Star Trek: Enterprise — By the Book
{4.5/5} “It was clear that the Vulcans disapproved of many human traits, much in the same way Archer disapproved of the Fazi need for structure. Was this part of first contact as well, learning to step over your own likes and dislikes to see a culture for what it was, not what you wanted it to be?”
Star Trek: Enterprise — By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch, published in 2002
The Enterprise comes upon a planet where the people are just starting to experiment with warp drive. Captain Archer wants to meet them, but T’Pol and Hoshi both urge caution due to the difficult language and startling structure of the Fazi. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Cutler plays a role playing game with Travis and a couple of other crew members.
This novel was written very early in Enterprise‘s run, and such novels often clash with episodes with come later — but this one remarkably doesn’t do that. In other words, the characters seem like themselves.
It’s about first contact with 2 baffling species.
I’ve read 4 novels by Smith and Rusch, plus 3 anthologies Smith edited. I previously reviewed the anthology Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.