The Entropy Effect
Vonda N. McIntyre
|
Timeframe/Stardate:
|
First Five-Year-Mission, TOS (around star date 5001.1)
| |
Rating:
|
| |
Released:
|
USA: 1981 (Pocket Books)
| |
Edition:
|
- Pocket Books, Softcover, 244 pages (USA)
- Pocket Books, Softcover, new edition 2006, 320 pages (USA)
| |
Part of a series?
|
no
|
|
Book Description (jacket text):
THE UNIVERSE HAS LESS THAN A CENTURY LEFT...UNLESS SPOCK CAN CHANGE HISTORY!
The Enterprise is summoned to transport a dangerous
criminal from starbase prison to a rehabilitation center:
brilliant physicist, Dr. Georges Mordreaux, accused of promising to send
people back in time – then killing them instead.
But when Mordreaux escapes, bursts onto the bridge and kills
Captain Kirk, Spock must journey back in time to avert disaster – before it occurs!
Now there's more at stake than just Kirk's life. Mordreaux's
experiments have thrown the entire universe into a deadly time warp.
Spock is fighting time ... and the universe is closing in on itself with
the relentless squeeze of ...
THE ENTROPY EFFECT
Opinion:
"The Entropy Effect" - a perfect book with an imperfect title - is another novel of the excellent SF and fantasy author Vonda N. McIntyre. It belongs to the older stories and takes place during the first five-year-mission.
Despite of a low site number, Vonda McIntyre is again able to give time and attention to the characters, something which is unfortunately not a matter of course in Star Trek novels.
Everything is enveloped in a fascinating (time-traveling) story, in which the author does something which is usually an absolute don't in a series: She kills one of the main characters.
Of course it is obvious how the book will end, the status quo must be maintained. Nevertheless, "The Entropy Effect" is thrilling right from the start, not unlike a "Columbo" movie where the killer is known but the interesting thing is the question of "HOW" it was done. That is a reason why the book centers mainly on Spock who has the responsibility to correct the time lines.
In general time-traveling stories have a problem with the inner logic and this story is several times very close on the edge. That is the only possible bone of contention, however. In all, especially because of the brilliantly presented emotions of all characters involved, the highest possible ranking is well deserved.
