230: Golf in the Original Klingon

How Much for Just the Planet? Star Trek is no stranger to absurdity. "The Trouble with Tribbles," "I, Mudd," and "A Piece of the Action" are probably the most notable instances, however, it's fair to say that Star Trek has never been quite this off-the-wall! With characters bursting into song at the drop of a hat and over-the-top physical gags including an epic pie fight and a Klingon captain getting his foot stuck in a toilet, the subject of this week's episode isn't your typical Trek! In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson talk about the highly polarizing classic novel How Much for Just the Planet? We discuss the plot of the novel, the instances of very broad comedy, the characters who populate this colorful tale, artistic flourishes by the author including some surprise cameo appearances, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings. In the news segment, we talk about the TNG: Through the Mirror comic series, which is currently being released. We will do a complete review of the entire miniseries in an upcoming episode of Literary Treks! News Through the Mirror (00:02:33) Feature: How Much for Just the Planet? A Polarizing Novel (00:06:21) The Cover (00:10:53) The Plot (00:14:21) Broad Comedy (00:19:22) The Klingons (00:31:05) Artistic Flourishes (00:36:10) The Very, Very Beginning (00:48:23) The Jefferson Randolph Smith (00:55:11) Ratings (01:05:12) Final Thoughts (01:09:13) Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)