This has got me interested. I think I might want to explore this in more detail. It may be time for another alien focus thread...
But that way, how will you be continuously reminded of the enemy and why you hate them? You might start forgetting the stomach-churning fact that but for an accident of birth you could so easily be one of those despicable sub-Cheron creatures. There but for the grace of the gods go you... The idea is intolerable. It fuels a shame and a loathing in you, so very deep but so very strong, which in turn fuels your righteous hate. No matter how many millions of them you kill, you can never be rid of them...because they are you, and you are they, only with a slight shift in perspective, and it's the very triviality that makes it such an enormous, insufferable void between you. .... .... Or something?
By the way, Greg, kudos for the idea that the Charonians are actually distinct species that can't interbreed. Adds a new dimension to their conflict, as well as putting to rest speculation about what offspring of such a union would look like. And humanity's track record of dealing with our closest relatives is nothing to write home about, either.
If you mean Neanderthals, that's what we used to think, but more recent genetic and archaeological evidence indicates that modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals coexisted and interbred for thousands of years. In fact, every non-African population of humans apparently has some Neanderthal DNA.
I could be wrong but I got the sense that that was something that many of the dominant Cheronians told themselves out of a desire for it to be reality rather than an actual true fact.
It's enjoyable, if only for Greg Cox. But it does feel a bit like fan-wank at the same time. It may be intentional though. Tongue-in-cheek and all that.
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to - this isn't my kind of novel, in general, and I haven't read any of the standalone TOS novels from the past couple years at all until this one, but I have to admit that Greg Cox has a hell of a way with a ripping yarn. This was delightfully rollicking, start to finish, with all the character beats you'd expect and enjoy. I loved how much the first few chapters felt like the teaser and act 1 of a TOS episode... and then the teaser and act 1 of a Voyager episode right after. Really captured the feel of both series. And it was just a little fanwanky, the stuff like having everyone hide out in the Enterprise's swimming pool, but I get the feeling that the knowing wink to fandom with which Cox obviously writes is generally considered more a strength than a weakness, and I was certainly happily along for the ride this time. I thought the final fight with the Orions went on a bit too long, and there was too much apparently attempted misdirection of the reader about things that were completely obvious (like Seven not being dead), but overall definitely Above Average. A good time.
Now it can be told. The idea behind this book was to do the Star Trek version of something like those National Treasure movies with Nicholas Cage: a "rollicking" fast-paced adventure through Star Trek history, with a time-travel twist. (I had also just finished reading all of the "Sigma Force" novels by James Rollins, which were also probably an inspiration.) As for the swimming pool . . . I've been wanting to work that into a novel for years. The bridge and transporter room and sickbay are all very good, but I wanted to explore some of the lesser-seen corners of the Enterprise. One of these days I'll have to work the bowling alley in . . . if I can work up the nerve.
Not only is this a fun TOS story but the opening chapters set on Voyager had me hoping for more novels set during TV runs of the other shows. Yeah, I know, there are reasons the novels based on those shows contribute story arcs to the greater novel continuity, just saying it was nice to revisit the 24th century we saw on screen, even if only oh so briefly.
I agree. I'd love a bunch of these. Hell, make a mini-series out of it, like Invasion or Day of Honor, some kind of theme so it sells better, if need be. But it's been a really long time, I'd enjoy a new set of novels set during TNG, DS9, and VOY. Hah, that's awesome, thanks for sharing. Definitely nailed that feel. I'm just curious - whenever the ship gets broadsided, or starts shaking apart, does the pool water go flying everywhere?