Burning Dreams
- Thread starter Bobatiel
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"Burning Dreams" was at Galaxy Bookshop, Sydney, tonight! They'd ordered a Very Large Batch, in anticipation of selling a lot of these air-freighted copies ahead of the official Aussie release in a few months time. Cool!
Just for explaining some of the inconsistencies in "The Cage" and "The Menagerie," and for bringing closure to Pike, Vina, and the Talosians, Burning Dreams is worth the read. There is much more to it than that, though.
Since this is a story dedicated to exploring the life of a single character, a sense of connection to Pike was crucial. The novel delivers that in spades, and I was constantly rooting for him, even when I knew that ill fortune was about to strike. Though he claims not to know what they are, this novel proves that Christopher Pike was a hero.
The supporting characters are all handled quite well. Not only do they feel real, but they all serve to illuminate some aspect of Pike's personality and character. All of the characters made an impression on this reader and sparked emotions, which is not an easy feat.
One of the coolest things about Burning Dreams is the new perspective it offers about certain events. Scenes that we think we know well are given new meaning by seeing them through different eyes or with greater knowledge.
The story of Christopher Pike is captivating and has some definite touches of greatness. I give it a 9/10, and I recommend it to anyone who liked the Pike episodes.
Since this is a story dedicated to exploring the life of a single character, a sense of connection to Pike was crucial. The novel delivers that in spades, and I was constantly rooting for him, even when I knew that ill fortune was about to strike. Though he claims not to know what they are, this novel proves that Christopher Pike was a hero.
The supporting characters are all handled quite well. Not only do they feel real, but they all serve to illuminate some aspect of Pike's personality and character. All of the characters made an impression on this reader and sparked emotions, which is not an easy feat.
One of the coolest things about Burning Dreams is the new perspective it offers about certain events. Scenes that we think we know well are given new meaning by seeing them through different eyes or with greater knowledge.
The story of Christopher Pike is captivating and has some definite touches of greatness. I give it a 9/10, and I recommend it to anyone who liked the Pike episodes.
Episodes? Oh, are you counting both "The Cage" and "The Menagerie?"
Yeah, but when I think of a Pike story, I reflexively think of "The Cage" first, and that's just one episode. It took me a moment to realize that "The Menagerie" could be considered a Pike story too, even aside from the flashbacks, because it tells of what happened to Pike 13 years later. Even though Jeffrey Hunter wasn't in it and Pike didn't have any lines other than "Beep" and "Beep-beep."
Usually involving startling Wile E. Coyote off a cliff or into his own deathtrap. Let's see Pike pull that off. (Now there's a Photoshop challenge....)
So I start crying at Newark Airport, waitin' for my flight at gate C115 when
!!!!!!
It was also near the end of the book and I knew I wouldn't have anything to read on the last leg of journey home.
GREAT READ!! More like this please. Thank goodness garamet's in the game again.
Tango's dying
It was also near the end of the book and I knew I wouldn't have anything to read on the last leg of journey home.
GREAT READ!! More like this please. Thank goodness garamet's in the game again.
^^I've read all of the Pike related novels (I think) and from what I remember there's not too much focus or development for anyone else besides Pike. I know in Peter David's "The Rift" Jose Tyler comes aboard the Ent-A as a commodore and I think the story pretty much focuses on him.
I finished reading the other day. I enjoyed getting to know Captain Pike a little more.
There are some good Pike-crew character moments in the flashback sequences of Legacy -- not featured story arcs, but the kind of character vignettes that are one of Michael Jan Friedman's trademarks. Also the Early Voyages comic develops its ensemble cast pretty well, although that includes characters original to the comic as well as TV characters.
My review at Amazon.com....
My 5-star review, just posted fresh at Amazon.com:
As Star Trek fans the world over celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved show's debut on NBC television, Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Burning Dreams" goes beyond the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, back to the youth of an earlier commander of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike.
"Burning Dreams" is a parallel story. While the framing story of the novel itself opens with a Talosian summons to Ambassador Spock, the real meat of the tale is found in visiting the life and experiences of Pike on Talos IV after his transport there in the first season Star Trek episode "The Menagerie".
Arriving on Talos IV, Pike leans to develop a deeper understanding of the telepathic link between himself, Vina, and the Talosians. In doing so, we are given a vehicle by which we can see the life of Chris Pike evolve from childhood to maturity. We see the challenges he faced in his youth, meet some old friends, and are given a chance to experience a mission with him aboard the Enterprise after his initial experience on Talos IV.
While each of these threads provide unique and compelling stories in-and-of themselves, Bonanno has managed to weave them together in a fufilling and exciting way, one that has a significant payoff as Chris Pike is given a chance to view Talos and to chart a course for his future and the future of the world he now calls home.
Along the way, we learn more about Vina, the Talosians, and even Spock... with each element of the story coming together at just the right time to produce a satisfying conclusion to one of the strongest novels I have read all year.
In "Burning Dreams", Bonanno has brought the depth of writing and thought that pervades her work to the life of Christopher Pike, and it is an experience that any Star Trek fan will not want to miss.
My 5-star review, just posted fresh at Amazon.com:
As Star Trek fans the world over celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved show's debut on NBC television, Margaret Wander Bonanno's "Burning Dreams" goes beyond the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, back to the youth of an earlier commander of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike.
"Burning Dreams" is a parallel story. While the framing story of the novel itself opens with a Talosian summons to Ambassador Spock, the real meat of the tale is found in visiting the life and experiences of Pike on Talos IV after his transport there in the first season Star Trek episode "The Menagerie".
Arriving on Talos IV, Pike leans to develop a deeper understanding of the telepathic link between himself, Vina, and the Talosians. In doing so, we are given a vehicle by which we can see the life of Chris Pike evolve from childhood to maturity. We see the challenges he faced in his youth, meet some old friends, and are given a chance to experience a mission with him aboard the Enterprise after his initial experience on Talos IV.
While each of these threads provide unique and compelling stories in-and-of themselves, Bonanno has managed to weave them together in a fufilling and exciting way, one that has a significant payoff as Chris Pike is given a chance to view Talos and to chart a course for his future and the future of the world he now calls home.
Along the way, we learn more about Vina, the Talosians, and even Spock... with each element of the story coming together at just the right time to produce a satisfying conclusion to one of the strongest novels I have read all year.
In "Burning Dreams", Bonanno has brought the depth of writing and thought that pervades her work to the life of Christopher Pike, and it is an experience that any Star Trek fan will not want to miss.
Re: My review at Amazon.com....
The story did two things that I thought especially worked out the best. The reader knew going in that Pike's backstory and life would be expanded upon, but he/she/s/he probably wasn't expecting Vina's to be fleshed out so well (a sidenote; was I the only one picturing the Columbia NX-02 as the ship that the expedition was using?) and picked up on and ran away with what I thought was the more surprising twist from "The Menagerie;" that the Talosians were trying to help Pike even after what they did to him in "The Cage." I'd be interested in finding out what happened to them after the scenes set in 2320 now (or then) that Spock had seen what a turn-around they made thanks to Pike's efforts and influence.
The story did two things that I thought especially worked out the best. The reader knew going in that Pike's backstory and life would be expanded upon, but he/she/s/he probably wasn't expecting Vina's to be fleshed out so well (a sidenote; was I the only one picturing the Columbia NX-02 as the ship that the expedition was using?) and picked up on and ran away with what I thought was the more surprising twist from "The Menagerie;" that the Talosians were trying to help Pike even after what they did to him in "The Cage." I'd be interested in finding out what happened to them after the scenes set in 2320 now (or then) that Spock had seen what a turn-around they made thanks to Pike's efforts and influence.
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