The Higher Frontier

THE HIGHER FRONTIER is an excellent “Movie Era” The Original Series novel and I very much enjoyed it as a sequel to EX MACHINA, which is written by the same author. Christopher Bennett has the true Trekkie hardcore fan’s love of continuity and effortlessly weaves together hundreds of references as well as continuity nods without actually needing to know what’s being referred to in order to enjoy the story. Your enjoyment is enriched by knowing who Miranda Jones, the Medusans, the Aenar, and other things are but not reduced if you only happen to be passingly familiar.

Indeed, much of the book’s “continuity humor” for me is based around the fact that this seems to be a large-scale homage to the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s opening, which is something I only know because the book was in my high school library. It talked about a different sort of Federation than was shown on screen where “New Humans” were space hippies engaged in nudism, vegetarianism, group consciousness, and other New Age beliefs that left Kirk’s generation as a bunch of dinosaurs. Roddenberry imagining the development to TNG being a free love as well as more Vulcan-like (albeit hornier) future.

The chief subject of this book is psychic powers in the Star Trek universe. Circa 1960s, they were considered to be more than pseudoscience, but have (as much as anything can be) proven to be nonexistent. This seems to bother the author, justifiably so, and he creates an elaborate and fascinating plot that deals with subjects like Gary Mitchell as well as other human-based “espers” within the Federation. I would have accepted the “humans mutated post-WW3” theory that was thrown out earlier but this proves to be a much more interesting as well as elaborate plot than that. I also won’t spoil.

I admit, my favorite part of the book was actually the problem the New Humans have with fitting in with normal humans who hate as well as fear their new powers. Well, hate may be a strong word, as this isn’t the X-men. Some do feel that way but most are just strongly annoyed and off-put by the New Humans’ seemingly bizarre behavior. It doesn’t help the New Humans are snooty and disdainful of regular humanity. If you claim to be the next step in evolution, don’t be surprised if people act like you’re claiming you’re better than them.

There’s also a really great moment where Uhura, Checov, and Sulu watch what is implied to be Star Trek: The Original Series and make jokes about the bad special effects as well as Checov’s hair. It’s a nice little nod to the fact Roddenberry himself said TOS was a “simulation” of the real thing. It also nicely references a bunch of side-material that is apparently “mostly made up.” Given I feel like people who complain about Klingon appearances and the fact the Enterprise in DISCOVERY isn’t made of cardboard, I felt that was a very good line.

Much of the book is based around the idea that a second five-year-mission followed the events of ST:TMP with Admiral Kirk being demoted from Chief of Naval Operations to Captain again followed by being bumped up back to Admiral in order to be Starfleet Academy Commandant. Which we know will result in him being demoted AGAIN to Captain after the events of The Search for Spock. I feel that’s a bit of a convoluted answer but I don’t think it’s a bad one either. Certainly, it sets up the events of The Wrath of Khan.

I really enjoyed this book and while I kind of wish that the ending hadn’t “wrapped up” the New Humans and their inability to fit in among normal humans so effectively, I don’t blame the author for choosing that path. I’ve always been a bigger fan of the more complicated sociological elements of Star Trek and it’s a book with a lot of that.

4 1/2 stars out of 5