Written by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens / Cover Illustration by Keith Birdsong
SUMMARY:
Published in 1994 to celebrate the big-screen release of Star Trek: Generations, this 467-page hardcover stars Captains Kirk and Picard in the prime of their own respective eras. While one narrative stream explores Zefram Cochrane’s backstory prior to his disappearance in 2117, Federation is a sequel to two Star Trek: The Original Series episodes: “Metamorphosis,” and, to a much lesser degree, “The City on the Edge of Forever.”
Brief supplemental sequences depict Kirk’s post-Original Series life in both 2270 and 2293 (just days prior to Generations). Allotted approximately the same amount of ‘screen time,’ Jean-Luc Picard’s Enterprise crew appears in 2366, and, briefly, in a post-Generations 2371 epilogue.
In 2267 (a few days after the events of “Journey to Babel”), Captain James T. Kirk’s U.S.S. Enterprise finds out from an weakening Companion that Zefram Cochrane has been forcibly abducted. Cochrane’s past is revealed, as a perpetual enemy is willing to hide for centuries to finally inflict vengeance. While Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy risk their careers to save Cochrane, related events bedevil an unsuspecting Picard’s hijacked Enterprise a century later. Facing a cosmic death trap, two Enterprises must ultimately risk everything to escape.
Note: This title is also available in paperback.
REVIEW:
As ultra-convoluted as Federation becomes, the co-authors do excellent work conveying a Kirk-Picard team-up that could only exist in full-blown literary form. More specifically, the novel recaptures the distinctive dramatic flavors of The Original Series and The Next Generation without short-changing either of them.
With actor Glenn Corbett’s Zefram Cochrane as its focal point, Federation is often a real treat for long-time Trekkers. It’s easy to visualize the actors from The Original Series and The Next Generation tag-teaming this epic storyline, as the co-authors are able to accurately depict the novel’s extensive cast.
Their best scenes include, for instance, a late night sick-bay poker game between McCoy’s less-than-cooperative patients: Kirk, Spock, and Sarek, which is a hoot. Further, the crises later imperiling both crews are duly compelling. Near the end is a throwaway gem re: a private message, which far exceeds Generations’ uninspired screenwriting. The same applies to Kirk’s unexpected return to The Guardian of Forever decades after their prior encounter.
Note: Why Generations didn’t/couldn’t utilize the already-established Guardian of Forever to unite Kirk & Picard on-screen vs. creating its own insipid, one-time-only ‘Nexus’ is evidently an unsolved mystery.
The main detriment here, however, is that casual readers (especially young fans) are likely to be overwhelmed by three parallel narratives that jump around time at intervals. Considering this complex plot is so heavily steeped in Trek continuity, familiarity with both the Original Series and Next Generation is a must. While this ambitious novel isn’t flawless (it’s unnecessarily stilted at various junctures), Federation still delivers an intriguing ‘what-if’ crossover worthy of fan appreciation. Suffice to say, the co-authors conjure up a satisfying epic bridging Star Trek’s two primary eras vs. what the contrived Generations ultimately amounts to.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
The book leads off with a ‘Historian’s Timeline’ between Cochrane’s 2061 space flight to Picard’s Generations adventure in 2371. The co-authors provide an acknowledgements page.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
Note: There’s another excellent Star Trek novel re: The Guardian of Forever. Author Peter David’s first ST: The Next Generation – Imzadi novel — occurring in the past, the present, and a possible far future, its exploration of Will Riker & Deanna Troi’s romance is well-played.
