Spoilers PIC: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack Review Thread

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I'm recusing myself from casting a vote on this opus, because I tend to avoid outright tragedy, whether in prose, in poetry, or in theatre. There's enough of it in real life. And this perfectly fits the classical definition of tragedy, right down to the requisite ending that is not merely sad, but disastrous.

Spoiler: I was expecting . . .

I was expecting (on the assumption that (non-canonical) Hobus and (equally non-canonical) Eisn are indeed being conflated) some mention of "red matter" (who comes up with these terms!), and of the Jellyfish. I also expected to see the pull-quote on the front flap of the dust-jacket somewhere in the text. What I got was Karel Capek's R.U.R. Although, to be fair, I did get tantalizing hints that the supernova, and the Romulan suppression of the truth, had been engineered by malicious parties unknown, and that Mars had perhaps been engineered as a means of stopping the relief effort (with overwhelmingly extreme prejudice). And I saw a lot of people in high places paralleling those currently in the driver's seat of the Republican Party.

To be fair, I'm not all that hot on a number of the multi-book arcs that have come down the pike in recent years.

 

[Christopher]

I was expecting (on the assumption that Hobus and Eisn are indeed being conflated) some mention of "red matter" (who comes up with these terms!), and of the Jellyfish.

Those have nothing to do with "Hobus." The Jellyfish and Red Matter are from the actual movie, while "Hobus" is strictly a creation of the Countdown comic (later adopted by Star Trek Online). The movie just says "a star" goes supernova and destroys Romulus; the Picard backstory is entirely consistent with that, so no conflating is needed.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I've just amended my post to acknowledge that both Hobus and Eisn are non-canonical (I never said they were canonical). At any rate, the stakes have been raised: So far as I can recall (and I may be mistaken about this; I think I've seen Shatner's movie more times than the first Abramsverse movie, and I honestly can't recall whether or not the Jellyfish was given that name canonically), I'm not aware of anything in the first Abramsverse movie explicitly saying that Romulus itself was destroyed. Evidently, as of Picard, Romulus has been canonically destroyed.

At any rate, I'm still hoping to see how PIC (canonical or otherwise) ties in with red matter (and canonical or not, it's still a stupid name) and the Jellyfish. And I'm waiting for the DVD set.

 

[Leto_II]

I've just amended my post to acknowledge that both Hobus and Eisn are non-canonical (I never said they were canonical). At any rate, the stakes have been raised: So far as I can recall (and I may be mistaken about this; I think I've seen Shatner's movie more times than the first Abramsverse movie, and I honestly can't recall whether or not the Jellyfish was given that name canonically), I'm not aware of anything in the first Abramsverse movie explicitly saying that Romulus itself was destroyed. Evidently, as of Picard, Romulus has been canonically destroyed.

It's definitely stated onscreen in the 2009 film that Romulus was destroyed by the supernova (transcript from Chakoteya.net):

SPOCK PRIME: One hundred twenty-nine years from now, a star will explode, and threaten to destroy the galaxy.

[Space]

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) That is where I'm from, Jim. The future. The star went supernova...
(a star explodes)
SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) ...consuming everything in its path. I promised the Romulans that I would save their planet...

[Romulus]

(a group of Romulans are seen with Spock Prime)

[Jellyfish Hangar]

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) We outfitted our fastest ship.

[Jellyfish]

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) Using red matter, I would create a black hole, which would absorb the exploding star.

[Space]

(the Jellyfish goes through space)
SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) I was en route, when the unthinkable happened. The supernova destroyed Romulus.
(Romulus is consumed by the nova)

[Jellyfish]

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) I had little time. I had to extract the red matter, and shoot it into the supernova.
(he loads up a drop of red matter and it's shot into the star)

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) As I began my return trip, I was intercepted.

[Jellyfish]

SPOCK PRIME: (voice-over) He called himself Nero. Last of the Romulan Empire.

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[hbquikcomjamesl]

I stand corrected. Romulus was canonically destroyed. Thanks, "Leto II."

But until now, the supernova was not identified as its primary.

Was the Jellyfish ever mentioned canonically by name? If so, I don't remember.

 

[Christopher]

But until now, the supernova was not identified as its primary.

Of course not, but the point is, neither was Hobus.

Was the Jellyfish ever mentioned canonically by name? If so, I don't remember.

The point isn't the name. The name is just a convenient way to talk about it. The point is that the ship itself and the Red Matter are concepts introduced in the movie, so if they were mentioned in Picard, it would only be a reference to the movie, not to the comics that coined the name Hobus. So Hobus hasn't been conflated with anything, it's been superseded by the canonical identification of Romulus's sun as the supernova star.

 

[rfmcdpei]

I think that was a large part of it -- they promised they'd evacuate everyone, but mismanaged the preparations and were afraid to admit how incapable they were of doing it, so they just kept postponing it.

That was nightmarishly believable. It is worth noting that, even if the Romulan elites escaped, there was still a substantial political reorganization.

Still, no matter when it is, Romulus is the planet you most need to evacuate first, the one that will be hit first and totally destroyed no matter when or how big the supernova is. So there's no sensible reason for putting it off any amount of time.

No good one, sure.

It is worth noting that, through the eyes of Vritet, there was a diminution, people he knew vaguely leaving. The last time we saw him, he wandered through the apparently deserted streets of the capital city.

I can believe that most Romulans got evacuated from Romulus. It we are going to work with the Beta Canon's relatively consistent figure of 18-20 billion forbthe home system, I can imagine that two-thirds or more got out. That is an astonishing success, seen from one angle. Seen from another, of the very many people who did not get out and of the family to effectively deploy peoplemoving capacity as planned, it is a critical failure.

 

[Stephen!]

I guess at least Picard (thus far) has not used the f-word. Now that would definitely seem out of place.

Picard: there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy ....

 

[Damian]

Picard: there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy ....

There was on point where he said 'Damn' and that made Raffi a bit nervous because she notes he typically doesn't swear. So I guess McCormack acknowledges that. I do hope the show doesn't have Picard saying the f-word or swearing all the time. That would seem out of character. I can see him saying a French curse here and there, but there are some things Jean-Luc Picard just wouldn't say.

 

[Ronald Held]

Almost done. Too much gratuitous cursing.

 

[iarann]

I wonder if people reacted to Data saying "shit" in Generations this way. I should check the newsgroups.

 

[Ronald Held]

I wonder if people reacted to Data saying "shit" in Generations this way. I should check the newsgroups.

Did not think much of that, short of inexperience managing his emotions.

 

[Leto_II]

I wonder if people reacted to Data saying "shit" in Generations this way. I should check the newsgroups.

...Or to Shatner dropping "dipshit" onscreen in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 

[Damian]

I wonder if people reacted to Data saying "shit" in Generations this way. I should check the newsgroups.

Well, to be fair that was a one time thing and it was actually pretty funny. And some prior books have dropped a word here or there. Used sparingly it can have comedic or dramatic effect.

It just seemed in this book it was being dropped at least once a chapter. Because we can do a thing doesn't always mean we should. It just seems misplaced in Star Trek for some reason. Like I said, they could have used it in the movies as much as they wanted, but swearing was used sparingly. Damn and Hell was used a lot, but I don't even really consider that swearing.

But that's just me. I love watching Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy stand up routines so I'm not afraid of swearing. It just seems out of place in Star Trek.

 

[Kilana2]

Finished it today. I voted above average. Still - Picard is different, I'm not sure if I like his Kurtzman future. Raffi is a great character. I can't stand Clancy, though.

 

[Damian]

Finished it today. I voted above average. Still - Picard is different, I'm not sure if I like his Kurtzman future. Raffi is a great character. I can't stand Clancy, though.

Clancy is complicated. Of course that's one thing I like about McCormack's stories, they're never cut and dry.

At one point she's almost pleading with Picard to help them so they can help the mission. At one point she even finds herself defending Picard when he withdraws from Nimbus III (and I have to agree--that was sort of a no win but had he done what what's her name wanted, he not only risked a conflict with the Tal Shiar, the Romulans very well have used that as an excuse to send the Federation packing and the mission would have ended right then and there, I think the Lieutenant was a bit short sighted there to blame Picard--he did what he had to save the mission). And CLancy doesn't like Quest. But then she's quick to pull the rug out from under Picard after the synth attack. I haven't seen the show so I don't know what to make of her overall.

 

[Kilana2]

The Tal Shiar guy was a surprisingly good character - considering the fact that nobody likes the Tal Shiar. Geordi was really upset after the Mars attack. The end was very sudden and short.

 

[David Weller]

The purpose of the novel was get Picard from where he was after Nemesis to where he is in the new show. I think it achieved that brilliantly.

(And I’m not just saying that because Una follows me on Twitter.)

 

[Ronald Held]

Just finished. What a steep decline! Do not know how to rate this book.
As mentioned above, Picard does not start the story as the Picard we know, starting with his too quick departure from the Enterprise.

 

[JD]

Like I said, they could have used it in the movies as much as they wanted, but swearing was used sparingly. Damn and Hell was used a lot, but I don't even really consider that swearing.

That really depends on if they were going for a specific rating, which I have a feeling they probably were. Since the movies were taken from a network show and a syndicated show they probably made a point of going for a PG or PG-13 as a way to fit with the shows.