Even the most dedicated Star Trek fan will find it difficult to get excited about this book. “Editor” Una McCormack has set herself a prodigious task to begin with – shoehorning all the multiple timelines and backstories for the character of Spock into one coherent whole. This is done via a conveniently-invented end-of-life custom for Vulcans, the t’san a’lat, or “wisdom book”, intended as "the summation of an individual’s life and experiences”.

And while this is a handy framework upon which to build a life story, the finished piece commits the one cardinal sin of Trek spinoff work – it is dull.

The most interesting sections work out a believable motivation for the character’s late-in-life attempts to bring the Romulan and Vulcan cultures together (or back together, as he firmly believes they share a common heritage). The most convoluted ones deal with the alternate-backstory developed in the series “Star Trek: Discovery”, featuring a human child adopted by Spock’s parents when he was quite young.

All the “usual gang of suspects” from classic Trek is present in one way or another, and each gets at least a brief mention as Spock (through McCormack’s manipulations) tries to make a coherent whole out of a fictional life that has been cobbled together by hundreds, if not thousands, of writers and a handful of actors.

Nice try, but there’s really no emotional payoff here (you should pardon the expression). Not even the spirit of IDIC can make this infinite diversity into an interesting combination. ( )

I've been a Spock Girl most of my life. When first introduced, I was about 2 years old and he terrified me. Some 10 years later, watching reruns after school, I was fascinated. He has been a character in my mind for the nearly 50 years since then.
This is a wonderful way to see him again. ( )

As I was shelving one day, I happened to come across this book. (Imagine my surprise when I discovered there are other books in this quasi series!) This is a (obviously) fictionalized autobiographical account of Spock's life. He focuses on several characters from the various TV iterations and films who had an impact on his life. There are some surprising choices in my opinion but in the end I think they made since as part of the narrative whole. It's framed as a look back on his life right up until that fateful mission to create a black hole and save Romulus (the beginning of the Star Trek reboot). His accounts are written much like a diary but are directed to a specific individual. (Don't worry, no spoilers here.) It was so much fun to read and reminded me of the joy I felt when I read the Vulcan travel guide last year. It brings this iconic character to life in an immersive way that causes the reader to forget that he's a fictional character. I really think if your a Trekkie you'll enjoy this one...and you might want to start looking for the other Trek autobiographies as well. ;-) ( )

Really gets the Vulcan mindset down pat. ( )