‘Identity Theft’ Finally Gives Chekov the Star Trek Spotlight He Deserves

Review: Star Trek: The Original Series — Identity Theft

In the vast library of Star Trek: The Original Series fiction, Pavel Chekov is frequently relegated to the background. He’s the capable navigator who occasionally makes a joke about Russian history and ingenuity, but rarely drives the plot. In Greg Cox’s Identity Theft, published by Simon & Schuster and available now, that dynamic is happily inverted. In a book that claims to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Original Series, Cox delivers a narrative that places Chekov squarely in the center of the action, providing a welcome and overdue deep dive into one of the franchise’s characters who is often overlooked.

Greg Cox is certainly no stranger to the Star Trek universe, having established himself as one of the franchise’s most prolific and dependable novelists. His extensive body of Star Trek work includes numerous novels, such as the excellent The Eugenics Wars series, which dives into the backstory of Khan Noonien Singh, and the more recent Lost to Eternity. Given Cox’s extensive knowledge of the Star Trek franchise, built over decades of engagement with its continuity and characters, we are confident that any book he writes will be an excellent read. Identity Theft fits this bill nicely.

The premise of this narrative utilizes the same campy body-swapping technology found in the TOS series finale “Turnabout Intruder,” but the specific application here initially borders on the absurd. Chekov’s consciousness is transferred from his human body into a Vyzr—a deer-like alien—while a Vyzr named Ryjo has his consciousness transferred into Chekov’s body. At first, the concept of a middle-aged Russian trapped in the body of a creature with antlers and hooves presents a comical image in the mind’s eye, inviting an inevitable eye-roll. However, the narrative soon defies this initial impression; Cox ultimately had us sitting on the edge of our seat as we read to see if Ryjo, a member of a Vyzr faction that aims to stage an assassination and thrust the Federation into conflict, succeeds in his deadly mission. 

“2269: The prospect of peace had seemed unattainable until the assistance of the Federation. Finally, countless ancient enemies have stopped their conflicts simply by listening to one another. On the planet Voyzr, Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aided the planet to realize peace.

2289: Invited to celebrate twenty years of peace, the crew of the USSEnterprise-A is returning to Voyzr as honored guests. Security Chief Pavel Chekov remembers his visit to the planet as a green ensign. He has always believed the negotiations were too easy, and he wondered if there are people on the planet who still long for war—and have been waiting for just the right moment to upend the peace. Unfortunately, Chekov discovers he is right when he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous ploy.”

– The official summary of Identity Theft. 

Not only does Cox place Chekov front and center in a planet-hopping, somewhat action-packed adventure that tests the Russian’s skills and dedication, but he gives Chekov a couple romantic leads. The first is a nurse aboard the Enterprise, Simone Tovar, who Chekov is just getting to know before the body swap happens. The second is a Vyzr, Dise, who Chekov gets close with while he is inhabiting Ryjo’s body; Dise is Ryjo’s ex, to boot. Chekov certainly never had so much to do in any TOS episode or movie, and this unexplored ground made this novel refreshing. If you also think Chekov got the short end of the stick on screen, you’ll find Identity Theft an intriguing read. 

Identity Theft will also appeal to fans who enjoy the friendship between Chekov and Sulu, as the latter plays a key role. As Chekov’s closest friend on the Enterprise, Sulu stands to lose a great deal when Ryjo, inhabiting Chekov’s body, pursues his mission of assassination and deception. Furthermore, Sulu offers insights into Chekov’s burgeoning romance with Simone Tovar. This personal drama unfolds alongside a dangerous rescue mission involving Sulu, the fake Chekov, and other Enterprise crewmembers. This mission is crucial, as it ultimately demonstrates to Ryjo the nature of the Federation and the deep loyalty and care the Enterprise crew holds for each other. 

While Cox’s focus on Chekov is this book’s main selling point, an equally compelling selling point is the journey Ryjo takes as he inhabits Chekov’s body. Ryjo enters the story with a hardened history and a deep-seated grudge against the Federation. Yet, as he navigates the Enterprise in Chekov’s body, he is forced to interact with the crew intimately, including Chekov’s budding love interest. Watching this antagonist slowly come to appreciate the integrity, loyalty, and competence of the Enterprise crew despite his initial hatred adds a surprisingly poignant emotional arc to this story and fits right in with Star Trek’s ethos.  

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the physical presentation of the book does it a disservice. The cover art is a poor representation of the narrative; it prominently features Captain Kirk, who plays a secondary role in the novel. Also shown is the original U.S.S. Enterprise, which is only featured in the beginning of the book; most of Identity Theft takes place between Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Next to Kirk is Leonard McCoy, who also plays a secondary role here. Finally, Sulu and Chekov are placed in a secondary spotlight which betrays their role in the story. A reader picking this up expecting a TOS adventure with an ensemble cast might be confused, while fans hungry for a Chekov-centric story might skip it entirely, not realizing he is the true star. 

Despite the misleading cover art and a premise that risks sounding silly on paper, Identity Theft is a triumph of characterization. Greg Cox reminds us why Chekov deserves his chair on the bridge, crafting a story that is as suspenseful as it is character-driven. We expected nothing less from Cox; Identity Theft is another fine addition to his incredible body of work. 

Star Trek: The Original Series — Identity Theft is available now on Amazon. 

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