To Reign In Hell: The Exile Of Khan Noonien Singh (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
"'No! This is not the end! Khan Noonien Singh will never surrender, not to this accursed planet and not to the treacherous vagaries of fate. Hear me now! I shall show you that the superior man never bends before the cruelties of fate, no matter how hopeless the odds. Let this entire planet die a slow and miserable death. Let Kirk and Starfleet forget us entirely. I will keep you and the rest of my people alive -- this I swear upon my sacred honor.' He shook his fist at the dust-shrouded sky.'Do you hear me, Kirk? I will survive!'" p. 269Khan Noonien Singh is the most outstanding individual villain in all of Trek lore, a man who took from Kirk his dearest blood. An escaped superman from Earth's violent past, Khan failed in attempts to take over the world and then the USS Enterprise before Kirk exiled him to a harsh planet in the Mutara Sector to build his own civilization. Such a dream wasn't to be, however, as only months into exile astronomical phenomena destroyed the planet's chances of sustaining life for very long. His last hope wrecked, his people dying, a man bred to be an emperor was left to preside over nothing more than the apocalypse. To Reign in Hell is an exceptional tie-in to "Space Seed" and The Wrath of Khan, and an expert conclusion to the Khan trilogy, depicting the demise of a dream and the descent of a man into madness.The story picks up a year after the events of The Wrath of Khan. Kirk and his comrades have decided to pay a visit to the hellhole that was Khan's world in order to find out what went wrong; what happened to make the colony fail so catastrophically, and why did Khan blame a man who had been a model of mercy towards him? Soon after landing, Kirk and company discover the underground shelters that Khan and his people fled to when the surface was exposed to the blistering sun and fierce winds that turned grasslands into desert. Within the caverns are historical records, provided by the Starfleet historian who was seduced by Khan and joined him in exile -- Marla McGivers. The novel unfolds as Kirk delves in, and the story that Cox builds works wonderfully to iron out "Space Seed" and TWOK's wrinkles. To Reign in Hell performs admirably in every aspect; as piece connecting two different Trek stories, as a thriller in its own right, and as the finale of Khan. Khan has never been as human, nor as remotely sympathetic, as he is here. He has no one to villainize, he has only his hopes and ambition, those dreams of creating a world for his people, and it is the environment that renders him a victim. He is doubly human in proving to genuinely love the historian who he took as a wife, Marla; perhaps because the story is told in her voice, readers are given a more tender appreciation of his character. Certainly the warlord is still there -- he is called the Tyrant by some on the planet -- but here we see aspects of him, like that of a loving spouse, that make him even more fascinating. It's even possible to feel sorry for him, left to a world washed over in violent storms, with starvation constantly haunting him. Ultimately the book closes in hope, at least for Kirk -- who discovers in the ruins one last chance to do good by Khan's people.
This book was one of those that I find myself stuck in the pages of at three in the morning, despite needing to be at work at eight the next day. Disclaimer: this review will mean nothing to you if you aren't a Trekkie/Trekker. This book covers the time between the original series episode where Khan was exiled to Ceti Alpha V along with his followers and a former Starfleet officer who becomes his wife, and the second Star Trek movie: The Wrath of Khan. The book explains what Khan and his people went through during all the years they were stuck on the planet, and does so in a way that made it impossible to put down. At the end of the book, you begin to understand why Khan was such a maniac, hell-bent on killing Kirk. Today, the movie is considered a clunky piece of pop culture, with tee-shirts, countless mentions in television and movies, and even websites made for the iconic "KHAAAAAANNN!!!" scream. But really, this book fleshes out further what had become a bitter hatred between two people, Khan and Kirk by the time the second movie had rolled around. An absolutely stellar book.
What do You think about To Reign In Hell: The Exile Of Khan Noonien Singh (2006)?
Greg Cox brings Khan's story to a close with a dramatic novel of his exile by Kirk, as referenced in "Space Seed" and "The Wrath of Khan". The novel follows Cox's "Eugenics Wars" -duology, but is very different in style to those complex novels that charm with their broad settings and themes. "To Reign in Hell" is a streamlined and subtle tale of a protosociety trying to survive in impossible conditions.Cox's writing is mostly up for the challenge of creating a plausible tale of survival, the characters feel real and so does their suffering. The book is saturated with sad pessimism, doubting humanity's ability to ever reach a truly civilized state.There is nothing in "To Reign in Hell" that wouldn't work; everything flows quite smoothly and there's a constant emotional involvement with the characters,. What the novel is not is surprising. The basic story is largely known to a Trekker, of course, but there's also clear predictability in the psychology and small-scale actions of the characters. This doesn't come close to ruining the book, but it made me feel like there was more to be done with the subject. I felt like this especially in the beginning of the novel, where the story seems to be in no hurry to get anywhere."To Reign in Hell" is a thought provoking read that deepens Khan's story and offers some real human drama, but a hugely ambitious and innovative masterpiece isn't what you're going to get. Perhaps this was the best way to handle this missing part of the Trek lore, but still I wonder what might have happened if the story had been approached with a less traditional attitude.
—Mikael Kuoppala
Greg Cox wrote the excellent books "The Eugenics Wars" parts 1 and 2 which told the story of Khan from conception all the way to his departure from Earth on the Botany Bay. Now "To Reign In Hell" fills the gap between the time The Enterprise dropped him and his followers on Ceti Alpha V to the beginning of the movie "Star Trek II". Author Greg Cox has the writing skills and knowledge of the world of Star Trek to craft an exciting and satisfying story. The writing leans toward the melodramatic but it's quite possible that was a conscious decision. I re-watched "Space Seed", the episode from the the original series, where Khan was introduced and it's a very melodramatic show. So, I think it's fair to say that Cox definitely captures the spirit of the original series. Lots of fun finding the sly and not so sly references to various Star Trek trivia. For example, this book explains why Khan knew who Chekhov was even though Checkhov was not in the original episode. This is a fun read and recommended for fans of "Star Trek". Cox is a skilled writer who knows his subject, knows his audience, and delivers the goods.
—Stiv_Matters
Let me enlighten you all with my opening statement:I am NOT a Trekkie.I enjoy the first seriesAnd the second two movies.That's all.This book was given to me by my friend Sarah before she left [HER father, however, is a hardcore Trekkie. he owns all sorts of Star Trek books and DVDs, and they were giving stuff away so that they would have less weight to move with them.] for Japan, and it took me a couple of months before I finally got around to reading it. I'd suggest watching the Star Trek Episode and Movie involving Khan Noonien Singh before reading the book, or you might be quite confused. I found it very entertaining [unfortunately, I got most of the references to the other alien cultures], as it involves scandal in a new culture, attempted murder, a schizm, and a small war between the two opposing tribes composed of the Super Humans and their offspring.
—Robotribble
