Set in three separate time periods, the recent Star Trek (Original Series) novel Lost to Eternity features three separate story lines that reveal connection and converge as the novel progresses. Writing one single story line can be challenging enough, let alone three, particularly under limitations that a franchise series novel could involve. Star Trek novel readers will likely recognize the name Greg Cox and appreciate that he might be able to succeed at making such a novel engaging. And he certainly does.
The earliest setting in this is present day (2024), following a plot that will probably appeal to even a casual Star Trek viewer who has happened to see one of the most popular entries in it, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (AKA: “The one with the whales.”). True crime podcast host Melinda Silver is diving into research and coverage of a mystery from forty years prior: the disappearance of Dr. Gillian Taylor, marine biologist who vanished on the same day as the controversial release of humpback whales George and Gracie from the Cetacean Institute and loss of their transponder tracking signals. Her research soon uncovers stories of strange seemingly connected individuals and events, from a hippie swimming with the whales, to a miraculous healing in a hospital, and a hushed-up breach in national security on a nuclear submarine.
The second time period is 2268, set during Kirk’s five-year mission as seen on the television series. The Enterprise is sent on a mission to recover a kidnapped Federation scientist whose classified research is of interest to the Klingons. The Enterprise crew tracks the scientist and her abductor to a violent and tumultuous world officially off-limits to the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
Finally, in 2292 just prior to the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, a reclusive alien species (the Osari), whose people are exceptionally long-lived compared to other humanoids, invite representatives from the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Empire to diplomatic discussions. The interactions with the Osari involve cross-pollination among all four peoples with representative groups on a Klingon vessel, a Romulan vessel, and the Enterprise. Talks and peace are thrown into chaos when a shuttle from one ship is taken and representatives apparently killed.
The first half of Lost to Eternity follows a cyclic tri-partite pattern giving one chapter for each time period. The last 2292 time period is then put to the side to continue with events from 2024 and 2268 before concluding in the final chapters with 2268 and 2292.
Even though each setting is well written and important, one cannot help but have a favorite. For me that was the 2024 time with all its references to Star Trek IV and seeing more of characters’ interpretations of events that happened in it. Once it became clear how this time period related to to the later time periods, I found myself more interested in those others as well.
The weakest part of the novel for me was the 2268 time period, particularly once the Enterprise got to the off-limits planet and scenes occurred there. The planet’s society seemed very much consistent with the ‘vibe’ of planet societies in the 1960s TV show, so it made sense, but seemed a tad ridiculous as a result. The scenes taking place back on the Enterprise during this time (with Spock in command) were much more interesting to me. Nonetheless, there are lots of little nods and references here (and in 2292) that will appeal to fans.
The villain of the novel is also very compelling and complexly written. However, the distinctly separate timelines make some aspects of the villain’s behavior and ultimate actions less able to be understood or appreciated because of the missing eras of development between the timeline.
As a whole, Lost to Eternity is better than all of its individual parts because it does all come together in a very satisfying way. I also appreciated that it is a novel where no single character from the Enterprise dominates. Kirk and Spock may be the leads, but Saavik gets a nice role beyond the time of when we got to see of the character in the films. And podcaster Melinda makes a great protagonist for this novel with echoes of Gillian that span the 1980s/2020s cultural divide.
And in the end, we do get to learn what happened with Gillian in the ‘future.’ It probably won’t surprise, but it was nice to see, and it makes for a great close to an entertaining book bridging our present to the future possibilities to which Star Trek aspires.
