Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Star Trek: S.C.E. #3: Hard Crash
by Christie Golden
A mysterious and powerful ship crash lands on the surface of a populated planet. When the S.C.E. crew investigates, they find the ship's deceased pilot (and only occupant) physically connected to the ship. While an autopsy reveals possible connections to the Borg, the crashed ship becomes active and begins to fire on the da Vinci.
What at first appears to be a sinister threat reveals itself to be something much more complex, in this surprisingly moving third entry in the S.C.E. series. Once again, 110, the Bynar whose mate was killed in the first book in the series, plays a significant role and is more or less the hero of the story. We also learn a bit more about the personal lives of some of the da Vinci's crew, particularly the linguist Bart Faulwell. Another solid entry in this entertaining series of short novels.
A mysterious and powerful ship crash lands on the surface of a populated planet. When the S.C.E. crew investigates, they find the ship's deceased pilot (and only occupant) physically connected to the ship. While an autopsy reveals possible connections to the Borg, the crashed ship becomes active and begins to fire on the da Vinci.
What at first appears to be a sinister threat reveals itself to be something much more complex, in this surprisingly moving third entry in the S.C.E. series. Once again, 110, the Bynar whose mate was killed in the first book in the series, plays a significant role and is more or less the hero of the story. We also learn a bit more about the personal lives of some of the da Vinci's crew, particularly the linguist Bart Faulwell. Another solid entry in this entertaining series of short novels.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
This Month in Star Trek Books: December 2011
The following Star Trek book will be available later this month:
Star Trek: New Frontier #18: Blind Man's Bluff (mass market paperback edition, previously published in trade paperback)
by Peter David
available: 12/27/11
From the Publisher:
Captain MacKenzie Calhoun has faced incredible odds before, but nothing he has ever experienced could prepare him for the simultaneous threats from two of the most destructive forces he’s ever encountered. The first is the D’myurj—a mysterious and powerful alien race bent on either the complete domination of humanity or its destruction . . . a potentially massive risk to the very foundations of Starfleet, one that goes so deep it’s impossible to determine whom to trust. The second is even more alarming: Morgan Primus, once a living creature with a soul and a conscience, now an incredibly sophisticated computer simulation taking up residence within the very core of the U.S.S. Excalibur . . . and quickly becoming a growing menace for the Federation. MacKenzie Calhoun is playing a dangerous game as he attempts to outwit and outmaneuver these new enemies, with the fate of the Excalibur crew members and potentially the lives of billions at stake. . . .
Star Trek: New Frontier #18: Blind Man's Bluff (mass market paperback edition, previously published in trade paperback)
by Peter David
available: 12/27/11
From the Publisher:
Captain MacKenzie Calhoun has faced incredible odds before, but nothing he has ever experienced could prepare him for the simultaneous threats from two of the most destructive forces he’s ever encountered. The first is the D’myurj—a mysterious and powerful alien race bent on either the complete domination of humanity or its destruction . . . a potentially massive risk to the very foundations of Starfleet, one that goes so deep it’s impossible to determine whom to trust. The second is even more alarming: Morgan Primus, once a living creature with a soul and a conscience, now an incredibly sophisticated computer simulation taking up residence within the very core of the U.S.S. Excalibur . . . and quickly becoming a growing menace for the Federation. MacKenzie Calhoun is playing a dangerous game as he attempts to outwit and outmaneuver these new enemies, with the fate of the Excalibur crew members and potentially the lives of billions at stake. . . .
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Star Trek: S.C.E. #2: Fatal Error
This second entry in the S.C.E. series, written by series co-creator Keith R.A. DeCandido, involves a powerful computer known as Ganitriul, upon which the inhabitants of the planet Eerlik have become completely dependent. Star Trek fans may assume that the story will involve the artificial intelligence turning against its creators, as we have seen in numerous Star Trek episodes, but DeCandidio subverts these expectations. When Ganitriul begins to malfunction and sends out a distress call to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, the threat to our heroes comes not from Ganitriul, but from an extremist sect of Eerlika who want to destroy the all-powerful computer housed on their planet's moon. Perhaps because they've seen too many Star Trek episodes about artificial intelligences turning against their creators?
This novel was something of an improvement over the first book in the series, primarily for its focus on character development, particularly in regards to 110, the Bynar whose partner was killed in the previous book. I also liked that Captain David Gold of the starship da Vinci was involved in the action more directly this time around, showing that he is not just a glorified chauffeur for the S.C.E. crew. Geordi LaForge is still around, on temporary loan from the Enterprise, although he doesn't have much to do in this novel, and I suspect his presence may have been required to justify his prominent appearance on the cover.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Star Trek: S.C.E. #1: The Belly of the Beast
By Dean Wesley Smith
This is the first in a long running series of Star Trek novellas originally released exclusively as e-books. The concept of S.C.E., as conceived by series creators John J. Ordover and Keith R.A. DeCandido, involves the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and their adventures aboard the starship da Vinci. The da Vinci is captained by David Gold, and the S.C.E. team is lead by Sonya Gomez, a character who had made a couple of appearances on early episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Many of the other members of the S.C.E. are also minor characters from TNG and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. There are also a pair of Bynars in the group, and Montgomery Scott works behind the scenes, assigning the group their missions.
The book opens with an intense battle between the Enterprise and a gargantuan alien vessel that is attacking a colony. Picard and his crew eventually manage to depower the massive ship, and the S.C.E. is called in to investigate. While the Enterprise departs on another mission, Geordi LaForge and Lieutenant Vale, the Enterprise's new chief of security, stay behind to assist the S.C.E. As the team penetrates ever deeper into the alien ship, they eventually uncover a frightening new enemy, and the story takes on the feel of a claustrophobic horror movie. Gomez and her team are eventually able to overcome this new threat to the Federation, but at a terrible cost.
I really love the idea of a series devoted to the engineers, as that branch of Starfleet has given us some of the most memorable and beloved Star Trek characters. I am also fond of Star Trek stories that are based in some part on real science, and it seems as though this series would be tailor made for such stories. This first entry in the S.C.E. series showed a lot of promise. I particularly liked the creepy atmosphere and gruesome aliens. The ending seemed rather abrupt, but that may have more to do with the fact that I am accustomed to reading full-length Star Trek novels. I have talked before about my ambivalence towards the writing of Dean Wesley Smith. His prose is very straightforward and workmanlike, and he doesn't tend to spend a lot of time on character development, which, especially for the first book in a series introducing many new characters, is a weakness. Compare the characters in this book to those in Peter David's first New Frontier novel, for example. David takes a lot of time establishing his cast of distinct characters, whereas in this book, few of the S.C.E. crew really distinguished themselves as individuals. Again, that may have something to do with the length of the book (which I'm assuming was dictated by the publishers or editors with the then relatively new e-book format in mind), but I hope future S.C.E. novels take a bit more time to flesh out the cast. Still, a promising start to what could be a very cool series.
****
Note: Belly of the Beast is also collected in the print anthology Star Trek: S.C.E., Book One: Have Tech, Will Travel.
This is the first in a long running series of Star Trek novellas originally released exclusively as e-books. The concept of S.C.E., as conceived by series creators John J. Ordover and Keith R.A. DeCandido, involves the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and their adventures aboard the starship da Vinci. The da Vinci is captained by David Gold, and the S.C.E. team is lead by Sonya Gomez, a character who had made a couple of appearances on early episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Many of the other members of the S.C.E. are also minor characters from TNG and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. There are also a pair of Bynars in the group, and Montgomery Scott works behind the scenes, assigning the group their missions.
The book opens with an intense battle between the Enterprise and a gargantuan alien vessel that is attacking a colony. Picard and his crew eventually manage to depower the massive ship, and the S.C.E. is called in to investigate. While the Enterprise departs on another mission, Geordi LaForge and Lieutenant Vale, the Enterprise's new chief of security, stay behind to assist the S.C.E. As the team penetrates ever deeper into the alien ship, they eventually uncover a frightening new enemy, and the story takes on the feel of a claustrophobic horror movie. Gomez and her team are eventually able to overcome this new threat to the Federation, but at a terrible cost.
I really love the idea of a series devoted to the engineers, as that branch of Starfleet has given us some of the most memorable and beloved Star Trek characters. I am also fond of Star Trek stories that are based in some part on real science, and it seems as though this series would be tailor made for such stories. This first entry in the S.C.E. series showed a lot of promise. I particularly liked the creepy atmosphere and gruesome aliens. The ending seemed rather abrupt, but that may have more to do with the fact that I am accustomed to reading full-length Star Trek novels. I have talked before about my ambivalence towards the writing of Dean Wesley Smith. His prose is very straightforward and workmanlike, and he doesn't tend to spend a lot of time on character development, which, especially for the first book in a series introducing many new characters, is a weakness. Compare the characters in this book to those in Peter David's first New Frontier novel, for example. David takes a lot of time establishing his cast of distinct characters, whereas in this book, few of the S.C.E. crew really distinguished themselves as individuals. Again, that may have something to do with the length of the book (which I'm assuming was dictated by the publishers or editors with the then relatively new e-book format in mind), but I hope future S.C.E. novels take a bit more time to flesh out the cast. Still, a promising start to what could be a very cool series.
****
Note: Belly of the Beast is also collected in the print anthology Star Trek: S.C.E., Book One: Have Tech, Will Travel.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
This Month in Star Trek Books: November 2011
The following Star Trek books will be available later this month. I realize I've listed a couple of these books in previous TMISTB entries, but I'm now finding information that suggests they'll be released this month, presumably after having been slightly delayed.
Star Trek Movie Universe Box Set
by David Messina (artist), Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson, and Tim Jones
available: 11/15/2011
From the Publisher:
Relive the Star Trek franchise re-launch on the comic book page with this collector's edition slipcase containing all three Star Trek movie-related trade paperbacks. Find out how and why Nero and Spock have such a tenuous relationship in Countdown! Learn about the dark years Nero spent plotting his revenge against Spock and the Federation in Nero! And finally, experience the motion picture all over again in the strikingly stylish Official Motion Picture Adaptation!
Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions
by David Mack
available: 11/29/2011
From the Publisher:
IN THE MIRROR UNIVERSE . . .
Miles “Smiley” O’Brien struggles to hold together his weary band of freedom fighters in their war against the overwhelming might of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Each day pushes the rebels on Terok Nor one step closer to defeat, but with nowhere left to run, the time has come to make their last stand.
Light-years away, Mac Calhoun and his Romulan allies harass Klingon forces with devious hit-and-run attacks. But Calhoun has a grander ambition: he intends to merge his fleet with the Terran Rebellion and lead it to victory—or die trying.
Meanwhile, a bitter feud threatens to shatter the Alliance from within. The old rivalry between the Klingons and the Cardassians erupts into open warfare as each vies for the upper hand in their partnership.
Manipulating events from its hidden redoubts, Memory Omega—the secret operation initiated by Spock a century earlier—sees its plans come to fruition sooner than expected. But striking early means risking everything—and if the revolution fails, Spock’s vision for the future will be lost forever.
Star Trek Book of Opposites
by David Borgenicht
available: 11/29/2011
From the Publisher:
EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORDS!
With the help of Kirk, Spok, McCoy, and two dozen colorful pictures from across the galaxy, teach your children the meaning of big and little, hot and cold, apart and together, and much more!
Star Trek Movie Universe Box Set
by David Messina (artist), Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson, and Tim Jones
available: 11/15/2011
From the Publisher:
Relive the Star Trek franchise re-launch on the comic book page with this collector's edition slipcase containing all three Star Trek movie-related trade paperbacks. Find out how and why Nero and Spock have such a tenuous relationship in Countdown! Learn about the dark years Nero spent plotting his revenge against Spock and the Federation in Nero! And finally, experience the motion picture all over again in the strikingly stylish Official Motion Picture Adaptation!
Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions
by David Mack
available: 11/29/2011
From the Publisher:
IN THE MIRROR UNIVERSE . . .
Miles “Smiley” O’Brien struggles to hold together his weary band of freedom fighters in their war against the overwhelming might of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Each day pushes the rebels on Terok Nor one step closer to defeat, but with nowhere left to run, the time has come to make their last stand.
Light-years away, Mac Calhoun and his Romulan allies harass Klingon forces with devious hit-and-run attacks. But Calhoun has a grander ambition: he intends to merge his fleet with the Terran Rebellion and lead it to victory—or die trying.
Meanwhile, a bitter feud threatens to shatter the Alliance from within. The old rivalry between the Klingons and the Cardassians erupts into open warfare as each vies for the upper hand in their partnership.
Manipulating events from its hidden redoubts, Memory Omega—the secret operation initiated by Spock a century earlier—sees its plans come to fruition sooner than expected. But striking early means risking everything—and if the revolution fails, Spock’s vision for the future will be lost forever.
Star Trek Book of Opposites
by David Borgenicht
available: 11/29/2011
From the Publisher:
EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORDS!
With the help of Kirk, Spok, McCoy, and two dozen colorful pictures from across the galaxy, teach your children the meaning of big and little, hot and cold, apart and together, and much more!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Author Interviews: Keith R.A. DeCandido and Michael Martin
At The Chronic Rift, in the latest episode of Dead Kitchen Radio, Keith R.A. DeCandido reflects on Star Trek: S.C.E., a series of novels he co-created. Meanwhile, StarTrek.com offers another great Star Trek author interview, this time an epic two-parter with Star Trek: Enterprise: The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm author Michael Martin.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Star Trek: New Frontier #10: Excalibur: Renaissance
By Peter David
As in the first book of the Excalibur trilogy, this novel follows some of the former members of the crew of the recently destroyed starship Excalibur as they go their seperate ways and have their own adventures. One storyline involves Selar, Burgoyne, and their child, Xyon,whose gender is at last revealed...he's a boy. Selar has taken Xyon back to Vulcan to be raised as a member of that species. Burgoyne is furious about this, desiring a relationship with hir son and convinced the child must be raised as both a Vulcan and a Hermat. S/he pursues Selar to Vulcan and eventually challenges her to ritualized combat similar to that seen in the famous Original Series episode Amok Time. I have always thought that episode was interesting because of Spock's repressed sexual energy being channeled as violence towards Kirk (a man he loves), so it was fun to see that sexual tension brought to the surface between these two characters in this way. The Selar/Burgoyne/Xyon storyline is brought to a satisfying conclusion, and provides a nice ending (for now) to the soap operatic relationship between those characters that New Frontier fans should enjoy. My only gripe with this section of the book involves a surprise guest star brought in at the end. I didn't really understand why this character would involve himself in Burgoyne's and Selar's domestic dispute.
Meanwhile, Robin Lefler and her enigmatic mother, Morgan, take a vacation on the pleasure planet Risa. While there, they encounter Montgomery Scott, always a welcome presence in any Star Trek story. Scotty and Morgan have a bit of a flirtatious relationship, and Robin seems to have found romance as well, but the young man she has met is harboring dark secrets. This storyline is not wrapped up completely in this novel and leads directly into the final book of the Excalibur trilogy.
I liked this book more than the previous novel in the series, mostly for the resolution of Selar and Burgoyne's relationship and the appearance of Scotty. It still feels like a bit of an appetizer before the main course, but a tastier one this time out.
As in the first book of the Excalibur trilogy, this novel follows some of the former members of the crew of the recently destroyed starship Excalibur as they go their seperate ways and have their own adventures. One storyline involves Selar, Burgoyne, and their child, Xyon,whose gender is at last revealed...he's a boy. Selar has taken Xyon back to Vulcan to be raised as a member of that species. Burgoyne is furious about this, desiring a relationship with hir son and convinced the child must be raised as both a Vulcan and a Hermat. S/he pursues Selar to Vulcan and eventually challenges her to ritualized combat similar to that seen in the famous Original Series episode Amok Time. I have always thought that episode was interesting because of Spock's repressed sexual energy being channeled as violence towards Kirk (a man he loves), so it was fun to see that sexual tension brought to the surface between these two characters in this way. The Selar/Burgoyne/Xyon storyline is brought to a satisfying conclusion, and provides a nice ending (for now) to the soap operatic relationship between those characters that New Frontier fans should enjoy. My only gripe with this section of the book involves a surprise guest star brought in at the end. I didn't really understand why this character would involve himself in Burgoyne's and Selar's domestic dispute.
Meanwhile, Robin Lefler and her enigmatic mother, Morgan, take a vacation on the pleasure planet Risa. While there, they encounter Montgomery Scott, always a welcome presence in any Star Trek story. Scotty and Morgan have a bit of a flirtatious relationship, and Robin seems to have found romance as well, but the young man she has met is harboring dark secrets. This storyline is not wrapped up completely in this novel and leads directly into the final book of the Excalibur trilogy.
I liked this book more than the previous novel in the series, mostly for the resolution of Selar and Burgoyne's relationship and the appearance of Scotty. It still feels like a bit of an appetizer before the main course, but a tastier one this time out.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Author Interviews: Mike Johnson, James Swallow, and Chris Bennett
These have been online for a little while now, but for those who haven't seen them: startrek.com interviews Mike Johnson and Roberto Orci about the new Star Trek comic book series, and also chats with Chris Bennett about his new e-book, The Struggle Within. Over at Unreality SF, Cast No Shadow author James Swallow discusses his work in novels and video games.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Star Trek: The Return
By William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
The Return was originally conceived by William Shatner while he was filming Star Trek: Generations, wherein Captain Kirk was killed. While Paramount rejected Shatner's proposal to resurrect Kirk in the films, that story idea became an excellent novel.
Picking up immediately where Generations left off, Ambassador Spock has come to Veridian III to pay his final respects to his friend James Kirk, who had been buried on the planet's surface by Captain Picard after having fallen in battle. Also on Veridian III is Commander Riker, heading an honor guard to remove Kirk's remains from the planet for a proper burial. Suddenly, an unknown alien ship attacks, transporting Kirk's remains away. It turns out that the alien ship is part of a Romulan/Borg alliance, led by a female Romulan Commander who wants revenge on Kirk, who she holds responsible for the death of her father. The Borg resurrect Kirk using alien technology, and brainwash him for use as an assassin. His ultimate objective is the murder of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who the Borg see as a particular threat given his prior experience as a part of the Borg Collective.
The resurrected Kirk spends most of the book in a state of confusion. He is uncertain of his own identity, but is manipulated by the Romulans to attack various crew members of the recently destroyed Enterprise-D on his trail to assassinate Picard. Picard, meanwhile, is on a covert mission, along with Beverly Crusher, to infiltrate and investigate the Borg in hopes of preventing a suspected invasion. Eventually, the Romulans' hold over Kirk is broken, and he, Picard, and the crew of the Enterprise-D (along with Scotty and a very aged Dr. McCoy) travel to the Borg homeworld for a final confrontation with the Collective. Characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine also appear in the novel.
Shatner really makes an effort not only to tell an entertaining Kirk story (as only the man who portrayed him for so many years can), but also crafts a fine novel set in the timeline of Star Trek: The Next Generation that allows those characters to shine. In fact, I would argue that in its blending of the two generations of Star Trek characters, this novel was more successful than the Generations film. It is also interesting that Shatner chose an epic confrontation with the Borg as a follow-up to Generations, as this was of course the approach taken by the next film, Star Trek: First Contact. That film and subsequent episodes of Star Trek: Voyager probably contradict some of the Borg material in this novel, but I'm not the type of Star Trek fan who is bothered by that sort of thing. I would rather have a cool story first and let the continuity sort itself out later. And, indeed, Shatner's depiction of the Borg here is really fantastic. Giant, multi-limbed Borg, Borg animals, interlocking Borg cubes, Borg space stations inside transwarp space, the Borg Homeworld, and a suprising connection between the Borg and the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture are all elements that make for a really exciting science fiction adventure, regardless of whether or not they fit into established Star Trek continuity.
I basically loved everything about this novel. Captain Kirk vs. Captain Picard. Captain Kirk and Captain Picard allied against a Borg/Romulan threat. An epic adventure that spans the galaxy, and an ambiguous ending that suggests Kirk's adventures in the twenty-fourth century are only just beginning. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. If this isn't great Star Trek fiction, I don't know what is.
The Return is the second book in the "Odyssey" trilogy, preceded by The Ashes of Eden and followed by Avenger.
The Return was originally conceived by William Shatner while he was filming Star Trek: Generations, wherein Captain Kirk was killed. While Paramount rejected Shatner's proposal to resurrect Kirk in the films, that story idea became an excellent novel.
Picking up immediately where Generations left off, Ambassador Spock has come to Veridian III to pay his final respects to his friend James Kirk, who had been buried on the planet's surface by Captain Picard after having fallen in battle. Also on Veridian III is Commander Riker, heading an honor guard to remove Kirk's remains from the planet for a proper burial. Suddenly, an unknown alien ship attacks, transporting Kirk's remains away. It turns out that the alien ship is part of a Romulan/Borg alliance, led by a female Romulan Commander who wants revenge on Kirk, who she holds responsible for the death of her father. The Borg resurrect Kirk using alien technology, and brainwash him for use as an assassin. His ultimate objective is the murder of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who the Borg see as a particular threat given his prior experience as a part of the Borg Collective.
The resurrected Kirk spends most of the book in a state of confusion. He is uncertain of his own identity, but is manipulated by the Romulans to attack various crew members of the recently destroyed Enterprise-D on his trail to assassinate Picard. Picard, meanwhile, is on a covert mission, along with Beverly Crusher, to infiltrate and investigate the Borg in hopes of preventing a suspected invasion. Eventually, the Romulans' hold over Kirk is broken, and he, Picard, and the crew of the Enterprise-D (along with Scotty and a very aged Dr. McCoy) travel to the Borg homeworld for a final confrontation with the Collective. Characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine also appear in the novel.
Shatner really makes an effort not only to tell an entertaining Kirk story (as only the man who portrayed him for so many years can), but also crafts a fine novel set in the timeline of Star Trek: The Next Generation that allows those characters to shine. In fact, I would argue that in its blending of the two generations of Star Trek characters, this novel was more successful than the Generations film. It is also interesting that Shatner chose an epic confrontation with the Borg as a follow-up to Generations, as this was of course the approach taken by the next film, Star Trek: First Contact. That film and subsequent episodes of Star Trek: Voyager probably contradict some of the Borg material in this novel, but I'm not the type of Star Trek fan who is bothered by that sort of thing. I would rather have a cool story first and let the continuity sort itself out later. And, indeed, Shatner's depiction of the Borg here is really fantastic. Giant, multi-limbed Borg, Borg animals, interlocking Borg cubes, Borg space stations inside transwarp space, the Borg Homeworld, and a suprising connection between the Borg and the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture are all elements that make for a really exciting science fiction adventure, regardless of whether or not they fit into established Star Trek continuity.
I basically loved everything about this novel. Captain Kirk vs. Captain Picard. Captain Kirk and Captain Picard allied against a Borg/Romulan threat. An epic adventure that spans the galaxy, and an ambiguous ending that suggests Kirk's adventures in the twenty-fourth century are only just beginning. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. If this isn't great Star Trek fiction, I don't know what is.
The Return is the second book in the "Odyssey" trilogy, preceded by The Ashes of Eden and followed by Avenger.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
This Month in Star Trek Books: October 2011
The following Star Trek books are available this month:
Star Trek Vault: 40 Years From the Archives
by Scott Tipton
available: now
From the Publisher:
Star Trek Vault charts the remarkable history of the world's most popular science fiction series, examining the franchise's first 40 years. Covering all six Star Trek television series and the ten original feature films, the book highlights the far-reaching social and scientific optimism that underpins the franchise, dwelling on milestones such as its groundbreaking mixed-race casts and technologies that have since become commonplace, before taking an in-depth look at the making of each series and movie. Fully illustrated with more than 350 images, and including 13 interactive reproductions of the most fascinating memorabilia from the CBS archives--on-set signage, hand-drawn storyboards, blueprints for Picard's captain's chair, and a vintage T-shirt transfer--Star Trek Vault provides a broad perspective on the voyages of Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, and Archer. The ultimate treasure trove of Star Trek imagery and memorabilia, Star Trek Vault is sure to appeal to both the casual and the die-hard fan.
Star Trek: Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within
by Christopher L. Bennet
available exclusively as an e-book: now
From the Publisher:
An original e-novella in the acclaimed Typhon Pact series! The Enterprise-E is on a diplomatic mission to the Talarian Republic, the last holdout in the Federation’s efforts to expand the Khitomer Accords in response to the emergence of the Typhon Pact. In the wake of Andor’s recent secession, the Federation is more concerned than ever with strengthening its alliances. The Talarians have been a tenuous potential partner at best, given the history of conflict and mistrust between them and the Federation. But the negotiations between Picard and the Talarians are disrupted by a growing public protest of those who are demanding greater rights—and before long, it becomes clear that the dissidents are not limiting themselves to nonviolent means….
Shatner Rules: Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large
by William Shatner
available: now
Not, strictly speaking, a Star Trek book, but of interest to Star Trek fans for obvious reasons. From the Publisher:
You love William Shatner.
You admire his many and varied talents.
You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks.
You want to learn his master negotiation techniques.
You wish you could hang out with him.
Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner.
And now...you can (almost).
This collection of rules, illustrated with stories from Bill's illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque.
Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?
Star Trek: Enterprise: The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm
by Michael Martin
available: 10/25/2011
From the Publisher:
EARTH STANDS ALONE
The Coalition of Planets has shattered, with Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar abrogating the treaty. Their pledge to come to the mutual defense of any power that is attacked has been shunted aside. Horrified by how easily the Romulans can seize control of their advanced starships, turning them into weapons, Andor and Tellar have joined Vulcan on the sidelines. Humanity is now the only thing that stands between the Romulan Star Empire and total domination of the galaxy.
To drive humans from the stars, the Romulans employ ruthless and murderous tactics . . . and even dare to strike on the Vulcan homeworld with the hopes of demoralizing their Vulcan brethren. Heartened by their victories, the Romulans carry their all-out war assault closer to the heart of humanity—Earth.
But the tattered remains of Starfleet stand unwavering, with the resolution that never again would any enemy strike ever reach Earth. On the front lines of the Earth- Romulan War is the United Earth flagship, the Starship Enterprise. Her captain, Jonathan Archer, has seen his vessel of exploration become a battleship. Once hailed for his work bringing the Coalition of Planets into existence, Archer is now a pariah. Undaunted, the captain keeps fighting, searching for allies and determined to do his duty: to save Earth and forge a new federation of planets.
Star Trek Movie Universe Box Set
by David Messina (artist), Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson, and Tim Jones
available: 10/25/11
From the Publisher:
Relive the Star Trek franchise re-launch on the comic book page with this collector's edition slipcase containing all three Star Trek movie-related trade paperbacks. Find out how and why Nero and Spock have such a tenuous relationship in Countdown! Learn about the dark years Nero spent plotting his revenge against Spock and the Federation in Nero! And finally, experience the motion picture all over again in the strikingly stylish Official Motion Picture Adaptation!
Star Trek Vault: 40 Years From the Archives
by Scott Tipton
available: now
From the Publisher:
Star Trek Vault charts the remarkable history of the world's most popular science fiction series, examining the franchise's first 40 years. Covering all six Star Trek television series and the ten original feature films, the book highlights the far-reaching social and scientific optimism that underpins the franchise, dwelling on milestones such as its groundbreaking mixed-race casts and technologies that have since become commonplace, before taking an in-depth look at the making of each series and movie. Fully illustrated with more than 350 images, and including 13 interactive reproductions of the most fascinating memorabilia from the CBS archives--on-set signage, hand-drawn storyboards, blueprints for Picard's captain's chair, and a vintage T-shirt transfer--Star Trek Vault provides a broad perspective on the voyages of Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, and Archer. The ultimate treasure trove of Star Trek imagery and memorabilia, Star Trek Vault is sure to appeal to both the casual and the die-hard fan.
Star Trek: Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within
by Christopher L. Bennet
available exclusively as an e-book: now
From the Publisher:
An original e-novella in the acclaimed Typhon Pact series! The Enterprise-E is on a diplomatic mission to the Talarian Republic, the last holdout in the Federation’s efforts to expand the Khitomer Accords in response to the emergence of the Typhon Pact. In the wake of Andor’s recent secession, the Federation is more concerned than ever with strengthening its alliances. The Talarians have been a tenuous potential partner at best, given the history of conflict and mistrust between them and the Federation. But the negotiations between Picard and the Talarians are disrupted by a growing public protest of those who are demanding greater rights—and before long, it becomes clear that the dissidents are not limiting themselves to nonviolent means….
Shatner Rules: Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World at Large
by William Shatner
available: now
Not, strictly speaking, a Star Trek book, but of interest to Star Trek fans for obvious reasons. From the Publisher:
You love William Shatner.
You admire his many and varied talents.
You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks.
You want to learn his master negotiation techniques.
You wish you could hang out with him.
Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner.
And now...you can (almost).
This collection of rules, illustrated with stories from Bill's illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque.
Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?
Star Trek: Enterprise: The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm
by Michael Martin
available: 10/25/2011
From the Publisher:
EARTH STANDS ALONE
The Coalition of Planets has shattered, with Vulcan, Andor, and Tellar abrogating the treaty. Their pledge to come to the mutual defense of any power that is attacked has been shunted aside. Horrified by how easily the Romulans can seize control of their advanced starships, turning them into weapons, Andor and Tellar have joined Vulcan on the sidelines. Humanity is now the only thing that stands between the Romulan Star Empire and total domination of the galaxy.
To drive humans from the stars, the Romulans employ ruthless and murderous tactics . . . and even dare to strike on the Vulcan homeworld with the hopes of demoralizing their Vulcan brethren. Heartened by their victories, the Romulans carry their all-out war assault closer to the heart of humanity—Earth.
But the tattered remains of Starfleet stand unwavering, with the resolution that never again would any enemy strike ever reach Earth. On the front lines of the Earth- Romulan War is the United Earth flagship, the Starship Enterprise. Her captain, Jonathan Archer, has seen his vessel of exploration become a battleship. Once hailed for his work bringing the Coalition of Planets into existence, Archer is now a pariah. Undaunted, the captain keeps fighting, searching for allies and determined to do his duty: to save Earth and forge a new federation of planets.
Star Trek Movie Universe Box Set
by David Messina (artist), Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Mike Johnson, and Tim Jones
available: 10/25/11
From the Publisher:
Relive the Star Trek franchise re-launch on the comic book page with this collector's edition slipcase containing all three Star Trek movie-related trade paperbacks. Find out how and why Nero and Spock have such a tenuous relationship in Countdown! Learn about the dark years Nero spent plotting his revenge against Spock and the Federation in Nero! And finally, experience the motion picture all over again in the strikingly stylish Official Motion Picture Adaptation!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Star Trek: New Frontier #9: Excalibur: Requiem
By Peter David
"All of us...should only be so fortunate as to have that opportunity," said Mackenzie Calhoun, five minutes before the Excalibur blew up..."
That was the final sentence of the previous New Frontier novel, Dark Allies. Requiem is the first book in the Excalibur (the emphasis there is on the "x") trilogy. It begins with the surviving members of the Excalibur's crew convening at a bar to reminisce and share their memories of the only person who apparently did not survive the destruction of the ship, her captain, Mackenzie Calhoun. We don't get any information as to what happened to cause the Excalibur's destruction, or how it came to be that Mackenzie Calhoun was killed while the rest of the crew survived. Instead, this initial scene serves as a brief introduction before the rest of the novel branches off along three parallel tracks, following some of the former Excalibur crew as they all go their separate ways. In this way, Requiem reads more like a collection of short stories than a single novel.
One storyline involves the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan science officer Soleta and her return to Vulcan, where she learns that her biological father, a Romulan criminal who raped her Vulcan mother, has been released from prison. She eventually tracks him down, and their relationship evolves in surprising ways. This storyline was particularly dark and violent, and probably the strongest part of the novel.
Another storyline finds Zak Kebron and Mark McHenry undercover on an alien world, investigating a series of alien abductions that have plagued this pre-warp civilization. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation should get a kick out of the resolution to this mystery, but, other than some intriguing hints about McHenry's past, there is not much substance to this story. A third storyline follows the former Thallonian nobles Si Cwan and Kalinda as they investigate the apparent murder of a former teacher. It is revealed in this storyline that Kalinda has developed some extrasensory powers as a result of her time in The Quiet Place. While the Soleta and Kebron/McHenry storylines are resolved in this novel, Si Cwan and Kalinda's story remains unresolved, and will presumably be continued in subsequent novels.
While I'll probably never give a completely negative review to a Star Trek: New Frontier novel, I have to say that Requiem was not one of my favorites in the series. I've said before that I like best those books that feature the entire crew together aboard the Excalibur, and obviously this trilogy takes a very different approach. While I appreciate the unique benefit offered by the New Frontier novels to alter the status quo so drastically, ultimately this book seemed a bit like a place holder until the full story of the Excalibur's destruction, and the fate of Mackenzie Calhoun, can be told.
"All of us...should only be so fortunate as to have that opportunity," said Mackenzie Calhoun, five minutes before the Excalibur blew up..."
That was the final sentence of the previous New Frontier novel, Dark Allies. Requiem is the first book in the Excalibur (the emphasis there is on the "x") trilogy. It begins with the surviving members of the Excalibur's crew convening at a bar to reminisce and share their memories of the only person who apparently did not survive the destruction of the ship, her captain, Mackenzie Calhoun. We don't get any information as to what happened to cause the Excalibur's destruction, or how it came to be that Mackenzie Calhoun was killed while the rest of the crew survived. Instead, this initial scene serves as a brief introduction before the rest of the novel branches off along three parallel tracks, following some of the former Excalibur crew as they all go their separate ways. In this way, Requiem reads more like a collection of short stories than a single novel.
One storyline involves the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan science officer Soleta and her return to Vulcan, where she learns that her biological father, a Romulan criminal who raped her Vulcan mother, has been released from prison. She eventually tracks him down, and their relationship evolves in surprising ways. This storyline was particularly dark and violent, and probably the strongest part of the novel.
Another storyline finds Zak Kebron and Mark McHenry undercover on an alien world, investigating a series of alien abductions that have plagued this pre-warp civilization. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation should get a kick out of the resolution to this mystery, but, other than some intriguing hints about McHenry's past, there is not much substance to this story. A third storyline follows the former Thallonian nobles Si Cwan and Kalinda as they investigate the apparent murder of a former teacher. It is revealed in this storyline that Kalinda has developed some extrasensory powers as a result of her time in The Quiet Place. While the Soleta and Kebron/McHenry storylines are resolved in this novel, Si Cwan and Kalinda's story remains unresolved, and will presumably be continued in subsequent novels.
While I'll probably never give a completely negative review to a Star Trek: New Frontier novel, I have to say that Requiem was not one of my favorites in the series. I've said before that I like best those books that feature the entire crew together aboard the Excalibur, and obviously this trilogy takes a very different approach. While I appreciate the unique benefit offered by the New Frontier novels to alter the status quo so drastically, ultimately this book seemed a bit like a place holder until the full story of the Excalibur's destruction, and the fate of Mackenzie Calhoun, can be told.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Author Interview: Scott Tipton
Scott Tipton and James Sawyer are interviewed at Startrek.com about their work on the upcoming Star Trek Vault.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Star Trek #94: New Earth, Book Six of Six: Challenger
By Diane Carey
Diane Carey, one of the finest writers of Star Trek fiction, brings the very good New Earth miniseries to a spectacular conclusion in this excellent novel. The story begins in media res, with the starship Peleliu engaged in a desperate battle with the Kauld during Gamma Night, a period in which sensors do not function due to the presence of a nearby white dwarf star. The Peleliu and her crew are on their way to Belle Terre to relieve Captain Kirk and the Enterprise, taking over as the Starfleet vessel assigned to orbit and lend aid to the Belle Terre colonists. Things do not go as planned however, as Captain Lake of the Peleliu seems to be losing his grip on reality (possibly due to radiation exposure years earlier). When the ship's first officer and much of the rest of the crew are killed during the battle with the Kauld, Lieutenant Commander Nick Keller, the ship's second officer, is forced to violently relieve his captain of command and take charge of the Peleliu.
Nick Keller and some of the crew survive the battle, but the Peleliu does not. Keller enlists the aid of Montgomery Scott in the construction of a new starship, a patchwork ship assembled from pieces of destroyed or dismantled vessels and powered by an alien warp drive. Keller names the new ship Challenger, which is just as well because "Peleliu" would not make nearly as good of a title for this book.
While all of this is going on, Captain Kirk has taken the Enterprise to track a strange robot that has been stealing Olivium (the rare and valuable substance discovered in one of Belle Terre's moons). This adventure leads Kirk to a group of interdimensional aliens who were responsible for giving warp technology to the warring Blood and Kauld races. They are also the ones indirectly responsible for the energy-sucking entity called "the Blackness" in an earlier book in this series, here referred to as "the Cold Factor." Carey brings together many elements introduced earlier in the series for this final adventure, and even brings back characters from the very first New Earth novel, like the reprehensible criminal Billy Maidenshore, who has kidnapped Uhura and McCoy and has his own plans for stealing Olivium.
Clearly, there is a lot going on in this book. The intricately constructed plot is a trademark of Diane Carey's writing, and she handles all of the various plotlines and characters deftly. The ultimate purpose of this novel is to introduce Nick Keller and the crew of the starship Challenger. Keller is a great character, a young man who reluctantly takes command but is clearly an able leader, a true cowboy who even wears cowboy boots while on duty. In addition to a primarily human crew, Keller also enlists Shucorion, one of the Blood aliens, to be his first officer. Zoa, an alien woman who resembles a kind of Egyptian goddess, is also a member of Keller's crew. She had been aboard the Peleliu as an observer. I believe the New Earth series, and this novel in particular, were partly conceived in the hopes of launching an ongoing series about Challenger and her crew, but as far as I know only one further Challenger novel was ever published. That's a shame, because Diane Carey has created a wonderful group of characters here who I would have liked to see a lot more of. As it stands, Challenger is one of the best Trek books I've read recently, a fitting conclusion to a fun and well-executed series.
Diane Carey, one of the finest writers of Star Trek fiction, brings the very good New Earth miniseries to a spectacular conclusion in this excellent novel. The story begins in media res, with the starship Peleliu engaged in a desperate battle with the Kauld during Gamma Night, a period in which sensors do not function due to the presence of a nearby white dwarf star. The Peleliu and her crew are on their way to Belle Terre to relieve Captain Kirk and the Enterprise, taking over as the Starfleet vessel assigned to orbit and lend aid to the Belle Terre colonists. Things do not go as planned however, as Captain Lake of the Peleliu seems to be losing his grip on reality (possibly due to radiation exposure years earlier). When the ship's first officer and much of the rest of the crew are killed during the battle with the Kauld, Lieutenant Commander Nick Keller, the ship's second officer, is forced to violently relieve his captain of command and take charge of the Peleliu.
Nick Keller and some of the crew survive the battle, but the Peleliu does not. Keller enlists the aid of Montgomery Scott in the construction of a new starship, a patchwork ship assembled from pieces of destroyed or dismantled vessels and powered by an alien warp drive. Keller names the new ship Challenger, which is just as well because "Peleliu" would not make nearly as good of a title for this book.
While all of this is going on, Captain Kirk has taken the Enterprise to track a strange robot that has been stealing Olivium (the rare and valuable substance discovered in one of Belle Terre's moons). This adventure leads Kirk to a group of interdimensional aliens who were responsible for giving warp technology to the warring Blood and Kauld races. They are also the ones indirectly responsible for the energy-sucking entity called "the Blackness" in an earlier book in this series, here referred to as "the Cold Factor." Carey brings together many elements introduced earlier in the series for this final adventure, and even brings back characters from the very first New Earth novel, like the reprehensible criminal Billy Maidenshore, who has kidnapped Uhura and McCoy and has his own plans for stealing Olivium.
Clearly, there is a lot going on in this book. The intricately constructed plot is a trademark of Diane Carey's writing, and she handles all of the various plotlines and characters deftly. The ultimate purpose of this novel is to introduce Nick Keller and the crew of the starship Challenger. Keller is a great character, a young man who reluctantly takes command but is clearly an able leader, a true cowboy who even wears cowboy boots while on duty. In addition to a primarily human crew, Keller also enlists Shucorion, one of the Blood aliens, to be his first officer. Zoa, an alien woman who resembles a kind of Egyptian goddess, is also a member of Keller's crew. She had been aboard the Peleliu as an observer. I believe the New Earth series, and this novel in particular, were partly conceived in the hopes of launching an ongoing series about Challenger and her crew, but as far as I know only one further Challenger novel was ever published. That's a shame, because Diane Carey has created a wonderful group of characters here who I would have liked to see a lot more of. As it stands, Challenger is one of the best Trek books I've read recently, a fitting conclusion to a fun and well-executed series.
This Month in Star Trek Books: September 2011
The following Star Trek books will be available later this month:
Star Trek Book of Opposites
by David Borgenicht
available: 9/6/2011
From the Publisher:
Explore Strange New Worlds!
With the help of Kirk, Spok, McCoy, and two dozen colorful pictures from across the galaxy, teach your children the meaning of big and little, hot and cold, apart and together, and much more!
Obsessed with Star Trek
by Chip Carter
available: 9/21/2011
From the Publisher:
This latest title in the wildly popular Obsessed With series is the Star Trek fan's ultimate challenge. More than just a trivia book, this interactive game includes an electronic scoring module that allows readers to quiz themselves or compete against a friend. With 2,500 new questions covering the expansive Star Trek universe, it's easy to test who really knows their ships, Spock, and Starfleet. Drawing from the entire television franchise and all the original films with behind-the-scenes scoop on development of the series and stills from favorite episodes and movies Obsessed With Star Trek is an out-of-this-world treat for Trekkies.
Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgements Come
by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
available: 9/27/2011
From the Publisher:
Operation Vanguard has risked countless lives and sacrificed entire worlds to unlock the secrets of the Shedai, an extinct alien civilization whose technology can shape the future of the galaxy. Now, Starfleet’s efforts have roused the vengeful Shedai from their aeons of slumber. As the Taurus Reach erupts with violence, hundreds of light-years away, on “The Planet of Galactic Peace,” Ambassador Jetanien and his counterparts from the Klingon and Romulan empires struggle to avert war by any means necessary. But Jetanien discovers their mission may have been designed to fail all along . . . Meanwhile, living in exile on an Orion ship is the one man who can help Starfleet find an ancient weapon that can stop the Shedai: Vanguard’s former commanding officer, Diego Reyes.
The end of the epic saga begins.
Star Trek Book of Opposites
by David Borgenicht
available: 9/6/2011
From the Publisher:
Explore Strange New Worlds!
With the help of Kirk, Spok, McCoy, and two dozen colorful pictures from across the galaxy, teach your children the meaning of big and little, hot and cold, apart and together, and much more!
Obsessed with Star Trek
by Chip Carter
available: 9/21/2011
From the Publisher:
This latest title in the wildly popular Obsessed With series is the Star Trek fan's ultimate challenge. More than just a trivia book, this interactive game includes an electronic scoring module that allows readers to quiz themselves or compete against a friend. With 2,500 new questions covering the expansive Star Trek universe, it's easy to test who really knows their ships, Spock, and Starfleet. Drawing from the entire television franchise and all the original films with behind-the-scenes scoop on development of the series and stills from favorite episodes and movies Obsessed With Star Trek is an out-of-this-world treat for Trekkies.
Star Trek: Vanguard: What Judgements Come
by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
available: 9/27/2011
From the Publisher:
Operation Vanguard has risked countless lives and sacrificed entire worlds to unlock the secrets of the Shedai, an extinct alien civilization whose technology can shape the future of the galaxy. Now, Starfleet’s efforts have roused the vengeful Shedai from their aeons of slumber. As the Taurus Reach erupts with violence, hundreds of light-years away, on “The Planet of Galactic Peace,” Ambassador Jetanien and his counterparts from the Klingon and Romulan empires struggle to avert war by any means necessary. But Jetanien discovers their mission may have been designed to fail all along . . . Meanwhile, living in exile on an Orion ship is the one man who can help Starfleet find an ancient weapon that can stop the Shedai: Vanguard’s former commanding officer, Diego Reyes.
The end of the epic saga begins.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Star Trek: The Original Series: 365
By Paula M. Block with Terry J. Erdmann
This is a landscape format coffee table book published by Abrams, who have done several entries in the "365" series. Comprised of 365 two page spreads, featuring artwork on the right-hand page and text on the left, Star Trek: The Original Series: 365 is best enjoyed taken in small doses rather than devoured all at once. In fact, I read it over the course of a year, reading one entry per day, which I think is kind of the intention with these books. As is typical of Abrams, the book is beautifully designed.
The book takes a chronological approach to its examination of Star Trek, beginning with a short series of entries examining the pre-production and promotion of the show, as well as several pages devoted to the first, unaired pilot episode starring Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike. Following this, each episode of each season is examined, usually with 2-3 pages devoted to each episode. Episodes are featured in production order, rather than the order in which they were originally broadcast. Finally, pages toward the end of the book are devoted to early Trek fandom and early Star Trek merchandise. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is a page devoted to early Star Trek books!
The beautiful, full-color photographs include both stills from the television episodes as well as candid, behind-the-scenes shots of the cast and crew, and photos of rare Trek memorabilia. The format of the book gives plenty of room to examine all aspects of the production of the television show. There are lots of mini biographies of guest actors and close looks at set design and costuming.
I thought the book may have pointed out the cheap nature of the show's special effects a few too many times. I also think it unlikely that die-hard Trekkies will find too much new information here. Still, I found this a greatly enjoyable companion to the series that provided a new way of looking at the original Star Trek. A second volume, devoted to Star Trek: The Next Generation, is forthcoming from the publisher.
This is a landscape format coffee table book published by Abrams, who have done several entries in the "365" series. Comprised of 365 two page spreads, featuring artwork on the right-hand page and text on the left, Star Trek: The Original Series: 365 is best enjoyed taken in small doses rather than devoured all at once. In fact, I read it over the course of a year, reading one entry per day, which I think is kind of the intention with these books. As is typical of Abrams, the book is beautifully designed.
The book takes a chronological approach to its examination of Star Trek, beginning with a short series of entries examining the pre-production and promotion of the show, as well as several pages devoted to the first, unaired pilot episode starring Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Pike. Following this, each episode of each season is examined, usually with 2-3 pages devoted to each episode. Episodes are featured in production order, rather than the order in which they were originally broadcast. Finally, pages toward the end of the book are devoted to early Trek fandom and early Star Trek merchandise. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is a page devoted to early Star Trek books!
The beautiful, full-color photographs include both stills from the television episodes as well as candid, behind-the-scenes shots of the cast and crew, and photos of rare Trek memorabilia. The format of the book gives plenty of room to examine all aspects of the production of the television show. There are lots of mini biographies of guest actors and close looks at set design and costuming.
I thought the book may have pointed out the cheap nature of the show's special effects a few too many times. I also think it unlikely that die-hard Trekkies will find too much new information here. Still, I found this a greatly enjoyable companion to the series that provided a new way of looking at the original Star Trek. A second volume, devoted to Star Trek: The Next Generation, is forthcoming from the publisher.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Star Trek #93: New Earth, Book Five of Six: Thin Air
By Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch
In the previous New Earth novel, the Enterprise battled and destroyed a Kauld ship, which crashed to the surface of Belle Terre. In this book, we learn that the incident was a ruse to infect the ecosystem of Belle Terre with an invisible substance called siliconic gel. The gel is slowly replacing the air on the planet, making it uninhabitable to humans. Because the colonists have cannibalized the ships that brought them to Belle Terre, evacuation is impossible, and Kirk and crew must track down the Kauld scientist responsible for the attack in hopes of reversing the process.
Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch are not my favorite Star Trek writing team. Their prose is often utilitarian to a fault, fraught with bland descriptions and thin characterization. This is a shame, especially considering that they are writing an entry in a miniseries co-created by Diane Carey, who has one of the most lush and imaginative writing styles I've encountered in Star Trek fiction. However, they have constructed a good plot here, which, while not as exciting or interesting as previous books in the series, nevertheless is a solid science fiction story with a good mix of action and intrigue. The threat of the siliconic gel is unique, and lends a creepy atmosphere to the novel. As characters encounter the substance, the feeling is compared to having spiderwebs covering your entire body. Given this description, when entire communities become blanketed in the gel, I was reminded of the final scene in Kingdom of the Spiders, a cult classic B-movie starring William Shatner. I have no idea if this was intentional.
Thin Air is not one of the strongest entries in the New Earth series, but it's still not a bad novel by any means. Next up is the final book in the series, written by series co-creator Diane Carey. My expectations are appropriately high.
In the previous New Earth novel, the Enterprise battled and destroyed a Kauld ship, which crashed to the surface of Belle Terre. In this book, we learn that the incident was a ruse to infect the ecosystem of Belle Terre with an invisible substance called siliconic gel. The gel is slowly replacing the air on the planet, making it uninhabitable to humans. Because the colonists have cannibalized the ships that brought them to Belle Terre, evacuation is impossible, and Kirk and crew must track down the Kauld scientist responsible for the attack in hopes of reversing the process.
Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch are not my favorite Star Trek writing team. Their prose is often utilitarian to a fault, fraught with bland descriptions and thin characterization. This is a shame, especially considering that they are writing an entry in a miniseries co-created by Diane Carey, who has one of the most lush and imaginative writing styles I've encountered in Star Trek fiction. However, they have constructed a good plot here, which, while not as exciting or interesting as previous books in the series, nevertheless is a solid science fiction story with a good mix of action and intrigue. The threat of the siliconic gel is unique, and lends a creepy atmosphere to the novel. As characters encounter the substance, the feeling is compared to having spiderwebs covering your entire body. Given this description, when entire communities become blanketed in the gel, I was reminded of the final scene in Kingdom of the Spiders, a cult classic B-movie starring William Shatner. I have no idea if this was intentional.
Thin Air is not one of the strongest entries in the New Earth series, but it's still not a bad novel by any means. Next up is the final book in the series, written by series co-creator Diane Carey. My expectations are appropriately high.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Star Trek #92: New Earth, Book Four of Six: The Flaming Arrow
By Kathy Oltion and Jerry Oltion
I really liked this book. Similar to Belle Terre in that the plot primarily focused on a single threat to the colony world. In that book, it was the imminent explosion of one of Belle Terre's moons. In this book, a gigantic laser beam, built by the aggressive Kauld race, has been fired at the planet. By the time Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise learn about the laser's existence, it has already been fired, and is set to strike the planet in under a week's time. I thought the idea of the laser having already been fired but taking several days to travel at light speed across a large distance was a novel one, a good concept that I don't remember having been used on Star Trek but which is a very Star Trek-esque story, if that makes sense. The authors have a lot of fun with the fact that the Enterprise can outpace the laser, traveling faster than light speed. The ability to outrun the laser does not do them much good, however, as they have no way of stopping such a powerful weapon. There was a lot of tension in this novel that built until the final pages. The story was based on real science but was not overwhelmed by technobabble. Kind of a perfect Star Trek adventure, really.
The authors also did a very good job with the characters. Chekov is absent, having left after the events of the previous novel to join the crew of the Reliant, but all of the other characters have good moments in this book. There is a nice storyline featuring Dr. McCoy and Scotty on an away mission together. Kirk begins a romance with one of the colonists. Even the aliens, particularly the Kauld defectors who inform Bones and Scotty about the laser weapon, are well developed and fun to read about. High marks all around for this fourth chapter in the New Earth saga.
I really liked this book. Similar to Belle Terre in that the plot primarily focused on a single threat to the colony world. In that book, it was the imminent explosion of one of Belle Terre's moons. In this book, a gigantic laser beam, built by the aggressive Kauld race, has been fired at the planet. By the time Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise learn about the laser's existence, it has already been fired, and is set to strike the planet in under a week's time. I thought the idea of the laser having already been fired but taking several days to travel at light speed across a large distance was a novel one, a good concept that I don't remember having been used on Star Trek but which is a very Star Trek-esque story, if that makes sense. The authors have a lot of fun with the fact that the Enterprise can outpace the laser, traveling faster than light speed. The ability to outrun the laser does not do them much good, however, as they have no way of stopping such a powerful weapon. There was a lot of tension in this novel that built until the final pages. The story was based on real science but was not overwhelmed by technobabble. Kind of a perfect Star Trek adventure, really.
The authors also did a very good job with the characters. Chekov is absent, having left after the events of the previous novel to join the crew of the Reliant, but all of the other characters have good moments in this book. There is a nice storyline featuring Dr. McCoy and Scotty on an away mission together. Kirk begins a romance with one of the colonists. Even the aliens, particularly the Kauld defectors who inform Bones and Scotty about the laser weapon, are well developed and fun to read about. High marks all around for this fourth chapter in the New Earth saga.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Star Trek #91: New Earth, Book Three of Six: Rough Trails
By L. A. Graf
While Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are off defending Belle Terre against Olivium pirates, secondary characters Chekov, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu take center stage in this third novel in the New Earth series. When the Enterprise was forced to crash two of Belle Terre's moons in the previous novel, the landscape and atmosphere of Belle Terre was drastically altered. What had once been a near paradise has now become a harsh landscape with dangerous, unpredictable weather. When a shuttlecraft carrying Chekov crashes during a dust storm, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu must pool their resources to mount a rescue, despite hostility from local law enforcement. Everything comes to a head in a massive natural disaster modelled after Pennsylvania's Johnstown Flood.
It was nice to see the secondary characters take a starring role in this book, but reading about them, one realizes how little character development they were given on the TV show. We really don't know that much about them, and oftentimes the writers' solution is to make them really, really good at their jobs. Scotty is the best engineer in Starfleet, Uhura is the best communications officer, etc. The character who is handled the best here is Chekov, in his last adventure before taking the position of First Officer of the Reliant. It is Chekov's book in many ways, and he even gets the girl at the end!
While this was a strong entry in the New Earth series, much of it was bogged down with excessive technobabble (particularly in regards to Uhura's and Janice Rand's attempts to construct a working communications network), and, while it was fun to see the secondary characters in primary roles, I was ultimately as relieved as they were when Kirk and Spock finally show up at the end to save the day.
While Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are off defending Belle Terre against Olivium pirates, secondary characters Chekov, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu take center stage in this third novel in the New Earth series. When the Enterprise was forced to crash two of Belle Terre's moons in the previous novel, the landscape and atmosphere of Belle Terre was drastically altered. What had once been a near paradise has now become a harsh landscape with dangerous, unpredictable weather. When a shuttlecraft carrying Chekov crashes during a dust storm, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu must pool their resources to mount a rescue, despite hostility from local law enforcement. Everything comes to a head in a massive natural disaster modelled after Pennsylvania's Johnstown Flood.
It was nice to see the secondary characters take a starring role in this book, but reading about them, one realizes how little character development they were given on the TV show. We really don't know that much about them, and oftentimes the writers' solution is to make them really, really good at their jobs. Scotty is the best engineer in Starfleet, Uhura is the best communications officer, etc. The character who is handled the best here is Chekov, in his last adventure before taking the position of First Officer of the Reliant. It is Chekov's book in many ways, and he even gets the girl at the end!
While this was a strong entry in the New Earth series, much of it was bogged down with excessive technobabble (particularly in regards to Uhura's and Janice Rand's attempts to construct a working communications network), and, while it was fun to see the secondary characters in primary roles, I was ultimately as relieved as they were when Kirk and Spock finally show up at the end to save the day.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
This Month in Star Trek Books: August 2011
The following Star Trek book will be available later this month:
Star Trek: A Choice of Catastrophes
by Steve Mollmann and Michael Schuster
available: 8/30/2011
From the Publisher:
The U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, is returning from a mission to deliver medical supplies to Deep Space Station C-15, one of Starfleet’s most distant installations. All is routine until the Enterprise comes within a light-year of the planet Mu Arigulon, when the ship is suddenly thrown from warp and suffers a momentary power cut, having run aground on a spatial distortion not revealed in previous scans of the system. When the pride of Starfleet hits another, much worse distortion, Dr. Leonard McCoy has his hands full caring for officers who have suddenly fallen into comas for no apparent reason. The Enterprise medical team soon discovers that the dying officers are espers—humans with a rare and abnormal level of telepathic and psychic ability. With no choice but to link to the officers’ minds in order to come to their aid, McCoy is plunged into a nightmarish dream-world . . . with the end result being nothing short of the possible destruction of the Enterprise and all aboard her. . . .
Star Trek: A Choice of Catastrophes
by Steve Mollmann and Michael Schuster
available: 8/30/2011
The U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, is returning from a mission to deliver medical supplies to Deep Space Station C-15, one of Starfleet’s most distant installations. All is routine until the Enterprise comes within a light-year of the planet Mu Arigulon, when the ship is suddenly thrown from warp and suffers a momentary power cut, having run aground on a spatial distortion not revealed in previous scans of the system. When the pride of Starfleet hits another, much worse distortion, Dr. Leonard McCoy has his hands full caring for officers who have suddenly fallen into comas for no apparent reason. The Enterprise medical team soon discovers that the dying officers are espers—humans with a rare and abnormal level of telepathic and psychic ability. With no choice but to link to the officers’ minds in order to come to their aid, McCoy is plunged into a nightmarish dream-world . . . with the end result being nothing short of the possible destruction of the Enterprise and all aboard her. . . .
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Star Trek #90: New Earth, Book Two of Six: Belle Terre
By Dean Wesley Smith with Diane Carey
This novel is much more tightly focused than the first book in the New Earth series. Whereas that intricately constructed novel saw Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise dealing with a multitude of problems while en route to the new colony world Belle Terre, this second book deals primarily with a single threat to the newly colonized planet. It is discovered that one of Belle Terre's moons contains a powerful element called olivium, a strange substance that exists in a state of quantum flux and which has not previously been found outside of laboratory conditions. Olivium is extraordinarily rare, and, in theory, could be incredibly beneficial to the advancement of all of the sciences. However, what at first seems like the discovery of a lifetime soon becomes a harbinger of doom, when Spock discovers that the unstable olivium will explode in about a week's time, destroying both the moon and all of Belle Terre.
Most of the book is taken up by the Enterprise crew's attempts to stop the explosion. Eventually, the surface of the planet is evacuated and all of the colonist and Federation ships must work together to tractor a smaller moon into a collision with the olivium moon, in the hopes of releasing the building pressure without destroying the moon or the planet. This long sequence with the fleet of ships moving the moon is very well handled, building in tension until the final pages. Of course, Belle Terre is saved in the end, but not without a sacrifice that will have lasting consequences for the fledgling colony world.
There are a couple of subplots in the story, as well. One, involving a mother left behind on the endangered planet to search for some missing children, is not particularly interesting. The woman and her son fail to come across as fully developed characters, and seem as though they've been inserted merely as representatives of the Belle Terre colonists with whom the reader is supposed to empathize. More literary devices than real people. The second subplot, involving a small, three-person crewed Starship scouting for a nearby world that the colonists could inhabit should Belle Terre be destroyed, was much more interesting. That storyline ends in a cliffhanger, presumably to be resolved in a later New Earth novel.
In Jeff Ayers' Voyages of Imagination, Dean Wesley Smith says that he wrote the novel from an outline provided by Diane Carey, who wrote the first book in the series and co-created the New Earth concept. Carey is a phenomenal author of Star Trek fiction, whose attention to detail and rich characterizations are absent here. Still, Smith's more straightforward prose works nicely for a more focused story like the one being told here, and ultimately I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future books in the series.
This novel is much more tightly focused than the first book in the New Earth series. Whereas that intricately constructed novel saw Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise dealing with a multitude of problems while en route to the new colony world Belle Terre, this second book deals primarily with a single threat to the newly colonized planet. It is discovered that one of Belle Terre's moons contains a powerful element called olivium, a strange substance that exists in a state of quantum flux and which has not previously been found outside of laboratory conditions. Olivium is extraordinarily rare, and, in theory, could be incredibly beneficial to the advancement of all of the sciences. However, what at first seems like the discovery of a lifetime soon becomes a harbinger of doom, when Spock discovers that the unstable olivium will explode in about a week's time, destroying both the moon and all of Belle Terre.
Most of the book is taken up by the Enterprise crew's attempts to stop the explosion. Eventually, the surface of the planet is evacuated and all of the colonist and Federation ships must work together to tractor a smaller moon into a collision with the olivium moon, in the hopes of releasing the building pressure without destroying the moon or the planet. This long sequence with the fleet of ships moving the moon is very well handled, building in tension until the final pages. Of course, Belle Terre is saved in the end, but not without a sacrifice that will have lasting consequences for the fledgling colony world.
There are a couple of subplots in the story, as well. One, involving a mother left behind on the endangered planet to search for some missing children, is not particularly interesting. The woman and her son fail to come across as fully developed characters, and seem as though they've been inserted merely as representatives of the Belle Terre colonists with whom the reader is supposed to empathize. More literary devices than real people. The second subplot, involving a small, three-person crewed Starship scouting for a nearby world that the colonists could inhabit should Belle Terre be destroyed, was much more interesting. That storyline ends in a cliffhanger, presumably to be resolved in a later New Earth novel.
In Jeff Ayers' Voyages of Imagination, Dean Wesley Smith says that he wrote the novel from an outline provided by Diane Carey, who wrote the first book in the series and co-created the New Earth concept. Carey is a phenomenal author of Star Trek fiction, whose attention to detail and rich characterizations are absent here. Still, Smith's more straightforward prose works nicely for a more focused story like the one being told here, and ultimately I enjoyed this novel and look forward to future books in the series.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Star Trek #89: New Earth, Book One of Six: Wagon Train to the Stars
By Diane Carey
After having read and greatly enjoyed Diane Carey's Red Sector, an excellent novel in the midst of a just-okay miniseries, I was excited to read this book, the first in the New Earth miniseries. Carey developed the New Earth concept with editor John Ordover, and wrote the first and last books in the sequence. She also co-wrote the second book with Dean Wesley Smith.
In Wagon Train to the Stars (a phrase Gene Roddenberry famously used to pitch the original Star Trek TV series), Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have been tasked with escorting a fleet of ships carrying a determined group of colonists to a newly discovered, earth-like planet where they hope to make a new home for themselves. The planet, which the colonists have named Belle Terre, is in a previously uncharted area of space, far from the Federation. The story takes place shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and presents an entirely new kind of challenge for Kirk.
On their long journey to Belle Terre, the expedition is plagued by a number of problems, including illness, malfunctioning equipment, and conflict amongst the civilian passengers and Starfleet officers. What at first appear to be a random series of misfortunes are eventually revealed to be the machinations of one man, Billy Maidenshore, a thief who Kirk has had dealings with in the past and who secretly plans to sell a portion of the expedition ships and the colonists they are carrying to the Orions. Eventually, Maidenshore's plot is uncovered and thwarted by Kirk, but Maidenshore escapes to forge another alliance, this time with an alien race called the Blood. The Blood have been locked in a generations long conflict with another race called the Kauld. Shucorion, the leader of the Blood, has himself formed a tentative alliance with the Kauld in the hopes of pitting Kauld and the Federation against one another so that they will destroy themselves. Neither Blood nor Kauld want the Federation intruding on their space, which is near Belle Terre.
If this all sounds somewhat complicated, it is. But not overwhelmingly so. Diane Carey has carefully crafted an intricate novel filled with complex characters whose motivations and loyalties are constantly shifting. I appreciated the detail that went into this novel. Many of the colonists are fully developed, interesting characters with distinct personalities. Great care has been taken to develop the Blood and the Kauld as distinct and complex cultures. There is also a lot of detail in regards to Kirk and the Enterprise crew's duties in shepherding the Belle Terre colonists to their new home. In short, this is an exquisitely crafted novel that stands well on its own, even as it sets the stage for things to come. I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about the Belle Terre colonists.
After having read and greatly enjoyed Diane Carey's Red Sector, an excellent novel in the midst of a just-okay miniseries, I was excited to read this book, the first in the New Earth miniseries. Carey developed the New Earth concept with editor John Ordover, and wrote the first and last books in the sequence. She also co-wrote the second book with Dean Wesley Smith.
In Wagon Train to the Stars (a phrase Gene Roddenberry famously used to pitch the original Star Trek TV series), Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise have been tasked with escorting a fleet of ships carrying a determined group of colonists to a newly discovered, earth-like planet where they hope to make a new home for themselves. The planet, which the colonists have named Belle Terre, is in a previously uncharted area of space, far from the Federation. The story takes place shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and presents an entirely new kind of challenge for Kirk.
On their long journey to Belle Terre, the expedition is plagued by a number of problems, including illness, malfunctioning equipment, and conflict amongst the civilian passengers and Starfleet officers. What at first appear to be a random series of misfortunes are eventually revealed to be the machinations of one man, Billy Maidenshore, a thief who Kirk has had dealings with in the past and who secretly plans to sell a portion of the expedition ships and the colonists they are carrying to the Orions. Eventually, Maidenshore's plot is uncovered and thwarted by Kirk, but Maidenshore escapes to forge another alliance, this time with an alien race called the Blood. The Blood have been locked in a generations long conflict with another race called the Kauld. Shucorion, the leader of the Blood, has himself formed a tentative alliance with the Kauld in the hopes of pitting Kauld and the Federation against one another so that they will destroy themselves. Neither Blood nor Kauld want the Federation intruding on their space, which is near Belle Terre.
If this all sounds somewhat complicated, it is. But not overwhelmingly so. Diane Carey has carefully crafted an intricate novel filled with complex characters whose motivations and loyalties are constantly shifting. I appreciated the detail that went into this novel. Many of the colonists are fully developed, interesting characters with distinct personalities. Great care has been taken to develop the Blood and the Kauld as distinct and complex cultures. There is also a lot of detail in regards to Kirk and the Enterprise crew's duties in shepherding the Belle Terre colonists to their new home. In short, this is an exquisitely crafted novel that stands well on its own, even as it sets the stage for things to come. I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about the Belle Terre colonists.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Star Trek: New Frontier #8: Dark Allies
By Peter David
Following directly from The Quiet Place, in a two-book sequence I like to refer to as "The Orange Duology," Dark Allies finds Captain Calhoun reluctantly entering into an alliance with his enemies, the Redeemers. A strange, seemingly all-powerful entity known as the Black Mass is on course to destroy the homeworld of the Redeemers, and they are holding a planet hostage in order to force Calhoun to help them. Meanwhile, Chief Engineer Burgoyne 172 continues to court a very pregnant Dr. Selar, Robin Lefler struggles with her feelings for Ambassador Si Cwan, and Calhoun and Shelby finally confront their feelings for one another. There is also a lot of tension resulting from the appearance of Xyon, revealed to be Calhoun's son at the end of the previous book. Here, Xyon and Si Cwan's sister, Kalinda, embark on a relationship, much to Si Cwan's chagrin, while Xyon and Calhoun have their own issues to work through.
I absolutely love this book. Finally, we have all of the crew of the Excalibur together aboard the ship for an exciting and tense adventure. The soap opera elements, a trademark of the New Frontier series, reach some particular high points in this novel, and the story of the Redeemers and the Black Mass is equally good. The Black Mass really does seem nearly invincible, and I was uncertain throughout much of the book how the Excalibur was going to defeat it. While the ultimate solution is actually rather simple, I appreciated the fact that we learned more about what the Black Mass was and how it functioned throughout the course of the story, and it is ultimately defeated using (sort of) real science, something I always enjoy in Star Trek stories and which New Frontier does not always excel at.
There are so many great character moments here, particularly Calhoun's revelation of his feelings for Shelby (a long time coming), and the moving, final scene between Calhoun and Xyon. Near the end of the book, Calhoun compares himself to the Black Mass in a particularly clever and poignant analogy that I won't spoil here, suffice to say it was a terrific piece of writing.
Dark Allies has the feel of a season finale, as many of the long running subplots come to a head, and a sense of foreboding begins to creep into the book's final pages, suggesting that a major change is coming for all of the characters. Indeed, the final sentence certainly bears that out. In the pages of this wonderful novel, a new life is born, a heroic sacrifice is made, and New Frontier firmly establishes itself as one of the finest series of Star Trek books ever published.
I absolutely love this book. Finally, we have all of the crew of the Excalibur together aboard the ship for an exciting and tense adventure. The soap opera elements, a trademark of the New Frontier series, reach some particular high points in this novel, and the story of the Redeemers and the Black Mass is equally good. The Black Mass really does seem nearly invincible, and I was uncertain throughout much of the book how the Excalibur was going to defeat it. While the ultimate solution is actually rather simple, I appreciated the fact that we learned more about what the Black Mass was and how it functioned throughout the course of the story, and it is ultimately defeated using (sort of) real science, something I always enjoy in Star Trek stories and which New Frontier does not always excel at.
There are so many great character moments here, particularly Calhoun's revelation of his feelings for Shelby (a long time coming), and the moving, final scene between Calhoun and Xyon. Near the end of the book, Calhoun compares himself to the Black Mass in a particularly clever and poignant analogy that I won't spoil here, suffice to say it was a terrific piece of writing.
Dark Allies has the feel of a season finale, as many of the long running subplots come to a head, and a sense of foreboding begins to creep into the book's final pages, suggesting that a major change is coming for all of the characters. Indeed, the final sentence certainly bears that out. In the pages of this wonderful novel, a new life is born, a heroic sacrifice is made, and New Frontier firmly establishes itself as one of the finest series of Star Trek books ever published.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Star Trek: New Frontier #7: The Quiet Place
By Peter David
This novel introduces several new characters to the New Frontier series. Riella, a young woman from the planet Montos, is haunted by strange dreams that eventualy compel her to travel to a mysterious section of space known as the "Quiet Place." She is also being pursued by hostile forces who want access to the Quiet Place, including former Thallonian noble Zoran, the sinister Redeemers, and a strange group of creatures known as the Dogs of War, vicious canine/humanoid hybrids who are the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. None of these characters are certain just what the Quiet Place is, but it is rumored to hold the secrets of immortality and ultimate power, and its secrets are locked inside Riella's mind. We also meet Xyon, a young thief with low-level psionic abilities and foreknowledge of his own death, who aids Riella in her journey. This novel brings to a conclusion one of the series' long-running subplots, that of Si Cwan's search for his missing sister.
I was anxious to return to the regular New Frontier novels, after having read Once Burned and Double or Nothing, both parts of crossovers that didn't feature the crew of the Excalibur all together in the present day. I was a bit disappointed, then, when I began reading this novel and realized that so much time was spent with Xyon and Riella. There are very few scenes on the Excalibur, and the only members of the regular cast who are primarily featured are Si Cwan, Zak Kebron, and Soleta, who are on an away mission to Montos when they become involved in Riella's and Xyon's adventure. My initial disappointment was quickly displaced, however, as I became caught up in the excitement of the story being told. The new characters are appealing and should make a good addition to the series. The Dogs of War are particularly interesting villains of a type not often seen in Star Trek, and I look forward to future appearances by them.
I suppose a minor criticism could be that, when the Quiet Place is eventually found, it is not particularly interesting, nor is it ever fully explained just what it is or how it came to be. In all honesty, though, this doesn't bother me at all. The Quiet Place is really just an excuse to move the plot along, and doesn't really need to be explained or explored further. As is often the case with Peter David's Trek books, character is the most important thing. The novel ends with a wonderful surprise on the very last page that I did not see coming at all, and leads directly into the next book, Dark Allies.
This novel introduces several new characters to the New Frontier series. Riella, a young woman from the planet Montos, is haunted by strange dreams that eventualy compel her to travel to a mysterious section of space known as the "Quiet Place." She is also being pursued by hostile forces who want access to the Quiet Place, including former Thallonian noble Zoran, the sinister Redeemers, and a strange group of creatures known as the Dogs of War, vicious canine/humanoid hybrids who are the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. None of these characters are certain just what the Quiet Place is, but it is rumored to hold the secrets of immortality and ultimate power, and its secrets are locked inside Riella's mind. We also meet Xyon, a young thief with low-level psionic abilities and foreknowledge of his own death, who aids Riella in her journey. This novel brings to a conclusion one of the series' long-running subplots, that of Si Cwan's search for his missing sister.
I was anxious to return to the regular New Frontier novels, after having read Once Burned and Double or Nothing, both parts of crossovers that didn't feature the crew of the Excalibur all together in the present day. I was a bit disappointed, then, when I began reading this novel and realized that so much time was spent with Xyon and Riella. There are very few scenes on the Excalibur, and the only members of the regular cast who are primarily featured are Si Cwan, Zak Kebron, and Soleta, who are on an away mission to Montos when they become involved in Riella's and Xyon's adventure. My initial disappointment was quickly displaced, however, as I became caught up in the excitement of the story being told. The new characters are appealing and should make a good addition to the series. The Dogs of War are particularly interesting villains of a type not often seen in Star Trek, and I look forward to future appearances by them.
I suppose a minor criticism could be that, when the Quiet Place is eventually found, it is not particularly interesting, nor is it ever fully explained just what it is or how it came to be. In all honesty, though, this doesn't bother me at all. The Quiet Place is really just an excuse to move the plot along, and doesn't really need to be explained or explored further. As is often the case with Peter David's Trek books, character is the most important thing. The novel ends with a wonderful surprise on the very last page that I did not see coming at all, and leads directly into the next book, Dark Allies.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Upcoming Star Trek Books from David Mack
Author David Mack briefly comments on his upcoming Star Trek books.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Star Trek: The Next Generation #56: Double Helix, Book Six of Six: The First Virtue
By Michael Jan Friedman and Christie Golden
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The final book in the "Double Helix" saga is a prequel, taking place during Captain Picard's command of the Stargazer and featuring the backstory of the villain, whose identity was revealed in the previous novel. Picard attempts to negotiate a peace between two hostile groups of aliens on the brink of war, while Tuvok and Jack Crusher work undercover to investigate the possibility of a third party stirring up trouble between the two groups.
Publishing The First Virtue as the final book in the series was an odd choice, considering that it takes place before the other novels and does not have anything to do with the plague virus. However, taken on its own terms, this is a very good Star Trek book. Michael Jan Friedman, who co-created the "Double Helix" concept with editor John J. Ordover, had written a couple of previous novels featuring the Stargazer crew, and would go on to write the Stargazer series. I have not read those books, but after having read this one, I intend to. Surely, that is one mark of success for these sorts of crossover projects. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Tuvok in this novel, and felt he made a good partner for Jack Crusher. I had a bit of trouble keeping the various members of the Stargazer crew straight, but, again, I was intrigued enough to want to read more about them. A good ending to an uneven series.
*Final Thoughts on "Double Helix":
The whole of the "Double Helix" miniseries was not as good as its individual parts. While most of the novels themselves were very good, I was often frustrated by the way in which the story was told throughout the six books. Parts one through four basically repeated the same story without advancing the plot at all. Everything was wrapped up in the exciting fifth book, but there was really no reason you would need to read the previous four books to understand it. Book six is a standalone prequel. It is a failure as a mystery story, because there was no possible way to guess the identity of the villain by reading the first four books. A miniseries like "The Captain's Table" worked very well because all of the individual titles stood completely on their own while sharing the same basic concept. "Double Helix" seemed as though it was set up to tell one long story over the course of six novels, but failed to really deliver. I also don't know that the story of the plague virus was ultimately interesting enough to sustain six full length novels. I would recommend Diane Carey's excellent Red Sector and Michael Jan Friedman's and Christie Golden's The First Virtue on their own merits, and New Frontier fans will want to read Peter David's Double or Nothing. Ultimately, though, reading all six novels back to back was rather exhausting and not very satisfying.
*Further Notes on "Double Helix":
1.) "Double Helix" was originally published as a series of six paperbacks, which were later collected in a single volume, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Double Helix Omnibus.
2.) Links to all of my previous "Double Helix" reviews: Book One: Infection, Book Two: Vectors, Book Three: Red Sector, Book Four: Quarantine, Book Five: Double or Nothing
Publishing The First Virtue as the final book in the series was an odd choice, considering that it takes place before the other novels and does not have anything to do with the plague virus. However, taken on its own terms, this is a very good Star Trek book. Michael Jan Friedman, who co-created the "Double Helix" concept with editor John J. Ordover, had written a couple of previous novels featuring the Stargazer crew, and would go on to write the Stargazer series. I have not read those books, but after having read this one, I intend to. Surely, that is one mark of success for these sorts of crossover projects. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Tuvok in this novel, and felt he made a good partner for Jack Crusher. I had a bit of trouble keeping the various members of the Stargazer crew straight, but, again, I was intrigued enough to want to read more about them. A good ending to an uneven series.
*Final Thoughts on "Double Helix":
The whole of the "Double Helix" miniseries was not as good as its individual parts. While most of the novels themselves were very good, I was often frustrated by the way in which the story was told throughout the six books. Parts one through four basically repeated the same story without advancing the plot at all. Everything was wrapped up in the exciting fifth book, but there was really no reason you would need to read the previous four books to understand it. Book six is a standalone prequel. It is a failure as a mystery story, because there was no possible way to guess the identity of the villain by reading the first four books. A miniseries like "The Captain's Table" worked very well because all of the individual titles stood completely on their own while sharing the same basic concept. "Double Helix" seemed as though it was set up to tell one long story over the course of six novels, but failed to really deliver. I also don't know that the story of the plague virus was ultimately interesting enough to sustain six full length novels. I would recommend Diane Carey's excellent Red Sector and Michael Jan Friedman's and Christie Golden's The First Virtue on their own merits, and New Frontier fans will want to read Peter David's Double or Nothing. Ultimately, though, reading all six novels back to back was rather exhausting and not very satisfying.
*Further Notes on "Double Helix":
1.) "Double Helix" was originally published as a series of six paperbacks, which were later collected in a single volume, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Double Helix Omnibus.
2.) Links to all of my previous "Double Helix" reviews: Book One: Infection, Book Two: Vectors, Book Three: Red Sector, Book Four: Quarantine, Book Five: Double or Nothing
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Star Trek: The Next Generation #55: Double Helix, Book Five of Six: Double or Nothing
By Peter David
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The cast of New Frontier star in this penultimate chapter in the "Double Helix" saga, along with Commander William Riker and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. This novel is really the conclusion to the "Double Helix" storyline, with the final book, First Virtue, serving as a kind of epilogue explaining the backstory of the person responsible for the plagues (whose identity is finally revealed in this novel) and his history with Captain Picard. Double or Nothing is quite different from the earlier "Double Helix" novels, in that it is less a medical thriller and more an action/adventure story that ends in a literally explosive conclusion. We do not see great masses of people suffering from the effects of the plague as we did in the earlier books, but the threat of its final release throughout all of the Federation worlds hangs over the action of the story.
The novel follows two parallel storylines. Admiral Nechayev recruits Captain Mackenzie Calhoun to go undercover and infiltrate a group of criminals who are believed to have stolen a powerful new piece of computer technology known as the Omega 9. Eventually it is revealed that the Omega 9 is a key component in the villain's plan to release the virus throughout the Federation. While undercover, Calhoun is surprised to meet up with Captain Picard, who has also been sent by Admiral Jellico (unbeknownst to Calhoun or Nechayev) to infiltrate the same group. Meanwhile, Commander Riker has been given a temporary field promotion to Captain and put in charge of the Excalibur while Calhoun is away. The Riker storyline is mostly played for laughs, with Commander Elizabeth Shelby furious at having been passed over (again!) for command by her old rival, and Riker generally playing the straight man to the eccentric Excalibur crew.
I liked this book okay. It's great to see Calhoun on one of his undercover missions for Nechayev, and the material with Riker aboard the Excalibur is often quite funny. Some of the exchanges between Riker and Shelby are nearly as good as those in the lauded "Best of Both Worlds" television episode. Peter David's strengths lie in characterization, and he has a lot of fun bouncing the various Excalibur crew members off of the relatively straight-laced Commander Riker. The climactic action sequence is certainly grand and exciting, but the ultimate reveal of the villain is not really that interesting after being built up over four previous books. Ultimately, I feel this is one of the weakest New Frontier books, but one of the best "Double Helix" books. I am an admitted huge fan of New Frontier and have been only mildly impressed with "Double Helix," so take that statement for what it's worth.
The cast of New Frontier star in this penultimate chapter in the "Double Helix" saga, along with Commander William Riker and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise. This novel is really the conclusion to the "Double Helix" storyline, with the final book, First Virtue, serving as a kind of epilogue explaining the backstory of the person responsible for the plagues (whose identity is finally revealed in this novel) and his history with Captain Picard. Double or Nothing is quite different from the earlier "Double Helix" novels, in that it is less a medical thriller and more an action/adventure story that ends in a literally explosive conclusion. We do not see great masses of people suffering from the effects of the plague as we did in the earlier books, but the threat of its final release throughout all of the Federation worlds hangs over the action of the story.
The novel follows two parallel storylines. Admiral Nechayev recruits Captain Mackenzie Calhoun to go undercover and infiltrate a group of criminals who are believed to have stolen a powerful new piece of computer technology known as the Omega 9. Eventually it is revealed that the Omega 9 is a key component in the villain's plan to release the virus throughout the Federation. While undercover, Calhoun is surprised to meet up with Captain Picard, who has also been sent by Admiral Jellico (unbeknownst to Calhoun or Nechayev) to infiltrate the same group. Meanwhile, Commander Riker has been given a temporary field promotion to Captain and put in charge of the Excalibur while Calhoun is away. The Riker storyline is mostly played for laughs, with Commander Elizabeth Shelby furious at having been passed over (again!) for command by her old rival, and Riker generally playing the straight man to the eccentric Excalibur crew.
I liked this book okay. It's great to see Calhoun on one of his undercover missions for Nechayev, and the material with Riker aboard the Excalibur is often quite funny. Some of the exchanges between Riker and Shelby are nearly as good as those in the lauded "Best of Both Worlds" television episode. Peter David's strengths lie in characterization, and he has a lot of fun bouncing the various Excalibur crew members off of the relatively straight-laced Commander Riker. The climactic action sequence is certainly grand and exciting, but the ultimate reveal of the villain is not really that interesting after being built up over four previous books. Ultimately, I feel this is one of the weakest New Frontier books, but one of the best "Double Helix" books. I am an admitted huge fan of New Frontier and have been only mildly impressed with "Double Helix," so take that statement for what it's worth.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Author Interview: Greg Cox
Author Greg Cox (The Eugenics Wars) discusses his new Warehouse 13 novel, as well as a couple of his Star Trek books (one upcoming, and one - a book based on the new timeline established by the 2009 Star Trek film - on indefinite hiatus) in an interview with Unreality SF.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
This Month in Star Trek Books: July 2011
Welcome to the debut of a new regular feature here at one seven zero one! Every month (usually during the first week of the month), "This Month in Star Trek Books" will let you know about any Trek books to be released that month. The release date and publisher's basic description will be provided, along with a link to purchase or pre-order. I will also try to provide a cover image for the books if they are available, although keep in mind that what I'm able to find may not be the final, approved cover.
The following Star Trek book will be available later this month:
Star Trek: Cast No Shadow
by James Swallow
available: 7/26/2011
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From the Publisher:
Seven years have passed since a catastrophic explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis touched off a chain of events that would result in the assassination of the reformist High Chancellor Gorkon, and the eventual creation of the historic Khitomer Accords. Now, as part of the ongoing efforts to undo the disastrous fallout from the destruction of Praxis and with the help of aid supplies from the United Federation of Planets, reconstruction is in progress, and after years of slow going hindered by political pressures and old prejudices, headway is at last being made. But the peace process begun by the Khitomer Accords is still fragile just as the deadly plans of what is believed to be a hard-line Klingon isolationist group violently come to fruition.
Yet the group thought responsible for the deadly attack has been dormant for decades, and its known modus operandi doesn’t match up to the manner of the strike. And further investigation leads to an unexpected revelation connected to the Gorkon conspiracy of 2293, and in particular one disgraced and very familiar Starfleet lieutenant….
The following Star Trek book will be available later this month:
Star Trek: Cast No Shadow
by James Swallow
available: 7/26/2011
Seven years have passed since a catastrophic explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis touched off a chain of events that would result in the assassination of the reformist High Chancellor Gorkon, and the eventual creation of the historic Khitomer Accords. Now, as part of the ongoing efforts to undo the disastrous fallout from the destruction of Praxis and with the help of aid supplies from the United Federation of Planets, reconstruction is in progress, and after years of slow going hindered by political pressures and old prejudices, headway is at last being made. But the peace process begun by the Khitomer Accords is still fragile just as the deadly plans of what is believed to be a hard-line Klingon isolationist group violently come to fruition.
Yet the group thought responsible for the deadly attack has been dormant for decades, and its known modus operandi doesn’t match up to the manner of the strike. And further investigation leads to an unexpected revelation connected to the Gorkon conspiracy of 2293, and in particular one disgraced and very familiar Starfleet lieutenant….
Star Trek: The Next Generation #54: Double Helix, Book Four of Six: Quarantine
By John Vornholt
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Just as Infection, Vectors, and Red Sector respectively featured characters from TNG, DS9, and The Original Series, Quarantine features some of the cast of Star Trek: Voyager. Specifically, it is a story of Captain Chakotay's Maquis cell (including B'Elanna Torres, Tuvok, and Seska) before they were taken to the Delta Quadrant and merged with Voyager's crew. When Chakotay and his crew discover that Helena, a planet in the demilitarized zone, has become infected with a strain of the plague virus seen in the previous three novels, they reluctantly request Starfleet's help in treating the populace and hopefully finding a cure. Help comes in the form of Lieutenant Thomas Riker, Commander William Riker's double, who has just transferred to the medical branch of Starfleet and now works as a medical courier. The novel also shows how Thomas Riker was seduced by the Maquis philosophy, and leads directly into that character's appearance on an episode of DS9.
Like most of the books in the "Double Helix" miniseries, this novel does not advance the plot of the overall story very much, but, like Diane Carey's Red Sector, writer John Vornholt uses the opportunity to tell an entertaining story. It was, of course, a lot of fun to read about Chakotay's pre-Voyager adventures with the Maquis, and to see him interact with Tuvok and Seska, who we know would both eventually betray him. There is a good scene in this book where Tuvok, who is an undercover Starfleet officer, begins to have sympathy for the Maquis cause.
The planet Helena is also an intriguing creation. Most of the citizens are of mixed heritage, and genetic crossbreeding (both natural and artificially engineered) is regarded highly. The dark side of this seemingly enlightened philosophy is the fact that those of pureblood ancestry are a segregated minority, making Helena a kind of inverse of the planet Archaria III in Infection, where hybrid "mixers" are persecuted by the bigoted human populace. While I didn't quite understand why human/Klingon hybrids should be so rare or admired by the Helenites (we have seen at least a couple of them on the various Star Trek series), it is fun to see B'Ellana have to deal with being practically worshiped by much of the populace, a role with which she is understandably uncomfortable.
Thomas Riker makes a good protagonist here, a kind of rougher, less confident version of the William Riker with whom we are more familiar. His shift in loyalties is handled well and convincingly over the course of the story. I also like Ensign Shelzane, a female Benzite who serves as Riker's pilot and partner on the mission.
With so much else going on, the story of the plague almost seems to fade into the background at times. Interestingly, this is the only "Double Helix" book thus far that does not end with a cure for the virus being found, nor does it feature a prominent character who is a doctor. Still, this is a good Star Trek novel, particularly for fans interested in Thomas Riker and the Maquis.
Just as Infection, Vectors, and Red Sector respectively featured characters from TNG, DS9, and The Original Series, Quarantine features some of the cast of Star Trek: Voyager. Specifically, it is a story of Captain Chakotay's Maquis cell (including B'Elanna Torres, Tuvok, and Seska) before they were taken to the Delta Quadrant and merged with Voyager's crew. When Chakotay and his crew discover that Helena, a planet in the demilitarized zone, has become infected with a strain of the plague virus seen in the previous three novels, they reluctantly request Starfleet's help in treating the populace and hopefully finding a cure. Help comes in the form of Lieutenant Thomas Riker, Commander William Riker's double, who has just transferred to the medical branch of Starfleet and now works as a medical courier. The novel also shows how Thomas Riker was seduced by the Maquis philosophy, and leads directly into that character's appearance on an episode of DS9.
Like most of the books in the "Double Helix" miniseries, this novel does not advance the plot of the overall story very much, but, like Diane Carey's Red Sector, writer John Vornholt uses the opportunity to tell an entertaining story. It was, of course, a lot of fun to read about Chakotay's pre-Voyager adventures with the Maquis, and to see him interact with Tuvok and Seska, who we know would both eventually betray him. There is a good scene in this book where Tuvok, who is an undercover Starfleet officer, begins to have sympathy for the Maquis cause.
The planet Helena is also an intriguing creation. Most of the citizens are of mixed heritage, and genetic crossbreeding (both natural and artificially engineered) is regarded highly. The dark side of this seemingly enlightened philosophy is the fact that those of pureblood ancestry are a segregated minority, making Helena a kind of inverse of the planet Archaria III in Infection, where hybrid "mixers" are persecuted by the bigoted human populace. While I didn't quite understand why human/Klingon hybrids should be so rare or admired by the Helenites (we have seen at least a couple of them on the various Star Trek series), it is fun to see B'Ellana have to deal with being practically worshiped by much of the populace, a role with which she is understandably uncomfortable.
Thomas Riker makes a good protagonist here, a kind of rougher, less confident version of the William Riker with whom we are more familiar. His shift in loyalties is handled well and convincingly over the course of the story. I also like Ensign Shelzane, a female Benzite who serves as Riker's pilot and partner on the mission.
With so much else going on, the story of the plague almost seems to fade into the background at times. Interestingly, this is the only "Double Helix" book thus far that does not end with a cure for the virus being found, nor does it feature a prominent character who is a doctor. Still, this is a good Star Trek novel, particularly for fans interested in Thomas Riker and the Maquis.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Star Trek: The Next Generation #53: Double Helix, Book Three of Six: Red Sector
By Diane Carey
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In my review of Vectors, I wished for something different in the third "Double Helix" novel. Boy, did I get my wish. Red Sector is an excellent book that introduces some fantastic new characters and concepts into the Star Trek universe.
While I enjoyed previous entries in this series, I found the writing to be of professional quality but rather workmanlike. The same basic story of the plague virus was told using the TNG and DS9 characters, with subplots and extraneous detail kept to a minimum. Diane Carey takes an entirely different approach in Red Sector. Not only does this novel offer the most unique take on the virus we've seen so far (it has now been engineered to target Romulans of the royal bloodline), Carey also presents the story of ensign Eric Stiles, a young Starfleet officer who is in charge of escorting Ambassador Spock off of an alien planet that has turned hostile towards the Federation representatives that have been working there. During the evacuation, Stiles is captured and held prisoner on the planet for several years, his only companion a fellow prisoner, a Romulan scientist named Zevon. Because the alien world on which Stiles has been imprisoned has become hostile towards the Federation and all outside influence, it has been declared a "red sector," meaning the Federation cannot mount a rescue attempt.
Eventually, Stiles is rescued by a very elderly Dr. Leonard McCoy, but sadly must leave Zevon behind, despite the fact that the two have grown very close during their years in captivity. Eventually, Stiles becomes a Lieutenant Commander in command of the Saskatoon, a Combat Support Tender (CST) that is a kind of "floating space station," designed to assist, refuel, and repair starships, sometimes in the middle of combat situations. The concept of the CST is a terrific idea, and Carey populates this new ship with a dynamic and diverse crew of young officers.
There is a lot going on in this book, and it is about 100 pages before the plague virus is introduced into the story. Once that happens, the book proceeds along two parallel tracks, with Dr. Beverly Crusher and Data attempting to cure the dying Romulan Empress on Romulus, and Stiles and his crew, along with Spock and McCoy, attempting to rescue Zevon from the red sector. Zevon has royal blood and may hold the key to a cure for the virus. In addition to an exciting story with appealing characters, I enjoyed this book because Diane Carey is a fantastic writer. She has built a wonderful character arc for Eric Stiles, following his development over a number of years. She also captures the personalities of Spock and McCoy perfectly, and is equally adept at writing exciting action sequences. Two of the best moments in the book involve edge-of-your seat space battles, both involving the Saskatoon. We first encounter the CST when it is attempting to repair a damaged Federation starship in the middle of a firefight with the Romulans, and the Saskatoon's battle with the alien ship while escaping red sector towards the end of the novel is tense and exciting as well.
I hope the rest of the books in the "Double Helix" miniseries follow the example of Red Sector, using the basic story of the plague virus as a springboard to tell fast-paced adventure stories with great character development.
In my review of Vectors, I wished for something different in the third "Double Helix" novel. Boy, did I get my wish. Red Sector is an excellent book that introduces some fantastic new characters and concepts into the Star Trek universe.
While I enjoyed previous entries in this series, I found the writing to be of professional quality but rather workmanlike. The same basic story of the plague virus was told using the TNG and DS9 characters, with subplots and extraneous detail kept to a minimum. Diane Carey takes an entirely different approach in Red Sector. Not only does this novel offer the most unique take on the virus we've seen so far (it has now been engineered to target Romulans of the royal bloodline), Carey also presents the story of ensign Eric Stiles, a young Starfleet officer who is in charge of escorting Ambassador Spock off of an alien planet that has turned hostile towards the Federation representatives that have been working there. During the evacuation, Stiles is captured and held prisoner on the planet for several years, his only companion a fellow prisoner, a Romulan scientist named Zevon. Because the alien world on which Stiles has been imprisoned has become hostile towards the Federation and all outside influence, it has been declared a "red sector," meaning the Federation cannot mount a rescue attempt.
Eventually, Stiles is rescued by a very elderly Dr. Leonard McCoy, but sadly must leave Zevon behind, despite the fact that the two have grown very close during their years in captivity. Eventually, Stiles becomes a Lieutenant Commander in command of the Saskatoon, a Combat Support Tender (CST) that is a kind of "floating space station," designed to assist, refuel, and repair starships, sometimes in the middle of combat situations. The concept of the CST is a terrific idea, and Carey populates this new ship with a dynamic and diverse crew of young officers.
There is a lot going on in this book, and it is about 100 pages before the plague virus is introduced into the story. Once that happens, the book proceeds along two parallel tracks, with Dr. Beverly Crusher and Data attempting to cure the dying Romulan Empress on Romulus, and Stiles and his crew, along with Spock and McCoy, attempting to rescue Zevon from the red sector. Zevon has royal blood and may hold the key to a cure for the virus. In addition to an exciting story with appealing characters, I enjoyed this book because Diane Carey is a fantastic writer. She has built a wonderful character arc for Eric Stiles, following his development over a number of years. She also captures the personalities of Spock and McCoy perfectly, and is equally adept at writing exciting action sequences. Two of the best moments in the book involve edge-of-your seat space battles, both involving the Saskatoon. We first encounter the CST when it is attempting to repair a damaged Federation starship in the middle of a firefight with the Romulans, and the Saskatoon's battle with the alien ship while escaping red sector towards the end of the novel is tense and exciting as well.
I hope the rest of the books in the "Double Helix" miniseries follow the example of Red Sector, using the basic story of the plague virus as a springboard to tell fast-paced adventure stories with great character development.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Top Ten "Old" Star Trek Books
Readers of this blog will enjoy this list of Dayton Ward's ten favorite Star Trek books, all published prior to 1980, over at StarTrek.com.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Star Trek: The Next Generation #52: Double Helix, Book Two of Six: Vectors
By Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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While all of the "Double Helix" books were published as Star Trek: The Next Generation novels, the miniseries is actually a crossover, and Vectors primarily features characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. According to Jeff Ayers' Voyages of Imagination, editor John J. Ordover says that TNG was the bestselling series at the time, so the decision was made to publish all of the books under the TNG banner.
Vectors takes place a couple of years after Infection, during the beginning of TNG's third season and before DS9 had gone on the air, making it a kind of prequel to that series. In the book, Dr. Pulaski travels to Terok Nor (the name by which Deep Space Nine was known while still under Cardassian command) in hopes of finding a cure to a strange disease that infects both Bajorans and Cardassians, and which may have ties to the plague virus Dr. Crusher and the crew of the Enterprise combated on Archaria III. One of Dr. Pulaski's ex-husbands is the Bajoran doctor on Terok Nor, and she must work with both him and the Cardassian doctor to find a cure before the Cardassian government enacts a final solution, destroying the quarantined space station and perhaps all of Bajor.
Setting this book during the years of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor was an interesting choice. I have always been intrigued by Terok Nor, so it was great to read a book that takes place on the station during this period. While Starfleet characters like Commander Sisko and Dax were missed, I am a big fan of Gul Dukat, and the writers do a great job with him here, as they do with all of the characters. Other DS9 characters like Odo, Quark, and Kira are prominently featured, and there are brief appearances by some of the crew of the Enterprise-D. The scenes featuring Quark and his family are quite funny, and the scenes between Odo and Kira are a lot of fun, subtly hinting at the relationship the two of them would eventually develop. While I wasn't exactly clamoring for a novel featuring Dr. Pulaski, she made a fine protagonist for this tense medical thriller.
The basic plot is essentially the same as that of Infection. By the end of the novel, a cure has once more been found, but we are no closer to learning the identity of the person ultimately responsible for the plagues. I am a little worried that this formula will wear itself thin over the course of six novels, but I remain optimistic for now. The only real criticism I have of this book is that, like the first novel, it seemed to end rather abruptly once the cure was found, and I wish the writers had gone into a bit more detail, particularly in regards to the various battles between Bajorans and Cardassians that took place during the final third of the book. One the whole, this sophomore entry in the "Double Helix" miniseries was an improvement over the first, but I'm hoping for something a little bit different in book three.
While all of the "Double Helix" books were published as Star Trek: The Next Generation novels, the miniseries is actually a crossover, and Vectors primarily features characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. According to Jeff Ayers' Voyages of Imagination, editor John J. Ordover says that TNG was the bestselling series at the time, so the decision was made to publish all of the books under the TNG banner.
Vectors takes place a couple of years after Infection, during the beginning of TNG's third season and before DS9 had gone on the air, making it a kind of prequel to that series. In the book, Dr. Pulaski travels to Terok Nor (the name by which Deep Space Nine was known while still under Cardassian command) in hopes of finding a cure to a strange disease that infects both Bajorans and Cardassians, and which may have ties to the plague virus Dr. Crusher and the crew of the Enterprise combated on Archaria III. One of Dr. Pulaski's ex-husbands is the Bajoran doctor on Terok Nor, and she must work with both him and the Cardassian doctor to find a cure before the Cardassian government enacts a final solution, destroying the quarantined space station and perhaps all of Bajor.
Setting this book during the years of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor was an interesting choice. I have always been intrigued by Terok Nor, so it was great to read a book that takes place on the station during this period. While Starfleet characters like Commander Sisko and Dax were missed, I am a big fan of Gul Dukat, and the writers do a great job with him here, as they do with all of the characters. Other DS9 characters like Odo, Quark, and Kira are prominently featured, and there are brief appearances by some of the crew of the Enterprise-D. The scenes featuring Quark and his family are quite funny, and the scenes between Odo and Kira are a lot of fun, subtly hinting at the relationship the two of them would eventually develop. While I wasn't exactly clamoring for a novel featuring Dr. Pulaski, she made a fine protagonist for this tense medical thriller.
The basic plot is essentially the same as that of Infection. By the end of the novel, a cure has once more been found, but we are no closer to learning the identity of the person ultimately responsible for the plagues. I am a little worried that this formula will wear itself thin over the course of six novels, but I remain optimistic for now. The only real criticism I have of this book is that, like the first novel, it seemed to end rather abruptly once the cure was found, and I wish the writers had gone into a bit more detail, particularly in regards to the various battles between Bajorans and Cardassians that took place during the final third of the book. One the whole, this sophomore entry in the "Double Helix" miniseries was an improvement over the first, but I'm hoping for something a little bit different in book three.
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