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Star Trek #5
Star Trek 5
The fifth volume in a series of Star Trek: The Original Series adaptations published by Bantam Books. Includes seven stories: Whom Gods Destroy, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, The Tholian Web, This Side Of Paradise, Turnabout Intruder, Requiem for Methuselah, The Way to Eden.
(from the book jacket)
The Enterprise blazes new star trails to danger as Kirk, Spock and the rest encounter –
- an asylum planet where the mad rule
- a universe with a total population of one
- race warfare to the death – whiteblack against blackwhite
- paradise – with a most unusual serpent
- the ultimate in women's lib
- an almost eternal triangle
- a gang of galactic grop-outs
– and other startling problems and perils.
(from the book jacket)
The Enterprise blazes new star trails to danger as Kirk, Spock and the rest encounter –
- an asylum planet where the mad rule
- a universe with a total population of one
- race warfare to the death – whiteblack against blackwhite
- paradise – with a most unusual serpent
- the ultimate in women's lib
- an almost eternal triangle
- a gang of galactic grop-outs
– and other startling problems and perils.
136 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1972
8 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
James Blish
455 books328 followersJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling Jr.
In the late 1930's to the early 1940's, Blish was a member of the Futurians.
Blish trained as a biologist at Rutgers and Columbia University, and spent 1942–1944 as a medical technician in the U.S. Army. After the war he became the science editor for the Pfizer pharmaceutical company. His first published story appeared in 1940, and his writing career progressed until he gave up his job to become a professional writer.
He is credited with coining the term gas giant, in the story "Solar Plexus" as it appeared in the anthology Beyond Human Ken, edited by Judith Merril. (The story was originally published in 1941, but that version did not contain the term; Blish apparently added it in a rewrite done for the anthology, which was first published in 1952.)
Blish was married to the literary agent Virginia Kidd from 1947 to 1963.
From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Tobacco Institute.
Between 1967 and his death from lung cancer in 1975, Blish became the first author to write short story collections based upon the classic TV series Star Trek. In total, Blish wrote 11 volumes of short stories adapted from episodes of the 1960s TV series, as well as an original novel, Spock Must Die! in 1970 — the first original novel for adult readers based upon the series (since then hundreds more have been published). He died midway through writing Star Trek 12; his wife, J.A. Lawrence, completed the book, and later completed the adaptations in the volume Mudd's Angels.
Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania at Arrowhead until the mid-1960s. In 1968, Blish emigrated to England, and lived in Oxford until his death in 1975. He is buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford, near the grave of Kenneth Grahame.
His name in Greek is Τζέημς Μπλις"
In the late 1930's to the early 1940's, Blish was a member of the Futurians.
Blish trained as a biologist at Rutgers and Columbia University, and spent 1942–1944 as a medical technician in the U.S. Army. After the war he became the science editor for the Pfizer pharmaceutical company. His first published story appeared in 1940, and his writing career progressed until he gave up his job to become a professional writer.
He is credited with coining the term gas giant, in the story "Solar Plexus" as it appeared in the anthology Beyond Human Ken, edited by Judith Merril. (The story was originally published in 1941, but that version did not contain the term; Blish apparently added it in a rewrite done for the anthology, which was first published in 1952.)
Blish was married to the literary agent Virginia Kidd from 1947 to 1963.
From 1962 to 1968, he worked for the Tobacco Institute.
Between 1967 and his death from lung cancer in 1975, Blish became the first author to write short story collections based upon the classic TV series Star Trek. In total, Blish wrote 11 volumes of short stories adapted from episodes of the 1960s TV series, as well as an original novel, Spock Must Die! in 1970 — the first original novel for adult readers based upon the series (since then hundreds more have been published). He died midway through writing Star Trek 12; his wife, J.A. Lawrence, completed the book, and later completed the adaptations in the volume Mudd's Angels.
Blish lived in Milford, Pennsylvania at Arrowhead until the mid-1960s. In 1968, Blish emigrated to England, and lived in Oxford until his death in 1975. He is buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford, near the grave of Kenneth Grahame.
His name in Greek is Τζέημς Μπλις"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 18, 2023
This is the fifth collection of Blish's adaptations of episodes from the original Star Trek series to short story format. The previous books had been so overwhelmingly successful that Blish contracted to produce four further volumes for publication in 1972, and his wife and mother-in-law (both successful writers in their own right) acted as uncredited aids and/or collaborators in their preparation when his health began to weaken. He was probably quite bemused by the overnight success, as he had been writing original science fiction since the early 1930s with little notice outside of the confines of the field. His style was clear and concise and stayed true to the original sources. The episodes included in this one are Whom Gods Destroy, The Tholian Web, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, This Side of Paradise, Turnabout Intruder, Requiem for Methuselah, and The Way to Eden. Seven to beam up!
August 23, 2019
As much as I like Star Trek, this feels like a cash grab. These summaries don't seem to work as well as the original episodes. Since its debut, fans of Roddenberry's space opera have been buying anything with the words "Star Trek" on it; I think people should be more cautious about what they plunk down their hard-earned money on, no matter which fandom they claim.
February 19, 2019
✭
“Whom Gods Destroy”, James Blish, Lee Erwin (Teleplay & Story Author), & Jerry Sohl (Story Author). ✭½
“The Tholian Web”, James Blish, Judy Burns (Teleplay Author), & Chet Richards (Teleplay Author). ✭½
“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, James Blish, Oliver Crawford (Teleplay Author), & Gene L. Coon (as by Lee Cronin) (Story Author). ✭
“This Side of Paradise”, James Blish, D. C. Fontana (Teleplay & Story Author), & Jerry Sohl (as by Nathan Butler) (Story Author). ✭½
“Turnabout Intruder”, James Blish, Arthur Singer (Teleplay Author), & Gene Roddenberry (Story Author). ½
“Requiem for Methuselah”, James Blish & Jerome Bixby (Teleplay Author) ✭
“The Way to Eden”, James Blish, Arthur Heinemann (Teleplay & Story Author), & D. C. Fontana (as by Michael Richards) (Story Author). ½
All stories published 1972.
“Whom Gods Destroy”, James Blish, Lee Erwin (Teleplay & Story Author), & Jerry Sohl (Story Author). ✭½
“The Tholian Web”, James Blish, Judy Burns (Teleplay Author), & Chet Richards (Teleplay Author). ✭½
“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield”, James Blish, Oliver Crawford (Teleplay Author), & Gene L. Coon (as by Lee Cronin) (Story Author). ✭
“This Side of Paradise”, James Blish, D. C. Fontana (Teleplay & Story Author), & Jerry Sohl (as by Nathan Butler) (Story Author). ✭½
“Turnabout Intruder”, James Blish, Arthur Singer (Teleplay Author), & Gene Roddenberry (Story Author). ½
“Requiem for Methuselah”, James Blish & Jerome Bixby (Teleplay Author) ✭
“The Way to Eden”, James Blish, Arthur Heinemann (Teleplay & Story Author), & D. C. Fontana (as by Michael Richards) (Story Author). ½
All stories published 1972.
October 2, 2013
When these early novels and stories to Star Trek came out I bought them all, devoured them and loved them. It's been a long time, so today I couldn't even say which of them were really good and which of them I only loved because they were Star Trek. ;)
Just thinking of them and seeing the covers gives me a happy feeling of nostalgia. That alone is worth the rating!
Just thinking of them and seeing the covers gives me a happy feeling of nostalgia. That alone is worth the rating!
May 17, 2011
After reading three volumes of this series I can say that certain themes recur; illusion, transporter problems, Kirk fancying a native...
February 3, 2025
James Blish's 1972 Star Trek 5 contains 7 stories adapted by Blish from the screenplays of the 1960s television series.
Credits for the original screenplays are as follows:
"Whom Gods Destroy" by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl,
"The Tholian Web" by Judy Burns and Chet Richards,
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" by Oliver Crawford and Lee Cronin,
"This Side of Paradise" by Nathan Butler and D.C. Fontana,
"Turnabout Intruder" by Gene Roddenberry and Robert H. Singer,
"Requiem for Methuselah" by Jerome Bixby, and
"The Way to Eden" by Arthur Heinemann and Michael Richards.
As with my reviews of the previous books in the series, about these stories themselves I feel I need say nothing beyond the briefest nod to each: The ol' "inmates running the asylum" schtick will lead to interstellar war if the baddies get past the captured Kirk and Spock to the Enterprise, rescuing Kirk caught in a weakening of spacetime is complicated by another species trying to hem in the intruding human ship, long-lived two-color humanoid aliens whose parts in their former colonialism and slavery and continuing prejudice are determined by which side of their bodies is black or white find out how destructive racism truly is, alien spores replace human drive and aggression with perpetual contentment, a stereotypically vengeful and hysterical woman switches bodies with Kirk, the ol' "mysteriously powerful old man and girl on a far island--oops, I mean planet" schtick has more than one twist before the end, and tuned-in space hippies will do anything to reach the ultimate galactic drop-out. After all, anyone choosing the book is already familiar with the episodes of the TV show, right?
As usual, differences pop up here and there between what we are familiar with and the adaptations Blish gives us. Some arise from the various artistic choices needed in adaptation, others from the fact that the scripts given to Blish were not always the most finalized versions. The more familiar the individual reader is with a particular broadcast episode, the more noticeable and potentially interesting such divergences will be.
In "This Side of Paradise," for example, rather than a rather stagey last viewing of his medals snapping Kirk out of his funk, he never fell victim to the spores at all, since adrenaline ends up killing the spores (1972 Bantam paperback, pages 68-69), and from the beginning of his infected crew's mutiny "[h]he could not remember any time before when he had been so furious for so long a time" (page 68). I'm sure there are other divergences I didn't happen to notice due to my comparative staleness on the episodes themselves.
I will comment, of course, that the endings of "This Side of Paradise" and "Requiem for Methuselah"--despite the latter's common but unbelievable trope of falling in love so quickly--are touching, whereas "Turnabout Intruder" has fine action and suspense but is based on a prohibition against allowing women to command a starship (page 74) that is a tad unbelievable 200-some years in the future when women already serve other combat roles aboard ship, and whose injustice receives only, essentially, an infuriating shrug from the usually logical Spock (page 94). And regrading the then-topical space hippies versus the Get a haircut! brigade...well, a very little of this goes a long, long way, and then it gets just too, too cute.
In any event, James Blish's Star Trek 5 is not deeply probing or given to evocative or artistic turns of phrase, nor probably is it intended for an audience that has never heard of the starship Enterprise and its historic 5-year mission, but its adventures are swiftly moving and entertaining, and founded upon courage and friendship and the dignity of the individual, and for fans of the television series will be a pleasantly familiar 5-star read.
Credits for the original screenplays are as follows:
"Whom Gods Destroy" by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl,
"The Tholian Web" by Judy Burns and Chet Richards,
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" by Oliver Crawford and Lee Cronin,
"This Side of Paradise" by Nathan Butler and D.C. Fontana,
"Turnabout Intruder" by Gene Roddenberry and Robert H. Singer,
"Requiem for Methuselah" by Jerome Bixby, and
"The Way to Eden" by Arthur Heinemann and Michael Richards.
As with my reviews of the previous books in the series, about these stories themselves I feel I need say nothing beyond the briefest nod to each: The ol' "inmates running the asylum" schtick will lead to interstellar war if the baddies get past the captured Kirk and Spock to the Enterprise, rescuing Kirk caught in a weakening of spacetime is complicated by another species trying to hem in the intruding human ship, long-lived two-color humanoid aliens whose parts in their former colonialism and slavery and continuing prejudice are determined by which side of their bodies is black or white find out how destructive racism truly is, alien spores replace human drive and aggression with perpetual contentment, a stereotypically vengeful and hysterical woman switches bodies with Kirk, the ol' "mysteriously powerful old man and girl on a far island--oops, I mean planet" schtick has more than one twist before the end, and tuned-in space hippies will do anything to reach the ultimate galactic drop-out. After all, anyone choosing the book is already familiar with the episodes of the TV show, right?
As usual, differences pop up here and there between what we are familiar with and the adaptations Blish gives us. Some arise from the various artistic choices needed in adaptation, others from the fact that the scripts given to Blish were not always the most finalized versions. The more familiar the individual reader is with a particular broadcast episode, the more noticeable and potentially interesting such divergences will be.
In "This Side of Paradise," for example, rather than a rather stagey last viewing of his medals snapping Kirk out of his funk, he never fell victim to the spores at all, since adrenaline ends up killing the spores (1972 Bantam paperback, pages 68-69), and from the beginning of his infected crew's mutiny "[h]he could not remember any time before when he had been so furious for so long a time" (page 68). I'm sure there are other divergences I didn't happen to notice due to my comparative staleness on the episodes themselves.
I will comment, of course, that the endings of "This Side of Paradise" and "Requiem for Methuselah"--despite the latter's common but unbelievable trope of falling in love so quickly--are touching, whereas "Turnabout Intruder" has fine action and suspense but is based on a prohibition against allowing women to command a starship (page 74) that is a tad unbelievable 200-some years in the future when women already serve other combat roles aboard ship, and whose injustice receives only, essentially, an infuriating shrug from the usually logical Spock (page 94). And regrading the then-topical space hippies versus the Get a haircut! brigade...well, a very little of this goes a long, long way, and then it gets just too, too cute.
In any event, James Blish's Star Trek 5 is not deeply probing or given to evocative or artistic turns of phrase, nor probably is it intended for an audience that has never heard of the starship Enterprise and its historic 5-year mission, but its adventures are swiftly moving and entertaining, and founded upon courage and friendship and the dignity of the individual, and for fans of the television series will be a pleasantly familiar 5-star read.
July 19, 2024
I devoured these books as a kid in the 70's. At that time the only other Star Trek around was the animated series and a couple of books and we were at the mercy of the 3 channel universe still!
Basically all twelve books follow the t.v. episodes pretty closely, just with literary filler to make it flow better. Nowadays we would just read a Wiki entry and ignore the books.
The biggest difference is that in some of the earlier books, up to around Star Trek 5 or 6, James Blish would change a few things for narrative flow, and in particular remove the unnecessary death of a the occasional Red Shirt. (Awwwwww!) But by the end of the run he was just basically going through the motions and just writing the script as it was, dead Red Shirts and all (Yeah!).
My one complaint though is that JB would write Scotty's speaking parts in a Scottish Brogue and more often than not I couldn't make head or tales of it.
Still, would have not missed reading them for anything. I was an avid Trekkie after all. And for JB it was a nice gig for an over the hill sci-fi writer.
Best part of all was that in grade 9 and 10 high school our English class had a 6 or 12 (I forget which) book reading requirement. And it being a Technical Vocation high school, that requirement caused a furor with so many students who had never read a book in their life. Thank you James Blish and Star Trek. Within a month I already had my 12 book requirement covered. LOL
I decided to up my rating from 3 to 4 stars when I remembered just how much enjoyment these books gave me.
Live Long And Prosper.
Basically all twelve books follow the t.v. episodes pretty closely, just with literary filler to make it flow better. Nowadays we would just read a Wiki entry and ignore the books.
The biggest difference is that in some of the earlier books, up to around Star Trek 5 or 6, James Blish would change a few things for narrative flow, and in particular remove the unnecessary death of a the occasional Red Shirt. (Awwwwww!) But by the end of the run he was just basically going through the motions and just writing the script as it was, dead Red Shirts and all (Yeah!).
My one complaint though is that JB would write Scotty's speaking parts in a Scottish Brogue and more often than not I couldn't make head or tales of it.
Still, would have not missed reading them for anything. I was an avid Trekkie after all. And for JB it was a nice gig for an over the hill sci-fi writer.
Best part of all was that in grade 9 and 10 high school our English class had a 6 or 12 (I forget which) book reading requirement. And it being a Technical Vocation high school, that requirement caused a furor with so many students who had never read a book in their life. Thank you James Blish and Star Trek. Within a month I already had my 12 book requirement covered. LOL
I decided to up my rating from 3 to 4 stars when I remembered just how much enjoyment these books gave me.
Live Long And Prosper.
February 10, 2025
The fifth volume of these Star Trek: The Original Series novelizations offers up mostly some final series episodes and, for the most part, I found some of these stories more enjoyable in this short story format, than in episode format. The low third season budget I am sure was a factor, as well as just the general slow plodding pace of a lot of 60's TV.
Also, I am assuming since Blish is no longer working off early scripts, the stories reflect the episodes a lot closer as well. So as a novelization this works a lot more than some of the previous volumes.
Besides some very clunky choices in the adaption of "Turnabout Intruder" that involve some body switching, I found the prose to be solid here. The Space Hippies of "The Way of Eden" didn't over stay their welcome as much, as well as the plot moved fast enough through "Whom God's Destroy" that some of the glaring plot holes don't seem quite so bad and the fun of the story can be focused on. Of course the other side of that coin is that there are some very memorable performances that don't completely translate across the page, so having watching the episode and being familiar with how they were portrayed definitely assists in the enjoyment here.
Also, I am assuming since Blish is no longer working off early scripts, the stories reflect the episodes a lot closer as well. So as a novelization this works a lot more than some of the previous volumes.
Besides some very clunky choices in the adaption of "Turnabout Intruder" that involve some body switching, I found the prose to be solid here. The Space Hippies of "The Way of Eden" didn't over stay their welcome as much, as well as the plot moved fast enough through "Whom God's Destroy" that some of the glaring plot holes don't seem quite so bad and the fun of the story can be focused on. Of course the other side of that coin is that there are some very memorable performances that don't completely translate across the page, so having watching the episode and being familiar with how they were portrayed definitely assists in the enjoyment here.
Currently reading
January 7, 2025James Blish (RIP) is a master of novelizing the episode draft scripts.
NOTE: These episode novelizations are based on the draft scripts in most cases and have significant plot or dialogue differences from the finished episodes.
As an old Star Trekker returning to the books after about 30 years of occasional binge-watches of TOS on VHS or DVD (yes, I’m THAT old), I finally got around to reading these episode novelizations by James Blish (with a few written or completed by his wife, J.A. Lawrence, after Mr. Blish passed away in the late 1970s; similar to what Christopher Tolkien did for his father’s incomplete works). The differences were much appreciated as they breathed new life and different perspectives into the TOS episodes that I have nearly memorized by watching all three seasons time and again since childhood.
If you’re interested in Star Trek, you’ll find something interesting in these novelizations. If you an old, die hard Trekker (some say Trekkie) like me, you’ll LOVE these old novelizations, especially in the fresh ways they vary from the final aired episodes.
Favorites in this book are: (still reading)
NOTE: These episode novelizations are based on the draft scripts in most cases and have significant plot or dialogue differences from the finished episodes.
As an old Star Trekker returning to the books after about 30 years of occasional binge-watches of TOS on VHS or DVD (yes, I’m THAT old), I finally got around to reading these episode novelizations by James Blish (with a few written or completed by his wife, J.A. Lawrence, after Mr. Blish passed away in the late 1970s; similar to what Christopher Tolkien did for his father’s incomplete works). The differences were much appreciated as they breathed new life and different perspectives into the TOS episodes that I have nearly memorized by watching all three seasons time and again since childhood.
If you’re interested in Star Trek, you’ll find something interesting in these novelizations. If you an old, die hard Trekker (some say Trekkie) like me, you’ll LOVE these old novelizations, especially in the fresh ways they vary from the final aired episodes.
Favorites in this book are: (still reading)
August 27, 2017
5th TOS anthology collecting together the episodes:
Whom Gods Destroy
The Tholian Web
Let that Be Your Last Battlefield
This Side of Paradise
Turnabout Intruder
Requiem for Methuselah
The Way to Eden
Everything here from space Hippies, Inmates taking over the asylum and a take on The Forbidden Planet to gender switch body swapping. Big thumbs up here. All the stories are solid and hugely enjoyable. Loved the embittered woman with a chip on her shoulder stealing Kirk's body in Turnabout Intruder. Not the most stand out episodes overall but if you're a Trekkie there is loads here to enjoy. James Blish does a perfectly good job of adapting the scripts into short stories and while he's not the best Trek author I found this one perfectly readable,
Whom Gods Destroy
The Tholian Web
Let that Be Your Last Battlefield
This Side of Paradise
Turnabout Intruder
Requiem for Methuselah
The Way to Eden
Everything here from space Hippies, Inmates taking over the asylum and a take on The Forbidden Planet to gender switch body swapping. Big thumbs up here. All the stories are solid and hugely enjoyable. Loved the embittered woman with a chip on her shoulder stealing Kirk's body in Turnabout Intruder. Not the most stand out episodes overall but if you're a Trekkie there is loads here to enjoy. James Blish does a perfectly good job of adapting the scripts into short stories and while he's not the best Trek author I found this one perfectly readable,
August 5, 2025
I find it too bad some of the worst episodes were retold by this book And didn't improve (much) because they were in prose. Also, we happen to end on a very mixed low note... for me, the sonic weapon devised to disable the Enterprise crew was the most interesting aspect... of the books last story... it's sociological aspects of rebellion from society seemed to be so futile. Now, 50+ years later we see the destructive power of Dropping Out in a modern stratified society. There are preppers and backwoodsmen who have dropped off the grid but we are certain its a very hard life. Yes, it's those later people who will survive the next natural (or manmade) holocaust of humanity. Perhaps before that occurs, we'll reach for space and be too disperse for any one thing to take our species extinct?
February 1, 2024
This was the last book from the series of 12 I needed to complete the set. I enjoy these adaptions of the Original Series episodes. "Let That be Your Last Battlefield" is the best and most poignant in this book. It ends with "The Way to Eden," cringe-worthy and one of the worst episodes of Star Trek from any series! Despite that I enjoyed the trip back to my childhood with these short and snappy interpretations.
February 1, 2020
This is obviously the fifth book in the series that have been adapted by James Blish. There isn't much to tell about these books, for if you have seen the old television series, then you know what will happen in the stories. Still, it's a fun way to burn a few idle hours.
April 4, 2018
The classic tales continue....On to Eden....
May 29, 2018
As good as any of the Star Trek books by Blish.
September 28, 2021
All of these are quick reads and they are a great way to reminisce about classic Star Trek.
June 11, 2024
Being a big Star Trek fan, I really enjoy these books by James Blish. Of these stories my favorites were "The Tholian Web" and "This Way To Eden".
Next hardcover: "Star Trek 6" by James Blish.
Next hardcover: "Star Trek 6" by James Blish.
July 23, 2025
Picked up this old paperback for 99 cents somewhere. It was worth 99 cents; plus, it only took about an hour and a half to read all the way through. Nicely done; he did a great job at descriptions.
July 28, 2025
Ingegnoso. Allegorico. Psichedelico.
December 3, 2015
With 1972 came another entry in Blish's series of Star Trek adaptations,
Star Trek 5
. This volume includes adaptations of seven episodes: "Whom Gods Destroy", "The Tholian Web", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", "This Side of Paradise", "Turnabout Intruder", "Requiem for Methuselah", an "The Way to Eden".
The stories adapted in this volume are, I think, fairly average Trek fare. The adaptation of "Whom Gods Destroy" is the most interesting, but even it was better for being on screen. Meanwhile, most of the others are dull, and "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is positively tedious.
Several adaptations throughout this series suffer from a common flaw: certain episodes are really only interesting on account of being acted out. "Turnabout Intruder" has a rather weak plot (to say nothing of its unfortunately anti-feminist dimensions), but to the extent that it was entertaining, it was all down to Shatner's overacting as Dr. Lester. Blish's condensed prose captures none of that, while retaining the cringe-worthy story ("And most of all she wanted to murder the man who might have loved her--had her intense hatred of her own womanhood not made life with her impossible."--lovely.)
The above goes equally for "The Way to Eden", another very weak episode propped up (poorly) by songs, on which small support the book cannot rely.
Star Trek 5 was saddled with several very unfortunate episodes, and it didn't make any more of them than the TV series did. If you've got this one, read "Whom Gods Destroy" and ignore the rest. If not, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it. Your time will be better spent elsewhere.
The stories adapted in this volume are, I think, fairly average Trek fare. The adaptation of "Whom Gods Destroy" is the most interesting, but even it was better for being on screen. Meanwhile, most of the others are dull, and "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is positively tedious.
Several adaptations throughout this series suffer from a common flaw: certain episodes are really only interesting on account of being acted out. "Turnabout Intruder" has a rather weak plot (to say nothing of its unfortunately anti-feminist dimensions), but to the extent that it was entertaining, it was all down to Shatner's overacting as Dr. Lester. Blish's condensed prose captures none of that, while retaining the cringe-worthy story ("And most of all she wanted to murder the man who might have loved her--had her intense hatred of her own womanhood not made life with her impossible."--lovely.)
The above goes equally for "The Way to Eden", another very weak episode propped up (poorly) by songs, on which small support the book cannot rely.
Star Trek 5 was saddled with several very unfortunate episodes, and it didn't make any more of them than the TV series did. If you've got this one, read "Whom Gods Destroy" and ignore the rest. If not, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it. Your time will be better spent elsewhere.
April 18, 2016
Another set of novelizations by Blish, this time adapting "Whom Gods Destroy", "The Tholian Web", "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", "This Side of Paradise", "Turnabout Intruder", "Requiem for Methuselah" and "The Way to Eden". These are almost all late third season episodes, with the exception of "This Side of Paradise" which makes them not the best stuff ever. Blish can only make justice to some pretty bad material that he has to work with.
The only half-way decent story is "The Tholian Web" here, the others are full of heavy handed metaphors ("Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"), sexism ("Turnabout Intruder") or stereotypical hippie-bashing ("The Way to Eden"). So this has been probably the worst read of the set until now, but not due to Blish's fault.
More Reviews at: trekwarsproject.blogspot.com
The only half-way decent story is "The Tholian Web" here, the others are full of heavy handed metaphors ("Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"), sexism ("Turnabout Intruder") or stereotypical hippie-bashing ("The Way to Eden"). So this has been probably the worst read of the set until now, but not due to Blish's fault.
More Reviews at: trekwarsproject.blogspot.com
August 18, 2017
When i was a kid, my older sister's friend GAVE me the entire collection. (I know!) Over the next few years, I read them all in order, starting the first one the day after I finished the last one. Loved them. I'm not sad that I didn't hang onto them and can only hope they still exist to make some other fan happy. (But I doubt it because...well, paperbacks, you know?)
The adaptations got better in the later volumes, but it was Star Trek whenever and wherever I wanted with having to put up with the spastic tripe William Shatner calls acting.
Frankly, I can't remember which story was in which volume, so my rating reflects my enjoyment of the set...which I am hoping will come out in e-book form very soon.
The adaptations got better in the later volumes, but it was Star Trek whenever and wherever I wanted with having to put up with the spastic tripe William Shatner calls acting.
Frankly, I can't remember which story was in which volume, so my rating reflects my enjoyment of the set...which I am hoping will come out in e-book form very soon.
March 18, 2013
I enjoyed it, always interesting to see how Blish expands or deletes from the television scripts. A fine distraction and light-read for any Trek fan. It will take you back (for those old enough) to the days of the 1970s and 1980s when there was no Star Trek and this was the best we could hope for, there was something 'purer' about those days of Trek before Paramount realized they were sitting on a cash cow and began milking.
July 28, 2010
These are Blish's novelizations/storyizations of the original Star Trek episodes. Sometimes they are slightly different from the final episode since they were written from shooting scripts as I understand. Although I enjoyed them, it's because of the tie in with the TV series episodes. The writing here is fairly workmanlike and this is really bare bones kind of work.
April 26, 2020
Blish continues to deliver! At a time when this was *IT* as far as Star Trek merchandise, he did an excellent job adapting the television scripts to this short story form. He knows the character well enough to give some insight into their thoughts, and does their personalities justice.
March 18, 2008
I read this book shortly after I saw the movie. The movie made no sense to me, but the book did a lot to explain things. Consequently, I liked the book much more than the movie, but this still was not one of my favorite Star Trek novels.
October 21, 2011
As with all of Blish's books, an excellent accompaniment to the Original Series. The little additions and insights given by the book beautifully done and never taking away from the original feel given by the episodes.
January 21, 2013
Another good Blish outing, featuring some good adaptations of some bad Trek episodes. "The Tholian Web" is the standout of these, but the stories are more strictly adhering to the original scripts than many of the earlier Blish tales.
December 23, 2007
read 08.13.84
read 07.21.85
read 07.21.85
September 4, 2009
A half dozen episodes or so of the Original TV series rewritten as novella-length Sci-Fi stories.
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