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The Return (A Star Trek novel) by William Shatner

This is one of the better Star Trek novels in a while. It was written with the help of Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens, and their ability to work with the Star Trek universe is evident throughout.

The story takes place immediately after the Generations movie, and begins with an attack on the Enterprise saucer being salvaged, and with the theft of Kirk’s body. It goes on to feature a revived Kirk trying to find, and kill, Captain Picard, A Romulon splinter group working with the Borg, Picard and Crusher on a secret mission, and a visit by Riker to Deep Space Nine.

Oh, and did I mention Worf fighting a monster? Or Admiral McCoy and Spock working together with Doctor Bashir to find Kirk, remove a little bit of Borg technology from his skull, and figure out why he, or his programmers, want to kill Picard? Or how our heroes get to the Delta quadrant (at least they don't meet up with Voyager, but I was beginning to wonder at one point).

Now I know that sounds like a hodge podge story full of too many plot threads and too many familiar faces thrown in for fan appeal, and in lesser hands it might have been that. Yet this novel is a coherent whole that makes sense, rushes to a wild and satisfying space battle ending, and leaves you feeling like you just got off a roller coaster. One of the rumors about the next film involves a trip to the Borg home world (hint), and this book seems to read like a movie, so you can only wonder.

This is one Star Trek book to put on your reading list.