My review of "Kobayashi Maru" [SPOILERS!]

[Sxottlan]

I'm just a few chapters in, but the way this is written is really giving me fits.

I keep thinking back to that blogger that got everyone all upset with his comments on that chapter, but after reading it myself, I admit I think I really agree with him. That line on page 18 about "a small arc of hope sliding inexorably down into a parabola of despair." C'mon!

Let's just say there have been many instances where I have laughed where it was certainly not intended.

Here's hoping it gets better.

 

[Procutus]

I'm not too far into it yet, but I'm really enjoying it. I'm glad that after all these year, the events leading up to the Earth/Romulan War are being explored.

 

[BillJ]

Very entertaining read.

I find it funny how the books have been able to rehabilitate a TV series I really didn't like (Enterprise), yet screw the pooch entirely on a TV series I loved (TNG).

Really liked how Archer had to abandon the Kobayashi Maru in order to save his ship, truly a no win scenario. Really disliked the Trip cliffhanger in Epilogue Two... we already now he lives. Kind of kills any suspense regarding him going into the next novel.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Eeesh. Talk about Star Trek entering "modern vernacular". Now we have an authentication of the dang F-word?!

Funny Historical Note: The F-word is actually an acronym, standing for Fornicating Under Command of the King.

It comes from the time of William Wallace (a.k.a. Braveheart), where awesome-looking ladies-man knights would, under command of the king, sneak over to the other side and start makin' it with the babes over there. Reasons are obvious--creates scandals, gets info from the gals who knew stuff, and so on.



I kid you not.

Actually, you are kidding, even though you may not know it yet: What you just said is an urban legend, nothing more. Link

 

[William Leisner]

Eeesh. Talk about Star Trek entering "modern vernacular". Now we have an authentication of the dang F-word?!

Funny Historical Note: The F-word is actually an acronym, standing for Fornicating Under Command of the King.

It comes from the time of William Wallace (a.k.a. Braveheart), where awesome-looking ladies-man knights would, under command of the king, sneak over to the other side and start makin' it with the babes over there. Reasons are obvious--creates scandals, gets info from the gals who knew stuff, and so on.



I kid you not.

Actually, you are kidding, even though you may not know it yet: What you just said is an urban legend, nothing more. Link

Actually, he knew it nine days ago...

 

[Sci]

This is actually a fairly minor piece of minutiae, but I really liked that Kobayashi Maru finally confirmed where United Earth's capital is -- San Francisco. Granted, I would have preferred a less America-centric or less Western-centric capital -- say, Mogadishu or Beijing or Seoul -- but it's nice to finally know where UE's capital city is.

 

[JeremyW]

Eeesh. Talk about Star Trek entering "modern vernacular". Now we have an authentication of the dang F-word?!

I finished reading Kobayashi Maru two days after picking it up. I thought the book was awesome, and loved how the title of the book is appropriate for the entire narrative, and not just the ship that bears the name. (Review forthcoming) I had misconceptions about the book, especially the part with Columbia. I had it in my mind that Destiny would pick up the Columbia narrative from the point where Andy and Mike left off...from the Destiny preview chapters, I learned that is not the case. I look forward to seeing what Columbia's fate is next week when I pick up Gods of Night.

I loved the book, but I absolutely loathed the part mentioned above with the Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot...I could have done with just this, but to actually print the word...I'm not the biggest fan of swearing as a whole, and try to cut a lot of it out of my dialogue (still have some ways to go...I have at least 10 years of profanity to get out of my system), but one thing I have a hard time with is seeing it in print. It doesn't add to the story, but that being said, I'm not going to NOT read a story because of a profanity here in there...from my perspective, you can tell the same story without the 'colorful metaphors'.

 

[JD]

This is actually a fairly minor piece of minutiae, but I really liked that Kobayashi Maru finally confirmed where United Earth's capital is -- San Francisco. Granted, I would have preferred a less America-centric or less Western-centric capital -- say, Mogadishu or Beijing or Seoul -- but it's nice to finally know where UE's capital city is.

While I do agree with you about wishing it wasn't so American-centric, it does kind of make sense to make the capital of the UE the same place as the capital of the UFP.

 

[Trent Roman]

Why do you say that the capital of the Federation is San Francisco? It's the headquarters of Starfleet, but the offices of Federation government that we saw onscreen were in Paris. Unless by 'same place' you meant planet rather than city?

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[JD]

Crap, I was thinking that the SF headquarters are the UFP Capital for some reason.

 

[Sci]

^^ Yeah, Articles of the Federation established pretty clearly that the Federation capital is Paris. Which, again, is a bit Western-centric, but oh well. (To be fair, AotF was following the lead of Star Trek VI, where the President's office is in Paris.)

Though I don't think that it necessarily makes sense for the Federation capital to be in the same city as the United Earth capital, as you suggested it might. If anything, I would think that both the physical resources needed to support both a planetary and interstellar government, and a desire to establish a sort of "Federation national capital identity" distinct from that of Earth itself, would prompt early Federates to establish the Federation capital in a city other than the UE capital.

(Personally, I was always rooting for Mogadishu to be the capital of United Earth, but oh wells! )

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

Eeesh. Talk about Star Trek entering "modern vernacular". Now we have an authentication of the dang F-word?!

I finished reading Kobayashi Maru two days after picking it up. I thought the book was awesome, and loved how the title of the book is appropriate for the entire narrative, and not just the ship that bears the name. (Review forthcoming) I had misconceptions about the book, especially the part with Columbia. I had it in my mind that Destiny would pick up the Columbia narrative from the point where Andy and Mike left off...from the Destiny preview chapters, I learned that is not the case. I look forward to seeing what Columbia's fate is next week when I pick up Gods of Night.

I loved the book, but I absolutely loathed the part mentioned above with the Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot...I could have done with just this, but to actually print the word...I'm not the biggest fan of swearing as a whole, and try to cut a lot of it out of my dialogue (still have some ways to go...I have at least 10 years of profanity to get out of my system), but one thing I have a hard time with is seeing it in print. It doesn't add to the story, but that being said, I'm not going to NOT read a story because of a profanity here in there...from my perspective, you can tell the same story without the 'colorful metaphors'.

I agree with hating the "WTF" portion of the book. Not only do I believe that dropping the "F" bomb is beneath Trek in general, but "WTF" is such a thoroughly modern phrasing that it pulled me completely out of the narrative.

 

[Zane Gray]

I understand the dislike of the WTF, but on the other hand, the Enterprise characters are supposed to be more like people today than the starfleet officers of Kirk and Picard's time. I think that was one of the ideas behind the show. The crew is a little rougher, a little more flawed.

 

[Sci]

I understand the dislike of the WTF, but on the other hand, the Enterprise characters are supposed to be more like people today than the starfleet officers of Kirk and Picard's time. I think that was one of the ideas behind the show. The crew is a little rougher, a little more flawed.

Yeah. It's only 150 years into the future; why wouldn't we presume that some aspects of modern language would survive?

 

[JD]

^^ Yeah, Articles of the Federation established pretty clearly that the Federation capital is Paris. Which, again, is a bit Western-centric, but oh well. (To be fair, AotF was following the lead of Star Trek VI, where the President's office is in Paris.)

Though I don't think that it necessarily makes sense for the Federation capital to be in the same city as the United Earth capital, as you suggested it might. If anything, I would think that both the physical resources needed to support both a planetary and interstellar government, and a desire to establish a sort of "Federation national capital identity" distinct from that of Earth itself, would prompt early Federates to establish the Federation capital in a city other than the UE capital.

(Personally, I was always rooting for Mogadishu to be the capital of United Earth, but oh wells! )

Is there a specific reason why you like Mogadishu so much? I don't have a problem with it, I'm just curious.

 

[Sci]

^^ Yeah, Articles of the Federation established pretty clearly that the Federation capital is Paris. Which, again, is a bit Western-centric, but oh well. (To be fair, AotF was following the lead of Star Trek VI, where the President's office is in Paris.)

Though I don't think that it necessarily makes sense for the Federation capital to be in the same city as the United Earth capital, as you suggested it might. If anything, I would think that both the physical resources needed to support both a planetary and interstellar government, and a desire to establish a sort of "Federation national capital identity" distinct from that of Earth itself, would prompt early Federates to establish the Federation capital in a city other than the UE capital.

(Personally, I was always rooting for Mogadishu to be the capital of United Earth, but oh wells! )

Is there a specific reason why you like Mogadishu so much? I don't have a problem with it, I'm just curious.

I mean, it's semi-arbitrary, but I was thinking that it would be really neat if we had this city that's just absolutely war-torn, in this country that is, frankly, a failed state -- if Star Trek would take that and say, "This, this city in the middle of a war-torn Third World country? This will recover, this will grow and become peaceful and prosperous. This will be where all of humanity gathers to govern itself for the betterment of its citizens?" I think that would just be an incredible statement of hope and equality, much moreso than just saying that another big Western city will lead the world again.

 

[William Leisner]

I'd just like to mention here, for no particular reason, that I've got most of Losing the Peace written, and that some elements of that novel were conceived well before this thread was started.

Again, I mention this for no reason whatsoever. Sorry to derail the discussion...

 

[JD]

Well, that's good to know.

 

[Christopher]

I agree with hating the "WTF" portion of the book. Not only do I believe that dropping the "F" bomb is beneath Trek in general, but "WTF" is such a thoroughly modern phrasing that it pulled me completely out of the narrative.

The initialism WTF is a modern phrasing, but I'm sure "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is much older. Soldiers have been cursing for a long time. What do you think the F in SNAFU and FUBAR stands for?

 

[Dayton Ward]

Fluxxed.


I mean, military folks would never use such profane language, would they?