Book Review #103 - Starworld by Harry Harrison - Book 3 of the To The Stars trilogy

Book  27 of 52

Page count 161

At long last I've read the last book in the series.

Trilogies - they can be frustrating; the middle book especially.  The second volume of this trilogy was such a departure from the promising first that I and no desire to pick up the third for four months. Thankfully this last volume was a return to the fun Cold War-like setting but this time much if it taking place on board ships in space.

Revolution has come to Earth and Jan Kulozik is leading the charge for freedom from the oppressive government.  Right in the middle of things is Jan's antagonist Thurgood-Smyth, his evil and manipulative brother-in-law.  Smyth is by far my favourite character in this story; he is such a self-serving, ambitious, back-stabbing bureaucrat that I just wanted to take a shower after reading the parts of the book where he was present.

I love hard science fiction that pokes holes in popular tropes of the genre.  There is one scene in this third volume, that I just loved, where the opening scene of the movie Star Wars is discredited for the fantasy that it is.  After explaining how there can be no lasers in space warfare the engineer explains to Jan how, to truly fight in space, you have to use tried-and-true methods from hundreds of years in the past.  I won't tell you what it is since I think it was the best moment in the book and made everything else seem more plausible.

There was some great interplay between Kulozik and Thurgood-Smyth and, even in the final pages, you are never quite sure what Smyth is really up to.

So, was the story, as a whole, any good?  Well ... It was okay.  The second book really ruined things for me, there were some good moments there but not enough to say that it was worth reading.  It does, however resonate with you as you read the third novel.  These are rather short books, making the whole thing less of a commitment than most modern trilogies.  But it also suffers from the short page count, in that some leaps in plotting and simplification of character development occurs.

Up until now I've stayed away from the literary form, trilogies I mean.  They seem like such a commitment; three books to tell one story?  For my self, I am more comfortable with a series, you can dive in at just about any point, knowing the books are linked but that the author will give you enough back story to allow you to understand the book you are reading.

Original cover.

Harry Harrison

Book Review #102 - Star Trek: Destiny: Gods of Night by David Mack

Book 26 of 52
Page Count - 269

I had read this book once before and gave up on it.  I knew it was part of a trilogy, however I found the book so slowly paced that I was uninterested in perusing it further.

Then along comes the Literary Treks podcast and I learn that this trilogy is the key to the entire Star Trek universe reset.  Since all the shows are done and there is no chance of further movies, Pocket Books now has the freedom to alter the path of the characters how they want.  

With this trilogy the separate shows of The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and Voyager are folded into one giant story.  This is appropriate since they all occupy the same time period.  Even some of the characters that have only lived in the novels are brought in here too.

Based on what Christopher Jones and Matt Rushing, the hosts of Literary Treks, said about this series, I bought the 828 page, door stop of a book, omnibus edition collecting the tree novels. 

In my mind, if you're writing a trilogy, you might want to bore people with the second book, not the first one.  I remember why I quit it in the first place - pacing.

I'm shocked that the death of millions of people from Borg attacks could feel as though it is a footnote to the more "important" story of what happened to the crew of the NX-02 Columbia or of Troy and Riker's attempt to have a baby.  

We follow four different story lines here, Captain Hernandez and the Columbia, Captain Jean Luc Picard of the Enterprise, Captain Will Riker of the Titan and Captain Ezri Dax of the Aventine; who are all chasing the mystery of the Columbia's disappearance.  Some of these captains don't know it yet as they are looking for clues as to how the Borg are getting into Federation space without being detected but it is all linked to the Columbia.

The only plot line that is even remotely interesting is the Enterprise because they are engaged with the Borg directly.   What goes on with all the other plot lines is exceedingly dull and mostly revolves around folks talking about tricorder readings. But I kept with it and things got more interesting at the end of the book where two of the four plot lines came together.

I will keep with it because I trust Rushing and Jones and because I want to get into this new universe.  Plus, when I hold a book that is over 800 pages long it's understandable that the first 270 might be about the set up.  I think I would have been happier if each of the separate plot lines were broken up into smaller chunks and if there was more action within.  I don't need explosions on every page but I also don't want computer readouts and endless descriptions of alien crew members.  To be honest, I'd be much happier if Star Fleet had more humans on board so we could enjoy some story telling.

So far, I'm not a fan.

David Mack's website is HERE.

Original cover of the first volume.

David Mack

Fatal Error By Keith R A DeCandido a short story review.

Mission #2 for the crew of the da Vinci. I do like the serial nature of the story telling here. 

The SCE team respond to a distress call from a super computer.  This computer controls all aspects of life on the planet Eerlik.  It controls the economy, traffic and even the weather, but things are not going as they should; the computer has been infected with a virus.

It doesn't take long before the crew is tangled up in something bigger than they expected. 

It was a pretty good story except for one thing; it fell into a Lord of the Rings vibe where much of the action revolved around walking. The away team just walked for miles and miles getting trapped behind force fields, random doors and being chased by bad guys.  It went on so long that I began to get frustrated with the story.

After investing so much time walking to the computer core I was very disappointed the problems were solved in a matter of just a few paragraphs. There was certainly some character growth, which I like but, over all, the plot was just a bit thin.

One of the good things about short stories is that they are short.  I'm glad I didn't pay for this one individually.

The cover art of the omnibus eddition

Book Report #101 - The Gemini Agent by Rick Barba a Starfleet Academy novel.

Book 25 of 52

Page count 195

Another installment in the Starfleet Academy series of Young Adult novels set in the JJ Abrams version of Star Trek. 

I actually like these books since they show Kirk as a goofball twenty-something with all the glimmers of the adult he will become. 

Strangely I've been reading the series backwards, this is book 3 and my earlier review was book 4.  This is because I've been reading the books as I've received them from the library.  The books can be read in any order but I usually like to start with the first. 

This book was quite good with quick pacing and a nice twist ending.  The Romulans are the Big Bad in this one and the author captured their methods very well. Romulans are known for their deceptions, spying and covert missions.  The stretch in the plot was how this involved Kirk or, more precisely, why it involved him. If you're going to influence an enemy would you target a student or would you go after are person in power?

The conclusion explained the reasoning employed but I was still left thinking the plausibility was a bit suspect.  That being the only fault in the story I can say that it was a fun read and I'm glad I opened the covers.  The author's ability to capture the Chris Pine version of Kirk and McCoy's voice is to be celebrated.  I just love McCoy in this new version of Star Trek.

There was one exchange between Kirk and McCoy that I just loved; it occurs very early in the book.

McCoy just glared at Kirk.

"You're over that aviophobia thing, Right?" Asked Kirk distractedly. 

"You mean the fear of dying in something that flies?" said McCoy.  "No."

"Ah, so that explains your surly demeanor."

"I'm always like this."

Dialogue always made Star Trek special and this book kept that tradition alive.

This was definitely a likable story even if the plot was a bit weak.

The Belly of the Beast, a Star Trek SCE story by Dean Wesley Smith

The original cover art of the story.

I've known about the Star Trek SCE (Starfleet Core of Engineers) series for years; I've even read a few.  They first saw the light of day in 2000 just when eBooks were in their embryonic stage.  Proving, once again, that science fiction fans are early adopters of new tech.

Most of the stories have been collected in omnibus volumes; I've purchased the first one called, Have Tech, Will Travel that contains the first four stories.

Story #1 kicks the series off with a bang.  We are dropped right into a battle involving Captain Jen-Luc Picard's Enterprise and an enormous ship of unknown origin.

The Enterprise is involved in a long-duration battle with this ship that resembled the Death Star of Star Wars fame, but with two rings; one running pole to pole and the other along the equator.  With a bit of luck the Enterprise disables the vessel.

Now it's up to the Starfleet Core of Engineers to survey the ship and to acquire as much knowledge the can about the species that constructed it.  This is where Captain Gold and his ship the USS da Vinci come in; they are the flag ship of the Core of Engineers and are tasked with being "fixers" for Starfleet.  It is also here that we catch up with a minor character from the TNG TV series; ensign Sonya Gomez, who famously spilled hot chocolate on Captain Picard, she is now a Commander and head of the SCE team on the da Vinci.

USS da Vinci

The alien ship is so big the crew nicknames it The Beast.  At first look the ship gives every impression that it is a cruise ship; filled with luxury suites and the rings are discovered to be promenades that are transparent from the inside.  Every indication show that the ship could hold thousands of people but there is no one to be found.  A thorough search is begun and I can tell you there is something lurking deep in the centre of the thing.  Oh, my god - yuck!

This was a terrific story and one that will immediately make you want to read the next installment.

It's always good to see the universe of Star Trek expanded to include new characters and ships and to see more of Starfleet.  I've always been a fan of Star Trek and I'm happy there is more of it to experience.

Dean Wesley Smith's website is HERE.

The cover art of the omnibus edition.

Dean Wesley Smith

Book Report #100 - The Assassination Game by Alan Gratz

Book 24 of 52
Page count 320

This is the first book I found that is based on the new series of movies made by J.J. Abrams.  It fits nicely in the time line of the first movie where we were not shown Kirk's experiences at the Academy.

I don't ordinarily turn to teen fiction simply because - I'm not a teen.  But I thought I'd give this one a go, and you know what?  It was a blast.

There is a lot going on in this book; there are aliens on campus who get tangled up in some political intrigue when a couple terrorist attacks take place.  There is the threat of war and throughout the story there is a cool game of tag being played. 

It took me a few chapters to get into this book and, to be honest, there were no surprises here.  You could guess the villain quite quickly but that was okay too.  What I got was the paper equivalent of a popcorn movie.  It was just plain fun.

The author should be commended; I think he got the voices of each of the characters spot on.  I was particularly taken by Leonard "Bones" McCoy.  I am a massive fan of Karl Urban; I just love his version of the character and the author got him just right.

He also portrayed Kirk very, very well.  The whole cast is well represented here and I certainly recommend it for anybody who likes the new version movies.

Alan Gratz blog is HERE.

Alan Gratz

The More Thigs Change by Scott Pearson - A short story review.

Fantastic cover art.

At first I was going to include this as part of my Book A Week Challenge but since the story comes in at around 90 pages, that would have felt like a bit of a cheat.

I grew up with Star Trek during it's re-run phase from the 70's and 80's and always loved Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

This was an eBook original set six months after the events of Star Trek The Motion Picture.  You know the one; where V'ger (Voyager 6) comes back to Earth.


In this story we find Dr. Christine Chapel in a shuttlecraft with Spock as they are transporting an ailing Commissioner Audrid Dax to a Trill ship for medical attention.

This is mostly a character piece exploring the relationship between Chapel and Spock.  Fans will like the expansion of the story of Chapel's love for Spock that was touched on in episodes of the TV series.  It also does a nice job of establishing the Trill species into Star Trek lore.  I believe we first got to know the Trill during the Deep Space 9 TV series.

Along the way they encounter some trouble, as you might expect, and come under fire by some unidentified (until the end) villains.

The author did an admirable job of character growth, interwoven with some good action and dialogue.

I felt the author's writing was so strong that he could have very easily expanded this to a novel-length story and found myself wishing that was the case.

Like they say; "Leave them wanting more."

Visit the author's website HERE.

Scott Pearson

Book Report #99 - Star Trek DTI: Forgotten History by ChristopherL.Bennett

Book 23 of 52
Page count - 346

I recently discovered an entire suite of podcasts dedicated to the Star Trek universe; TREK FM.

Trek Lit has been the one show I started listening to in earnest, it is hosted by Christopher Jones and Matthew Rushing.

In some side comments Rushing mentioned how much he liked the Department of Temporal Investigations series of books. This series tries to link together and explain the consequences of specific time travel events in the Star Trek universe.  I purchased this book on the strength of Rushing's enthusiasm.

I had my first "Oh, cool!" Moment by page 13 when a starship, of Federation design, is discovered drifting within a temporal anomaly.  She was fitted with the original engines of the first variation of the Enterprise.  Remember how the Enterprise was given new engines in the first movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture?  Ever wonder what happened to the old ones?  Me neither, but it's cool to think something had.

Top: original design for the TV show.  Below: from The Motion Picture.

Chapter 3 from page 55 to 81 completely blew my mind!  Which, sadly, means I didn't understand a word of it.

I read the first half of the book the day I started it.  By about the middle, things started to get complicated as we traveled between timelines and alternate realities.  The techno-babble became thick and unavoidable. I put the book down and didn't get back into it until a few days later, by which time I had forgotten some things and was lost.  I kept reading and fell back into it but, I've got to say, give yourself a good block of time to read it, since a continuous read is best for it.

I'm sure my fractured reading of the book played against my enjoyment of it but it WAS a bit confusing; there was so much tech-talk and movement between timelines that I found it overly complex.  The tying up of loose ends was very entertaining but I saw that I missed a lot after reading the acknowledgments where the author listed every source of inspiration for the book.

Obviously I am not the geek I think I am.

Would I recommend the book?  Well, sure...  I had inconsistent reading opportunities and the book required more attention than I gave it.  I'd have to say; if you can give the novel the attention it deserves, then you're going to like it.

Christopher L. Bennett.

Trek FM can be found HERE.

Christopher L. Bennett's website is HERE.

Book Report #98 - An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.

Book 22 of 52
Page count - 282

Sticking to space I decided some non-fiction would be a nice choice.  I've been a fan of Hadfield's for a while now.  There are only a handful of Canadian astronauts out there; he made the best of his career and simply glowed Candian-ness.

The book itself is just wonderful.  It was not what I expected - a simple memoir explaining his career.  More valuable, to the reader, he explained his attitude and work ethic.  It wasn't just about his accomplishments but how he did little things; how hard work, determination and a willingness to simply do what is needed were the keys to his success. 

His positive and simple message made me feel like I was not living up to my potential.  I decided to emulate his attitude and started to "sweat the small stuff" and to "aim to be a zero" which are the titles to two chapters that made strong impressions on me.

There is plenty of space stuff to keep anybody interested in space exploration happy but the personal ethics presented make this book special.

Below is a YouTube clip promoting the book.  It does a good job of showing the value of reading it.


Chris Hadfield's Wiki page is HERE

Book Report #97 - A Time To Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Book 21 of 52
Page Count - 330

The second book in the A Time To Sow/ A Time To Harvest duology was a very satisfying payoff. 

The troubles that were plaguing the Dokaalan people, it was discovered, were more than just unfortunate accidents.  The Dokaalan's were involved in a very difficult project of trying to terraforming a nearby planet.  But acts of sabotage and disagreements within the population threatened to destroy what was left of this race.

The troubles that had to be addressed were many and interrelated.  The authors did a wonderful job of tying things up and creating a bad guy that was so good that I stopped reading to enjoy the "Oh, cool!" moment.  I love intelligent, pragmatic bad guys and the baddies in this book are great.  They are highly resourceful and able to turn unexpected events to their own advantage.  Plus, and this is something I always loved in Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels, when they were caught they merely smiled with a "Well, you've got me." attitude then were willing to discuss things in a civilized way.

This whole series is building up to the movie Nemesis so it will be fun to see how the crew gets to where they are at the start of that story.  Until then, we get to enjoy some very well though out adventures that simply feel like this was season eight or nine of the television series.

I like these two books very much, maybe even a bit more than the first two because the baddies were just so well done.  I still don't own the next two books; A Time to Love / A Time to Hate, I may have to buy them as eBooks to continue this series.  But I will certainly continue with it.

Dayton Ward has a website HERE

Sorry to say that I could not find a personal website for Kevin Dilmore.  (He may have a FaceBook page or Twitter account but I didn't search for those.)

Dayton Ward (left) and Kevin Dilmore (right)

Book Report #96 - Star Trek: A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Book 20 of 52
Page count - 314

In 2151, during the time of Johnathan Archer and the TV series Enterprise, a probe was found by the Vulcans.  This probe was a distress call from a far flung planet that was suffering planet-wide seismic events that threatened to destroy it completely.  It was discovered that the probe had been in space for 38 years.  The Vulcans decided to to nothing about it since the events plaguing that world would have already taken place and there would be no rescue to mount.

Fast forward two hundred years to the days of the Enterprise-E, with Starfleet wanting to keep Picard out of the way, they are sent to explore the region to see what evidence they can find of the inhabitants of this poor world.  They discover the planet had indeed been destroyed but were surprised to find the survivors had migrated to, and created a sustainable society, in the asteroid belt of the system.

Since the Dokaalan people had sent the distress call Picard initiated first contact with them.  A crisis occurs while they are there and the Enterprise manages to rescue over 400 Dokaalans which goes a long way to enable the trust of the leadership.

This is classic Star Trek; exploring strange new worlds.  It takes a while to discover that there is some internal strife going on that threaten the crew.  This is a story that takes place over two books so I don't recommend reading A Time To Sow without having A Time To Harvest close by.

I really liked this first installment.  I grabbed the second book without pause and just kept on reading.

Dayton Ward (left) and Kevin Dilmore (right)

Canadian Expansion 1867 - 1909 by Dr. David Bercuson.

I was recently on vacation in Ottawa where I discovered I have a deeply disturbing lack of knowledge of my own country.  The history of Canada is everywhere in Ottawa and I decided I needed to get some knowledge on the subject.

History is such a large subject that it can be overwhelming to decide where to start.  I bought a nice Penguin history book that I am currently reading that is a good overview.  I also went on a rampage at my local library, ordering all kinds of books to look at.

How Canada Became Canada, From the Atlantic to the Pacific: Canadian Expansion 1867 - 1909 is an 80 page juvenile book which does not talk down to its audience and offers another quick overview of a very important period in Canadian history.  I like to think of this as being a good introduction and a jumping off book that can point me to specific areas to explore.

To date, I've only reviewed fiction but I've never been limited to it.  Non-fiction requires a different kind of attention, unlike fiction, where the story is not told until the last page.

I got what I wanted from it.  Namely the knowledge that I know nothing!

Dr. David Bercuson

Book Report #95 - Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Book 19 of 52
Page count - 368

I thought I'd give Handler a chance to speak to me under his own name.  So far I've only read his work under the Lemony Snicket moniker and I was curious to read something he put his own name on.

Interestingly it was teen fiction written from the point of view of a broken-hearted, misfit teen-age girl, who fell in love with the co-captain of the high school basketball team.

My problem with the book is - I am a middle aged man.

This was not targeted for me.  I'd recommend this book to any love-struck teen girl. (not a boy because, at that age, they tend not to read books)

I was not disappointed in Handler's ability to turn a phrase.  The book was interesting in that it was written in the form of a very, very, very long letter from Min (Short for Minerva) to Ed the jock in question.  The letter is put in a box full of mementos of their brief relationship where she picks each item up and explains what it meant to her.

It was a touching bit of work and I also like the illustrations that accompanied each item from the box.

I found the story a bit of a mess because it was written while Min was upset, sad and crying.  The sentences tended to run on and it followed her stream of consciousness.

I thought Handler's ability to portray the teen jock absolutely spot-on.  It's surprising the human race has survived considering just how thick teen boys can be.

I liked it but I also did not like it.  I found myself frustrated with both characters because I have the advantage of years of experience they simply do not have.  At times I found it tedious to slog through the emotional upheaval Min was going through.

So, Okay, the book was not for me but it was expertly written, beautifully illustrated and is truly something special.

If you're a teen fiction fan or want to relive your angst-filled youth you're going to love this book.

Daniel Handler

Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith - A Short Story Review

Oh my God!  It's the freaking Borg!

Yes my friends, this story first saw the light of day in 1950, although it shows a copyright date of 1946, and tells the story about one Scanner on a very important day.  Scanners are part robot part human and are tasked with ensuring humans are safe during space flight.  Humans travel in suspended animation while the Scanners look after the ship functions.  Humans have spread out to other star systems without the ability to travel faster than light.  Without constant oversight trips of this length would be incredibly dangerous.

The story does not go into how the Scanners came to be but we do know that some Scanners have been forced into existence; criminals have undergone the procedure but there are some people who volunteered to be transformed.  In all of this a Scanners' humanity is not lost however they spend most of their time in a robot state.  A scanner can enjoy a type of holiday (or shore leave) by undergoing a temporary procedure that restores his humanity and full cognitive function.

We follow Martel, who is on his shore leave at a critical time in the history of Scanners.  By this time in the future Scanners occupy a strange position in human society, neither part of nor excluded from it.  Along comes a scientist who discovers FTL and threatens the Scanners way of life.

As in all of these vintage stories, I first found the language a bit stiff but it did not take long to get past it.  I just loved this early take on a species that Star Trek fans love -  The Borg.  These guys are definitely just like the Borg; surgically altered to be part machine and part human, allowing them to work in space unprotected, making long-duration space flight possible.

I just love discovering stories like this one; it goes to show that some things we thought were completely original have been around for longer than we imagined.

It was a fun read.

Smith's website is HERE.

Cordwainer Smith

Fantasy Book No. 6