Duty, Honor, Redemption

Title: Star Trek: Duty, Honor, Redemption
Author: Vonda N. McIntyre
Release Date: October 2004
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0-7434-9660-4

The new Signature Edition omnibus edition Duty, Honor, Redemption includes the novelizations of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, by Vonda N. McIntyre. In his introduction Terry J. Erdmann reminds readers that according to Harve Bennett, the film's producer and co-writer, "I've always looked at the movies as a three-act play." If you've never read these three novels, or if like myself you read them back in the 1980's when they were originally published, collected together as they are in Duty, Honor, Redemption is the ideal way to enjoy them.

Novelizations are based on early drafts of the script and often contain scenes that were either dropped or that ended up on the cutting room floor. Consequently they provide more extensive character development and details that can't be included in a typical feature length film. That is especially evident in the novelizations of The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home and the main reason they are must-reads for fans.

A highly skilled storyteller, Vonda McIntyre was the perfect choice to pen these three books. Her ability to expand upon the screenplay adds depth to the characters by touching on events not seen onscreen including; Saavik's half-Romulan heritage and her relationship with Spock, details about the relationship between James Kirk and Carol Marcus, Scotty's family and his background, Sulu's promotion to captain, the development of a romantic relationship between Saavik and David Marcus and an explanation of the alien probe's motives and relationship to the whales. McIntyre's additions greatly enhance the overall story. Each story seamlessly flows into the next as the consequences of the events in ‘act one' ripple through act's two and three.

The only disappointing aspect of this edition is that Duty, Honor, Redemption does not contain an interview with the author. Last year's Signature Edition volumes contained extensive new interviews with each of the collected authors as well as a replicated autograph on the title page from each writer, but that is not the case with this year's editions. Instead, this years editions contain a new introduction by Terry J. Erdmann, which, while enjoyable, doesn't provide the same kind of insight that an interview does.

Reading Duty, Honor, Redemption is like visiting old friends you haven't seen in a while and being reminded of why you enjoyed their company so much. I'm so glad I took the time to get reacquainted.

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