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Rating:  -
Dave Galanter drops you right into the action, and before the end of the first chapter, the conflict is clear. His style his lean. His story doesn't veer much from the plot points: no humorous character pieces, no overly long exposition, and little technobabble. As a result, it's just a little dull. Galanter captures the voices of the characters well, but his Kirk seems a little too grouchy for my taste.
If pressed, I would say this story is a combination of Spock Must Die!, Spock Messiah!, the TNG episode "Loud as a Whisper", with a pinch of "A Taste of Armageddon." At the end of the day, we've seen all this before. Troublesome Minds a good adventure, just not a great one.
Rating: -
If you are looking for the standard action adventure Trek story, look elsewhere. This novel was more of a study of the Spock character. If your favorite is Spock, and I'm sure there are many, this book will be on your must buy list. Like a computer virus, Spock has a mind meld that affects his personality. It would have made a good season four episode, had the series lasted that long. I have to say it was enjoyable on all levels. All the crew are represented in an accurate manner. Galanter has a good grasp of Spock and all his nuances. I was impressed with the fact that while reading it was much like a good two part episode!
Rating:  -
When the Enterprise rescues a ship from near destruction, they bring on board the mysterious Belis. Part of an alien race, Belis has the ability to project his thoughts and will upon people--and that includes Spock.
By saving Belis, Kirk and company may have inadvertently started a war between two neighboring planets. Belis was sentenced to death as part of a peace agreement between the two people. But when Belis is returned, he begins to take over the will of the people slowly as the other side escalates toward full-scale war.
Added to the dilemma is that Spock may or may not be under the influence of Belis.
The dilemma of what to do about Belis and how the Prime Directive applies to the situation makes for the kind of moral quandary novel that "Star Trek" does so well. The ethical considerations for Kirk of whether or not the greater good needs to be served over the rights of an individual is a fascinating dilemma.
That said, a solution to the problem comes out of left field a bit, thus negating some of the ethical dilemma and giving our heroes an easy way out.
Rating: -
Set in the original series time period, this is a nice little surprise. Good characterizations of the crew, especially Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, populate this moral dilemma tale. There is also a good bit of action and an ending maybe not expected. This operates outside of the current crop of serialized Trek literature and because of this, brings a fresh and inspired stand alone tale to light. Highly recommended!
Rating:  -
If you've been reading Trek novels for the last forty years or so, you'll be quite pleased by Dave Galanter's "Troublesome Minds." It easily holds its own when compared to the best Trek from days gone by. I was reminded of the quality of "Yesterday's Son" and the interesting philosophical quandary of "City on the Edge of Forever." I'm confident that this work stands with those two, and others, as an experience that Trek fans of any age will embrace.
"Troublesome Minds" introduces new aliens and a new theory of communication through the Isitra, aliens who communicate with each other solely through telepathy. Mr. Galanter excellently explores the consequences of such a race, and what happens when a mind emerges that is stronger than all the others.
This book will challenge the reader to go back to The Original Series and its tie-ins to discover little bits of trivia embedded within, but I believe that a fairly casual reader will get a lot of enjoyment as well. It also builds a bridge between the original series era and the motion picture era, providing motivation for all the main characters' journeys as shown in the beginning of the film.
I was absolutely blown away by the ending. It turned my expectations upside down. I don't want to reveal anything, but be prepared.
Congratulations to Mr. Galanter for an excellent effort... this book serves as his entry to the elite of Trek authors.
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