Burning Dreams
Margaret Wander Bonano
Book Description (jacket text):
Before James T. Kirk, another captain stood on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise(tm), spearheading its mission of exploration into the uncharted reaches of the galaxy. He was a man driven to perfection, a brooding soul whose haunted eyes reflected the burden of the impossible standards he set for himself, and for whom his long-time science officer, Spock, would one day risk everything. Yet little is truly known about the enigmatic Christopher Pike, the events that defined him, or the secrets that consumed him.
From the embers of his early childhood among Earth's blossoming interstellar colonies to the terrifying conflagration that led him back to the world of his birth; from the mentor who would ignite young Chris's desire to return to the stars to the career he blazed in Starfleet that would end in supreme sacrifice - the path of Pike's life leads through fire again and again. But even amid the ashes of Talos IV, the forbidden world on which he would live out the remainder of his days, the dreams still smouldering within his aging, radiation-ravaged breast fan the flames of Pike's spirit to accomplish one final task...
Opinion:
"Burning Dreams" is the story of Captain Pike, Captain of the Enterprise for eleven years prior to Kirk. There is not much known about him, mainly that he was severely maimed in an accident so that he was chair bound and imprisoned in his own body. Spock was the only character of classic Star Trek that served under Pike, back then as science officer only.
Margaret Wonder Bonano writes about Pike's life, starting with his childhood till the events shown in the only TOS double episode.
Furthermore, there are a few sequences that describe Spock's visit to Talos IV half a century later to show what became of Pike.
Basically a story about Pike was long overdue. Since he was supposed to be the leading character of Star Trek in Roddenberry's first concept he was a man with multiple facets right from the start, torn and with much potential. The later accident finally made him a tragic figure.
In general, Margaret Wonder Bonano is perfectly suited for such a book.
She belongs to the authors that were writing Trek since the 1980th and some of her works became bestsellers. For years, it got quiet around her regarding Star Trek ever since her book "Probe" caused a discord. That book was published under her name but it contained only about seven percent of her original script. The events surrounding the release of this book were one major reason so that no new ST novel of her became published.
As time goes by nothing remains the same and so the name of the ones responsible change also. That's why in "Burning Dreams" there are even some words included about that quarrel.
Regarding the past of the author the story of Captain Pike was anticipated eagerly. In all, however, the book is not able to keep pace with my expectations. All known facts are respected and everything is a nice read but the real kick is missing nevertheless. Pike's childhood takes a real large share at the expense of his Starfleet time. Scenes showing him as captain of the Enterprise are really rare. Even the tragic accident and the consequences are mentioned too fast. The whole style of writing is very linear more like the long version of a CV less like a story with rough edges. For the same reason the characters of the first Star Trek pilot "The Cage" have only a minor role. An interaction with "Number One", the woman that has piqued curiosity in her cool demeanor is practically non-existent. A view on Spock starting on the Enterprise as the only Vulcan among humans would have been fascinating but is missing, too.
As a conclusion, "Burning Dreams" is pretty trivial. The novel belongs to the ones published to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek but is, like most of its sisters, not able to gain some points with brilliancy.
