Critical Myth-Interpretations

A few years ago, the “Lost Era” books were released, covering events between the end of the “Original Series” feature films and the beginning of “The Next Generation”.  Enough continuity was established during the subsequent series in the franchise to give the authors a solid roadmap, and most of the novels were exciting and worth the time.

This particular book fits into the same time period, but the focus is relatively narrow.  It covers Captain Picard’s life from the destruction of his previous ship, the Stargazer, to his assumption of command of the Enterprise in “Encounter at Farpoint”.  Surprisingly, the events were barely discussed in the television series itself, leaving Bennett with plenty of free reign.

The result is a story that doesn’t need to be a Trek story at all.  It fits very well into the continuity and explains a number of things that were never explored about Picard’s personality and psychology, but the bulk of the book could have been retooled into an unrelated original novel without much difficulty.  I’m tempted to say that it would have been better, if only because Bennett could have refashioned some of the existing details to make them even more consistent.

This could also be termed one of the few “hard SF” novels in the Trek franchise, because some of the material is rather dense and scientific.  Combined with a sense of maturity, particularly sexual matters, the book is well outside the typical Trek mode.  For long sections of the book, it’s easy to forget that it’s a media tie-in novel, and much of the material rivals the best original work on the shelf.

Fans of “The Next Generation” should pick this up, especially those who usually dismiss the tie-in novels as “inferior” or “not real writing”.  This is a perfect example of why I read so many tie-in novels and continually support them as a worthy enterprise.  This is not simply a “Star Trek” book; it’s a solid novel that happens to be set in the Trek universe.  The subtle distinction shouldn’t be lost.

Rating: 9/10

This was the fifth of the original B5 novels, and at the time, the shortest.  It was also another example of a tie-in novel that could never work within the continuity of the series itself, just based on the scope of the events depicted.  This particular story, supposed set early in the third season, covers the arrival of a massive “worm” of green light that approaches the station and sets off deep-rooted fears among the inhabitants.

First and foremost, the author refers to G’Kar as “ambassador”, when his official non-status among the Narn is a key plot point during that part of the series arc.  There’s also direct conflict between Narn and Centauri, which by the rules of the Narn surrender, would never be as easily dismissed as seen in the novel.  And if Sheridan and Delenn were driven to a murderous rage against each other, it would take more than a few days of contemplation to let it go.

The author also incorporates a biker gang (a particularly bad idea), which connects to previous continuity (“Eyes”), but not something that was begging for exploration.  The characterization was shallow throughout, especially the newly introduced characters, which was probably a factor of the length.  If there’s one good thing to say about this book, it’s that the lack of depth makes it a very quick read.  I simply can’t suggest that anyone bother.

Rating: 4/10

This novel is set shortly after “A New Hope” (or as some of us remember it, simply “Star Wars”), which makes it rather unique. Few novels have bothered to delve into the timeline of the original trilogy, and to a certain extent, this effort demonstrates why. It’s a tricky time period to tackle because the characters cannot deviate much from their depicted motivations and personalities.

Zahn gets around this problem by using the established characters for only a third of the story, and it’s the least interesting aspect. There’s some exploration of Han Solo’s mindset after the Battle of Yavin, particularly his struggle between freedom and his growing sense of obligation, but it doesn’t go very far.

More interesting is the Hand of Judgment, a band of five stormtroopers forced into fugitive status when they find themselves uncomfortable with the tactics of the Empire. This brings up the subject of how the Empire’s supporters can overlook the less moral aspects of Palpatine’s rule. The changes seem to have been gradual for the bulk of the population, which meshes with the idea that Palpatine worked with the Senate for decades before taking things to the next level.

Concurrent with the rest is a plot thread involving a young Mara Jade as the Emperor’s Hand. Considering the events of the Legacy novel “Sacrifice”, this is interesting timing for such a story. The best element is the rivalry with Darth Vader, who has a minor role in the book, and makes sense considering her place in the mythos.

In the end, it was a pleasant book, with an interesting look at issues of loyalty for Han and the Hand of Judgment, but it was relatively short and the inability to introduce anything substantial left it without much dramatic tension. At this point, the real interest lies in the future of the timeline, where the writers actually have room to maneuver.

Rating: 7/10

The first time I read this book, I was bored with my fourth grade summer reading list.  Within a week, I was spellbound.  That book, along with “Fantastic Voyage” by Isaac Asimov, became a summer staple for years.  I let it drop after a while, but coming out of college, I read it again.  It was a lot simpler than I remembered it, but I still loved it, if only for the nostalgic aspects and the current connections to “Lost”.

Now, more than a decade later, with two young children to herd and an adult perspective, I founds myself re-reading the book with a more appreciative eye.  Sure, there was a nostalgic factor involved (I also searched high and low for the movie!), but it was more than that.  Suddenly the more adult aspects of the book were shining through.

There’s an underlying commentary about leadership, religion, and government that cannot be denied, and it speaks to our current times as well as it must have spoken to Britain in the early 1970s.  Hazel, the young rabbit at the heart of the story, has no intentions of being a leader, but in trusting his brother Fiver and his visions, delivering his friends to a safe haven and a life of freedom and security, he becomes the right kind of leader: one willing to listen to others without letting things fall into anarchy.

This is contrasted nicely by the character of General Woundwort, essentially the leader of a “police state” warren, who values absolute security above all else.  In the name of security, Woundwort creates a system demanding the execution of anyone questioning authority or trying to escape to freedom.  There’s also a shade of sexual politics: in Woundwort’s warren, does are expected to mate with the favored “policemen” at their whim, despite the fact that the warren is overcrowded.  The results, once understood, are horrific.

In terms of religion, there’s a complex mythology upheld by the characters, focusing on the adventures of the rabbit’s “Prince of a Thousand Enemies”.  The interesting aspect here is the evolution of this mythology, which touches on the same ground as Tolkien.  One begins to see how the stories blend with more current events, taking on new meaning.

On the face of it, this is a simple children’s tale, but there are layers available to mature readers.  Personally, I look forward to a time when I can share this book with my children, like all of my childhood favorites!

Rating: 8/10

This is one of those novel series within the “Star Trek” franchise that operates on an annual release basis.  The three books have come out roughly 11 months apart, and for that reason alone, this is a difficult book to begin.  Characters and situations have already been established, and with this story being the final book in a pseudo-trilogy, there’s a lot of material to cover to get the reader back on board.

The author does a great job of placing the events in an understandable context, which is a good thing, because it quickly becomes obvious that using the “Minipedia” in the back is a huge mistake.  It’s a great idea, but I question the wisdom of bringing that section up to date with the current novel.  Listings for a few characters mention that they die in this novel, so you can easily get spoiled while trying to refresh your memory on the previous installments.  That’s an unfortunate use of a clever idea.

What I like about this series is the “Deep Space Nine” meets “The Original Series” vibe.  The characters are all very complex, largely damaged in some fundamental psychological way, and they constantly run into the conflict between the “greater good” and personal needs.  It’s almost what one would expect from a “Battlestar Galactica”-esque treatment of the original series, especially when it comes to the massive list of casualties.

The end of the novel spins the “Vanguard” saga in a new direction, and I’m curious to see if that works as well.  Judging by how the existing elements were rearranged for future exploration, it should all tie together rather well.  My concern is that the annual schedule will cause the readers to lose interest.

Rating: 8/10

It’s difficult to review a comic book series, because a story arc is often spread out over several months, and it’s sometimes best to wait for the story to be collected into a single graphic novel.  That’s why I usually won’t review comic books, despite how much I enjoy them.  That said, this is Joss Whedon and “Buffy”, so really, it just begs for some commentary!

This is essentially setting the foundation for the overall “Season 8” arc, and as such, the story serves the purpose of establishing the new status quo and bringing Willow back to the fold.  Using Amy and Warren as the main antagonists was a nice touch for that reason: both of them have more than enough reason to take their pound of flesh.  This helps to set up the power limitations for Willow, which after her connection to the Goddess Power in the series finale, was a big question.

There’s also the hint of something even worse out there, as evidenced by the “twilight” symbol.  This could play into the whole question of balance and the Slayer legacy.  What Buffy and Willow did in the finale changed things in a major way, so what is the effect on the dynamic within the demonic realm?

One major item of debate is the connection between the Chosen line and demonic power.  As seen in the seventh season of “Buffy”, there was a source of Slayer power prior to the infusion of demonic energy into the Chosen line at the hands of the First Watchers.  That source was a feminine Goddess Energy, and one must wonder if the Slayer legacy that was activated in the new Slayer army pertained only to the Goddess Energy or the demonically-enhanced version.

Whatever the case, the new Slayer army is getting a great deal of support and direction from Buffy and Xander, and that puts him in an interesting position.  It may only be a product of her oft-mentioned sexual cravings, but it’s great to see Buffy thinking about Xander.  He’s gained a bit of status as one of Buffy’s most loyal comrades, and with so many hot athletic Slayers around, he ought to find someone sooner or later.  Wouldn’t a love triangle between Buffy, Xander, and a new Slayer be an interesting twist?

There’s also this business with Dawn, which has its interesting elements, but it’s still just something that begs to be explored.  It’s probably the most obvious example (beyond the huge pool of extras) of the difference in scope: Dawn’s current situation simply wouldn’t be viable on television.  Joss has been great at demonstrating the versatility of the comic book medium on “Astonishing X-Men”, so this feels like the best of both worlds.  This is a great start to what ought to be a fun ride.

Rating: 8/10