Mack Book Review: David: Lost Souls. Cross Cult, 2008/2010.
Story : After Riker through the help of the powerful Erika Hernandez to escape from the Caeliar area back to Federation territory is possible, also finds himself on the battlefield again, on which a pack Borg ships seven thousand times just an Allied fleet of Alpha Quadrant massacred. The battle is long since beaten and silent witness the wreck and debris untold numbers of ships to the complete fiasco of this planned initial shock. The armada of Borg cubes penetrates namely in the surrounding areas of the Romulans a Klingons and Federation without benefiting noted that the piece brought tumbled evacuation fleets and defense associations notable successes against the merciless preceding cybernetic beings. Well-known worlds like Khitomer , Rura Penthe , Regulus or Deneva be razed to the ground and literally wiped out. In short, the situation is completely hopeless.
But among the ruins by the USS Titan unexpectedly an old friend:
Riker's longtime boss Captain Picard and his proud ship, the USS Enterprise's legendary start here with Captain Ezri Dax of the USS Aventine plans to strike back. But only in Erika Hernandez, the three commanders find the key to solving the problem. In a highly controversial task captures the USS Aventine from a smaller Borg scout to the upgraded from the Caeliar Hernandez to enthrone a new Borg Queen . The plan goes well, attacks on volcano , Andoria and Qo'noS be stopped at the last moment and almost half of the enemy cubes can be destroyed.
However, it remains the action is not without consequences. The Borg Queen takes control back quickly mobilized a fleet of ships to the earth and makes himself on the way to the Borg Scout, to the arrogant amateur actress and potential rival to put an end ...
praiseworthy aspects : Enjoy your meal! If you feel like a rich house specialty, will not be disappointed because the Star Trek fan will be served with this series a real literary treat. And who started first with the consumption of these series will be their sweeping voltage escape impossible. The fast-paced roller coaster ride across the galaxy is even when sedentary browsing on the cushy chair lots of additions of adrenaline and makes it difficult to put the book down to eat, sleep or go to work.
This is the signature of celebrity chef David Mack and last volume of his epic trilogy Destiny finally come together all the threads that he has spun over the previous works so carefully. This spell can not escape - there's any resistance truly futile. Ingeniously, he gives us an insight into the deep recesses of the Borg-evolution allows us to galactic blitzkrieg of Mechanical Engineering from the perspective of perpetrators (see p. 119ff.) Victim (see p. 124ff.) And police (229ff.) and allows the inspection of the situation is still out in Axion remaining outside the Titan team and then a brief furlough from the images of the war raging like a madman.
The whole is a vast range of references of previous series (see page 49 / TOS, p. 220f. / TAS, p. 216 / TNG, p. 354 / DS9, p. 300 / VOY or p. 97, ENT), movies (see p. 40, p. 295 or p. 330) and books (see p. 41, p. 234 or p. 235 garnished) and spiced with a neat, but never disturbing touch of humor (see . p. 18, 29 or p. 91).
would be worth mentioning really only the previously unknown ingredients. The Borg and their origin to demystify the veil lifted its existence and finally finds a series of questions to answer:
Where does the term 'Borg'? (P. 254)
was like the first command to the drones? (P. 255)
Which species have assimilated the Borg first? (P. 263)
The large, albeit risky, however, lies elsewhere Glanztat Macks. The
described in "Lost Souls" events, the Borg are as a species, enemy and stress-producing moment that is finally taken to the grave!
This is certainly a very radical step, because on the one hand is lost one of the most exciting aspects of TNG, other hand, the whole 'Next Generation' is released from a contaminated site that has at least since their trivialization and soft mud lost in too many Voyager episodes of drama. A door is closed forever, but one can also argue that Mack is not only a worthy conclusion to this chapter has found Star Trek history, but ushered in a return to the good old values of research, discovery and scientific exploration. An opportunity for future writers of truly new adventures and a bar for action-obsessed managers well-known motifs! Picard's new freedom (see p. 391) provides at least the possibility of a restart for a TNG novel series that has so far fallen far short of their expectations and possibilities.
criticisms made aspects: a bad aftertaste, the third course of this already masterful menus. This ensures that the man once again the center of the world. For the thousands of different species, which were presented in series, films and books so far, it must of course be just people who are laying the foundation stone for the Borg-Gesellschaft. This has slowly tiring, because it forces itself on the idea that species 'man' is a galaxy-wide popularity of the special pleasure. They are abducted and enslaved as beasts of ( The 37 "or" Darling "), the source omnipotent beings (" Plato's Stepchildren "or" Star Trek The Movie ") or only in a position to higher beings like Prophet ( in the Sand ") or Q (" Q- crisis ") to bail out. At some point, this supremacy begins in a galaxy full of competitors such as Klingons, Vulcans , or even Ocampa credibility.
a particularly bitter aftertaste leaves a fact of bothers me since the first part of the book. Once again a war of great power support.
course, this is a good way, as in the Dominion wars in DS9 or Xindi story arc was evident in Enterprise. To raise the index finger warningly in this tradition, a whole arsenal of classic themes is taken from popular anti-war films, to show how bad war really is:
senseless battle scenes as in Full Metal Jacket (see, eg, p. 183ff. ), surgical carnage in M * A * S * H * (see p. 219ff.) or kamikaze maneuvers as in "Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Love the Bomb "(see p. 120ff.). But even if I can see the good intention behind it, has all but the mere purpose of entertaining conversation at the expense of human (and extraterrestrial) life subordinate to my feeling after is the pacifist basic idea Star Trek's difficult to reconcile.
was probably for this reason, much too short appearance Geordi LaForge for me the real highlight of the book. Its so risky as vehement refusal to build Thalaron weapon (see p. 337), was a refreshing contrast to the moral theme of 'obedience unto death,' as they are about in the quote Kopek (See can see Memorable quotes ). It is this sentence evokes unpleasant memories of the so-called truce that allowed the First World War and its 17 million victims on our planet.
but 17 million are not even on silent against the 63 billion deaths this conflict, of the utter destruction of major planets like Risa , Coridan or Deneva altogether. The incredibly high death toll ended the existence of many cherished places in the Star Trek universe, and when we read of the destruction of the birthplace Spock (see p. 236), seems to the reader the destruction of the entire planet in the volcano eleventh movie no longer so far-fetched, because the seeds of this radical crop was laid back in this trilogy. Unpleasant
Constance, also in the figure representation. Most of the known and unknown characters suffer on the 421 pages of lack of space and can not wait to express themselves properly.
All this is particularly evident at the legendary Captain Picard. The icon of a generation of Trekkies acts in the largest part of the book is simply old, grumpy and unmotivated, and even at the refurbishment of his ready room more vigor than in all his command issues (see p. 67). This impression can also be the sudden change towards the end of the book become irreversible, because Picard cathartic collapse (see p. 381f., p. 385f. and p. 389ff.) was more humiliating than the real rebirth of its former strength.
course, this development into a slide Picard decision timid wimp to the many books in which the captain supposed to have become that person.
Doof only that some references to not yet published in German language books such as "A Time to Heal " (see p. 98 and p. 325), the eBook " Remembrance of Things Past " (see S . 234) or "Small World "(P. 305) allude. Constantly feels as if you miss important developments because many items are not yet published in German.
And that can also take time.
Meanwhile, you can at least console themselves that at least one Austrian and one German in the novel have their presence. While the Austrians Graylock one of the first Borg at all (cf. p. 253f.) Caught the Germans Steinhauer comparatively even worse: he is certified not only very little humor (see p. 24) but also the thankless role of that group member zugeschanzt that as part of a tour through privation turns and runs amok (see P. 152). That our culture will also ship with pool Starfleet just the term ' Tirpitz ' contributes (see p. 120), is a sad testimony that we can continue either through our own history, nor the prejudices of other nations We are over get over.
translation: such a volume about 400 pages is certainly not easy to translate. More gratifying that Stephanie margins in this volume are little nakedness and delivers a well-transferred novel.
instead to smaller errors as the use of the English term '"Ensign " (p. 209) the German, Ensign ', the decimal point slipped in " intact, t " (p. 130) or the inconsistent capitalization of' flagship officers "(p. 232) I do not dwell too long because a work of this size, the absolute number of errors is within tolerance.
A source of amusement, however, was the innovative spelling of " Beta Rigel " (p. 129) as "beta bars " (p. 228), which not only have an appetite for chocolate in my action but I unfortunately in vain for a clerical error à la Beta Rygel XVI ' had hoped.
Beta Bars - Easy to bite
The only point with a real stomach pain factor was the ratio of Siezen and "tu" form. It is of course understandable that Beverly Crusher and her husband no longer Sie "(see p. 211ff.) And also for Worf and LaForge it was time to which non-personal, you go to '( see p. 345ff.).
But that just Picard and Riker name basis (see p. 291ff.) Feels for a Star Trek fan who grew up with the local synchronization, simply just terribly wrong. Something
all General finally struck me only at the final volume in this series. While I was trapped in the mistaken belief that this trilogy named after the USS Destiny back, served on the Ezri Dax before their union as Counselor, I was with Picard's actual namesake of Thoughts fate. "(p. 69) proved wrong.
pity that this German term has not made it into the title, because of course all the sounds in English dashing, but a German-language titles have not hurt this series.
anachronisms : David Mack is seldom to his readers by anachronisms salty before meals. His works are mostly researched and neatly congruent with what is considered the official canon.
frightening the more that this time in this book is no longer the case. The fact that his ideas for history of the Borg in this shape from the canon, you can actually be heard in a statement Guinan from the TNG episode " time jump with Q "
" These are lives a mixture of organic and artificial life. They have been around for millions of years. "
Granted, the original English reads this last sentence
" They're made up of organic and artificial life, Which has been developing for thousands of centuries. "
but even if one with 2000, the lowest plurality of 'thousands of centuries' as a basis, as is the '4527 BC' (p. 247) proclaimed year definitely not in the birth of the Borg question. And if people are to have been in all seriousness, the first assimilated species, then why is their Borg designation 5518 (see " The Dark Frontier ") and not 'one', or at least 'two', if you include the Caeliar?
is also unclear why Picard shower in the old fashioned way works with water, although sound showers long been the standard on ships of the Starfleet (cf. p. 68). Equally mysterious is the fact that Picard and Riker apparently for his food had to pay money (see p. 419), although even in the eighth feature film was still such a passionate plea for the development of the people on the monetary schemes, .
was particularly surprised me, the intimate atmosphere between Riker and Ezri Dax (see p. 101). I have found so far in no follow, no film and no other book an indication of where might know this couple. Or was the lady's man about a secret affair with before he joined Trill married to Deanna ?
Conclusion: As a friend of unusual final words I would finally draw a parallel of the culinary kind. As Erika Hernandez replaced after centuries regain access to human food, they feel their food as "bland ", " rubbery" and "greasy " (p. 97). She longs, not wrongly, for good, homemade fare.
was similar to me after I finished the third volume in the series.
the irretrievable losses of blood dripping from the book are for my taste "greasy " the way Mack zurechtbog the canon in his favor, seems to me to ' rubbery "and the characters are at best" fad. "
Just before Hernandez leaves the Titan again, it takes again a farewell to him, and noted that it would make the right choice indeed "very good " taste and "fantastic " (p. 341).
And again it happened to me like that. So I think Mack is so typical for the mixture of excitement, humor and references still show " quite well" and succeeded his idea, the Borg finally to bury, is simply " fantastic. " The author has created with this trilogy without question the highlight of the later Star Trek literature, but is not free of blame, but definitely wanting more. read out, as the successor-author William Leisner now sweeping the broken pieces together to give the TNG continued a new direction, I already met with great anticipation.
Memorable quotes :
" If the passes with their people as a medicine, I'm not sure if you deserve to be called doctor. "
Inyx, p. 19
" Sorry, Doc. But a moment I really thought that you Counselor Troi want to eat. "
" Something I would never do. Although I must admit ... that it was quite juicy. "
KERU and Ree, p. 20
know the intergalactic gourmet: taste kinda like chicken Betazoidenweibchen
" Today is a day for politics, Chancellor. Today is a good day to die. "
Kopek, p. 112
" The do no more. All that is past. But if you ranmachen another look at it, I'll have to kill you. Do not take it personally. "
Deanna Troi, p. 337
"'s good that you have chosen a career command, Captain. Because for a counselor that was just totally bad. "
Lennoc Kedair, p. 360
Rating: A little hard burnt roast.
Further reading list :
Destiny 01: gods of the night
Destiny 02: ordinary mortals
Destiny 03: Lost Souls
0 comments:
Post a Comment