Showing posts with label Christopher L. Bennett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christopher L. Bennett. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

The Higher Frontier

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Higher Frontier by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: March 10th 2020
Read April 2nd 2020

Previous book (The Original Series): The Motion Picture: 40th Anniversary Edition
Next book (The Original Series): Agents of Influence
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
Investigating the massacre of a telepathic minority, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise confront a terrifying new threat: faceless, armored hunters whose extradimensional technology makes them seemingly unstoppable. Kirk must team with the powerful telepath Miranda Jones and the enigmatic Medusans to take on these merciless killers in an epic battle that will reveal the true faces of both enemy and ally!

My thoughts:

Christopher L. Bennett is a Star Trek author whom I have long admired. During his years of writing for the Star Trek IP, he has become known for a number of things: stories set during the Star Trek: The Motion Picture time period, and stories that tie up various, disparate pieces of Trek continuity. In both of these respects, The Higher Frontier is the quintessential Christopher L. Bennett Star Trek novel.

The Aenar were first introduced in season four of Star Trek: Enterprise. A subspecies of the Andorians, the Aenar are blind, but with highly developed telepathic skills. It is these abilities that cause them to be the target of a massacre that sets off the events of this novel. At the time of this novel's writing, the Aenar had never been seen outside of Enterprise, and the decimation of their population here might go some way to explaining why. This was, of course, before we met Lieutenant Hemmer, chief engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise in season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Still, given the reclusiveness of the Aenar as well as their abhorrence of anything approaching violence, it makes sense that they wouldn't be a regular fixture of the wider Trek universe. Heck, we rarely even saw Andorians in the years between TOS and Enterprise.

The Aenar, a subspecies of Andorians, are targeted by hunters.

Another welcome follow-up in this novel is the union between Dr. Miranda Jones and the Medusan ambassador Kollos from the TOS episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?." Their telepathic bond is the focus of a lot of this novel, and I appreciated the deep dive into Medusans. This is an area, again, that modern Trek has mined from, with the character of Zero in Star Trek: Prodigy. I enjoyed the exploration of the bond between Dr. Jones and Kollos, and was very pleased with the fact that the book acknowledged the very poor treatment of Jones in her appearance in TOS. I love when authors go back to sort of "clean up" some of the more problematic parts of past Trek, and Christopher Bennett is a master at it.

Dr. Miranda Jones and her link to Ambassador Kollos is explored in The Higher Frontier.

Another aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the exploration of characters other than the "big three" (Kirk, Spock, and Bones). In particular, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov get some much-needed attention, and I very much appreciated the time spent with these characters. In one particularly amusing moment, the three of them discuss the "dramatizations" of their previous missions that have been broadcast back on Earth. Comments are made about the unrealistic special effects, the overly-dramatic acting, and even the ridiculousness of Chekov's hair! It's a nice send-up of Star Trek: The Original Series, implying that what we watched may just have been an in-universe reenactment of the actual events, rather than the sacrosanct "historical documents" that many fans would claim them to be.

Finally, I very much enjoyed Christopher Bennett's exploration of the "New Human" phenomenon, an aspect of Star Trek's depiction of humanity that was first introduced by Gene Roddenberry in his novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This is another piece of Trek lore that seems like it would be difficult to square with what we have seen of humanity's future in the Star Trek produced since 1979, but once again Bennett has found a way to (mostly) seamlessly weave these disparate bits of continuity together. One aspect of this is an explanation for telepathic abilities among humans, as shown in the second TOS pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Humans who exhibited "extra-sensory perception" were referred to as "espers," and this concept was never really explored outside of that episode. A satisfactory and fascinating explanation for the existence of telepathy among humans is given in The Higher Frontier, and as someone who loves diving into the the minutiae of Star Trek, I love that we finally got it.

The Higher Frontier offers an explanation for human "espers" such as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner and Gary Mitchell from "Where No Man Has Gone Before."

Final thoughts:

As we have come to expect from Christopher L. Bennett, The Higher Frontier serves to weave together bits of disparate Star Trek continuity in ways that are both surprising and entertaining. Add to that strong character work for both major and minor characters and a story that takes place in a unique period of Star Trek history, and the result is another terrific story from an author whose work is always a joy to read.

 More about The Higher Frontier:



Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next on my catch-up list is a Star Trek: Voyager novel: Seven of Nine by Christie Golden.


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Friday, October 25, 2019

Greater Than the Sum

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Greater Than the Sum by Christopher L. Bennett
Published July 2008
Read September 29th 2019

Previous book (The Next Generation): Before Dishonor
Next book (Post-Nemesis Continuity): Destiny, Book I: Gods of Night
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Greater Than the Sum!

 From the back cover:
The Starship Rhea has discovered a cluster of carbon planets that seems to be the source of the quantum energies rippling through a section of space. A landing party finds unusual life-forms inhabiting one of the planets. One officer, Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen -- a half-Vulcan -- makes a tenuous connection with them. But before any progress can be made, the Rhea comes under attack from the Einstein -- a Starfleet vessel now controlled by the Borg. The landing party can only listen in horror as their comrades are assimilated. The Borg descend to the planet, and just as Chen accepts that she will be assimilated, the lieutenant is whisked two thousand light-years away.

 A quantum slipstream -- instantaneous transportation -- is controlled by these beings in the cluster, and in the heart of the cluster there is now a Borg ship. Cut off from the rest of the Borg collective, the Einstein cannot be allowed to rejoin it. For the sake of humanity, the Borg cannot gain access to quantum slipstream technology.

 Starfleet Command gives Captain Picard carte blanche: do whatever he must to help the beings in the cluster, and stop the Einstein no matter the cost.

 My thoughts:

The fallout from the previous novels continues as the U.S.S. Rhea is attacked by the assimilated U.S.S. Einstein (see: Before Dishonor). A landing party from the Rhea investigating a nearby planet is also attacked and seemingly all killed, with one exception: Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen, who is spirited away to a planet many light years distant. It seems that the alien lifeform encountered by the away team has the ability to send people and objects vast distances via quantum slipstream, a capability that must be kept out of the hands of the Borg at all costs.

The Borg once again threaten the Federation, with the latest menace from Resistance and Before Dishonor still not yet completely dealt with.

Chen joins the crew of the Enterprise on its long journey back to the star cluster the Rhea was investigating, hoping to make contact with the lifeform there and convince it to not share its knowledge with the Borg. However, the alien nature of the lifeform may mean its sympathies lie with the Collective over the loose conglomeration of individuals that make up the Federation.

On the way back to the star cluster, the Enterprise encounters a familiar ally: Hugh, and his breakaway Borg faction who were cut off from the Collective. Aiding them in their fight against the Borg, Hugh's forces are now made up of not just the Borg we see in TNG's "Descent" two-parter, but the Borg who were able to escape the Collective thanks to the "Unimatrix Zero" debacle in Star Trek: Voyager. This was an interesting turn for the story to take. First of all, it was great to see Hugh again, and to be able to catch up with what he and his fellow disconnected drones have been up to. This part of the story also allowed the author to explore a huge issue in Picard's life: reproduction. The breakaway Borg want Dr. Crusher to assist them in being able to procreate, a topic that carries a lot of baggage for Picard, who isn't sure about bringing a child into the world with the Borg as a resurgent threat. Dr. Crusher, to whom Picard was recently married, does want children, and the topic is a point of contention with the couple.

Hugh leads "The Liberated," former members of the Borg Collective who have broken away and live as individuals.

Each Star Trek author currently writing has areas in which they are known to excel. David Mack, for example, has become known for huge, sweeping epics. Una McCormack delivers stunning political and cultural commentary. Dayton Ward gives us strong, character-driven plots with a familiarity that makes his Trek feel like home. As for Christopher L. Bennett, I would contend that one of his areas of expertise lies in making strong canon connections and making this whole Star Trek thing feel like a cohesive universe.

Star Trek has never been just one person's vision. Rather, it is an amalgam of the ideas of hundreds of writers, all contributing to a vast tapestry that, at times, doesn't hold together as well as we would like it to. This, however, is where the secondary materials that make up the Star Trek universe have a chance to shine, providing the connective tissue that can potentially help to make everything make sense. Christopher L. Bennett is a master of weaving this material, and his work in Greater Than the Sum is no exception.

A number of inconsistencies have cropped up over the years in the way the Borg have been portrayed. In The Next Generation, the Borg ships were said to have been completely decentralized, with major systems distributed evenly throughout the vessels. However, in Voyager, the crew is often able to target specific systems on a Borg vessel, such as the shield generators or weapon systems. Bennett is able to provide a plausible reason for these differences in a way I had never considered, causing this seeming contradiction to make some semblance of sense. Similarly, the differences in the nature of Borg we have seen over the years (androgynous unassimilated drones vs. assimilated gendered drones) is explained quite deftly by the author as well. In recent years (and indeed, throughout Star Trek history), many Trek fans have taken a perverse delight in nitpicking and tearing apart the choices of the writers and producers. However, I believe there is much more fun to be had in trying to explain those inconsistencies in a way that makes the Trek universe feel more cohesive. Christopher Bennett clearly shares in that delight, and he has become quite good at it!

Christopher L. Bennett is able to reconcile the various inconsistencies that have cropped up over the years in how the Borg have been portrayed in Star Trek.

Ultimately, the final showdown with the Borg involves an heroic sacrifice by Hugh, who gives his life to deliver a killing blow to the Borg: a "multi-vector agent" (MVA) that combines a number of attacks on the Collective into a nano-virus that is designed to incapacitate the Borg. The attack proves successful, and it seems that the Federation now has an effective tool with which to combat the Collective. However, at the end of the novel, the Borg begin attacking the Federation en masse. In one of the first engagements, Lieutenant Leybenzon, former security chief of the Enterprise, loses the weapon to the Borg in an act of extreme hubris, giving the Collective the ability to adapt to the weapon before it can be used to defend the Federation.

And thus, Star Trek: Destiny begins...

 Final thoughts:

I really enjoyed Greater Than the Sum. Going into it, I thought "not the Borg AGAIN!," but this turned out to be a very thoughtful and compelling story, unlike Resistance and Before Dishonor, both of which were disappointments. Christopher L. Bennett gives us a unique take on the Borg, which is difficult at this point, and also sets the story up nicely for the apocalyptic events of Star Trek: Destiny. Top marks for this novel from me; Bennett delivers not only an action-filled thriller, but a perfect character-driven story that gets to heart of what it means to be human. What more can you ask for from Star Trek?

 More about Greater Than the Sum:

Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

My next read:

Next up is my long-overdue video review of The Original Series: The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox. See you next time!

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Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Orion's Hounds

Star Trek: Titan
Orion's Hounds by Christopher L. Bennett
Published January 2006
Read June 13th 2019

Previous book (Post-Nemesis Continuity): The Next Generation: Resistance
Previous book (Titan): The Red King

 Next book (Post-Nemesis Continuity): The Next Generation: Q & A
Next book (Titan): Sword of Damocles
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Orion's Hounds!

 From the back cover:
As the U.S.S. Titan ventures beyond the outermost reaches of known space, the telepaths in her crew -- including Diplomatic Officer Deanna Troi -- are overwhelmed by an alien cry of distress, leading the ship to the scene of a shocking act of carnage: a civilization of interstellar "whalers" preying upon and exploiting a familiar species of sentient spaceborne giants. Appalled but reluctant to rush to judgment, Captain William Riker and his crew investigate, discovering a cosmic spawning ground in a region of active star formation -- the ecosystem for a bewildering array of diverse but similarly vast life-forms. While attempting to negotiate an end to the victimization of these creatures, Riker's crew inadvertently grants them the means to defeat their hunters' purpose...only to learn that things are not exactly as they seem.

 My thoughts:

After the two previous novels in the Titan series dealing with the Romulan situation (plus a side quest to the Small Magellanic Cloud), we finally get the beginning of Titan's mission of exploration beyond the borders of the Federation and into the unexplored region of the Gum Nebula. This, to me, finally fulfills the promise of the Titan series: a ship of very diverse crewmembers, embarking on a long-term mission of exploration into areas never before touched by the Federation. The sense of excitement in the characters was certainly mirrored by this reader.

Shortly into their mission, the Titan encounters a familiar lifeform; the large, jellyfish-like creatures encountered at the end of the TNG premiere episode, "Encounter at Farpoint" make an appearance, seemingly being hunted by people who are flying corpse-versions of what come to be known as the "star-jellies." Deanna Troi and the other telepaths aboard Titan are overwhelmed by the strong feelings of alarm and confusion emanating from the star-jellies, almost to the point of being incapacitated. Here we see another example of Christopher L. Bennett's penchant for taking small pieces of continuity and expanding on them: in "Encounter at Farpoint," Deanna's empathic sense seems much more exaggerated than what we see in subsequent episodes; Bennett establishes that as a particular quirk of the star-jellies and how they project their emotions, eliminating a small "changed premise" between "Encounter at Farpoint" and the rest of the TNG series.

The "star-jellies" from "Encounter at Farpoint" are discovered to be living in the region of space being explored by the Titan.

On the face of it, the hunting of the innocent star-jellies appears to be cruel and barbaric, and of course Riker can't help but become involved. When a group of hunters appear and attack the star-jellies just as Titan meets with a group of them to learn more about the situation, Riker decides to intervene, protecting the jellies who can then make their escape. The situation is further complicated when critical information is passed on to the jellies via a compromised Tuvok. They use the information to protect themselves against the hunters, forever changing the balance between them.

The crew soon discovers that the entire region is rife with various kinds of "cosmozoans," space-dwelling lifeforms, some of which are benign, but many of which are dangerous and threaten entire planets and star systems. The hunters, a coalition of races led by a species called the Pa'haquel, maintain the balance by battling various cosmozoans in an effort to protect inhabited worlds in the region. This balance has been irreparably damaged by the knowledge given to the star-jellies, possibly jeopardizing the way of life of many species in this region of the Gum Nebula.

The region of the Gum Nebula that Titan is in the process of exploring is home to countless "cosmozoans," including a species of "crystalline entity," seen in TNG's "Datalore" and "Silicon Avatar."

Orion's Hounds comes across as a bit of a Prime Directive morality tale, with the reasons behind General Order #1 starkly illustrated by the growing crisis set off by Titan's interference in the Pa'haquel's way of life. Because Riker was unaware of the true scope of what he witnessed, countless lives were put in danger. Props to the author, however, for crafting a very clever resolution to the plot. The solution to the crisis went in a direction I did not expect at all, and was a lot of fun to read.

Another major theme in the novel seems to be how people and societies adapt to change. The Pa'haquel's use of the star-jellies was one such adaptation to a universe that was dangerous and deadly. When their way of life was suddenly threatened, they found that they had to change to survive. Some of them met this challenge head-on and rose to confront the changes with changes of their own, while others buried their heads in the sand and clung to the old ways, even though they were no longer sustainable. I can't help but take the ideas in this novel and apply them to what I see happening in the world around me. We are confronted with huge challenges, including threats such as climate change. How we respond to these threats says a lot about who we are. Are we willing to confront them and make necessary changes to preserve what we have? Or do we continue as though nothing is wrong, refusing to adapt to changing circumstances? I feel like there is definitely a lesson to be taken from this novel and the fate of the Pa'haquel.

 Final thoughts:

An excellent story, easily one of the best of the modern Star Trek novel era. Like any great Star Trek story, Orion's Hounds contains allegories for our own lives and lessons that we can use in our own world today. The world-building of the cosmozoan ecosystem of the Gum Nebula is first rate, and Christopher Bennett has managed to create a setting that is full of wonders that truly made me feel that sense of excitement at the idea of exploration and discovery. As the start of Titan's mission of exploration, Orion's Hounds succeeds on nearly every level.

 More about Orion's Hounds:

 Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

My next read:

Next review: the sixth and final novel in the New Earth mini-series: Challenger by Diane Carey.


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Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Captain's Oath

Star Trek: The Original Series
The Captain's Oath by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: May 28th 2019
Read May 28th 2019

Previous book (The Original Series): The Face of the Unknown
Next book (The Original Series): The Antares Maelstrom
Purchase:
Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The saga of James T. Kirk's historic command of the U.S.S. Enterprise is known throughout the galaxy. But one part of the legend has barely been touched upon until now: the story of Kirk's first starship command and the remarkable achievements by which Starfleet's youngest captain earned the right to succeed Christopher Pike as the commander of the famous Enterprise. From his early battles with the Klingons to the rescue of endangered civilizations, Kirk grapples with difficult questions: Is he a warrior or a peacemaker? Should he obey regulations or trust his instincts? This thrilling novel illustrates the events and choices that would shape James T. Kirk into one of the most renowned captains in Starfleet history.

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of The Original Series: The Captain's Oath, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A strong novel showcasing Kirk's career as a captain before The Original Series, as well as the events that led him to take command of the Enterprise. Christopher Bennett does his usual awesome job of connecting various bits of canon and crafting a terrific story that fills in some of the missing bits. Great character work in this novel, and fascinating problems for Kirk and his crews to overcome. I always enjoy Bennett's world-building, and the more-alien-than-usual Agni are a great addition to the Trek gallery of lifeforms. Highly recommend this novel, which gives great insight into the man James T. Kirk was, as well as informing the man he would become.

 More about The Captain's Oath:



Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for the Star Trek: Titan novel, Orion's Hounds, by Christopher L. Bennett!


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Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Patterns of Interference

Star Trek: Enterprise
Rise of the Federation
Patterns of Interference by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: August 29th 2017
Read September 5th 2017

 Previous book (Enterprise): Rise of the Federation: Live by the Code
Next book (Enterprise): 
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Publisher's description:
The time has come to act. Following the destructive consequences of the Ware crisis, Admiral Jonathan Archer and Section 31 agent Trip Tucker both attempt to change their institutions to prevent further such tragedies. Archer pushes for a Starfleet directive of non-interference, but he faces opposition from allies within the fleet and unwelcome support from adversaries who wish to drive the Federation into complete isolationism. Meanwhile, Tucker plays a dangerous game against the corrupt leaders of Section 31, hoping to bring down their conspiracy once and for all. But is he willing to jeopardize Archer’s efforts—and perhaps the fate of an entire world—in order to win?

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference, or click play on the embedded video below!



Final thoughts:

A strong entry in the Rise of the Federation series, possibly my favorite of the bunch so far. A great story that has real-world resonance, and great philosophical debates. Basically, all of the things I love the most about Star Trek.

 More about Patterns of Interference:


 Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

My next review is for an early Enterprise novel, By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.


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Thursday, January 18, 2018

Shield of the Gods

Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations
Shield of the Gods by Christopher L. Bennett
Release date: June 16th 2017
Read June 25th 2017

 Previous book (Department of Temporal Investigations): Time Lock
Next book (Department of Temporal Investigations): 
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for Shield of the Gods!

 Publisher's description:
The stalwart agents of the Department of Temporal Investigations have tracked down many dangerous artifacts, but now they face a greater, more personal challenge: retrieving a time-travel device stolen from their own vault by a rogue agent of the Aegis, a powerful, secretive group that uses its mastery of time to prevent young civilizations from destroying themselves. Blaming the Aegis itself for a tragedy yet to come, this renegade plans to use the stolen artifact to sabotage its efforts in the past, no matter what the cost to the timeline. Now the DTI’s agents must convince the enigmatic Aegis to work alongside them in order to protect history—but they must also wrestle with the potential consequences of their actions, for preserving the past could doom countless lives in the future!

My thoughts:

To some fans, "Star Trek" has a very narrow definition: The voyages of a starship named Enterprise, seeking out new life and new civilizations. With Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and more recently, Discovery, that definition has expanded quite a bit, showing that there is room for all kinds of stories within this universe. Ultimately, Star Trek is just a setting; it is a vast playground in which many different kinds of stories can be told.

One of the more abstract settings for Star Trek stories is within the Department of Temporal Investigations. This agency of the United Federation of Planets was established in the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," and has become a source of fascination ever since.

Agents Dulmer and Lucsly are the only two faces of the organization we've seen in canon Trek, but author Christopher L. Bennett has crafted a rich set of stories about the Department of Temporal Investigations in two novels, Watching the Clock and Forgotten History, as well as three (so far) e-book novellas, The Collectors, Time Lock, and the subject of today’s review, Shield of the Gods.

In canon Trek, Dulmer and Lucsly are the only people we've seen from the enigmatic Department of Temporal Investigations, but author Christopher L. Bennett has fleshed out the department and introduced us to a variety of characters who work to maintain the Federation's temporal integrity.

Shield of the Gods continues the story from Time Lock, in which a former Aegis agent, Daiyar, stole an untraceable temporal warp drive from the DTI's vault containing temporal artifacts from across the galaxy and throughout history. The agents of the DTI must track her down and stop her from completing her plan, whatever it may be!

What follows is probably the most introspective, character-driven story so far in the Department of Temporal Investigations series. Christopher Bennett has an uncanny ability to lay bare a character's deepest feelings and motivations in a way that is surprisingly moving. Rather than being a one-note villain, Daiyar is a complex character who evokes real emotions from the reader. I found myself sympathizing with her in her motivations, if not necessarily in her means. She also has a well-defined character arc, which is doubly impressive given the fact that the page count for this novella is significantly less than the average Star Trek novel.

Similarly, this novella dives deep into the character of Ranjea, a Deltan agent of the DTI. This is a character who has been around since the first DTI novel, and whose story comes to a very interesting conclusion in this installment. His ultimate fate feels very Doctor Who-ish, which is certainly appropriate with a series as timey-wimey as this one!

Like Lt. Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (pictured), Agent Ranjea is a Deltan, possessing very strong sexual drives.

Having the e-book-exclusive novellas has been a boon to the more obscure parts of the Trek universe. I don't know that Department of Temporal Investigations is a "big" enough title to maintain an on-going series of full-length novels, but the e-book novella format seems perfectly suited to it. We can only hope that this format will continue after the successful re-negotiation of the Simon & Schuster Star Trek books license (fingers crossed)!


Final thoughts:

There is a lot to recommend this latest entry in the Department of Temporal Investigations series. A huge plot in which civilizations hang in the balance is the backdrop to a very human, introspective story about how individual lives are affected by galaxy-spanning decisions. Overall, a lovely story that makes the reader empathize with the characters in the most surprising ways. An unexpected but touching resolution caps off the story, making me eager for more tales set in this somewhat unorthodox corner of Trek continuity!

 More about Shield of the Gods:


 Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next up is a classic from the Trek literary universe: Prime Directive by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens!


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Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Buried Age

Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Buried Age by Christopher L. Bennett
A Tale of The Lost Era
Published July 2007
Read April 21st 2016

Previous book (The Lost Era): The Catalyst of Sorrows
Next book (The Lost Era): Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers

 Previous book (The Next Generation): Death in Winter
Next book (The Next Generation): Resistance



 Spoilers ahead for The Buried Age!

 From the back cover:
Jean-Luc Picard. His name has gone down in legend as the captain of the USS Stargazer and two starships Enterprise. But the nine years of his life leading up to the inaugural mission of the USS Enterprise to Farpoint Station have remained a mystery—until now, as Picard's lost era is finally unearthed. 
Following the loss of the Stargazer and the brutal court-martial that resulted, Picard no longer sees a future for himself in Starfleet. Turning to his other love, archaeology, he embarks on a quest to rediscover a buried age of ancient galactic history… and awakens a living survivor of that era: a striking, mysterious woman frozen in time since before the rise of Earth's dinosaurs. But this powerful immortal has a secret of cataclysmic proportions, and her plans will take Picard—aided along the way by a brilliant but naïve android, an insightful Betazoid, and an enigmatic El-Aurian—to the heights of passion, the depths of betrayal, and the farthest reaches of explored space.

My thoughts:

The Buried Age begins with the depiction of a much-discussed event: The battle betwen the U.S.S. Stargazer and an unknown adversary, later learned to be a Ferengi vessel. Although Picard defeated the Ferengi using what later came to be known as the "Picard Maneuver," the Stargazer was too badly damaged and had to be abandoned.

The origin of the "Picard Maneuver" (no, not that one) is explored in The Buried Age.

This leads into an event I was excited to read about: the trial of Jean-Luc Picard and his culpability in the loss of the Stargazer. In the second season TNG episode "The Measure of a Man," it is revealed that the case was prosecuted by Phillipa Louvois, who was an old flame of Jean-Luc's. I've long been interested in seeing this fascinating backstory play out, so I was happy to learn that it would be featured in this novel. However, during the trial, Louvois came across differently than what I was expecting. I found her character just a little bit too unlikeable, especially with how her actions were regarded by the other characters involved in the trial. In "The Measure of a Man," I had the image of someone who was a little overzealous and a stickler for the law, but in The Buried Age she comes across as almost crazed in her attempt to prosecute the Stargazer case. I suppose that this accounts for the reception Picard gives her in the TNG episode, but I felt that it didn't cast her character in the best light here. Still, the outcome of the trial was a fascinating piece in the puzzle of the life of Jean-Luc Picard.

Phillipa Louvois was one of my favorite guest characters in early TNG, and I was a little disappointed by her portrayal in The Buried Age. Still, it does make sense given the feelings of animosity that Captain Picard has towards her in "The Measure of a Man."
After the fallout from the trial, Picard resigns from Starfleet to pursue academia and archaeology. This was an interesting period in Picard's life, and it was fun to see the former captain free from the world of Starfleet. I'm reminded of Professor Galen's admonition to Picard that he should not be in Starfleet, and should instead be traveling the galaxy with him on archaeological expeditions. The fact that Picard has pursued this for a period of time and come out the other side with the realization that Starfleet is the better choice was illuminating. Although, in this case, it may be that Picard was pressured back into the service, but it is a calling that has certainly dominated most of his adult life.

Much of The Buried Age follows Picard as he attempts to unravel an ancient mystery left behind by beings that lived in our galaxy millions of years ago. One such being is revived from an eons-long sleep by a team led by Picard, investigating an ancient base of operations. Seemingly devoid of any memories, she is called Ariel by her rescuers. Picard feels an immediate attraction to her, and the two of them soon find themselves in a serious relationship. However, because Ariel is so ancient and so far beyond Picard, the end result is all but inevitable. I have recently begun watching Doctor Who, and I feel like this vast power difference is how a relationship between The Doctor and any of his companions would actually play out. A being that is so ancient and evolved would see a human as little more than a pet, and in this way, Ariel is able to thoroughly manipulate Picard to her own ends. The betrayal is equal parts inevitable and shocking in that it happens so fast. Reading this part also reminded me of elements of the film Ex Machina.

One really fun aspect of this novel which I was not expecting was the immediate lead-up to the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation. We see the first meetings between Picard and a few of his senior staff. Of particular interest to me was Picard's recruitment of Data as his Operations Manager. Data's posting prior to meeting Picard was basically as a file clerk aboard a Starbase. Recognizing the great potential that Data possesses, Picard chose him to join a mission, and subsequently offered him a post on the Enterprise. I have to admit, I never gave much thought to Data's career before TNG, and it was interesting to see Bennett's take on his story.

An interesting revelation in The Buried Age is that Picard rescued Data from a dead-end career when he recruited him for a position on his crew.

Jean-Luc Picard in season one of TNG is a hard man to get to know by all accounts, and in The Buried Age, we learn a lot about why that might be. Picard is a man who is shaped by his experiences, and the huge betrayal by Ariel has led him to be a private man who holds himself at a distance from the people around him. Kudos to Christopher Bennett for crafting a fascinating story that explores the motivation behind this character. Picard has always been a favorite of mine, and this story chronicles a very important chapter in his life.

 Final thoughts:

As someone who reads a ton of Star Trek novels, a few author names always seem to float to the top of the pile. Christopher L. Bennett is one of them. His stories often have a huge scope and weight to them, and although this word is overused, his works can easily be described as "epic." The Buried Age is quite possibly the quintessential expression of this. A huge story spanning millions of years is the backdrop for an astounding character piece that examines the life of Jean-Luc Picard and explains what made him the man we see when the TNG series begins. At times feeling a bit like Stargate SG-1, The Buried Age is a fun story dealing with ancient races and hidden secrets, while at the same time being a great Star Trek story, celebrating the thrill and excitement of exploration.
5/5 stars.

 More about The Buried Age:


Also by Christopher L. Bennett:

My next read:

The final part of William Shatner's first Trek trilogy: Avenger!


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