Search - Mark Lenard :: Star Trek: Next Generation-Federation

The Best of Star Trek!

Gulshan Batra | India | 07/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Years go by, and a book comes along, that makes you wonder what is fact, what is fiction, what is faction; a book that makes you want to read it all over again; that makes you read each and every single word from the front cover of the dust jacket to the last bar code on the back of the jacket; that makes you stay awake in fear lest if you fall asleep you might break the rhythm of the story, or, be afraid like a child that the adventure might proceed without you to witness it...



This is it.



"Federation" is a story encompassing the biggest figures in the ST Universe, right from Kirk, to Picard, to Cochrane, to Sarek, and the crews from two different Enterprises. It spans 3 centuries, and countless worlds, and goes from here to eternity (and back!) - and I don't just mean literally.



Its the 21st century, and Zephram Cochrane is being celebrated for giving humanity the gift of the First Warp Drive, but not everyone is following Cochrane to shake his hand and to congratulate him. There is someone out there to whom Cochrane is an asset to be acquired and contained and exploited. Incalculable horrors lie in store, not just for Cochrane but for the entire human race, if he gives in. So he must escape.



Meanwhile, its the 22nd Century, and Kirk is battling to escape the scrutiny of a diligent Starfleet Admiral, intent on proving that Kirk is involved in a conspiracy that runs so deep into Starfleet, it could shake the Starfleet to its core, and in fact could mark a premature extinction bell for the entire Federation. Kirk must save his name and his life (in that order) and prove that he is not a traitor, by going against all the rules in the book. The problem is, can he do it before his time runs out?



Meanwhile, its the 23rd century, and Picard is trying his best to see through the double dealings of an extremely shrewd Ferengi, whose agenda is not at all what it seems. Enter the Romulans, and the picture becomes skewed. Enter an ancient evil from two centuries ago and there's no picture any more. But then, how could someone (or something!) survive more than 200 years, and what could be so important that it has to be pursued for more than two centuries?



These three seemingly unrelated stories appear in the book, and the authors expertly intertwine these three threads into a single explosive climax that blew my mind away!



But I'm jumping the gun... the book is much more than just a far-fetched and stretched out climax. It is a treatise, written with the love and respect that the History of the Star Trek Universe deserves in the minds of every die-hard Trekkie. Concepts like warp drive, what exactly is supra-light travel, how is it possible (agreed fictional, but still more convincing than most stuff I've read!), the story of Cochrane's personal journeys through the stars, the origin of the Starfleet Badge Insignia, to name a few. This last element, in my opinion, is the crowning achievement of this book. It melds fact and fiction with such adroitness that it's capable of making converts out of non-believers!



I would recommend this book to all Trekkies out there, as well as all non-Trekkies; if there's one book you want to read about ST, this gets my vote.



Absolute 5 / 5 stuff!"

Federation

William C. Allen | Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA | 08/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Granted the book was a little long and could have done without certain sections in the book. But the book was still well written and had a good story. I guess the book was supposed to immortalize Zephram Cochrane much like Shatner and the Nexus have done to James T. Kirk and TNG with Scotty."

Okay but I don't get what all the hype is about

Redshirt | Columbia, MD | 06/10/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I decided to read this book based on all the positive reviews here. The novel definitely has a broad scope, we see Kirk and Picard's crew, as well as a new storyline involving Zephram Cochrane in the 21st century.



It's an okay read, but I can't accept that this is THE Star Trek novel to read. Without giving anything away, let's just say I thought more than one plot point involving the villain wasn't very plausible, and that's where the novel lost me.



Perhaps it's my fault for not knowing more about science or astronomy, but I was also lost in the later parts of the book by the Star Trek techno-babble. Although they should get credit for attempting to explain how faster than light travel is possible.



I don't usually read Star Trek novels. I'll probably read another one in the future. I guess what I was looking for was a grittier, tighter story that focused solely on one crew (and maybe had a more believable villain)."