Three Minute Universe

The universe is on fire as a new alternate universe begins life within our own. The Enterprise journeys to confront the race responsible; the Sackers, a race whose presence attacks each of the six senses. Soon Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, are Chekov are taken hostage aboard a new super-vessel manned by Sackers intent on holding our universe hostage. Surprisingly successful mix of genuine tension and gut-busting humor makes for a winning entry from author Barbara Paul who has complete control over each aspect of what the reader expects from a Star Trek adventure. The cast is captured in perfect pitch especially for the comedy bits which are not forced and always catch the reader off guard. Paul loads the novel with a exciting double layer of danger and humor; one moment presenting a rampaging tide of flames and the next cramping Scotty, Spock, Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura into a dark cargo-crate where they all try their best not to step on each other's toes.... among other things. Despite a plot which does meander left and right, Paul manages to leave no plot-threads lying around by the end of the book; resolving the salvation of the universe and Federation and still finding time to deal with little things like Kirk's promise to Dorelian and Uhura's fear of fire. This book fails neither in the big picture or in the small details and not for a lack of small details to attend to. Not only is the entire Trek cast featured and used to full effect, Paul adds a ton of others whom are all memorable and vivid in their own right; special mention going to the small and spunky Lt. Berengaria who happily defies the unwritten rule of red-shirts getting knocked off (although a few get fried in the course of the book). The Sackers/Vinithi are a fascinating race and Paul keeps tradition and uses them as a metaphor to underlie a nice little lesson for all of us; the old one of never judge a book by its cover. The story of ugly aliens with good hearts misunderstood (the sight and smell of them induces vomiting and their speech can cause minor deafness) is a story as old as the hills (Doctor Who has used it numerous times, most notably Galaxy Four) but Paul makes it fresh with the twist of the crew of Sackers being a bunch of overeager kids set to make their maniacal elders proud. The Sackers remain an unpredictable race throughout, at one end happily giggling side to side when bestowed with a name like Misterma'am or Bonesanova but the also capable of incinerating a crewman with nothing but a small burning touch. With perfect dose of laughs and thrills, Paul makes this novel as near perfect a Trek novel as you can get. Timeline note: I'd swear this was a third season episode!

Star Trek-The Original Series: The Three-Minute Universe written by Barbara Paul is a very well-crafted and written book that features Uhura.As Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise crew arrive at a planet and discover a ship in orbit, but is it the ship that devastated the colony on the surface? Kirk et.al. discover that this ship is one from a race that is called the "Sackers." A race that is shunned by all in the Federation. They are loathed, disliked, and detested becuse if you just glance at one of them you become violently ill.The "Sackers" actually have stolen an advanced piece of scientific equipment and have created a interuniversal rift. Kirk and Uhura are the main charaters in this character driven plot. Uhura is finally getting her highlight in this book.Of course, the author has structured this book quite well and I was staisfied with the flow of the story. As the rip in the fabric of space widens, one universe will leak into the other. It will eventually become one with the other , but there will be devasting consequences.This is where the Enterprise crew shines, the solution at hand, but will it work or will they have to go back to the drawing board. Will it just be too late as time is running out... the suspense mounts and you will be engaged into this struggle as our universe is being swallowd into the rift.You've got bad-guys, a situation of univeral proportion. and the Enterprise and her crew facing the incredible odds. All making for a very fast and fascinating read.

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE FIRST STAR TREK-THEMED BOOKS THAT I BEGAN READING. I REALLY LIKE THE PREMISE, THE ALIENS, AND THE CHARACTER DEVELOPEMENT. THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE FEW STAR TREK BOOKS THAT SHEDS ANY KIND OF LIGHT ON THE BACKGROUND OF UHURA. SHE PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE ALL THROUGH THIS NOVEL. THIS IS HOW THE UHURA CHARACTER *SHOULD* HAVE BEEN WRITTEN FOR IN THE CLASSIC SERIES. I RECOMMENED THIS BOOK HIGHLY!!!

Another good book of the Star Trek universe. The universe is in danger again and CPT Kirk and the rest of the crew have to rescue us again. Standard formula granted, but the author pulls it off quite well. Enjoy.

One of the best "trek" books,this book has everything!It's also very funny,in fact,one of the funniest trek books.Background:The "Sackers" are a hideous race,universily shunned.Their meer presense causes humans to become ill.Plot:While investigating the destruction of an entire solar system,and the creation of a tear in space from which another universe is rapidly leaking,the Enterprise diverts to Holox,last surviving colony of the destroyed system.Upon arriving,they find the colony devastaited,and an unfamiliar starship in orbit.The away team discovers that the "Sackers" are responsible,and it's their ship in orbit!Soon,the away team,including Capt. Kirk,are captured by them.Then while Spock tries to find a way to rescue Kirk,Kirk must find a way to seal the rift before our universe is replaced by the "Three-minute"one!