Scan barcode
laurak23's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first "Star Trek" book I read, and I picked it up after reading an online interview with the author. It grabbed my interest because of the way the aliens communicate. They are telepathic, and many of them are deaf. They use sign language to communicate with each other. I thought that the story was a good one, and that the author did a good job of capturing the essence of Kirk and Spock. The others were good, too, but they were the main characters, especially Spock.
I also liked the visual imagery created by the author when it came to the alien race. I have a clear picture in my mind of what they looked like. That can be challenging when you are describing something totally made up.
As I already said, I think that this story fit in very well with TOS canon, and could have made a great episode!
I also liked the visual imagery created by the author when it came to the alien race. I have a clear picture in my mind of what they looked like. That can be challenging when you are describing something totally made up.
As I already said, I think that this story fit in very well with TOS canon, and could have made a great episode!
leigh_ann_15_deaf's review against another edition
3.0
Link to ranked list of deaf characters in fiction: https://modcast.blog/2022/12/17/ranked-deaf-characters-in-fiction/
judenoseinabook's review against another edition
2.0
Not my favourite Star Trek novel. The story telling seemed quite pedestrian
tresdem's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad story. It picked up in the second act but the writing, while not terrible, was a bit annoying. The author states that he wanted to convey the intricities of sign language through his alien race and while I appreciate such desires, the signs at some points were ridiculous for characters to notice. It is not a very subtle book and more episodic than character driven but all in all not bad.
aughadan's review
4.0
4/4.5
An excellent example of a certain sort of Star Trek novel. There are those that are like an extended-length episode—fun and generally undemanding, but with a place in the extended canon. Then there's ones like Troublesome Minds that are able to delve into meatier, more involved issues that couldn't have been dealt with in one show. The shows with the trademark Trek philosophical questions could be hits or misses, but the book format gives them room to really be explored.
Overall, good characterizations, with nice depth to the original triad (especially Spock, obviously, but plenty for Kirk and McCoy). I liked the Chekov shoutouts—he's overdue for some consideration—and the less numerous but still appreciated Uhura moments. However, I was a little disappointed that every time Chapel showed up, she got shuffled out of the room as quickly as she appeared (*cough*McCoy*cough*). Honestly, I'm not sure she had a line in the book, even though she kept walking into Sickbay when something important was happening/about to happen. It's like the author just wanted us to know he hadn't forgotten about her. Oh well.
An excellent example of a certain sort of Star Trek novel. There are those that are like an extended-length episode—fun and generally undemanding, but with a place in the extended canon. Then there's ones like Troublesome Minds that are able to delve into meatier, more involved issues that couldn't have been dealt with in one show. The shows with the trademark Trek philosophical questions could be hits or misses, but the book format gives them room to really be explored.
Overall, good characterizations, with nice depth to the original triad (especially Spock, obviously, but plenty for Kirk and McCoy). I liked the Chekov shoutouts—he's overdue for some consideration—and the less numerous but still appreciated Uhura moments. However, I was a little disappointed that every time Chapel showed up, she got shuffled out of the room as quickly as she appeared (*cough*McCoy*cough*). Honestly, I'm not sure she had a line in the book, even though she kept walking into Sickbay when something important was happening/about to happen. It's like the author just wanted us to know he hadn't forgotten about her. Oh well.
tresdem's review
3.0
Not a bad story. It picked up in the second act but the writing, while not terrible, was a bit annoying. The author states that he wanted to convey the intricities of sign language through his alien race and while I appreciate such desires, the signs at some points were ridiculous for characters to notice. It is not a very subtle book and more episodic than character driven but all in all not bad.
brettt's review
3.0
During the heyday of the Star Trek movies, Paramount's Pocket Books label published literally hundreds of books featuring the characters from the original series and its spinoffs. Unsurprisingly, many of them stunk -- partly because they were rushed into print, partly because many were written by green (inexperienced green, not Vulcan-blood green) authors who would work for cheap and partly because Paramount knew they had a core audience that would buy anything with a pointed ear on the cover whether it stunk or not. Market saturation dried up the stream of books a few years ago, and Pocket editors decided to exercise some more control over the material produced. Part of that was a conscious decision to move some of the series forward through their history -- the overstuffed and meandering Star Trek: The Next Generation series Destiny was one result. But it seems someone at Pocket also decided to put together stories about the original crew as they would have been during the span of the 1960s TV series, in stories such as Troublesome Minds.
The Enterprise, entering a new star system, saves a single-person spaceship from destruction engineered by that person's own people. It seems this Berlis is a super-strong telepath in a race of telepaths and his will overwhelms any of his people who may be within his range. His people were trying to prevent that from happening, because a nearby race that had suffered the last time such a "troublesome mind" arose among Berlis' people had vowed their destruction if it happened again. Now Captain Kirk must decide how to prevent war between the two species and stop Berlis from mind-enslaving an entire planet, all the while wondering whether his trusted First Officer Spock, himself a telepath, is being influenced by Berlis as well. Author Dave Galanter has co-written some other novels in the Star Trek universe and knows the feel of a good ST yarn. This is his first original series novel and his first solo, and he does a good job of getting the well-known characters in proper voice and filling their accepted roles. Troublesome Minds doesn't make any monumental changes in the Star Trek universe or signal any watershed moments for the characters, even though they're tested to the limits in many ways. It's a good yarn and whiles away the time, surpassing the wealth of genre fiction that falls short of that modest goal. But asking more than that of a Star Trek book is like wearing a red shirt on an away team: It's a bad idea.
Original available here.
The Enterprise, entering a new star system, saves a single-person spaceship from destruction engineered by that person's own people. It seems this Berlis is a super-strong telepath in a race of telepaths and his will overwhelms any of his people who may be within his range. His people were trying to prevent that from happening, because a nearby race that had suffered the last time such a "troublesome mind" arose among Berlis' people had vowed their destruction if it happened again. Now Captain Kirk must decide how to prevent war between the two species and stop Berlis from mind-enslaving an entire planet, all the while wondering whether his trusted First Officer Spock, himself a telepath, is being influenced by Berlis as well. Author Dave Galanter has co-written some other novels in the Star Trek universe and knows the feel of a good ST yarn. This is his first original series novel and his first solo, and he does a good job of getting the well-known characters in proper voice and filling their accepted roles. Troublesome Minds doesn't make any monumental changes in the Star Trek universe or signal any watershed moments for the characters, even though they're tested to the limits in many ways. It's a good yarn and whiles away the time, surpassing the wealth of genre fiction that falls short of that modest goal. But asking more than that of a Star Trek book is like wearing a red shirt on an away team: It's a bad idea.
Original available here.
kaysal's review
5.0
For all the lovers of 'The Original Series' this is a nice, exciting, thought provoking short read. Highly recommended.
More...