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Star Trek: The Next Generation
Crossover
Continuing the mission he began in "Unification", Starfleet Ambassador Spock endeavors to impart the logic of the Vulcan way to a small band of Romulans eager to unite the Romulan Empire and the planet Vulcan. But unbeknownst to them, a Romulan spy has joined the ranks disguised as a Unification sympathizer. Deceived by this traitor, Spock and his students are taken hostage.
Fearful that Spock's knowledge of Federation security will fall into enemy hands, Starfleet dispatches its best ship, the USS Enterprise 1701-D, and most respected captain, Jean-Luc Picard, to secure the hostages' release. Spock's former shipmate from the original Starship Enterprise, Ambassador McCoy – over one hundred forty years old, but still as feisty as ever – is brought in to consult on the negotiations.
Their situation is further complicated when Captain Montgomery Scott confiscates an out-of-service starship and effects his own daring rescue of Spock. Picard must now find a way to preserve the Federation's security and prevent a war while treading a minefield of danger and deadly Romulan politics that threaten his ship, his crew, and the Federation he serves.
Fearful that Spock's knowledge of Federation security will fall into enemy hands, Starfleet dispatches its best ship, the USS Enterprise 1701-D, and most respected captain, Jean-Luc Picard, to secure the hostages' release. Spock's former shipmate from the original Starship Enterprise, Ambassador McCoy – over one hundred forty years old, but still as feisty as ever – is brought in to consult on the negotiations.
Their situation is further complicated when Captain Montgomery Scott confiscates an out-of-service starship and effects his own daring rescue of Spock. Picard must now find a way to preserve the Federation's security and prevent a war while treading a minefield of danger and deadly Romulan politics that threaten his ship, his crew, and the Federation he serves.
305 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
About the author
Michael Jan Friedman
382 books202 followersMichael Jan Friedman is an author of more than seventy books of fiction and nonfiction, half of which are in the Star Trek universe. Eleven of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list. Friedman has also written for network and cable television and radio, and scripted nearly 200 comic books, including his original DC superhero series, the Darkstars.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
January 6, 2016
Things can't get any better than this!!!
THOSE WONDERFUL CROSSOVERS!
I had the time of my life reading this exceptional Star Trek novel, back then in 1998.
If the TV series production of Star Trek: The Next Generation would make at the time an adaptation of this to television, it could easily to be in the highest spots of preference by the fans.
Crossovers always are a sweet treat to fans of any franchise where there are separate characters and/or spin-offs. When I was a kid, I knew that if in Six Million Dollar Man and/or The Bionic Woman, the main character of the other TV series was a "guest star", then the episode would be epic since they need the power of both bionic heroes to face the menace! The classic episode "The Three Doctors" from Doctor Who was the detonation factor to make more episodes reuniting more than one regeneration of The Doctor, and also a popular topic in several novels. Even I still remember how cool was having Commander Cobra shouting "Cobra!!!" in an animated TV episode of The Transformers in their Second Generation.
The fans love crossovers!
On Star Trek, you had several crossovers, just like the two, "Unification" and "Relics" on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which are the foundation to the developing of this very novel at hand. But also, there were priceless crossover like "Trials and Tribble-actions" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which it was the key factor to the following process of remastering Star Trek: The Original Series with modern CGI visual effects. In Star Trek: Voyager, you had Captains Janeway and Sulu interacting in "Flashback". And in Star Trek: Enterprise, the crew must not only faced menaces like The Borg and the Ferengi, but also an ancient predecessor of Dr. Noonian Soong. And all this, just to mention a few of all those wonderful crossovers.
And you can be certain that this novel is a wonderful reading to any fan who loves the crossovers...
...it's its very title!!!
A CROSSOVER AS YOU ALWAYS DREAM SHOULD BE
The premise of this novel is good enough to make you want to read it!
Spock is continuing his clandestine work, in the planet of Romulus, to seek out a reunification of the peoples of Vulcan and Romulus, but he is captured by the Romulans and now he is a political prisoner.
So, Starfleet sends the USS Enterprise-D under command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard to make diplomatic talking and negotiate the release of Ambassador Spock, but along with the mission, Starfleet sends too, a special observer, Admiral Leonard "Bones" McCoy!
To complicate things, Admiral McCoy isn't trusting that Picard would be able to accomplish the mission and he pulls his rank to take command of the Enterprise-D!
But that's not all!
Retired Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott hears about the troubles of Spock, and he decides to "borrow" an old Constitution-class starship from a Federation museum and he engages on his own personal rescue mission for his old friend.
Ah?!!! Do you need more?!!!
THE LOGICAL NEXT STEP OF THREE EPISODES
Michael Jan Friedman, the author, took as base the events on the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Unification" and "Relics", where you watched the appearances of Admiral McCoy, Ambassador Spock and Retired Captain Scott...
...and the next logical step was...
...to have all three of them in the same story!
In a masterful way, Friedman plots a great adventure putting together the known alive (at that point) members of the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series along with the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Definitely it's one of the best Trek novels that I ever read and I fully enjoyed it, from the begining to the end.
A book that presents with great imagination and excitement, the value of...
...TRUE FRIENDSHIP.
Great action, thrilling fun and an engaging reading!
...what are you doing still here?!
GO AND READ IT!!!
THOSE WONDERFUL CROSSOVERS!
I had the time of my life reading this exceptional Star Trek novel, back then in 1998.
If the TV series production of Star Trek: The Next Generation would make at the time an adaptation of this to television, it could easily to be in the highest spots of preference by the fans.
Crossovers always are a sweet treat to fans of any franchise where there are separate characters and/or spin-offs. When I was a kid, I knew that if in Six Million Dollar Man and/or The Bionic Woman, the main character of the other TV series was a "guest star", then the episode would be epic since they need the power of both bionic heroes to face the menace! The classic episode "The Three Doctors" from Doctor Who was the detonation factor to make more episodes reuniting more than one regeneration of The Doctor, and also a popular topic in several novels. Even I still remember how cool was having Commander Cobra shouting "Cobra!!!" in an animated TV episode of The Transformers in their Second Generation.
The fans love crossovers!
On Star Trek, you had several crossovers, just like the two, "Unification" and "Relics" on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which are the foundation to the developing of this very novel at hand. But also, there were priceless crossover like "Trials and Tribble-actions" on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which it was the key factor to the following process of remastering Star Trek: The Original Series with modern CGI visual effects. In Star Trek: Voyager, you had Captains Janeway and Sulu interacting in "Flashback". And in Star Trek: Enterprise, the crew must not only faced menaces like The Borg and the Ferengi, but also an ancient predecessor of Dr. Noonian Soong. And all this, just to mention a few of all those wonderful crossovers.
And you can be certain that this novel is a wonderful reading to any fan who loves the crossovers...
...it's its very title!!!
A CROSSOVER AS YOU ALWAYS DREAM SHOULD BE
The premise of this novel is good enough to make you want to read it!
Spock is continuing his clandestine work, in the planet of Romulus, to seek out a reunification of the peoples of Vulcan and Romulus, but he is captured by the Romulans and now he is a political prisoner.
So, Starfleet sends the USS Enterprise-D under command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard to make diplomatic talking and negotiate the release of Ambassador Spock, but along with the mission, Starfleet sends too, a special observer, Admiral Leonard "Bones" McCoy!
To complicate things, Admiral McCoy isn't trusting that Picard would be able to accomplish the mission and he pulls his rank to take command of the Enterprise-D!
But that's not all!
Retired Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott hears about the troubles of Spock, and he decides to "borrow" an old Constitution-class starship from a Federation museum and he engages on his own personal rescue mission for his old friend.
Ah?!!! Do you need more?!!!
THE LOGICAL NEXT STEP OF THREE EPISODES
Michael Jan Friedman, the author, took as base the events on the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Unification" and "Relics", where you watched the appearances of Admiral McCoy, Ambassador Spock and Retired Captain Scott...
...and the next logical step was...
...to have all three of them in the same story!
In a masterful way, Friedman plots a great adventure putting together the known alive (at that point) members of the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series along with the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Definitely it's one of the best Trek novels that I ever read and I fully enjoyed it, from the begining to the end.
A book that presents with great imagination and excitement, the value of...
...TRUE FRIENDSHIP.
Great action, thrilling fun and an engaging reading!
...what are you doing still here?!
GO AND READ IT!!!
February 22, 2023
An enjoyable read, even if I've seen the same concept before in other novels in this franchise.
April 7, 2023
I always tread lightly when it comes to crossovers. I worry that too much of a set of characters alien to a specific continuity may actually dilute the final product into something all but unrecognizable to the fans. I need not have worried here because Michael Jan Friedman is a very skilled writer. Here, Spock has managed to find himself on the Romulan world of Constanthus, where he is perpetuating the teachings of Surak and his ideas of Re-Unification between Romulans and Vulcans. Spock, his students, and the underground network of Re-Unificationists are captured and the crew of the Enterprise-D is tasked with the rescue. One problem lies in Admiral Leonard McCoy, who is accustomed to the saber-rattling of his former commanding officer, not the diplomatic discussions that Capt. Picard is famous for. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Capt. Montgomery Scott has decided to rescue his friend solo by acquiring a Constitution class ship with a cloaking device and penetrate the Neutral Zone believing himself to be for all intents and purposes, invisible. He's not. So one rescue becomes two and one of Spock's students is a traitor. What a wonderfully convoluted story. Everything is great, except that there is one annoying little thing there at the end. What could have been 5 stars is now 4. In any case, for my 2023 reading goal I wanted to read 12 Star Trek novels and this is my third of the year.
May 14, 2023
No surprises here, but a solid story following on most directly from the TNG Unification episodes featuring Spock and his clandestine efforts to reunite Vulcan and Romulan societies. Some great moments in particular with Bones, now a 150 year old curmudgeon of an admiral.
December 27, 2019
This is a decent Star Trek story and if there is something objectively wrong with it, I didn't catch it. The writing can be a little close to clunky on some occasions, but it wasn't that often and aside from the typical "you remember that thing from the show?" moments that a lot of ST books I have read tend to have, none of them drew me out of the story.
That said, if this will be a favourite or just meh depends on the type of star trek stories you enjoy. It was a diplomacy and action story, heavily relying on (but not being limited by) the crossover elements of TNG and TOS.
I don't adore the TOS cast as I do Picards crew, but they were all interestingly portrayed and I enjoyed them being there. It has some TNG elements I really like, e.g. Guidance by Guinan, Picard being annoyed by someone and also explored an alien culture a little further. The parts with Spock were the most interesting for me.
Still, my favourite ST episodes / stories are about interpersonal stuff, exploring concepts or putting the crew in weird situations. I don't dislike the interracial conflicts, but they're not my favourites and while I think this is a well done version of it, it didn't do enough to blow me away. It was fun, but there wasn't much that lets this story stand out from other star trek stories, be it episodes or books, at least for me.
That said, if this will be a favourite or just meh depends on the type of star trek stories you enjoy. It was a diplomacy and action story, heavily relying on (but not being limited by) the crossover elements of TNG and TOS.
I don't adore the TOS cast as I do Picards crew, but they were all interestingly portrayed and I enjoyed them being there. It has some TNG elements I really like, e.g. Guidance by Guinan, Picard being annoyed by someone and also explored an alien culture a little further. The parts with Spock were the most interesting for me.
Still, my favourite ST episodes / stories are about interpersonal stuff, exploring concepts or putting the crew in weird situations. I don't dislike the interracial conflicts, but they're not my favourites and while I think this is a well done version of it, it didn't do enough to blow me away. It was fun, but there wasn't much that lets this story stand out from other star trek stories, be it episodes or books, at least for me.
September 11, 2015
I have only two words to say about this novel. However, I intend to bury those two words deep within a 1500 word rant about can openers and people that cross lanes when turning at an intersection.
And actually, is that a thing people are supposed to be able to do? I mean, there are two lanes going one direction at an intersection. A person is turning left onto the two lane road at the same time that another person is directly opposite our left turning hero and is turning right onto the same two lane road.
It seems to me that it should all work out without a traffic incident, the person turning left stays in the left lane and the person turning right stays in the right lane.
However, whenever I find myself in that situation, invariably, the person opposite me (whether I’m turning left OR right at this mythical intersection) will cross lanes and either force me to slam on my brakes to avoid being pummeled, or cut me off so aggressively that I think a collision was their goal in the first place.
Now, I figure if someone has a ‘right of way’ in that scenario, it should be me on occasion for the simple reason that I find myself as the left turning person and the right turning person from time to time… I’d have to be in the right even by accident some times. Except… when is it okay to just cross lanes that way during a turn WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE LANE YOU ARE CROSSING INTO.
Whatever, all I’m saying is people need to stop it.
And another thing, what’s the deal with my can opener? It’s been working fine for years, then, out of nowhere, last week, it just stops working. I have to fight with it to get the blade onto the lip of the can, and once there, cranking it over to cut into the tin top has become impossible. I can’t find any misalignment or flaws in the mechanism when giving it a good visual inspection. It just stopped working.
Maybe my cans all have crooked tops or something. Stupid… uh… things.
And in between all this, I may have read a Star Trek book. Actually, I know I did. I’d talk about it more except that for all the excitement I had after reading the most excellent Federation, this one was a pretty big letdown for me.
Lessee – this is one of the those novels that takes place in the TNG era but involves several of the TOS era crew. Spock, ambassador now, is living on Romulus and teaching the wisdom of the Vulcan Buddha to the Romulans that are willing to listen. His dream of a united people (in Star Trek lore, the Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcans – having fled the Vulcan homeworld when all this ‘lets-be-logical’ talk starting getting out of hand.
So, anyway, the Romulans capture Spock and A) have no idea who he is and B) intend to kill him for his insurrectionist thoughts.
I have a hard time believing that no one can figure out who Spock is. I think events of the TV show made it clear that the Romulan government is well aware of Spock and his teachings, and probably monitor his movements. Whatever. If that isn’t the case, you’d think they have things like fingerprints or genetic testing, or facial recognition software in the 24th century that could identify the most famous Vulcan in the alpha quadrant.
But no, no one has any idea who he is. I mean, he’s arrested and processed, but again, no one bothers to check anything about this man out.
So, McCoy, who is somewhere close to 145 years old at this time, and still working as an admiral, commandeers the Enterprise and relieves Jean Luc Picard of command after he resists the idea of invading Romulan space and shooting everything until Spock is given back.
And in a book where Spock has become the religious zealot that everyone with any sense should avoid (and talking in circles almost as bad as Yoda does in Star Wars), McCoy becomes an overconfident moron.
Oh, and Scotty, he somehow hacked Starfleet and heard a communique to McCoy regarding Spock and so went off and stole a constellation class starship from a museum while taking a tour there.
Actually, aside from the ridiculous way he found out about Spock, this was probably the best part of the novel.
And Picard spend the bulk of this novel in his quarters, sulking about being relieved of command.
Yeah, I was not that happy about this. None of the characters felt right to me. The plot made very little sense to me, and after Federation, honestly, I just expected a lot more.
So, boo.
And now that I think of it, it seems like I've read a Star Trek book or two in the past from this author (really, a very long time ago, the mid-nineties) that I really liked. I'll have to go back and see if I can remember which one it was.
And actually, is that a thing people are supposed to be able to do? I mean, there are two lanes going one direction at an intersection. A person is turning left onto the two lane road at the same time that another person is directly opposite our left turning hero and is turning right onto the same two lane road.
It seems to me that it should all work out without a traffic incident, the person turning left stays in the left lane and the person turning right stays in the right lane.
However, whenever I find myself in that situation, invariably, the person opposite me (whether I’m turning left OR right at this mythical intersection) will cross lanes and either force me to slam on my brakes to avoid being pummeled, or cut me off so aggressively that I think a collision was their goal in the first place.
Now, I figure if someone has a ‘right of way’ in that scenario, it should be me on occasion for the simple reason that I find myself as the left turning person and the right turning person from time to time… I’d have to be in the right even by accident some times. Except… when is it okay to just cross lanes that way during a turn WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE LANE YOU ARE CROSSING INTO.
Whatever, all I’m saying is people need to stop it.
And another thing, what’s the deal with my can opener? It’s been working fine for years, then, out of nowhere, last week, it just stops working. I have to fight with it to get the blade onto the lip of the can, and once there, cranking it over to cut into the tin top has become impossible. I can’t find any misalignment or flaws in the mechanism when giving it a good visual inspection. It just stopped working.
Maybe my cans all have crooked tops or something. Stupid… uh… things.
And in between all this, I may have read a Star Trek book. Actually, I know I did. I’d talk about it more except that for all the excitement I had after reading the most excellent Federation, this one was a pretty big letdown for me.
Lessee – this is one of the those novels that takes place in the TNG era but involves several of the TOS era crew. Spock, ambassador now, is living on Romulus and teaching the wisdom of the Vulcan Buddha to the Romulans that are willing to listen. His dream of a united people (in Star Trek lore, the Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcans – having fled the Vulcan homeworld when all this ‘lets-be-logical’ talk starting getting out of hand.
So, anyway, the Romulans capture Spock and A) have no idea who he is and B) intend to kill him for his insurrectionist thoughts.
I have a hard time believing that no one can figure out who Spock is. I think events of the TV show made it clear that the Romulan government is well aware of Spock and his teachings, and probably monitor his movements. Whatever. If that isn’t the case, you’d think they have things like fingerprints or genetic testing, or facial recognition software in the 24th century that could identify the most famous Vulcan in the alpha quadrant.
But no, no one has any idea who he is. I mean, he’s arrested and processed, but again, no one bothers to check anything about this man out.
So, McCoy, who is somewhere close to 145 years old at this time, and still working as an admiral, commandeers the Enterprise and relieves Jean Luc Picard of command after he resists the idea of invading Romulan space and shooting everything until Spock is given back.
And in a book where Spock has become the religious zealot that everyone with any sense should avoid (and talking in circles almost as bad as Yoda does in Star Wars), McCoy becomes an overconfident moron.
Oh, and Scotty, he somehow hacked Starfleet and heard a communique to McCoy regarding Spock and so went off and stole a constellation class starship from a museum while taking a tour there.
Actually, aside from the ridiculous way he found out about Spock, this was probably the best part of the novel.
And Picard spend the bulk of this novel in his quarters, sulking about being relieved of command.
Yeah, I was not that happy about this. None of the characters felt right to me. The plot made very little sense to me, and after Federation, honestly, I just expected a lot more.
So, boo.
And now that I think of it, it seems like I've read a Star Trek book or two in the past from this author (really, a very long time ago, the mid-nineties) that I really liked. I'll have to go back and see if I can remember which one it was.
March 14, 2022
Unedited notes, (chapterwise) from an unfinished review:
Prologue. I do love well placed references to green blood. The greenness in the cheeks arising from Sel'den's embarrassment.
1. The teacher. The Vulcan. Must be Spock. The Vulcan teaching the ways of Surak to Romulans on Romulus is a very familiar concept.
4. Scotty commandeering a Starfleet vessel to rescue Spock is something I've seen before (black fire)
7. Comment about Scotty being out of active duty directly contradicts what Scotty had said to Ensign Hammond about still being active a few chapters earlier. PLUS. According to this author the Romulans do not take prisoners. I think the Romulans are well known for hostage interrogation!
8. I've enjoyed the discussions of logic.
9. It is getting "painfully weary" the way the author continues to emphasise Bones' unpleasantness. I did think Picard's plan was a good one even though I suspect it's misdirection of a sort (on the author's part) and the Romulans won't accept. I did love Picard's wisdom to Bones "shall I negotiate without talking to them"... either Scotty or McCoy or both of those guys are going to save the day surely.
10. The brutal and devastating ambush.
11. "Yer mother's a klingon" !!! Best insult ever.
12. I thought it was a bit of a sweet scene when the Enterprise crew all showed their feelings for Scotty. I could hear Picard and McCoy's voices quite well while reading this chapter. I was a bit disheartened that Picard could not find a compromise with McCoy though.
13. I had a little laugh at the image that Goodwin painted for me of an old frail Bones in the captain's seat. {Look up narendra 3 Romulan war reference}
17. I liked the morale talk, especially Data's innocent remark about having been trouble for Geordi. I also liked Scott's timely appearance and his response to being called "a beautiful sight" by Riker.
19. I felt a bit devastated for Bones when his plan so utterly blew up in his face.
24. Having Bones redeem a sense of utility was an excellent way to bring this story home in my opinion. It was a little on the easy side but the conflict had obviously been painted as a great concern to the Empire. You may be a doctor, but you are also a great deal more than that.
25. Spock is crazy. Definitely dedicated to his cause. I wonder what the next rescue book is called.
26. Epilogue. Nice to see Picard's perspective still holds high regard for McCoy even after he was so utterly irritated and rudely sidelined. I thought it was a nice way to end the story here.
Prologue. I do love well placed references to green blood. The greenness in the cheeks arising from Sel'den's embarrassment.
1. The teacher. The Vulcan. Must be Spock. The Vulcan teaching the ways of Surak to Romulans on Romulus is a very familiar concept.
4. Scotty commandeering a Starfleet vessel to rescue Spock is something I've seen before (black fire)
7. Comment about Scotty being out of active duty directly contradicts what Scotty had said to Ensign Hammond about still being active a few chapters earlier. PLUS. According to this author the Romulans do not take prisoners. I think the Romulans are well known for hostage interrogation!
8. I've enjoyed the discussions of logic.
9. It is getting "painfully weary" the way the author continues to emphasise Bones' unpleasantness. I did think Picard's plan was a good one even though I suspect it's misdirection of a sort (on the author's part) and the Romulans won't accept. I did love Picard's wisdom to Bones "shall I negotiate without talking to them"... either Scotty or McCoy or both of those guys are going to save the day surely.
10. The brutal and devastating ambush.
11. "Yer mother's a klingon" !!! Best insult ever.
12. I thought it was a bit of a sweet scene when the Enterprise crew all showed their feelings for Scotty. I could hear Picard and McCoy's voices quite well while reading this chapter. I was a bit disheartened that Picard could not find a compromise with McCoy though.
13. I had a little laugh at the image that Goodwin painted for me of an old frail Bones in the captain's seat. {Look up narendra 3 Romulan war reference}
17. I liked the morale talk, especially Data's innocent remark about having been trouble for Geordi. I also liked Scott's timely appearance and his response to being called "a beautiful sight" by Riker.
19. I felt a bit devastated for Bones when his plan so utterly blew up in his face.
24. Having Bones redeem a sense of utility was an excellent way to bring this story home in my opinion. It was a little on the easy side but the conflict had obviously been painted as a great concern to the Empire. You may be a doctor, but you are also a great deal more than that.
25. Spock is crazy. Definitely dedicated to his cause. I wonder what the next rescue book is called.
26. Epilogue. Nice to see Picard's perspective still holds high regard for McCoy even after he was so utterly irritated and rudely sidelined. I thought it was a nice way to end the story here.
September 1, 2013
This will please any Star Trek fan especially since it combines three Classic characters--Spock, Scotty, and McCoy--with the Next Generation crew. I enjoyed Scotty role in the first half of the story as he engineered his way to getting an old star-ship space worthy in a new century. McCoy was not given a very good role in this story. Spock was good revealing more of the Vulcan way of logic compared to the combative Romulans. Picard was his usual self, but splitting the stage with all these characters took away from the Next Gen crew a little too much. The ending had the usual combination of Star Trek techie gymnastics and psychological insight, but wasn't too original. Plotting could have been better and more innovative.
October 6, 2017
The book was a satisfactory read for anyone looking to scratch that NextGen itch - especially if you're a fan of how the show has handled a lot of the TOS characters. My only complaint about the book is that... I felt like I'd read it before or seen it on an episode before (and I know I hadn't). The source material, theme, story, and characters used FOR that story has been done to death. A mad trip to Romulan space to save Spock while constantly alluding to the mindmeld between Picard and Sarek is just rehashed ground and while the other books that I've read along this storyline may have copied this one... I have no way of knowing, LOL.
February 4, 2018
A rather silly novel, but somehow still a fun read. The story involves Scotty stealing a Constitution class starship to go rescue Spock who as been captured by the Romulans. Honestly, the most interesting and fun part somehow was Scotty getting the stolen ship up and running for a combat mission. I actually would have loved it if this chapter was expanded to the point were it was a third of the book. The part of the book where Scotty steals the ship, the USS Yorktown, was fun, but really ridiculous. His theft of the antique starship was so cartoonishly easy, it made the Iron Eagle franchise of movies seem as grounded and realistic as the television series The Wire.
December 22, 2016
I really did want this one to be better. But there's not enough going on to warrant a novel, the climax relies too heavily on a fire fight, and the classic characters are brought together because it was easy, not because it was relevant, necessary, or probable. Oh, and then there's the issue of making up a new race that apparently gets the Romulans scared alluvasudden? No. Try harder to be convincing, Friedman. Sorry. Kind of a frustrating story, on the whole.
December 9, 2020
Love love love the 2 crews mixing. Such a good job. Very entertaining.
February 16, 2022
I picked up several "Star Trek" books from my local used book store, essentially at random, and have decided to give them a read. I loved TNG growing up but only recently completed watching the entire series from start to finish. I've always been a big fan of the TOS films as well.
"Crossover" was definitely the book for me. It has the TNG cast mixing it up with Scotty (still middle aged after getting trapped in a transporter for 70 years), Bones (150 years old and an admiral!) and Spock (still trying to reunify the Vulcans and the Romulans). When Spock is captured, the entire Federation freaks out and the adventure begins.
Friedman does a great job of balancing out the story between all the different characters and capturing everyone's proper characterization. Man oh man, Bones has become an even more salty bastard with years!
This makes me excited to read more from this extended universe.
"Crossover" was definitely the book for me. It has the TNG cast mixing it up with Scotty (still middle aged after getting trapped in a transporter for 70 years), Bones (150 years old and an admiral!) and Spock (still trying to reunify the Vulcans and the Romulans). When Spock is captured, the entire Federation freaks out and the adventure begins.
Friedman does a great job of balancing out the story between all the different characters and capturing everyone's proper characterization. Man oh man, Bones has become an even more salty bastard with years!
This makes me excited to read more from this extended universe.
March 7, 2015
Recent events have turned me to some good old fashioned Star Trek literature. Comfort food along with a good, pulpy horror story but this is one I've never come across and I was sold right away when I cam across it in the library's catalogue. Spock is doing work for Unification on Romulus and is arrested with a bunch of other followers - somehow no one knows that Spock is actually among them. The Federation is, of course, concerned but not for probably the obvious reason. Top brass orders Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to deal with things - and they're sending Admiral Leonard McCoy along as well as an advisor.
Meanwhile out in space on the shuttle Picard loaned to him, Montgomery Scott intercepts a message about Spock's capture and decides it's up to him to rescue his friend. The man has stolen starships before so I think he has developed a taste for it - and I actually really enjoyed watching him do it. While Scott is being a pirate, Picard has to deal with an impatient and holier than thou McCoy who ends up becoming something he always hated. Really though, Picard's crew is superficial and this is a story about our living three original Enterprise crew members and it is so much fun to read.
I have my problems with it (Spock's chosen course of action, the fact that the Romulans don't know Spock is there in their damn jail, some other stuff) but over all it's a fun adventure and a logical progression since we've had Spock, Scott, and McCoy on The Next Generation but not at the same time. Much enjoyment to be had here for original series fans.
Meanwhile out in space on the shuttle Picard loaned to him, Montgomery Scott intercepts a message about Spock's capture and decides it's up to him to rescue his friend. The man has stolen starships before so I think he has developed a taste for it - and I actually really enjoyed watching him do it. While Scott is being a pirate, Picard has to deal with an impatient and holier than thou McCoy who ends up becoming something he always hated. Really though, Picard's crew is superficial and this is a story about our living three original Enterprise crew members and it is so much fun to read.
I have my problems with it (Spock's chosen course of action, the fact that the Romulans don't know Spock is there in their damn jail, some other stuff) but over all it's a fun adventure and a logical progression since we've had Spock, Scott, and McCoy on The Next Generation but not at the same time. Much enjoyment to be had here for original series fans.
March 14, 2013
A fun, if forgettable, Star Trek novel that features the three TOS characters still alive in the TNG era — Spock, Scotty, and McCoy. Unfortunately, the three are not working together, so there's little teamwork involved. Further, McCoy is reduced to a cantankerous old coot, and much of Spock's drama is predicated on the notion that the Romulans have no photographic evidence by which to identify the Vulcan. Fortunately, Scotty is as ingenious and entertaining as always; the book is worth it almost solely for his scenes.
September 26, 2016
This book was so much fun. Being the first Star Trek book I've ever read, I wasn't sure what to expect, but this completely blew my mind! The Next Generation crew with some favorites from the Original Series, the melding of the two was perfect. And to return to Spock's efforts to reunify Vulcans and Romulans, handled so deftly in TNG, was fantastic. I've always been curious about Romulans, and to actually spend some time with them in this book was fantastic. I'm looking forward to reading more Star Trek books in the future!
July 29, 2022
loved seeing scotty and mccoy and spock join up with the next gen characters the character of mccoy was well written he wanted to go in and get spock out whereas picard was thinking let's be a bit more cautious because if the romulans have got him the odds wont be in our favour if they have more ships very enjoyable novel from one of my favourite star trek authors. i also liked when admiral mccoy took command of the enterprise.
January 22, 2011
A Star Trek novel that desperately wants to be epic and satisfying...but is more concerned with continuity fanwank, framed by a story that seems strangely under-nourished and editorially gutted. Very disappointing...especially considering the Michael Jan Friedman is capable of much better Star Trek novels, such as "Reunion".
November 26, 2014
A fun novel that brings the TOS & TNG crews together. Spock is captured by Romulans and Scotty heads off to save him in a stolen ship, followed by McCoy, with Picard and his Enterprise.
Well-written and full of fun and action, this reads like a proper Trek movie, not the lens flared monstrosities of late. Recommended for any Trek fan!
Well-written and full of fun and action, this reads like a proper Trek movie, not the lens flared monstrosities of late. Recommended for any Trek fan!
December 29, 2010
A quaint little story with the feel of the old Star Trek but set in the world of the new. There are so many implausibilities and lantern-hangings that it can't really be taken seriously, but then that was always the charm of proper 1960s Star Trek.
April 18, 2017
The performance is top notch in this book, and there is lots of action. A must read/ listen! I listened to the Audible aubiobook, which is narrated by Jonathan Frakes who plays Commander William Riker in the Next Generation series & films.
October 24, 2021
Good story but as always with Friedman I wish he'd realise how very much too often he uses the phrases: Then again; after all and; of course. Drives me crazy!
June 17, 2019
The fundamental premise of this novel is the presence of Ambassador Spock in the Romulan Empire working tirelessly for the idealistic goal of “Unification,” a combining of the planet Vulcan with the Romulan Empire. To the leadership of the Romulan Empire, this makes the followers of Spock traitors and subject to execution. When Spock and his group of Romulan followers is captured by the Romulan authorities, it is clear to the Federation leadership that a crisis of the highest order is upon them. Fortunately, the Romulan leadership is unaware that they have Spock.
Hearing of the capture, Scotty decides to take matters into his own hands, taking over a museum piece starship with the original Romulan cloaking device introduced in the episode “The Enterprise Incident” of the original series. As only Scotty can do it, he single-handedly takes the ship into Romulan space in an attempt to rescue Spock.
Meanwhile, Admiral McCoy is brought on board the Enterprise commanded by Captain Picard in order to use his knowledge of Spock to facilitate a recovery of Spock. Picard’s tactic is to try to get the captured group voluntarily turned over to him, something that McCoy objects to.
This story is very similar to “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” in that the basic premise is the commandeering of a starship in pursuit of a personal goal. Once again, Scotty is the miracle worker, although even he cannot do it all himself. It takes some clever actions by Spock on the ground, decisive action by Captain Picard and some outrageous verbal sparring with the Romulan commander by McCoy to get Spock to safety aboard a starship and back in Federation space.
The story moves at a brisk space with the emphasis on what the members of the crew of the original series will do for each other. There is a fundamental total loyalty to each other that leads them to a “whatever is necessary” mindset. Something that is not played as strongly in STTNG. That is the best part of the plot and a reminder of the original series episode, “The Empath.” While that was not a strong episode, it did feature the storyline where Kirk, Spock and McCoy were each willing to die to protect the other two.
Hearing of the capture, Scotty decides to take matters into his own hands, taking over a museum piece starship with the original Romulan cloaking device introduced in the episode “The Enterprise Incident” of the original series. As only Scotty can do it, he single-handedly takes the ship into Romulan space in an attempt to rescue Spock.
Meanwhile, Admiral McCoy is brought on board the Enterprise commanded by Captain Picard in order to use his knowledge of Spock to facilitate a recovery of Spock. Picard’s tactic is to try to get the captured group voluntarily turned over to him, something that McCoy objects to.
This story is very similar to “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” in that the basic premise is the commandeering of a starship in pursuit of a personal goal. Once again, Scotty is the miracle worker, although even he cannot do it all himself. It takes some clever actions by Spock on the ground, decisive action by Captain Picard and some outrageous verbal sparring with the Romulan commander by McCoy to get Spock to safety aboard a starship and back in Federation space.
The story moves at a brisk space with the emphasis on what the members of the crew of the original series will do for each other. There is a fundamental total loyalty to each other that leads them to a “whatever is necessary” mindset. Something that is not played as strongly in STTNG. That is the best part of the plot and a reminder of the original series episode, “The Empath.” While that was not a strong episode, it did feature the storyline where Kirk, Spock and McCoy were each willing to die to protect the other two.
May 25, 2022
It’s unfortunate that a book with such a terrific idea comes off so poorly in the execution. Though it contains a great deal of action and intrigue, the story at times borders on the absurd.
In Crossover, fans are treated to a reunion of sorts of three members of the cast of the original Star Trek series. These are the three cast members who appeared at one time or another on the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series.
In the very first episode, Encounter at Farpoint, viewers were shown that Leonard McCoy, the former doctor on the Enterprise, lived to a very ripe old age. In the episodes Unification Part I and Unification Part II, the Vulcan Spock was undercover on Romulus striving for a reunification of the Romulan and Vulcan empires. In the episode Relics, the former chief engineer Scotty was rescued from a transporter where he had been held in a recycling loop for many years.
Unless readers have at least seen Unification Part I and Unification Part II as well as Relics, chances are they will be lost reading this novel. A great deal of the story relies on knowledge of events that took place during those episodes. For fans like me who have seen these a few times, that is fine. For people who are less familiar with the television series and don’t have access to these episodes on DVD or videotape, it makes it difficult.
To read my full review, please see: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
In Crossover, fans are treated to a reunion of sorts of three members of the cast of the original Star Trek series. These are the three cast members who appeared at one time or another on the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series.
In the very first episode, Encounter at Farpoint, viewers were shown that Leonard McCoy, the former doctor on the Enterprise, lived to a very ripe old age. In the episodes Unification Part I and Unification Part II, the Vulcan Spock was undercover on Romulus striving for a reunification of the Romulan and Vulcan empires. In the episode Relics, the former chief engineer Scotty was rescued from a transporter where he had been held in a recycling loop for many years.
Unless readers have at least seen Unification Part I and Unification Part II as well as Relics, chances are they will be lost reading this novel. A great deal of the story relies on knowledge of events that took place during those episodes. For fans like me who have seen these a few times, that is fine. For people who are less familiar with the television series and don’t have access to these episodes on DVD or videotape, it makes it difficult.
To read my full review, please see: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...
November 8, 2017
Until about halfway through the book I considered this novel a big disappointment. I chose it according to the GR ratings, and based on its leading characters, but I just found too much of it off, or downright annoying. Eventually, it started to slowly come together (as did the characters), and the final few chapters were downright joyous to read.
Still, I had to suspend my believe and steel my nerves more than I expected to.
So, the Romulans wouldn't know what the leader of the Unificationists looked like. Right. I know that this was written in the mid-90's, and that I come from 20 years later, when nobody in their right mind would use this as a crucial plot point - but frankly, I think you must have been a bit insane to do that even then. (Some secret police the Romulans have. Useless.)
Then, there we have McCoy, who is just an insufferable asshole for a large part of the book. Of course, if you had to make an asshole out of anyone of the core TOS crew, Bones is the best option, but it just felt too much like they needed him to be stubborn to complicate the plot, more than an actual manifestation of his character.
And then there's Spock, who, despite being in the whole novel, only really shows up at the end. As in, properly.
For the most part this novel ended up being a frustrating mixed bag, not bringing the best of both TOS & TNG crews until very late - but the nostalgia-fest elements of it were lovely. So this gets a 3* in the end.
Still, I had to suspend my believe and steel my nerves more than I expected to.
So, the Romulans wouldn't know what the leader of the Unificationists looked like. Right. I know that this was written in the mid-90's, and that I come from 20 years later, when nobody in their right mind would use this as a crucial plot point - but frankly, I think you must have been a bit insane to do that even then. (Some secret police the Romulans have. Useless.)
Then, there we have McCoy, who is just an insufferable asshole for a large part of the book. Of course, if you had to make an asshole out of anyone of the core TOS crew, Bones is the best option, but it just felt too much like they needed him to be stubborn to complicate the plot, more than an actual manifestation of his character.
And then there's Spock, who, despite being in the whole novel, only really shows up at the end. As in, properly.
For the most part this novel ended up being a frustrating mixed bag, not bringing the best of both TOS & TNG crews until very late - but the nostalgia-fest elements of it were lovely. So this gets a 3* in the end.
May 7, 2021
An interesting premise: Spock's underground efforts to reunite Vulcans and Romulans are exposed, leading to his capture and the need for Starfleet to recover him. The set-up provides a "logical" reason to reintroduce Scotty and Bones, the only two Original Series characters that were established at that point to have survived until the TNG timeline. The execution is solid and the story unfolds easily, although it becomes apparent how it will play out pretty early. Bones getting into a clash of wills with Picard and taking charge of the ship was interesting, although some of the doctor's dialogue felt a little too much like a charicature. The same can be said for Scotty too. In the climax the Enterprise takes on several Romulan warbirds in a scene that could never have taken place on the TV show at that time due to costs and the limitations of special effects... scenes like that are always fun to see in the books that were written during the heyday of Pocket Books Trek publishing, when there was no limit except imagination... I do miss that!
Nice touch: Scotty hijacks the Intrepid and comes to find the bridge module from the original Enterprise was reinstalled on that ship after its refit.
Nice touch: Scotty hijacks the Intrepid and comes to find the bridge module from the original Enterprise was reinstalled on that ship after its refit.
August 3, 2022
I remember reading this one when it first came out and loving it. Rereading it now.... it is not as good as I remember it being. There is a HUGE gap between the book that this was marketed as being and the book it wound up being. I blame Paramount's licensing department and Gene Roddenberry's former assistant Richard Arnold- whose directives on licensed material stayed in placed LONG after he was sacked by Paramount in 1991-92.
See the book was ADVERTISED as the known survivors of Kirk's crew teaming up with the TNG crew, with no time time travel or anything. So it was going to be a follow up to both Unification and Relics. Only they'd fight the Romulans while arguing over command styles.
Instead what we got is... three five different loosely connected stories that while they connect to each other in the end, none of them really have the proper space to grow and develop. There are no real stakes and it all feels kind of hollow. Maybe later Trek books where they could do continuing stories, minor characters could have growth (or even die) spoiled the old school stand alones for me.
I mean the story as is... fine. Adequate and well told. I just can't help but feel that had the Arnold directives not been in place... it could have been so much better.
See the book was ADVERTISED as the known survivors of Kirk's crew teaming up with the TNG crew, with no time time travel or anything. So it was going to be a follow up to both Unification and Relics. Only they'd fight the Romulans while arguing over command styles.
Instead what we got is... three five different loosely connected stories that while they connect to each other in the end, none of them really have the proper space to grow and develop. There are no real stakes and it all feels kind of hollow. Maybe later Trek books where they could do continuing stories, minor characters could have growth (or even die) spoiled the old school stand alones for me.
I mean the story as is... fine. Adequate and well told. I just can't help but feel that had the Arnold directives not been in place... it could have been so much better.
August 15, 2017
Star Trek: Crossover features the TNG crew as well as a few members from TOS: Spock, McCoy, and Scotty.
What you need to know is that Spock is still working on his unification efforts between Vulcans and Romulans. Spock and the rest of his students get captured and the Federations sends McCoy to advise and assist Picard and his crew with the rescue mission. Good ole Montgomery Scott intercepts the message and does some wonderfully space pirate/super engineer things in his efforts to help.
I will admit that I found it odd that the Romulans couldn't identify who Spock was, but I did appreciate the "Oh Captain, My Captain"-type moment that it delivered. There will also a few other moments that didn't quite work, but overall, this was a fun adventure that captured the voices of characters we all know and love.
What you need to know is that Spock is still working on his unification efforts between Vulcans and Romulans. Spock and the rest of his students get captured and the Federations sends McCoy to advise and assist Picard and his crew with the rescue mission. Good ole Montgomery Scott intercepts the message and does some wonderfully space pirate/super engineer things in his efforts to help.
I will admit that I found it odd that the Romulans couldn't identify who Spock was, but I did appreciate the "Oh Captain, My Captain"-type moment that it delivered. There will also a few other moments that didn't quite work, but overall, this was a fun adventure that captured the voices of characters we all know and love.
May 20, 2023
Kinda silly. Romulans inept. The TOS characters sounding/acting like caricatures of themselves. Too much luck. Too much bloodshed. But I like Spock's students. And Beverly's cameo is pretty cool ('if anyone could make tough decisions, it was her'). I am glad that I read it, and look forward to the next. (And, tbh, finishing the box that I inherited from my brother and moving it along.)
"Surak teaches us to find order in chaos. He does not teach us to try to eliminate chaos or impose order onto it. And the reasons are not simply ethical, because a complex system--whether a biological entity, or a society, or even a language--must remain diverse. It must remain open to change or it will die."
"Surak teaches us to find order in chaos. He does not teach us to try to eliminate chaos or impose order onto it. And the reasons are not simply ethical, because a complex system--whether a biological entity, or a society, or even a language--must remain diverse. It must remain open to change or it will die."
January 18, 2018
I bought this book when I was young and never read it until now. It was great seeing the characters who showed up from the Original Series on TNG get involved in another adventure and Picard and crew having to deal with it. It always confused me the registration of the ship on the cover so I am glad that got cleared up and was not some person getting confused with the numbering - though ANOTHER Yorktown... how many of those ships are out there? Scotty's story was the most fun and entertaining part of the book but I did find McCoy's arc very interesting and it went in a direction I did not expect.
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