Spoilers TNG: Pliable Truths by Dayton Ward - Review thread

[Avro Arrow]

So, admittedly I haven't read Pliable Truths yet, but... does this discussion have anything to do with the book? I haven't really seen anyone even refer to the book anywhere on this page of this review thread... and it doesn't even seem to be discussing TrekLit in general. Perhaps there is a better place to have this discussion, and we can leave this one for discussing the book itself?

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

This thread has had more than its share of off-topic discussion from the very beginning, but it was only around the bottom of page 5 that the current lengthy digression began.

Up to that point, it's not too far off-topic, and the digression did grow naturally out of a comment about one of the characters introduced in the book.

 

[Elwro]

Well, this one took its time to get going. But it took off eventually. Nice read, though I agree there was just too much padding.

It was a good use of Madred. I can't believe noone had properly dealt with him in the novels?... He got what he deserved.

Thinking about the plot, there were, I don't know, 4 events, as in, occurrences that move the novel forward? The structure was really simple. Still, it's nice to hear from the characters again. I especially liked Garak's involvement, after reading 'Second Self' recently...

(And Sisko was just wrong about Opaka. He was wrong about many things!)

edit: two things surprised me. 1st, Riker having balls to do what he did. 2nd, Trina's fate (well done, Mr Ward!)

 

[USS Firefly]

I am reading this and like it so far. Some little mistakes like when Ro sit at ops, "Riker stand between ops and conn and put his right hand on Ro's seat." Which isn't possible because Ro' sits at his left. And maybe I am wrong but I can't remember that Data sits often at conn but that is just nitpicking. I love the diplomatic meetings with Picard and the Cardassians, it is so good!

 

[The Wormhole]

I am reading this and like it so far. Some little mistakes like when Ro sit at ops, "Riker stand between ops and conn and put his right hand on Ro's seat." Which isn't possible because Ro' sits at his left. And maybe I am wrong but I can't remember that Data sits often at conn but that is just nitpicking. I love the diplomatic meetings with Picard and the Cardassians, it is so good!

That's explained early on in the book as the crew cross-training. Though for what it's worth many novels have had Data flying the ship anyway. He was even flying it in the Picard finale.

 

[USS Firefly]

I am almost finished the book. Maybe I am wrong but I find the Bajorans a little bit ungrateful. They accused the Federation of doing nothing when the Cardassians occupied Bajor, but wasn't the Federation in war with Cardassia? What else could they do?

 

[The Wormhole]

I am almost finished the book. Maybe I am wrong but I find the Bajorans a little bit ungrateful. They accused the Federation of doing nothing when the Cardassians occupied Bajor, but wasn't the Federation in war with Cardassia? What else could they do?

Bajorans made similar complaints all throughout TNG and DS9, so this novel is just reflecting the attitudes already seen on screen.

 

[Stevil2001]

The Federation wasn't at war with Cardassia over Bajor, though, right? Just its own border colonies. The Federation didn't try to liberate Bajor, nor would it have.

 

[Christopher]

I always figured the Federation didn't intervene on Bajor because they knew it would just escalate the conflict there and leave the Bajorans caught in the crossfire, doing them more harm than good.

 

[Corran Horn]

I am almost finished the book. Maybe I am wrong but I find the Bajorans a little bit ungrateful. They accused the Federation of doing nothing when the Cardassians occupied Bajor, but wasn't the Federation in war with Cardassia? What else could they do?

Take a look at Major Kira's attitude in the pilot. Anything less would be inaccurate.

 

[Markonian]

Just started it.
Looks like I'm late to the party.
Focusing on ships: Cali class USS Oceanside is new.
Riker thinks of the SCE detachments aboard Saber-class ships. The class was launched in 2371 according to Star Trek Adventures. That's not necessarily a continuity change - it'd be like us thinking about the CAG teams aboard the under-construction Ford-class carriers.

 

[Markonian]

Just finished!
By the time I made my previous post, I kept wondering if we really needed a novel that had to hit the brakes to keep it from crashing into the middle of "Emissary". Especially with how functional the station was portrayed at versus the "Cardassians literally just left"-feeling from "Emissary".
But the latter half of the novel changed my mind. The last chapters quickly reset the stage by covering the Promenade in debris, as seen on DS9.
And overall, the story and characters were engaging. Rated the novel Outstanding.

Observations:
1. The Oceanside is referenced and we "see" the bridge during a talk between Picard and the Cali captain. But we don't "see" the ship from an outside, "space-view" perspective. Registry number is unknown. Probably got blue department stripes because of its medical specialisation.
2. Chief O'Brien was mentioned to have switched to the jumpsuit (DS9-VOY uniform) but I wondered if Commanders La Forge and Data also put it on while working in the recesses of the station?
3. During the final scene in Quark's, Ro and Kira are in the bar at the same time but probably don't meet. Is this Ro's first visit to DS9?
4. Class T gas giant - yay for bringing up any planet class other than M!
5. SCE crossover/prequel: We have Duffy and Gomez in the same novel. I kept thinking how strange it is that Sonya is still a lowly ensign years after the events of "Q Who". Duffy outranks her in 2369.

 

[Ronald Held]

In the pre reboot novels, Gomez was promoted quicker than Duffy.