TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic by McIntee Review Thread (Spoilers) - Page 15

Dimesdan · April 21 2011, 07:36 PM

Lonemagpie wrote:

Dimesdan wrote:

Just thought I'd mention that I started it earlier after work while sat in the garden. If the first couple of chapters are anything to go by, this is going to be one very good read.

Who's that in your avatar? It looks like Michael Connelly to me...

Who?

And no it's not, I thought I'd jump on the Vote Yes to AV Avatar bandwagon that a few people have put up and after a quick google search I found this one. It's everyone's favourite cross-dressing comedian, Eddie Izzard.

Oh, and I am loving the book. After the last couple of Trek novels I've read, IFM is epically awesome.

Lonemagpie · April 21 2011, 08:05 PM

I don't recognize him with a beard! I thought it was this guy - http://www.wordandfilm.com/files/201...l-connelly.jpg - who's a crime novelist I read and whose author picture in the paperbacks looks even more like your av than this picture does!

Glad you're enjoying IFM.

As for the AV referendum... I'm fucked. Can't vote yes (even though we need a change) cos Ed Millipede wants that. Can't vote no cos Cameron and Two-Jags want that... And I'd prefer PR or Approval voting anyway! (Or AV just as a top-up as in Scotland)

Dimesdan · April 21 2011, 08:38 PM

Lonemagpie wrote:

I don't recognize him with a beard! I thought it was this guy - http://www.wordandfilm.com/files/201...l-connelly.jpg - who's a crime novelist I read and whose author picture in the paperbacks looks even more like your av than this picture does!

Glad you're enjoying IFM.

As for the AV referendum... I'm fucked. Can't vote yes (even though we need a change) cos Ed Millipede wants that. Can't vote no cos Cameron and Two-Jags want that... And I'd prefer PR or Approval voting anyway! (Or AV just as a top-up as in Scotland)

Ah, I've seen his books around, I've not really read much crime and they've been all Rankin and if you count them as crime, Brookmyre.

And yes, I am truly loving all the Britishism's aswell and are you a fan of House or is it just a coincidence that Rassmussen is from Trenton?

Ah yes, the quidmymre (sp) that is going to be the Referendum in a few weeks. We need something else other than first past the post and if AV doesn't get through, we'll be stuck with it for at least a generation, maybe more. If it does go through though, there is always the chance that somewhen down the line, we'll have PR and not just a water downed version.

Lonemagpie · April 21 2011, 09:08 PM

Dimesdan wrote:

Ah, I've seen his books around, I've not really read much crime and they've been all Rankin and if you count them as crime, Brookmyre.

And yes, I am truly loving all the Britishism's aswell and are you a fan of House or is it just a coincidence that Rassmussen is from Trenton?

Sadly it's coincidence - I was probably subconsciously thinking of the Doctor's line to Amelia Rumford in Stones Of Blood that K9 was "all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey" - Rasmussen says in A Matter Of Time that he was from New Jersey, and it was the one city name that sprang to mind. (the only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Hoboken)

Dimesdan · April 22 2011, 09:46 PM

Lonemagpie wrote:

Dimesdan wrote:

Ah, I've seen his books around, I've not really read much crime and they've been all Rankin and if you count them as crime, Brookmyre.

And yes, I am truly loving all the Britishism's aswell and are you a fan of House or is it just a coincidence that Rassmussen is from Trenton?

Sadly it's coincidence - I was probably subconsciously thinking of the Doctor's line to Amelia Rumford in Stones Of Blood that K9 was "all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey" - Rasmussen says in A Matter Of Time that he was from New Jersey, and it was the one city name that sprang to mind. (the only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Hoboken)

Ah ok, I've not really seen that much old-Who so I wouldn't know, the only place I know Trenton from is House.

One thing I can say for sure though is you're a fan of Life on Mars, I was just reading IFM and it struck me that Tyler Hunts name sounded familiar. I did a bit of digging of the old grey matter and I laughed out loud realising that it's a merging of Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt from Life on Mars. Would you by anychance have "cast" John Simm in the role of Tyler?

Lonemagpie · April 22 2011, 09:56 PM

Dimesdan wrote:

Lonemagpie wrote:

Dimesdan wrote:

Ah, I've seen his books around, I've not really read much crime and they've been all Rankin and if you count them as crime, Brookmyre.

And yes, I am truly loving all the Britishism's aswell and are you a fan of House or is it just a coincidence that Rassmussen is from Trenton?

Sadly it's coincidence - I was probably subconsciously thinking of the Doctor's line to Amelia Rumford in Stones Of Blood that K9 was "all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey" - Rasmussen says in A Matter Of Time that he was from New Jersey, and it was the one city name that sprang to mind. (the only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Hoboken)

Ah ok, I've not really seen that much old-Who so I wouldn't know, the only place I know Trenton from is House.

One thing I can say for sure though is you're a fan of Life on Mars, I was just reading IFM and it struck me that Tyler Hunts name sounded familiar. I did a bit of digging of the old grey matter and I laughed out loud realising that it's a merging of Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt from Life on Mars. Would you by anychance have "cast" John Simm in the role of Tyler?

Yep. I suspect most Trek fans will figure it's a Dylan Hunt ref, but it *is* actually a LoM ref.

That's also the real reason why Nelson's is called Nelson's - in-story it's after Lord Nelson, but for me it's after Nelson the barman of the Railway Arms...

Technobuilder · April 23 2011, 05:24 PM

Note: I'm only just starting Chapter 4, but I can already tell that this book is something special.

I'm really grooving on a Geordi as a main character again and a viewpoint character at that.

Been looking forward to this since it was first announced and damned if it isn't already firing on all cylinders.

I was so eager to read Indistinguishable From Magic that I skipped the last few Typhon Pact Books (which I'll be going back to afterward.)

Anywho, I'll check back in later when I'm finished.

The Evil Dead · April 23 2011, 07:04 PM

Haven't read any Trek fiction since Destiny (which I loved) but this and Watching the Clock have caught my attention so I'll be purchasing Kindle iPad versions.

DS9forever · April 23 2011, 10:49 PM

I noticed there was a reference to the plasma injectors of Intrepid being of the ""T'Lani Bureau" type and being built by the Vulcans. Is this a reference to the T'Lani of DS9's "Armageddon Game"?

Technobuilder · April 23 2011, 11:54 PM

About to start Chapter 14 and holy crap!

Very enjoyable read so far.

Can't believe David McIntee was able to assemble this particular cast of characters.

I'm loving it.

Really digging this novel.

Lonemagpie · April 24 2011, 10:36 AM

DS9forever wrote:

I noticed there was a reference to the plasma injectors of Intrepid being of the ""T'Lani Bureau" type and being built by the Vulcans. Is this a reference to the T'Lani of DS9's "Armageddon Game"?

Honestly... it was a year ago that I wrote that bit and now I don't remember! Might be. I vaguely remember looking for all the technical specs that existed for the NX Class and it might be from something on that - Drex Files or something, maybe.

OverlordSpock · April 24 2011, 08:08 PM

I finished the book up yesterday and rated it "Above Average". To be honest, I probably would have rated it "Average" but for one major point.

First, I enjoyed seeing Geordi get some development, as others have said. I also enjoy seeing what's going on in other corners of the TrekVerse besides just the Enterprise and other show settings.

Qat was a wonderful character and I very definitely insist that we see more of her in the future. The chief engineer was an interesting character, and I loved the way he spoke, but I think too much of him would be a bad thing.

The problems, however, were many.

As others have mentioned (and David has responded to), there was way too much small universe syndrome here and it really stretched credulity for me. I enjoyed seeing the characters, but I just couldn't stop thinking "Yeah, right" about their appearances.

The flow of the book was way too abrupt. There were way too many really short scenes. The book just seemed like it was wildly swinging back and forth between different characters and/or situations. There were aspects of the book that just weren't dealt with in an in-depth enough way. I like my TrekLit to be deeper.

Although I get why this is, there was a lot more technobabble than I really like. Especially in the second half, it made the book difficult to read as I tried to figure out what the characters were saying.

Lastly,

That all being said, this book ended up ranking as an "Above Average" because dang if this wasn't one of the most fun books I've read in ages. David, you made me smile a lot because, despite the problems, I was having FUN reading it. Yes, other books have been fun and enjoyable, but they weren't necessarily FUN. I commend you!

Lonemagpie · April 24 2011, 08:42 PM

Fun's my aim in things like this... You thought it was fun, my job here is done!

Sure the scene transitions are quick and brutal, cos I'm trying to capture a TV-cutting feel to it. (yes, they're different media, but that makes it a fun challenge for me. Next time I'd do something different, cos I know you'd all be expecting this style now!)

I'm glad you liked Kat as well, she was fun to do. I know what you mean about Vol - basically he's there because there things I wanted to do with the species that didn't make it into Reservoir Ferengi. So now I've done it, and I've no plans to pitch anything bringing him back, though I'd be happy for anybody else to do so. Kat on the other hand, I'd love to do more with. (she is, after all, meant to be Kang's granddaughter)

As for the relationship bit... Well, we knew she's in his future from All Good Things, so...

Turtletrekker · April 24 2011, 11:52 PM

ICW wrote:

*Spoilers*

As it pertains to Scotty...I don't believe he is dead. I think we'll see a novel where he somehow escaped and is marooned somewhere (a planet? ship?) where he is healed and not on the brink of death.

Of course Scotty's not dead. He still has to cut the ribbon at the Montgomery Scott Engineering Sciences Building at Starfleet Academy on his 200th birthday in 2422 as per Engines of Destiny. That's the future I'm believing in at any rate.

Ronald Held · April 25 2011, 08:07 PM

It will be some other author's story to tell of his reappearance?

View Poll Results: Rate Indistinguishable From Magic
Outstanding	45	28.66%
Above Average	60	38.22%
Average	25	15.92%
Below Average	13	8.28%
Poor	14	8.92%
Voters: 157. You may not vote on this poll

April 21 2011, 08:05 PM	#212
Lonemagpie Writer Location: Yorkshire	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread I don't recognize him with a beard! I thought it was this guy - http://www.wordandfilm.com/files/201...l-connelly.jpg - who's a crime novelist I read and whose author picture in the paperbacks looks even more like your av than this picture does! Glad you're enjoying IFM. As for the AV referendum... I'm fucked. Can't vote yes (even though we need a change) cos Ed Millipede wants that. Can't vote no cos Cameron and Two-Jags want that... And I'd prefer PR or Approval voting anyway! (Or AV just as a top-up as in Scotland) __________________ "I got two modes with people- Bite, and Avoid" Reading: Mystery Man (Colin Bateman) Blog- http://lonemagpie.livejournal.com

April 23 2011, 05:24 PM	#217
Technobuilder Commodore Location: Nashville, TN	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread Note: I'm only just starting Chapter 4, but I can already tell that this book is something special. I'm really grooving on a Geordi as a main character again and a viewpoint character at that. Been looking forward to this since it was first announced and damned if it isn't already firing on all cylinders. I was so eager to read Indistinguishable From Magic that I skipped the last few Typhon Pact Books (which I'll be going back to afterward.) Anywho, I'll check back in later when I'm finished. __________________ "You fool! You've fallen victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia", but only slightly less well known is this - "Never go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line!"

April 23 2011, 07:04 PM	#218
The Evil Dead Vice Admiral Location: 1123, 6536, 5321	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread Haven't read any Trek fiction since Destiny (which I loved) but this and Watching the Clock have caught my attention so I'll be purchasing Kindle iPad versions. __________________ "I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. I’m a machine and I could know much more." - Cavil, Battlestar Galactica

April 23 2011, 10:49 PM	#219
DS9forever Captain	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread I noticed there was a reference to the plasma injectors of Intrepid being of the ""T'Lani Bureau" type and being built by the Vulcans. Is this a reference to the T'Lani of DS9's "Armageddon Game"?

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

April 23 2011, 11:54 PM	#220
Technobuilder Commodore Location: Nashville, TN	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread About to start Chapter 14 and holy crap! Very enjoyable read so far. Can't believe David McIntee was able to assemble this particular cast of characters. I'm loving it. Really digging this novel. __________________ "You fool! You've fallen victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia", but only slightly less well known is this - "Never go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line!"

April 24 2011, 08:08 PM	#222
OverlordSpock Lieutenant Commander Location: The Depths of the Murky Platte River...	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread I finished the book up yesterday and rated it "Above Average". To be honest, I probably would have rated it "Average" but for one major point. First, I enjoyed seeing Geordi get some development, as others have said. I also enjoy seeing what's going on in other corners of the TrekVerse besides just the Enterprise and other show settings. Qat was a wonderful character and I very definitely insist that we see more of her in the future. The chief engineer was an interesting character, and I loved the way he spoke, but I think too much of him would be a bad thing. The problems, however, were many. As others have mentioned (and David has responded to), there was way too much small universe syndrome here and it really stretched credulity for me. I enjoyed seeing the characters, but I just couldn't stop thinking "Yeah, right" about their appearances. The flow of the book was way too abrupt. There were way too many really short scenes. The book just seemed like it was wildly swinging back and forth between different characters and/or situations. There were aspects of the book that just weren't dealt with in an in-depth enough way. I like my TrekLit to be deeper. Although I get why this is, there was a lot more technobabble than I really like. Especially in the second half, it made the book difficult to read as I tried to figure out what the characters were saying. Lastly, I was very disappointed by how quickly Geordi's love interest from Paths of Disharmony was shoved off to the side to make room for Leah. Yes, I know that Leah is the one that Geordi has always pined after, and the whole Genesis Wave thing, but Paths of Disharmony seemed to be trying to start take Geordi's love life in a different direction. Now, in the very next book, we're told "Never Mind!" I just have trouble seeing Geordi being that shallow. Maybe he just realized that it wasn't going to work with the other girl, but still... That all being said, this book ended up ranking as an "Above Average" because dang if this wasn't one of the most fun books I've read in ages. David, you made me smile a lot because, despite the problems, I was having FUN reading it. Yes, other books have been fun and enjoyable, but they weren't necessarily FUN. I commend you!

April 24 2011, 08:42 PM	#223
Lonemagpie Writer Location: Yorkshire	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread Fun's my aim in things like this... You thought it was fun, my job here is done! Sure the scene transitions are quick and brutal, cos I'm trying to capture a TV-cutting feel to it. (yes, they're different media, but that makes it a fun challenge for me. Next time I'd do something different, cos I know you'd all be expecting this style now!) I'm glad you liked Kat as well, she was fun to do. I know what you mean about Vol - basically he's there because there things I wanted to do with the species that didn't make it into Reservoir Ferengi. So now I've done it, and I've no plans to pitch anything bringing him back, though I'd be happy for anybody else to do so. Kat on the other hand, I'd love to do more with. (she is, after all, meant to be Kang's granddaughter) As for the relationship bit... Well, we knew she's in his future from All Good Things, so... __________________ "I got two modes with people- Bite, and Avoid" Reading: Mystery Man (Colin Bateman) Blog- http://lonemagpie.livejournal.com

April 25 2011, 08:07 PM	#225
Ronald Held Rear Admiral Location: On the USS Sovereign	Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread It will be some other author's story to tell of his reappearance?