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Star Trek: The Original Series #50
Doctor's Orders
When Dr. McCoy grumbles once too often about the way the U.S.S. Enterprise™ ought to be run, Captain Kirk decides to leave the doctor in command while he oversees a routine diplomatic mission. Kirk beams down to a strange planet nicknamed "Flyspeck" to negotiate its admission into the Federation, leaving Dr. McCoy to enjoy his new authority.
However, the doctor soon learns that command is a double-edged sword when Kirk disappears without a trace. Desperately trying to locate his captain, McCoy comes under pressure from Starfleet to resolve the situation immediately. Matters go from bad to worse when the Klingons arrive and stake their own claim on Flyspeck.
Then another, more deadly power threatens them all, and suddenly Dr. McCoy and the Starship Enterprise find themselves pitted against an alien fleet in a battle they have no hope of winning.
However, the doctor soon learns that command is a double-edged sword when Kirk disappears without a trace. Desperately trying to locate his captain, McCoy comes under pressure from Starfleet to resolve the situation immediately. Matters go from bad to worse when the Klingons arrive and stake their own claim on Flyspeck.
Then another, more deadly power threatens them all, and suddenly Dr. McCoy and the Starship Enterprise find themselves pitted against an alien fleet in a battle they have no hope of winning.
291 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1990
About the author
Diane Duane
201 books2,356 followersDiane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
July 4, 2016
Just what the doctor ordered!
CALLING DOCTOR MCCOY!
This is a very entertaining novel.
Certain elements on the story are a bit forced to make the premise to work, but I am not complaining since the book offered just what I wanted to read...
...a story where Dr. McCoy is in command of the USS Enterprise!
"Bones" is now who gives the orders in the Starfleet's Flagship!
ROUTINE DIPLOMATIC MISSION? REALLY?
The Enterprise arrives to Muscae IV, a world who is nicknamed "Flyspeck".
Captain James T. Kirk needs to supervise, down in the planet's surface, what is supposed to be a routine diplomatic mission...
...yeah, right...
A routine diplomatic mission?
In Star Trek???
You can bet your gold-pressed latinum bars that hardly will be a routine diplomatic mission!
Kirk disappears! (See? What I just told you!)
Leaving "Bones" in command of the ship and now Starfleet is demanding for results and fast!
Sure, there is Spock, BUT part of the fun of reading this novel is that since Kirk gave official command of the Enterprise to McCoy, Spock can't releave him of command without a reasonable motive. And you know how strict was Spock following procedures in the times of The Original Series.
Starship Command isn't as fun anymore as "Bones" thought to be.
THE BIG CHAIR
Maybe the book it isn't so profound or dealing with a subject about social critique...
...but if you are looking for an amusing novel of Star Trek with cool action and smart humor...
...this is your book!!!
Especially if you are fan of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and you want to see him how he deals with commanding decisions on the "big chair".
Give it a chance to the book and I am sure that you won't be disappointed.
CALLING DOCTOR MCCOY!
This is a very entertaining novel.
Certain elements on the story are a bit forced to make the premise to work, but I am not complaining since the book offered just what I wanted to read...
...a story where Dr. McCoy is in command of the USS Enterprise!
"Bones" is now who gives the orders in the Starfleet's Flagship!
ROUTINE DIPLOMATIC MISSION? REALLY?
The Enterprise arrives to Muscae IV, a world who is nicknamed "Flyspeck".
Captain James T. Kirk needs to supervise, down in the planet's surface, what is supposed to be a routine diplomatic mission...
...yeah, right...
A routine diplomatic mission?
In Star Trek???
You can bet your gold-pressed latinum bars that hardly will be a routine diplomatic mission!
Kirk disappears! (See? What I just told you!)
Leaving "Bones" in command of the ship and now Starfleet is demanding for results and fast!
Sure, there is Spock, BUT part of the fun of reading this novel is that since Kirk gave official command of the Enterprise to McCoy, Spock can't releave him of command without a reasonable motive. And you know how strict was Spock following procedures in the times of The Original Series.
Starship Command isn't as fun anymore as "Bones" thought to be.
THE BIG CHAIR
Maybe the book it isn't so profound or dealing with a subject about social critique...
...but if you are looking for an amusing novel of Star Trek with cool action and smart humor...
...this is your book!!!
Especially if you are fan of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and you want to see him how he deals with commanding decisions on the "big chair".
Give it a chance to the book and I am sure that you won't be disappointed.
May 10, 2020
At first, I was skeptical that this book, given to me by a friend, would be worth the time, having been previously disappointed by other Star Trek novels. I also didn't think much of the idea of a medical doctor ending up in command --- didn't seem realistic, probably because of my prior experience in the military. However, this book was worth the time.
It really was a fun read. The seemingly unrealistic idea of how McCoy ends up in command of Enterprise is convincing, and this book, as its plot unfolds, really captured the magic and originality of the original TV series ---- the fascinating events and unique, thought-provoking situations faced by Enterprise and her crew, the interaction between the intelligent intuition and informed emotions of McCoy vs the dispassionate logic and objectivity of Spock as they work together to save their ship, rescue Kirk, and accomplish the mission assigned by Star Fleet.
An enjoyable book to read, especially if you enjoyed the original Star Trek. Definitely worth the time!
It really was a fun read. The seemingly unrealistic idea of how McCoy ends up in command of Enterprise is convincing, and this book, as its plot unfolds, really captured the magic and originality of the original TV series ---- the fascinating events and unique, thought-provoking situations faced by Enterprise and her crew, the interaction between the intelligent intuition and informed emotions of McCoy vs the dispassionate logic and objectivity of Spock as they work together to save their ship, rescue Kirk, and accomplish the mission assigned by Star Fleet.
An enjoyable book to read, especially if you enjoyed the original Star Trek. Definitely worth the time!
May 10, 2021
A really excellent TOS novel, especially for those who are McCoy fans like myself. It's great fun to see the good doctor walk a mile in Kirk's shoes as he's thrust into command and forced to make life and death decisions on the Enterprise's bridge, rather than just sickbay. Beyond that there's an intriguing newly discovered alien world presented here, 1212 Muscae IV, with three very distinctive non-humanoid sentient species - one akin to bags of motile fluid, one tree like, and one ephemeral and extraordinarily enigmatic. The first half of the story follows the crew as they attempt to establish basic communications and relations, and it's kind of fascinating to see some of the linguistic and anthropological challenges they face, those that get glossed over or skipped entirely in television episodes or movies. To top it off there's some riveting action as well, played out through an epic space battle where Bones' mettle is put to the test against the Klingons and a marauding band of Orion pirates. Trek novels don't get much better than this!
September 1, 2020
I really can’t tell you how much in love with this book I am.
I just… totally am.
I don’t know the first thing about Diane Duane. I haven’t googled her (yet), I haven’t read any articles about her or “short cv’s” at the end of her books, but from what I got from her stories, she is – well, she must be – an avid McCoy fangirl (just like me).
Her McCoy is spot on. I can’t imagine how anyone else could have written him any better.
And in Doctor’s Orders we can even see him absolutely shine in a situation, or better in situations, he’s usually not it. Read: acting captain of the USS Enterprise.
He’s forced to deal with a new planet, three new species, Klingons, Orion pirates, and he’s allowed to have (self-) doubts.
And while focussing pretty heavily on McCoy, Diane Duane also manages to include Spock, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, who have actually something to do (plus helping Bones with his new command – not that he needs much); and last but not least Kirk, who deals with the whole ‘let's-include-the-new-species- in-the-Federation’ thing negotiations all on his own. And brilliantly.
All in all a wonderfully balanced book about allies and enemies and how they sometimes become both at the same time.
I just… totally am.
I don’t know the first thing about Diane Duane. I haven’t googled her (yet), I haven’t read any articles about her or “short cv’s” at the end of her books, but from what I got from her stories, she is – well, she must be – an avid McCoy fangirl (just like me).
Her McCoy is spot on. I can’t imagine how anyone else could have written him any better.
And in Doctor’s Orders we can even see him absolutely shine in a situation, or better in situations, he’s usually not it. Read: acting captain of the USS Enterprise.
He’s forced to deal with a new planet, three new species, Klingons, Orion pirates, and he’s allowed to have (self-) doubts.
And while focussing pretty heavily on McCoy, Diane Duane also manages to include Spock, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, who have actually something to do (plus helping Bones with his new command – not that he needs much); and last but not least Kirk, who deals with the whole ‘let's-include-the-new-species- in-the-Federation’ thing negotiations all on his own. And brilliantly.
All in all a wonderfully balanced book about allies and enemies and how they sometimes become both at the same time.
January 23, 2011
Hands down the best ST:TOS tie-in novel I've read so far. Not only are Diane Duane's characters perfectly in-character, the story itself is rather intriguing.
Dr. Leonard McCoy is entrusted the Enterprise temporarily and what should've been a boring day in the captain's chair turns out to be much more complicated. Now, he has to deal with three weird alien species, a missing Kirk, Starfleet bureaucrats, the Klingons and Orion pirates. I also loved Kirk and the ;At's discussions of the nature of right and wrong which offered me some interesting and rather eye-opening insights.
Dr. Leonard McCoy is entrusted the Enterprise temporarily and what should've been a boring day in the captain's chair turns out to be much more complicated. Now, he has to deal with three weird alien species, a missing Kirk, Starfleet bureaucrats, the Klingons and Orion pirates. I also loved Kirk and the ;At's discussions of the nature of right and wrong which offered me some interesting and rather eye-opening insights.
February 27, 2019
One of those instances where you have to be careful what you wish for. It’s billed as a simple survey mission and even a few snags don’t amount to much more than extra paperwork. So Kirk feels totally comfortable making McCoy put his money where his mouth is and leaves McCoy in command of the Enterprise. It’s meant to be an hour or two but Kirk disappears and then things get worse.
McCoy is out of his element but he does what he can. He relies on the expertise of his crew, and they support him, even when McCoy js doubting himself and wishing he could get relieved. Spock and McCoy are especially good together and I loved seeing how McCoy handles facing a Klingon commander. A fun, very true to the show, story that I’m going to love reading again.
McCoy is out of his element but he does what he can. He relies on the expertise of his crew, and they support him, even when McCoy js doubting himself and wishing he could get relieved. Spock and McCoy are especially good together and I loved seeing how McCoy handles facing a Klingon commander. A fun, very true to the show, story that I’m going to love reading again.
May 28, 2019
The premise of this one is just... It's such a Star Trek premise - that is, a premise that exists because these overprotective, certified-genius Starfleet officers are actual children without an ounce of common sense or self-preservation instincts.
To set the scene:
- New planet with three species that aren't quite understood yet
- Federation wants them to join up, sends Enterprise
- Jim isn't supposed to go down, despite REALLY wanting too
- Linguistics, Sciences, and Medical have a LOT of work to do
- McCoy is overworking, not sleeping, not eating (bad bad BAD)
- Jim decides to force McCoy to take a break by giving him the conn
- He uses making sure Spock is taking breaks as an excuse to beam down
- Jim never finds Spock, goes frolicking, and disappears from the ships sensors
- GUESS MCCOY'S IN CHARGE NOW
It's not my favorite Star Trek novel, but it's good. The alien species are fascinating, as you'd expect from Duane, and it's awesome that McCoy gets time to shine that he so rarely does. I think the main reason I didn't like it more was that a lot of the story was tactical discussions and battles - I'm more into the ones that focus on species, culture, and character interactions. (Even though the characters were very well written, McCoy is extremely isolated throughout the story, so personal character interactions are few and far between.)
Still, a fun story with an interesting premise, featuring McCoy intimidating a Klingon captain and gaining a new appreciation for what it means to command.
To set the scene:
- New planet with three species that aren't quite understood yet
- Federation wants them to join up, sends Enterprise
- Jim isn't supposed to go down, despite REALLY wanting too
- Linguistics, Sciences, and Medical have a LOT of work to do
- McCoy is overworking, not sleeping, not eating (bad bad BAD)
- Jim decides to force McCoy to take a break by giving him the conn
- He uses making sure Spock is taking breaks as an excuse to beam down
- Jim never finds Spock, goes frolicking, and disappears from the ships sensors
- GUESS MCCOY'S IN CHARGE NOW
It's not my favorite Star Trek novel, but it's good. The alien species are fascinating, as you'd expect from Duane, and it's awesome that McCoy gets time to shine that he so rarely does. I think the main reason I didn't like it more was that a lot of the story was tactical discussions and battles - I'm more into the ones that focus on species, culture, and character interactions. (Even though the characters were very well written, McCoy is extremely isolated throughout the story, so personal character interactions are few and far between.)
Still, a fun story with an interesting premise, featuring McCoy intimidating a Klingon captain and gaining a new appreciation for what it means to command.
December 18, 2009
Diane Duane has a good feel for the Star Trek characters. This book is no exception.
When Dr. McCoy grumbles about something to Kirk, Kirk decides to leave McCoy in command as he goes down to the "routine" diplomatic mission.
As McCoy sits down in the command chair he mutters " I'll get you for this".
Of course, any reader can predict that the routine mission will be nothing but and it is soon up to McCoy to save's Kirk's neck! It is nice to have a Star Trek book with a good focus on someone besides Spock and Kirk. It is nice to have the spolight on Mccoy for a change.
Recommended for sf fans, Star Trek fans---especially fans who have Dr. McCoy as a favorite character.
When Dr. McCoy grumbles about something to Kirk, Kirk decides to leave McCoy in command as he goes down to the "routine" diplomatic mission.
As McCoy sits down in the command chair he mutters " I'll get you for this".
Of course, any reader can predict that the routine mission will be nothing but and it is soon up to McCoy to save's Kirk's neck! It is nice to have a Star Trek book with a good focus on someone besides Spock and Kirk. It is nice to have the spolight on Mccoy for a change.
Recommended for sf fans, Star Trek fans---especially fans who have Dr. McCoy as a favorite character.
October 30, 2022
3.5 stars for this one - and I feel a bit bad rounding down, but hey ho!
The character driven bits were very lovely, and seeing McCoy in charge was very sexy. And when Kirk comes back at the end, also very, very sexy.
But there was sooo much science? And tactics? And they seemed to go on for a very long time. Like, you’d never get this much confusing detail in an episode.
Also, the whole reason for McCoy taking charge was so flimsy (in a hilarious way) that it kind of distracted me. It would have made a lot more sense for Spock to be missing with Kirk and that’s why he was stuck in command lol.
So many nice bits though!
The character driven bits were very lovely, and seeing McCoy in charge was very sexy. And when Kirk comes back at the end, also very, very sexy.
But there was sooo much science? And tactics? And they seemed to go on for a very long time. Like, you’d never get this much confusing detail in an episode.
Also, the whole reason for McCoy taking charge was so flimsy (in a hilarious way) that it kind of distracted me. It would have made a lot more sense for Spock to be missing with Kirk and that’s why he was stuck in command lol.
So many nice bits though!
September 28, 2023
The Enterprise visits a planet with 3 different forms of sentient life all which have evolved independently. The goal of the mission is to learn more about the planet’s denizens and to hopefully get them to join the Federation. Kirk leaves Bones with the con as he beams down to the planet. Most of the book is about how McCoy handles the crisis that follows. It’s nice to get to see how Bones handles a command position. I feel the book is a little weak in that the personalities of the crew aren’t exactly portrayed as we’ve all grown to know. Also, the plot isn’t the best. I’d probably recommend skipping this one.
November 22, 2017
Please tell me in an alternate universe somewhere McCoy gets his own ship for more than two days. If only he was in a command track. He would work wonders from the chair. He was one thing leaders should be: uncomfortable. Leading isn't easy and it shouldn't be, but lead he did. He knew how to take advice and knew when to take action. This book was absolutely thrilling in that regard. one might even say it was "nuts" .. On another note the story itself surrounding Flyspeck is also well crafted and interesting to behold. Definitely a well deserved rating.
March 28, 2021
Diane Duane has been one of the top Star Trek novelists for decades. This 1990 release hits so many of my personal high points:
1. A focus on Dr. McCoy (who typically doesn't the same amount of attention as Kirk and Spock)
2. Diplomacy with a curious planet
3. Good science / technobabble
4. Forays into philosophical discussions about Starfleet, the Federation, and life in general
5. A high-quality but not-too-protracted space battle
An all-around excellent story.
1. A focus on Dr. McCoy (who typically doesn't the same amount of attention as Kirk and Spock)
2. Diplomacy with a curious planet
3. Good science / technobabble
4. Forays into philosophical discussions about Starfleet, the Federation, and life in general
5. A high-quality but not-too-protracted space battle
An all-around excellent story.
January 16, 2020
Always a treat - not sure how many times I've read this, but it made for a great read while visiting WDW!
January 15, 2022
A lovely TOS novel where the good doctor finds himself in command of the Enterprise! Definitely a recommended read for Trek fans, especially McCoy fans. Easy reading, fun premise and well executed.
May 19, 2010
This review was originally posted here at Anime Radius.
There are benefits, of course, to being a writer of tie-in novels for a science-fiction series. You get to play with your favorite characters in a story that is of your own creation, for one. There is also no limitation on what kind of scenarios you can dream of as opposed to in the show – which means no budget limitations, so the planets and aliens and other myriad things can be as fantastic and expensive-looking as you can muster them to be. One can only imagine the excitement of writers like Laurence Yep and J.M. Dillard when they realized the expansive Trekverse was open for development via the written word in ways the television series could not due to technological limits.
With Doctor’s Orders, Diane Duane has presented us with a story that could have very well been the plot of a TOS episode, were it not for the fact that it is so unfilmable. The CGI capacities to create on screen such creatures as the ;At or the Ornae are only now being fully realized; they were only a fleeting pipe dream back when Trek was on TV. It is through Duane’s captivating and intricately detailed writing that we can see the ;At and the Ornae and the Lahit fully in our minds, in ways our television set can’t really deliver. Obviously, Duane enjoys writing about the brave new world that is Flyspeck, letting us see it through the eyes of the Enterprise crew, who like us are new to the ways of Flyspeck’s people and must start from scratch. In some places, however, Duane’s love affair with her own creations threaten to overshadow the Trek crew, but she knows when to tone the ecological exploits down a notch when it becomes clear that characters must be put first.
As for those characters? When it comes to the crew, it is McCoy who is truly the star of the show, whether manning Sickbay or taking control of the helm of the ship. Duane does a great job at displaying Doctor McCoy in all his grumpy irritated self, while still staying the same clever-minded country doctor that has made him such an invaluable asset on board the Enterprise for so long. It’s McCoy’s unique ways of dealing with both Starfleet and the Klingons during the crisis that makes those specific scenes so gosh darn fun to read. His foil in is the narrative is Kirk, who is still the charming and witty hero fans remember from the series; regrettably, the story calls for Kirk to fade into the background for a good deal of time so McCoy can have a chance to shine in the captain’s chair – still, when we catch up with James, he handles his unusual situation in a very typical Kirkesque manner (which I won’t spoil, as it will give the fun away). The rest of the Enterprise crew is there, and although they are much in tune character-wise, they serve more as a backdrop for the main story. Note: if you really hate it when authors spell out character’s accents phonetically, you will find Chekov’s dialogue to be less headache-inducing than you’d imagine. Other than addressing Kirk as “Keptin” and the whole v-to-w thing (and claiming yet another thing as a “Russian inwention”), it’s the first time I’ve seen Chekov’s Russian accent spelt out in such a way that it doesn’t grate on the nerves.
Overall, there’s one word that can sum up Doctor’s Orders and it is fun. Everything is so much fun to read – the action, the adventure, McCoy as Captain, exploring the new planet, everything! Even with all the anthro-technobabble flying about from practically every character’s mouth, it never weights down the story or keeps it from being interesting. Is the notion of introducing a new planet into the Federation new? Not really. But when Duane gets her hands on it, and gets to throw poor Bones into a whopper of a mess in the process, what you end up with is a great read for any like-minded Trek fan.
There are benefits, of course, to being a writer of tie-in novels for a science-fiction series. You get to play with your favorite characters in a story that is of your own creation, for one. There is also no limitation on what kind of scenarios you can dream of as opposed to in the show – which means no budget limitations, so the planets and aliens and other myriad things can be as fantastic and expensive-looking as you can muster them to be. One can only imagine the excitement of writers like Laurence Yep and J.M. Dillard when they realized the expansive Trekverse was open for development via the written word in ways the television series could not due to technological limits.
With Doctor’s Orders, Diane Duane has presented us with a story that could have very well been the plot of a TOS episode, were it not for the fact that it is so unfilmable. The CGI capacities to create on screen such creatures as the ;At or the Ornae are only now being fully realized; they were only a fleeting pipe dream back when Trek was on TV. It is through Duane’s captivating and intricately detailed writing that we can see the ;At and the Ornae and the Lahit fully in our minds, in ways our television set can’t really deliver. Obviously, Duane enjoys writing about the brave new world that is Flyspeck, letting us see it through the eyes of the Enterprise crew, who like us are new to the ways of Flyspeck’s people and must start from scratch. In some places, however, Duane’s love affair with her own creations threaten to overshadow the Trek crew, but she knows when to tone the ecological exploits down a notch when it becomes clear that characters must be put first.
As for those characters? When it comes to the crew, it is McCoy who is truly the star of the show, whether manning Sickbay or taking control of the helm of the ship. Duane does a great job at displaying Doctor McCoy in all his grumpy irritated self, while still staying the same clever-minded country doctor that has made him such an invaluable asset on board the Enterprise for so long. It’s McCoy’s unique ways of dealing with both Starfleet and the Klingons during the crisis that makes those specific scenes so gosh darn fun to read. His foil in is the narrative is Kirk, who is still the charming and witty hero fans remember from the series; regrettably, the story calls for Kirk to fade into the background for a good deal of time so McCoy can have a chance to shine in the captain’s chair – still, when we catch up with James, he handles his unusual situation in a very typical Kirkesque manner (which I won’t spoil, as it will give the fun away). The rest of the Enterprise crew is there, and although they are much in tune character-wise, they serve more as a backdrop for the main story. Note: if you really hate it when authors spell out character’s accents phonetically, you will find Chekov’s dialogue to be less headache-inducing than you’d imagine. Other than addressing Kirk as “Keptin” and the whole v-to-w thing (and claiming yet another thing as a “Russian inwention”), it’s the first time I’ve seen Chekov’s Russian accent spelt out in such a way that it doesn’t grate on the nerves.
Overall, there’s one word that can sum up Doctor’s Orders and it is fun. Everything is so much fun to read – the action, the adventure, McCoy as Captain, exploring the new planet, everything! Even with all the anthro-technobabble flying about from practically every character’s mouth, it never weights down the story or keeps it from being interesting. Is the notion of introducing a new planet into the Federation new? Not really. But when Duane gets her hands on it, and gets to throw poor Bones into a whopper of a mess in the process, what you end up with is a great read for any like-minded Trek fan.
February 19, 2017
When McCoy whinges once too often about how tough his job is, Kirk leaves him in command of the Enterprise during one of the crew's more interesting and challenging First Contact missions. When the Klingons and the Orion pirates turn up, the good doctor is forced to readjust his comfort zone. The way in which he does so makes for a light but extremely amusing read.
August 30, 2013
Just the thought of "Captain Bones" brings a smirk, and there were several nice comic moments in the story, in particular when dealing with the Klingon Captain. When they asked about where the legendary Kirk was, McCoy just hinted that he'd taken over command - which gave him more respect from the Klingons.
One of the key elements of the story proved to be a major sticking point for me however. When Spock returned and McCoy tried to turn command over to him, Spock indicated that it was not possible since Kirk left him in command, only Kirk could therefore 'relieve' him of that command. That goes against logic, and likely several other regulations - Kirk left McCoy in command supposedly for one shift, in a non-emergency. Once a real emergency was declared, or the first officer returned then by all rights Spock would have been in command! McCoy could have even given command to Scotty or Sulu since both have more command experience. Leaving an inexperienced officer in Command in an emergency only endangers the ship and crew.
While overall the story was decent, that one point kept nagging at me.
One of the key elements of the story proved to be a major sticking point for me however. When Spock returned and McCoy tried to turn command over to him, Spock indicated that it was not possible since Kirk left him in command, only Kirk could therefore 'relieve' him of that command. That goes against logic, and likely several other regulations - Kirk left McCoy in command supposedly for one shift, in a non-emergency. Once a real emergency was declared, or the first officer returned then by all rights Spock would have been in command! McCoy could have even given command to Scotty or Sulu since both have more command experience. Leaving an inexperienced officer in Command in an emergency only endangers the ship and crew.
While overall the story was decent, that one point kept nagging at me.
July 10, 2019
This is my favourite Star Trek novel to date and not just because McCoy is my favourite (if anything, it makes me harder to please than your average reader). It’s a pretty simple story but I prefer that to having too many plot twists and turns just for the sake of filling pages. McCoy is very much in character and it’s such an enjoyable read that I’m sure I’ll be reading it again.
July 21, 2010
This book has an excellent plot, and writing that captures the idiosyncrasies of the main Star Trek characters as well as the quirks of their relationships. Definitely worth reading for any fan of the original series.
March 12, 2011
Diane Duane is my favorite Star Trek author. Hands down. And a novel that focuses on Dr. McCoy--what could be better? Anytime my favorite character gets the spotlight I'm happy.
July 1, 2013
Probably the best Star Trek book I've read. Great and BELIEVABLE characterization, good plot, and the science wasn't complete tech-babble. What more do you want? More Diane Duane plz.
February 20, 2014
Excellent TOS book! Diane Duane nailed the Spock/McCoy interaction spot on! Very intriguing story centering mostly around McCoy. This would have been a great episode! 4.5/5
December 30, 2023
An old favourite - one of the great TOS authors.
August 14, 2023
I've read several Diane Duane Star Trek novels, and they'd tended towards the epic. My Enemy, My Ally allied Captain Kirk with a Romulan counterpart, with huge implications for future space politics. The Wounded Sky saw the Enterprise crew fix the nature of reality itself. If The Romulan Way appeared at first glance to be a gentler story exploring Romulan society and politics, it continued the story of Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu from My Enemy, My Ally.
So really, it was with some bemusement that I picked up Doctor's Orders in a charity shop a few months ago, and noted the distinctly l0-fi premise: Kirk gets fed up with Doctor McCoy complaining, and leaves him in command of the Enterprise during a mission to a remote planet called Flyspeck. Some Klingons turn up. It sounded like a bit of a filler episode.
And in many ways it is. Throughout the book Duane showcases her very evident love of DeForest Kelley's gruff but compassionate starship medic, Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy. A suitably convoluted situation is contrived so that he is left in command of the Enterprise while Kirk visits an alien planet, and when danger rears its head, Starfleet protocol apparently dictates that he can't pass on that command to anyone more experienced. In a scene where Spock explains this at length, you can almost sense the plotholes being patched, and it was clearly written with one eye on placating the fan audience. For anyone who considers themselves merely on casual terms with the Star Trek universe, this exposition just gets in the way of McCoy commanding the Enterprise and being enjoyably rude to Klingons.
And really, that's about all there is to it. The crew's mission on Flyspeck is scientific and diplomatic to begin with and, a few Klingon scenes aside, largely remains so. Kirk is given his own subplot but describes it, sincerely, as "a pleasant afternoon out". There is a thrilling space battle sequence, but it adds little to the story. There's a running theme of suspicions about spies leaking information and technology to Klingons and other powers, and even a couple of heavily-implied suspects, but this is never resolved. Perhaps it's addressed in other novels in the range.
McCoy is the main viewpoint character throughout, and he is 100% the character you'll remember from TV and the films. He grouses, he banters with Spock, he's generally a lot of fun amid all the technobabble. Duane's prose is as superb as ever, and she clearly has absolute mastery of the characters and universe for which she's writing.
There is a small problem that afflicts many Star Trek books, of course. While on television the crew skip from one exciting encounter to another, a novel brings with it the need for a certain amount of... depth. And in many cases this means learning all about the Enterprise's shift patterns, and senior staff meetings. It's all the fun of Star Trek, but with added bureaucracy.
Much of the above is of course nit-picking. Doctor's Orders isn't the most exciting high-stakes space action adventure. But it's a solid character piece, and the inhabitants of Flyspeck remain an intriguing enigma throughout. There's a bit of what a Doctor Who fan can only describe as "timey-wimey" and if the reader is occasionally a few pages ahead of the characters as they work out what has happened to Kirk and so on, it doesn't really detract from the reading experience. This is a quiet book, but a fun read.
So really, it was with some bemusement that I picked up Doctor's Orders in a charity shop a few months ago, and noted the distinctly l0-fi premise: Kirk gets fed up with Doctor McCoy complaining, and leaves him in command of the Enterprise during a mission to a remote planet called Flyspeck. Some Klingons turn up. It sounded like a bit of a filler episode.
And in many ways it is. Throughout the book Duane showcases her very evident love of DeForest Kelley's gruff but compassionate starship medic, Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy. A suitably convoluted situation is contrived so that he is left in command of the Enterprise while Kirk visits an alien planet, and when danger rears its head, Starfleet protocol apparently dictates that he can't pass on that command to anyone more experienced. In a scene where Spock explains this at length, you can almost sense the plotholes being patched, and it was clearly written with one eye on placating the fan audience. For anyone who considers themselves merely on casual terms with the Star Trek universe, this exposition just gets in the way of McCoy commanding the Enterprise and being enjoyably rude to Klingons.
And really, that's about all there is to it. The crew's mission on Flyspeck is scientific and diplomatic to begin with and, a few Klingon scenes aside, largely remains so. Kirk is given his own subplot but describes it, sincerely, as "a pleasant afternoon out". There is a thrilling space battle sequence, but it adds little to the story. There's a running theme of suspicions about spies leaking information and technology to Klingons and other powers, and even a couple of heavily-implied suspects, but this is never resolved. Perhaps it's addressed in other novels in the range.
McCoy is the main viewpoint character throughout, and he is 100% the character you'll remember from TV and the films. He grouses, he banters with Spock, he's generally a lot of fun amid all the technobabble. Duane's prose is as superb as ever, and she clearly has absolute mastery of the characters and universe for which she's writing.
There is a small problem that afflicts many Star Trek books, of course. While on television the crew skip from one exciting encounter to another, a novel brings with it the need for a certain amount of... depth. And in many cases this means learning all about the Enterprise's shift patterns, and senior staff meetings. It's all the fun of Star Trek, but with added bureaucracy.
Much of the above is of course nit-picking. Doctor's Orders isn't the most exciting high-stakes space action adventure. But it's a solid character piece, and the inhabitants of Flyspeck remain an intriguing enigma throughout. There's a bit of what a Doctor Who fan can only describe as "timey-wimey" and if the reader is occasionally a few pages ahead of the characters as they work out what has happened to Kirk and so on, it doesn't really detract from the reading experience. This is a quiet book, but a fun read.
December 15, 2018
McCoy finally gets the conn and it’s amazing!
Honestly I think this is my favorite of the TOS Star Trek novels so far, though, admittedly I haven’t read very many. And McCoy is my all-time favorite trek character so I can’t pretend that I’m not biased here. Just the fact that Bones gets a starring role was enough to get me excited. Mix that with some fascinating sci-fi world building, A+ humor, and flawlessly in-character dialogue and you’ve got a damn good Trek novel!
As silly as the circumstances of McCoy ending up in command are, it was amazing to see him using his personal strengths and skills as a doctor to do something so outside his comfort zone. And I love how Bones makes the command his own. He’s not just trying to imitate Kirk, he’s making decisions that feel authentic to his character and I admire that he was able to put on such a brave front while being inwardly terrified. It shows that McCoy has a lot more emotional control than most give him credit for. He also isn’t afraid to rely on the rest of the Enterprise crew when he needs help, which was such a great example of effective leadership. (Sidenote: the Spock & McCoy dynamic in this novel is fantastic and my only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it!)
The world building is another great aspect of this story. As strange as the three native species of the planet “Flyspeck” are, I never found them too outrageous or unbelievable. The details about their physiology and culture (especially the Ornae and their language) were well thought out and interesting! It’s fun getting to discover this new world through the eyes of the Enterprise crew.
Plus the conversations Kirk has later with the ;At are very reminiscent of that classic trek thoughtfulness (even if I found myself feeling a little impatient to get back to Commander McCoy and his conflict with the Klingons and Orions).
Yeah, the pacing got a bit wonky at times and a bit bogged down with scientific jargon, but those faults are more than made up for with McCoy’s sharp wit and the well written dialogue. And praise God there was no phoned-in unnecessary romance subplots with a flat female character that we never see again. That was such a relief!! Bless you Diane Duane!
Honestly I think this is my favorite of the TOS Star Trek novels so far, though, admittedly I haven’t read very many. And McCoy is my all-time favorite trek character so I can’t pretend that I’m not biased here. Just the fact that Bones gets a starring role was enough to get me excited. Mix that with some fascinating sci-fi world building, A+ humor, and flawlessly in-character dialogue and you’ve got a damn good Trek novel!
As silly as the circumstances of McCoy ending up in command are, it was amazing to see him using his personal strengths and skills as a doctor to do something so outside his comfort zone. And I love how Bones makes the command his own. He’s not just trying to imitate Kirk, he’s making decisions that feel authentic to his character and I admire that he was able to put on such a brave front while being inwardly terrified. It shows that McCoy has a lot more emotional control than most give him credit for. He also isn’t afraid to rely on the rest of the Enterprise crew when he needs help, which was such a great example of effective leadership. (Sidenote: the Spock & McCoy dynamic in this novel is fantastic and my only complaint is that there wasn’t more of it!)
The world building is another great aspect of this story. As strange as the three native species of the planet “Flyspeck” are, I never found them too outrageous or unbelievable. The details about their physiology and culture (especially the Ornae and their language) were well thought out and interesting! It’s fun getting to discover this new world through the eyes of the Enterprise crew.
Plus the conversations Kirk has later with the ;At are very reminiscent of that classic trek thoughtfulness (even if I found myself feeling a little impatient to get back to Commander McCoy and his conflict with the Klingons and Orions).
Yeah, the pacing got a bit wonky at times and a bit bogged down with scientific jargon, but those faults are more than made up for with McCoy’s sharp wit and the well written dialogue. And praise God there was no phoned-in unnecessary romance subplots with a flat female character that we never see again. That was such a relief!! Bless you Diane Duane!
July 4, 2024
4.5 stars. A must-read for McCoy fans, for sure!
The planet and various new species in this book are fascinating. I would have much preferred we spent the entire story down on the planet, researching, conversing, and learning about its inhabitants.
The first half of the book felt like true science fiction (not action or adventure, just SF), and I was absolutely loving it. Halfway through, an old enemy showed up, and I had to roll my eyes and put the book down in disappointment for a while.
Even the text at this introduced plot point read like the author had been forced to shoehorn some "action" into the story (in the guise of McCoy thinking to himself what a terrible idea it all was - further accentuated later in the book when the "writer" was referred to in a more jovial manner). However, it could have gone much worse than it did, and I think the author did an excellent job working action into a genuine science fiction story using both humour and tension.
Speaking of the quality of the writing, I especially liked how the prose explored the duality of the human brain - the way we can have "conversations" with ourselves as if there are two or more people in there. This was flawlessly done with McCoy's internal dialogue. It's surprising how often this typical back-and-forth is missed in novel-writing.
What loses the 1/2 star for me was some pretty ridiculous notions about the conn that have been contradicted many times in the series, a few moments where Spock seemed casually OOC, and the aforementioned desire for the true science fiction of it all to remain the focus of the entire story. These are very minor gripes. The impressive writing skill and overall story far outweigh these things.
One of the best Star Trek novels I've read so far (reading in publication date order). Highly recommended.
The planet and various new species in this book are fascinating. I would have much preferred we spent the entire story down on the planet, researching, conversing, and learning about its inhabitants.
The first half of the book felt like true science fiction (not action or adventure, just SF), and I was absolutely loving it. Halfway through, an old enemy showed up, and I had to roll my eyes and put the book down in disappointment for a while.
Even the text at this introduced plot point read like the author had been forced to shoehorn some "action" into the story (in the guise of McCoy thinking to himself what a terrible idea it all was - further accentuated later in the book when the "writer" was referred to in a more jovial manner). However, it could have gone much worse than it did, and I think the author did an excellent job working action into a genuine science fiction story using both humour and tension.
Speaking of the quality of the writing, I especially liked how the prose explored the duality of the human brain - the way we can have "conversations" with ourselves as if there are two or more people in there. This was flawlessly done with McCoy's internal dialogue. It's surprising how often this typical back-and-forth is missed in novel-writing.
What loses the 1/2 star for me was some pretty ridiculous notions about the conn that have been contradicted many times in the series, a few moments where Spock seemed casually OOC, and the aforementioned desire for the true science fiction of it all to remain the focus of the entire story. These are very minor gripes. The impressive writing skill and overall story far outweigh these things.
One of the best Star Trek novels I've read so far (reading in publication date order). Highly recommended.
September 10, 2023
Diane Duane’s Spock's World has been one of my favorite books for over 20 years, but this one I’m reading for the first time. It’s not going to knock Spock’s World off its pedestal for me, but it was a fun adventure.
Pros:
Duane has a clear love for the TOS crew, especially the big three, and captures their voices well. Her Kirk/Spock/McCoy banter is reliably good — a spot near the beginning made me cackle out loud.
The mission is to explore a planet with three intelligent species, all non-humaniod, which makes for a very creative backdrop. Lots of “this would never have worked on '60s TV” material — or probably '90s TV — which is what tie-in novels are for.
McCoy bluffing — and maybe making friends with??? — a Klingon commander is really, really good. It’s my favorite thread of the book.
The answer to where Kirk disappeared to is given just enough hints that I had a pretty good idea of where he might be without being obvious. Cleverly done.
Cons:
The set-up is contrived as hell. In order to keep McCoy in the hot seat, Duane comes up with regulations that prevent McCoy from tagging in Spock, and they just feel flimsy. Granted, I’ve watched a whole lot of Star Trek that had not been written yet when this was published in 1990, so a lot of what I think of as precedent wasn’t yet in place. But the point of the book is that McCoy has to be in charge, so the reader is left to smile, nod and move on.
The planet and its inhabitants are creative, yet still sometimes kind of… dull.
Not likely one I’ll need to reread, but it kept me amused this week.
Pros:
Duane has a clear love for the TOS crew, especially the big three, and captures their voices well. Her Kirk/Spock/McCoy banter is reliably good — a spot near the beginning made me cackle out loud.
The mission is to explore a planet with three intelligent species, all non-humaniod, which makes for a very creative backdrop. Lots of “this would never have worked on '60s TV” material — or probably '90s TV — which is what tie-in novels are for.
McCoy bluffing — and maybe making friends with??? — a Klingon commander is really, really good. It’s my favorite thread of the book.
The answer to where Kirk disappeared to is given just enough hints that I had a pretty good idea of where he might be without being obvious. Cleverly done.
Cons:
The set-up is contrived as hell. In order to keep McCoy in the hot seat, Duane comes up with regulations that prevent McCoy from tagging in Spock, and they just feel flimsy. Granted, I’ve watched a whole lot of Star Trek that had not been written yet when this was published in 1990, so a lot of what I think of as precedent wasn’t yet in place. But the point of the book is that McCoy has to be in charge, so the reader is left to smile, nod and move on.
The planet and its inhabitants are creative, yet still sometimes kind of… dull.
Not likely one I’ll need to reread, but it kept me amused this week.
January 1, 2024
Doctor’s Orders: another banger from Diane Duane—this time highlighting McCoy! Much drama ensues when Kirk jokingly puts McCoy in command of the Enterprise while he goes down planetside. While interacting with the planet’s unique native species, Kirk disappears mysteriously, leaving our favorite grumpy doctor to rapidly come to terms with the stress of command. A stress that increases exponentially once the Klingons show up…
Although he was having a very bad time, I had a great time seeing Bones out of his element, and it was refreshing to see a depiction of the physical and emotional side effects of command. That’s not a topic often addressed in the TV series. It was rewarding to watch McCoy become more confident in his tactical skills, and hilarious to see him deal with the Klingon Commander Kaiev.
Another delight in this book is the dynamic between Bones and Spock. Duane really captures their relationship well. They work together and support each other while Kirk is gone, but never hesitate to throw some witty banter when it’s called for. Very reminiscent of their interactions in “The Tholian Web.”
I also loved Duane’s creativity when creating the sentient native species of planet Flyspeck. They’re bizarre and endearing, and scary intelligent. A great combo that made for some amusing and introspective interactions with the Enterprise crew.
If you’re a McCoy fan, you’ll love this book!
Although he was having a very bad time, I had a great time seeing Bones out of his element, and it was refreshing to see a depiction of the physical and emotional side effects of command. That’s not a topic often addressed in the TV series. It was rewarding to watch McCoy become more confident in his tactical skills, and hilarious to see him deal with the Klingon Commander Kaiev.
Another delight in this book is the dynamic between Bones and Spock. Duane really captures their relationship well. They work together and support each other while Kirk is gone, but never hesitate to throw some witty banter when it’s called for. Very reminiscent of their interactions in “The Tholian Web.”
I also loved Duane’s creativity when creating the sentient native species of planet Flyspeck. They’re bizarre and endearing, and scary intelligent. A great combo that made for some amusing and introspective interactions with the Enterprise crew.
If you’re a McCoy fan, you’ll love this book!
January 14, 2018
Found this when sorting through the boxes retrieved from Mom's attic.
It's a solid book, but not as good as Duane's best work in the Trek universe. She's got a fine grasp of the "Enterprise Seven" (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov) but this time out there's not enough going on with the full bridge crew and it's a shame.
The Klingon-baiting is a lot of fun, and the dialogue is still snappy as ever. To the good, Duane also brings back in some of her supporting crew from other Trek books and they're as welcome as ever (Harb Tanzer, Janice Kerasus, and especially Lia Burke)
A good Trek book will usually add something to the story and depth of one or more of the main characters, tell a ripping yarn, and generally make you feel like you could be watching the show in book form. This one is mostly successful, but there's a missed opportunity in not playing more with the relationships between the main bridge crew and McCoy with the Doctor's sudden ascendancy to command.
It's a solid book, but not as good as Duane's best work in the Trek universe. She's got a fine grasp of the "Enterprise Seven" (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov) but this time out there's not enough going on with the full bridge crew and it's a shame.
The Klingon-baiting is a lot of fun, and the dialogue is still snappy as ever. To the good, Duane also brings back in some of her supporting crew from other Trek books and they're as welcome as ever (Harb Tanzer, Janice Kerasus, and especially Lia Burke)
A good Trek book will usually add something to the story and depth of one or more of the main characters, tell a ripping yarn, and generally make you feel like you could be watching the show in book form. This one is mostly successful, but there's a missed opportunity in not playing more with the relationships between the main bridge crew and McCoy with the Doctor's sudden ascendancy to command.
August 29, 2019
If you like McCoy you will probably enjoy this book. It focuses on McCoy and to a lesser extent Kirk, Spock is active in the story, but not the central focus. It was so interesting to see McCoy in a leadership position outside of a medical situation, and considering his lack of experience he did a pretty good job. I also liked how they showed the rest of the crew rally around him to ensure he would be successful. The only thing I might have liked was an outside perspective on McCoy in command. There are two POVs in the book, McCoy and Kirk, and Kirk is off Enterprise for a good chunk of the book, so it would have been nice to have another POV on ship, to let us know how the crew really felt about McCoy in charge. The aliens were interesting, and I liked the fact that there were three sentient alien species sharing a planet, which you don't see enough of in Star Trek. There wasn't a lot of character development, it was more plot focused, overall, a fun read, I could have definitely seen this as an episode(s) of the tv series.
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