Mudd's Angels

Title:	Mudd's Angels (later reprinted as "Mudd's Enterprise")
Creator:	J.A. Lawrence
Date(s):	May 1978
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek TOS
Language:	English
External Links:	at Memory Alpha
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Mudd's Angels is a pro Star Trek TOS novel by J.A. Lawrence.

In the introduction, Lawrence discusses James Blish's death and her decision to finish the series.

The majority of fans reading, and reviewing the book, were unaware that Lawrence was Blish's wife, but that Lawrence also was Blish's ghost-writing partner.

Contents

• Mudd's Women, a 35-page adaptation of the episode "Mudd's Women"
• I, Mudd, a 37-page adaptation of the episode "I, Mudd"
• The Business, as Usual, During Altercations, a 98-page novella which follows on from the events of "I, Mudd"

Fan Comments

1978

'Mudd’s Angels' is the last in the adaptations of the live ST shows and includes both the Mudd shows - "Mudd's Women' and 'I Mudd.' Both are by Judy Lawrence from the partially completed adaptations which James Blish started before his untimely death. 'Mudd's Angels' also includes a short story (about half the book) by Judy Lawrence called 'The Business, as Usual, During Altercations' (a quick look in the dictionary for those as ignorant as me - altercation means a dispute or controversy). I very much enjoyed the adaptations of the two Mudd shows, mainly because the comedy of both shows came over in the book. 'Mudd's Women' was particularly enjoyable as I was able to picture much of the original show, which I haven't seen for a long time, while reading. 'I Mudd' was also very well done, showing that the original script, from which the adaptations are always taken, and the final shooting script were very much the same. What I didn’t like was Judy Lawrence’s own story. I found it very strange and somewhat lacking in something. I’m not sure quite what it was, but something just wasn’t there. The story is basically a mixture of the two original stories with the Enterprise again meeting Mudd, who this time is selling female androids to miners in exchange for their dilithium crystals, leaving the whole galaxy without power. There is also a piece in the story where Spock and McCoy are arguing whether androids can be classed as people. All in all, I think this is a really strange story, which for me took some reading.in fact it was a real effort to get through it. perhaps when I try a second read it might make more sense.

"Hudd's Women" and "I, Mudd" are both beautifully chronicled in the last of the "Blish" series of Star Trek adaptations. Each episode rings true to form and successfully brings out the humorous side of the original Stephen Kandel stories. The episodes take up the better part of 77 pages in the 177 page book. The last 100 pages, though, continue with new escapades of Harcourt Fenton Mudd by J.A. Lawrence, who, indecently, cannot write worth crap.

"Business, as Usual, During Altercations," the third section in MUDD'S ANGELS, is down-right AWFUL, In fact, I have read better Star Trek stories in the ridiculed Gold Key Star Trek comic series, Lawrence obviously cannot grasp Trek technology, characterization, setting, or simple plot—of any kind—unless it is laid out for her by someone else's scripting (as in the case of the two adapted episodes.) Somewhere Lawrence got the idea that dilithium crystals are a type of fuel for Federation spaceships and that the Star Fleet is operating on a shoe-string supply of them. You see, Mudd somehow re-takes control of the androids on Mudd's Planet, uses them to completely terraform the planet, build a fleet of spaceships, and buy off dilithium miners' contracts from the space governments of the galaxy (the contracts suddenly all expired at once with the Federation and Klingon and Romulan Empires, not to mention all the neutral planets and so on,..) and thus blackmail the galaxy. He immediately sets up secret camp in a super-powerful space ship (which is android-designed better than the Enterprise and can hold millions of dilithium crystals — enough to run the galaxy).

Okay, Star Fleet warns the Enterprise that they are the last ship in the galaxy who can catch Mudd and get the crystals back — it seems the other spaceships are already out of crystals and the Enterprise is the galaxy's only hope! By the use of hypnotism, McCoy makes Chekov think he in Mudd and then sets about asking Chekov where would he be if he were Mudd? Chekov, because he is so similar to Mudd (of course, they both have a way with the women!) and is under hypnosis, gives the correct answer of course.

Off zooms the Enterprise after Mudd, They find him near a pulsar which is about to explode... it is giving off radiation that makes dilithium crystals expand! Well, we all know what happens to Mudd's cargo of expanding dilithium crystals don't we? And his ship? The Enterprise is suddenly without Warp power (for her crystals also expand) and the pulsar blows up — sending Mudd, Kirk, and 429 crewmembers and Zues-knows-how-many androids to God-knows-where...

Anyway, in the end, through fluke of luck and a bit of contrivance on Lawrence's part, they all find themselves back in time before any of the story happens and they prevent it all!

Ta-dah! The end.

Rating: 1 out of 10.