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Author: David R George III
Publisher: Pocket Books
624 pages · £6.99
Article continues below
ISBN-10: 0-7434-9168-8
Rating: 5/5
The start point of Provenance of Shadows is one where many Star Trek books have gone before: the Guardian of Forever (that big, dry-icy doughnut from “The City on the Edge Of Forever”). But don’t let that put you off. This is a terrifi c Trek novel.
When the cordrazine-crazed McCoy leapt through the Guardian’s portal into the past, he saved peace-worker Edith Keeler’s life – a life that should have ended. Kirk and Spock jumped through to set things right. And all three returned to find “all is as it was”.
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But hold on just one of your Earth minutes! On some far-flung plane of existence, that alternate reality is still around, where, through Edith’s influence, America got into WWII late, with terrible consequences. McCoy (who has given up all hope of rescue) must spend the rest of his life on a now-skewed 20th century Earth, burdened with the fact that he’s drastically changed history.
The “restored” timeline is none too rosy, either. Plagued by nightmares, McCoy’s encounter with the Guardian has had greater repercussions than anyone realised. And as Trek history progresses we gradually fi nd out more. And what Bones thinks are dreams might be… memories.
McCoy is one of Trek’s best-loved characters and – joy of joys – this book does him nothing but justice in a doublygripping story. Bones is embellished with true aplomb and great fondness. If you read no other Trek book this year (of all years) you must read this. Here’s hoping Crucible: Spock and Crucible: Kirk (due 2007) are as good.
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