As Star Trek fans the world over celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved show's debut on NBC television, Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Burning Dreams" goes beyond the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, back to the youth of an earlier commander of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike.
"Burning Dreams" is a parallel story. While the framing story of the novel itself opens with a Talosian summons to Ambassador Spock, the real meat of the tale is found in visiting the life and experiences of Pike on Talos IV after his transport there in the first season Star Trek episode "The Menagerie".
Arriving on Talos IV, Pike leans to develop a deeper understanding of the telepathic link between himself, Vina, and the Talosians. In doing so, we are given a vehicle by which we can see the life of Chris Pike evolve from childhood to maturity. We see the challenges he faced in his youth, meet some old friends, and are given a chance to experience a mission with him aboard the Enterprise after his initial experience on Talos IV.
While each of these threads provide unique and compelling stories in-and-of themselves, Bonanno has managed to weave them together in a fufilling and exciting way, one that has a significant payoff as Chris Pike is given a chance to view Talos and to chart a course for his future and the future of the world he now calls home.
Along the way, we learn more about Vina, the Talosians, and even Spock... with each element of the story coming together at just the right time to produce a satisfying conclusion to one of the strongest novels I have read all year.
In "Burning Dreams", Bonanno has brought the depth of writing and thought that pervades her work to the life of Christopher Pike, and it is an experience that any Star Trek fan will not want to miss.