Fournier.pasa@Xerox.ARPA (05/24/85)
From: Fournier.pasa@Xerox.ARPA ISHMAEL, a Star Trek Novel by Barbara Hambly. NY: Pocket Books, l985. Pb., cover by Vallejo, $3.50. This is a Trek novel wherein events happen so that Spock finds himself in the universe of another late 60's TV show, "Here Come the Brides", and some characters from other TV shows of a similar period (plus some surprise guests from film media of more recent vintage). (This is yet another in the line of books my friend Meg Garrett called me up to say, "You have to read this one!" One of them was Diane Duane's DOOR INTO FIRE, so I usually am ready to listen.) Due to the plethora of complaints about spoilers in reviews, I don't think I want to say anything more about the plot. I did enjoy this book immensely, and it is DEFINITELY light reading. I think a number of people who have read Barbara's other books will enjoy it, and if you liked what Diane Duane did for Star Trek novels, you will probably like this one, as well. I do have an anecdote concerning this novel. Meg and some other friends and I were waiting outside of McCabe's in Santa Monica, to see Silly Wizard, a Scottish group who play traditional and quasi-traditional Scottish music (and a few from Ireland, as well) on May 10th. We were discussing the book, and some of the characters, and wondering if any of us would get to a convention in the near future where Ms. Hambly was likely to show up. While I thought she was living in Riverside these days, I was not sure, and the only other alternative was to write to her care of the publisher, and wait for a reply. I happened to look up 31st Street, and saw the woman who had introduced me to McCabe's a few years ago, and Lo and behold! Barbara Hambly was right next to her. This was only a mild surprise, because they had gone to the same schools in Ontario. We conspired to hold the book in such a way as the author would be unable to miss seeing it, and when she was close enough, Meg said, "You wicked woman!", whereupon Barbara laughed. Paul Davis spoke up and said, "It's a silly book." Barbara replied, "Of course it's silly. It's probably the first INTENTIONALLY silly Trek novel published. There are a number of other silly ones, but not because the author set out to write it that way." She was then bombarded with queries about this character, and that one, to which suitable replies were made, and interested parties may query me AFTER reading the book. She did mention that she had asked her editors to check copyrights VERY carefull, due to the aforementioned characters being on other shows, and she was assured most sincerely that this was done, and approved. A. Marina Fournier <fournier.pasa@Xerox>