A quick, entertaining read which is almost better described as a novella and three short stories rather than one solid novel. The first 2/3 of the book is an exaggerated parody of Star Trek (original series) poking fun at the short life expectancy of the "expendable crewmembers" and the ludicrous survival rate of the star characters, told from the perspective of one of the expendable crewmembers who is trying to make some kind of sense of the nonsensical logic of the narrative. The three short stories following are (trying to avoid spoilers) best described as alternate perspectives and additional details related to the story told from different characters' points of view. It's hard to talk more about the story without giving away details but suffice it to say that any original Star Trek fan will be particularly amused, but a deep knowledge of Star Trek is not required, and this is a light and entertaining SF/F read for just about anyone who enjoys the genre. There are even some serious, touching moments among the parody. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting but this wasn't it; however I enjoyed it nonetheless.