STAR TREK - THE NEXT GENERATION - FOREIGN FOES

POCKET BOOKS

Written by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur

Copyright 1994 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.



In Foreign Foes, written by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is mediating a peace treaty between two hostile races - the Klingons and the Hidran race. Things get deadly when the Hidran ambassador dies and kills a Klingon delegate in revenge as he does so.

It was sad for me to see Worf being charged with the murder of the Hidran ambassador. Although under accusation for murder, Worf acted very dignified under the circumstances which I appreciated. Having the civilian doctor in charge of the colony that the negotiations are being held, holding sway over the crew of the Enterprise is frustrating.  I was also very upset that Data was acting differently. I felt, while reading this, that the writers were taking umbrage with his character initially. Even though Data's actions was eventually explained, it was very frustrating to read about what Data was doing in his paranoia of the Klingons - thus jeopardizing the Federation/Klingon alliance as Data takes the U.S.S. Enterprise into Klingon space. While the Klingons were traditionally arrogant against everybody, they were true allies with the Federation when the Klingons finally team up with Picard.

I am not crazy about the cover being white. The white cover makes me think the story is much brighter than the story really is. I was getting schizophrenic about the tone of the story while I was reading it. If the cover was dark, I would have been in the proper mood for the story.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - THE LOST ERA- SERPENTS AMONG THE RUINS

POCKET BOOKS

Written by David R. George III

Copyright 2003 by Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.



In Serpents Among the Ruins, the legendary Tomad Incident - in which thousands were killed - is finally told. Flight tests conducted for a prototype starship, the U.S.S. Universe with it's new engines, ends tragically in disaster close to the border space of the Romulan Star Empire. When the news of the observed disaster reaches the Romulans, the Romulans believe that the Federation is developing weapons of mass destruction to be used against them. As a military buildup ensues on all sides, which includes the Klingons - who want to regain the glory of their Empire - Captain John Harriman of the U.S.S. Enterprise confronts an old Romulan enemy aboard the Romulan flagship Tomad.

This is an older John Harriman of the Enterprise than the one who was shown in the movie Star Trek: Generations.  Harriman is not the insecure bumbler that he was in the movie, but a mature experienced individual who is quite at home on the Enterprise B  - and is also an almost burned-out Captain approaching the end of his career. The diplomats deal with the tense strategic negotiations between the three major powers in order to prevent another Federation/Romulan war and having the Klingons fighting for peace. Harriman, in what is basically his final mission, is sent on a classified mission by Starfleet Special Operations - which includes a young Elias Vaughn. Harriman and Vaughn are snuck aboard the Romulan Flagship Tomad, commanded by Harriman's old enemy Admiral Aventeer Vokar, deep in Romulan space - while Harriman leaves Demora Sulu in command of the Enterprise as they rotate the personal in the outposts monitoring the Romulan Neutral Zone. Vokar's desire for vengeance against his old enemy Harriman makes Harrison's mission extremely dangerous as they perform sabatouge on Vokar's ship Tomad. This mission is also sad as Harriman must undertake the mission while his father Admiral Harriman was critically injured during the U.S.S. Universe disaster. You wish that Harriman and his father the Admiral would reconcile with each other after the Admiral's injury as Admiral Harriman has been disappointed with him ever since the events of Star Trek: Generations and the book Star Trek - The Captain's Daughter. It is also sad when Vaughn is forced to kill for the first time.

This book is basically the flash point where several parts of the Star Trek universe changes after the events in the book, at least in the Star Trek literature.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - THE ASHES OF EDEN

DC Comics

Co-writers - Judy & Gar Reeves-Stevens
                   - William Shatner

Penciller - Steve Erwin

Inker - Jimmy Palmiotti

Colorist - Gloria Vasquez

Letter - Willie Schubert

Copyright 1995 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

In this graphic novel, based on the book The Ashes of Eden  by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Captain James T. Kirk - after a long career of service - elects to leave Starfleet to retire but is then recruited by Romulan/Klingon woman Teilani to save her world from her parent's people. Meanwhile, Kirk's old Starfleet rival Admiral Drake is determined to do away with Kirk as Drake persues a secret agenda about Teilani's world.

Teilani's world has a dark secret in space being the experimental colony of both the Romulans and Klingons. Kirk becomes seduced by Teilani as he seems to have found the secret to the fountain of youth in his new home and a purpose in life again. While on a classified intelligence mission, Checkov gets upset at his old friend Captain Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior that Sulu did not tell him he was secretly Chekov's backup. Sulu and Checkov reluctantly join forces as Admiral Drake recruits them and the rest of the Enterprise crew to go after the rogue Kirk, unbeknownst to them that there was secretly a link to their intelligence mission and Admiral Drake. The artwork by penciller Steve Erwin, inker Jimmy Palmiotti, letter Willie Schubert, and colorist Gloria Vasquez captures the images that were described in the book.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - DOCTOR'S ORDERS

An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS

Written by Diane Duane

Copyright 1990 by Paramount Pictures.

In Doctor's Orders, during a planetary survey, Doctor McCoy complains about work once too often that Captain Kirk gives him the conn of the U.S.S. Enterprise so that McCoy can relax and Kirk can go down on the planet and build some diplomatic relationships with the native species. During this time, Captain Kirk disappears - and the Klingons show up!

I always wondered if Kirk could give the conn to Dr. McCoy. Knowing author Diane Duane, this is probably something that could happen in real life. The planetary life is so unique for the crew to categorize, you do not know if you will be talking to a talking rock or not, or maybe even a talking tree - and even then you may not be communicating properly. Meanwhile, with communications from back home, McCoy's command status is threaten to be revoked by Starfleet Command. The desperate search for Kirk is not helped with the Klingon situation.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - VOYAGER - FULL CIRCLE

Pocket Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Written by Kirsten Beyer

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In Full Circle, the U.S.S. Voyager goes on a mission to search for B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral kidnapped by radical Klingon warriors. Then later, Voyager is sent on a deep space diplomatic and scientific exploration mission to lead a fleet back to the largely unexplored Delta Quadrant.

This book is basically two books with Captain Chakotay, and especially with his first officer Commander Tom Paris looking for his missing wife B'Elanna and kidnapped daughter Miral - who is believed to be the chosen one for the Klingon people. Then later, after Admiral Janeway is killed, are the political dealings with Starfleet trying to send Voyager back to the Delta Quadrant where Voyager was stranded far from home for seven years.

The second half of the book takes place after the events that have occurred in previous Star Trek books, one of which Janeway was killed from a Borg threat. My initial reaction is that Voyager and her crew suffered enough and should not go back, but there is the logical reason for Voyager to return - in that Voyager's crew has the most experience with the Delta Quadrant and would know how to deal with the many dangerous and violent species they might encounter. And with new engines, there is no chance Voyager and the fleet will be lost in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay, after greatly suffering from the loss of his love Admiral Katherine Janeway, must undergo psychiatric evaluation to prove he is capable of commanding Voyager. The results of which causes him to make a major career decision.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

STAR TREK - ERRAND OF FURY - SACRIFICES OF WAR

POCKET BOOKS
A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc

Written by Kevin Ryan
Based on the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy"
Written by Gene L. Coon

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.



In Sacrifices of War, the U.S.S. Enterprise is sent on a mission to a planet near Klingon space that has been enslaved by the Klingons in order for the native inhabitants to produce weapons for them. Later, Kirk and Spock get stranded on the planet Organia - when the Klingons arrive to enslave Kirk and Spock as well.

In this novelisation of the TV episode "Errand of Mercy" there are two stories in the book which are basically the same in tone for the book in that the crew of the Enterprise comes in support of occupied Klingon planets as the Enterprise encourage the local population with different results. This book is a more in depth novelisation than the James Blish adaptation from The Star Trek Reader I . There is also  more political involvement in Sacrifices of War with the President of the Federation and his staff as they prepare for war in this part of the galaxy between the Klingons and Earth.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek - Vanguard - Precipice

Pocket Books

Written by David Mack

Copyright 2009 by CBS Studios Inc. All right reserved.

STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All rights reserved.

In Precipice, while the galaxy learns of the aggressive alien Shedai that Starbase Vanguard has been studying as part of their secret project, everything revolves around a mysterious artifact of the Shedai.

While it is gratifying to see that Commander Reyes is actually alive, to see the relationship between reporter Tim Pennington and the Vulcan woman who had sabotaged his career, T'Prynn, become much better was more interesting to me. Pennington's and T'Prynn's relationship was just as interesting as the relationship between merchant Quinn and Starfleet Officer Bridy Mac - while Quinn and Bridy Mac go undercover amongst the Klingons as the two of them search for the Shedai object. Having a driven Shedai tear through the Starbase into the heart of Vanguard shows how powerful the Shedai really are - and that Starfleet has it's work cut out for them with the Shedai running around the galaxy in future books.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek - The Lost Era - The Art of the Impossible

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Copyright 2003 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.



Star Trek's The Art of the Impossible a Lost Era book written by Keith R.A. DeCandido, is set between the Klingons and the Cardassians as they both try to be the aggressive victors in the campaign to develop a planet.

With the initial discovery of a lost Klingon colony fleet ship which crash-landed on a resource rich planet, the Klingons and the Cardassians use the discovery as a means of exploiting their political agendas. Ambassador Curzon Dax uses his influence to have both races use their abilities to develop the planet. Whoever is the most resourceful in developing the planet the most according to the Organian Peace Treaty gets to keep it.

While the Klingons seem like Klingons with their rich culture, I did not get any real feeling of what the Cardassians as a race are really like. Even with the Cardassians' sinister intelligence organization The Obsidian Order, the Cardassians are very ordinary. You do get a glimpse of Worf as a child and an insight into his real family - just before Worf's rescue by his human father at the destroyed Khitomer base, and why Worf was separated from his brother. These were rather touching scenes to me.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek: Gateways - One Small Step

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Susan Wright

Copyright 2001

In One Small Step, after defeating a hostile computer on an ancient Kalandan outpost, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise search the Kalandan outpost to discover the technology that hurled the Enterprise a thousand light years away - when a race of aliens arrive claiming to be the Kalandans and want their station back.

The first of a seven book series about the mysterious Gateways, this continuation of the television episode That Which Survives is believable only as a continuation. I often wondered what happens immediately after the episodes and this book fits the bill. However, the aliens claiming to be the Kalandans are difficult to believe as Kalandans because an incredible amount of time has elapsed since the outpost was lost and the aliens seems to have made little technological improvements made in the intervening time. At least, it should have been difficult for the crew of the Enterprise to believe, especially Spock and Scotty.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Star Trek: Vanguard - Open Secrets

Pocket Books, A Division of Simon & Shuster, Inc.

Written by Dayton Ward

Copyright 2009

In Open Secrets, set during the original Star Trek series, Commodore Diego Reyes of Starbase 47 Vanguard is undergoing court-martial proceedings for revealing the secrets of Vanguard's true mission in the Taurus Reach to reporter Tim Pennington. Meanwhile, relations between the Klingons and the Federation deteriorate as they both search aggressively for the extensive secrets of the Taurus Reach to procure technology and weapons - eventually leading to war.

This continuing story of Vanguard gets more political as the conflict between the Klingons and the Federation heat up literally as the Organians from the TV episode Errand of Mercy finally intervene between them. It is interesting to finally meet Admiral Nogura as he takes over command of Vanguard during the court-martial of Commodore Reyes, as well as seeing the proceedings of the court-martial itself. Nogura does not seem, as his name would suggest, in following the traditional Japanese culture and traditions. From the various references of Admiral Nogura throughout the series, I always expected a lot of Japanese culture around Nogura, which would define his leadership style. It is nice to see Reyes relationship with his JAG lawyer Rana Desai grow as she switches sides from Prosecuter to Defense in support to defend Reyes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.