Greg Bear Wrote a Star Trek Book

     Several Star Trek novels are now available on Kindle Unlimited, including Corona by Greg Bear, the author of one of my favorite books, Blood Music.  Corona is a Star Trek    Original Series novel with the crew of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Published in 1984, Corona centers on a group of sentient protostars, dubbed Corona, that threaten Vulcan scientists and a ship carrying their frozen personnel in suspended animation. An emergency message sent by the Vulcans takes ten years to reach the Federation, setting the stage for a rescue mission.

    The Enterprise, newly equipped with experimental computer monitors, faces tension as these systems override the decisions of Captain Kirk and Dr. Leonard McCoy. Kirk clashes with the monitors while seeking a non-violent solution to save the Vulcan crew, while McCoy fights to revive the frozen personnel—declared dead by the monitors—after a decade in stasis. Complicating matters is Rowena Mason, a young, prejudiced journalist who adds friction to the mission.

    Upon reaching the Vulcan scientists, the Enterprise crew notices unsettling behavior among the scientists’ children, soon mirrored by their own crew. As they unravel the mystery of the Corona, they race to save everyone’s lives.

    Corona reads like a solid Star Trek episode, with a familiar setup of Kirk grappling with overzealous computers—a recurring theme in the series. Spock’s use of Vulcan mind powers to bypass the monitors and to connect with Corona is a highlight, adding depth to the narrative. I love Bear’s knack for convincing technobabble because it grounds the story in Star Trek’s scientific tone. The novel avoids feeling like fan fiction and is an engaging read, though its ideas don’t break new ground. Overall, it’s an average Star Trek novel, earning a C grade.