Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780671038595
ISBN number: 0671038591
Label: Star Trek
Manufacturer: Star Trek
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 253
Printing Date: August 01, 1999
Publishing house: Star Trek
Sale Popularity Level: 454607
Studio: Star Trek
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Dilithium. In crystalline form, the most valuable mineral in the galaxy. It powers the Federation's starships...and the Klingon&153; Empire's battlecruisers. Now on a small, out-of-the-way planet named Direidi, the greatest fortune in dilithium crystals ever seen has been found.
Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, the planet will go to the side best able to develop the planet and its resourses. Each side will contest the prize with the prime of its fleet. For the Federation -- Captain James T. Kirk and the Starship Enterprise&153;. For the Klingons -- Captain Kaden vestai-Oparai and the Fire Blossom.
Only the Direidians are writing their own script for this contest -- script that propels the crew of the Starship Enterprise into their strangest adventure yet!
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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This is a book set in the Star Trek the Original Series universe. I have read it many times over the years, and consistently find it one of the funniest books ever written. Combine the Enterprise crew, the Klingons, a planet sitting on an amazing amount of strategically important minerals, and Gilbert and Sullivan, and you get this delightful book.
The author has sadly passed away. His other Star Trek book was in a more serious vein, but also wonderful, a masterful depiction of the Klingons.
Rated by buyers -
Trek fans are more or less equally divided on this novel. I happen to be one that *loves* this gem!
John M. Ford deftly keeps this well within the realm of Trekdom without being Totally Silly and Absurd.
There's some veiled references to some fellow Trek authors, and a subtle dig at Paramount itself.
The Crew of NCC-1701 are kept well within character, despite the improbable scenario they find themselves.
The crew of the Enterprise(s) tends to have a bit of a larger-than-life reputation, but John M Ford still manages to keep their mystique alive, while still showing that Kirk & Company are still ordinary humans. I found it refreshing to see the Crew taken down a notch in a creatively humourous, non-mean-spirited way.
Another plus, McCoy & Spock actually agree on something! (The statistical probability of a woman coming aboard the Enterprise being an 'Old Flame' of Kirk's)
Another plus is that the Klingons & Federation get to fight each other and the Organians don't intervene! Albeit, it's a massive Pie Fight.
IMNSHO, this novel would be wonderful to see dramatized on TV or the Big Screen. It would need a director sensitive to the needs of the ST universe while having the ability to direct a a well paced Comedic Farce & Musical.
This happens to be one of the few Star Trek novels that I continue to read and re-read again and again.
Rated by buyers 
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*** maybe a spoiler ***
(I composed most of this review when I was only 1/3 through the book so I don't believe it reveals anything, but you could reasonably disagree.)
The entire book is a long, elaborate setup to a joke with the punchline at the end. This is a clever idea, and an unusual one. It's also risky - If you like the joke, the book is brilliant. If you don't, it's a waste of time. With good directing and intricate slapstick timing this could be an amazing movie, but it doesn't work so well as a book.
Rated by buyers -
I can't imagine many other writers who would have thought to combine Star Trek with good musical comedy, but fortunately John M. Ford was able to do it. I bought this book when it very first came out, and it remains among my few all-time favorite Trek novels.
It's nice to see the crew lighten up a bit. The humorous bits that appear at every turn, starting with the blue orange juice all starships apparently have ("I can't turn it into a death ray without a few extra parts"), going on through the quick educational film on Our Friend Dilithium, the search that takes our heroes through all sorts of adventures, even the golf course (dogleg left, minefield right) were all memorable enough to get this one off my bookshelf again and again.
The only difficulty is not knowing the music being used when various characters are singing, apart from the Rawhide theme. I only hope someone out there manages to put together an mp3 collection of the appropriate Gilbert & Sullivan (and whoever else) music to play along with the book. I guess it just goes to show the value of a knowledge of the classics.
Thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly readable and entertaining. I'm just glad it managed to sneak under the Paramount novel rules radar.
Finally, I just want to say that in my book, anyone who objects to all this really needs to lighten up and try to enjoy it.
Rated by buyers -
If you take Star Trek with utter seriousness, and have no room for humor, then this book is definitely not for you. If you're familiar with the characters, are willing to let them have a bit of "out of continuity" fun, and get a kick out of people trying to react sensibly to absurd situations, then this is definitely worth your time. It's like a screwball comedy, starring the Star Trek characters.
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