I just finished reading the book. Federation, by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. It’s hard to find the words to describe it; the best single word is...moving. I had been expecting a very good book going in, but it was pretty slow going at the beginning, with a lot of exposition and slow development. Still, the characterizations and interactions between both captains with Sarek were pleasant, and a fitting foreshadowing of the synchronicity between them that would develop more fully through the course of the book.
Then, things started popping, and the middle of the book was one big ol’ rip-snortin’ wild adventure. Written almost like one of the old movie serials (in the sense that chapters constantly ended with Our Heroes in some new peril), this section of the book was filled with bold strategies and battles of wits, while still containing some quieter scenes, with some heavy “intelligent technobabble” and plot progression. Perhaps my single favorite element of Star Trek is the Captain sitting in that center chair, plotting strategies and figuring out new ways to beat the odds and change the rules. These moments were legion in the book, and deeply, deeply enjoyable. Some might consider it a little fannish, almost worshipful of the captains and their abilities, but I think this is just proper tribute to those elements that made Star Trek, at its best, as memorable as it is. Truly, a grand adventure.
In the end, the perils ended, and somehow, the epilogue became every bit as pleasurable as the encounters themselves. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens truly understand the soul of not only Captains Kirk and Picard, but of Star Trek itself, in my opinion, and the pounding crescendo of action and bold deeds dissolved into a beautiful, rhapsodic soliloquy about the journey, the endless quest, and the beauty of life itself.
I’ve been reading through the whole list of Star Trek books, and while most have been entertaining to some degree, many have been quite mundane (“planet of the week adventures,” as they say), and I honestly think that somewhere along the lines, I forgot just how absolutely moving a Star Trek story can be. I don’t think I’ve been as riveted by a Star Trek book since “The Ashes of Eden,” which was the book that brought me deep into the fold, after having been a half-hearted Trekkie for most of my life. Just as “The Ashes of Eden” (not surprisingly, co-written by the same authors) showed me how exciting (and moving, in its own way) a Star Trek book can be, “Federation” reminded me of that fundamental ability that Star Trek (and indeed, all of science fiction) has to tear right through flesh and reach a person’s soul.
If you’ve read it, maybe your experience with “Federation” wasn’t as positive; if so, you’re probably wondering what I’m smoking. I don’t mind; everyone’s experience can’t be the same. The Reeves-Stevenses have that combination of factors that is uniquely able to captivate someone like me, and they’ve certainly secured the position as my favorite authors, hands down. I wish everyone could feel the way I felt about this book, but then, in other cases, I’ve wished that I could feel the way somebody else did about a book, but I was unable to. It’s all a personal thing. Still, this was a stirring experience I won’t soon forget, and I’m kinda sorry that the Reeves-Stevenses don’t come around here, so that I could have a chance to thank them personally.
Then, things started popping, and the middle of the book was one big ol’ rip-snortin’ wild adventure. Written almost like one of the old movie serials (in the sense that chapters constantly ended with Our Heroes in some new peril), this section of the book was filled with bold strategies and battles of wits, while still containing some quieter scenes, with some heavy “intelligent technobabble” and plot progression. Perhaps my single favorite element of Star Trek is the Captain sitting in that center chair, plotting strategies and figuring out new ways to beat the odds and change the rules. These moments were legion in the book, and deeply, deeply enjoyable. Some might consider it a little fannish, almost worshipful of the captains and their abilities, but I think this is just proper tribute to those elements that made Star Trek, at its best, as memorable as it is. Truly, a grand adventure.
In the end, the perils ended, and somehow, the epilogue became every bit as pleasurable as the encounters themselves. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens truly understand the soul of not only Captains Kirk and Picard, but of Star Trek itself, in my opinion, and the pounding crescendo of action and bold deeds dissolved into a beautiful, rhapsodic soliloquy about the journey, the endless quest, and the beauty of life itself.
I’ve been reading through the whole list of Star Trek books, and while most have been entertaining to some degree, many have been quite mundane (“planet of the week adventures,” as they say), and I honestly think that somewhere along the lines, I forgot just how absolutely moving a Star Trek story can be. I don’t think I’ve been as riveted by a Star Trek book since “The Ashes of Eden,” which was the book that brought me deep into the fold, after having been a half-hearted Trekkie for most of my life. Just as “The Ashes of Eden” (not surprisingly, co-written by the same authors) showed me how exciting (and moving, in its own way) a Star Trek book can be, “Federation” reminded me of that fundamental ability that Star Trek (and indeed, all of science fiction) has to tear right through flesh and reach a person’s soul.
If you’ve read it, maybe your experience with “Federation” wasn’t as positive; if so, you’re probably wondering what I’m smoking. I don’t mind; everyone’s experience can’t be the same. The Reeves-Stevenses have that combination of factors that is uniquely able to captivate someone like me, and they’ve certainly secured the position as my favorite authors, hands down. I wish everyone could feel the way I felt about this book, but then, in other cases, I’ve wished that I could feel the way somebody else did about a book, but I was unable to. It’s all a personal thing. Still, this was a stirring experience I won’t soon forget, and I’m kinda sorry that the Reeves-Stevenses don’t come around here, so that I could have a chance to thank them personally.
