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gunstreet's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tandemjon's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story that fits into TOS world well but lacks depth in the writing. I also found it hard at times to see the characters from the enterprise as themselves from their dialog and felt the background world needed more expansion. I have no idea of what a screenplay looks like but it felt more like I'd imagine that to be.
yournamehere's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
caffeine_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A dystopian novel that was incredibly well that asks the question, "what happens when humans are given unfettered joy?" A cerebral book that looks at the consequences of pure joy with no work and how that affects the human psyche and soul. A worth while and fascinating read.
markk's review
4.0
Of all of the Star Trek novels out there, there are none that I look forward to reading more than the ones by authors who also scripted episodes of the show itself, in no small part because they developed the canon upon which the entire series is based. Though Theodore Sturgeon's novel was developed from a plot outline for the series by another author (the under-appreciated James Gunn), to read a work originating from the writer of "Shore Leave" and the Vulcan-defining classic "Amok Time" was an exciting prospect, especially considering its origins as a proposed episode for the series.
The result proved every bit as good as I thought it would be. In it the Enterprise is dispatched to Timshel, a planet that has quarantined itself off from the rest of the Federation. Beaming down, Captain Kirk finds a population that has turned away from intellectual pursuits to a life structured around laboring daily for a nightly dose of stimulation from the Joy Machine a computer created to provide a life of perfect happiness for the people. As Kirk investigates further, he grapples with the moral questions entailed in ending the Joy Machine's rule, as well as the frightening prospect of falling under the machine's control himself.
Sturgeon and Gunn's plot evokes a lot of the tropes that often recurred in the original series, echoing in particular the first season episode "Return of the Archons" in which a computer's rule established a tranquil population by eliminating individual expression. What sets the novel apart from the episode is the extended exploration of the implications of the Joy Machine's rule. Often this takes the form of dialogues between various characters, as the Enterprise crew argues with both the computer and its subjects, who readily and even eagerly accept the computer's programmed regimen and who raise larger questions about the purpose of human lives in the process. In this respect it evokes the moral and ethical dilemmas posed in some of the best episodes of the show, which are explored in greater depth than was ever possible due to the constraints posed by the format. As such Gunn's novel possesses a fidelity to the original series often lacking in other products of the franchise, while at the same time showing just what fresh possibilities exist by exploring its themes using other media.
The result proved every bit as good as I thought it would be. In it the Enterprise is dispatched to Timshel, a planet that has quarantined itself off from the rest of the Federation. Beaming down, Captain Kirk finds a population that has turned away from intellectual pursuits to a life structured around laboring daily for a nightly dose of stimulation from the Joy Machine a computer created to provide a life of perfect happiness for the people. As Kirk investigates further, he grapples with the moral questions entailed in ending the Joy Machine's rule, as well as the frightening prospect of falling under the machine's control himself.
Sturgeon and Gunn's plot evokes a lot of the tropes that often recurred in the original series, echoing in particular the first season episode "Return of the Archons" in which a computer's rule established a tranquil population by eliminating individual expression. What sets the novel apart from the episode is the extended exploration of the implications of the Joy Machine's rule. Often this takes the form of dialogues between various characters, as the Enterprise crew argues with both the computer and its subjects, who readily and even eagerly accept the computer's programmed regimen and who raise larger questions about the purpose of human lives in the process. In this respect it evokes the moral and ethical dilemmas posed in some of the best episodes of the show, which are explored in greater depth than was ever possible due to the constraints posed by the format. As such Gunn's novel possesses a fidelity to the original series often lacking in other products of the franchise, while at the same time showing just what fresh possibilities exist by exploring its themes using other media.
wai's review
3.0
One of the reasons why I picked up this book was because two of my favorite episodes of TOS were the Theodore Sturgeon episodes ('Shore Leave' and 'Amok Time'). Even though it was written by James Gunn, I thought that perhaps enough was left of Sturgeon's mark to make it worthwhile. After having read the novel, I'm not really certain there was.
The storyline itself is wonderful, in the same vein of many classic TOS episodes; the idea that an intelligent computer was creating such a perfect world for human beings, to the point where humanity loses its drive to learn and to understand. However, the execution was less than perfect. Once hitting about the middle of the book, I personally lost my interest in it; it could've worked really well as an hour-long episode, but as a 200+ page novel, it became slow and rather dull.
Also, the picture on the front showcases the novel perfectly. It quickly becomes a Kirk-centric story, and all other characters fade to the background. Therefore if you only love Kirk, this book is for you. However, my favorite character is Spock, followed closely by both Kirk and McCoy, so I felt a little bit cheated out of Spock and McCoy, as well as the interactions between the three that makes the show so memorable.
Overall, this is a decent book but leaves the reader with the feeling that it could have been done better.
The storyline itself is wonderful, in the same vein of many classic TOS episodes; the idea that an intelligent computer was creating such a perfect world for human beings, to the point where humanity loses its drive to learn and to understand. However, the execution was less than perfect. Once hitting about the middle of the book, I personally lost my interest in it; it could've worked really well as an hour-long episode, but as a 200+ page novel, it became slow and rather dull.
Also, the picture on the front showcases the novel perfectly. It quickly becomes a Kirk-centric story, and all other characters fade to the background. Therefore if you only love Kirk, this book is for you. However, my favorite character is Spock, followed closely by both Kirk and McCoy, so I felt a little bit cheated out of Spock and McCoy, as well as the interactions between the three that makes the show so memorable.
Overall, this is a decent book but leaves the reader with the feeling that it could have been done better.
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