines up with the Kelvin Timeline well, and the characters feel like both the Kelvin Timeline and OG Universe versions.
The aliens in this book are super interesting because they are basically "killing with kindness". I won't elaborate how, as it is really interesting as it is revealed in the novel. However, the speed with which they update and "help out", is really nonsensical. It makes sense that they can be advanced and super adaptable, but the speed with which they automate and fix things is just absurd and unrealistic.
The book flies through fairly quickly, and doesn't feel unecessarily long or short. I think Alan Dean Foster found the right length for the story that needed to be told.
My only real complaint is that towards the beginning of the book, the dialogue and exposition felt way too stilted and simple. It felt more like an outline of dialogue rather than actual dialogue and natural writing. This issue resolved itself about 1/4 through the book, but it was still distracting nonetheless. I was worried the whole book would feel that way, and thankfully that was not the case.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is a well needed book for the Kelvin Timeline, and I really hope Gallery Books decides to write more books in the future. In fact, I will say that this is my favorite Alan Dean Foster book that I've read. 7.6 out of 10. Well done Alan Dean Foster!
This book was one of four originally written to tie-into and release around the Star Trek (2009) Movie. However, when the movie was released, these books were scrapped for some reason. They simply sat on the shelves at Gallery Books until this and one other were allowed to release in 2020. Alan Dean Foster touched up the story from my understanding, but this is still the book written for release in 2010.
This book actually feels like it could have been an Original Series novel. The way the aliens and themes work together really feel like classic Trek, something the Kelvin Timeline doesn't always feel like. The continuity and the interpersonal drama of the characters (specifically the romance of Uhura and Spock) lines up with the Kelvin Timeline well, and the characters feel like both the Kelvin Timeline and OG Universe versions.
The aliens in this book are super interesting because they are basically "killing with kindness". I won't elaborate how, as it is really interesting as it is revealed in the novel. However, the speed with which they update and "help out", is really nonsensical. It makes sense that they can be advanced and super adaptable, but the speed with which they automate and fix things is just absurd and unrealistic.
The book flies through fairly quickly, and doesn't feel unecessarily long or short. I think Alan Dean Foster found the right length for the story that needed to be told.
My only real complaint is that towards the beginning of the book, the dialogue and exposition felt way too stilted and simple. It felt more like an outline of dialogue rather than actual dialogue and natural writing. This issue resolved itself about 1/4 through the book, but it was still distracting nonetheless. I was worried the whole book would feel that way, and thankfully that was not the case.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is a well needed book for the Kelvin Timeline, and I really hope Gallery Books decides to write more books in the future. In fact, I will say that this is my favorite Alan Dean Foster book that I've read. 7.6 out of 10. Well done Alan Dean Foster!
April 15, 2020
A newly minted Captain Kirk is on patrol with the 'Enterprise' when he comes across a colony ship in distress. The race, called the Perenoreans, are very quick to learn and eager to please. But when Kirk comes to an arrangement with the SiBor, a Federation Protectorate, to provide safe haven to the refugees he soon finds himself facing the wrath of Starfleet Command.
Foster's novel clearly comes from the Abrams' universe, but still manages to capture the essence of 'Star Trek' as he presents an intriguing adventure for the 'Enterprise' crew.
Foster's novel clearly comes from the Abrams' universe, but still manages to capture the essence of 'Star Trek' as he presents an intriguing adventure for the 'Enterprise' crew.
April 14, 2020
A fun read
There’s not a whole lot of Kelvinverse material out there, so I was so happy this was coming out.
The conflict in this was interesting, because it’s not the typical “OMG VIOLENCE!” Thing. I liked the originality of it.
I liked the interpersonal relationships developing between the crew, as this was early in their journey. My favourite bits were the Spock and Uhura stuff, and then McCoy needling Spock about how obvious they were.
It’s pretty short and a quick read, but fun.
There’s not a whole lot of Kelvinverse material out there, so I was so happy this was coming out.
The conflict in this was interesting, because it’s not the typical “OMG VIOLENCE!” Thing. I liked the originality of it.
I liked the interpersonal relationships developing between the crew, as this was early in their journey. My favourite bits were the Spock and Uhura stuff, and then McCoy needling Spock about how obvious they were.
It’s pretty short and a quick read, but fun.
February 14, 2024
A worthy entry in the ever-expanding Star Trek literary universe. It was nice to finally get to experience the "Kelvin Timeline" crew in novel form, and Alan Dean Foster does a great job of capturing their unique voices, setting them apart from their Prime universe counterparts. The dilemma at the heart of the story is a unique problem that resonates with issues we are dealing with today. I fear the story of The Unsettling Stars will only become more relevant as the years go by.
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2024/02/TUS.html
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2024/02/TUS.html
March 24, 2025
4.5 Stars for The Unsettling Stars: Star Trek (audiobook) by Alan Dean Foster read by Robert Petkoff.
It was interesting to see where Alan Dean Foster wanted to take the crew of the Starship Enterprise. He boldly stepped into the world of Star Trek and dreamt up some great new species for Captain Kirk and crew to contact. Kirk quickly step in and saves a group of aliens called the Perenorean. They seem to be peaceful, they have no weapons but another group is trying to wipe them out. A new home is found for them on an unused moon where a slightly less advanced civilization is living. And the Perenorean are thrilled with this solution and they quickly show their gratitude. What could possibly go wrong, Kirk is about to find out why that other group was so mad.
It was interesting to see where Alan Dean Foster wanted to take the crew of the Starship Enterprise. He boldly stepped into the world of Star Trek and dreamt up some great new species for Captain Kirk and crew to contact. Kirk quickly step in and saves a group of aliens called the Perenorean. They seem to be peaceful, they have no weapons but another group is trying to wipe them out. A new home is found for them on an unused moon where a slightly less advanced civilization is living. And the Perenorean are thrilled with this solution and they quickly show their gratitude. What could possibly go wrong, Kirk is about to find out why that other group was so mad.
October 3, 2024
"The Unsettling Stars" was slightly disappointing. I know that may seem strange for a three-star rated book. It will make more sense when you realize this could easily have been a much higher rated story, save for the ending.
This story is set in an alternate timeline-the one from the movies with Chris Hemsworth as Capt Kirk. Specifically, this book takes place after the events of the first movie so this is sometime after the year 2233 where the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by the Romulan warship. This timeline starts in 2258.
The Enterprise is on a routine mission after the events of the movie. But the Enterprise comes across a colony ship of Perenoreans who are under attack. This strange, yet seemingly non-threatening, alien species is rescued from another mysterious alien species' murderous attack. The Perenoreans are kind, intelligent, honest, open, and giving. So why are they hated?
As the Enterprise settles the Perenoreans on a SiBoronaan moon, issues begin to manifest. As the Enterprise returns to calm the situation the strange threat of the Perenoreans becomes manifest.
The story and the premise is actually very interesting and well done. The scenario is a rather unique one and I was enjoying the plot. So what happened? Coming in at about 300 pages, this is a story that could have used some more work to the ending. It seemed rushed and abrupt. One moment we face a rather unique situation with seemingly difficult resolutions coming and then viola! problem solved, story over.
So a really interesting premise and a good story that could have used a few more chapters wrapping the story up. So due to this rather "too-quick" and "too-neat" ending this is only a three star story.
This story is set in an alternate timeline-the one from the movies with Chris Hemsworth as Capt Kirk. Specifically, this book takes place after the events of the first movie so this is sometime after the year 2233 where the Starship Kelvin was destroyed by the Romulan warship. This timeline starts in 2258.
The Enterprise is on a routine mission after the events of the movie. But the Enterprise comes across a colony ship of Perenoreans who are under attack. This strange, yet seemingly non-threatening, alien species is rescued from another mysterious alien species' murderous attack. The Perenoreans are kind, intelligent, honest, open, and giving. So why are they hated?
As the Enterprise settles the Perenoreans on a SiBoronaan moon, issues begin to manifest. As the Enterprise returns to calm the situation the strange threat of the Perenoreans becomes manifest.
The story and the premise is actually very interesting and well done. The scenario is a rather unique one and I was enjoying the plot. So what happened? Coming in at about 300 pages, this is a story that could have used some more work to the ending. It seemed rushed and abrupt. One moment we face a rather unique situation with seemingly difficult resolutions coming and then viola! problem solved, story over.
So a really interesting premise and a good story that could have used a few more chapters wrapping the story up. So due to this rather "too-quick" and "too-neat" ending this is only a three star story.
March 24, 2022
Foster's novel details the first adventure of the Enterprise (in the Kelvin timeline) after the events of the first movie. The idea is great - aliens who aren't bad - but at times it feels like the Enterprise crew is being made too dumb. There are some great character touches in the book, and it is a quick read.
March 24, 2025
Really great until a slightly rushed ending.
July 2, 2020
The Pine-and-Quinto-starring, JJ Abrams-directed/produced, alternate-universe-to-the-original-series Trek film franchise has not lacked for supplementary material. Those of us who love the film series (*raises hand*) were treated to 5+ years of monthly comics from writer Mike Johnson and artist Tony Shasteen (alongside other artists) coming out of IDW. Johnson's "Kelvinverse" comics run remains in my top-three favorite comics of all time -- and I read a lot of comics.
So I can't complain. But I will, well, observe that every other Trek series has received a substantial amount of tie-in novelizations, and in this area, the Kelvinverse has been sorely lacking. Other than a four-novel YA series based on the characters' time at Starfleet academy (plus novelizations of the first two films) -- there have been no Kelvinverse novels. And reading a novel is a fairly different different experience from reading a comic -- so, while I would not trade the Johnson comics for anything, I have definitely been wishing for some Kelvinverse prose offerings alongside them.
2020 hasn't brought much that's been terribly good -- but it has, at least, brought two Kelvinverse novels that were originally commissioned for publication some ten years ago. It's nice to find a bright spot. ;-)
This novel is set during the very first post-movie voyage of the Enterprise, with Kirk having been officially assigned to the Captain's chair. An unexpected distress call introduces the crew to an alien refugee ship under attack. What unfolds is a fun little tale that feels like it could be an episode from a series with the Kelvinverse crew (and I mean that as a compliment) -- that put me just a bit in mind of Brown's comic sci-fi novel "Martians, Go Home."
I admit I was slightly surprised by how much I ultimately enjoyed this. One thing: I did have to get used to the dialogue first. Foster tends to use multisyllabic words in general, including in the dialogue he writes -- which has a tendency to make every character sound like Spock. Kirk is no dummy, for instance; but when he comments on Bones's "visceral dislike" of space travel, or "presuming" that the craft giving off the signal is moving, I couldn't help but think that our Kirk is more likely to simply say that Bones hates space and guesses the craft is on the move.
... but these are small quibbles. I appreciated the fun of this story, which gives us an insidiously building danger that is comical, infuriating, and frightening in turn. There's some good action sequences, and if a lot of the book is dialogue-heavy, well -- that's generally my jam, so I'm not about to complain.
I also liked Foster's attempt to really characterize these particular versions of the Enterprise crew and where they are in their journeys. Kirk is abundantly aware of the scrutiny he's under as such an untried commander, and he vacillates between signature confidence and cautious awareness of what's at stake for his career and the career of everyone on board. Spock is growing into his comfort with himself and his new friends, while still being affected by the destruction of Vulcan; he is particularly passionate about doing everything that they can to help the refugees, being a refugee himself. So I liked those character acknowledgements, liked the reminder that these are very specific versions of these Trek characters.
It wasn't perfect. I would've liked more time spent with Uhura (she is on the cover!). Also, while I didn't find the ending abrupt, the way some did -- we went fairly quickly from the discovery of exactly what makes these aliens a danger, to the danger overwhelming the ship; I think I would've liked the takeover to take a little longer.
(Also -- *very* small quibble -- I found it odd that Kirk, an apparent 20th-century-history aficionado as evidenced by his love of "classical" rock music, old cars, and traditional motorcycles, was so unimpressed by -- but, again, that's quite minor.)
But, in the end ... I enjoyed this. A lot. My thanks to Foster for giving me another adventure to spend with this crew -- and my thanks to the publishers for releasing it at a time when we all need a bit of cheering!
So I can't complain. But I will, well, observe that every other Trek series has received a substantial amount of tie-in novelizations, and in this area, the Kelvinverse has been sorely lacking. Other than a four-novel YA series based on the characters' time at Starfleet academy (plus novelizations of the first two films) -- there have been no Kelvinverse novels. And reading a novel is a fairly different different experience from reading a comic -- so, while I would not trade the Johnson comics for anything, I have definitely been wishing for some Kelvinverse prose offerings alongside them.
2020 hasn't brought much that's been terribly good -- but it has, at least, brought two Kelvinverse novels that were originally commissioned for publication some ten years ago. It's nice to find a bright spot. ;-)
This novel is set during the very first post-movie voyage of the Enterprise, with Kirk having been officially assigned to the Captain's chair. An unexpected distress call introduces the crew to an alien refugee ship under attack. What unfolds is a fun little tale that feels like it could be an episode from a series with the Kelvinverse crew (and I mean that as a compliment) -- that put me just a bit in mind of Brown's comic sci-fi novel "Martians, Go Home."
I admit I was slightly surprised by how much I ultimately enjoyed this. One thing: I did have to get used to the dialogue first. Foster tends to use multisyllabic words in general, including in the dialogue he writes -- which has a tendency to make every character sound like Spock. Kirk is no dummy, for instance; but when he comments on Bones's "visceral dislike" of space travel, or "presuming" that the craft giving off the signal is moving, I couldn't help but think that our Kirk is more likely to simply say that Bones hates space and guesses the craft is on the move.
... but these are small quibbles. I appreciated the fun of this story, which gives us an insidiously building danger that is comical, infuriating, and frightening in turn. There's some good action sequences, and if a lot of the book is dialogue-heavy, well -- that's generally my jam, so I'm not about to complain.
I also liked Foster's attempt to really characterize these particular versions of the Enterprise crew and where they are in their journeys. Kirk is abundantly aware of the scrutiny he's under as such an untried commander, and he vacillates between signature confidence and cautious awareness of what's at stake for his career and the career of everyone on board. Spock is growing into his comfort with himself and his new friends, while still being affected by the destruction of Vulcan; he is particularly passionate about doing everything that they can to help the refugees, being a refugee himself. So I liked those character acknowledgements, liked the reminder that these are very specific versions of these Trek characters.
It wasn't perfect. I would've liked more time spent with Uhura (she is on the cover!). Also, while I didn't find the ending abrupt, the way some did -- we went fairly quickly from the discovery of exactly what makes these aliens a danger, to the danger overwhelming the ship; I think I would've liked the takeover to take a little longer.
(Also -- *very* small quibble -- I found it odd that Kirk, an apparent 20th-century-history aficionado as evidenced by his love of "classical" rock music, old cars, and traditional motorcycles, was so unimpressed by -- but, again, that's quite minor.)
But, in the end ... I enjoyed this. A lot. My thanks to Foster for giving me another adventure to spend with this crew -- and my thanks to the publishers for releasing it at a time when we all need a bit of cheering!
March 22, 2021
Author Alan Dean Foster brings us back to the Kelvin timeline just after the events of Star Trek (2009). Captain Kirk and the young crew of the Enterprise are on a shake down cruse to the edge of Federation space when they encounter an alien ship calling for help. Kirk and crew rush to help and they find a colony ship that had gone off course due the fact that her navigational systems were hit. The Enterprise steps in and fends off the attackers from the colony ship but attackers left Krik and crew a warning. That was you don't know what you've just done. The Enterprise then escorts the colony ship to a system with a habitable moon. Once there they ask the species on the planet if those on the colony ship can take up residence on their moon. They agree and both civilizations begin settling the moon under the watchful eye of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. But as they do so several things begin to happen which causes Spock to question the colonists. But that is only the first of many incidents. I enjoyed this view back into the Kelvin timeline and I'm looking forward to more adventures in this parallel Trek universe. I highly recommend this book to all science fiction fans.
October 6, 2020
"The Unsettling Stars" is a solid Star Trek book. It unfairly sat on the shelf, unreleased for over ten years because J.J. Abrams wanted the freedom to take the Kelvin storyline wherever he wanted to. Unfortunately, Paramount seems to have abandoned this series, so they finally let them release this book.
It takes place immediately after the events of Star Trek (2009). The crew is taking the ship out for a test mission. Just to make sure everything works they way it should. They get a distress signal (don't they always?) and it's just outside of Federation space (isn't it always?). They come upon a ship being attacked and are forced to make a decision: Interfere in a fight they know nothing about or stand by and watch another ship be destroyed. Because Kirk is Kirk, of course they intervene and save the ship.
The ship is full of furry, intelligent, heretofore undiscovered aliens. And when I say intelligent, I mean very intelligent. They can solve any problem and have a knack for coming up with better methods of doing things...anything and everything from food prep, to mass transportation, to learning a new language, to fencing (had to get Sulu some more story time).
There's an underlying issue running through the whole book: Are these new aliens good or bad? Do they have a hidden agenda? To tell here would be to spoil the fun but to watch Spock try and untangle the riddle is a fun ride.
Alan Dean Foster does a wonderful job of capturing the voice and character of each crew member from the Kelvin timeline. I hope they let him do more of these, but since they wouldn't let him release his first one for more than ten years, the odds aren't great.
It takes place immediately after the events of Star Trek (2009). The crew is taking the ship out for a test mission. Just to make sure everything works they way it should. They get a distress signal (don't they always?) and it's just outside of Federation space (isn't it always?). They come upon a ship being attacked and are forced to make a decision: Interfere in a fight they know nothing about or stand by and watch another ship be destroyed. Because Kirk is Kirk, of course they intervene and save the ship.
The ship is full of furry, intelligent, heretofore undiscovered aliens. And when I say intelligent, I mean very intelligent. They can solve any problem and have a knack for coming up with better methods of doing things...anything and everything from food prep, to mass transportation, to learning a new language, to fencing (had to get Sulu some more story time).
There's an underlying issue running through the whole book: Are these new aliens good or bad? Do they have a hidden agenda? To tell here would be to spoil the fun but to watch Spock try and untangle the riddle is a fun ride.
Alan Dean Foster does a wonderful job of capturing the voice and character of each crew member from the Kelvin timeline. I hope they let him do more of these, but since they wouldn't let him release his first one for more than ten years, the odds aren't great.
June 30, 2022
3,5
So anyone who knows me can say that I've got an unhealthy obsession with the Star Trek movies starring Chris Pine (the Kelvin universe). 🚀 I've collected comics and all three movies that got me more of the Kelvin universe and now I'm reading the books. There are only two Kelvin universe books and I've read one of them now.
This one was vastly entertaining and it took me only two days to read it. Now as I'm watching the old original series for the first time (the 60s are so different 🙈), I'm seeing more the connection to the OG than the Kelvin timeline because it had a very episode-like structure to it. It very much could've been if it weren't for the Spock x Uhura tendencies. I very much enjoyed it, the writing style is entertaining and I've liked to read about different alien cultures.
Already started the next (and sadly the last one) 🏃♀️💨
So anyone who knows me can say that I've got an unhealthy obsession with the Star Trek movies starring Chris Pine (the Kelvin universe). 🚀 I've collected comics and all three movies that got me more of the Kelvin universe and now I'm reading the books. There are only two Kelvin universe books and I've read one of them now.
This one was vastly entertaining and it took me only two days to read it. Now as I'm watching the old original series for the first time (the 60s are so different 🙈), I'm seeing more the connection to the OG than the Kelvin timeline because it had a very episode-like structure to it. It very much could've been if it weren't for the Spock x Uhura tendencies. I very much enjoyed it, the writing style is entertaining and I've liked to read about different alien cultures.
Already started the next (and sadly the last one) 🏃♀️💨
July 3, 2023
The Unsettling Stars by Alan Dean Foster.
This is a Star Wars novel based in the Kelvin Timeline.
Pros: I enjoyed the "liteness" of the story. I also enjoyed the interplay between the characters. Other than the Spock/Uhura relationship this reads like a Star Trek - The Original Series book.
Con: I did not totally enjoy the Uhura/Spock relationship; she was constantly trying to seduce Spock.
Overall, I enjoyed the overall story, but did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed.
I gave this 4 stars.
This is a Star Wars novel based in the Kelvin Timeline.
Pros: I enjoyed the "liteness" of the story. I also enjoyed the interplay between the characters. Other than the Spock/Uhura relationship this reads like a Star Trek - The Original Series book.
Con: I did not totally enjoy the Uhura/Spock relationship; she was constantly trying to seduce Spock.
Overall, I enjoyed the overall story, but did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed.
I gave this 4 stars.
October 12, 2025
Brilliant, sharp and enthralling sci fi Star Trek caper from A D Foster!!
This book was excellent in its composition and was very gripping and entertaining to read. The story proceeded at an energetic pace and had a good satisfying conclusion. The story was dramatic and full of intrigue. What could be done with a recently encountered alien species who are so helpful yet appearing to be intellectually superior
? Definitely warning bells should ring. Alan Dean Foster writes with ease and precision giving us this wonderful and exciting Star Trek tale.
This book was excellent in its composition and was very gripping and entertaining to read. The story proceeded at an energetic pace and had a good satisfying conclusion. The story was dramatic and full of intrigue. What could be done with a recently encountered alien species who are so helpful yet appearing to be intellectually superior
? Definitely warning bells should ring. Alan Dean Foster writes with ease and precision giving us this wonderful and exciting Star Trek tale.
Want to read
April 15, 2020I'm fairly certain, though I cannot confirm, that this book was commissioned and written back in '09 (directly after Foster completed the novelization of the Star Trek movie) under the working title
Star Trek: Refugees
. If so it was one of several novels written in the new Trek timeline that were not published because (again, I'm guessing) they didn't want to write anything that sequel films might contradict (or maybe they didn't want to muddle the brand with publications in multiple timelines?). Anyway, now Star Trek: Picard has thrown a wrench in the works of the existing TrekLit post-Nemesis continuity so my guess is they're dusting some of these things off to fill in the publishing schedule while they figure out how the Trek print line is going to adjust to new Trek TV.
To be updated with actual review once I finish the book.
To be updated with actual review once I finish the book.
February 14, 2021
Enjoyable novel that does a great job characterizing the TOS crew as portrayed in the Kelvin timeline movies. Your enjoyment will be tempered by whether you liked those or not. I felt like the story took a while to build up the tension, and maybe because I was listening to the audiobook, felt some of the buildup repetitive, and very quickly resolved. It also possibly raises some troubling ideas about refugee settlers if you are to read it deeply. But still entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
I think I ought to give this 3.5 stars but not under a 4 star rating. It was fun and a great characterization of the Kelvin Timeline crew. Not to mention the efforts of the Perenoreans taking on a vaguely Belt and Road initiative feel in their efforts to help other species. However, they were extremely annoying, everytime they would say something like "oh poor me I'm so pathetic compared to you oh great human!" I wanted to claw my eyes out. They are tied with Pakleds for level of annoyance!
December 11, 2020
I didn't know what this book was going to be about, just that it was a 2009 Star Trek book. So I was shocked and happy when I realized the enemy are only the enemy because they are all to... helpful! It was brilliant! I can picture exactly the thought process that could have gone into this. Fun!!
May 12, 2020
Fun! A relatively simple story, but I want more Novels set in this reboot universe.
May 21, 2020
The book is a fine story, fitting very much in a more traditionally Star Trek mold than the film that it was created to tie into. Unfortunately, that leads to a problem that is wholly unconnected to Alan Dean Foster, who does a great job with the characters he was given. Unfortunately, because of the nature of films, and the fact that, of the major characters in the 2009 Star Trek movie, only Kirk and Spock had actual character development, and so, because this book strives to meet the ensemble cast tradition of Trek, most of the Enterprise crew falls flat because they weren't developed in the film to give them the personality that their TOS counterparts have in their own tie-in novels. The basic premise is interesting, and the idea of slavery through advanced technology is a great plot befitting of the Star Trek universe. It just, unfortunately, didn't do much for me as a Star Trek fan. Perhaps if the book had been released a decade ago, when I was still riding the high of the first movie and hadn't had to sit through the abysmal Into Darkness and the knowledge that we might never get a follow up to the brilliant Star Trek: Beyond, I might have enjoyed it more. But as is, it's far from the worst Star Trek book I've ever read, and I never found myself bored while reading it. I would have liked it very much if we'd had books like this released in between the movies, though.
April 23, 2020
A terrible book even for a tie-in. The characters are charicatures of the Prime Universe versions but I guess the whole Kelvin timeline is a bad parody. There was room for character growth but that didn't happen. So there remains the stoy, which isn't. The whole book is about how annoying it is to be overly helpfull. Which is annoying.
I guess the book is so bad because it was written many years ago and just now released. It needed additional editing that didn't happen, maybe? Still, it stinks.
I guess the book is so bad because it was written many years ago and just now released. It needed additional editing that didn't happen, maybe? Still, it stinks.
May 21, 2020
having read a couple of other trek books by ADF, i was excited to learn that we were getting another novel in the kelvin universe. this book was a fun, little jaunt into the world that i have been a fan of since childhood. it is reminiscent of the next generation, with a major philosophical conundrum at the center of the story, but still fun and smart and sleek.
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