Authors | Sondra Marshak Myrna Culbreath |
---|---|
Language | English |
Series | Star Trek |
Genre | Science fiction |
Publisher | Bantam Books |
Publication date | July 1977 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (Paperback)) |
Pages | 182 |
ISBN | 0-553-10978-2 |
OCLC | 3194236 |
Preceded by | Spock, Messiah! |
Followed by | Planet of Judgment |
The Price of the Phoenix (July 1977) is a science fiction novel by American writers Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath, based upon the 1960s television series Star Trek. It was first published by Bantam Books in 1977, and reissued by Corgi and Titan Books in the UK.
The novel references the Star Trek episode "The Enterprise Incident", and includes the unnamed Romulan commander featured in that episode. The commander's name is never revealed in the book, but is said to translate to "dawn of springtime."
A sequel, The Fate of the Phoenix, was released in 1979.
Kirk's body is beamed aboard the Enterprise after his accidental death on an unnamed outlaw planet. Spock confronts the planetary ruler, Omne, who reveals to Spock that he has pioneered the “phoenix process", a modification of transporter technology capable of creating an exact duplicate of a living person—including a duplicate of Kirk. Spock is allowed a brief mind meld, and verifies that the duplicate is indeed Kirk, whom he designates “James”. Spock accepts an offer from Omne to learn more about the phoenix process, however, Omne explains the "price of the phoenix" will require the betrayal of the Federation and of the prime directive.
While searching for the real, original Kirk (still alive; it was a duplicate who was killed), Spock and James encounter the Romulan Commander they previously met in "The Enterprise Incident". The Commander is sympathetic to their plight and agrees to help. The party find Kirk being tortured by Omne. Spock engages Omne in hand-to-hand combat, but the more powerful Omne proves difficult to dispatch. He is eventually subdued and Spock subjects him to a forced mind meld to purge his memory of the day's events. Before the meld is ended, Omne commits suicide. Realizing Omne only took such an action to escape capture, Spock, James, Kirk and the Romulan Commander retreat to the Enterprise.
They draw up plans to establish a new life for James, and a strategy to cope with Omne’s inevitable resurrection. James agrees to accompany the Commander back to a colony world of the Romulan Empire and is surgically altered to appear Romulan. Before James and the Commander depart, the resurrected Omne transports himself aboard the Enterprise. Holding James at gunpoint, Omne announces his intention to return to the planet's surface, where it will be impossible to pursue him. Kirk warns the defiant ruler to mend his ways, which Omne dismisses. Kirk signals the ship's engineer, Montgomery Scott, to transport the weapon out of Omne’s hand. Omne retrieves a second weapon and engages Kirk in a Mexican standoff. Omne is outdrawn and is killed again, this time by Kirk.
Spock theorizes Omne has perished outside the range of the phoenix device. However, those present agree to deal with Omne should he ever return.
The ruler, Omne, returns in The Fate of The Phoenix, also written by Marshak and Culbreath. It was released by Bantam Books in 1979.
The self-published book Never Mourn Black Omne, distributed sometime prior to the publication of Price, is believed to have been an early, draft, version of the novel. [1] It is unclear how many copies were printed, or distributed. The text of Never Mourn Black Omne parallels that of The Price of the Phoenix, and, to some degree, the text of The Fate of the Phoenix.
Both Sondra and Marshak clarified, in a letter published in Interstat #20, that the manuscript for The Price of the Phoenix was personally approved by Gene Roddenberry as part of the book's production. [2] The approval was characterized by the authors as a reaction to the production of Spock, Messiah! (1976), by Theodore R. Cogswell and Charles A. Spano, Jr., with which Roddenberry was only indirectly involved.
Marshak and Culbreath were not interested in professional literary criticism, but they were very interested in fan reactions and feedback, writing to Interstat, "We have been extremely interested in all of the reviews of [The Price of the Phoenix] in the fan literature." [2]
In Interstat #1, a fan-submitted essay entitled "What Hath Bantam Wrought?" compares The Price of the Phoenix to the previously released novel, Spock, Messiah!. The fan writes, if Messiah! "is insulting to women," then in The Price of the Phoenix "everyone becomes a woman," and that "the only male portrayed in the novel is a black-clad herd bull" reminiscent of a character from The Sheik (1919) by E.M. Hull. [3]
The editor of the Canadian Trekkies Association's anthology Cantektion lauded The Price of the Phoenix as well-written. However, the novel suffered from a disastrous flaw "within the realm of characterization, and in particular, in the character of Spock." Spock, as written in the novel, was not the same as the Spock who appeared on the television series. [4] The February 1979 issue of the Starship Exeter Organisation (UK) newsletter included a fan review which cited the authors as "probably the Star Trek experts par excellence," and that their knowledge of the "Star Trek world is evident throughout this novel." The review concluded by explaining "through a series of exciting climaxes to a final grand denouement" the ending is "something of a cop-out," and that the text was "rather excessively idealistic in concept[,] and almost exhaustingly emotional in tone." [5]
The Price of the Phoenix was reviewed by Philippa Grove-Stephensen in the December 1977 issue of Paperback Parlour. [6] [7]
Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek media franchise. They are noted for their strict adherence to logic and reason and suppression of emotion. Known for their pronounced eyebrows and pointed ears, they originate from the fictional planet Vulcan. In the Star Trek universe, they were the first extraterrestrial species to make contact with humans.
Saavik is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. She first appeared in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) played by Kirstie Alley. Robin Curtis took over the role for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
"Unification" is a two-part episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation which features Leonard Nimoy as Spock. The first of the two episodes earned a 15.4 household Nielsen rating, drawing over 25 million viewers, making it one of the most watched episodes in all seven seasons of The Next Generation's run.
"The Enterprise Incident" is the second episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast September 27, 1968.
Kirk/Spock, commonly abbreviated as K/S or Spirk and referring to James T. Kirk and Spock from Star Trek, is a popular pair in slash fiction, possibly the first slash pairing, according to Henry Jenkins, an early slash fiction scholar. Early in the history of Star Trek fan fiction, a few fan writers started writing about a romantic and sexual relationship between Kirk and Spock, highlighting a romantic or sexual element to the friendship between the men. As of 1998, most academic studies on slash fiction focused on Kirk/Spock, as Star Trek was by that point one of the longest-lived and most prosperous subjects of slash fiction, while its mainstream popularity made it one of the most accessible titles for academics and their audience. As the first slash pairing, K/S was created and developed largely independently from the influence of other slash fiction, with most of the conventions of the slash genre seeing their debut first in K/S slash.
The Return is a novel by William Shatner that was co-written with Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Judith Reeves-Stevens. It is set in the Star Trek universe but, as part of the "Shatnerverse," does not follow the timeline established by other Star Trek novels. The book's sequel is Avenger.
Spock Must Die! is an American science fiction novel written by James Blish, published February 1970 by Bantam Books. It was the first original novel based on the Star Trek television series intended for adult readers. It was preceded by a tie-in comic book line published by Gold Key and the novel Mission to Horatius by Mack Reynolds, all intended for younger readers.
Star Trek: The New Voyages (1976) is an anthology of short fiction based on Star Trek, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Although published professionally, the collected stories were written and submitted by fans. Many of the stories were previously published in fanzines, or collected in fan-published anthologies. The New Voyages was commissioned by Frederik Pohl following his acquisition of Star Trek Lives!, which featured essays on the growing Star Trek fandom, and a chapter on Star Trek fan fiction.
Spock, Messiah! is the second original novel based on television series Star Trek intended for adult readers, written by Theodore R. Cogswell and Charles A. Spano, Jr. It was preceded by Spock Must Die! (1970), and Mission to Horatius (1968). However, Mission was intended for young readers.
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 (1978) is an anthology of short fiction based on Star Trek, edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. The anthology is follow-up to Star Trek: The New Voyages (1976). Jesco von Puttkamer wrote in the anthology's introduction that science fiction, such as Star Trek, humanizes space, making it "more understandable for the young in mind."
Yesterday's Son is a science fiction novel by American writer A. C. Crispin set in the fictional Star Trek Universe. It describes the events surrounding Spock's discovery that he has a son. Yesterday's Son and its sequel, Time for Yesterday, make up A. C. Crispin's "Yesterday Saga".
In 1966, Bantam Books acquired the license to publish tie-in fiction based on the science fiction television series Star Trek.
The Prometheus Design is a novel from the Star Trek: The Original Series collection, authored by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath.
Triangle is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel written by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Star Trek:
Sondra Marshak is an American science-fiction writer. She is most well known for her work co-written with Myrna Culbreath. She was a co-writer of Star Trek Lives! (1975), with Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and television producer Joan Winston. She was an early promoter of Star Trek fan culture, and a publisher of fan fiction.
Myrna Lou Culbreath is an American science fiction writer and editor, most well-known for the Star Trek tie-in novels and anthologies cowritten with Sondra Marshak. Culbreath was a founding editor of the libertarian editorial newsletter The Fire Bringer.
Star Trek Lives! is a 1975 book, co-written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Sondra Marshak, and Joan Winston, which explored the relationship between the Star Trek television series and the fandom that emerged following the series' cancellation. It was published by Bantam Books.