10 Star Trek Fan Concepts That Became Real
3. Stephen Goldin - Trek To Madworld
Stephen Goldin's novel from 1979, Trek to Madworld, features the Enterprise rushing to the colony of Epsilon Delta IV, where 700 colonists are slowly dying of radiation poisoning. Along the journey, the ship is stopped and held by Enowil, a being of incredible power, along with a Klingon and Romulan vessel as well.
Enowil offers them all a choice: help him with a private matter and he will reward them beyond imagination. If Kirk refuses, the Klingons or the Romulans could gain an enormous tactical advantage, though if he accepts and loses, the colonists will surely die.
The novel bears striking resemblance to The Next Generation's first season episode Hide & Q, which released nine years later. In it, the Enterprise needs to travel at maximum warp to rescue one of its colonies, though they are stopped along the way by Q. Here, the omnipotent being offers all of the powers of the Q to Riker, in a tantalising game not dissimilar to that in the novel.
In the episode, Riker manages to refuse the gift, though he is tempted. The Enterprise reaches the colony, though not without casualies.