Look, I'll be honest - I grabbed this one expecting a full novel-length experience and got... 89 minutes. That's barely one commute from SF to Mountain View. But here's the thing: those 89 minutes? Takei and Nimoy narrating a Star Trek origin story. I mean, come on.
The Nostalgia Hit Different
So here's what I wasn't prepared for: hearing Takei and Nimoy voice these characters again genuinely transported me back to watching TOS reruns with my dad on lazy Seattle Sundays. The Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album makes total sense once you hear it. These guys aren't just reading - they're performing. Takei especially brings this warmth that makes the whole thing feel like you're listening to a radio drama from another era.
The premise is pretty fun too. Baby Kirk, youngest captain ever, and literally everyone on his crew thinks he's either arrogant, impetuous, or both. McCoy finds him trifling. The helmsman wants a transfer. It's basically "nobody likes the new manager" but in space, and I'm kind of here for it.
When the Sound Design Gets Too Excited
Okay, here's where it gets complicated. This production went HARD on sound effects and background music. Like, really hard. There were moments where I genuinely couldn't hear what was being said because the Enterprise was doing its whooshy thing or some dramatic score was swelling. At 6 AM on a packed Caltrain, already half-asleep, this was... not ideal.
Also - and I feel slightly guilty saying this - Takei struggles a bit with McCoy's voice. It's not terrible, but when you've got Leonard Nimoy right there doing Spock (obviously), the contrast is noticeable. McCoy ends up sounding kind of generic compared to the distinctive voices for other characters.
The pacing is weird too. The story itself feels a bit disjointed - like scenes are connected but not flowing naturally into each other. Dune had similar pacing challenges in its audiobook form, though that one at least gave the world-building room to breathe. I suspect this is partly an adaptation issue (the original novel by Vonda McIntyre is apparently much longer) and partly the aggressive sound design interrupting the rhythm.
Worth Your Commute?
Here's my take: if you're a Trek fan, especially OG series, this is basically audio comfort food. The ROI isn't about the plot - it's about hearing these voices again, together, doing the thing. It's short enough that even if it doesn't work for you, you've lost less than two hours.
But if you're coming to this as a sci-fi audiobook and not a nostalgia trip? The production issues are going to bug you. The story needed more room to breathe, and the sound mixing needed someone to tell them "less is more."
I finished this in one commute, which is either a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. For me, it was a nice little Trek snack between longer listens. Would I go back to it? Probably not. But I don't regret the trip.
Perfect for: hardcore Trek fans, anyone who grew up on TOS, short commuters who want a complete story in one go. Skip if: you need clean audio, pacing issues frustrate you, or you're looking for substantial sci-fi world-building.
