Relics (novel)

Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)

Captain Montgomery Scott – Once again aboard the USS Enterprise.

The novelization of "Relics" is an adaptation of "Relics", written by Michael Jan Friedman. A Pocket TNG novel published by Pocket Books, it was first released in November 1992.

Summary[]

From the book jacket: In the tradition of Unification, here is the story that fans of the original Star Trek series and Star Trek: The Next Generation have been clamoring for – Montgomery Scott's return to the Star Trek universe and his encounter with the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D).

Missing in space for seventy-five years, Scotty manages to survive against incredible odds, only to be found by the crew of the starship Enterprise-D. Though rescued, Scotty soon finds himself lost in a world that he barely recognizes, a world that has passed him by…

But the adventure is not over for Captain Scott who must do the impossible when the new Enterprise faces a very old danger in a remote sector of space. This time, Captain Picard and his crew will need more than all of their courage and all of their skills to save the great starship from destruction. This time, they will need a miracle worker.

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Background information[]

Author Michael Jan Friedman had less than a month to complete the manuscript. He spoke to episode writer Ronald D. Moore to ask what elements had been left out of the final episode, as well as any additional concepts he would have included if possible. (Voyages of Imagination, p. 318)
The novel makes a number of changes and additions to the episode on which it is based. Among these:
- We see what happened to Scott prior to being discovered by the crew of the Enterprise-D.
- Miles O'Brien and Guinan appear in this novel.
- Scott's holodeck simulation not only recreates the old Enterprise bridge but allows him to interact with its crew; this had been part of the episode script (bluescreening TOS footage as "Trials and Tribble-ations" would later do) but was cut as too expensive to film.
- Ensign Kane's role is expanded to include revealing he was having considerable personal problems during the episode and was in "hot water" due to poor performance with Commander Riker.
- An away mission to the interior surface of the sphere is carried out, and information found about what happened to the inhabitants.
- Franklin incorrectly refers to Spock as "Commander Spock" at one point, when he in fact had held the rank of captain for several years by that point. Scott is also referred to as "Montie Scott" at one point.
- The registration of the USS Jenolan is NC-567 here (as opposed to NCC), and given as NCC-2010 in the episode.
- Scott's shuttle is named Christopher here, after Shaun Geoffrey Christopher, and given as Goddard in the episode.
- Data mentions that synthehol was invented by the Ferengi.

Cover gallery[]

Characters[]

Jean-Luc Picard
Data
Geordi La Forge
Montgomery Scott
Darren Kane
Sariel Rager
Bartel
Guinan
Miles O'Brien
Matt Franklin
Ensign Andy Sousa: Friend of Ensign Kane
Mr. Krause
Lt. Bridges
Coburn
Mr Tranh
Captain Armstrong
Lt. Sachs

External link[]

Relics at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

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