Spoilers DS9: The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko by Derek Tyler Attico Review Thread

[David cgc]

Blurb:
The fascinating life of Starfleet’s celebrated captain, and Bajor’s Emissary of the Prophets, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Benjamin Sisko tells the story of his career in Starfleet, and his life as a father and Bajor’s Emissary to the Prophets. Chart his rise through the ranks, his pioneering work designing the Defiant class, his critical role as ambassador and leader during the Dominion War, and his sacred standing as a religious leader of his adopted home.

Explore the hidden history of his childhood and early career in Starfleet, and the innermost thoughts of the man who made first contact with the wormhole aliens and opened safe passage to the Gamma Quadrant, and united Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan forces to defeat the Dominion. Discover Sisko’s personal take on his confidantes Lieutenant Dax and Major Kira Nerys, the enigmatic Garak, and his adversaries, Gul Dukat and Kai Winn, as well as his fatherly advice for his son Jake.

Passing on lessons from father to son, from his experiences with the Prophets to the writings of Benny Russell, Sisko’s story is a unique phenomenon in Starfleet and human history, told in the way only he can.

https://titanbooks.com/71637-the-autobiography-of-benjamin-sisko/

 

[Oddish]

Ooooo... awesome!

 

[F. King Daniel]

Haven't read it yet, but like the prior ones, the art in this is really cool. Sample.

 

[Oddish]

A lot of stuff from Janeway's is in my head canon to this day.

 

[Dukhat]

Haven't read it yet, but like the prior ones, the art in this is really cool. Sample.

Kid Sisko is cute. Ensign Sisko and Lt. Cmdr Curzon Dax looks horribly photoshopped.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Ensign Sisko and Lt. Cmdr Curzon Dax looks horribly photoshopped.

Is that who that's supposed to be? That must be an invention of the book, then, because I don't think there was anything in the series that even remotely hinted that Curzon had a career in Starfleet at some point, was there?

 

[The Wormhole]

Finished it today. It's alright, though pretty much everything you'd expect from the other Autobiographies as far as fanwank goes. Particularly all the various characters Sisko meets are has connections to.

Spoiler

Let's see, his grandparents on his mother's side were Starfleet officers who served with Uhura. He's inspired to join Starfleet after reading Pike's Autobiography (possible hint at the next edition in this series?) At the Academy, Sisko was friends with Susanna Leijten (from TNG Identity Crisis) dated Tryla Scott (TNG Conspiracy) was taught by Admiral Savar (also Conspiracy). The Commandant of the Academy while Sisko attended was Admiral Paris and during an emergency drill (which was started as a reaction to the Xindi attack) Sisko has to work with Geordi La Forge. He also has a run in during his Academy years with Kosinsky (TNG Where No One Has Gone Before). He's served with Data and a direct descendant of Margaret Thatcher. And Shelby and Leah Brahms worked with him to design the Defiant, in fact Brahms conferred with him while she was on the Enterprise D in Galaxy's Child.

And that's just the ones I remember off the top of my head.

Is that who that's supposed to be? That must be an invention of the book, then, because I don't think there was anything in the series that even remotely hinted that Curzon had a career in Starfleet at some point, was there?

Actually, that's where things get weird. The book itself specifies Curzon Dax is a civilian diplomat, just for some reason he's wearing a Starfleet uniform in that photo. But like we've been mentioning in the other thread, they made some weird choices regarding the photo inserts this time.

 

[Dukhat]

Is that who that's supposed to be? That must be an invention of the book, then, because I don't think there was anything in the series that even remotely hinted that Curzon had a career in Starfleet at some point, was there?

Nope. He was never in Starfleet. And if he was, don’t you think Starfleet Medical would have known he was a joined species way before the TNG episode where they found out?

 

[Tosk]

Kid Sisko is cute. Ensign Sisko and Lt. Cmdr Curzon Dax looks horribly photoshopped.

A mix of photoshop and A.I. generated I think. Curzon looks quite A.I. (at least partially) in the face, while Sisko's face seems to be taken from (if I'm not mistaken) his Orb experience on Gilgo Beach.

Particularly all the various characters Sisko meets are has connections to.

It's a small world after all.

 

[Stevil2001]

Haven't read it yet, but like the prior ones, the art in this is really cool. Sample.

The complete lack of attempt to evoke 1950s sf magazine cover art is honestly kind of impressive.

 

[Tuskin38]

mix of photoshop and A.I. generated I think. Curzon looks quite A.I. (at least partially) in the face,

I don't see it. the Picard autobio also had some odd looking faces, but that was years before any mainstream AI generators.

 

[Christopher]

I'd assumed the Curson photo was based on a photo of Frank Owen Smith, who played the dying Curzon in "Emissary" flashbacks. But I can't find any photos of him online except for clips from that scene. The face in the "Curzon" photo in the book does look kind of familiar, though.

 

[Tosk]

I don't see it. the Picard autobio also had some odd looking faces, but that was years before any mainstream AI generators.

The oddities in the Picard one are definitely due to just being photoshopped. But more than one of the images in the Sisko autobio have that (IMO) tell-tale look of current A.I. stuff.

I could very well be wrong about Curzon, but to my eye he has that (hard to define) "plastic smooth and yet still detailed" look of current A.I. stuff.

Here's kid Sisko with his (again, IMO) partially A.I. family.

------

Unrelated to possible A.I., the face of Ben has been made by taking a season three promo image, I don't know if they used a common app to alter his smile or if they did it manually.

while Sisko's face seems to be taken from (if I'm not mistaken) his Orb experience on Gilgo Beach.

Confirmed, it is. Flipped, moved his eyes and hairline, and futzed with his cheek a tiny bit.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Nope. He was never in Starfleet. And if he was, don’t you think Starfleet Medical would have known he was a joined species way before the TNG episode where they found out?

Sisko once said he "served" (his word) with Curzon. That would seem to indicate that Curzon was indeed in Starfleet.

Probably not for very long, but there we are.

And I'm sure there's any number of ways that knowledge of the symbionts could be kept secret, even then. Hell, Curzon could have asked his ship's CMO to cover it up...

 

[Dukhat]

The oddities in the Picard one are definitely due to just being photoshopped. But more than one of the images in the Sisko autobio have that (IMO) tell-tale look of current A.I. stuff.

I could very well be wrong about Curzon, but to my eye he has that (hard to define) "plastic smooth and yet still detailed" look of current A.I. stuff.

Here's kid Sisko with his (again, IMO) partially A.I. family.

------

Unrelated to possible A.I., the face of Ben has been made by taking a season three promo image, I don't know if they used a common app to alter his smile or if they did it manually.

Confirmed, it is. Flipped, moved his eyes and hairline, and futzed with his cheek a tiny bit.

Would it have cost them too much money to just take some photos of actual people rather than this clearly fake-looking AI crap?

Sisko once said he "served" (his word) with Curzon. That would seem to indicate that Curzon was indeed in Starfleet.

Didn't Sisko serve with Curzon in the Diplomatic Corps or something? That would imply Curzon was an ambassador, not necessarily serving in Starfleet.

And I'm sure there's any number of ways that knowledge of the symbionts could be kept secret, even then. Hell, Curzon could have asked his ship's CMO to cover it up...

Yeah, that's true. I would prefer he didn't serve in Starfleet, however.

 

[Tosk]

I think maybe Curzon served with Sisko the same way that Joe Sisko was able to recover from his implied death.

Real question, if Curzon was assigned to the Livingston in his ambassadorial role for several months, could Sisko rightfully refer to that as having "served together?"

 

[The Wormhole]

According to the book, Curzon used his influence to basically co-opt Sisko to be his aide, to the point that Sisko's superior officers didn't even bother giving him Starfleet tasks to do since Curzon would just use his influence to countermand whatever Sisko was ordered to do by Starfleet. So in that sense, they did "serve together."

 

[CaptChris42]

Lots of little threads and background explored with this one. Nice to see New Orleans so detailed too.
Sisko seemed to meet a lot of fairly well known Starfleet graduates too, which can be a bit 'small universe' syndrome, but I do mostly like the ones selected.
Including seeing Tryla Scott, and tying her into the Tzenkethi war. That and the time on the USS Okinawa does feel a bit rushed though (and about two years out from the Novelverse version, I believe - but that's by the by)

I liked the conceit used for the frame narrative, mostly, also.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

According to the book, Curzon used his influence to basically co-opt Sisko to be his aide, to the point that Sisko's superior officers didn't even bother giving him Starfleet tasks to do since Curzon would just use his influence to countermand whatever Sisko was ordered to do by Starfleet. So in that sense, they did "serve together."

Okay, I'll buy that.

 

[The Wormhole]

That and the time on the USS Okinawa does feel a bit rushed

My problem with how this book handled the Okinawa was that there wasn't any insight given into the bond that exists between Sisko and Leyton, aside from a brief mention towards the end of the book when Sisko is reflecting on betrayals and Leyton's name comes up. Homefront/Paradise Lost give the impression that Sisko and Leyton have history together. Leyton is Sisko's mentor and presuably one of the key figures that molded Sisko into the Starfleet officer he became when taking command of DS9. But in this book, Leyton is just another authority figure no more special than any of the various others we see throughout Sisko's life and career.