The thing about extending media tie-ins beyond canon is that sometimes you have much less to play with. Here, many of the TNG crew are off on other poThe thing about extending media tie-ins beyond canon is that sometimes you have much less to play with. Here, many of the TNG crew are off on other postings, so it's just Picard and Crusher, really. There's advantages and disadvantages to this approach of course: part of the appeal of the tv series was in the characters and their interactions with each other, but there's something to be said for forcing them (and the readers) out of their comfort zones.
Fittingly, the tone of the book is fairly melancholic, and that's mostly centred around Picard. He's about to have a new ship, but his life is looking very different. I quite enjoyed that very quiet storyline, which has something meditative about it. I think I would have liked it to be a little more of the book's focus - most of that focus is given up to an adventure story centred around plague and rebellion and Romulans, and there's nothing wrong with it, that particular storyline's decently written, but it never grabbed me as much as the internal stuff. The change, here was more interesting to me than the more-of-the-same, if that makes sense. ...more
I read and reviewed each of the two books collected here separately, so this is really just for my own records. I did not like either of them - I can'I read and reviewed each of the two books collected here separately, so this is really just for my own records. I did not like either of them - I can't get on with the characters, and because of that I don't care about anything else.
The unfortunate thing is that, over the years, I've read a number of Star Trek books by this author and I've enjoyed them... but all that liking goes straight out the window with his New Frontier series. Oh well. I can't like everything, and a number of other reviews rate NF highly, so at least some people are enjoying it....more
As much as I love Star Trek, I am really struggling with this series... and with my goal of reading all the Trek novels I can get my hands on.
The probAs much as I love Star Trek, I am really struggling with this series... and with my goal of reading all the Trek novels I can get my hands on.
The problem, I think, is that I just don't care about any of the characters. There's a small number I'm indifferent to, and the others I actively dislike. I was so close to giving this book two stars, on the grounds that it hardly had any Calhoun in it and was therefore automatically two hundred percent less insufferable. But I can't get past the soap opera ending, or Commander Shelby actually pulling aside an officer to question them about whether the crew thinks she has a crush on the captain. How old are these people?! I compare it to TNG, for example, which was crewed by adults, and the difference is fucking baffling. ...more
This was honestly pretty dreadful. A lot of it makes no sense whatsoever - the Klingons attack a colony and force the inhabitants to mine for them, anThis was honestly pretty dreadful. A lot of it makes no sense whatsoever - the Klingons attack a colony and force the inhabitants to mine for them, and Kirk and company capture the leader and take him back to a star base for trial, while leaving the rest of the Klingons there, because clearly job done. There's a myriad of stupid things here, and it would be a one star read for me if one of those stupid things didn't start me cackling every time I saw it. The Klingons - who look exactly like humans, to the point that the Klingon leader doesn't recognise Spock as not-Klingon until he sees Spock's ears - are all in bathing suits. Oh, they're supposed to be uniforms, but they're cut so high it might as well be sci-fi Miss Universe at the mining colony.
Every time I looked at them I pictured Worf in a similar costume, and the amusement value of that alone was worth an extra star....more
Three and a half stars. This is a great idea for a Star Trek book - alternate timelines, playing off canon. I think probably nearly every Trek fan hasThree and a half stars. This is a great idea for a Star Trek book - alternate timelines, playing off canon. I think probably nearly every Trek fan has watched one episode or another and thought "What would it have been like if...?" Hell, half of fanfiction explores that concept.
Crucially, it explores alternate timelines in a way that is far more interesting to me than the bloody Mirror Universe, which I have been entirely sick of for decades now. It's probably no coincidence that, of the three novellas collected here, the one most resembling the Mirror Universe ("Seeds of Dissent" by James Swallow, in which Khan wins and the quadrant is ruled by genetically augmented characters like Bashir - essentially Space Nazis) is the one I like least. It also has a far too easy conversion at the end, I feel, but that's neither here nor there.
The best of the three, I think, was "A Less Perfect Union" by William Leisner, where Earth is not a member of the Federation and Kirk really struggles to get over a hatred of Vulcans after they are responsible for the death of his wife and child. There's something very hard and very hopeful and relatable about what the characters go through in this one.
Apparently there's a second, similar volume out there - my local library supposedly has it, but they seem to have lost it so here's hoping it turns up soon in the bowels of stack....more
I'm trying to work my way through the Star Trek novels, but I continue to have real problems with this series. I can't help but think that if I were lI'm trying to work my way through the Star Trek novels, but I continue to have real problems with this series. I can't help but think that if I were living in the Federation and was in some sort of trouble, this is the very last crew I'd want to rely upon to rescue me. They all feel so damn immature, and I can't think of a single personal problem that any of them have (or might have, in the future) that I would care about in the slightest. Which is a problem, given how much of the series is given over to their personal issues....more
The storyline here is blindingly obvious and I think any child reader would say the same, but it's still an enjoyable read. A furry, rhino-type creatuThe storyline here is blindingly obvious and I think any child reader would say the same, but it's still an enjoyable read. A furry, rhino-type creature is smuggled onto the station and Jake and Nog rescue it and have fun with their new pet, who is not all he seems. My opinion of these Trek children's novels (because they're not young adult by any stretch of the imagination) is always closely linked to how credible the story is, given the age of the two protagonists, and this one's bang-on. It's a sci-fi twist on boys-and-their-dog, and it's completely believable that kids would get excited about the possibility of a pet and take it to their secret clubhouse and eat ice-cream sundaes together. I mean, who wouldn't? ...more
It seems to me that there are three main storylines going on here, and two of them work for me and the third really doesn't.
The two that work both reIt seems to me that there are three main storylines going on here, and two of them work for me and the third really doesn't.
The two that work both really lean into exploratory elements. In the first, a human/Federation captain clashes with his alien first officer. The alien, along with a handful of his compatriots, are assigned to a shared ship not very long after first contact between the two civilisations. They both have extremely different ideas of what constitutes acceptable behaviour and Carey makes a genuine effort to present both sides as decent, rational people who dislike the ongoing cultural conflict but can't avoid the necessity of it. It's more tension-filled than it sounds, but the challenges of truly engaging with an alien practice and way of thought is fairly well-done. Also well-done is the third civilisation, who - after being stranded in an environmentally impoverished dimension - have built a society around survival and sacrifice. It's not an always pleasant society, but it is, under the circumstances, a convincing one.
The problem is when these two storylines come together. There's really nothing about that particular part of the book that garners any interest. Compared to those two initial strands, it lacks a sense of emotional or narrative credibility - at least it does for me. I can't help but think that there might have been two excellent short books here, if only they were allowed to stand on their own instead of being mashed together and forced into a less satisfactory whole....more
Three and a half stars. Carey tends to be one of my preferred Star Trek authors, because her focus on characterisation is something that appeals to meThree and a half stars. Carey tends to be one of my preferred Star Trek authors, because her focus on characterisation is something that appeals to me. In this book, that characterisation is pretty much entirely on the main character... who is not on the cover. I suspect marketing took over there, as while Spock and McCoy are in this book, neither of them are the protagonist. A random human isn't as likely to get casual fans to pick up the novel. Stiles, the Starfleet officer who is the central character here, is I think original. I don't love a focus on original characters in Trek - honestly I prefer canon protagonists - but it's nice to have a change occasionally and this is done reasonably well. I do think there's some repetition here, and I'm sure this book is quite a bit longer than the first two in the series. That gives it scope for a bit of extra depth, however, and the fact that the book takes place over a number of years allows for character development over time, which we don't always get in the tie-in novels.
It's not Carey's best work, but if I'm going to be stuck with original characters in Trek, I'd rather read another novel about Stiles than anything with, for example, MacKenzie Calhoun, who I find absolutely unbearable....more
This is the best of the Star Trek kids books that I've read so far - mostly, I think, because while the kids are having adventures and getting into trThis is the best of the Star Trek kids books that I've read so far - mostly, I think, because while the kids are having adventures and getting into trouble they're not doing ridiculously dangerous things while the nearby adults essentially shrug it off. (Ben Sisko would never.) I like that the other kids from DS9's school are involved too. The resolution of the conflict between the Bajoran and the Cardassian children is pretty obvious and quickly tied up, but the focus on how war causes trauma in kids is effective. ...more
It's been ages since I've watched Torchwood, but when I saw this on the library shelves I remembered how much I enjoyed it. I liked the book - its greIt's been ages since I've watched Torchwood, but when I saw this on the library shelves I remembered how much I enjoyed it. I liked the book - its great advantage is the pace, which is nice and zippy - but if the villains (both of them) are pretty paint-by-numbers both on the thug and the speculative side, then it's still a decent enough popcorn read. I read it while eating takeaways after a long day and it was exactly the kind of entertainment I wanted at the time. Quick, brainless fun....more
I've been reading the Star Trek tie-in novels, off and on, for decades. I don't know that I've read one where Pulaski was the main character before - I've been reading the Star Trek tie-in novels, off and on, for decades. I don't know that I've read one where Pulaski was the main character before - or if I have, I've forgotten it. I liked her in TNG, for the year that she was there, so it was good to read a novel where she's the main doctor instead of Crusher. To mix it up even more, she's on a mercy mission to DS9, where a new version of the plague is affecting Bajorans, Cardassians, and even Ferengi. I liked her interactions with Dukat, and would have enjoyed more of them.
I do think, however, that this mini-series is already at risk of being a little repetitive: mysterious figure doses a random location with contagion, and a Starfleet doctor takes the lead in curing it, at which point the mysterious figure basically rubs their murdering hands together and thinks "I'll do better next time!" Hopefully book three breaks the pattern a bit.
Finally, although I always enjoy Kira - she was one of the best characters on DS9 - I wonder if her subplot here was really necessary. It didn't seem to do much, or to illuminate her character any....more
I will say this for the Dunedin public library - which is a fantastic library! - they have a huge number of Star Trek books. There's so many of them tI will say this for the Dunedin public library - which is a fantastic library! - they have a huge number of Star Trek books. There's so many of them they even have their own section in stack, as well as what's on the public shelves. Over the years someone in acquisitions has clearly been a fan, and given I'm in Dunedin for the next twelve months I'm hoping to get through a good many of them.
This is the first of a mini-series of six, all themed around biological weapons and plague. This volume's the TNG crew, set in the first year of that series, and it's a fast-paced, exciting read. I'm looking forward to the rest of them, as it's likely to prioritise the doctors in each series and I always tend to enjoy stories involving them doing actual medicine as opposed to, for instance, shacking up with the ghost lover of your dead grandmother, Beverly. That was such a dreadful episode, but Crusher is in her (medical) element here and it's a big improvement. ...more
I have to admit that I was a little bit sceptical going into this. Spock is such a cerebral character, and this type can be challenging for many authoI have to admit that I was a little bit sceptical going into this. Spock is such a cerebral character, and this type can be challenging for many authors - especially when, given this novel is presented as a first person narrative, there's really no opportunity for the focus to shift off him. It would have been easy to overdo it, to lean into the most recognisable traits of that character and have him come across as manufactured. Instead, it's so well-balanced. Logic runs through the book, but so does compassion and the willingness to engage with emotion. It's quiet and thoughtful and considered, and it never wavers in that, even when the topic is unpleasant. The chapter dealing with Spock's forced mind-meld with Valeris, for instance, is especially good.
I feel like I have the same complaint with all the "Young Adult" books in this series. (I use the quotation marks there because these books are more sI feel like I have the same complaint with all the "Young Adult" books in this series. (I use the quotation marks there because these books are more suited for ten year olds, I reckon.) I get that the authors want the teen characters to go on exciting adventures, but those adventures are so ludicrous that it's hard to treat them with any credibility whatsoever. In this one Jake and Nog stowaway on a trip to Bajor, believing (quite rightly, as it turns out) that no one will notice Jake missing for several days because his dad's away from the station. Like Dax and Keiko O'Brien wouldn't be checking in on him regularly!
Anyway, down on Bajor they get involved in a kidnapping and a plot to assassinate a Vedek, and by routinely doing the stupid thing (i.e. not calling DS9 and asking for help) it all turns out alright. Maybe if I were reading this as a ten year old I'd have more sympathy for this type of thing, but I'm not and I don't. Which is a shame, because it seems like there should be plenty of scope for characters like Jake and Nog to have more realistic adventures, but they rarely do. ...more
I tried but I could not really get into this. There were aspects of it that I liked - the disarmament plot with Spock and Scotty especially - but it wI tried but I could not really get into this. There were aspects of it that I liked - the disarmament plot with Spock and Scotty especially - but it was saddled with a desperately unconvincing character that dragged down every scene she was in. Lenore Karidian, former insane murderer from the original series episode "The Conscience of the King" is brought back some decades later, having undergone treatment and with restored sanity. Supposedly, anyway, because she is deeply unconvinced of her own rehabilitation - which is quite tedious to read, but worse is the absolute hammering of Shakespeare that occurs whenever she's in a room. And yeah, Karidian is a Shakespearean actress, but does this single characteristic really have to be inserted into every other sentence she spouts?
As characterisation it comes across as very heavy-handed, and I was thoroughly sick of her by the end. I was actually hoping the angry mob would kill her, just to get her off the page, but no such luck. ...more
This is the most unadventurous of the Starfleet Academy books that I've read so far, and I think that's why I like it the best. The others are deeply This is the most unadventurous of the Starfleet Academy books that I've read so far, and I think that's why I like it the best. The others are deeply unrealistic in what they put their protagonists through, but this one is actually relatable. Picard has failed in his first attempt at entering the Academy; it's a rigorous testing process and he does well... but not well enough. His failure is difficult to deal with, but worse is the attitude of his (deeply unpleasant) father, who insists that his younger son should stay on the family vineyard. Picard wants none of it, but going against his father's wishes may estrange them both forever.
It's more a family drama than a science fiction story, although there is one (fake) holodeck battle as part of the testing. The inability of the Picard sons to tell their dad where to get off is frustrating, but again, as I said, relatable. It feels like a story that could happen, as opposed to the other Academy books, which are less convincing. ...more
This is a quick, easy read, and for all there are parts that I like about the book, even decades later the story is coloured for me by the dreadful suThis is a quick, easy read, and for all there are parts that I like about the book, even decades later the story is coloured for me by the dreadful sudden romance between Chakotay and Seven of Nine. In all fairness to Diane Carey, she is not responsible for that and does her best to make something of this ludicrous piece of characterisation, but she's hampered by the source material.
I keep my copy of the book because Kate Mulgrew signed it for me at a Star Trek convention once, and she did a fantastic job in "Endgame". Janeway's part of the story was the most enjoyable, and it's pretty clear that Carey thinks so too....more
Three and a half stars, rounding up to four. I love the Alien films, so when I saw this at the library I had to pick it up. It's a retelling of the fiThree and a half stars, rounding up to four. I love the Alien films, so when I saw this at the library I had to pick it up. It's a retelling of the first film from the point of view of Jonesy the cat. This shift in perspective has leached all the horror out of the story and replaced it with humour, because Jonesy - like all cats - is a self-centred little despot. He's often completely oblivious to the deaths going on around him: Ripley's final fight with the Alien goes unnoticed as Jonesy washes his arse, for instance, and he's more interested in demanding food and treating alien larvae as a chew toy and hacking up fur balls into acid holes than anything else.
It's very funny. The scene where Ripley's desperately trying to stuff him into a cat box so they can escape while Jonesy refuses to let himself be stuffed had me laughing, although to be fair I was laughing at nearly every page....more
Very average little story about a young Beverly Howard (one day Crusher) at Starfleet Medical. She was always fairly thinly characterised in canon, buVery average little story about a young Beverly Howard (one day Crusher) at Starfleet Medical. She was always fairly thinly characterised in canon, but honestly: the protagonist here could have been anyone. Blandly pleasant, and that's about it. The story, as is so often the case in these Academy tie-in novels, is basically about ineffectual adults and the teens who solve problems for them. Which is presumably the brief, given that the series is aimed at kids, but still. It's hard to take the teachers here seriously.
There's nothing else especially wrong with it, bar the fact that it's mildly boring....more
Loading...
