QHas 'The Undiscovered Country' been novelized?
AYes. Star TrekVI: The Undiscovered Country, a novelization of the movie by American science fiction writer J.M. Dillard (pen name for Jeanne Kalogridis), was released in 1992.
QWhat did Spock mean by the old Vulcan saying "only Nixon could go to China?"
AUS President Richard Nixon (in office from 1969 to 1974) was known for his firm anti-communist politics. When Communist states China and the Soviet Union broke up their alliance in the 1960s, Nixon perceived this as a perfect opportunity to gain an advantage in the Cold War against the Soviets by improving relations with China. The visit was controversial, because China was at that time considered to be an enemy state. Paradoxically, this made President Nixon the appropriate person to visit Communist China, because he was clearly an antagonist to their government. Had it been a more moderate politician, then this person could have been blamed for having too much sympathy for the Chinese, or of not serving the United States' best interest in negotiations. Spock alludes to this fact, because Kirk is the most famous Klingon adversary in the Federation, so they know that he will not let the Klingons off the hook easily during negotiations. They can safely send him to eliminate all suspicions of fraternizing with an enemy. It is also another reference to the Cold War, of which there are many in this film. Spock is jokingly attributing the phrase to his own Vulcan culture -- a running joke throughout the movie with different characters. For instance, Chancellor Gorkon claimed Shakespeare must be read in its "original Klingon," Chekov claims that Cinderella is a "Russian epic," and Spock also refers to Sherlock Holmes as an ancestor.
QHow did the Klingon warden on Rura Penthe know which Kirk to shoot with his blaster?
AThere are several possibilities. One possibility is that Martia (Iman) as Kirk still has Martia eyes (watch closely during the fight scene and also note the eyes of the Kirk on the right versus the real Kirk on the left). Second, Because the real Kirk called him an idiot. Kirk has a long and infamous reputation for standing up to authority figures, though he probably hasn't insulted many of them as openly as he would a brutish Klingon. The warden, knowing of Kirk's general demeanor throughout Federation history and his hatred for their race, instantly deduced that the Kirk to the left was the real one. Another possibility is that Martia being a shape shifter and likely a fact known to the Warden, didn't have shackles, as made clear by the overhead shot immediately after the vaporizing. The Warden was instructed to kill all witnesses and set the conditions for Martia to assist in the charade under the false pretense of a full pardon. Shooting Martia first was the logical choice, assuring that the truth would never come to light.
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