Ghost-Walker

Star Trek: The Original Series #53

by Barbara Hambly

Elcidar Beta Three -- a tranquil, undisturbed planet strategically located between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Home to the Midgwins, a race of people who throughout all time have lived in peace with their planet, and themselves. But now, times are changing. Unwilling to embrace any form of technology, the Midgwins have exhausted their world's natural resources, and stand on the brink of global famine. When Captain Kirk and the "Enterprise" arrive to aid the Midgwins, they find themselves caught up in that race's struggle for survival...a struggle whose climactic battle pits them against a creature of darkness and shadow -- an entity who roams the "Enterprise" corridors as if it owned them -- an enemy who will not hesitate to kill to achieve its ultimate goal...

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Star Trek Original Series, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Media Tie In

273 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

About the author

aka Barbara Hamilton

Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.


"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly

Reviews

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much that I like in this novel (the anticipation of elements of Voyager's "Cathexis" by four years, with better results...the character work with Spock, Chapel and Uhura), but also much that bothers me (the character of Helen did nothing but irritate me, the pace of the novel drags considerably in its second half). It's trying hard to be an interesting sci-fi character piece, and it's definitely a comfortable read...but in the end it feels like something that is less than the sum of its parts.

[Graham Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I thought the buildup of tension as to who/what the villain was was really well done. I really liked the focus on the supporting cast, especially Uhura and Nurse Chapel. Dr. Helen and her relationship with Kirk, specifically given the nature of the conflict between them (no spoilers) was handled very well. A really fun read.

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good! Every time I'd look at this quirky cover I'd presume to expect a miss when I got here, but this is an unexpected hit for sure. A couple of classic elements about it which I don't think are too spoilery but I'll refrain from mentioning just in case - they're so classic that you should know what's going on before it's spelled out in the text.

The crew however must deal with not knowing for considerably longer though. This story has 3 main elements to it and one of those is Spock carefully deducing the Enterprise's predicament from the available clues.

Another is a love story between Kirk and one of the scientists from a planet the Enterprise had visited. Before you cringe, alright it's probably too late to withhold your cringe, but it seems to have some more significance in this story than other throwaway romances that we've witnessed in the series. Kirk even gives serious thought to changing his career path for this woman. And presumably they'd done a lot of the getting to know each other before the story started so we weren't subjected to the usual insta-romance which we'd need to pretend to care about.

I guess the main part of the love element is deciding whether love or career should come first and how those decisions change the longer we're around someone who may not always feel like the same person that we fell for. Something like that.

Element 3 is, well I guess it'd have to be the newly discovered species. Although, it seems they're not so much newly discovered but newly classified as being intelligent. And they've had troublesome interactions with the Klingons already so gaining their trust is no guarantee.

A worthwhile read, even if my summary isn't particularly enthralling. This may be my last complete read for 2024 and it'd be a great one to end the year on, but there's 6.5hrs left and I'm going to try to squeeze just one more in.

Happy New Year, Good Readers ❤️

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Hambly writes fantasy and some horror, and gets to exercise those chops in the Star Trek universe. The result is a good story and great interactions with the female characters.

There are a few points that don't quite fit, but overall the author has a good command of the Enterprise, which is the setting for most of this book. We also see there is a lot going on behind the scenes on the ship, and hear (perhaps too much) about a hated science lab chief named Bergdahl.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt very true to ST:TOS. It definitely reads like a potential episode, although while the book itself was rather short, it still felt like it ran a bit long towards the middle, where you just want to get to the conclusion. Sexual assault is also depicted in it, which was a little shocking and could have been triggering. But otherwise it was a good Star Trek novel with an interesting premise and faithful characterization.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Startrek book. At first, I thought it was too heavy on Kirk's love life... a common problem in Trek stories. But by halfway through, the story's action had drawn me in. It felt like a combination of a thriller and a standard TOS episode. I will admit that much of the stereotypes were predictable but while the plot seemed to follow expected lines, it really wasn't. The story contained many surprises and was one of the most unique Trek stories I have read in a long time.

[Don Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my fifth Star Trek novel and novel number 53 in the Simon and Schuster series. The stardate is not clear. The Enterprise visits Elcidar Beta Three, a planet occupied by the Midgwins, a species who for the most part communicate telepathically, live off the bounty of their planet and are not interested in technological advancement. After the crew visits the scientific landing party and then returns to the Enterprise, they discover that Kirk is not himself. In fact his consciousness has been replaced by a Midgwin referred to as the Ghost Walker. Kirk's consciousness is without form floating around, inside the ship. The Ghost Walker's purpose is to make the Federation and for that matter all humanoids, seem like a threat so that the Midgwin's would reject them and return back to their native ways.

I enjoyed the story however I thought the author introduced too many characters which were unnecessary and at times made the story difficult to follow. We have also seen in the Star Trek Original Series Episode, Turnabout Intruder, a similar instance where Kirk's consciousness is replaced by another so that they can gain control of the ship. This novel puts a different spin on things but it is somewhat similar.

[Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Original Star Trek, and I've been very impressed with Barbara Hambly's work. So this, an Original Series novel by Barbara Hambly had the potential to be an outstanding reading experience.

It failed.

It was terrible. The writing was pretty good, but not nearly good enough to carry the lame plot, and the missed characterization. I slogged through about 60 pages, then gave up. I was pretty sure I knew the entire rest of the story, but I just couldn't face having to read the rest. So I read the very end, and flipped through and read a couple bits at random of the rest. I was right about the plot, and the voices of the cannon characters never got any better.

Even the original characters were pretty bad. Helen (which is a terrible name for the beautiful female lead - far too trite) tried to have a clear, strong voice, but it was a voice that didn't fit into the Star Trek paradigm.

I think, really, that Ms. Hambly just wasn't a good match to write a Star Trek novel. She's a great writer, but her style didn't mesh well with Star Trek. It's entirely possible that a non-Trekkie Hambly fan would enjoy this novel. I'm just glad I only paid $0.20 for it.

[Surreysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

[These notes were made in 1991 by someone who learned grammar and spelling in Britain:]. Kirk is taken over by a shape-changer from a primitive but highly telepathic race from the planet below (as usual, the Enterprise is there trying to save the inhabitants from Klingons). Kirk is on the verge of forming a serious relationship with a woman, but she soon finds out, at a most intimate moment, that it's not him. Eventually, Spock, McCoy & the rest of the crew also come in their various ways to the realization that Kirk has been displaced, and is wandering around, a disembodied spirit (yes, a ghost), on his own ship, in imminent danger of dissolution. Eventually Kirk inhabits the computer, and helps to frustrate the Ghost-Walker's plan to blast his own planet. All ends well, except that Helen, Kirk's lady-love, moves on, understanding but not able to accept what has happened. Hambly handles all this pretty well. My only quarrel is the occasional glaring infelicity of diction ("shined" turns up several times instead of "shone," for instance).

[Phillip · Rating 2 out of 5]

So - this is an interesting TOS story, but it could have been halved in length and still worked. It also leaves a bit of essential plot hanging with 2 to 3 pages left. I think the author lost me with a love a descriptive narrative, which can certainly be important in writing, but I don't think I was actually ever to visualize the alien species that makes up the main protagonist. And while there is a bit of dramatic irony in the beginning - once the truth is revealed about a certain character (spoilers ... won't get into anything), the reader now knows what's going on, but it's a bit painful to go thru most of the book with no one in the story able to figure it out. I would say the Kirk love story is interesting, but has too sudden of an ending to have her decision seem plausible (though the story does acknowledge that some rightful horrible things happened to the woman in the course of telling this story). I would say this isn't a terrible TOS book, but look for others instead of this one.

[Tony Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action is very well done and I learned a lot about where things are located on the Enterprise.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

started well....and then got more and more pondersome as the book continued...in fairness the book has a authentic star trek feel and although some of the subject matter may not have made the sixties show the general feel of the book is plot derived as the early series and chooses not to expand the universe in a way that would have been unfilmable before these CGI days.
The usual suspects are present and correct and I think I would have enjoyed this much more if it had been a tad shorter..the tale lacks suspense once a early twist is revealed..basically you are awaiting a inevitable 'switch'of sorts...all told though not terrible but far from the best Star Trek novel I have read.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Federation survey on Elcidar Beta III continues to study the Midgwins after the Klingons dismiss them as non sentient animals.

Beaming up, Captain Kirk begins to act strangely and Spock soon concludes that his captain and former friend is, for all intents and purposes, under a malign influence.

Hambly's novel has some good characterisations, with believable interactions between all the characters and her ghost story framework provides for some thought provoking concepts on individuality

[Mark]

DNF. I made it to page 128 before stopping. Let me first say that if I had to read a Star Trek novel, I would want Barbara Hambly to write it. But I don't have to read a Star Trek novel, fortunately, because I've learned that it just isn't my thing.

This book is structured like a classic Star Trek episode, which sounds as if it should be a good thing. And I suppose it would be, if the book were 45 to 100 pages long. But a scene that would last 2 to 3 minutes in the original TV show takes up 25 to 30 pages in the book.

The "cold open" scene, for instance, in which Captain Kirk and other members of Starfleet visit an alien planet and kick off the mystery that will drive the plot of the book, takes two chapters to tell. For an enthusiastic reader of Star Trek novels, this is no doubt considered a benefit, for it provides the reader with a more embedded experience with the Enterprise crew that the TV show simply could not provide in 40-minute chunks.

But to this reader, I kept thinking, somewhat impatiently, "Get on with it."

Spoiler ahoy: The central mystery of the book is similar to the one found in the plot of the final episode of Star Trek that aired: "Turnabout Intruder," in which Dr. Janice Lester swaps bodies with Captain Kirk. However, contra that episode, in which the truth of the situation is revealed to viewers pretty quickly, here in Ghost-Walker the body swap is "hidden" from the reader for over 100 pages.

I put "hidden" in scare quotes because it's pretty obvious--surely even to readers who haven't seen "Turnabout Intruder"--what's going on here: Kirk was clearly possessed by the Midgwin at the end of chapter 2. Yet the next five chapters are spent describing the specter that's haunting the Enterprise. Yes, it's a disembodied Captain Kirk. But we have to wait until chapter 9 for Kirk himself to appear on the page so that we can then move on to the next mystery, which is how is he going to get his body back?

From there, I read another 30 pages or so before I couldn't go any farther. Spock and McCoy continued to be perplexed, Dr. Helen Gordon (Kirk's love interest of the week) continued to be hurt that "Kirk" is treating her coldly, etc., etc.

Like I said, if I had to read a book like this, I'd be glad that Hambly wrote it. I am a huge fan. Here's what she got right: there's a great scene in the bowels of the Enterprise where a couple of scheming ensigns get the creeps because "something" (Kirk) seems to be there with them, even though they can't see it. The best part of this scene isn't the creepiness (because, again, it's clear that it's Kirk) but the way that Hambly expands on the lives of the Red Shirts who, in the show anyway, never had more than a last name.

But ultimately, this was not enough to keep me engaged.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted so bad to give it five stars (SPOILERS)

This a "classic" Star Trek tale. You can almost watch it playing out in your mind's eye like an episode. The premise was beautiful, and the interaction of the golden three are absolutely believable. You see the amazing resilience of their bond, trust, and brotherhood. The explanations of Vulcan culture and metaphysics are also in line (or mostly in line) with canon.

Where this text, and if I am honest many of the 2nd and 3rd season episodes, lose me is the "love story." I mean it's common enough for Kirk to have a semi-romantic fling with a woman, but to stretch it to the extent that the author did....Kirk even flirt with the idea of marriage, or more unbelievable yet giving up the Enterprise and taking a starbase or planetside command at the time this story takes place stretches credulity to the breaking point for this reader. I had to just chuckle and power through those sections as quickly as I could; luckily the relationship with the woman is in no way the heart of the tale, nor the key relationship(s) that should necessarily be focused on.

It's worth the read and took me about a week, with a full schedule of working full-time and writing my thesis. It shows, especially in the second half, precisely how strong the bond is between Kirk, Spock, and Bones, and if you like that relationship this is an appealing and mostly well conceived book from that standpoint.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and name makes this seem like it might be one of those wonky Trek novels that veers off and doesn't remotely resemble the format of a TOS episode. While it took a little while to get going, once the landing party gets back to The Enterprise it really gets good. Unlike some Trek books where there are a lot of one off characters introduced, who we'll never see again and care little about, this story focuses on the main cast trying to solve a mystery. It's great to see Uhura and Chapel more involved (but they aren't the main characters). There are references to past TOS episodes that make it feel like it's part of the missing "fourth season". Another interesting element is we get to really know some of the more unexplored parts of The Enterprise which is a lot of fun. My pet peeve is TOS stories that don't feel like they are part of that era of Trek, either in tone, style or execution (let's face it Star Trek is Bonanza in space) but this isn't one of those. Ignore the strange cover and treat yourself to a fun read.

[Peter Rydén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Det här var ingen vanlig Star Trek-bok. Den knöt an till det övernaturliga och tillät en art framträda som hade i huvudsak telepatisk kommunikation framkomma med både dess hemska och vackra delar. Även om vi senare i diverse Star Trek-avsnitt har sett liknande händelser som de i boken (om än inte så detaljerat beskrivna vilket de lättare kan bli i en bok), ger boken en spännande läsning. Jag är inte nöjd med författarens berättande teknik, det blir ofta en idoldyrkan kring vissa karaktärer (med kommentarer om Spocks ”sensitive hearing” och Uhuras ”beautiful appearence”, etc). Sådant har jag sett även hos andra författare, men det försvårar läsningen då allting stannar upp, helt i onödan. Klingonerna skildras på ett sätt som jag aldrig sett tidigare (jag visste exempelvis inte om att klingonerna hade ett s.k. "Prime Directive" - har de inte det så är detta ett exempel på en direkt felaktighet i boken).

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this started our interesting but then spiralled down into stupid. This book takes a bunch of plots from a variety of Original Series episodes and puts them into a blender and comes out with a hybrid of Turnabout Intruder/Spock's Brain/Sub Rosa (although not aired yet) surely the best of episodes... what I did enjoy was the dialogue between some of the lower deck crew that you could hear and the banter between the main characters- although Spock was a little too far on the jokey side of things. What I couldn't get behind was Spock making essentially a proton pack to deal with the ghost, Kirk actually being a ghost, Kirk manifesting(?) in a computer and finally a seance which got him there. I was worried about the stupidity of this one going in - thinking that it was doing okay for the first third but then it crossed over into the Land of Stupid at the end. Sorry Barb, this one's a dud.

[amna · Rating 3 out of 5]

absolutely ADORED mccoy’s characterisation, Hambly really understood his character well and it was such a delight to read him!! “A healer living in pain”, and his southern drawl getting thicker when he’s tired. oh how i love u for this barbara hambly !!!! this + chapel and uhura’s friendship? beautiful no notes, i love to see my girls get more appearances!!!!

i would say the plot did not totally interest me, helen felt a little self-insert-y, plus she who has been dating kirk for less time than his closest friends have known him figuring out he’s possessed? not really what i like to see, but it was not entirely strange in context, i must admit.

overall, i was quite pleasantly surprised and it was a fun read. there’s just room for improvement, is all.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirk gets replaced by an among-us like imposter, and nobody knows. Kirk's katra floats around the Enterprise making weird noises and spreading liquid around. I feel bad for his lady-of-the-week here, who almost gives up her career to be with him, but in the end is so traumatized from being abused by imposter-Kirk she decides to go live on a planet with a bunch of starving owl people.

We got to hang with Chapel and Uhuru a lot so that was nice. Spock's characterization in this was a little off, you're telling me Kirk's acting weird and Spock says nothing just because he thinks Kirk's having lady issues? Nah. My boy would be all up in the Captain's Quarters TONIGHT.

[Katrina Veerkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of similar to another I read where Kirk is in an alien body. This time an alien takes his body and he’s left a spirit. Takes awhile before Spock figures this out. Also a good back story from a planet that both the federation and the Klingons are trying to help. Also Kirk really falls for a doctor whom he sees himself staying with for the rest of his life! They are three years into their five year mission. On the fourth year here. However, the alien in his body is savage to his love. Intriguing story. I’d recommend it

[Taaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irgendwo in diesem Buch stecken 50-100 Seiten, die eine ganz akzeptable Story abgegeben hätten, hätte die Autorin es nicht für nötig befunden, sie auf die 3-6fache Länge aufzublasen, unnötige Romance mit einer richtig furchtbaren Mary Sue hinzuzufügen und das Ganze dann noch mit unnötigen Wiederholungen von "Spuk" und ständigen blumigen Beschreibungen aufzufüllen.

Okay, und auch für die 50-100 Seiten hätte die Annahme, dass eine Zivilisation, die das Konzept "Besitz" nicht kennt, laut dem Vertrag von Organia nur Tieren gleichkommt, weggemusst, weil sie absolut keinen Sinn ergibt.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the way this book captured the perspectives of various characters, especially Spock. There was a scene from Spock's perspective about how he preferred to deal with the computer more directly than with voice control, as well as other aspects of his thought process, and it has stuck with me almost a year since reading the book. It was really good and a fun Star Trek adventure!

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not one of my favorite stories. Love interest and body switching and everything can be resolved by some ingenious way of putting the whole of Kirk's mind into the computer.
But it was an entertaining read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planet Elcidar Beta Three, home to the Midgwins who are on the brink of global famine. The Enterprise arrives to lend aid but on leaving something is transported up which roams the ship.
An entertaining re-read.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seemed at the beginning for the story to go in a predictable way. It didn't! The ending was exciting followed by deep. I loved this book!

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was atypical with a focus more on Uhura, the crew and an original character. Benching the leads for original and supporting characters doesn't always play, but I thought it worked really well.

[Reesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. The worst thing about this book is the cover art being a terrible interpretation of the species very clearly described in the book. I'm betting a lot of people never bothered to pick this one up just because of how hokey it looks.

I loved the tension in this story, especially in the first half. Just when I was concerned it was going to get stale if the mystery remained unrealized by the crew for the entire book, the narrative took a turn that added plot elements needed to keep things intriguing.

The new species and their unique culture is thoroughly described, and I found their bird-like bodies easy to visualize due to the rich descriptions. Uhura and Chapel both have more prominent roles than many Star Trek novels of the time allotted them, and that was such a joy to read.

Even Kirk's romance didn't bother me in the slightest, the original character being likable and reasonably fleshed out. The conclusion to her arc elicited a genuine sympathy that Kirk's various romantic partners rarely achieve.

This book also went to a place that few Star Trek novels have tread (reading in publication date order), and did so with appropriate levels of horror and trauma from the victim. However, I would have liked to see some indication of seeking mental health treatment and more concern from the crew around her.

I'm mystified by the median star rating being under 4 at the moment. I'd like to read it again someday, and I'd recommend it to a Star Trek fan.

[Benn Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough STAR TREK novel, I guess. Barbara Hambly's writing generally keeps one's attention. But what happened to Kirk (that his body had become possessed by an alien being) was pretty damned obvious. It's also infuriating that Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy don't really suspect anything (though after they learn of it, they sort of, kind of knew, but not really) is annoying. Having seen the "Evil", aggressive Captain Kirk in "The Enemy Within" and the Janice Lester possession of Kirk in "Turnabout Intruder", you'd think the two officers and friends of the Captain would have figured it out a lot sooner and definitely Kirk was possessed. ("Ghost-Walker" takes place in the fourth year of the five year mission making it even more puzzling Bones and Spock do not figure things out sooner than they do). Worse, they dismiss the off behavior of Kirk by assuming it was the stress of an intruder on the ship (has the Captain ever acted like that under stress before?) and/or the break up with his paramour, Helen Gordon. (Did Kirk act that way after the death of Edith Keeler or Rayna Kapec?) But ignore those things (if you can) and you've got a book that provides an okay action adventure. It's nothing great, but still entertaining enough.

[David King · Rating 2 out of 5]

In "Ghost-Walker" by Barbara Hambly follows the crew of the Enterprise as they visit the planet Elcidar Beta III as the Federation look to ratify its inhabitants (Midgwins) as sentient beings. When Kirk returned from the planet having seemingly persuaded the Midgwins that they are there to help he begins to act in a strange manner. I can't say much more than this without giving away the story but you can be assured that you find out what is wrong with Kirk very quickly!

Whilst the writing itself was quite good, I just didn't like the plot at all and the twist about what is wrong with Kirk is actually revealed far too quickly. That in itself isn't always an issue with a novel but Hambly doesn't build any real tension out of it. The story just plods along for quite a while with the reader knowing what is wrong whilst the crew is unable to realise the issue. Simply put, I found it rather boring and would rather have discovered the truth at the same time as the crew.

Overall whilst Hambly is without doubt a decent writer and the plot does feel like something I have come to expect from Trek, I just didn't like the execution. I struggled to work through the book which didn't keep me entertained due to the pondering pace.