Leonard Nimoy's Primortals: First Contact

Are there any Star Trek luminaries left who don't have their names on a novel? Here it's Nimoy's turn, but to his credit he doesn't claim authorship of this slight but generally satisfying yarn by Perry (Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire), which kicks off a series elaborating concepts developed by Isaac Asimov. This volume is all prologue, from the initial interception of an alien radio signal to the landing on Earth of the alien Zeerus, who tries to trick humanity into fighting his enemies back on their planet. What interest there is arises primarily from some engaging characters, including the SETI scientists who first receive the signal, an 11-year-old computer hacker with a militarist-survivalist father, and a pair of lovers whose jobs are, respectively, as the U.S. president's chief of staff and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. The SF background--the aliens evolved from dinosaurs rescued from Earth--is promising but underdeveloped; but with Mr. Spock's name on its cover, the novel, and its sequels, will probably blast off anyway. (Apr.)