VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!)

[Christopher]

BrotherBenny wrote:

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Lightning does however strike twice in the same location, regardless of the so-called axiom.

In fact, any "single" lightning strike is actually multiple strokes in quick succession, following the same path of ionized air, hence the strobing effect.

However, "catching lightning in a bottle" is a different metaphor, suggesting the successful capture of something that's all but impossibly elusive.

[dukesman]

I voted Outstanding...as much an opinion for this novel as for the whole series. It's been as exciting as any Trek in two decades IMHO.

I finished it up in a flash this past weekend and I had two quick questions, they may be a bit spoilerish so here goes:

I'd love to see him pop up again...I do realize the point of leaving his whereabouts open ended serves to "conclude" his story here, but it is suggested that decades later he and Pennington do catch up. Any chance of a return of our favorite coffee drinking smuggler?

and

This is most likely explained in the novel and I just missed it, but was it implied or outright stated that Starfleet accidentally blew up Ceti Alpha VI as a result of their fooling around with the conduits/Shedai technology? If so, that's a pretty big revelation and sheds new light on that part of Khan's story.

Congrats to you, David, on a fully realized tale. I know you are proud of it and you should be. I'm glad to have had the chance to experience the series. Thank you.

[MatthiasRussell]

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of some Vanguard characters.

[beamMe]

Christopher wrote:

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In fact, any "single" lightning strike is actually multiple strokes in quick succession, following the same path of ionized air, hence the strobing effect.

However, "catching lightning in a bottle" is a different metaphor, suggesting the successful capture of something that's all but impossibly elusive.

I have to ask; why do you feel the need to point out the transparently obvious?

[David Mack]

dukesman wrote:

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I voted Outstanding...as much an opinion for this novel as for the whole series. It's been as exciting as any Trek in two decades IMHO.

Thank you, very kind. And glad you enjoyed the finale.

dukesman wrote:

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I finished it up in a flash this past weekend and I had two quick questions, they may be a bit spoilerish so here goes:

I'd love to see him pop up again...I do realize the point of leaving his whereabouts open ended serves to "conclude" his story here, but it is suggested that decades later he and Pennington do catch up. Any chance of a return of our favorite coffee drinking smuggler?

No, actually the text implied no such thing. Re-read their last scene together — it says explicitly that...

"it was only many decades later that Pennington realized that was the last he ever saw of Cervantes Quinn." They never meet again.

dukesman wrote:

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and

This is most likely explained in the novel and I just missed it, but was it implied or outright stated that Starfleet accidentally blew up Ceti Alpha VI as a result of their fooling around with the conduits/Shedai technology? If so, that's a pretty big revelation and sheds new light on that part of Khan's story.

Indeed. That was exactly our intention.

dukesman wrote:

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Congrats to you, David, on a fully realized tale. I know you are proud of it and you should be. I'm glad to have had the chance to experience the series. Thank you.

You're more than welcome. The pleasure was mine.

[beamMe]

David Mack wrote:

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No, actually the text implied no such thing. Re-read their last scene together — it says explicitly that...

"it was only many decades later that Pennington realized that was the last he ever saw of Cervantes Quinn." They never meet again.

In light of a later scene with Pennington and T'Prynn (where Tim goes round and round the station to look for him and she tells him he's gone), that bit of text should perhaps have been moved to the end of that conversation.

[Ronald Held]

Not quite finished, but, how many energy feeds were there to the array of artifacts? Also, how much of the stations power did it consume?

[MatthiasRussell]

beamMe wrote:

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In light of a later scene with Pennington and T'Prynn (where Tim goes round and round the station to look for him and she tells him he's gone), that bit of text should perhaps have been moved to the end of that conversation.

To me, this doesn't mean the 2 friends never saw each other again. Perhaps Pennington met him again decades later, but under his new identity. That quote seems a little open ended.

One of the things I've loved about this series is how often I've been led to believe the fate of certain characters or situations only to find I'd been misled for the sake of a later surprise.

[MatthiasRussell]

Ronald Held wrote:

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Not quite finished, but, how many energy feeds were there to the array of artifacts? Also, how much of the stations power did it consume?

[beamMe]

MatthiasRussell wrote:

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To me, this doesn't mean the 2 friends never saw each other again. Perhaps Pennington met him again decades later, but under his new identity. That quote seems a little open ended.

No, that's pretty definitively. The author himself says so in the post your quoted.

[David Mack]

beamMe wrote:

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In light of a later scene with Pennington and T'Prynn (where Tim goes round and round the station to look for him and she tells him he's gone), that bit of text should perhaps have been moved to the end of that conversation.

No, that would not have worked — and please don't "Monday Morning Quarterback" me.

[beamMe]

David Mack wrote:

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No, that would not have worked — and please don't "Monday Morning Quarterback" me.

... still a good book.

[elaithin]

Just finished it earlier tonight. I'm very glad the series got a chance to get such a proper ending. I feel everything I could say has been said many times over already, so I'll just say this: Bravo, sir. Well done.

[Patrick O'Brien]

For those of you not following the other threar, Dave's Trek Radio interview is now on demand. Here is a link: http://www.trekradio.net/on-demand

Enjoy

[flandry84]

As usual I'm late to the party.Apologies.
Excellent finale to an excellent series.Guys,I don't know how you would do it but we really need another mini-series set in a "scuffed-up"Trek universe.Perhaps a "Hell on wheels"type scenario on a new colony near the Klingon border.

Did anyone else get the impression that Carol Marcus and her team were now "under house arrest"by Starfleet?Were they still considered as security threats even after the Vanguard project folded it's tents?Was the Genesis project just a gilded cage?

And that creepy SI admiral with his termination order?I have often complained that the SI of the TNG era are a joke but this guy was seriously old-school.