The Radical Child

Major Spoilers for The Wrath of Khan

Spock's death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan probably traumatized Trekkies in the film's time, but the ending showed that there was still hope, and the Original Series film franchise would continue with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, with actor Leonard Nimoy going behind the camera to direct since his character was, you know, dead. The beginning opens with a recap of all the stuff that led to his death, ending with his space casket lying in solitude on the Genesis Planet. The Enterprise is set to be decommissioned, and the crew ordered not speak about the Genesis Device due to the political fallout over it; politics as usual, which pretty much applies in modern times.

Dr. Leonard McCoy begins acting weird to the point where he has to be arrested, with David Marcus, Kirk's son, key to Genesis' development, and the Vulcan Lieutenant Saavik, portrayed by newcomer Robin Curtis (in a change from Kirstie Alley in The Wrath of Khan), investigating the planet and finding Spock's coffin to be empty--gee, that sounds awfully familiar, but that's definitely a good thing, given my religion. Meanwhile, the Klingon Kruge, portrayed by Christopher Lloyd, is rightfully concerned about the Genesis Device, fearing it could be weaponized against his race, and clashes with Kirk over it.

The rest of the film is spoilerific, and despite the BS "odd number Star Trek film curse" some Trekkies have harped about, I actually enjoyed it the most of all the TOS films, given its great storyline and development. Granted, many of the visual effects haven't aged well, and there is dialogue like Kruge's "Give me Genesis!", but in its time I'm certain it would have really satisfied long-term Star Trek films and give them hope yet in the film franchise whose quality critics probably felt was mixed. You'll definitely have to watch the second film, so you're not lost, but The Search for Spock overall is a great continuation.

Chapterhouse: Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Frank Herbert’s final Dune novel before his death follows the action of Heretics of Dune, chronicling the continued conflicts of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood against the Honored Matres, who are attempting to control the universe and destroy factions and worlds that oppose them. In his introduction, Herbert notes the novel’s setting, over ten millennia in the human future, when women rule the Known Universe. The story begins with Mother Superior Darwi Odrade celebrating the birth of a ghola-baby (in other words, a clone) from an axlotl tank of the recently deceased military genius Miles Teg. Meanwhile, Great Honored Matre Dama, nicknamed the “Spider Queen,” tortures Reverend Mother Sabanda.

Odrade enjoys seeing the cloned Miles at play, with the boy being trained in the military arts just like the original, as the Honored Matres plan to use a mysterious “weapon” to further their conquest of the universe. The Honored Matres destroy Lampadas, a center for Bene Gesserit education, with one of the survivors, Reverend Mother Lucilla, escaping with the shared minds of millions of Reverend Mothers from the past and finding sanctuary with an underground group of Jews. The Rabbi who leads them reveals a “wild” Reverend Mother named Rebecca, who has gained her Other Memory, a well of genetic memory, without formal Bene Gesserit training.

Duncan Idaho returns in ghola form like Teg, retaining memories from his previous incarnations due to being a Mentat. The time eventually comes for the assault upon the Honored Matres, with Teg becoming the Bashar of the military forces, and the tides constantly turn in each other’s favor. Throughout the story, the Bene Gesserit attempt to terraform the eponymous planet, Chapterhouse, to accommodate sandworms, given that the native homeworld of the creatures, Arrakis, had been decimated by the Matres. The story ends with a cliffhanger, which Herbert’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson would resolve with the final two chronological books in the Duniverse a score later.

In brief, Chapterhouse does have many positive aspects, such as Herbert’s trend (which his son would continue) of including various philosophical quotes at the beginning of each chapter, alongside the intricate outer space setting, discussion of ecology, and the presence of the Kindle X-Ray feature, which alleviates some confusion readers unversed in the franchise’s unique terminology and many characters may have. However, confusion frequently abounds regarding character ages (namely, the gholas), many lines and terminology are unclear, and it can be hard to keep track of who is talking in conversations given the infrequent mention of names and constant use of pronouns. Though not a bad book, this is one that readers will need to meticulously focus on while being incredibly familiar with the plots of its predecessors.

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Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When author Frank Herbert wrote his famous Dune series, he had nothing in mind for its success or failure, with the initial installment of his franchise having been the product of six years of research and a novel of ecological and human concern. Publishers turned it down twelve times before its official publication, with the author noting that he wrote parts of its sequels before the first Dune story. As with its predecessors, the penultimate entry of his series before his death contains various philosophical quotes commencing each chapter that provide good insights into the society of the Known Universe.

Heretics introduces the twelfth Duncan Idaho, a twelve-year-old, with Reverend Mother Schwangyu observing his behavior on planet Gammu, once Caladan. The Mother Superior Taraza effected the creation of the twelfth clone, with the Sisterhood dreading another Kwisatz Haderach, vowing not to take the clone to Rakis, formerly Arrakis or Dune. In the meantime, a girl from the former desert world named Sheeana Brugh learns to control sandworms, with the late God Emperor Leto II, fifteen centuries dead before the book’s timeframe, predicting a sandrider.

Reverend Mother Taraza has a meeting with a woman who had borne nineteen children for the Bene Gesserit, Darwi Odrade, on the Chapter House planet. The latest Duncan clone gradually gains memories from prior incarnations, such as being a ghola, with backstory given on the Bene Tleilax, divided into Face Dancers that serve as mules submissive to Masters. Also introduced is the Weapons Master to Duncan, Miles Teg, who didn’t want to come on assignment to Gammu, but Taraza personally requested him, with background given on him as well like his wife’s death thirty-eight years past, and grandchildren through his daughter Dimela.

The eleven-year-old Sheeana has been with the priests on Rakis for three years and is interested in the planet’s desert environs. She befriends a worm and names it Shaitan, with her regular wormriding causing disdain among the clergy overseeing her growth. Miles Teg receives additional backstory, being a Mentat, with one of his earliest memories being a dinner with his brother Sabine, whom he adored. Time skips also occur sporadically, with Duncan turning fifteen. However, some inconsistencies appear, like a mention of him at a younger age than the twelve years he starts at.

Some familial revelations sporadically come throughout the story, with other characters introduced, like Tylwyth Waff, a Tleilaxu Master of Masters. Teg ultimately finds himself on the run from adversaries late in the novel. After I finished, I found this to be another enjoyable series entry; however, better definitions of unique terms like no-ships and no-globes, the former vessels that can turn invisible, would have been welcome. The novel further emphasizes human interest more than science fiction. Even so, it’s a good yarn, likely to be relished by series enthusiasts; however, newcomers to the Duniverse will likely want to start from the beginning.

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Empire's End by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the final installment of author Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy of canon Star Wars novels, the remnant of the shattered Galactic Empire has gathered on and over the remote planet Jakku, where they attempt to make their last stand against the New Republic. The novel opens with an intro set aboard the Second Death Star above Endor, where Admiral Gallius Rax talks to Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. When the main chapters commence, Norra Wexley and her companions attempt to lure bounty hunter Mercurial into a trap due to his dealing with Imperial Admiral Rae Sloane, with fellow bounty hunter Jas Emari headed to Jakku.

Han and Leia continue to anticipate the birth of their first child, realizing that the New Republic looks weak after the events during Liberation Day on Chandrila, which harbors the Galactic Senate. Temmin Wexley wants to join his mother Norra on her forthcoming mission to Jakku, although she refuses initially. Disaster strikes when the spaceship Moth enters the airspace above the planet, where the Imperials shoot at the vessel; Norra and Jas escape in an escape pod that lands on Jakku, where they wander its wastes. Afterward, Han Solo plots to penetrate the Imperial blockade to rescue them.

As with its predecessors, the third Aftermath novel features several Interludes between the main chapters. The first features the Wookiee Lumpawaroo, son of Chewbacca, traversing the jungles of Mount Arayakyak, the Cultivating Talon, on his homeworld of Kashyyyk. Another occurs in Theed City on Naboo, where a youngling meets Jar Jar Binks, one on Tatooine with a Huttlet named Borgo, and one on the planet Christophsis, where fledgling Jedi seek kyber crystals necessary to the construction of their lightsabers; the Galactic Empire also used the minerals to power the lasers of both Death Stars.

On Jakku, Imperial stormtroopers hold Jas and Norra prisoner, although Sinjir comes to the rescue. Part of the plot further involves Niima the Hutt, with whom Rae Sloane interacts. Meanwhile, Chancellor Mon Mothma faces electoral competition from Senator Tolwar Wartol, with the legislature initially opposing intervention in the Imperials amassing on Jakku; however, suspicion of corruption emerges among the dissident votes. The battle for Jakku transpires late in the novel; the fate of the Imperial remnants is ultimately settled, with the father and son Brendol and Armitage Hux traveling beyond the galaxy to ponder the Imperials’ next course of action.

Overall, the conclusion to the Aftermath trilogy is an enjoyable read, with fans of the Star Wars franchise sure to delight in the old and new characters central to the series, with plenty of science-fiction action towards the end. There’s also occasional insight into the political mechanisms of the New Republic, without offending anyone in real life with certain ideologies. The mention of Grand Admiral Thrawn is a nice nod to the now-non-canon Legends chronology, too. However, those deeply unversed in the series might not grasp the appearances of the various alien species, and reminders would have been welcome. Regardless, the trilogy did well to begin to fill the temporal gap between Episodes VI and VII of the Skywalker Saga films.

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Aftermath by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aftermath was one of the first canon Star Wars books occurring after Return of the Jedi but before The Force Awakens (which its publishers promoted as part of a Journey to Episode VII). The Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Second Death Star, and Emperor Sheev Palpatine and his lethal enforcer, fellow Sith Lord Darth Vader, are dead. While some systems across the galaxy celebrate, the remnants of the Empire tighten their clutch on others, with the rebels engaging the fractured forces. However, a rebel scout encounters a secret meeting with top Imperial leaders spearheaded by Admiral Rae Sloane and Grand Moff Valco Pandion.

In the prologue, Admiral Ackbar, one of the heroes of the Battle of Endor, indicates that while the rebellion against the Galactic Empire has ended, the war has just begun. In the first of the main chapters, Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles breaks out of hyperspace near an Imperial Star Destroyer overseen by Admiral Sloane, where he becomes a captive of the surviving Imperial Forces. The remnants of the Empire have the planet of Akiva in their sights, where Temmin Wexley runs a shop out of his old home and reunites with his mother Norra, with whom he eludes Imperial forces, along the way meeting bounty hunter Jas Emari and Imperial turncoat Sinjir Rath.

Interrupting the main chapters are occasional interludes, the first occurring on Chandrila, home to the reinstated Galactic Senate of the New Republic. The next involves the Taffral family on Saleucami, whose allegiances lie between the Republic and the Empire. That which follows sees the new Chancellor of the Republic, Mon Mothma, who had headed the Rebel Alliance, at the remains of a village on the world of Naalol, where she proposes cutting military costs while diverting funds to training local planetary forces. Rebel hero Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca have their own Interlude, along with veterans of the Anklebiter Brigade on Naboo, one of the chief settings of Episode I

Several parties loyal to the Rebel Alliance eventually join a battle for Akiva that is full of action and a few good twists, culminating in a satisfying read that indicates that the Battle of Endor at the end of Return of the Jedi was not the total death of the Galactic Empire, and began to fill in the long chronological gap between the Original and Sequel Trilogies of the Skywalker Saga. The X-Ray feature for Kindle gives some good insight into many of the characters and settings of the novel. In many cases, however, the reader's imagination must fill in the appearances of some of the human and alien dramatis personae for those not versed in the multimedia Star Wars saga.

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