Spoilers TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic by McIntee Review Thread

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I also enjoyed the Doctor Who references (Gallifrey as one of the publisher locations and another that I've now forgotten because its been a few weeks since I've read the book).

There's only one *deliberate* one in the text, which I've yet to see spotted, though people have pegged "...the size of belgium" and "very very not good", which are phrases that came out subconsciously (or in the case of Belgium, was intended as a HHGTTG ref)

 

[BrotherBenny]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I also enjoyed the Doctor Who references (Gallifrey as one of the publisher locations and another that I've now forgotten because its been a few weeks since I've read the book).

There's only one *deliberate* one in the text, which I've yet to see spotted, though people have pegged "...the size of belgium" and "very very not good", which are phrases that came out subconsciously (or in the case of Belgium, was intended as a HHGTTG ref)

Do we get a hint?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I also enjoyed the Doctor Who references (Gallifrey as one of the publisher locations and another that I've now forgotten because its been a few weeks since I've read the book).

There's only one *deliberate* one in the text, which I've yet to see spotted, though people have pegged "...the size of belgium" and "very very not good", which are phrases that came out subconsciously (or in the case of Belgium, was intended as a HHGTTG ref)

Do we get a hint?

Nah.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Since I'm not an inveterate DW fan, though I do like the show, I doubt I even noticed it. Would you PM me with the reference if I swore never to reveal it to another until someone else does?

I moved over to the US before the last episode of the 2009 season and refuse to pay for BBC America so I can watch one or two TV shows so I haven't even seen any with the new guy. Hoping for Netflix to get more than the 2007 on instant.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Since I'm not an inveterate DW fan, though I do like the show, I doubt I even noticed it. Would you PM me with the reference if I swore never to reveal it to another until someone else does?

I moved over to the US before the last episode of the 2009 season and refuse to pay for BBC America so I can watch one or two TV shows so I haven't even seen any with the new guy. Hoping for Netflix to get more than the 2007 on instant.

Let's just say it's a reference to a Tom Baker story from the 70s, so you wouldn't notice anyway... It's not an important thing.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Since I'm not an inveterate DW fan, though I do like the show, I doubt I even noticed it. Would you PM me with the reference if I swore never to reveal it to another until someone else does?

I moved over to the US before the last episode of the 2009 season and refuse to pay for BBC America so I can watch one or two TV shows so I haven't even seen any with the new guy. Hoping for Netflix to get more than the 2007 on instant.

Let's just say it's a reference to a Tom Baker story from the 70s, so you wouldn't notice anyway... It's not an important thing.

I'd never get it then.

 

[chelly]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Does it have to do with scarf, hair or teeth? Ok back on topic, I did enjoy the book. I am going to do a second re read to catch anything I missed. What is it with you writers and making me sympathic to characters I do not like. Ok not really sympathic but I do feel sorry for the character. I hope I see Qat'qa again, I rather liked her.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I also enjoyed the Doctor Who references (Gallifrey as one of the publisher locations and another that I've now forgotten because its been a few weeks since I've read the book).

There's only one *deliberate* one in the text, which I've yet to see spotted, though people have pegged "...the size of belgium" and "very very not good", which are phrases that came out subconsciously (or in the case of Belgium, was intended as a HHGTTG ref)

Ah, the Belgium reference is what I was trying to remember. Clearly, I need to go back and reread The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or finally listen to the radio series beyond the first one).

Since I'm not an inveterate DW fan, though I do like the show, I doubt I even noticed it. Would you PM me with the reference if I swore never to reveal it to another until someone else does?

I moved over to the US before the last episode of the 2009 season and refuse to pay for BBC America so I can watch one or two TV shows so I haven't even seen any with the new guy. Hoping for Netflix to get more than the 2007 on instant.

Let's just say it's a reference to a Tom Baker story from the 70s, so you wouldn't notice anyway... It's not an important thing.

Hmmm...I think I must've missed it. Now I'm curious as to what it was.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

OK, OK...

Spoiler: The only deliberate DW reference

The Split Infinite is located in the star system Delta Five Gamma Zeta Alpha. That could be read as D5 Gamma Z Alpha - the co-ordinates for Skaro in Destiny Of The Daleks. Which by extension would make the Infinite the result of the Hand Of Omega being turned on it. Notice also there's a mention of there being rubble from twelve planets - back in the day, Skaro was in a 12 planet system.

But, really, it doesn't make difference - it's just a knowing wink to test the truly anorakish!

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I have to gather my thoughts for a proper review, but basically I pulled myself through the Bok story and loooooooooooved the second half. Let us hope Guinan's theory in the end was right and the Q see fit to return Scott AND Janeway soon.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I have to gather my thoughts for a proper review, but basically I pulled myself through the Bok story and loooooooooooved the second half. Let us hope Guinan's theory in the end was right and the Q see fit to return Scott AND Janeway soon.

Well, the suggestion isn't that Scotty went Q, just that they might have been indirectly responsible for the creation of the anomaly that snagged the Hera.

Then again, who knows?

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Right. My thought is if he is trapped in a Q mine, who else is better suited to get him out (if he's still alive . . . . ). Great astrophysics concept, btw.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Right. My thought is if he is trapped in a Q mine, who else is better suited to get him out (if he's still alive . . . . ). Great astrophysics concept, btw.

Ah, the toroidal continuum fold... actually built out of a couple of real scientific thingies to produce an interesting hybrid - and who knows, maybe they can be!

I swear, though, between that and the whole Split Infinite Tipler and wormhole thing, next time I'm going to pitch something a damn sight simpler to wrap my head around...

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Aw, it's an irony that the Star Trek Magazine gives IFM the only negative pro or semipro review I've seen so far... I'm more bothered by not having the big Scotty image from last month's "next month" on the cover. And greatly relieved that TV Zone no longer exist!

 

[j3067]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

^ Perhaps Star Trek Mag has been infiltrated by changelings. I thought IFM was the best trek that I have read book since Destiny.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

^ Perhaps Star Trek Mag has been infiltrated by changelings. I thought IFM was the best trek that I have read book since Destiny.

Nah, like most of the con- comments I've seen, it's mostly down to a feeling that the guest cast is a bit fanwanky, and since that was part of the brief ("add more familiar faces" to be precise), I don't mind - just find it ironic.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

Right. My thought is if he is trapped in a Q mine, who else is better suited to get him out (if he's still alive . . . . ). Great astrophysics concept, btw.

Ah, the toroidal continuum fold... actually built out of a couple of real scientific thingies to produce an interesting hybrid - and who knows, maybe they can be!

I swear, though, between that and the whole Split Infinite Tipler and wormhole thing, next time I'm going to pitch something a damn sight simpler to wrap my head around...

I consider myself fairly well educated in space science and I got to say I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that one with the Hera being fluxed and such. But that is what was great about it; the concept was so alien and a challenge to our normal picture of the universe. I have always found pocket universes and similar concepts fascinating. The second half of the book was like Titan with its story wrapped around a strange scientific theory. It is the kind of idea that makes Trek special.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

My Complete Review:

On the whole, I have to say this is a true Trek tale and what the franchise is all about- exploring the unknown and causing you to think about your view of the universe. That said, to me the story is divided up into three parts: establishing the mystery around the NX-07 Intrepid, the Rasmussen/Bok plot, and solving the mystery of the phenomenon behind what happened to the Intrepid. Of these, I didn’t care too much about the R/B story but loved the other two. I feel the author has a pleasant writing style and weaved a good story but I did feel there were some needless conversations that went nowhere, and there were times I felt the story jumped around too much during key happenings that should had been developed more instead of cutting to a different scene so quickly. I also felt there were too many cameos to the point it seemed that the author just wanted to fit in all his favored characters and couldn’t limit his choices; that said, at first this annoyed me but later I appreciated the inclusion as it brought back so many memories from the shows.

The first part of the book set the stage for a great mystery and I enjoyed seeing the 24th century characters on the NX set as I did reading Destiny. It reminded me of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels when the tale of how a ship was lost is imagined and then the wreck is investigated later when the wreckage is key to the modern plot.

The second part of the book involving Rasmussen and Bok just plain bored me. Not that this part wasn’t well written or the characters not realistic but it just didn’t fit in with the first and third part of the book and the plot they were involved in wasn’t interesting nor were the antagonists. I only stuck through at this point because the mystery at the beginning was so well laid that I wanted to know what happened.

Indistinguishable from Magic REALLY soared in the third part involving Sela and the pretzel-pocket universe. This was the best Sela story I have read and I felt McIntee did an excellent job not only making her a realistic Romulan antagonist but also exploring the inner conflict she must have being a “half-breed” in a xenophobic society. The scientific concepts central to the plot, the living planet and spaceships as well as the torusal universe were the type of concepts Trek is all about and were quite “fascinating”. They were the type of elements you typically only find in the Titan series anymore. I enjoyed trying to grasp and explore these concepts even when I put the book down. The moss-skeleton creatures were an equally interesting idea and were a creative spin on classical zombies.

Though the middle of the book was a chore to get through to me, unraveling the mystery was so incredibly done that I was glad I read it. I went from intrigued, to bored, to excited. I recommend the book despite the parts I didn’t like. I see much potential for McIntee as a Trek writer and look forward to his future works.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

^^ Great comments. Everybody likes something a little different, so one does try to have something for everyone in it.

 

[Deks]

Re: Star Trek: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic Review Thread

I just finished reading the novel.
A pretty good read.
:-)
Though, one thing that I noticed (although I may have simply overlooked it) was that they never established exactly why was the NX-07's hull showing up signs of being 2 thousand years old.
To me it seemed as if that little tidbit was simply... dropped, or I somehow missed it.