In today’s episode, the DS9 crew discovers a group of people who can add and remove sprite layers to space on demand. But Sisko might have a tough time taking the man who brought the Defiant over seriously, considering the wildfire blazing in his pants region. What kind of basic is Sisko? Has stress made him forget his quadrants? And what if someone has to go to the bathroom during your story? All this and more in The Mist, the book that knows it’s always time for nachos.
In today’s episode, yet another relative of Spock’s we’ve never met before has a date with a unique destiny. But a stop along the way and some freewheeling new friends have him worrying that she might abandon the track before she ever gets on it. How hard is it in-universe for civilians to keep up with Kirk’s rank? Is sex work illegal in the Federation? And will Spock get his king jumped? All this and more in Mind Meld, the book that believes in the heart of the ca—er, numbers.
This week, when the Enterprise answers a distress call, the attackers, a race called the Choraii, turn out to be the culprits behind one of the Federation’s worst massacres on record. They pick up an ambassador and his mysterious attaché, who can communicate with the Choraii via the almighty yazz flute. Now the crew has to carefully navigate the music of the spheres, and if they don’t C♯, they’ll B♭. Meanwhile, a band of farmers is on hand to complain about technology and flight delays. Is the group that shuns technology also too good for vowels? Which side of the sickbay bed did Dr. Crusher wake up on? How much of a bonus does an author get for including a saucer separation in their book? It’s The Children of Hamlin, the book that happens when a Jethro Tull album and a bottle of Mr. Bubble love each other very much.
Occasionally, it happens that someone who is otherwise a perfectly decent and talented writer just can’t nail down that Star Trek vibe. We’ve seen it before. For someone who only wrote one Star Trek novel, Laurence Yep has exceptional pedigree: he’s won a Newbery Medal and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, among other accolades, and he’s written a ton of highly praised books and series for children that are steeped in Chinese lore. But that doesn’t necessarily guarantee adequate characterizations and interesting stories in other universes.
Well, it’s the first review of the new year, and we here at Deep Space Spines wish you the best of luck in sticking to your resolutions and working toward being the best “you” that you can be. I may be biased, but if you’re looking for ideals to guide you on your path, you can do a lot worse than to copy Star Trek. I just hope that for you and yours, 2018 turns out to be more Yesterday’s Son and not so much Mutiny on the Enterprise.
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