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Captain Kirk needs to purge some demons. It’s been a year since his arch nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, detonated the Genesis torpedo, and Spock has been fully brought back from the dead. But something Khan said during their encounter has been nagging at Kirk’s mind, and he is determined to return to Ceti Alpha V to discover the roots of Khan’s obsession with Kirk’s destruction.
Together with trusted companions Spock and Dr. McCoy, Kirk locates Khan’s former lair and discovers a treasure trove of historical information. He also learns (the hard way) that Khan did not take everyone with him when he hijacked the USS Reliant a year earlier. Apparently, even a race of superhumans have difficulties with the basics of society.
This is a very creative telling of what happened after the events chronicled in Space Seed; the book explores further the personality and descent into madness of genetic superhuman Khan Noonien Singh. In addition to learning more about Lieutenant Marla McGivers, fans of the original series will enjoy some fun wordplays in the dialogue throughout the story.
However, other than an engaging account of a dang fine villain, there really isn’t much else here. The drama of Kirk & Co. dealing with the castaways is very light, and there are no genuine surprises to make this more enthralling. Honestly, The Corbomite Maneuver was a terrific episode; can it not rest in peace?
Rated: Mild. Slightly more than a dozen instances of mildly profane terms.
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