SKRS #1: Second Nature by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!)
- Thread starter David Mack
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This comment made me chuckle:
"Just went into the parents' latest manuscript and changed the main character's gender halfway through. Think anybody'll notice?"
Back when David Mack and Wardimore first started talking about the series, they said this first one was going to be a two parter, but that most of the rest of the books would be one and done. I don't think they ruled out doing more two parters, but I believe the vast majority will be one and done. I could be mistaken though, and if I am I'm sure one of the writers will be along to correct me shortly.I wasn't expecting the connections to Vanguard, or that it wasn't a one-and-done plot. The series may be more about exploration like TOS was, but it doesn't seem like planet-of-the-week is necessarily how things will be going.
Overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to next month's book.
This is all essentially correct.
First, WGA rules have no bearing on writing credits in novels.
I think they put that in there to denote the fact that Seekers #1 and Seekers #2 are a two-part story. David Mack wrote the first, while WarDilmore wrote book #2, but they came up with the overall story together as a team. In fact...they came up with the entire Seekers concept together as a team.
The "&" in "Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore" is used because they worked on their story as one unit, much like they did for 2 of the Vanguard books. I don't think it's about a re-write situation.
I could be wrong though. Hopefully David comes by and lets us know
Second, the "story by" credit on the first two books is there to acknowledge that the three of us developed the outlines for the opening two-part tale in collaboration, just as we had developed the series bible in collaboration.
Because Dayton and Kevin write as a team, we decided to link their names with an ampersand to reflect that fact. Neither they nor I rewrote the other's story outlines — we wrote both outlines together, understanding that I would execute the manuscript for book one, and they would write the manuscript of book two.
I sent them the manuscript of book one, and they offered feedback on it; they sent me the manuscript of book two, and I did the same.
And that's all there is to say about that.
Will there be a diagram of the ship in any of the books? Always love those.
Since I'm on the subject, is there a diagram of the Aventine in any of the novels?
Since I'm on the subject, is there a diagram of the Aventine in any of the novels?
Spoiler thread, so possible spoilers ahead...
Finished this yesterday and really enjoyed it. Great to see the Sagittarius crew back in action. Also enjoyed the addition of the new crewmembers, especially Niszk. Hopefully we will get some insights into Kaferian culture as the series goes on.
The plight of the Tomol is quite tragic. (The whole Cleansing thing made me think of Logan's Run, but of course if you escape Carrousel, you don't turn into an all-powerful demigod.) It was cool to have this tied into the Shedai.
I admit, I chuckled when Ilucci tried to plug in the cable and it was just a *few* centimetres too short. Who hasn't had that happen? Of course, for most of us, we just move the computer peripheral or the stereo or whatever over a little bit, and problem solved... it's very seldom a matter of life or death!
It was good to see Kang and Mara again... and it looks like she's been promoted to first officer! I don't recall ever seeing a husband and wife team filling the top two positions on a Starfleet ship... I wonder if regulations would allow it?
Something interesting: We find out that Endeavour's new Chief Engineer is Lirin. I thought that sounded familiar, but couldn't place it. I checked MB, and it turns out that's Nano's species from Early Voyages. So it's cool that there's another comic reference, but I do wonder what the backstory here is. According to MB, Early Voyages established that the Lirin were a balanced society and everyone fulfilled a specific function, so much so that they created Nano specifically to be their emissary to the Federation. If the authors retain this, it'll be interesting to see what Yataro's story is.
Anyway, this was a great start to the series, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. Considering what Nimur lived through at the end of the book, I'm really curious as to how this will be resolved!
Finished this yesterday and really enjoyed it. Great to see the Sagittarius crew back in action. Also enjoyed the addition of the new crewmembers, especially Niszk. Hopefully we will get some insights into Kaferian culture as the series goes on.
The plight of the Tomol is quite tragic. (The whole Cleansing thing made me think of Logan's Run, but of course if you escape Carrousel, you don't turn into an all-powerful demigod.
) It was cool to have this tied into the Shedai.I admit, I chuckled when Ilucci tried to plug in the cable and it was just a *few* centimetres too short. Who hasn't had that happen? Of course, for most of us, we just move the computer peripheral or the stereo or whatever over a little bit, and problem solved... it's very seldom a matter of life or death!
It was good to see Kang and Mara again... and it looks like she's been promoted to first officer! I don't recall ever seeing a husband and wife team filling the top two positions on a Starfleet ship... I wonder if regulations would allow it?
Something interesting: We find out that Endeavour's new Chief Engineer is Lirin. I thought that sounded familiar, but couldn't place it. I checked MB, and it turns out that's Nano's species from Early Voyages. So it's cool that there's another comic reference, but I do wonder what the backstory here is. According to MB, Early Voyages established that the Lirin were a balanced society and everyone fulfilled a specific function, so much so that they created Nano specifically to be their emissary to the Federation. If the authors retain this, it'll be interesting to see what Yataro's story is.
Anyway, this was a great start to the series, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. Considering what Nimur lived through at the end of the book, I'm really curious as to how this will be resolved!
Well, yes, but they're the only such formal rules that I'm familiar withFirst, WGA rules have no bearing on writing credits in novels.
And that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the information!And that's all there is to say about that.
Finished yesterday & really enjoyed it, had that TOS feel throughout. Really excited for book/part two.
Just read both books, thanks to Pocket Books' Shore Leave deal! My plane reading!
Nice solid start to a new series that has lots of worthy touchstones to events and characters from the TOS and TOS movie eras, and back to the "Vanguard" saga.
Nice solid start to a new series that has lots of worthy touchstones to events and characters from the TOS and TOS movie eras, and back to the "Vanguard" saga.
I enjoyed this a lot. I like the way it turns the TOS formula that the beliefs of a primitive people on the planet-of-the-week are wrong and should be changed axiom. I appreciated the fun, lively nature of the story, political intrigue has been overused just a bit lately. Good to see some exploring in Trek again. "Does anyone remember when we use to be explorers?"
Monday evening, I was up half the night reading this opus, which left me a tad sleep-deprived both yesterday and today.
I finished it but should not rate it until I finish book 2.
Finished and voted. Looking forward to book two.
Is anyone else besides me bothered by Kang's bloodlust towards Kirk, Starfleet, and the Federation? I would have thought that after "Day of the Dove", he wouldn't hate the Federation so much.
^"We need no urging to hate humans!" -- Kang, "Day of the Dove"
Just because he recognized that fighting was the wrong survival strategy in that circumstance, that doesn't mean his opinion of the Federation changed.
Just because he recognized that fighting was the wrong survival strategy in that circumstance, that doesn't mean his opinion of the Federation changed.
As an amusing codicil to Christopher's quotation from "Day of the Dove," note the perverse glee that Kang seems to take when he back-slaps Kirk perhaps a wee bit too vigorously. He resented being used as a pawn by "*" and wanted out of that situation — but it seemed clear to me that he'd be the first one to take advantage of a rematch with Kirk and the Enterprise.
Plus, even for out "heroes" like Kirk, prejudice and hate is a hard thing to let go of. "I've never trusted Klingons and I never will. I've never been able to forgive them... for the death of my boy."