Star Trek Reads discussion

Enterprise: By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch is the second of the Star Trek: Enterprise books (so early was it published, it doesn’t fall into the Star Trek titling yet). The crew of the NX-01 are out exploring, when they come across their first planet with sentient life, not yet discovered by the Vulcans. The species is just warp capable, and even though T’Pol urges caution, Captain Archer decides to make first contact. It gets bungled through a misunderstanding, but it leads to the discovery of a second species on the planet.

All in all I enjoyed this book. It was easier than other Trek books I’ve read lately. The plot wasn’t overly complicated, but it was still a fun read. I also liked the fact that it was more lighthearted than some of the Trek books I’ve read lately, one that deals with the optimism and hope of early Starfleet. Could be why Enterprise was my favourite series.

About every second chapter surrounds some of the crew in the mess hall, trying to find something to pass the time. I like the fact that entertainment was something not thought of for the mission, and so the crew have to come up with their own ways to keep busy. This one group starts up an old fashioned (for the time period) pen and paper Role Play Game. Though it doesn’t contribute to the overall of the story, it’s a neat insight into the off hours of the crew – particularly in a time before holodecks.

The most difficult thing with this book was that the last Enterprise book I read was The Good That Men Do. It was hard to forget a lot of the development that the characters have gone through between By the Book and Good That Men Do (not to mention what happened in the shows). In this one, the characters are still fresh faced and naïve to what they might find in space. That said, it was fun to go back to the beginning of Enterprise, and has made me want to have an Enterprise marathon.

I agree with you. An easy, entertaining read. I read it in the spring and, to be honest, I have trouble recalling much about it:( Not a bad book, I liked it in fact- just not very "outstanding".