Spoilers DSC: Desperate Hours by David Mack Review Thread

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Defcon, Sep 9, 2017.

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Rate Desperate Hours

  1. Outstanding

    17 vote(s)
    24.6%
  2. Above Average

    36 vote(s)
    52.2%
  3. Average

    13 vote(s)
    18.8%
  4. Below Average

    2 vote(s)
    2.9%
  5. Poor

    1 vote(s)
    1.4%
  1. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I don't care for that explanation. The reason Roddenberry abandoned "laser" for "phaser" was because he realized it had been a mistake to use it in the first place, that actual lasers didn't work anything like what was shown, so it was a misnomer. If he himself had made more stories in the "Cage" era or before, I have no doubt that he would've changed "laser" to "phaser." Just like other things such as dilithium and the Federation have been retconned to exist earlier than they were introduced on the show. The word "laser" was only used two times in "The Cage" anyway, so it's easy enough to disregard.


    I think it was Grace Lee Whitney who wanted the miniskirt uniform. We see it as sexist today, but women at the time saw it as a liberating fashion statement.

    And I believe the techical term for that dress design was mini-culottes -- basically a briefs cut with flaps to suggest a skirt.
     
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  2. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The expanded universe has definitely gone with skirts-vs.-pants as a choice: novels have given us TOS-era women in pants, while I remember Nurse Carlotti in Early Voyages wearing a miniskirt (complete with fishnet stockings*) even though we didn't see one on-screen on Pike's ship.

    * One issue featured a letter from a teenage boy in praise of the fishnets as I recall!
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2017
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  3. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Why does it need an explanation? I don't think we've ever gotten that kind of an explanation for why any of the other uniforms have looked the way they have, so I don't see why the miniskirts would need one.
     
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  4. Ensign_Rowan_McGrath

    Ensign_Rowan_McGrath Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Anything on Keyla Detmer? What she doing, who she interact with?
     
  5. Charles Phipps

    Charles Phipps Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    We were the fandom which created ridiculous nitpicking and explanations for everything.
     
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  6. hbquikcomjamesl

    hbquikcomjamesl Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Uh, no. Culottes are a "divided skirt," short pants cut very full, to look like a skirt. On at least one occasion during the run of Get Smart, Barbara Feldon (as 99) wore a mini culotte dress (the one I'm thinking of had red and yellow stripes). Shorts with extra flaps to resemble a skirt are a "skort" (at one point, the uniform for Disneyland's "Storybook Land Canal Boats" featured one). According to the patterns given in Franz Joseph Schnaubelt's Starfleet Technical Manual, the panty was matching, but separate (figure skating dresses often have an integral panty).

    But this offhand sidebar about women's clothing has taken on a life of its own, and is "wagging the dog" with this thread, so I think I'll shut up about it now.
     
  7. khaosworks

    khaosworks Ensign Newbie

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    Very nicely done - like many others, my favourite parts were the Spock/Michael interaction and the insights into their lives as they were growing up. The impression I'm getting though, however, is although Michael is just 4 years older than Spock, they did not spend time together as kids in the same way foster siblings do. That somehow strikes me as a little odd, and something I'm not sure Amanda would want - surely, she would want the two to have a closer relationship, one being half-human and the other one human but educated as Vulcan? Or am I wrong about this?
     
  8. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    This was a good book. I was really loving it for a wholesale but it started to slump somewhere along the line. Probably about the time Spock and Burnham were at the Juggernaut.

    Why does Captain Pike come across as kind of a dick in this book? His character was completely unlikeable to me for the first time.
     
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  9. Idran

    Idran Commodore Commodore

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    No, that was the Baker Street Irregulars. :p
     
  10. Enterprise1701

    Enterprise1701 Commodore Commodore

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    Doing a double-check while I'm compiling my own list of Starfleet vessels in the Discovery franchise. The only "U.S.S." Starfleet ships to appear or be mentioned in this novel are the Shenzhou, Enterprise, Tereshkova, Intrepid, and Persepolis, correct? And the Tereshkova and Persepolis have never been given registry numbers.
     
  11. Tuvix5675

    Tuvix5675 Commander Red Shirt

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    His character was sacrificed to make Georgiou appear as the level headed, humane Captain. I personally like David Mack's Star Trek books, but not this one. Lots of things don't make sense including Captain Pike's behavior, also the Amanda/Burnham relationship as closer than the Spock/Amanda relationship. This book also borrowed from DS9's episode "Run Along Home" and TNG's episode "The Arsenal of Freedom", so parts of the story are derivative.
     
  12. Tuskin38

    Tuskin38 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Which makes sense and is explained by the book.
     
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  13. Tuvix5675

    Tuvix5675 Commander Red Shirt

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    I found that odd too. Where the book says that Spock was like a stranger to her. Why would he be if they grew up in the same home, unless the educational system of Vulcan takes over parenting as well once the children reach a certain age.
     
  14. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    There was an age difference between them, plus I get the impression Spock was a bit of a loner child, probably secluding himself in his bedroom reading or something in his free time. The again, Michael was pushing herself to make it through the Vulcan education system that her free time was likely devoted to intense studying.
     
  15. Enterprise1701

    Enterprise1701 Commodore Commodore

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    I can think of many real people and fictional characters who are not close to their siblings.
     
  16. Reanok

    Reanok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I finished reading this book a few days ago I thought the story arc with Micheal Burnham and Spock was really intriguing. I also really liked Captain Georgiou's story arc and Saru was dealt with in this book.
     
  17. thribs

    thribs Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I liked how this book explained most of the annoying things STD has. Except the holographic “Star Wars” communications. I think they just say that they use a lot of power and that was it.
    Bring on more Pike adventures.
     
  18. Jinn

    Jinn Mistress of the Chaotic Energies Rear Admiral

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    I subscribe to the theory that the holo-communicator's transmissions were more easily hackable, so Starfleet abandoned them.
     
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  19. thribs

    thribs Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It’s possible. To me that’s the biggest continuity blunder STD has done. i don’t know why they couldn’t have just used a screen.
     
  20. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    From a production point of view, it is easier to film these conversations having the actor on set. The way typical "comm screen" conversations are usually filmed, the person on the screen is filmed separately from everyone else, and the two actors conversing never have direct interaction with each other. Indeed, this was said to be a great challenge for William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban filming TWOK as all their interaction is via the view screen, they never get any direct interaction with each other and don't really get to play off each other. Montalban especially found it difficult delivering his lines emoting the way he did, and then having Kirk's lines read to him by a "very disinterested stagehand."

    With holographic communicators you get the benefit of not having the two people having conversation cut off from each other, they're on set together and can play off each other to better enhance their performance, which was the main argument which allowed the holographic communicator to be used on DS9 when Sisko was hunting Eddington, Avery Brooks and Kenneth Marshall were able to enhance their performances by playing off each other.

    Although Discovery stupidly negates these benefits by having the hologram be shimmery and transparent, meaning a visual effect is used on it and extra money is being spent, so they're not really getting ahead anyway.