Planet of Judgement

NEVER BEFORE... Had the Enterprise been betrayed by its own technology. Never before had their systems, instruments and weapons failed to respond. And never before had Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the crew faced a total breakdown of science and sanity... until they stumbled on the mysterious world that couldn't exist... IS IT IMMORTAL? It was something like a cross between a huge insect and a centaur. It stood on four massive legs, intricately jointed, covered with shiny black chitin. It egg-shaped body was shiny brown, mottled with green and blue. A thorax rose from the front, covered with black bristles, supporting two arms and a head. The head was triangular, with eyes that looked like two clusters of pale red salmon eggs. The mouth was a small hole, through which a slender black tongue occasionally darted. It was about the size of a large horse. A thick barbed tail, like that of a scorpion, curved under its body. PLANET OF JUDGMENT

Planet of Judgment by Joe Haldeman (1977)Most series novels, such as those about Star Trek, Star Wars, or other licensed properties, are by either relatively mediocre talents, by young writers still trying to break in, or sometimes by established writers needing a paycheck, who often do a hack job on the book. This is a book by an established writer that does a fine job of presenting a good science fiction story and handles the characters well, something of rarity. When Haldeman wrote this book he had already won a Hugo and a Nebula, the biggest prizes for science fiction writers. So, possibly he was a fan of the series wanting to produce a quality book about it."Planet of Judgment" makes a fine story, but it is more of a general science fiction story than necessarily a Star Trek story. Any ship and crew could have been made up and placed into the story, rather than Kirk, Spock and company. Still, the story succeeds on a number of levels. Haldeman even slips in a character in homage to Trek writer James Blish, naming his elder scientist James Atheling, using Blish's pen name for work in literary criticism.As the story goes, the Enterprise detects an odd object, a rogue planet apparently wandering through the galaxy, orbited by a black hole, but one which radiates energy. This violates several laws of physics, so further investigation is warranted. When a shuttlecraft bearing Kirk and several scientists and security men reaches the planet, it immediately ceases working, as does much of the groups' equipment, including tricorders. A few hours later, Spock leads another group of shuttlecraft down, and meets the same fate. With the transporters unable to operate, the planet-bound crew must find a way off a world with some dangerous flora and fauna, before the crew is all dead.Soon, the planet's dominant inhabitants show themselves as mentally capable humanoids, who are troubled by the presence of the Enterprise crew, but perhaps more troubled by the advance of a belligerent race, decades away but on their way nonetheless. The Arivne must use Kirk and Spock to help them turn back the alien invasion force.The story moves in one direction, then about halfway through begins to move in another quite different direction. Haldeman sets up some interesting looks at different species, and how they might interact with humans. But while the characters of the Enterprise crew are not compromised for the story, this could just as easily be a generic s-f story with any other crew. Haldeman holds degrees in both English and astronomy, and his science background helps him here as it does in other novels. Still, this does not prevent bad science, and using the Arivne's mental powers to explain away the odd phenomena Haldeman sets up is somewhat lazy writing. It is no worse than the typical s-f, however.It's a good science fiction book, and I would recommend that you read it if you are interested in the genre. It's not important to the Star Trek univer

One of the first Star Trek novels not based on an episode. Refreshing in its 1970's viewpoint.