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

[Lonemagpie]

Ronald Held wrote:

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

Not necessarily. Maybe I'll do it, maybe someone else will do it, maybe nobody will do it...

[ialfan]

I read this last night at work. Voted Outstanding. It was my favorite Star Trek novel since Full Circle. Loved the pacing (as other's have mentioned), the balance between new and "familiar" characters, etc. It really felt like a couple TNG episodes which was very refreshing.

I can't help but feel that the TNG line is slowly "winding down" (especially if they follow the 'Countdown' comics). It's 2383 and what else is there to do with these characters before the realistically move on?

[JonoKyle]

I have just finished reading it and I think it was outstanding - it was a shame it was compressed into the one book however I still really enjoyed it.

I really the crew - and really hope they are reunited one day, maybe even as a re-launch of the 'Corps of Engineers' series.

[Technobuilder]

I'd love for the Corps of Engineers to step forward and take a staring role in the future of the Treklitverse.

[Csalem]

Finished it today. At first didn't like the assemblage of all the known characters on the Challenger but the really got into it, and loved it. Felt like the old-school Trek books which were about adventures and exploration and was a nice break from the more recent stuff like the Typhon Pact.

IIRC there was reference to damage being caused the size of Belgium, or something like that. A Who reference?

[Lonemagpie]

Csalem wrote:

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Finished it today. At first didn't like the assemblage of all the known characters on the Challenger but the really got into it, and loved it. Felt like the old-school Trek books which were about adventures and exploration and was a nice break from the more recent stuff like the Typhon Pact.

IIRC there was reference to damage being caused the size of Belgium, or something like that. A Who reference?

Not consciously - a Hitchhikers reference (though to be fair I guess Moffat was also doing a Hitchhikers reference with it), but I'll grant you there's enough DW lines bouncing around in my head that some are bound to come out even when not intended! (the same goes for the EMH getting a "very very not good" to say, left over from when he was going to be the Mark XI)

There's only one deliberate veiled DW reference in the text and so far nobody's noticed it...

ETA- I love that cat avatar...

[Csalem]

^Thanks. Salem rules!

[Daddy Todd]

About midway through and loving it. Will probably finish it up on a long series of flights Saturday night/Sunday morning from Salt Lake City to Sint Maarten. Looking forward to reading the rest!

[DEWLine]

Astronomy question: When you referred to "G-231", did you actually intend to refer to "Gliese 231"(AKA Alpha Mensae)? I've seen the "G" prefix applied to stars listed in both the Gliess(-Jahreiss) and Giclas catalogues over the years, so there's a possibility of confusion there.

[Lonemagpie]

DEWLine wrote:

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Astronomy question: When you referred to "G-231", did you actually intend to refer to "Gliese 231"(AKA Alpha Mensae)? I've seen the "G" prefix applied to stars listed in both the Gliess(-Jahreiss) and Giclas catalogues over the years, so there's a possibility of confusion there.

I don't recall what led me to pick that designation, so I'm not really sure. (it's been a year!)

[DEWLine]

Hmmm.

*nods*

Noting that Pi Mensae seems to fall into (above? below?) Romulan turf per the Star Charts maps...so if you did have Alpha Mensae in mind at first for the stuff that kicks off the story, that would have made a certain amount of map-sense...

[j3067]

I finished the book over the weekend and I really enjoyed it. I rated the book Outstanding. The previous posts from the author cover the minor bones I had to pick with the story.

[Emh]

This book didn't work too well for me (a lot of the reasons having been covered in this thread), but I have to say that I loved the Life on Mars reference. I felt a bit obtuse at first because I could feel something was being referred to. I immediately shook off "Dylan Hunt" but then I saw the Manchester and Nelson references and I thought "Duh...brilliant! " From there out, Tyler Hunt was John Simm in my mind. Pity he didn't survive, especially since I thought there was something more than meet's the eye about him.

I also enjoyed the Doctor Who references (Gallifrey as one of the publisher locations and another that I've now forgotten because its been a few weeks since I've read the book).

[Christopher]

Emh wrote:

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This book didn't work too well for me (a lot of the reasons having been covered in this thread), but I have to say that I loved the Life on Mars reference. I felt a bit obtuse at first because I could feel something was being referred to. I immediately shook off "Dylan Hunt" but then I saw the Manchester and Nelson references and I thought "Duh...brilliant! " From there out, Tyler Hunt was John Simm in my mind.

Not having seen the UK Life on Mars, I missed that. I actually "cast" David Tennant in the part in my head.

[Lonemagpie]

I do tend to "cast" my books, and, yes, Tyler Hunt is supposed to be played by John Simm. Sadly there wasn't a role for Philip Glenister - that'll have to wait for another time, I guess.