Tag Archives: sci-fi

Infection by John Gregory Betancourt (1999) – BR00004 (2001) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
January 20 2001

Plot or Premise

This is the first of six books dealing with biological terrorism by an unknown foe. The story is interesting, as a planet has been infected with a plague with an 100% fatality rate — but only for those aliens who are of mixed-race…pure breeds remain unaffected!

What I Liked

I am not a hard-core sci-fi reader, but I do enjoy Star Wars and Star Trek. This is definitely different from most ST:TNG plots where they steer away from racial relations that aren’t easily solved. The plot is interesting and the medical portion is solid.

What I Didn’t Like

Unfortunately, the problem with this novel is that the characters are written similar to those of the first few books in the ST:TNG series i.e. when the characters weren’t quite developed yet or as well-defined as they became in the TV series. So, when you read those early books now, you can’t help but say to yourself “But THAT character wouldn’t do THAT!”. Such divergence from the real characters they become was understandable early on in the series, but now that there have been seven years worth of episodes, fifty odd books, and a couple of movies, going back to the “not yet defined” characters seems too far out of the fold. The characters fit the timeline in the series, but are not true to their real character not yet revealed.

The Bottom Line

A readable entry but fans of later seasons may have trouble relating.

Avenger by William Shatner (1997) – BR00099 (1999) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

This is the third in a Star Trek trilogy, with nanites, sentient Borg, and Vulcan terrorists.

What I Liked

The portrayal of the TNG crew is a little better in this book, perhaps reflecting the better portrayals seen in the TNG movies. It links Kirk, Spock, Picard, and the entire history of the various Enterprises together with Sarek.

What I Didn’t Like

n/a

The Bottom Line

All about renewal and cycles.

The Return by William Shatner (1997) – BR00098 (1999) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

This is the second in a Star Trek trilogy, with renegade Romulans working with the Borg.

What I Liked

There are some decent scenes with Data, and some interesting interactions between old TOS crew and new TNG crew.

What I Didn’t Like

Most of the TOS crew are not really much like themselves, except Spock, so not very “believable”. Bones is almost a caricature. Kirk and Worf have a fight that is ridiculous.

The Bottom Line

Worst of the three.

The Ashes of Eden by William Shatner (1996) – BR00097 (1999) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

The PolyBlog
October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

This is the first in a Star Trek trilogy, with Spock reminiscing about Kirk’s last mission, one that took place after retirement and involved an alluring woman.

What I Liked

The present time takes place just after Kirk’s death in the movie Generations, and is a great story of the old crew. One of the best I have ever read. There’s even a fight between Kirk and the Enterprise against his old crewmates.

What I Didn’t Like

n/a

The Bottom Line

Almost perfect.

Pathways by Jeri Taylor (1998) – BR00084 (1999) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

The Voyager crew are separated from the ship and captured by an alien race. The crew are placed in a prison camp full of various races. While awaiting rescue by Captain Janeway, the members tell stories from their pasts to each other at night to help pass the time.

What I Liked

Chakotay’s tale is of his rejection of his tribe’s ways and embracing the Starfleet ideals, and then joining the Maquis to chase the Cardassians. Harry Kim’s focuses on his privileged upbringing, discovering Starfleet hikers, meeting Boothbie, and his rough adjustment at the Academy. Kes’ tale is a bit odd, seems off from her character on the show, but covers her short life before meeting Neelix (told through some sort of psychic link with her essence that has already left Voyager) including pushing the Elders to reveal the history of the Caretaker and her decision to explore the surface. Tuvok’s backstory includes his double career with Starfleet, namely first joining Starfleet as a young man, and then leaving Starfleet, returning home to raise a family, having a spiritual quest in the desert, and deciding to rejoin Starfleet, reviewing Janeway’s first mission as part of his duties, and then being posted to her ship only to butt heads repeatedly with her over her impulsive nature.

What I Didn’t Like

I wasn’t totally comfortable with B’Elanna’s story about never being part of the life of either Klingons or humans, her decision to leave Starfleet Academy and work on a freighter, and meeting Chakotay and Paris in the Maquis. It seems at odds with her very Klingon personality at the start of Voyager, as if she didn’t have much experience with humans. Yet the backstory talks about even her first serious boyfriend having been human. Paris’ story doesn’t reveal much, it’s mostly rehash of excerpts from other episodes — his relationship with his Admiral father, joining Starfleet and starting a ski team, an chance to be the pilot for the Enterprise, an accident with his flight team (similar to the character he played on TNG episode with Wesley Crusher), his joining the Maquis, his imprisonment for firing on a Starfleet ship to protect the Maquis, and finally joining Voyager. Neelix’s story probably had the most potential as being different and unique, i.e. growing up on a quiet planet on the edge of war and the loss of his family and trading partners, and then meeting Voyager’s crew, but the story went nowhere.

The Bottom Line

Decent views of the various backstories.