Spectre is a Star Trek novel by William Shatner with acknowledgement to collaboration with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. It was published in May 1998 in Pocket Books' series of hardcover novels, as the fourth original prose story by Shatner and the third original book featuring James T. Kirk in the TNG-era 24th century (as a de facto TOS crossover), following The Return and Avenger. Spectre was the first book of Shatner's Mirror Universe Trilogy.
Description[]
- For three full decades, on television and in film, actor William Shatner has portrayed one of the most thrilling heroes of science fiction: James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise. Although Kirk was believed to have perished at the conclusion of Star Trek: Generations, his amazing literary resurrection led to a landmark trilogy of national bestsellers, Avenger, The Return, and Ashes of Eden.
- Now William Shatner has once again brought his unique blend of talents as actor, writer, director, and producer to continue the saga of Jim Kirk's remarkable second life, as an insidious menace from the past threatens a new generation of heroes…
- Retired and happily in love, Kirk believes his adventuring days are over. But as he returns to Earth for the first time since his apparent "death" upon the Enterprise-B, events elsewhere in the galaxy set in motion a mystery that may provide Kirk with his greatest challenge yet.
- The Enterprise-E, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, is exploring an unstable region of space on a scientific mission of vital concern to Starfleet when they discover the last thing they ever expected to find: a lonely, battle-scarred vessel that is instantly recognizable to every member of Picard's crew. Five years after being lost with all hands in the Delta Quadrant, the starship USS Voyager has come home!
- The commander of Voyager, one Tom Paris, explains that Captain Kathryn Janeway and half of the original crew is dead, but if that is true, who is the mysterious woman who has kidnapped Kirk back on Earth, pleading with him to assist her against a threat to the entire Federation?
- All is not as it seems, and soon Kirk is forced to confront the hideous consequences of actions taken more than a hundred years prior, as well as his own inner doubts. After years of quiet and isolation, does he still have what it takes to put things right—and join with Captain Picard to save the lives of everyone aboard a brand-new Enterprise?
- An unforgettable saga peopled by old friends and ancient enemies, Star Trek: Spectre propels Kirk on a journey of self-discovery every bit as harrowing as the cataclysmic new adventure that awaits him.
Summary[]
James T. Kirk is kidnapped by a woman claiming to be Kathryn Janeway. All his training doesn't prepare him for who her commander is: none other than Spock. More disturbing is the fact that this Spock seems to have aged more than most Humans, and then Kirk recognizes from his goatee that it's Spock's mirror counterpart. Kirk learns that Spock did more than consider Kirk's plea to reform the Empire—and it backfired and led to the Terran Empire being conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Kirk realizes that is why this Spock has aged so, and agrees to help the Terran and Vulcan rebels.
References[]
Characters[]
- Morgan Bateson • Margaret Clark • Beverly Crusher • Data • Kathryn Janeway (mirror) • James T. Kirk • Geordi La Forge • Leonard McCoy • Memlon • Morn • Alynna Nechayev (mirror) • Odo • Neelix (mirror) • Tom Paris (mirror) • Jean-Luc Picard • Jean-Luc Picard (mirror) • Quark • William T. Riker • Rom • Rutal • Montgomery Scott • Zefram Sloane • Spock • Spock (mirror) • Stran • Teilani • Deanna Troi • T'Val
- Referenced only
- Julian Bashir • Kira Nerys
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Referenced only
- Bajor
Races and cultures[]
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Chalchaj'qmey • Ferengi • Human (Terran) • Klingon • Medusan • Talaxian • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Department of Weather • Institute for Starfleet Strategic Initiatives • Klingon-Cardassian Alliance • Klingon Confederacy • Klingon Dependencies • Seldon Institute of Psychohistory • Starfleet • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Intelligence • Vulcan Mineral Syndicate
Science and classification[]
- communications • computer • Emergency Fleet Access Program • Emergency Medical Hologram • hour • minute • space • starbase • starship • stomach • subspace radio • time
Ranks and titles[]
Other references[]
- day • detention cell • Dominion War • Emergency Fleet Access Code • emotion • Eugenics Wars • ordover • planet • sickbay • surveillance log • tunic • war • year • Yridian yak
Appendices[]
Background[]
- The depictions of Beverly Crusher and Kathryn Janeway very closely match the cover and internal descriptions of those two as given in Susan Wright's Dark Passions books.
- The early paperback edition, ISBN 0671020536, came out six months after the hardcover edition and six months before the mass-market paperback edition.
- The cover art by Keith Birdsong, as seen in later resale, was substantially altered for the final image used on the volume. As was common in the late 1990s on Star Trek covers, the likenesses of the actors involved were superimposed from photos over the renderings of the original art. Kirk and Picard look somewhat different on the final version, although the mirror Spock was not substantially altered save for some changes in contrast. However, the large planetary surface texture was removed in favor of a smaller world behind Spock. Notably, the wrong insignia appears on Kirk's collar in the original, the left half of a full admiral's rank insignia. The final work shows him wearing the four rank pips of a captain.
Images[]
Cover image.
Cover art.
Kirk.
Picard.
Mirror Spock.
Kirk (original art).
Picard (original art).
Connections[]
| Star Trek novels by William Shatner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Odyssey: | The Ashes of Eden | The Return | Avenger |
| Mirror Universe: | Spectre | Dark Victory | Preserver |
| Totality: | Captain's Peril | Captain's Blood | Captain's Glory |
| The Academy: | Collision Course | ||
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Vulcan's Forge |
TOS novels | Next novel: Dark Victory |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Inquisition |
Next Adventure: Dark Victory | |
| Previous Adventure: The Gorn Crisis |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) |
Next Adventure: Dark Victory |
Translations[]
- 2000
- German : Das Gespenst, translated by Andreas Brandhorst. (Heyne) ISBN 3453179315
- 2000
- French : Le Retour du voyageur, translated by Isabelle Troin-Joubaud. (Fleuve Noir)
- 2002
- Japanese : 鏡像世界からの侵略 上・下, translated by Hiroshi Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)
External links[]
- Spectre article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.