Burning Dreams

[Trent Roman]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

^ "Lost a planet, Commodore Wesley has. How embarrassing."



Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Ronald Held]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Was he a commodore in that TAS episode?

 

[Marco Palmieri]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

^No, a governor.

Actor Barry Russo, who played Wesley in the live-action series, first appeared on Star Trek as Enterprise security officer Commander Giotto in "The Devil in the Dark."

 

[HortaVorta]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

I just wanted to wedge a word or two of gratitude in here to garamet, for a thoroughly absorbing read. I'm but a few chapters in, but I'm well-hooked. I've always found the few hints the show gave of the Talosians' history rather fascinating, as I do any evocative exploration of the civilian side of Federation life (something I think you, Ms. Bonanno, excel at). Moreover the interpersonal dynamic in Pike's early life rings true and is effecting, redolent of memory. Not to be too effusive, but I only picked up my copy today and I'm still amidst that new book high.

 

[Rat Boy]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

HortaVorta said:
I just wanted to wedge a word or two of gratitude in here to garamet, for a thoroughly absorbing read. I'm but a few chapters in, but I'm well-hooked. I've always found the few hints the show gave of the Talosians' history rather fascinating, as I do any evocative exploration of the civilian side of Federation life (something I think you, Ms. Bonanno, excel at). Moreover the interpersonal dynamic in Pike's early life rings true and is effecting, redolent of memory. Not to be too effusive, but I only picked up my copy today and I'm still amidst that new book high.

You forgot to add, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

 

[Steve Roby]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

I'm going to post a review of Burning Dreams in the next day or so, but for now...

I have a couple of quibbles with the book, like for instance it seemed to me like a lot of the most emotionally powerful stuff was relatively early in the book. But in general, it's a strong and welcome novel, a must read for TOS fans (and non-TOS fans open to a really good read).

 

[Elemental]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Yeah, I would really have liked to see more attention given to the events surrounding Pike's accident. When compared to the events when Pike was a kid and Pike's "mutiny" (which were both incredibly interesting and detailed!), this seemed like almost an after-thought.

 

[HortaVorta]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Rat Boy said:
You forgot to add, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Or indeed, "Whooopieeeee!"

 

[garamet]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Elemental said:
Yeah, I would really have liked to see more attention given to the events surrounding Pike's accident. When compared to the events when Pike was a kid and Pike's "mutiny" (which were both incredibly interesting and detailed!), this seemed like almost an after-thought.

That's a valid criticism, though my feeling was that the mood was set in "Menagerie" and that the sight of Pike onscreen after the accident, coupled with Mendez' description of what happened, was sufficient to let viewers fill in the blanks on their own.

Sometimes what your imagination can supply is better than what I could write. Or, to look at it another way, the events surrounding the accident were meant to be sketchy so that they could be interactive - I wanted to make you work for those scenes.

 

[Sxottlan]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Rat Boy said:
(a sidenote; was I the only one picturing the Columbia NX-02 as the ship that the expedition was using?)

Not at all. I figured it was the same ship too. It could have easily been decommissioned, refit and then sold or donated to a private group.

 

[Valin]

I finished this novel the other day, and really enjoyed it. IMO, it's MWB's best Trek novel, and up there with Diane Carey's "Final Frontier" as my two favorite Trek backstory novels.

 

[Steve Roby]

Re: My review at Amazon.com....

Finally posted my review of Burning Dreams at my blog.

Some quibbles, but in general, we're still in the Golden Age of Star Trek fiction, and this is a worthy part of the celebration of 40 years of Star Trek.

 

[Warped9]

Allyn Gibson said:
What I've read of Burning Dreams is simply fab. It is, quite simply, the Star Trek novel for people who don't read Star Trek novels, which means it's even better for those of us who do.

I really hope this pans out because I took a chance and picked this up. I may begin reading it this weekend.

 

[ClayinCA]

Valin said:
I finished this novel the other day, and really enjoyed it. IMO, it's MWB's best Trek novel, and up there with Diane Carey's "Final Frontier" as my two favorite Trek backstory novels.

I'd agree on all counts, with the addition of MWB's Strangers from the Sky - fantastic book, and it captures all the characters beautifully.

 

[Warped9]

Valin said:
I finished this novel the other day, and really enjoyed it. IMO, it's MWB's best Trek novel, and up there with Diane Carey's "Final Frontier" as my two favorite Trek backstory novels.

Final Frontier remains one of my favourite Trek reads even though I don't think it fits continuity. I just like how it was done overall. If Burning Dreams is indeed on that level then I'll be happy even if I end up disagreeing with its take on continuity.

 

[Timo]

The Spaceflight Chronology style dates aside, I don't think Final Frontier is much of a continuity problem. It only describes a secret mission of an unnamed starship steered by people whose lives are only briefly affected by this mission. And even though a certain character makes certain suggestions about the identity of that starship, there is no reason to take those suggestions seriously...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Warped9]

^^ True enough. There is just enough vagueness to make it work. And there's no real reason not to think the "the Empress" eventually became the [/i]Constitution.[/i] I like that better because it's less "cute and tidy."

 

[Valin]

Warped9 said:

Valin said:
I finished this novel the other day, and really enjoyed it. IMO, it's MWB's best Trek novel, and up there with Diane Carey's "Final Frontier" as my two favorite Trek backstory novels.

Final Frontier remains one of my favourite Trek reads even though I don't think it fits continuity. I just like how it was done overall. If Burning Dreams is indeed on that level then I'll be happy even if I end up disagreeing with its take on continuity.

My take on continuity has always been the same as that of the original series, as long as it's a good story, continuity be damned.

 

[Warped9]

*Sigh*

I'm halfway through BD as of this afternoon and I'm sad to say that while this is written decently enough it just doesn't have the adventurous feel of Final Frontier. And I think it is very much a Trek book for contemporary Trek fans because so far it's not really a Star Trek adventure about something, but really just a character examination. So far MWB has simply extrapolated on Pike's character from what little is known of him from "The Cage" and set herself to explore the scabs on his soul. I did smile over the cute reference to Spider Robinson's Callahan's bar though.

I hope it gets better but I'm not optimistic.

 

[Trent Roman]

Warped9 said:
And I think it is very much a Trek book for contemporary Trek fans (...)

As opposed to...? Wouldn't make much sense for Pocket to be making Trek books for contemporary My Little Pony fans or somesuch.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman