Opinions on the "Dark Passions" version of the mirror universe?

[Jayson]

I have noticed that we now have 3 version of the mirror universe in the books. Granted this isn't a big deal because you can always asume that each universe is a seperate universe from the one we saw on "TOS" and "DS9." I was wondering what everyone thought about "Dark Passions" though because i just read those books and really enjoyed them. I can't say which version I like better. I loved them all.

I will say I think the Intendant and Troi in "Dark Passions" made for compelling characters. I do like seeing the politics involved in the Alliance which is different from seeing the universe from the human rebellions prospective.

Jason

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I thought Dark Passions was cheesy. As much as I would have preferred a full-out restoration of the Terran Empire timeline, I much preferred DS9's take on the MU than this.

 

[LightningStorm]

I liked Dark Passions quite a bit. I agree it was kinda cheesy, but the whole MU concept is a tad cheesy and over the top. So it fits and the events within were good. A great amount of subterfuge, betrayal, and darkness.

And while I liked this take on the MU, I too like the more recent version of it better--as seen in Glass Empires, Obsidian Alliances, Warpath, and Fearful Symmetry.

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

"Dark Passions" was, IMO, dreadful. I read the first book and kept thinking, why should I care? This lot deserves each other. It shoved the familiar cliches I don`t need to repeat here so much into my face that it annoyed me. I never bothered to read the second book.

The more recent Mirror Universe books are much better. I am still not fond of the general idea behind it but the stories are in general much more intelligent and interesting in spite of the background.

 

[Trilliam]

I completely over the whole MU thing. I've stopped buying/reading them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wonder why there wasn't ...how do I put this...more of an outcry from the 'alternative' community over the title.

Spoiler: MU

Since women in the MU tend to be, shall we say, 'in comfortable shoes' and all that.

Generally, Alliance politics is another reason I don't like stuff like this: I don't *care* about such things. The Klingon-Cardassian Alliance can't fall fast enough, IMHO. I hope the 'grand plan' mentioned in the recent MU novels has not been abandoned:

Spoiler: MU again

Mirror Spock's plan for the downfall of the Alliance, realized through an underground network of telepathic sleeper agents planted in key strategic positions throughout the quadrant. 'The end of my empire will mean the end of all of yours.'

 

[Trent Roman]

Dark Passions was pulpy fun, but not much else. It was a bit frustrating that it didn't take it's own premise seriously, with far too many cutesy elements (like agent Seven of Nine) and just generally not dark and desperate enough for the universe it should be taking place in. I'm not sorry I read them, but I much prefer the current take on the Mirror Universe.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[ronny]

Dark Passions was pulpy fun, but not much else. It was a bit frustrating that it didn't take it's own premise seriously, with far too many cutesy elements (like agent Seven of Nine) and just generally not dark and desperate enough for the universe it should be taking place in. I'm not sorry I read them, but I much prefer the current take on the Mirror Universe.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Better written than I would have done but the feelings are the same. Sort of a guilty pleasure but I liked them.

 

[captcalhoun]

I have noticed that we now have 3 version of the mirror universe in the books.

Jason

by my count we have four.

Dark Passions

Dark Mirror

Shatner's MU trilogy

the MU TPBs/Warpath/Fearful Symmetry

 

[nx1701g]

Fortunately we have the possibility of multiple alternate universes based upon even simple things.

 

[JD]

I have noticed that we now have 3 version of the mirror universe in the books.

Jason

by my count we have four.

Dark Passions

Dark Mirror

Shatner's MU trilogy

the MU TPBs/Warpath/Fearful Symmetry

5 if you count DC comic's Mirror Universe Saga. I haven't actually read these myself, but from what I've read about them it sounds like a totally different version than what we got in DS9.

 

[Christopher]

5 if you count DC comic's Mirror Universe Saga. I haven't actually read these myself, but from what I've read about them it sounds like a totally different version than what we got in DS9.

Well, not necessarily, since it takes place only 15 or so years after "Mirror, Mirror," so it could easily predate the fall of the Empire (although it definitely conflicts with The Sorrows of Empire).

Anyway, there have been a couple of other versions of the MU in comics. There was a one-shot Mirror Universe comic from Marvel during its second run. Malibu's DS9 did "A Tale of the Mirror Tuvok" in a 2-part backup feature, and while that would presumably fit into the televised version of the MU, I don't know if it's compatible with the novel continuity's version of Mirror Tuvok. And IDW is doing a couple of MU comics, though their compatibility with the novel continuity remains to be seen.

 

[JD]

Well, it sounds like the third one will from what I read the other day, because

Spoiler: Mirror Images #3

it features Picard on board a Mirror version of the Stargazer pre-Alliance.

 

[Jack Bauer]

It was pretty good. I wish it was darker though.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I can't say which version I like better. I loved them all.

Same here.

I will say I think the Intendant and Troi in "Dark Passions" made for compelling characters. I do like seeing the politics involved in the Alliance which is different from seeing the universe from the human rebellions prospective.

That was one of the biggest reasons why I enjoyed it. Watching the politics and maneuvering of all of the players in the Alliance was enjoyable, and helped flesh out more of the Mirror Universe for me.

My favorite characters in the Dark Passions books were Troi, B'Elanna, and Seven, since they had more depth to them beyond "Horny Manipulative Bitch", which many times is what I felt Kira ultimately became. And after a while any of the relationship scenes involving Seven/Kira or Kira/Troi became too clichè and mechanical (although perhaps not "pneumatic", à la Huxley's Brave New World).

One thing I didn't like was the relative cliffhanger at the end of the second book. I would have liked to see it continue on and follow-up from where Janeway got that ship and all that.

 

[borgboy]

I liked the Dark Passions books. Cheesy but fun. I really liked Troi's character there.
Asa gay man I 've always had a love/hate relationship with the gay content of the MU. It's always nice to see gay content, especially since when the gay content of DP and DS9's MU came out gay stuff in sci fi and tv in general was pretty rare. But at the same time the gay-ish characters were all evil, and it was only the hot women who were allowed to be gay, no gay men in sight.

 

[Christopher]

It's always nice to see gay content, especially since when the gay content of DP and DS9's MU came out gay stuff in sci fi and tv in general was pretty rare.

Only in televised science fiction. Prose SF is much broader and more diverse in content, and not as heavily pressured to avoid "controversial" content. Prose SF explorations of homosexuality go back to the "New Wave" movement of the late '60s and '70s, with some earlier, tentative explorations by Theodore Sturgeon (a future TOS screenwriter) in the '50s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_speculative_fiction

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Well, it sounds like the third one will from what I read the other day, because

Spoiler: Mirror Images #3

it features Picard on board a Mirror version of the Stargazer pre-Alliance.

Yeah, I'm a bit confused about that, because issues 4 and 5 of Mirror Images have been solicited as continuing the Mirror Pike story of issues 1 and 2.

 

[JD]

Is 5 the last issue?