star trek inception

The novel features the relationships between James T. Kirk and Carol Marcus , and Spock and Leila Kalomi , and is set prior to the five-year mission .

• 2.1 Cover gallery
• 3 Characters
• 4 External link

Summary [ ]

Background information [ ].

• Inception was the first collaborative effort between Perry and Dennison (although their contributions to the Star Trek: Terok Nor series were published earlier).
• The novel was originally commissioned and written during the early stages of production on the Kelvin timeline Star Trek , which led to the manuscript being set aside until it was determined whether the film would affect the timeline. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 150 )
• The novel was formally announced – with Perry as sole author at the time – at the Shore Leave convention on 10 July 2009 .
• An extract from the novel appeared in Star Trek Magazine  issue 150 .

Cover gallery [ ]

Characters [ ]

• Carol Marcus – head of the Inception project
• John "J.C." Carington – Molecular Biologist
• Tamara Irwin – Particle Physicist
• Richard Dachmes – Statistician and Systems Programmer
• Leila Kalomi – Botanist
• Ben "Mac" MacCready – Particle Physicist
• Alison Simhbib – Geologist
• Thadeus Kent – leader of Redpeace
• Karen Dupree – biologist
• Preston Sadler – lawyer
• Alvin Repperton – head of Kraden
• Aaron Thiel
• Captain Olin
• Commander James T. Kirk
• Ensign Emily Rushe – Sciences division
• Ensign Tom Christianson – Security officer
• Captain Christopher Pike
• Lieutenant Commander Spock
• Yeoman J.M. Colt
• Chief medical officer Philip Boyce
• Lieutenant Young – Chief engineering officer
• Lieutenant Grathe – Science officer
• Josh Swanson
• Jessica Kent – Thadeus Kent's deceased wife
• Adam – Leila Kalomi's ex-boyfriend
• Paul Marshall
• Dr. Bernard Ellroy – a Federation astrobiologist
• Sarah Roth – member of Federation Science Council
• Lieutenant Almanza – Starfleet engineer
• Ben Yothers – Starfleet Intelligence
• Captain Garrovick
• Sharon – lab technician that Gary Mitchell set Kirk up with at Starfleet Academy
• Ruth – one of Kirk's girlfriends his senior year
• Janice Lester
• Alan Scots – discovered nitrilin
• Professor Bonner

External link [ ]

• Inception at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

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• 1 Publisher's description
• 3.1 Characters
• 3.2 Locations
• 3.3 Starships and vehicles
• 3.4 Races and cultures
• 3.5 States and organizations
• 3.6 Science and technology
• 3.7 Ranks and titles
• 3.8 Other references
• 4.1 Related stories
• 4.2 Timeline
• 4.3 External link

Publisher's description [ ]

Summary [ ], references [ ], characters [ ], locations [ ], starships and vehicles [ ], races and cultures [ ], states and organizations [ ], science and technology [ ], ranks and titles [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], related stories [ ].

• " This Side of Paradise "
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Timeline [ ]

External link [ ].

• Inception article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Achilles class
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Odyssey class

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Library Computer: Review “Star Trek Inception”

| February 23, 2010 | By: Robert Lyons 34 comments so far

REVIEW – Star Trek Inception written by S.D. Perry & Britta Dennison Mass-market Paperback, 320 pages

SPOILERS BELOW

At the same time, Dr. Marcus and one of her team members, Leila Kalomi, are dealing with very personal decisions as they look at both the present state of their lives and their futures. Their decisions surround love, and are focused squarely on James Kirk and Spock.

There you have the basic setup for “Inception”, and, frankly, that’s about all you need.

Star Trek fans have long been curious about Jim Kirk’s relationship with Carol Marcus, and a few of those questions are answered by Perry and Dennison, but on the whole, “Inception” comes across as a morality play on environmental issues (which isn’t bad in-and-of-itself) using Star Trek characters to provide an audience. Nothing about the storyline feels particularly original, and both Kirk and Spock feel enormously underused; especially considering the prominence with which they are displayed on the book’s cover.

Little about the Kalomi/Spock arc seems to fully explain the feelings of the botanist when Spock will again encounter her in the TOS episode "This Side of Paradise." Kalomi essentially comes across as being ‘on the rebound’, and horribly desperate. Marcus, on the other hand, is handled far more thoughtfully – presenting her with some real dilemmas to address with regard to her relationship with Kirk, but ultimately her arc is cut far short, and ends unsatisfactorily.

Other than the promise of food for all, little about Project Inception seems noteworthy, not even the potential side-effects of a failure. It has obvious ties to Marcus’ later Project Genesis, and while the environmental activists of Redpeace and the Whole Earth organizations are busy talking up the potential disastrous side-effects of Inception, there is no grand wonder and terror inspired by the work, unlike its later successor.

Ultimately, “Inception” fails on nearly every level. The narrative suffers from a rushed feeling, the storyline is terribly un-engaging, and one would enjoy a more compelling story surrounding environmental concerns and conservation by watching a few episodes of “Whale Wars”.

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COMING NEXT: Lots of Trek books over the next month

There is a lot more Star Trek reading coming to your book store in the coming weeks. Due out this week is the mass market reprint of Peter David’s 2009 novel " Star Trek New Frontier: Treason ". And in March Pocket Books has the " Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins " trade paperback collection of novellas exploring different Trek races, using the classic seven deadly sins as a framing structure. Later in March comes " Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many " , the ‘oral history’ as told to Jake Sisko (via Michael A. Martin) set in the universe of the new massive multiplayer game. And also coming in March is Margaret Wander Bonanno’s " Star Trek: Unspoken Truth ", a TOS movie era novel focusing on Saavik.

This is interesting. We have here one of the few mentions of corporate involvement of sorts in the affairs of the Federation. (This is not to say that the Federation is devoid of corporations, but only that mention of corporations is sparse in Trekdom.)

The effect of Avatar, perhaps? (Avatar’s main villain is ultimately the employee of a corporation and arguably the corporation itself.)

#1 “The effect of Avatar, perhaps? (Avatar’s main villain is ultimately the employee of a corporation and arguably the corporation itself.)”

I would agree with the argument that, in Avatar, the corporation is the villain, with Quaritch simply representing his employers.

I would doubt, however, that there’s any kind of “Avatar Effect” manifesting this early in “Inception,” unless these novels are proposed, tentatively approved, outlined, greenlighted, drafted, edited, re-drafted, finished, proofed, laid out and published _far_ more rapidly than I’d want to believe :(

On the other hand, maybe it’s been laying in a drawer for two years and the Avatar Effect is an editor remembering it and saying “maybe now’s the time …” :)

^ No, it really isn’t. This book’s content would have been finalized months before Avatar opened.

Sounds a lot like Avatar or Alien with corporations running things behind the scenes..with a secret agenda….like Paxton in Terra Prime…not the anti alien side…just the business side…or Weyland Yutani in the Alien movies…

I loved the cover but thats it. Nothing exciting. poor Leila. She comes off as a lovesick puppy. I’m only 2/3rds through it but i can’t get into it enogh to finish it. Think I’ll just skim it to see how Carol tells Kirk about the baby!

Interesting comments, S. John Ross. It’s nice to talk to someone who obviously enjoys Trek and is knowledgeable about other cultural phenoms, as well.

I think we live in interesting times, as far as SF. It seems to be experiencing a mini-Renaissance, although a question may be raised concerning the quality.

I’ve always wanted to read more Trek lit but, sadly, do not have the time. I’m almost sure I could find some connections between Trek novels and other things that could be fodder for some great discussions.

How is it S.D. Perry keeps getting Star Trek commissions? I’ve yet to come upon one of her books that was any good. Carol Marcus isn’t an uninteresting character–it’s a shame her story was taken up so poorly–and if anyone is interested in her, I’d recommend the Vanguard series.

Tell us what you really think, Robert. :)

I don’t look forward to this one though. Leila Kalomi was a competent biologist, yet under the influence of the spores. She wasn’t a sucker for Spock, he was a logical interest: and he was half-human after all. I would have prefered to see Leila as a character meeting Spock on Vulcan. Amanda Grayson was a librarian, Sarek a diplomat and Science Academy fellow: it wouldn’t have been so crazy to have Leila studying at the VSA, would it? And Amanda encouraging them? Alas.

Carol should be someone Kirk met during command training (or in the alt universe, during his academy training). McCoy and Mitchell clearly would be involved, as McCoy knows the old wound well, and deranged-mind-state-Mitchell kids insensitively about “that little blonde lab tech”. Both clues for when this story should have happened.

I don’t understand the story assignment here. These stories should have gone to someone like garamet, or Dayton Ward, or Peter David… it should have had an expert on Trek and characterizations. Sounds like from your review, Robert, that’s it’s more of a paint-by-numbers book.

I can’t bear the thought of reading the character Jill Ireland brought to life as lovesick recently-dumped puppy. That’s pathetic.

And it dishonors the memory of two great actresses, both sadly struck down in their prime by the same disease… breast cancer.

The Mars-ecology plot sounds much more inspired by Kim Stanley Robinson than Avatar

If they got all up in arms about Dr Marcus’ attempts to grow plants in regolith, they would have crapped themselves when they saw the Genesis proposal.

Still, aside from a “take only pictures and leave only footprints” mentality, what moral imperative is there to preserve a dead ecosystem? Also, I think it’s pretty well established in Trek lore that Mars had been colonized quite early on. I’m sure they were growing their food under a dome for decades by that time and Marcus’ experiment would simply allow them to use native soil as opposed to bringing in fill dirt.

From what I’ve read, the issue is not so much the soil nutrition, but the other aspects of the Martian environment, namely extreme cold, drought, and low atmospheric pressure that are the real hurdles to Martian cultivation. However, scientists at the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts are currently crafting a plant to exist in this environment by combining a gene from an extreme-tolerant microbe called P. furiosus and a small, fast growing plant called arabidopsis.

To me this sounds like a Harlequin romance “bodice-ripper” disguised as a Star Trek book – probably a side-effect of the last movie’s crossover success with women.

Anyone know where I can locate a Star Trek novel database? I am looking for all the TOS era novels.

Here is a link to The Complete Starfleet Library Database of TOS era books. This includes novels, short story anthologies and other Star Trek fiction as well as non-fiction Star Trek books.

http://www.well.com/~sjroby/lcars/tosindex.html

The site also catalogs all of the other series books also. Go to the main page and you can find almost anything you want by year, title, series, etc.

Both women on th cover are dead. Died of the same cancer I believe. Shame.

Why did they feel the need to kill Kirks son in STTSFS?

@15, because the writer, Harve Bennett, set up a scenario on Genesis in which there were three characters – Spock, Saavik, and David Marcus – who the Klingons were threatening to kill, and he thought it was a cheat to the audience to not follow through on the jeopardy he’d set up and kill one of them. Of the three, David Marcus was deemed most expendable. Spock couldn’t die again since the movie was called “The Search for Spock” and, at the time, Saavik was perceived as having more potential to “the franchise’ going forward (which turned out not to be the case), so David got whacked and Shatner got to emote.

Pity about the cover. Remember when they actually had paintings for the book covers?

“as told to Jake Sisko (via Michael A. Martin)”

“as told by ‘Jake Sisko’ (to Michael A. Martin)” or: “by ‘Jake Sisko’ (as told to Michael A. Martin)”

If it is indeed yourself ;) just wanted to say thanks & excellent work on your Trek work both in print and on DS9…

With regard to Inception, it’s an interesting concept for a book and S.D Perry is usually pretty reliable for a good read so the review leaves me in two minds whether to pick this up now.

I am looking forward to reading this novel I realy enjoyed their richness in carcter but carol was the blonde tech Gary set Kirk up with. I did wonder. At 1st I thought it was Ruth “shoreleave” but may I make a suestion. It would be great to sell the books and proceeds benefit. Breast Cancor reserch in memory of of these wonderful women who’s live were robbed by this horrific disease. May I suggest the Susan Colhman reast cancor fund.

Also thank you for that website on all trek novels TOS in particular. I lost several of these books on my many moves around the country. Great guide.

Wow, David Mack is here?

Awesome, AWESOME job on Vanguard, Mr. Mack. I’m in the middle of Precipice right now and it keeps causing me to stay up too late.

I’m about halfway through the book and I’m enjoying it so far. I’ve certainly read worse Trek novels.

I will def give “Inception” a try. SD Perry did an excellent job with the DS9 novel “Rising Son”. It was a much better read than I expected.

However my top faves still remain, those being Peter David, David Mack, Dayton Ward, Keith RA DeCandido, and the team of Magels/Martin.

While there are some good Trek authors out there, the best books seem to be those penned by the authors I listed IMHO.

#24 :: Hey, you stole my favourites. (Nah I kid.) But I would add Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens to that list. They write those “to heck with canon!” books that completely defy all that we know about Star Trek, but they’re just so gosh darn entertaining. Hehehe.

I want to read “Needs of the Many” so badly. I neeeeeeeeeeed it. 83 And Inception, because I have been and always will be a Spock/Leila Kalomi fan. Sue. Me. I dare you!

I haven’t read any novels in years, but I might pick up the “Seven Deadly Sins” book though.

But I really hope Pocket Books reconsider their position on non-fiction Trek books, like an updated encyclopedia, a second volume of “Ships of The Line” and maybe another technical manual. But Pocket Books claim they can’t make money and so its only novels. And they may end up cutting back on those with the focus being solely on TOS and TNG.

Anthony, which novels have you read and which are your favorites? And did you ever read the “Nitpicker’s Guide(s) For (TOS),(TNG)(DS9) Trekkers”?

You really should give some of the newer TrekLit a chance, seriously.

I’m currently reading Klingon Empire: A Burning House by Keith R A DeCandido and it is excellent. It totally shows you different aspects of life in the empire from different characters viewpoints. This is from both characters you have seen on screen and those that exist soley in TrekLit.

A lot of the recent novels “force” you to go back and revisit episodes so you can get maximum enjoyment out of the reading experience.

Trust me, you will immensely enjoy going through your DVDs and watching episodes again that are tied to the novels. The current book I am reading made me go back and watch TNG :Birthright and DS9: Sons of Mogh and it was a lot of fun doing so.

I have read quite a few trek novels, and listened to all of the audiobooks, but i am not caught up on the books from the last decade, except the shatner/reeves-stevens books, Destiny a few of the ‘time for’ books, some of the DS9 relaunch. Too hard to pick favorites but all the reevesstevens books are a good place to start. Peter Davids Imzadi books, Strangers from the sky, i dunno thats all i got off top of head

RE: Nitpick guides Pointless

So the book where Kirk knocks up Carol is called “Inception”? Heh. Cute.

@24, 25: Great author picks! You should also check out anything by the two Dianes: Carey and Duane.

Diane Carey is a must-read for anyone who even slightly likes Kirk; she absolutely gets him. She also gives her books this cool nautical feel to them (I read somewhere that she’s actually worked on sailing ships).

I could wate paragraphs fanboy-ing about Diane Duane, but suffice it to say that her books could make a Vulcan laugh, and wring tears out of a Horta. ;)

Nice cover.

“Redpeace”?? Is that serious?

I’m a couple chapters into this and right now, yeah, this doesn’t really feel like a Star Trek novel.

I think a more interesting plot would be trying to get to the bottom of why Carol Marcus always wants to take on these ultra-quick terraforming projects that always seem poised for disaster.

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Star Trek: The Original Series: Inception Mass Market Paperback – 1 Mar. 2010

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• Part of series Star Trek: The Original
• Print length 320 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pocket Books/Star Trek
• Publication date 1 Mar. 2010
• Dimensions 10.64 x 1.78 x 17.15 cm
• ISBN-10 0743482506
• ISBN-13 978-0743482509
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pocket Books/Star Trek (1 Mar. 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743482506
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743482509
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.64 x 1.78 x 17.15 cm
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About the author

S. d. perry.

Stephani Danelle Perry lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children. She writes horror/sci-fi/fantasy multi-media novelizations and tie-ins for love and money, dabbling in the universes of Star Trek, Aliens, AvP, and Resident Evil, among others. The Summer Man is her first original thriller.

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Thursday, April 21, 2011

As man expands beyond explored space, the need to find a way to make inhospitable planets hospitable grows greater.  One young biologist, Carol Marcus, has a project she is convinced can reshape planets.  She puts together a team of young, committed scientists who dare to dream as she does: of a Federation remade so hunger is eradicated, where every world can be reshaped into a paradise.  The belief that all things are possible, that man can strive to conquer space not with force but with science, is shared by James Kirk, a young starfleet officer and her lover.

Leila Kalomi, a renowned botanist, is looking for a new direction.  After hearing about Marcus's project, she applies for a position.  She finds Carol's passion contagious, and a chance encounter with the Enterprise 's science officer, Spock, convinces her to join Project: Inception.

Four people just trying to find the balance between their careers and their personal lives, trying to make the right choice not just for themselves but for the betterment of all mankind.  The choices they make will rewrite the history of the Federation and change forever how man explores space.

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• Publisher: Insight Editions (August 17, 2010)
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As man expands beyond explored space, the need to find a way to make inhospitable planets habitable grows greater. One young biologist, Carol Marcus, has a project that she believes can reshape planets. A young committed scientist, she dares to dream of a Federation where there is never any hunger and every world is a paradise. Her dream is shared by James Kirk, a young Starfleet officer and her lover. One of Carol’s more enthusiastic team members is botanist Leila Kalomi. Leila finds Carol’s passion contagious, and sparks the interest of the Enterprise’s science officer, Spock, who convinces her to join Project: Inception.

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Christopher Nolan’s Inception is among the most influential sci-fi movies of its time, and it features a hugely talented cast of actors that expertly bring the film’s narrative to life. The story takes place in a dystopian future, where ‘extractors’ have the ability to enter their target’s mind and retrieve important information at the wish of their clients. Inception follows two of these extractors as they journey deep into their target’s subconscious, gradually falling further and further into their dreams until they’re putting their own existence on the line. It’s a thrilling adventure from start to finish, and it practically reinvented the sci-fi genre using its complex filmmaking techniques.

Nolan’s bold storytelling is a highlight of Inception , and it’s through his complex characters that he really allows the story to shine. Despite being one of Christopher Nolan’s most confusing movies , Inception was incredibly successful and grew to be widely beloved by audiences all over the world. Not only was the film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in 2011, but it has also long maintained its #14 position on IMDb’s Top 250 Movies of All Time list. It wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful without this talented cast of actors in front of the camera, as everybody brings something unique and different to their role.

RELATED: Why Christopher Nolan Hasn't Made Any Movie Sequels (Besides Batman)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Dominic Cobb

Cobb is the protagonist of Inception , and it’s from his perspective that the majority of the narrative unfolds. He’s one of two extractors that lead the film’s central operation, specially selected for the job thanks to his impressive espionage skills. Widely considered among the best actors in film history , DiCaprio is the most recognizable name in Inception ’s cast, and he carries many of the film’s emotional beats on his back. His other works include James Cameron’s Titanic , Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street , and his Oscar-winning project The Revenant .

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur

Arthur is the second of Inception ’s two extractors, but his role in the operation is much more focused on the behind-the-scenes planning. He’s quieter than Dom, but his levels of intelligence and strategy are just as impressive when they need to be. Gordon-Levitt brings a much-needed sense of humanity that grounds the film when its sci-fi concepts threaten to lean too far into the absurd, and it’s impossible to imagine any other actor doing that so effectively. His previous projects include romantic comedies 10 Things I Hate About You and (500) Days Of Summer .

Elliot Page as Ariadne

Ariadne is one of Elliot Page’s greatest roles , playing an integral part in the story and serving an invaluable purpose for Cobb on his mission. She joins Cobb’s team as the architectural planner, working in the lab to devise the most effective methods of navigating these complex dreamspaces. The character also serves to teach the audience about the film’s many complex ideas, which makes her an immensely useful tool for the narrative. She’s played by Elliot Page, whose performance is hugely entertaining and really adds some humor to the story. His other works include Juno , Flatliners , and Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy .

Tom Hardy as Eames

Eames is another hugely important member of Cobb’s extraction squad, providing the team with his expert knowledge of forgery and identity theft. He allows the group to effectively navigate the dream worlds without being detected, which makes Cobb’s and Arthur’s job much easier. Hardy brings a great energy to the character as Eames’ role in Cobb’s team is crucial and he knows it. It really sets him apart (both morally and physically) from his associates in a fascinating way. He’s also known for his work in Mad Max: Fury Road , Locke , and Sony’s Venom franchise.

RELATED: What Happened To The First Architect In Inception

Ken Watanabe as Mr. Saito

Mr. Saito is the employer of Cobb’s team and the wealthy businessman who’s benefitting from the entire operation. He doesn’t play a huge role in the actual journey of the central characters, but he’s constantly in the shadows and Watanabe ensures that his presence is constantly felt. His character perfectly raises the stakes of the film, putting an actual face to the mysterious force that’s brought all these talented individuals together. It was Watanabe’s first English-language role based in a contemporary setting, and he couldn’t have captured the intensity of this character more effectively. He’s also known for his works in The Last Samurai and Godzilla .

Cillian Murphy as Robert Michael Fischer

Cillian Murphy’s sci-fi movies peaked with Inception, where he played the wealthy heir to a business tycoon, Robert Michael Fischer. He was the target of Cobb’s entire operation, which aimed to extract crucial information from his memories and bring him down for good. Murphy gave a brilliant performance as this immature millionaire, really playing with the ideas of petulance and impatience to make his character as annoying and frustrating as possible. Murphy is best known for playing the lead role in TV’s Peaky Blinders , but he’s also been involved in several popular movies, such as 28 Days Later and Nolan’s own Batman Begins .

Marion Cotillard as Mal Cobb

Although she doesn’t have much time on-screen in Inception , Marion Cotillard’s character Mal is a hugely important aspect of the story. After marrying Cobb many years ago, she sadly took her own life, which caused her husband to suffer a severe breakdown of guilt. There are several exciting fan theories about her character in Inception , but she mostly serves as a manifestation of Cobb’s guilt and shame regarding his own involvement in her death. She’s a tragic character, but she’s necessary to understand Cobb’s own intentions and ideologies. Cotillard has also worked on several other successful movies, such as Annette and La Vie en Rose.

Michael Caine as Professor Stephen Miles

Professor Miles is another character that acts mostly from the shadows in Inception , serving as both Cobb’s personal mentor and Ariadne’s educational tutor. He’s the one that initially brings the pair together, recommending Ariadne for the job and giving Cobb all the advice that he’ll later use to execute the operation so effectively. Nolan and Caine have collaborated several times , and while his appearances are rarely more than a cameo, his role in Inception definitely adds a lot to the story; he humanizes Cobb in a way that few other characters can. Caine has also shared his talents in The Italian Job and The Dark Knight .

RELATED: Why Christopher Nolan Avoids Using CGI So Much

Inception’s Supporting Cast & Characters

Dileep Rao as Yusuf - Yusuf is a complicated character in Inception , and while he only appears in a couple of scenes, his actions are hugely important. He’s a chemist that provides Cobb with all the materials and elements necessary to bring the technical side of his plan together.

Tom Berenger as Peter Browning - Browning is one of several executives at Robert Fischer’s company, which finds itself the target of Cobb’s complex attack. He’s Robert’s uncle, though their relationship is always presented as more paternal. Inception might be a confusing movie , but his relationship with Fischer explains much of the complicated plot.

Pete Postlethwaite as Maurice Fischer - Maurice Fischer is the father of Cillian Murphy’s Robert Fischer - and currently the owner of the Fischer company. Inception sees him during his last days of life, as Robert prepares to take the company from him. This relationship really helps establish Robert as a character and an antagonist.

MORE: Inception 2 Still Needs To Happen (But Not With Nolan And DiCaprio)

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“Star Trek: Inception” — A Slice of SciFi Review

February 10, 2010 By Michael Hickerson 1 Comment

“Star Trek: Inception” by S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages Published: January  2010

Slice of SciFi Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Purchase a copy of “Star Trek: Inception.” thru Amazon

To most “Trek” readers, Peter David’s “Imzadi” is held up as the gold standard for filling in the details of a previous romance–in this case, giving us the history of Riker and Troi before they met again on the bridge of the starship Enterprise.

Then there’s the latest entry in the “Trek” fiction line, “Inception” that wants to give us a bit of insight into the romance between Captain James T. Kirk and Carol Marcus as well as that of Spock and Leila Calomi before the original series begin.  A novel that concentrated on one or the other might have worked better, but the usually reliable S.D. Perry and new writer Britta Dennison instead bring both romantic pairings together in such a way that strains the willing suspension of disbelief and, as a whole, drags down the story.

It also doesn’t help that most fans know how these things will end and the authors don’t offer any new insight or character nuances to help keep the story moving along.

Coming off a bad break-up, Leila joins Carol Marcus’ scientific team that is looking to use a revolutionary and controversial element to help terraform part of Mars.   A group of protesters seeks to stand in the way of the development, leading to a lot of passages that get bogged down in a debate over the merit of scientific progress and how it’s achieved with Kirk offering the Starfleet party line and the group’s leader opposing him.  The story does try to offer a motivation for the leader, but since he’s a relative new comer to the “Trek” universe it’s hard to really emphasize as much with him as we might or the authors want us to.

Into all this, we discover that Carol and Kirk are in the midst of their romance and that Leila meets Spock and falls hopelessly in love with him.

What could have been a fascinating exploration of two influential women in the lives of two of the most popular characters in the “Trek” canon instead is nothing more than a lot of relationship angst for pages on end.  Carol worries about how to tell Kirk her big news and how he’ll react while Leila pines for the emotionally unavailable Spock.

In many ways, the concept behind “Inception” is an interesting one, but as I read the novel I kept thinking it might have worked better as a short story. Weight in at just over 300 pages, the novel is fairly lightweight both in page count and in storyline.  The story is a fascinating experiment but one that, unfortunately, comes up short.

About Michael Hickerson

Michael was a contributor to Slice of SciFi, as both a news curator and assistant editor, under the tutelage of former News Director Sam Sloan.

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February 11, 2010 at 3:55 pm

I reviewed this novel for Fancentral a couple days ago…and while I agree the story lacked depth, I have to disagree that it fell ‘short’ entirely. I rather enjoyed it and felt it was worth my time to read (sadly, most Trek novels DO come up short….WAY SHORT).

Yes…..it is a little ‘too coincidental that Leila and Carol intersect in their involvements with Kirk and Spock, but hey….it’s a small universe (tongue in cheek). The most glaring error, in my opinion is that the novel is guilty of gently brushing the surface where it could have gone much deeper and more complete into this bit of Trek history. The lack of depth and the abrupt ending (that really didn’t ‘feel’ like an ending at all, more like a rush to make it to the press on time) were my only real gripes about this book.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read that kept me wanting to know more until the very end….albeit the fact that I didn’t get that climactic ‘more’ I was looking for.

On a scale from 1 – 10, I would give it a shaky 7, but in the world of trek fiction…that’s a fairly positive number.

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Star Trek: The Original Series: Inception Kindle Edition

• Part of series Star Trek: The Original
• Print length 324 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Pocket Books/Star Trek
• Publication date Jan. 12 2010
• File size 1582 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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About the author, product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0033DDIZK
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pocket Books/Star Trek (Jan. 12 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1582 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
• #299 in Star Trek
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• #1,857 in Genetic Engineering Science Fiction eBooks

About the author

Stephani Danelle Perry lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children. She writes horror/sci-fi/fantasy multi-media novelizations and tie-ins for love and money, dabbling in the universes of Star Trek, Aliens, AvP, and Resident Evil, among others. The Summer Man is her first original thriller.

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• Star Trek: Inception

As man expands beyond explored space, the need to find a way to make inhospitable planets hospitable grows greater. One young biologist, Carol Marcus, has a project that she is convinced can reshape planets. She puts together a team of young, committed scientists who dare to dream as she does: of a Federation remade so hunger is eradicated, where every world can be reshaped into a paradise. The belief that all things are possible, that man can strive to conquer space not with force but with science, is shared by James Kirk, a young Starfleet officer and her lover.

Leila Kalomi, a renowned botanist, is looking for a new direction. After hearing about Marcus's project, she applies for a position. She finds Carol's passion contagious, and a chance encounter with the Enterprise 's science officer, Spock, convinces her to join Project: Inception.

Four people just trying to find the balance between their careers and their personal lives, trying to make the right choice not just for themselves but for the betterment of all mankind. The choices they make will rewrite the history of the Federation and change forever how man explores space.

• S. D. Perry

Stephani Danelle Perry (credited as S. D. Perry in her works) is a novelist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the daughter of writer Steve Perry.

Star Trek consists of 28 total books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Related series James Blish's Star Trek Related series Star Trek: The Animated Series / Star Trek Logs Related series Star Trek Fotonovels Related series Star Trek Adventures Related series Star Trek: The Original Series Related series Star Trek: The Original Series Film Novelizations Related series Star Trek: The Next Generation Related series Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy Related series Star Trek: New Frontier Related series Star Trek: The Captain's Table Related series Star Trek Crossovers Related series Star Trek: Stargazer Related series Star Trek: Voyager Related series Star Trek: Enterprise Related series Star Trek: S.C.E. Related series Star Trek: Vulcan's Soul Related series Star Trek: The Lost Era Related series Star Trek: Signature Edition Related series Star Trek: Vanguard Related series Star Trek: Titan Related series Star Trek Shatnerverse Related series Star Trek: Mirror Universe Related series Star Trek: Myriad Universes Related series Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon Related series Star Trek: Destiny Related series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (young adult series) Related series Star Trek: Typhon Pact Related series Star Trek: The Fall Related series Star Trek: Picard

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Star Trek: The Next Generation's 34-Year-Old Take On Gender Identity Was Surprisingly Progressive

O ne particularly progressive episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation addressed a hot-button topic in 1990. Since Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966, the franchise has always been ahead of its time. With his optimistic view of the future, Gene Roddenberry created a universe where the Earth had achieved peace and used its resources to explore the galaxy. TNG expanded on this vision, picking up a century after TOS and following Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D.

Since its inception, Star Trek has held a mirror to society, addressing controversial topics, many of which remain relevant today. While some of Star Trek's social commentary proved more effective than others, the franchise has always tried to push boundaries and make people think. The science fiction trappings of Star Trek have allowed the franchise to tackle topics that networks might otherwise have banned. One of Lt. Commander Data's (Brent Spiner) best episodes , Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 16, "The Offspring," references a particularly polarizing topic when Data creates an android child.

Star Trek: TNGs The Offspring Is Surprisingly Progressive Regarding Sexuality & Gender

Data allows his android child to choose their own gender.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Offspring," Data builds upon his positronic brain 's technology to create an android child named Lal (Hallie Todd). When Data first activates Lal, who has an alien but humanoid form, he does not assign them a gender. Data invites Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) to be the first people to meet Lal. Data then allows Lal to choose their own species and gender, and they cycle through many choices before finally deciding to become a human female.

10 Best Star Trek Episodes Directed By Jonathan Frakes

Jonathan Frakes stars as Captain Will Riker in the Star Trek universe, but he has also become one of Trek's most beloved and prolific directors.

None of Data's fellow crew mates bat an eye regarding Lal's appearance or Data's decision to allow her to choose her own gender. However, it's doubtful that television networks of 1990 would have allowed a story about a human crew member who allowed their young child to choose their gender. Some networks today would hesitate to tell that story, as gender-affirming care for young people remains a controversial topic. "The Offspring" is widely regarded as one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's best episodes , but many reviews fail to acknowledge how progressive this element of the storyline was, even for Star Trek.

Modern Star Trek Continues To Celebrate Progress & Diversity

Star trek has always been ahead of its time.

Star Trek entered the modern era of streaming television in 2017 with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery . With an incredibly talented cast led by Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham , Discovery was the most diverse Star Trek show to date. Star Trek: Discovery introduced the first gay married couple in the franchise, as well as Star Trek 's first nonbinary and transgender characters. Star Trek shows have continued to push boundaries and adapt their social commentary to the time period in which they were made.

In the original script for Star Trek: TNG 's "The Offspring," Guinan explained human sexuality to Lal by saying something about "a man and woman" being in love. Whoopi Goldberg reportedly objected to the gendered line, pointing out that the Federation of the 24th century would be more diverse than that.

Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have also continued this trend. All of these shows are undeniably Star Trek, not only incorporating elements of Trek's long history, but also upholding one of Star Trek's greatest strengths: "infinite diversity in infinite combinations." Indeed, diversity and progress have always been core tenets of Star Trek. After all, Star Trek: The Next Generation aired one of the franchise's most progressive episodes back in 1990.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry