Author Language English Genre Science fiction | Country United States Subject Star Trek Published 1978 | |
Vulcan! (1978) is a Star Trek novel by Kathleen Sky. The plot of the book was developed from an undeveloped script outline that Sky had submitted for Star Trek: The Original Series that was positively received by Gene Roddenberry but went unused because of the cancellation of the series.
Contents
Plot summary
Ion storms have caused the boundaries of the Neutral Zone between the Federation and Romulans to shift. The planet Arachne IV, inhabited by a strange ant-like race, could be lost to the Federation due to the changes in space. However, Mr. Spock goes on a death-defying assignment into a war of ant-like creatures along with a scientist who dislikes Vulcans.
Production
Writer Kathleen Sky submitted a script outline via her agent to Gene Roddenberry during the third season of Star Trek: The Original Series. It was warmly received and Sky was informed that it may be used for an episode during the following season. However, a fourth season did not go ahead following the cancellation of the series and the script outline was subsequently placed on file.
In the 1970s, Bantam Books were looking for writers with stories to be published as Star Trek novels, having started producing original novels in 1970. They contacted Sky to find out if she would be interesting in writing a Star Trek novel, and she used the plot from the script outline in the novel. David Gerrold, the writer of the episode "The Trouble With Tribbles", provided a foreword to the novel. Sky's husband, Stephen Goldin, also wrote a Star Trek novel, entitled Trek to Madworld. By 2008, an original paperback edition of Vulcan! was valued at between $18 to $22.
Reception
The review by Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review magazine said that "Sky ascribes more emotion to Spock than is logical under the circumstances [of the plot]".