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TF01 3,BOOK REVIEWS 4, BOOK REVIEWS -------------- STAR TREK 68 - FIRESTORM by L.A. Graf ------------------------------------- Reviewed by Colin Gunn ---------------------- When a Federation geology team begin to experience difficulties from the Elasians, who claim the planet Rakatan, as their own, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are called in to help with the situation. Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, try to determine if the claim of the present Dohlman is true. While above the Enterprise is threatened by the arrival of an Elasian armada determined to protect their Dohlman. Meanwhile the biggest volcano in the known galaxy begins to show signs that it may be heading to a deadly shower of destruction. This novel has all the elements of a well written and worthy addition to the adventures of the Classic Trek crew. It is a very typical ST story dealing with the mining of Dilithium Crystals to the discovery of a new form of life. Graf has expanded on a culture, the Elasians, which was only barely touched on in the episode "Elaan Of Troyius", and filled out their beliefs and way of life far beyond that seen in the episode without over stretching the mark as some authors tend to do. As seems to be the trend of recent novels, this one too focuses on some other of the famous seven instead of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. This time being the turn once more of Uhura, Sulu and Chekov. But don't worry, the famous three are there in force when it counts. The interaction between the three characters is written very well. Particuarly between Uhura and Chekov when Uhura has to act as the Dohlman of the Enterprise. A couple of things that occured during the course of the novel held my attention, one being the tears of the Dohlman. In this story it is Sulu who accidently has the tears fall on him and he becomes totally subservient to the whims of Israi. When you compare this to what happened to Kirk in the original episode two things become under question. In the novel Sulu can not do a thing at the beginning of his contact with the tears unless the Dohlman says he can. For example he couldn't even pass a medical kit to Uhura unless told to (but as time progresses he seems to be able to act on his own). In the episode, it would appear to be the other way round for Kirk. He seemed to be able to make decisions on his own, but as time went on he became increasingly obssesed with pleaseing the Dohlman. Two things could be implied here. One is that Kirk is far more strong willed than Sulu, in that he didn't become fully aware of his need to obey Elaan, as Sulu had to with Israi. Another possibility is that the first tears of a Dohlman are stronger then ones who has shed them more than once, as it is revealed in the book that this is Israi's first time of showing the tears. The second thing that caught my attention was Sulu taking an activity stimulant. Which consists of a mixture of adrenaline and natural endorphins to increase his strength and stamina. Now I know before you lot leap down my throat that Kirk, in the episode "Journey To Babel", took something similar to this to get him through the crisis towards the end of the episode, but how this was described for Sulu was a little to close to drug taking for my liking. And I don't believe that Gene would approve of this being used this way with one of his characters. But that is my own personal opinion and in no way will ruin your enjoyment of the book. Set some six months after the events seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, this story should be one not to miss, as it's one of the few books written for that period that really works (one other being "Deep Domain"). I just hope that if she makes the transition to Next Gen or DS9 novels, Graf shows the care and good story telling that is displayed in this one. STAR TREK 69 - THE PATRIAN TRANSGRESSION by Simon Hawke -------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed by Colin Gunn ---------------------- As the old saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, and that is the case with this excursion into the realms of Classic Trek. Die hard fans will straight away see the alien on the front as being a re-touched version of Ruk from the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", and may be a little off putting to the more than casual reader expecting Ruk to appear in some form or another (bearing in mind that he was an android). But forget the cover and read the book. Simon has once more produced a thought provoking story (his first being "The Romulan Prize" for the ST:TNG series of novels). Although this one is not as action packed as his previous novel, it holds up to its own as being a fairly well crafted story. The planet Patria 1 has contacted the Federation regarding application to join the ever growing alliance of planets. The Enterprise is dispatched, and along for the ride is an old friend of Kirk's from his Academy days. The Patrians have also informed the Federation that they are experiencing internal difficulties of their own. Namely civil unrest, which the Federation point out, that under the Prime Directive, they can not interfere in these internal matters. But upon hearing that the Klingons may be supplying weapons to the rebels, this shines a different light on the matter, and kirk is put in charge of the team assigned to find out the location of the rebel's base and how they are receiving the weapons. The emphasise on this story is of course the use of the Prime Directive. Unfortunatly, Simon seems to have got a little muddled in his definition of the Federation's highest law. Whilst refusing to supply any advanced technology to the people of Patria, it would seem that the Federation have no argument at telling this race what type of technology the Federation does posses. Surely the saying "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing" would fit here. Even though not directly supplying the `goods', the passing on of such information is still allowing a technologically `behind' race a glimpse of advanced ideas, in effect enticing them to speed up their development. The strong point of the story must be the use of the thought police. Althogh not necessarily an original idea, Simon has managed to infuse a new twist, as the Police are apparently volunteers to undergo an operation that gives them the mind reading powers, but they also know that they will die at a relative early age because of this. Of course in true Trek fashion the moral inplications behind someone reading your mind all the time and without permission is broached by Kirk when he explains that a persons thoughts are of a personal nature and should remain so. At a later point in the book, Iano, whom Kirk was explaining to, does say that he likes to keep his thoughts private and to himself. So I don't know why he would have so much trouble accepting Kirk's words. One catagory that unfortunately the book falls into at times, is that of predictability. During the section of the story that took place at the games, you knew that Kirk would be called on to participate so that when alone the champion would try to tell him that he was being lied to by the government and the police. You could see that this was going to happen. And towards the end of the story another instance occurs (which I won't go into as it will ruin anyone's enjoyment who has not read it) which you knew would turn out to be that. As regards a time line for this story....... The author mentions that peace talks are under way with the Klingons, and that Sarek was heading them. To me, at a first read this would seem to place it just after ST6. But later in the story Kirk introuduces his staff as COMMANDER Spock and Lt.COMMANDER Scott. So this puts it during the series. One highlight of the book centres around Kirk and McCoy. Now we all know that Jim Kirk considers himself to be the ultimate Alien Babe Magnet of the universe, but in this book he sees his libido under threat as its McCoy that gets the dame. There's one part of the book when they are having a discussion over how their mission is progressing, and upon discovering McCoy's conquest, all Kirk can say is "You were with her?". Which he repeats. You can just imagine the look on his face. This is Kirk done down pat. So yet another fine read from Simon Hawke and easily recommended. STAR TREK - SPOCK'S WORLD by Diane Duane ---------------------------------------- Reviewed by Norman Wright ------------------------- The Federation is about to face one of the greatest ever threats in its long and illustrious history. The Vulcans have had enough and want out. They are about to vote themselves into obscurity and take all their own people with them. This means the withdrawl of all Vulcans to their homeworld, whether they be scientists, diplomats, traders or even Starfleet officers. It also means that any Vulcan wishing to return to the homeworld be made an outcast. The case for secession is being fronted by none other than T'Pau herself, using Sarek as her mouthpiece. Into the chorus of debate is also thrown Kirk, Spock and McCoy. They have been given the onerous task of pleading the Federation's case and of trying to prevent the split from taking place. This sets the scene from some memorable debates and behind the scenes shenanigans as each speaker tries to suss out the others thoughts and motives. Another element that is added to the equation takes the form of the beautiful and "flawlessly logical" T'Pring. She is the brains behind the move towards secession and is the ringleader of an underground anti-Federation propaganda campaign. All in all a volatile mixture that produces more than its fair share of fireworks. This is only half the story (literally) however. Interspersed between the diplomatic manouvering and talks, we are presented with a potted history of Vulcan. The history lesson starts at the very formation of the planet and it's binary star system, carrying on through the discovery of such elements as words and violence, on into the present era when Sarek gets offered the role of ambassador to Earth. Within these chapters we are shown the formation of the Vulcan mind disciplines (originally bred for and used as weapons); the very early examples of Kolinahr, or rapture; the reasons behind the pointed ears; a look at the like of Surak (founder of the Vulcan logic and unemotionalism) and the events leading to the great separation, which eventually led to the formation of the Romulan star empire by S'Task. There is also a great deal of action and backstabbing by these early Vulcans, acting as a counterpoint to their colder, fiercely logical descandants. These two separate yet diverging storylines compliment each other considerably, each adding elements to the story which the other lacks and creating a very pleasing whole. Along the way we are reintroduced to some of the characters that seem to profligate Miss Duane's Star Trek novels, such as the Sulamids and the Horta. Although this novel was released a few years ago, I was only recently introduced to it. It has the style and depth that has come to be expected of this author, mainly because she sets out to entertain and does not insult the readers intelligence which other authors have a tendancy to do. All in all this is a most rewarding read, serving as a companion to "The Romulan Way". It deserves a resounding 9/10. STAR TREK ADVENTURES - THE STARLESS WORLD by Gordon Eklund ---------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed by Matthew Crossman ---------------------------- Titan books must be gutted. Not only have they lost the Pocket Books contract but the have to resort to distributing pap like this. In it's day this book was probably hailed as a near masterpiece by the hordes of Trekkers hungry for new Trek, but today I'm afraid it's just not good enough. The premise is simple enough. The Enterprise picks up an old school mate of Kirk who proclaims to be Jesus Christ, but in fact turns out to be no more than a Starfleet Academy drop out by the name of Thomas Clayton. No sooner has he started to spout religious mumbo jumbo about a planet named Lyra and a god called Ay- nab when the Enterprise is drawn into a Dyson Sphere. Once inside the Enterprise crew find that they are not alone. A Klingon ship carrying the Klingon heir to the throne, Princess Kyanna has also been ensnared by the sphere. What follows is a routine plot which stumbles along and goes no where in particular. The dialogue between the Enterprise crew is well executed but any new characters which are introduced to the plot are handled in a stilted fashion. This is probably an ideal book to read in a car or on a train as it only consists of 152 pages and is not too taxing on the brain. This has been the least enjoyable novel in the Star Trek Adventures series so far, and I hope that "Perry's Planet", the next novel in the series, redresses the balance. Nice cover, though. STAR TREK ADVENTURES 5 - MUDD'S ANGELS by J.A. Lawrence ------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed by Tim Smith --------------------- This is yet another of the re-released books that were first published back in the late '70s. The book is split into three sections, with first two sections comprising of adaptations of the two television episodes "Mudd's Women" and "I, Mudd" The third section actually accounts for half of "Mudd's Angels" and is an original story called "Business as Usual During Alterations". There is a definite '70s feel to this book. It has the sort of tackyness that you tend to associate with Trek books written in the pre-movie and Next Generation era. The biggest criticism I have of the book as a whole is that the characters don't always resemble their television counterparts. The finest example of this is Scotty whose words I literally can't understand. He came across as more Scottish than the man in the wine gums advert. That's not to say that it is not entertaining. Although written in a fairly simplistic style, the first two stories are entertaining enough. They don't really expand on the television episodes but don't really suffer from not doing so, and as long as you don't expect too much you shouldn't be too disappointed. Where the book really fails with the story is where Lawrence makes several assumptions about the Enterprise and it's crew, and the androids from "I, Mudd", all of which are hard to swallow. The who expanse of the story is too large. Somehow Harry Mudd, a Federation wide dilithium shortage, and the destruction of an entire galaxy just does not work. Neither does the terrible prologue to all these stories, written as a report by Kirk. If this was £2.99, it would be worth getting, even if only for the quirky appeal of the first two stories. At £4.50, it is far too expensive. 4/10 STAR TREK - THE NEW VOYAGES --------------------------- Edited by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath ------------------------------------------ Reviewed by Neil Higgins ------------------------ The first familiar feature is the cover which depicts the landing party from the classic Trek episode "The Spectre of the Gun". The scene reveals the away team, standing ready for an alien race's mind game and a classic encounter at the gunfight at O.K. Corral. A strange opening choice, inside the book itself is a real cocktail of delights with 8 short stories to choose from. The book has a direct and immediate appeal. The joy of being able to pick up a book and finish a whole story in one sitting is tremendous. Indeed, a real must for lovers of short stories. Some would have you beleive that such stories are lacking in their ability to develop characters, but here we are dealing with characters we already know and value. The first ingredient however, is an introduction by Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Gene gives a commentary on the thinking behind Star Trek and pays tribute to the many Star Trek writers, both professional and otherwise. Whereas there is something of an overbearing righteous feel to parts of the discourse with references being made to "Camelot" and an associated noble cause by the editors, I can nevertheless vouce for the body of the book. Delve into this well proportioned book and you are likely to unearth a combination of writing talent and perhaps a few echoes from the past ready to ambush your memory. Hence, one of the stories presents a reworking of the classic Trek episode "The Enemy Within" in which Kirk battled with his inner evil self. The personality split now involves Spock and the opposing forces of good and evil are replaced with Spock's conflicting Vulcan and Human ancestry. Here we get an insight into Spock that corroborates and reinforces occurrences in the original series. Another has Spock superbly playing second fiddle to a wood-nymph. The story results in one of the most successful introductions of fantasy into the Star Trek genre. Also, with a fair sense of humour and an off the wall feel to it is "The Visit to the Weird Planet Revisited" which can heartily be recommended to those who enjoy the quirky. Similarly, "The Face on the Barroom Floor" has Kirk inculcated in a barroom brawl and wearing a Samurai outfit - most unlikely. A number of stories take as their starting point an event or object which was mentioned only briefly in a Star Trek episode. So, the story "The Mind Sifter" takes the Klingon mindsifting machine which first appeared in the episode "Errand of Mercy" as its launch pad. This extremely well written and sensitive story has Kirk struggling to come to terms with a decimated mind following the onslaught of the much feared mind sift. Indeed, the Guardian from "The City on the Edge of Forever", one of Kirk's old adversaries and a love interest are all thrown into the cauldron which results in this story being one of the best in the book. That said, some stories in the compendium are better than others. The final few pages of "The Winged Dreamers" story, although frustrating, are really quite neat and provide an object lesson in how to introduce a red hearing into a story. I'm not implying there are no flaws in the stories and indeed there are times the characters appear alien the they have been written. I would, for instance, question Mr. Scott's acceptance of the rather peculiar circumstances in "The Visit to the Weird Planet Revisited". Perhaps he was enjoying the delighful premise, no less than an attack on the rigid format of Star Trek - actors as characters. One final attractive and distinctive features of the book which should be mentioned relates to the introductions to particular narratives given by the actors who created the bridge crew. Indeed, a sentiment expressed by DeForest Kelley certainly strikes a chord when he maintains that Star Trek is "alive and kicking, and just might live forever". As you reach the end of the book you may feel oddly elated, as if having recaptured the flavours of a long forgotten drink that you had forgotten how to mix. So much in so few pages. I can only hope that this collection of short stories represent the tip of the iceberg and I look forward to the next collection. In paperback, U.K. £3.99 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - ALL GOOD THINGS... --------------------------------------------------- by Michael Jan Friedman ----------------------- Reviewed by Colin Gunn ---------------------- If any book needs NO introduction, then it must be this one. As everyone knows, "All Good Things..." is the last television Trek for the crew of the 1701-D, and not surprisingly the story has been adapted into novel form by fan favourite Michael Jan Friedman. To commemorate this episode the book is released in hardback with a crew montage painted slip cover by regular cover artist, Keith Birdsong, and looks truly stunning. Halfway through the book is augmented with select colour stills from the much talked about episode itself. The story deals heavily with Picard, as he is thrust to his past and to his `future' by Q. Who as usual in his cyrptic way tells Picard that only he can prevent the destruction of the entire Human race. Its going to be difficult not to write about scenes and events shown in the episode. For those who have yet to see it, I apologise and hope that this review won't spoil your enjoyment of this outstanding finale. As a recommendation, I would strongly advise that it is best to view the episode first before reading this book, as the book has alot of scenes that are not in the televised story. Michael has once more proved that when it comes to writting Trek fiction, he is a master at it. As with all adaptations this novel has been padded out to accommodate its transfer into novel form. I'm not sure if any of the added scenes were actually in the script and later not filmed, but I would imagine that some were, as some of the scenes would surely be fan favourites. In the past time line we get to witness O'Brien and Keiko's first meeting, and O'Brien feeling a certain attraction to the ships botanist from this first meeting. It's also made known that Deanna had something to do with the design of Ten Forward, and in the same scenes the need for someone to manage this area of the ship becomes evident. Mr. Mot is introduced for the first time, in typical fashion as he sees Picard in his cabin and seems to rabbit on about anything. In the `present' time line we get to say goodbye to some of the much loved occasional characters. Both Lwaxana and Dr. Pulaski are featured together on the starship Repulse. Both are talking about old times on the Enterprise, and in one scene that should have made it to the show is Pulaski admitting to Lwaxana that she was wrong about Data just being a machine. Lwaxana is still concerned that Deanna is not married (just wait until she finds out about her and Woof, opps, Worf!). Reg Barclay is seen in one of his regular counseling sessions with Deanna and talks about his recent transformation into a spider ("Genesis"), and once again pops up in Ten Forward as Guinan tries to tell him that all will be alright. Wesley once more wants to save the day with his new found powers, but the Traveller (thank goodness) tells him that they can not intervene and likens it to Starfleet's Prime Directive. As we have seen in the past, Picard puts alot of trust in Guinan's advice and goes to Ten Forward seeking that advice. But as usual she can not illuminate more than just saying that the solution is in his grasp. Of course the most interesting aspect of this story is what the future holds for these characters. Scenes not included in the show include the unlikly choice of Sam Lovell - last seen in the episode "Lower Decks" - as the Captain of the Enterprise. Of course there are alot more added to the story and I'll leave them for you to find, but the character of Q is really allowed to shine. In his typical sarcastic fashion we see Q viewing the whole situation as one big game as evidenced when he is the croupier at a casino just prior to him taking Picard back to the primordal age of Earth. When throwing the dice at the craps table, they come to rest with one showing 3, the other showing 4. 3 + 4 = 7, for seven seasons of the Next Gen. And the ending deserved to be in. At the touching card game, Q is one of the cards in Picard's hand and thinks that it has in deed been fun playing the game. This book must be one of the best of the adaptations I've read of ANY Trek episode. Some of the additional scenes written are plain homage to the fans and shows why Friedman is regarded as one of the finest Trek writers. A perfect companion to the episode. And I can safely say that after watching the episode you'll really enjoy reading this book and see what the episode could have been if time and budget allowed. Reviewed by Norman Wright ------------------------- Well here it is, the moment you have either been praying for or dreading. Yes folk, this is the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation as we know it. This is the novelisation of the very final double episode. The story starts off with Picard supposedly going on a temporal roller coaster ride between three different timelines. The first is the normal ST:TNG time, the second is 25 years in the future, where Picard has retired to his family vineyard and the third is 7 years in the past when Picard is first taking command of the Enterprise. However, he is the only one who is experiencing these changes, leaving a lot of explaining to be done in a least two timelines. To complicate matters further, a familiar nemesis reappears in the shape of Q. This then sets the three separate times on a journey of discovery, as Picard battles to find the truth and his own sanity. The main premise of the story is that, after the initial trial of mankind in "Encounter at Farpoint", the Q continuum has finally reached its verdict. Mankind is guilty, and the sentence is death. The means of punishment takes the form of a temporal anomaly which has been started in the future, enlarging as it travels backwards through time. This gives the scriptwriters the focus they need as they send the luckless Picard from one time to another. They also have Q taking him back to primordial Earth, when Homo Sapiens were no more than a thick soup, and where Q is able to torment Picard with the news that he is responsible for the annihilation of all humanity. It is left to Picard, through various means of persuasion and time- shifting to get to the anomaly so that he can stop it before it gets out of control. The only way he can do this is by continuing his temporal wanderings and picking up bits of information from one time to help the other two. Throughout all this, we get a look at what has happened to everybody in the future. If you do not wish to know about the future of some of the characters, do not read the next two paragraphs. Picard has been diagnosed as having a debilitating mental disease, which supposedly affects his higher reasoning and judgement. This gives added strength to the plot, especially when he is trying to convince everyone in the future time that he has not gone mad. He has also succeeded in marrying Beverly (at last) but then subsequently divorced her. Not wanting to let this affect her career in any way, Captain Beverly Picard goes on to command her own ship. Data is a Cambridge college professor, filling the same post as Newton and Hawking, while at the same time surrounding himself with a veritable pride of cats. Geordi has finally got his own eyes, which he uses in his new profession as husband and father together with a certain Leah Brahms. No mention is made of Guinan, though it is assumed that she is still dispensing wisdom and succour in Ten-Forward. This is all very well, I hear you ask, but what about the Menage a Troi? In this 25 year interregnum, perhaps none have been as drastically affected as Troi, Riker and Worf. Owing to some undisclosed incident, Deanna has died and Riker and Worf blame each other for her demise. This has led to growing bitterness and sorrow over the years which they both carry with them. Riker has become a corpulent Admiral, with about as much charm as a cobra with halitosis, while Worf is an ex-Klingon Govenor in exile. Overall the novel is superb and follows the actual filmed episode almost religiously. This is its downfall however. It is basically a novelisation of a screenplay, with very little alternate plotlines or vocabulary to span it out. For a novel of this kind to be worth the paper it's written on, it should at least try and add something new or different. Anybody who has read "Unification" will know exactly what I mean If the novel had explored some of the relationships more, maybe delving into the history of Deanna's death or Beverly's divorce, or maybe even diverged slightly from some of the filmed scenes, this would have resulted in a near perfect book. As it is, a great oppurtunity was lot. Maybe this is yet another example of how to make money from the fans, without giving much in return. I can only honestly give it 7/10. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 29 - SINS OF COMMISION ----------------------------------------------------- by Susan Wright --------------- Reviewed by Colin Gunn ---------------------- When on a mission to save the planet Lessenar from an environmental collapse, a member of an alien race is killed aboard the Enterprise and all evidence points to Worf and one of his oldest friends. Being able to project strong emotions, the alien race cripple the Enterprise crew, and Worf must fight to overcome the strong emotional influence he is inflicted to try and find the identity of the true killer. This is an enigma of a novel to review. It is a well paced and thought out story but is ruined by some rather small errors that keep cropping up on a regular basis. But you can't help but to enjoy the book. One gripe I do have with some Star Trek novels is the over reliance to using references from past episodes of the show. Unfortunately within the first two chapters of this book no less then 3 episodes are referred to in setting up of two of the story arcs. Okay I realise that to newcomers to the Star Trek universe this would help in setting up background information for the purpose of the storytelling, but it would appear that in some cases (and I feel in this case) that episode references are used to say to the reader, look, this is part of the official ST universe as it is a sequel of sorts to episodes referred to. This novel has the potential of standing on its own and really should not have relied so much on past episode references. Susan seems to have captured the characters mannerisms and attitudes quite succesfully, in particular near the start of the book is Picard's enthusism for Barclay's adaptation of Cyranno De Bergerac. This is well in character for someone who obviously loves drama in the way that Picard has been presented to us in the past. As with a fair few of the more recent novels of both Classic Trek and Next Gen, Susan has bought one of the lesser focused on characters, this time Simon Tarses, who was only seen once in the episode "The Drumhead", and she has developed him into a well rounded character desperate to come to terms with his Romulan heritage, and also his paranoia at being blamed for anything that may go wrong with the running of the ship (although this to a large extent was brought on by the Sli - who focus certain emotional traits of the being who is focused on). Some of the mistakes are very apparent to ardent fans of the Next Gen (also maybe to a casual viewer of the show). Susan writes that the crew (made out in a reference to what Picard is wearing) wear uniforms that have red shoulders and black bodies. This as we know is incorrect as these are the uniforms as depicted on DS9 or as seen being worn by Starfleet Cadets. Again with the uniforms, she makes the same mistake with security, saying that they are wearing the same colour and style as mentioned above, when from what we have seen security wear Black and Gold. Other errors seem to be just forgetful. For instance on page 81 it's inferred that Data is not wearing an environmental suit but on page 85, he is. And since when has Deanna been able to read Ferengis? However the story has some strong points that easily outweigh the mistakes. For instance Dr. Crusher brings home what the Sli are capable of with her comparison that what they do heightens certain parts of the emotional stimulas, hence it is rather like what happens to people that take drugs. And the fact that the Ferengi use them as a tool for emotional manipulation helps to bring home this point. Also there is one line from Alexander that deserves to have gone in the show. The story seems to take place between the episodes "New Ground" and "Cost Of Living" (when you read this you should be able to work out why, by the relationship between Worf and Alexander). Worf is trying to bring home to Alexander the importance of honour and his future as a Klingon. Worf uses the argument that when his parents were killed by the Romulans he became a stronger Klingon to avenge their deaths. But Alexender does not understand this. And his reply would have been a very worthy addition to a Next Gen script. He simply states, "Why? My mother was killed by a Klingon!". A very strong statement. There are other nice touches as the story progresses. One being a tribute to the popular 60's series "The Time Tunnel". Read page 178 and see if you come to the same conclusion. All in all this is a good read and I found myself being drawn into the story with each sitting. A recommended book for all to read. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION 30 - DEBTOR'S PLANET by W.R. Thompson -------------------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed by Matthew Crossman ---------------------------- I have a problem when reading these books. Not a serious problem you understand more of a minor niggle. It's just that whenever I reach the page when a new alien life form is introduced into the story line as a member of the Enterprise crew I just cannot help but envisage the normal characters as cartoons. You see the Animated Adventures always used to have an odd alien where Chekov or Sulu should sit and it invariably looked like a dog. Now although the alien life form in "Debtor's Planet" looks nothing like a dog I cannot shake the feeling that the alien's voice should sound like James Doohan! That minor niggle aside I should point out that I enjoyed "Debtor's Planet". Right off from the introductory scenes to the cutesy ending the story held together well and moved along at a cracking pace. The basics of the story are that a planet called Megara is being upgraded in it's industrial out put at a far advanced rate than it's evolution should allow. The Enterprise is sent to investigate and with it is Ambassador Offenhouse, who was last seen in the episode "The Neutral Zone" and was one of the cryogenic twentieth century trio that emerged from that episode. Including this character in "Debtor's Planet" could have been a serious mistake, but the character of Offenhouse was well written for and sparingly. Once at Megara the Enterprise discover the Ferengi are running the show on the ground in a brutal fashion which also harks back to the earlier behaviour patterns of the Ferengi and not the light hearted humorous type we have now. Suffice to say that the Ferengi are not the real villains of the piece and they are in fact pawns of a far superior race. Who? Well that would be telling and I do not want to be the one who spoils the one major surprise of the book. Every Bridge character gets to play a part in this book with Picard and Offenhouse making an unlikely team. Geordie perhaps comes off the worst having to basically baby-sit Worf's son Alexander. Worf on the other hand Flourishes under W.R. Thompson's pen and gets to prove his worth in battle. We even get the return of Wesley Crusher who teams up with the aforementioned alien Shriv. It's been along time since I enjoyed a Next Generation novel as much as this one and despite the series ending I hope it's not the last. STAR TREK: "WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE" - A HISTORY IN PICTURES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Text by J.M. Dillard -------------------- Reviewed by Sven Harvey ----------------------- Additional material by William Shatner, Susan Sackett, Terry J. Erdmann, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and John Ordover. Photo Consultants - Paula Block and Tyya Turner The first thing you will notice about this £25 book is that it is available in two different versions. The book is actualy identical but the dust jacket is different, with a choice of illustration between the Constitution Class (Mark 2) USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A or the far superior Galaxy class NCC-1701-D (hey! HEY! leave off Simon! I PREFER the 'D okay?!). Free with the book is a rather nice bookmark featuring the Star Trek VII, whoops, I mean Star Trek: Generations teaser poster. The introduction is written by ol' James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner, as he was filming his final ever scenes in that role he has earnt the most money for (yeah, until he returns in Star Trek: Voyager!). Then there is a section for each series, the movies and the wilderness years between the cancellation of the original series and the conception of the Motion Picture including a segment on the animated series. Each section takes the reader through the conception of each series in brief detail as well as the casting of the major characters and their development. The book gives the average Trekker (you know the people who DON'T pull the legs off their hamsters to make tribbles) a lot more insight into what Star Trek could have been like... bright red Spock anyone? Or maybe Deanna Troi, played by Denise Crosby with four breasts while Marina Sirtis played Chief Security Officer Macha Hernandez aboard the Enterprise-D? It sure makes you think, and more importantly it seems to be very accurate with only one particular mistake sticking out in my mind, that being that the book states, through Denise Crosby's words, that the half Romulan, half Human daughter of Tasha Yar, Commander Sela, was Crosby's idea. Not so. The idea was suggested TO Crosby by a fan at a convention and she then proposed it to Paramount as her idea. Within the movies section there is a double page spread on Generations and the final section of the book deals with the initial ideas for Star Trek: Voyager including sketches of the ship, what they think Gene would have thought and all without giving too much away in the cast stakes (just in case one of them quit probably...). The book is full of nice touches such as a publicity photo for the DS9 episode "Blood Oath" where three original series Klingons turn up on the old mining station with photo-inserts above showing the characters as they were in the days of Kirk etc. A great book that is, I feel, a little dear compared with the technical manuals which way in under the £15 mark. At £19.99 this would be a better buy, and at £25 it really isn't that bad value for money. Have a flick through before buying to make sure that your £25 is going on something you want as some may prefer to buy a couple of (the best Star Trek) videos instead. Sven library services rating... 8/10 ST:TNG/ST:DS9 Comic Crossover ----------------------------- Reviewed by Sven Harvey ----------------------- After a long wait someone has finally put both of these crews together properly and it's the co-operation of DC comics and Malibu comics that have brought us this four issue extravaganza. The Enterprise has escorted four Admirals from Starfleet Command to DS9 so that they can see the Gamma Quadrant for themselves. Unfortunately, the moment they get through the wormhole they are captured and the wormhole is damaged by forces unknown. Captain Picard is put in charge of the investigation, and an away team consisting of Odo, Dax, Data, Troi and eventually Kira is lead into the wormhole by Riker. They too get captured after putting up a fight, but of course with Riker in charge they aren't locked up for too long, and promptly put their captor's ship out of commission so that they can free the Admirals and escape to DS9 (with Dax and Riker making a date along the way). They then figure out that the bad guys from the far side of the wormhole and the Cardassians are working together and they solve it all and live hapily ever after... ho hum. The story is rather weak to be honest, but what does make this four issue mini-series special is the artwork (especially in Malibu's two issues) and all the nice little touches and lines such as La Forge's statement; ""Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Miles O'Brien... A man who can make a silk purse out of the scraggliest sows ear.", and the conversation between Riker and Dax as they go off for their date; Dax: "So... How much do you know about Trills, Commander?" Riker: "Probably more than you think, Lieutenant..." As such you realy should get this if you are any kind of a fan of DS9 or Next Gen and has suggested some themes that I hope will be expanded more in further comic, episodes or movies (especially the Dax, Riker relationship...) Well worth the asking price... just don't get conned into buying the special version of part two... it certainly ain't worth it. The special edition's differences are massive... a little shread of gold foil and... well not that much, really, in fact nothing actually. Just don't think about it, okay?! STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE 7 - WARCHILD by Esther Friesner ---------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed by Tim Smith --------------------- A letter left by Kai Opaka speaks of a child who will heal the wounds of Bajor and Sisko sends Lieutenant Dax to one of Bajor's refugee camps in search of her. Whilst Dax searches for the child, Doctor Bashir must try and cure a terrible plague that is ravaging the camps. This is the first Star Trek book by Esther Friesner and a really good effort it is too. There are several things to recommend about "Warchild". Firstly, it's the first novel since "Emissary" not to involve either a murderous assassin murdering various people in various graphically described ways, or a mad bomber blowing up various parts of the station. It is a refreshing change to read a DS9 book that really concentrates on the character instead of explosions and death. Secondly it shows Doctor Bashir in a new light. Alot of his character is explained. Notsomuch in terms of his background but in terms of what drives him. It is really satisfying to not to have to read him as brash and arrogant, but as a doctor driven by a passion to heal. There are also a few references to past episodes, but instead of the blatant and crude efforts that are all too frequently used in alot of other Star Trek novels, here they are sparsely used and carefully woven into the conversation and are much more effective for being so. It's not a perfect book (but then what is?) - there are a few passages in which the narrative tends to drag a little, but they don't account for a significant part of the novel and they are not crucial passages. The portrayal of Major Kira is slightly off centre. She is written as the more brusque and belligerent person that was depicted in the first half of the first season, but by the books admission the story is set between the first and second season. Kira should be much more accepting of Commander Sisko at the end of the first season and even more so during the second. Kira and Sisko do not only respect each other but like each other. However, on the whole this is an excellent read and can actually be read as a sort of prequel to the opening trilogy of DS9's second season. I sincerely hope that future DS9 writers will take note of Esther Friesner's style and ideas. 8/10 STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE - THE SEARCH by Diane Carey ------------------------------------------------------ Reviewed by Tim Smith --------------------- Based on "The Search, Parts I and II" Written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe Teleplay on Part I by Ronald D. Moore Commander Sisko takes a prototype ship, the USS Defiant through the wormhole in an effort to find the mysterious leaders of the Dominion, the Founders... This is not only the first DS9 novel by Diane Carey, but the first adaptation of a DS9 (or in this case two) episode since "Emissary". Between them, Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe are responsible for episodes such "Babel", "Q-Less" and the prequel to "The Search", "The Jem'Hadar". Diane Carey has written several past Star Trek novels. So, what's it like? The story divides into two distinct parts. Sisko, and the Defiant's crew search for the Founders, and Kira and Odo's discovery of a strange planet. Both parts are involving but I have to say that the part that involves Sisko battling the Jem'Hadar is too violent for my liking. However, going on Carey's past record it is quite possible that it is more her style of writing that is to blame than what was actually televised. Kira and Odo's arrival and search of the planet is much more intriguing although you can see the twist in the tale coming from a long, long way off. Another worrying and slighlty distasteful thing that Carey must be responsible for, because there is no way it would be allowed on U.S. television is the swearing that is spread throughout the book. There really is no need and no justification for it. It simply does not belong in the world of Trek. It is difficult to know how to rate this book, without making a prejudgment on the actual television episode. Although the padding that is necessary in any film or television adaptation is rather obvious here, it is still difficult to know at certain times when the book ends and the episode starts. It's an okay read, but it does drag at times even in the action sequences. My advice is to watch the episodes before you consider buying the book. 6/10