Type Book
Date 1977-01
Pages 183
Tags novelization, science fiction, fiction

Star Trek Log Nine

Star Trek Log

For the first 41 pages, this is an adaptation of the TAS episode Bem. That part is okay, but the story isn't very interesting to begin with, and the adaptation doesn't particularly improve it.

The remaining 142 pages of the book contain an original adventure taking place on Pandro. 'Original' may be a bit of an overstatement, though: an artifact has been stolen by religious fanatics, and Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, plus some Pandronians must trek through some dangerous territory in an attempt to recover it. One of the party turns out to have been responsible for the theft. That's all nearly the same story as The Jihad, which Foster adapted in Star Trek Log Five.

What saves the book is that the adventure story is basically used as an excuse to explore the implications of the Pandronian ability to separate into several parts. Foster asserts that all advanced life on Pandro is thus, constantly separating and combining into new forms, with a minority joining into 'stable' integrations, reproducing through some complicated but unstated means so the next generation also has the same components and so can combine in the same way.

The resolution is predictable: the Tam Paupa turns out to be a living creature also, and Ari bn Bem is chosen as the new leader of Pandro, to the surprise of no one. Still it was interesting enough, though I am pleased that the next book in this series of adaptations is also the last.

Name Role
Alan Dean Foster Author

Relations

Relation Sources
Adapts
  • Bem (1974-09-14)