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Leonard McCoy was a medical student at Starfleet Academy® looking forward to the winter break. He was just trying to have some fun when a football game on Academy grounds got out of hand, and all thanks to that upstart cadet named Kirk. Now McCoy is stuck at the Academy during the break. If only Kirk hadn't gotten him into trouble. . . .
But it's too late for regrets. McCoy has been "volunteered" for the Disaster Relief Service Club. Now he and a humorless Vulcan named Spock are risking their lives to save earthquake victims on the planet Playamar. Constant aftershocks are hampering their efforts, though, and Spock and McCoy begin to wonder: Is this a natural disaster, or are more sinister forces at work?
But it's too late for regrets. McCoy has been "volunteered" for the Disaster Relief Service Club. Now he and a humorless Vulcan named Spock are risking their lives to save earthquake victims on the planet Playamar. Constant aftershocks are hampering their efforts, though, and Spock and McCoy begin to wonder: Is this a natural disaster, or are more sinister forces at work?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 26, 2024
Spock really did it. Contrary to the wishes of his Vulcan father, Sarek—a man of tremendous influence as an intergalactic ambassador and even stronger influence on his half-human son—Spock left the planet Vulcan to sign on with Starfleet Academy, where his wide array of talents positions him to be one of the class's top recruits. But that's not the main focus of Aftershock. After taking an in-depth look at what led Spock to join Starfleet in the first Starfleet Academy novel, Crisis on Vulcan, the narrative switches to lonesome small-town Georgia boy Leonard McCoy, who's not sure he's cut out for life as a Starfleet medic. The romance and excitement of interstellar exploration fascinates McCoy, but the adventures will also be extremely stressful, and he's not wired to handle anxiety well. If McCoy winds up in a life-or-death situation on a foreign planet, could he cope? He's about to learn the answer sooner than expected, before even graduating the academy, and he indirectly owes the opportunity to an upstart first-year cadet named James Tiberius Kirk.
McCoy is angry when a minor infraction that's not even his fault puts him in the crosshairs of stern Starfleet disciplinarians. He was looking forward to visiting his family in Georgia for two weeks during vacation from school, but now he's obligated to accept an assignment: volunteer duty with the academy's Disaster Relief Service Club. The week-long introductory course means long hours of dangerous training for emergencies that could arise in or near Federation space, and McCoy ends up less convinced than ever that he has the stomach to be a first responder. With a week left to head home before school reconvenes, McCoy's plans are abruptly put on hold: a real catastrophe requires the Disaster Relief Service Club's attention. With a heavy heart McCoy takes off for the distant planet of Playamar, part of a task-force trio that includes a girl McCoy has had his eye on—Lisa Donald—and Spock. Having done exemplary work as a unit during training, the three are expected to be of vital service on Playamar, but untangling the mess there won't be easy.
A peaceful, affluent planet in an ideal location, Playamar was rocked by an earthquake days ago. Thousands of people are dead or injured, some trapped in underground fissures, and frequent ion storms prevent safe teleportation of victims onto Starfleet's ship for treatment. When the Disaster Relief Service Club beams down to investigate, Spock notices strange readings on his tricorder. The ion storms don't appear to be natural. Aftershock earthquakes inflict worse damage on Playamar every few hours, and Spock thinks they may not be a geological phenomenon. What's really occurring on Playamar? Could McCoy, Lisa Donald, and Spock be dealing with hostiles who are intentionally causing disaster? The club is relying on its star trio for a solution, and I have to say I like their chances. Would you bet against the future commander and the ship's doctor of the starship Enterprise?
Crisis on Vulcan was sensitively rendered and well-written, especially for a television tie-in novel, and Aftershock is almost as good. McCoy's self-doubt is expressed honestly and eloquently as he pines for the comforts of home. Most kids dream of blasting off into space and exploring uncharted worlds, but how many could ever actually rise to the challenge? Maybe McCoy was meant for a quiet life on Earth. As enticing as Starfleet is, he misses his family. "But he couldn't stop thinking about the lost opportunity to go home. He was frightened by the course he was on, a course that would take him into space, to far-off worlds. Maybe his yearning for home was his heart telling him that he was making a mistake. Maybe he just wanted to see friendly faces and sleep under his old quilt." Doubts of that nature bother most people on the cusp of life-changing decisions. Things aren't ever the same after you take a giant leap like joining Starfleet, and that finality feels frightening and constrictive. But you don't get asked twice to train to join a crew like the USS Enterprise and embark on a legendary space odyssey. It hurts to say goodbye to family and the place you grew up, but something better may wait beyond the farthest horizon your mind can conjure. That's Leonard McCoy's future, Star Trek fans know, and it's worth sacrificing for. The best has not yet begun.
Like Crisis on Vulcan, I'll give Aftershock two and a half stars. The story is basic but has value as literature, for Trekkies or readers who just want a taste of something different. I fall into both categories. Todd Cameron Hamilton's illustrations play an important role, helping us visualize McCoy, Spock, and Kirk as teenagers. I look forward to James Kirk taking center stage in the third book of the Starfleet Academy trilogy. The future Enterprise captain is a bold and talented young man already, and an early adventure with him, Spock, and McCoy is my idea of a fun time. I'll see y'all over at my review for Cadet Kirk.
McCoy is angry when a minor infraction that's not even his fault puts him in the crosshairs of stern Starfleet disciplinarians. He was looking forward to visiting his family in Georgia for two weeks during vacation from school, but now he's obligated to accept an assignment: volunteer duty with the academy's Disaster Relief Service Club. The week-long introductory course means long hours of dangerous training for emergencies that could arise in or near Federation space, and McCoy ends up less convinced than ever that he has the stomach to be a first responder. With a week left to head home before school reconvenes, McCoy's plans are abruptly put on hold: a real catastrophe requires the Disaster Relief Service Club's attention. With a heavy heart McCoy takes off for the distant planet of Playamar, part of a task-force trio that includes a girl McCoy has had his eye on—Lisa Donald—and Spock. Having done exemplary work as a unit during training, the three are expected to be of vital service on Playamar, but untangling the mess there won't be easy.
A peaceful, affluent planet in an ideal location, Playamar was rocked by an earthquake days ago. Thousands of people are dead or injured, some trapped in underground fissures, and frequent ion storms prevent safe teleportation of victims onto Starfleet's ship for treatment. When the Disaster Relief Service Club beams down to investigate, Spock notices strange readings on his tricorder. The ion storms don't appear to be natural. Aftershock earthquakes inflict worse damage on Playamar every few hours, and Spock thinks they may not be a geological phenomenon. What's really occurring on Playamar? Could McCoy, Lisa Donald, and Spock be dealing with hostiles who are intentionally causing disaster? The club is relying on its star trio for a solution, and I have to say I like their chances. Would you bet against the future commander and the ship's doctor of the starship Enterprise?
Crisis on Vulcan was sensitively rendered and well-written, especially for a television tie-in novel, and Aftershock is almost as good. McCoy's self-doubt is expressed honestly and eloquently as he pines for the comforts of home. Most kids dream of blasting off into space and exploring uncharted worlds, but how many could ever actually rise to the challenge? Maybe McCoy was meant for a quiet life on Earth. As enticing as Starfleet is, he misses his family. "But he couldn't stop thinking about the lost opportunity to go home. He was frightened by the course he was on, a course that would take him into space, to far-off worlds. Maybe his yearning for home was his heart telling him that he was making a mistake. Maybe he just wanted to see friendly faces and sleep under his old quilt." Doubts of that nature bother most people on the cusp of life-changing decisions. Things aren't ever the same after you take a giant leap like joining Starfleet, and that finality feels frightening and constrictive. But you don't get asked twice to train to join a crew like the USS Enterprise and embark on a legendary space odyssey. It hurts to say goodbye to family and the place you grew up, but something better may wait beyond the farthest horizon your mind can conjure. That's Leonard McCoy's future, Star Trek fans know, and it's worth sacrificing for. The best has not yet begun.
Like Crisis on Vulcan, I'll give Aftershock two and a half stars. The story is basic but has value as literature, for Trekkies or readers who just want a taste of something different. I fall into both categories. Todd Cameron Hamilton's illustrations play an important role, helping us visualize McCoy, Spock, and Kirk as teenagers. I look forward to James Kirk taking center stage in the third book of the Starfleet Academy trilogy. The future Enterprise captain is a bold and talented young man already, and an early adventure with him, Spock, and McCoy is my idea of a fun time. I'll see y'all over at my review for Cadet Kirk.
September 5, 2023
Young McCoy and Spock were awesome to see together. =)
January 25, 2013
"Aftershock" by John Vornholt is the 2nd book in the 1996 Star Trek Starfleet Academy series of novels that charted the earlier escapades of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in the prime Trek Universe. The plot follows McCoy as he ends up doing a form of community service after an unofficial football game with some freshman cadets leads to McCoy and a young cadet named Kirk having an accident with a security shield. McCoy is more or less forced into volunteering for the Disaster Relief Service Club when he teams up with a Vulcan named Spock and a young woman named Lisa. Together they travel to the planet Playamar which has suffered a massive earthquake and attempt to rescue and save the lives of colonists there. Very soon though, Spock begins to suspect that something is not quite right in regards to the earthquake and aftershocks that follow and very soon the team begin to investigate.
As with the previous Starfleet Academy book I read, this novel is heavily geared towards the younger reader with a simple plot that is easy to follow and fairly standard for a Star Trek story. It was still interesting enough for me to enjoy as an adult but it didn’t keep me riveted as some other Star Trek novels have. The aspect of the novel I really enjoyed however was the portrayal of McCoy which Vornholt seems to have captured quite well. His sarcastic and bickering nature is still there for all to see, but there is also an undercurrent of youthful inexperience and insecurity which was interesting to observe.
There are some illustrations throughout the novel created by Todd Cameron Hamilton that didn’t really impress me much. Don’t get me wrong, several of them seemed to capture a young McCoy and Spock quite well but some of them looked didn’t look great. I even asked my wife about one of them and her initial comment was simply that it looked quite poor. However, ultimately these illustrations don’t really affect the enjoyment of the novel and I just started to ignore them as I progressed through the story.
Overall, this is an incredibly quick and easy read that explores a little bit about McCoy’s experiences as a younger man. It probably isn’t complex or deep enough for most adults to thoroughly enjoy but I think it should please any young fan of Star Trek. Therefore, unless you are a Trek novel completionist or you want to try and introduce a child to the world of Trek literature I can’t say there is any real reason you should go out of your way to try and track down this out of print novel.
As with the previous Starfleet Academy book I read, this novel is heavily geared towards the younger reader with a simple plot that is easy to follow and fairly standard for a Star Trek story. It was still interesting enough for me to enjoy as an adult but it didn’t keep me riveted as some other Star Trek novels have. The aspect of the novel I really enjoyed however was the portrayal of McCoy which Vornholt seems to have captured quite well. His sarcastic and bickering nature is still there for all to see, but there is also an undercurrent of youthful inexperience and insecurity which was interesting to observe.
There are some illustrations throughout the novel created by Todd Cameron Hamilton that didn’t really impress me much. Don’t get me wrong, several of them seemed to capture a young McCoy and Spock quite well but some of them looked didn’t look great. I even asked my wife about one of them and her initial comment was simply that it looked quite poor. However, ultimately these illustrations don’t really affect the enjoyment of the novel and I just started to ignore them as I progressed through the story.
Overall, this is an incredibly quick and easy read that explores a little bit about McCoy’s experiences as a younger man. It probably isn’t complex or deep enough for most adults to thoroughly enjoy but I think it should please any young fan of Star Trek. Therefore, unless you are a Trek novel completionist or you want to try and introduce a child to the world of Trek literature I can’t say there is any real reason you should go out of your way to try and track down this out of print novel.
January 17, 2018
Reading this felt like watching an episode. I really really liked it.
This one was a story about Bones (Doctor McCoy), and I loved getting to learn more about him. I also got to learn more about Spock. The first book in this series was about Spock, but these books don't really connect. They stand on their own.
I don't know if this was better than the Spock book (Crisis On Vulcan). They're just really good books if you wanna read about the crew of the Enterprise when they were younger.
I will be buying the rest of the books if I can find them.
This one was a story about Bones (Doctor McCoy), and I loved getting to learn more about him. I also got to learn more about Spock. The first book in this series was about Spock, but these books don't really connect. They stand on their own.
I don't know if this was better than the Spock book (Crisis On Vulcan). They're just really good books if you wanna read about the crew of the Enterprise when they were younger.
I will be buying the rest of the books if I can find them.
November 17, 2017
The author did a great job with Spock and Bones in this one, and it’s nice to see Bones always had an awful time with women.
October 1, 2022
Leonard McCoy just wants to study for his metabolic stasis exam, but his dormmates talk him into a midnight game of touch football. It all goes south from there. After getting caught in a violation of Academy rules, McCoy is pushed to join the Disaster Relief Service Club. And if missing his winter break to train isn't enough, the Club is sent off to Playamar to aid in earthquake relief efforts. Even though he's got a cute girl on his team, the Vulcan kid is kind of annoying.
Recounting some of the Star Trek character's early years, this book spotlights the first meeting between McCoy and Spock - and even brief encounters with an annoying underclassman named Jim Kirk. Most of the characteristics readers are used to are already in place - McCoy has his short temper, Spock has his Vulcan logic, and their relationship has its bumpy moments. Vornholt has some fun with McCoy's dialogue and coming up with some of his great signature phrases. All of the building blocks of their future relationship is here.
This book really focuses on McCoy, and Spock is really just a supporting character here. It's great to get some insight into young McCoy and see what was driving him early, what his thoughts were like and how he might have viewed his future - in Starfleet or elsewhere. Readers definitely get a sense of his dedication to being a healer and helping people in general. While he's not overly thrilled with the heroics of the Disaster Relief club, he does respect the ideals of helping people in need. He shows that many times throughout this book in actions and words.
I feel this is actually a great book for young readers. It exposes them to the idea of giving of themselves to help others. In view of all the hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters that we face each year, this book provides a great first-hand look at what it might be like to be on a team rescuing people and providing aid. It's a worthwhile idea for every young person. Similarly, McCoy's desire to provide medical assistance to injured comrades even at risk of his own safety is a laudable example for young readers. This really could be a book that inspires a kid to become a doctor or first responder. It's not preachy in its presentation, but does provide the framework showing the worthwhile experience these professions can provide.
While it's not ranked among the greatest of all Star Trek novels, this short little book is great for kids just getting into Star Trek, or for fans looking for a deeper dive into the backgrounds of their favorite characters. It's a quick and enjoyable read that anyone can enjoy.
Recounting some of the Star Trek character's early years, this book spotlights the first meeting between McCoy and Spock - and even brief encounters with an annoying underclassman named Jim Kirk. Most of the characteristics readers are used to are already in place - McCoy has his short temper, Spock has his Vulcan logic, and their relationship has its bumpy moments. Vornholt has some fun with McCoy's dialogue and coming up with some of his great signature phrases. All of the building blocks of their future relationship is here.
This book really focuses on McCoy, and Spock is really just a supporting character here. It's great to get some insight into young McCoy and see what was driving him early, what his thoughts were like and how he might have viewed his future - in Starfleet or elsewhere. Readers definitely get a sense of his dedication to being a healer and helping people in general. While he's not overly thrilled with the heroics of the Disaster Relief club, he does respect the ideals of helping people in need. He shows that many times throughout this book in actions and words.
I feel this is actually a great book for young readers. It exposes them to the idea of giving of themselves to help others. In view of all the hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other natural disasters that we face each year, this book provides a great first-hand look at what it might be like to be on a team rescuing people and providing aid. It's a worthwhile idea for every young person. Similarly, McCoy's desire to provide medical assistance to injured comrades even at risk of his own safety is a laudable example for young readers. This really could be a book that inspires a kid to become a doctor or first responder. It's not preachy in its presentation, but does provide the framework showing the worthwhile experience these professions can provide.
While it's not ranked among the greatest of all Star Trek novels, this short little book is great for kids just getting into Star Trek, or for fans looking for a deeper dive into the backgrounds of their favorite characters. It's a quick and enjoyable read that anyone can enjoy.
April 8, 2024
These were a series of books that told the story of Star Trek characters while they were in Starfleet Academy.
I love the cover of this book which depicts McCoy and Spock in the old tunics with turtleneck collars. It even has the non-Delta breast badge. Originally each ship had its own style of insignia.
It also has a Daedalus-class starship.
Before the story starts there is a Star Trek timeline from 1969 to 2372 which appears to be much more accurate than some ‘retconned’ timelines afterwords.
McCoy could see the old Civil War monument in the town square, the Spanish moss hanging from the oaks, and the red clay banks of the lake.
Speaking of retcons. Apparently in the future in Georgia there is a civil war monument that escapes destruction.
It wasn’t an official sport at Starfleet Academy, but it hung around, refusing to die.
And yet football does seem to be out.
So McCoy is a late arrival to Starfleet Academy, a little older than the rest. And after getting caught playing football with an aggressive James Kirk is punished by having to spend spring break at a disaster relief training session. He’s shocked that one of his training sessions will make him go down a very long ladder.
”Do you think there will be a lift or a transporter everywhere you go?”
The Disaster Relief mission is really neat. It shows the Federation being ‘first responders’, something I wish we’d see more of in televised Star Trek. It shows that no matter what your technology, some problems just don’t get solved that easily.
Something to note in this book is some quite good pencil drawings illustrating scenes spread throughout the novel by Todd Cameron Hamilton. They are a nice addition.
Of course, it does make you wonder why you didn’t see more Jetpacks on Star Trek!
Of course, there is also a cadet named Spock on the Disaster Relief mission as well. I really wish there wasn’t though. It would nice to read a ‘young McCoy’ story that was just about him alone.
As it is, there is NOTHING so far to suggest that this could’t have taken place while they were serving on the Enterprise.
One thing that is very cool though is that when they find critically injured people, they give them a ‘locator tag’ so that they can be found and beamed up. I think this makes much more sense than Star Trek usually does with the transporter.
Another neat widget is the ‘pneumotubes’ which is a public transportation system that appears to be similar to those message tubes that used to go through office buildings. I think Futurama also does something like this. I would love to get this going in Los Angeles.
I enjoyed this book a lot even though it is very ‘lightweight’. I especially liked the way that it showed McCoy realizing that his desire to help people will often be in conflict with his duties as a Starfleet Officer.
I’d give this 4 stars and recommend it. And keep it. It’s small and rather unique.
I love the cover of this book which depicts McCoy and Spock in the old tunics with turtleneck collars. It even has the non-Delta breast badge. Originally each ship had its own style of insignia.
It also has a Daedalus-class starship.
Before the story starts there is a Star Trek timeline from 1969 to 2372 which appears to be much more accurate than some ‘retconned’ timelines afterwords.
McCoy could see the old Civil War monument in the town square, the Spanish moss hanging from the oaks, and the red clay banks of the lake.
Speaking of retcons. Apparently in the future in Georgia there is a civil war monument that escapes destruction.
It wasn’t an official sport at Starfleet Academy, but it hung around, refusing to die.
And yet football does seem to be out.
So McCoy is a late arrival to Starfleet Academy, a little older than the rest. And after getting caught playing football with an aggressive James Kirk is punished by having to spend spring break at a disaster relief training session. He’s shocked that one of his training sessions will make him go down a very long ladder.
”Do you think there will be a lift or a transporter everywhere you go?”
The Disaster Relief mission is really neat. It shows the Federation being ‘first responders’, something I wish we’d see more of in televised Star Trek. It shows that no matter what your technology, some problems just don’t get solved that easily.
Something to note in this book is some quite good pencil drawings illustrating scenes spread throughout the novel by Todd Cameron Hamilton. They are a nice addition.
Of course, it does make you wonder why you didn’t see more Jetpacks on Star Trek!
Of course, there is also a cadet named Spock on the Disaster Relief mission as well. I really wish there wasn’t though. It would nice to read a ‘young McCoy’ story that was just about him alone.
As it is, there is NOTHING so far to suggest that this could’t have taken place while they were serving on the Enterprise.
One thing that is very cool though is that when they find critically injured people, they give them a ‘locator tag’ so that they can be found and beamed up. I think this makes much more sense than Star Trek usually does with the transporter.
Another neat widget is the ‘pneumotubes’ which is a public transportation system that appears to be similar to those message tubes that used to go through office buildings. I think Futurama also does something like this. I would love to get this going in Los Angeles.
I enjoyed this book a lot even though it is very ‘lightweight’. I especially liked the way that it showed McCoy realizing that his desire to help people will often be in conflict with his duties as a Starfleet Officer.
I’d give this 4 stars and recommend it. And keep it. It’s small and rather unique.
September 19, 2020
Fantastic! I'm amazed at how much goodness these tiny little books have packed inside. This once was fairly perfect, all the characters were great and the situation was exactly what the doctor ordered!
March 25, 2024
I am reading Star Trek novels according to an online "chronology." This was next. I read it. It is really an effort at a YA Star Trek back in the day. It as fine. It was short, which gave me an easy read for the 2024 challenge.
May 24, 2017
This highly non-canonical entry is strictly for kids.
November 1, 2017
Actually quite decent even though it is meant for a younger audience than me.
Want to read
September 24, 2019Borrowed from: https://b-ok.cc/book/3874157/359f26
June 15, 2022
It's decent my only complaint is that I found McCoy boring in this book.
October 7, 2023
It was okay.
September 26, 2024
Short and sweet. More here: https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpr...
January 22, 2013
Love the Starfleet Academy series and I particularly love John Vornholt's contributions. Aftershock is an adventure featuring a young Leonard McCoy at Starfleet Academy. Although Kirk makes a breif appearance at the beginning of the book most of it focuses on McCoys thoughts about his future in Starfleet and a young Vulcan cadet who drives him crazy. I think I'll follow this one up with Vornholt's other Starfleet Academy book - Capture the Flag, which is one of my top five favorite books of all time!!
September 27, 2016
This book looks at how McCoy adapts to the duties of Starfleet and also his first encounter with Spock. There's plenty of familiar quirks such as his fear of transporters and the start of his bickering with Spock (green-skinned mannequin) but in addition there's his developing confidence in his abilities and conquering his insecurities. Its not hard to see the man he becomes in this story.
May 18, 2015
Didn't really follow McCoy's canonical history, but it was a good YA story.
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