Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions SPOILERS*

fleetcaptain · Nov 7, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

This was such a good book, just like the last 2. It was nice to see Mac Calhoun make a cameo. I figured PAD would have someone from NF make an appearance. It was nice to read the last book for the 20th anniversary of TNG, now just have to work on the ebooks.

I know some people hate some of this book but you know it was good. With IDW coming out with an Borg Spotlight and having the Enterprise-E this time in it, well its just interesting to see if there will be more Borg encounters after all of this.
I have to also say it was also nice to see Chakotay make a small appearance as well, even through he didn't say a word at all.

Smiley · Nov 7, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

I absolutely loved Before Dishonor! I can understand the problems people have with how the new characters were treated, but I can rationalize them pretty easily, and they worked within the context of the story being told. A few random points:

1. The Borg were both interesting and frightening again in BH, something which Resistance failed to accomplish.

2. Continuity with filmed and written stories was excellent.

3. Spock and Calhoun make any story better, and they got great roles here.

4. I liked Grim Vargo, but wouldn't it be cool if Okona was the story's rogue?

5. I'm really glad T'Lana is on the way out. She was tolerable at best, and she was downright irritating in the two Borg novels.

6. Janeway's death is obviously not going to stick. The reason it is not being talked about very much is that she is obviously around somehow to talk to Lady Q (see Chapter 49). That said, if that chapter was not included, it would still be a fitting death. She stopped the Borg and saved Seven.

7. Geordi finally got something interesting to do, and his scenes on the Doomsday Machine with Spock and Seven were wonderful.

8. Worf = badass.

9. I liked how the virus from "I, Borg" came into play during BH. There was a little bit of veiled criticism of VOY's finale. PAD wrote something to the effect of "Endgame needed a little more work." Being a big fan of the episode, I will choose to take that at face value.

10. The revelation of Stephens surprised me. I thought that it would be McHenry, not Lady Q.

Before Dishonor gets my second 10/10 for 2007, the first one being The Sorrows of Empire in Glass Empires. Peter David has bettered his first Borg novel, Vendetta, and he was written a Trek book that desesrves to be considered alongside Imzadi and Q-Squared in the TNG mythos.

CaptainDonovin · Nov 7, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

Now that you say it I was thinking of McHenry too but maybe PAD is saving his return for something else.

JD · Nov 7, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

^Perhaps he didn't want to put more than one NF character in the TNG book, and/or wanted to save McHenry for future NF stories.

Baerbel Haddrell · Nov 7, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

I think concerning the first part we have to agree to disagree but what you said about Voyager Relaunch makes sense to me. Even without a time gap between the so far last Voyager Relaunch book and "Before Dishonor", the books would have to look for another carrying character. With DS9 it was easy: I don`t think there was any competition, it had to be Kira. I am not so sure that Chakotay could fill the same role. Or Voyager Relaunch would have to find a different format.

I have been thinking about why the three mutineers got so much support and I think one factor must be that the Enterprise has a lot of new personnell on board who don`t know Picard very well. Unfortunately you seem to be right and also STarfleet Academy is drilling very early into cadets to follow orders, no matter what. Yes, at least that aspect of the mutiny makes more sense to me now but I am very disappointed that there were so many officers on board with that narrow minded attitude.

Turtletrekker · Nov 8, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

To be honest, I really don't think that we've seen the last of Kathryn Janeway. The ending with Lady Q, a being who can alter time and space, was ambiguous enough for Janeway's story to go just about anywhere. Remember that Q once told Picard that he was dead as well. And Janeway herself brought up the precedent of Spock. And all of this talk about "Destiny" at the end? With "Star Trek: Destiny" just a year away? The plot, as they say, thickens.

Frankly, the ending of "Before Dishonor" reminded me of Sisko's departure in "What You Leave Behind" and the ending of Shatner's "The Return". Both very ambiguous and leading into something more.

fleetcaptain · Nov 8, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

I think you have something started Turtle. I willingly bet the writers for Star Trek: Destiny are going to look at what we say like usual. I also think Janeway is going to return. I know for a fact we haven't seen the last of her.
It was interesting to see Lady Q posing as Jon Stephens through. Wouldn't be surprised if there actually was such a person and he turned up on the Enterprise eventually. LOL.

David Mack · Nov 8, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

^ There is only one writer for the Star Trek Destiny trilogy, and it's me.

And trust me...you have no idea what I'm going to do. :evil:

Smiley · Nov 8, 2007

Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****

^^Considering that David Mack probably had the whole trilogy outlined months before Before Dishonor was published, I'm not betting that this discussion will change the course of events to a noticeable degree.

On a different note, it seems like the advertising is encouraging people to skip books. Resistance had an excerpt for Before Dishonor. Before Dishonor mentions Destiny within the prose itself. I find it kind of strange that no in-book advertising was done for Q&A or Greater than the Sum in the most logical titles.

Christopher · Nov 8, 2007