Book Review Bennett, Christopher L.: Titan. 05th Bd Stormy Sea, Cross Cult, 2009/2010.
Story: The Borg are like locusts covered the territory of the Federation with death, devastation and destruction. A long-term and arduous reconstruction lies off the planet community, will bind the resources over the years - including the remaining ships of the once proud Star Trek .
Some ships, however, are explicitly excluded from this arrangement: the representative of Luna-class that have already been sent out before the crisis to return to the old values of research, discovery and science meet. The USS Titan who returned as part of the Borg threat, with the key to resolving the crisis in the Federation space makes himself back on the path into the unknown.
The new target is a fascinating world ocean with no land masses that researchers should abandon the many biological, physical and geological puzzle. For a crew member of the new location is particularly exciting. The aquatic Selkie Aili Lavena can in a more comfortable environment for them finally operate freely and romp in the vastness of the ocean planetenumspannenden. She encounters an indigenous, cetacean mammal species that turns out in the course of the investigations to be intelligent.
Captain Riker therefore faces a dilemma. He breaks with his research, the prime directive ? If he has not broken already? What are possible consequences of his intervention?
One consequence, he pulls away. The threat of an approaching meteorite he orders off to prevent potential victims and to act in good faith. But the well-intentioned rescue attempt turns into complete opposite: The meteor is not destroyed, but divided into several fragments, the impact killed hundreds of calls, makes contact with Captain Riker and tear on the surface through the use of technology to bring the Starfleet officers on the floating natives against them. Furthermore, the use of energy weapons, that the meteorite cores disturb the delicate ecosystem of the planet sustainably. The entire world is completely out of control.
And not only the world - and on the titanium chaos reigns. The first officer Christine Vale command over a helplessly drifting in space ship, Riker and Aili Lavena are still without trace disappeared, the sauroide Dr. Ree is only difficult to understand why the pregnant Deanna Troi with a warp-capable shuttle abducted and the mentally unstable Tuvok has taken its pursuit. As a solution in sight at last, the starting point to restore to some extent, resist again cetaceans planet against the alien residents for use of technology so ...
praiseworthy aspects : It is early January and rules out there for most people an unpleasant weather. The temperatures are just a few days climbed above freezing and the thick ice sheets and snow drifts on the sidewalks have been partially replaced by a gray, splintery speckled slush.
I for my part do not see it so seriously as most passers-by who trudge past a bad mood to me and complain incessantly about the dreary weather. Instead, I
say, these people just did not see just exactly!
For in this exciting weather situation into small lakes and seas, the irregularly shaped islands separated from each other. In other places to cut small trenches, rivers like the larger compact land masses. Isthmus, spits and fjords offer on every single meter of road traveled by man.
It feels like a giant who strides through an unknown land that no one has discovered before him. How Gulliver you have the opportunity to to travel to foreign countries that has never before seen. Since
seems only fitting that appears at just this season, a titanium band.
After Destiny the known Star Trek universe has turned into a shambles, filled the little ship of the Luna-class under the command of Captain William T. Riker discover the only one within the world of books still claim to new worlds, unknown life forms and new civilizations.
Titan is long for all the parts that will make Star Trek, according Roddenberry: The foray into the unknown, the penetration and illumination of the dark or the ability to conduct research. After heavy losses
Handlungspurzelbäumen Destiny in this picture is kinda lost, so that can even convince Riker is representative of the public first has to what in fact is clear even to him long ago, but then surprisingly quickly comply (see p. 10 et seq.): Get out play from the ruins and rubble held dear woman explorer!
And if that after all the long Kreigsgeplänkel not already sorely needed, would there be an additional specialties also Christopher L. Bennett the honor.
Recall
This is the man who fabricated not only with "The Dogs of Orion " the best ever Titan novel, but also with " More than the sum "the only truly recommendable band of the TNG relaunch. Since thrill, thrilling action and brilliant design are already guaranteed.
But that is not enough. With its fresh ideas Bennett it always manages to make the reading experience. He boldly crosses scientific evidence skillfully with the Star Trek universe, and always creates a new perspective. Somehow it feels after the last page is always in such a way as you would have by reading a little wiser - not automatic within a genre, which is said to often (wrongly) banality.
But one by one.
It is recommended that after each chapter you are reading to make such work a glimpse into the personal comments that made the author available on the Internet.
Particularly striking how much work and research performance is all that far too many people interpret as a mere techno Babbel and often deliberately ignored. One can easily overlook that this information is not, as in many other Star Trek works are on shaky ground, but also often supported by scientific evidence and essays (see, eg, p. 28, p. 213ff. Or S . 252). The described water world is certainly worth reading, even if one must do without isthmuses, spits and fjords.
also warns the author not without reason that we push ourselves for the moment far too large and loose with our oceans. Aili Lavenas horror before the time when the oceans of the Earth and similar planets "[...] with constant, deafening noise terrorized [...]" (p. 128), were definitely not without a certain basis , as one can read about in Douglas Adams 'highly recommended non-fiction "The last of its kind .
really fascinating, however, the concept of Bioengineering is that Bennett confronts in this book as the antithesis of the technology. Parallels BBC broadcast " Blue Moon" are not to be overlooked (cf. p. 85ff.), But the basic idea behind it is something beyond.
What is technology is required? Can it possibly be replaced? Where the use of sophisticated technological tools to feel superior to others?
with these basic questions will be woven an exciting framework that even includes cultural misunderstandings. In this context, one can sometimes assume the electronic equipment by experienced bioengineers is perceived as threatening (see p. 102) that horns can be understood as weapons (see p. 152), or that communication is seen without aid over long distances as a matter of course (p. 294f.).
The horn: An underestimated murder weapon?
All these insights are the foundation for the impression to actually confront a truly alien species. After all the biped humanoid of the Star Trek series and movies are Bennett's remarks as part of Titan's research mission in any case a real treat, proving that there actually is still wonder and surprises.
wonders and surprises that coincide with the official canon.
course It is now de rigueur among the Star Trek writers, all series of TOS (see, for example, p. 16), TAS (see, eg, p. 62), TNG (see, eg, p. 95), DS9 (see . eg 185), Voyager (see, eg, p. 30) or Enterprise (see, eg, p. 335).
Bennett but that does not seem to suffice.
In a playful grace he gives a lecture about on the 33rd acquisition rule (see p. 60), without naming them (of course it is " It never hurts to curry favor with his boss. "), or notes with phrases such as " All they had were Dilithium crystals and what were already good? "(p. 333) regarding classic episodes such as "bride Trek . He gives the edge species such as Chelone (see p. 42), Kazariten (see p. 70), Arkeniten (see p. 85) or Itheniten (see p. 229) a little room to the sporadic, and little known information about them to provide space for development.
is also worth mentioning the main character.
Well, in a series such as titanium, in the multi-cultural crews, the real star, there is no real main characters, but in this volume will depend on a lot of responsibility Aili Lavena. The Selkie, which incidentally also graces the (in my eyes so far most beautiful) cover, also offers a glimpse of an alien culture. It also gives the book in which the young William Riker and Deanna Trois finally seen the light of day, scary character that the real star is a far more neglected, a crew member.
criticisms made aspects : whales, waves, weather.
Am I as the only one here to "Star Trek IV - The Voyage " have to think?
It is very sad that this obvious reference here finds no attention. No comment (which I expected at the end of the book already) that the mysterious Whale Probe enstammte this planet.
Yes, not even a remark that once came by such a probe to ' Hello! to say '!
But who now thinks the Turon 47 has nothing to complain about, and what sucks is in the fingers is totally wrong.
is extremely disturbing as the autobiographical aspect of the work. It sounds ridiculous, but the cat is a names Natasha - "coincidentally" also the name of the newborn of Rikers.
With this small of his respect for me so I could easily reconciled, for I must confess, too honest, cats really like to. But
months-long mourning, because among the victims of a Borg invasion arkenitische kitty to have found (cf. P. 179ff.)? The
goes a bit too far. It is of course not nice that Bennett has lost his favorite pet, and also took me to the death of several pets, but the justification in the face of such a disaster equivalent to the death of a fur animal with the victims of mass murder, I think greatly exaggerated. A Holocaust tragedy, created during the Second World War, in which speaks to the budgie of a Jewish survivor who did not survive the air raids on Berlin would, but ultimately no one can take seriously and we must all inevitably a little song of the Austrian cabaret Georg Kreisler think:
now a war breaks out, if what happens to my 'dog?
But this example is just the tip of the iceberg. What about this work that is really annoying is the constant psycho babble. The continued talk of projected guilt, self-evasion and self-hatred is eventually only animal in the ass, because really everyone in the Titan crew a completely unnachvollziehbares pathological problem drags around with him. Indeed, even the counselors of the ship, so that after Tuvok's Freudian analysis (see p. 269ff.) Can ask, and rightly so, whether this blind-eyed lead or vice versa.
But that is not enough.
In a developed society, it has also not very credible, that the human race, the American prudery, referred to here as completely wrong " human decency" (p. 103) obtained over the centuries should have stopped. As Europeans, the bare breasts already meet in the afternoon program of the local television stations, the whole fuss about alleged acts of shame completely alien.
And even though in this context it seems astonishing that the author denounces this, he shoots in his attempt to address similar situations, powerful beyond the target.
instead to clean up, it opens it, Schwangerensex (cf. p. 60ff.) Rikers an erection (see p. 221) or the excrement of the same (see p. 282) to address extensively. Assume that the relations among the three hundred men (and women, hermaphrodites and neuters) read occupation, as a " Who Fucks Who? "Titan is quite apart.
All this does not feel so much like Star Trek. Even womanizer Kirk went to work and relatively discreet when appropriate practices to the crew of a thousand much larger USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D were common just wondering it's not that already a TNG-porn is announced .
Translation: Actually, this book is translated pretty solid.
Stephanie margins does good work and initial difficulties can be forgotten. Apart from really small, neglect worthy mistakes I would therefore like to highlight the main enemy of the translation: The English language
.
Sounds plausible at first, since many concepts can only be at a loss into German. Therefore, I must go to an example to highlight an example of praise.
On page 39, namely, the following dialogue between Vale and Torvig read:
" At least you can contact us with your, um, fan since refresh. "
" Thank you Commander. But you know that my knowledge in various subjects. "
statement reads in English as follows:
" If nothing else, you can keep us cool with your, umm, fan there. "
" Thank you, Commander. I am a fan of yours. "
It is clearly not the same thing and maybe it's not as funny. Nevertheless, there is still a word game and also one that is understandable. The Eigenitiative the translator is therefore entirely appropriate.
is difficult, however, the situation at " Tailheads " which are translated here a more or less with " trunk heads" (p. 115). As you can complain but must also maintain credit, " tail heads " would be a particularly clever replacement is not necessarily how you have the latest find from page 193rd Where such use would be as inappropriate as this small video.
child-friendly work-up: Who has the best tail?
is also no alternative the comparatively vile name of " squalens " (62 pages) as " Kalwale . In fact, the concept remains one of the more imaginative as opposed to "torture ", " Walmaren " or " kraals.
However, we could have them save the trouble of the planet's Hurricane Flecki "(p. 83) to call. A real Star Trek fan can finally beat the original name " Spot " a bridge to the pet Data's , which would certainly be justified by, this term to keep English.
presented Therefore, the rank of Ensign "(51) in English, although it has been throughout this century (about 2381) in the series and films used the German language called" Ensign .
And of course, also sounds " Droplet " (p. 27) cooler than a " droplets," but it would be a way to appropriate shades of meaning to the German-speaking readers to convey, in which one attaches notes to explain the appropriate references. While the mastery of the English Language has long been a cultural treasure, that every person should have to, but then one could also save the same effort to translate all the books.
anachronisms : So many contradictions really can not find them. The only one I could name the targets, from Vales also reluctant to use the ship's phaser to stun attacking Kalwale (see p. 305).
If the procedure that is actually so complicated it would be realtiv implausible that it has been used over a hundred years earlier (ie in a technologically less developed term) to the residents of a neighborhood on Sigma Iota II quickly to put out of action (" imitators).
Conclusion: The fifth volume offers titanium recovery from the loss-flips and somersaults, the Destiny has struck in the Star Trek universe. Finally a Starfleet ship pulls for research into the still poorly explored space.
No one takes less guarantees success Christopher L. Bennett, the reader by the hand and shows him a brilliantly researched world, exciting ways of life and an incredible civilization without technology.
The translation is compelling, disturbing the anachronisms sparse and only now and then to the common pathological Self-awareness talks and work-up attempts of American prudishness.
Memorable quotes :
" And what if we stumble out there over the next Borg or the Dominion next? "
" Try not to tell them where we live. "
Riker and Adm. Masc, p. 15
" Why You saved me not out of my misery and tell it to me at last, woman? "
Xin Havreii, p. 124
" I think that sometimes anything take is, even if the chances of profit here are bad. Because then you can at least say you tried. "
" Is that an acquisition of control? "
" No, my dear. It is a rule of life. "
Bralik and Waen, p. 157
" The lady, I think praise, too much! "
Riker, p. 223
" symbiosis. Life up there feels the pain of life under it. "
KERU, p. 261
" Oh, Tuvok, you old softie. "
Troi, p. 324
Rating: Spaceward Ho!
Further reading list :
Titan 01: A new era
Titan 02: The Red King
Titan 03: The dogs of Orion
Titan 04: sword of Damocles
Titan 05: Stormy See
0 comments:
Post a Comment