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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1
Emissary
An original novel based on the acclaimed Star Trek TV series! Commander Benjamin Sisko is just recovering from the death of his wife when he is assigned command over the former Cardassian, but new Federation space station, Deep Space Nine. This space station is strategically located not only because of its orbit about Bajor, but also because of its proximity to the only known stable wormhole in the galaxy. After meeting the other Bajoran and Starfleet personnel assigned to the station, including a former Bajoran freedom fighter and a shapeshifter, Sisko finds himself in that very wormhole and in the midst of a metaphysical experience as the alien inhabitants of the wormhole question the concepts of time and love. Sisko, filled with humanistic hubris, begins to explain these experiences, and resolve his painful past.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1993
72 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Dillard
48 books114 followersJ.M. Dillard is the pseudonym under which Jeanne Kalogridis (b. 1954) publishes her Star Trek novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 3, 2021
I recently watched the first episode of DS9 and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the show and also that I had not watched the entire series. It's probably partially responsible for my love of stories set on space stations.
I decided to give the novelization a read and found it very well done mostly because it gave a lot of background information that an hour-long pilot could not do. Sisko and Jake's struggles after the death of Jennifer at Wolf 359, Obrien's backstory of fighting against the Cardassians and a deep dive into the religious traditions and prophecy of the Bajora (I seem to recall that the plural used on the show was Bajoran but the novel differs). Now, of course, I want to read more of these. I remember the broad strokes of the series but now I'm ready to get the details.
I recommend this for fans of the series. I will continue with the books (there are a lot of them, apparently).
I decided to give the novelization a read and found it very well done mostly because it gave a lot of background information that an hour-long pilot could not do. Sisko and Jake's struggles after the death of Jennifer at Wolf 359, Obrien's backstory of fighting against the Cardassians and a deep dive into the religious traditions and prophecy of the Bajora (I seem to recall that the plural used on the show was Bajoran but the novel differs). Now, of course, I want to read more of these. I remember the broad strokes of the series but now I'm ready to get the details.
I recommend this for fans of the series. I will continue with the books (there are a lot of them, apparently).
August 6, 2024
Title: ST: DS9 #1 "Emissary"
Author: J.M. Dillard
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Publication year: 1993
Review: There was something special about the DS9 crew that I loved from the beginning. The crew was saddled with the difficulty of a science fiction program being speculative from a static base of operations, and an almost unwieldy political situation. Add to that an almost completely new cast of characters: Keiko and Miles O'Brien being the only transfers from ST: TNG.
For me, it was always about a single Dad who was attempting to hold it together while juggling his career, offering his son support and stability, while also trying to manage his own grief at the death of his wife. It was a compelling storyline to begin with, but when the other characters began to take shape, they were so much more than the sum of their parts.
Here, Commander Benjamin Sisko has been transferred to represent the Federation in a former Cardassian station near the planet Bajor. The Starfleet presence is supposed to serve as a stable force near the frontier, but when Sisko is abducted by the alien inhabitants of a stable wormhole, he begins to realize that his mission is a lot more complicated than he anticipated.
Author: J.M. Dillard
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Publication year: 1993
Review: There was something special about the DS9 crew that I loved from the beginning. The crew was saddled with the difficulty of a science fiction program being speculative from a static base of operations, and an almost unwieldy political situation. Add to that an almost completely new cast of characters: Keiko and Miles O'Brien being the only transfers from ST: TNG.
For me, it was always about a single Dad who was attempting to hold it together while juggling his career, offering his son support and stability, while also trying to manage his own grief at the death of his wife. It was a compelling storyline to begin with, but when the other characters began to take shape, they were so much more than the sum of their parts.
Here, Commander Benjamin Sisko has been transferred to represent the Federation in a former Cardassian station near the planet Bajor. The Starfleet presence is supposed to serve as a stable force near the frontier, but when Sisko is abducted by the alien inhabitants of a stable wormhole, he begins to realize that his mission is a lot more complicated than he anticipated.
April 28, 2023
Emissary is the novelization of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine original pilot episode by Michael Piller and Rick Berman where the survivor of a Borg attack, Commander Benjamin Sisko is tasked by Starfleet to command a space station that was once a Cardassian stronghold. The station orbits the planet Bajor and stands beside a recently discovered, stable wormhole that could quite possibly make Bajor a hub for commerce and culture. This is supposed to be a plum assignment for a single parent, but when Sisko finds himself abducted by the alien inhabitants of the wormhole, he must use his knowledge, experiences, and skills to find a way to coexist with the prophets. This is the best of the Star Trek shows (IMHO) and this was its premiere. I love this book. In this book, the characters were not yet fully developed, but demonstrated a great deal of promise. Their story arcs were not yet fully formed. Still, really good. Super fun.
April 7, 2020
This exists as a half-way house between JM Dillard's other Trek books. It's miles ahead of her thin TNG-film transcripts (which I'm guessing were dictated to from on high), but not as impressive as her adaptations of Star Trek's V and VI, nor her earlier TOS novels. It's based on earlier drafts of the pilot script, and the character work is first rate. But I'm willing to wager that, had she been able to see the the finished episode, this would have been an even greater adaptation. Considering her amazing work with the Original Series, I would enjoy seeing Ms Dillard take a crack at an in-depth, original DS9 novel, with the entire series now available as backstory.
April 24, 2018
As massive of a Star Trek fan as I was when DS9 premiered, you'd think I would have seen the debut episode. You'd think I would have videotaped every episode and watched all the time when I felt like it.
Nope.
I did start watching the show, several episodes into the series, but hadn't seen the premier episode yet. Not for a long time, actually.
I received this along with three other DS9 books for Christmas in 1994--almost two years after the series premiered! I still hadn't seen the episode, so this was it for me. Finally, I could see how it all came together!
Meh. It was an okay story, but more focused on introducing all the characters, and low on the all too convenient plot. The writing wasn't the greatest, and this took me a lot longer to get through than I had hoped. At the time, I was plowing through two books a week. This took almost 10 days.
I did finally see the episode, many years later--2014, when I finally got into my Netflix queue. It had me on the edge of my seat, so I didn't regret passing this off to a used book store when I was finished reading it.
Nope.
I did start watching the show, several episodes into the series, but hadn't seen the premier episode yet. Not for a long time, actually.
I received this along with three other DS9 books for Christmas in 1994--almost two years after the series premiered! I still hadn't seen the episode, so this was it for me. Finally, I could see how it all came together!
Meh. It was an okay story, but more focused on introducing all the characters, and low on the all too convenient plot. The writing wasn't the greatest, and this took me a lot longer to get through than I had hoped. At the time, I was plowing through two books a week. This took almost 10 days.
I did finally see the episode, many years later--2014, when I finally got into my Netflix queue. It had me on the edge of my seat, so I didn't regret passing this off to a used book store when I was finished reading it.
July 25, 2022
One thing I particularly enjoy about the earlier Star Trek books is the length. They seem to be shorter than the newer ones, or at least they read shorter. Technically, this one's nearly 300 pages, but the font is so large I got through it in less than two hours. There's not a lot of waffle here, is what I'm saying, and that makes this particular novelisation a good, fast-paced read. Pilot episodes always have a lot to do, of course, introducing all the different characters, and like the television episode, Emissary does it adequately, although the lion's share of attention goes to Sisko, which is fair enough. The rest of the characters get more basic sketches, but that's something that will round itself out in later novels, I expect.
Basically it's just a short, fun read. It reminded me of bits of the episode that I'd forgotten - it's been a while since I last rewatched the series - and it's making me want to go back and watch it again.
Basically it's just a short, fun read. It reminded me of bits of the episode that I'd forgotten - it's been a while since I last rewatched the series - and it's making me want to go back and watch it again.
September 22, 2018
This book easily ranks among the best Star Trek novels I've read or listened to. It is the novel adaptation of Deep Space Nine's pilot episode, "The Emissary." I usually find novel adaptations to be worse than the original film or show, but I was really surprised by this book.
I listened to the audio version, originally released on cassette (someone has uploaded it to YouTube). Nana Visitor, the actress who played Major Kira in the show, narrates. She does a fantastic job. Listening to her portray Quark, Sisko, and the others was really fun.
But more than that, the actual story of "The Emissary" is rich. I recently re-watched the episode (it's a 2-hour pilot) and found that this book stayed faithful while adding in additional background details.
Many TV spin-off novels just aren't that good. But this one gets a solid 5-star rating. Recommended.
I listened to the audio version, originally released on cassette (someone has uploaded it to YouTube). Nana Visitor, the actress who played Major Kira in the show, narrates. She does a fantastic job. Listening to her portray Quark, Sisko, and the others was really fun.
But more than that, the actual story of "The Emissary" is rich. I recently re-watched the episode (it's a 2-hour pilot) and found that this book stayed faithful while adding in additional background details.
Many TV spin-off novels just aren't that good. But this one gets a solid 5-star rating. Recommended.
March 25, 2025
A solid adaptation of Deep Space Nine’s pilot that adds some nice depth to the characters, especially Sisko as he wrestles with his past and new role. The extra insight into Kira and the Bajoran conflict is a nice touch. It sticks closely to the episode but fleshes things out in a way that makes it worth the read for DS9 fans.
February 4, 2025
I think i might have enjoyed this book more than the episode it is based on. It greatly fleshes out sisko, kakio, and jakes storys. So much so that the episode actually makes a lot more sense now.
Loved it.
Loved it.
January 25, 2021
I enjoyed this as much as I am currently capable of enjoying anything.
February 6, 2021
I had already watched the episode upon which this book is based and I have to say that I loved the book. Very vibrantly written, and also included a lot of details that were not there in the episode, so that really fleshed out the story.
February 19, 2015
A novelisation of the first Deep Space Nine episode
4 April 2012
I guess one comment that I read probably sums this book up quite adequately: it is not a nobel laureate grade novel but enjoyable nonetheless, though probably more suited to hard core trekkies. Now I am far from being a hard core trekkie, though when this series came out I did get my hands on a few of the books (actually, considering the number of the Deep Space Nine books I ended up reviewing I would have to say somewhat more than a few). In a way there were a lot more books out there, including university books, that I would have preferred to read. This book was little more than a side distraction that I read while pouring over university texts.
This is the first book in the Deep Space Nine (DS9) series and is also the novelisation of the pilot episode. While the original concept of going where no man has gone before still exists, this series has taken a more static approach to the other series which involved travelling around the galaxy exploring new cultures. The original series was very basic in this regards, and while The Next Generation had originally began with the same premise, over the seven series that it aired the focus changed to creating more of a consistent universe in which the action takes place.
Another difference with this episode is that it takes place on the frontier becomes a lot more political, particularly with the Bajorans. Bajor has been under Cardassian occupation for 60 years and they have recently won their freedom. It is unclear what it is that made them retreat, whether it being the resistance fighters, or simply because the Cardassians had plundered the planet of everything valuable and decided that it was no longer needed. In a way having to deal with resistance fighters on a worthless planet can be a little too much.
It is the political aspects of the series that makes it quite interesting, however throwing in the existence of a stable worm hole which allows access to a section of the galaxy light years away opened up a lot more possibilites. As mentioned in the series, the wormhole is stable, which is a phenomena in and of itself, and pretty much turns Bajor, and the space station, from a backwater colony to a very important trade and transit point. As becomes clear later on in the series, not all of Bajor are particularly happy about their homeworld becoming the centre of attention. In many cases there is a lot of nationalistic fervour among the Bajorans and some of them simply want to be left alone.
This also creates on running tension in the series. The Cardassians have left and pretty quickly the Federation arrives to set themselves up. Many of the Bajorans simply see the Federation as another occupier that has come in as the others have left. Those of us who are familiar with the series understand that the Federation do not see themselves as occupiers, but rather a system of government designed to promote cultural differences and individuality amongst their members. However there is a catch, the Federation rules determine that members must meet certain ethical standards to be able to be admitted. In a way they are meant to be enlightened. There are a number of episodes, and movies, that do explore the development of the Federation.
However, it is interesting to see another side of this oh so wonderful Federation. In a way, as I have protested for so long, Star Trek seems to take a very high view of the potential of humanity. However in this series it seems to begin to be stripped away. Coming onto Deep Space Nine we suddenly discover that there is money in the form of gold pressed latinum. This is one of the first times that we are introduced to money in the Star Trek Universe. In a way the development of the replicator has meant that anybody can have anything that they want, but it seems to sit side by side with the money making antics of Quark the Ferengi. However, I feel that I have probably written enough with regards to this book and will quietly move on for now.
4 April 2012
I guess one comment that I read probably sums this book up quite adequately: it is not a nobel laureate grade novel but enjoyable nonetheless, though probably more suited to hard core trekkies. Now I am far from being a hard core trekkie, though when this series came out I did get my hands on a few of the books (actually, considering the number of the Deep Space Nine books I ended up reviewing I would have to say somewhat more than a few). In a way there were a lot more books out there, including university books, that I would have preferred to read. This book was little more than a side distraction that I read while pouring over university texts.
This is the first book in the Deep Space Nine (DS9) series and is also the novelisation of the pilot episode. While the original concept of going where no man has gone before still exists, this series has taken a more static approach to the other series which involved travelling around the galaxy exploring new cultures. The original series was very basic in this regards, and while The Next Generation had originally began with the same premise, over the seven series that it aired the focus changed to creating more of a consistent universe in which the action takes place.
Another difference with this episode is that it takes place on the frontier becomes a lot more political, particularly with the Bajorans. Bajor has been under Cardassian occupation for 60 years and they have recently won their freedom. It is unclear what it is that made them retreat, whether it being the resistance fighters, or simply because the Cardassians had plundered the planet of everything valuable and decided that it was no longer needed. In a way having to deal with resistance fighters on a worthless planet can be a little too much.
It is the political aspects of the series that makes it quite interesting, however throwing in the existence of a stable worm hole which allows access to a section of the galaxy light years away opened up a lot more possibilites. As mentioned in the series, the wormhole is stable, which is a phenomena in and of itself, and pretty much turns Bajor, and the space station, from a backwater colony to a very important trade and transit point. As becomes clear later on in the series, not all of Bajor are particularly happy about their homeworld becoming the centre of attention. In many cases there is a lot of nationalistic fervour among the Bajorans and some of them simply want to be left alone.
This also creates on running tension in the series. The Cardassians have left and pretty quickly the Federation arrives to set themselves up. Many of the Bajorans simply see the Federation as another occupier that has come in as the others have left. Those of us who are familiar with the series understand that the Federation do not see themselves as occupiers, but rather a system of government designed to promote cultural differences and individuality amongst their members. However there is a catch, the Federation rules determine that members must meet certain ethical standards to be able to be admitted. In a way they are meant to be enlightened. There are a number of episodes, and movies, that do explore the development of the Federation.
However, it is interesting to see another side of this oh so wonderful Federation. In a way, as I have protested for so long, Star Trek seems to take a very high view of the potential of humanity. However in this series it seems to begin to be stripped away. Coming onto Deep Space Nine we suddenly discover that there is money in the form of gold pressed latinum. This is one of the first times that we are introduced to money in the Star Trek Universe. In a way the development of the replicator has meant that anybody can have anything that they want, but it seems to sit side by side with the money making antics of Quark the Ferengi. However, I feel that I have probably written enough with regards to this book and will quietly move on for now.
April 11, 2018
It was a serviceable novelization of the pilot episode of the series. I found it interesting to see where some scenes had been shifted in the final cut, with one scene even moved to the next produced episode. The novel does its job well. I don’t have more to say about it.
August 8, 2025
Adds some details to the episode's story which I really liked, but the story overall feels ''written for TV'', not embellishing surroundings or emotional states since ''you can see them'', making the story miss a lot of content/context from the episode.
Good as a supplementary addition.
Good as a supplementary addition.
January 1, 2024
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
Commander Benjamin Sisko is still struggling over the death of his wife, Jennifer, at the battle known as Wolf 359 (where the Borg nearly wiped out the entire Federation fleet), but he needs to put forth his best efforts in order to raise his young son, Jake.
Commander Sisko is assigned the position of commanding a space station, Deep Space Nine, on the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant. The station, built by the Bajorans (as slaves) and once known as Terok Nor had, until very recently, been occupied by the Cardassians. The result of negotiations has the Cardassians retreating from Bajoran space and the station.
What Sisko couldn't anticipate was discovering a stable wormhole that appears within sight of the station. He chooses to investigate (he's the ranking officer in the region and he is just getting to know his station crew after all) and has a very unusual meeting with the wormhole creators ... alien beings who live outside of normal time. Upon returning to the station, the Bajoran people see him as 'The Prophet' - someone who has come face to face with their gods. It is an unusual and highly charged beginning to his appointment.
This book, by J. M. Dillard (a familiar name to Star Trek readers), is a novelization of the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It's been a lot of years since I saw the episode, but much of it came back to me as I read this. I thought that this novelization increased my enjoyment of the episode as we got more insight in Sisko frame of mind throughout.
It is interesting to note that Dillard wrote this adaptation based on the final draft of the script by Michael Piller and, due to the security around a new Star Trek series, had not gotten to see any of the show. She notes (elsewhere in fandom, not in the book) that writing the scene with the aliens in the wormhole was particularly challenging without seeing the scene. Again, I haven't seen the episode in many years, but this scene in the book made so much sense to me - more-so than the episode did.
DS9 is the series I'm most interested in revisiting and since I had a copy of the book I thought I'd start here. Turns out this was a good place to begin my DS9 journey.
Looking for a good book? J. M. Dillard brings clarity and depth of character to the first Star Trek: Deep Space Nine outing with the novelization of Emissary.
Commander Benjamin Sisko is still struggling over the death of his wife, Jennifer, at the battle known as Wolf 359 (where the Borg nearly wiped out the entire Federation fleet), but he needs to put forth his best efforts in order to raise his young son, Jake.
Commander Sisko is assigned the position of commanding a space station, Deep Space Nine, on the far edge of the Alpha Quadrant. The station, built by the Bajorans (as slaves) and once known as Terok Nor had, until very recently, been occupied by the Cardassians. The result of negotiations has the Cardassians retreating from Bajoran space and the station.
What Sisko couldn't anticipate was discovering a stable wormhole that appears within sight of the station. He chooses to investigate (he's the ranking officer in the region and he is just getting to know his station crew after all) and has a very unusual meeting with the wormhole creators ... alien beings who live outside of normal time. Upon returning to the station, the Bajoran people see him as 'The Prophet' - someone who has come face to face with their gods. It is an unusual and highly charged beginning to his appointment.
This book, by J. M. Dillard (a familiar name to Star Trek readers), is a novelization of the first episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It's been a lot of years since I saw the episode, but much of it came back to me as I read this. I thought that this novelization increased my enjoyment of the episode as we got more insight in Sisko frame of mind throughout.
It is interesting to note that Dillard wrote this adaptation based on the final draft of the script by Michael Piller and, due to the security around a new Star Trek series, had not gotten to see any of the show. She notes (elsewhere in fandom, not in the book) that writing the scene with the aliens in the wormhole was particularly challenging without seeing the scene. Again, I haven't seen the episode in many years, but this scene in the book made so much sense to me - more-so than the episode did.
DS9 is the series I'm most interested in revisiting and since I had a copy of the book I thought I'd start here. Turns out this was a good place to begin my DS9 journey.
Looking for a good book? J. M. Dillard brings clarity and depth of character to the first Star Trek: Deep Space Nine outing with the novelization of Emissary.
September 14, 2020
I've never been a fan of adaptations. Whether it's an adaptation of a movie, a television episode, a video game, or something of the sort, most authors tend to take the "easy way out" and simply add adjectives and a little background to the teleplay they were provided.
As far as adaptations go.... "Emissary" was... not that bad.
J.M. Dillard is quite a writer in my opinion. While far less metaphysical than K.W. Jeter's "Warped," (the last DS9 book I've read, and as such, an obvious comparison), "Emissary" was like watching Deep Space Nine's pilot all over again, but perhaps even better.
There were story elements added in, likely from the original teleplay script that never made it off the cutting room floor, that actually added to the characters. Particularly, there were some scenes with Jake and Nog that I thought added to their character developments, and helped to set the stage for their friendship.
The greater benefit of this adaptation is that we had the opportunity to see what our characters were thinking. In the tv show, we obviously never heard their thoughts. This novel gives us a little insight into their characters, particularly how they think of each other. It was quite fun to see Odo and Kira thinking about how much they disliked everyone else, while at the same time, seeing Bashir's thoughts of both himself and others. I chuckled at him thinking about how much of a "genius" he was. Very in-character.
One final point - I thought the scenes in the Celestial Temple were written well. It was quite hard to juggle them in the pilot episode, as Sisko was displaced frequently into different settings and time periods. Here, it was written with a poise that explained it clearly. I could imagine understanding it easily if I hadn't had seen the episode previously.
Really a great job by Dillard, overall.
As far as adaptations go.... "Emissary" was... not that bad.
J.M. Dillard is quite a writer in my opinion. While far less metaphysical than K.W. Jeter's "Warped," (the last DS9 book I've read, and as such, an obvious comparison), "Emissary" was like watching Deep Space Nine's pilot all over again, but perhaps even better.
There were story elements added in, likely from the original teleplay script that never made it off the cutting room floor, that actually added to the characters. Particularly, there were some scenes with Jake and Nog that I thought added to their character developments, and helped to set the stage for their friendship.
The greater benefit of this adaptation is that we had the opportunity to see what our characters were thinking. In the tv show, we obviously never heard their thoughts. This novel gives us a little insight into their characters, particularly how they think of each other. It was quite fun to see Odo and Kira thinking about how much they disliked everyone else, while at the same time, seeing Bashir's thoughts of both himself and others. I chuckled at him thinking about how much of a "genius" he was. Very in-character.
One final point - I thought the scenes in the Celestial Temple were written well. It was quite hard to juggle them in the pilot episode, as Sisko was displaced frequently into different settings and time periods. Here, it was written with a poise that explained it clearly. I could imagine understanding it easily if I hadn't had seen the episode previously.
Really a great job by Dillard, overall.
February 19, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
December 27, 2024
Excellent novelization
As an old Trekker (some neophytes say Trekkie), I’ve seen the episodes a bajillion times. But I’d never really read the books until now. Reading this excellent novelization by J.M. Dillard added new wrinkles and depth to the characters’ inner thoughts and backgrounds that deepened my appreciation of the aired episode.
In many ways, the novelization is superior, since we get additional character information that simply does not translate to the screen, and we get extra scenes that were in the original script (upon which the novelization is based) that were left on the cutting room floor due to time constraints or the needs of visual story-telling.
If you’re a Trekker (or a Trekkie), you’ll love this novelization. For everyone else, it’s probably still okay. You certainly don’t need to be a Trek fan to enjoy this excellent writing, but I’ll allow that my opinion is biased by my love for Avery Brooks’ Sisko - he breathed life into that character - Colm Meaney’s O’Brien, Armin Shimerman’s Quark, Rene Auberjonois’ Odo, Alexander Siddig’s Julian Bashir, Nana Visitor’s Kira, and of course fan favorite Terry Farrell’s Jadzia Dax; I was in love with Jadzia. Other characters came and went throughout the series, but these were the compelling characters of that first episode, “Emissary”, and the novelization nails their essence as perfectly as the actors portraying them on air.
As an old Trekker (some neophytes say Trekkie), I’ve seen the episodes a bajillion times. But I’d never really read the books until now. Reading this excellent novelization by J.M. Dillard added new wrinkles and depth to the characters’ inner thoughts and backgrounds that deepened my appreciation of the aired episode.
In many ways, the novelization is superior, since we get additional character information that simply does not translate to the screen, and we get extra scenes that were in the original script (upon which the novelization is based) that were left on the cutting room floor due to time constraints or the needs of visual story-telling.
If you’re a Trekker (or a Trekkie), you’ll love this novelization. For everyone else, it’s probably still okay. You certainly don’t need to be a Trek fan to enjoy this excellent writing, but I’ll allow that my opinion is biased by my love for Avery Brooks’ Sisko - he breathed life into that character - Colm Meaney’s O’Brien, Armin Shimerman’s Quark, Rene Auberjonois’ Odo, Alexander Siddig’s Julian Bashir, Nana Visitor’s Kira, and of course fan favorite Terry Farrell’s Jadzia Dax; I was in love with Jadzia. Other characters came and went throughout the series, but these were the compelling characters of that first episode, “Emissary”, and the novelization nails their essence as perfectly as the actors portraying them on air.
September 18, 2022
A good novelisation of an already pretty great episode of Star Trek. The first half is better - Dillard really gets under her characters' skin and finds their inner voices easily, fleshing out their backgrounds. Particularly strong are Sisko's experiences on the Saratoga and his grief, along with her dramatisation of the unseen events of Setlik III.
However, while the additional material in the first half adds value, in the second half it just makes the story drag. It's my understanding that the scriptwriters originally wrote scenes involving Nog and Jake, and Keiko, and removed them for time/pacing issues, moving their beats to the next episode. They're re-inserted here, and it demonstrates that it was the right decision, as they detract from the main story of Sisko's interactions with the Prophets.
Overall, pretty good, with additional material that mostly adds value and reveals' characters motivations, but with a draggy second half.
However, while the additional material in the first half adds value, in the second half it just makes the story drag. It's my understanding that the scriptwriters originally wrote scenes involving Nog and Jake, and Keiko, and removed them for time/pacing issues, moving their beats to the next episode. They're re-inserted here, and it demonstrates that it was the right decision, as they detract from the main story of Sisko's interactions with the Prophets.
Overall, pretty good, with additional material that mostly adds value and reveals' characters motivations, but with a draggy second half.
August 27, 2024
3/5 stars
"Odo disliked Quark. ... But then, Odo disliked everyone."
This was a solid adaptation of the pilot episode of DS9. It was written at the very start of the series, so there are some details here that end up not being correct (calling Chief O'Brien an ensign when he's an NCO, using the term "Bajora" instead of "Bajorans", saying Ferengi have clawed hands). But I liked getting to see into the heads of the different characters, and the action scenes were well-written. A fun romp for any dedicated DS9 fan!
"Odo disliked Quark. ... But then, Odo disliked everyone."
This was a solid adaptation of the pilot episode of DS9. It was written at the very start of the series, so there are some details here that end up not being correct (calling Chief O'Brien an ensign when he's an NCO, using the term "Bajora" instead of "Bajorans", saying Ferengi have clawed hands). But I liked getting to see into the heads of the different characters, and the action scenes were well-written. A fun romp for any dedicated DS9 fan!
December 26, 2024
This is a well-written novelization, with bits and pieces of additional material - mainly internal thoughts and past experiences.
I did enjoy reading it, but a good bit of what was new doesn't actually jive with the canon DS9 later established. There were a few past experiences described that I don't believe the show ever covered, but they didn't really grab me.
I'd be more likely to recommend rewatching the episode rather than reading this novelization - even though I don't fault the writing at all. The characterization of the crew as they were in the first episode was pretty spot-on.
I did enjoy reading it, but a good bit of what was new doesn't actually jive with the canon DS9 later established. There were a few past experiences described that I don't believe the show ever covered, but they didn't really grab me.
I'd be more likely to recommend rewatching the episode rather than reading this novelization - even though I don't fault the writing at all. The characterization of the crew as they were in the first episode was pretty spot-on.
February 27, 2020
Rating between 3.5 & 4
A good adaptation of the pilot episode of DS9. it expands the story where required and also adds additional personal story elements for both sisko and o'brien showing the history of both characters.
it was a good read and the only reason for not upping to 4 rather than remaining at 3 is i doubt i will ever read it again - it is definitely a one time only read for me.
for fans of the star trek universe though this would and probably should be a 4 star book.
A good adaptation of the pilot episode of DS9. it expands the story where required and also adds additional personal story elements for both sisko and o'brien showing the history of both characters.
it was a good read and the only reason for not upping to 4 rather than remaining at 3 is i doubt i will ever read it again - it is definitely a one time only read for me.
for fans of the star trek universe though this would and probably should be a 4 star book.
February 28, 2023
let’s start off: ds9 is the best star trek, no doubts about that. emissary is the best pilot episode, too.
i liked the extra tidbits of information for each character to give them some life, but there are parts i find a little outlandish. the scene with jake and nog and rom? never would happen, at least not that early on in their relationship.
the emotional scenes are better in live-action then in novel form. i just couldn’t click with the core message like i did when i saw the episode
i liked the extra tidbits of information for each character to give them some life, but there are parts i find a little outlandish. the scene with jake and nog and rom? never would happen, at least not that early on in their relationship.
the emotional scenes are better in live-action then in novel form. i just couldn’t click with the core message like i did when i saw the episode
November 11, 2024
Ster Trek – Deep Space Nine #1: Emissary
The first novel of the Deep Space Nine series is a book built upon the foundation of lies. It purports to be a work of science fiction, and yet it portrays humanity as valuing science, of trusting in the knowledge of experts, of rejecting manufactured scarcity in favor of manufactured abundance, of accepting transsexual species, and of being curious about learning and rejecting ignorance.
That’s not science fiction. That's fantasy.
The first novel of the Deep Space Nine series is a book built upon the foundation of lies. It purports to be a work of science fiction, and yet it portrays humanity as valuing science, of trusting in the knowledge of experts, of rejecting manufactured scarcity in favor of manufactured abundance, of accepting transsexual species, and of being curious about learning and rejecting ignorance.
That’s not science fiction. That's fantasy.
January 6, 2019
I do not remember the novel itself, given it's been years since the last time I read it; however, I remember the episode pretty well, and the audiobook does match up perfectly with it - but, like I said, I don't know how well or not it does with the novel itself since I'm pretty sure it's once again, abridged. Anyway, it was a good episode, and it was a good audiobook too. :)
February 28, 2019
Decent, but full of errors that were fixed before the show actually filmed (Ensign O'Brien, Bajora, etc). Plus, unlike a lot of novelizations, this actually has less in it than the two-part episode it's based on. It would be great to go back and revisit this as a longer book, factoring in what we know about the whole series.
March 29, 2025
Strangely enough, after having seen the show and especially the pilot episodes at least 5 times, this book was lacking. Somehow the story felt less alive and less interesting than the show.
about the audiobook:
Read by Nana Visitor.
Of course, if you where to give this one a chance, you have to listen to it. It's read by Kira.
about the audiobook:
Read by Nana Visitor.
Of course, if you where to give this one a chance, you have to listen to it. It's read by Kira.
June 14, 2018
I was surprised to find myself liking the novelization of a pilot episode as much as I did. I remember the DS9 premiere as fairly uneven (though probably still the strongest Trek premiere). The moments between Picard and Sisko are beautifully illustrated here.
January 13, 2020
all Star Trek legends have a beginning. This is the start of Commander Benjamin Sisko's command of Star Fleet's ninth deep space station. This effectively the a telling of Star Trek Deep Space Nine 1st episode.
January 2, 2022
My Review
I thought it was pretty accurate to the tv series version. I liked how the characters were written and how they related to each other. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Deep Space Nine Series.
I thought it was pretty accurate to the tv series version. I liked how the characters were written and how they related to each other. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Deep Space Nine Series.
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