Spoilers PIC: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack Review Thread

[Damian]

If anything, what I find implausible is the idea that an interstellar civilization as enormous as the Federation would be so inconvenienced by moving just 900 million people.

I actually do think McCormack does a good job explaining some of the concerns of some people in the Federation on that front. It'd be easier for her to reduce it all to simple racism. Federation citizens just don't like Romulans. And there is a bit of that present, as would be expected. But she does raise some issues that might be realistic concerns by elements in the Federation. Just because someone has concerns doesn't mean they don't want to help. Some of it is how do we best help the Romulans in this situation? It just seems Picard too easily dimisses those concerns as 'my goal is to save lives'. It's the singular focus that's bothering me. You can answer those concerns and still have your top priority to save lives. There may be cases where you can do both. When Bordson says maybe they can mention how this might advance shipbuilding technology for the future benefit of Starfleet Picard basically all but says he could care less. Old Picard would exploit that advantage when pressing his point, without sacrificing his top priority to save lives. There are times you can have your cake and eat it to. Helping the Romulans leading to advances that can later help the Federation is not something I would so easily dismiss.

I got the opposite impression, that Picard was inclined all along to ask Geordi to join the operation but Geordi offered before he got around to asking.

It just seemed he was unsure. Geordi all but said he was almost offended that Picard didn't ask him first. It seemed a bit ham handed to me. And his conversation with Beverly as well. If he wanted Beverly on his team he would have asked, while making it clear the decision was hers and he would fully support it. Picard is typically pretty sure footed. Maybe not about a relationship with Beverly, but when it came to mission parameters and who he wanted on his team, he knew what he wanted.

And of course, as Brendan said, this book is written to tie into Picard, not to be a sop to TNG nostalgia.

I agree, there is a danger of being TNG-lite, and I know the showrunners want to break from that (though I'm concerned the new show might be too reflective of the world today--IMHO it'd be nice to have a show with a positive outlook--it doesn't have to be a TNG copycat, but I kind of wished it reflected at least the atmosphere of TNG).

This book is a prequel to Picard, and sort of a sequel to TNG. I suppose it just would have been nice in some ways for it to be more transitioning. It was such a sharp cut off. Barely a nod to TNG and the Enterprise to start and right into Picard. Maybe something a bit more gradual--as the years pass it transitions more from TNG era to the Picard era would have helped. Say he had Beverly on his team for the first year or so--or a communique with Riker here and there. While it's probably more realistic from a military point of view, I see no reason there couldn't be a friendly chit chat with someone like Riker from time to time, even if it was just once or twice.

It seems to me that many of the objections being raised in this thread are not to the creative choices of the book per se but to the creative choices of Picard and to the ways it’s a distinct thing from TNG or from the litverse.

Yes, in fairness to McCormack, some of these issues are above her pay grade, as it were. Some of the issues I have are more show related.

And I'll admit, as an avid litverse reader, and someone who liked the narrative created in that continuing story, I find thus far I prefer where things are at currently in the litverse. There have been challenges and difficulties, but as of Collateral Damage things are looking up. The Federation has come to terms with Section 31 and is working to fix the sins of its past, Captain Picard is back doing what he does best, commanding the Enterprise on a mission of exploration. I don't know how better to put it other than it feels right for where Picard is at this moment in that universe. I'm having a hard time reconciling this new version of Picard, and a moment where things look grim for the Federation. I always liked Star Trek because of it's positive outlook for the future. It's not without its challenges and mistakes. But humanity (and the Federation at large) is working towards moving in the right direction up to and including the litverse. I'm just not sure I like the idea of a Federation that's reactionary and depressing as it seems to be in Picard.

 

[DEWLine]

Okay. Extra concerns not mentioned in the novel that would make sense as complicating factors/excuses from the Federation's POV:

Post-Dominion War complications: rebuilding UFP worlds, rebuilding however many of the Cardassian Union worlds were also affected, re-establishing any kind of exploratory/contact/diplomatic presence at the Gamma end of the Bajoran wormhole.

Consequences of Voyager's successful return from the Delta Quadrant. Is anything like the Full Circle Project from Beyer's VOY novels underway as well? On what scale?

Klingon-UFP relations.

Who else in the Alpha-Beta spaces known to the Federation has issues that need dealing with?

 

[Christopher]

I thought Clancy was written very negatively.

That seems completely consistent with her portrayal in the show.

I actually do think McCormack does a good job explaining some of the concerns of some people in the Federation on that front.

I'm not talking about the people's concerns, I'm talking about what the novel and show assert as an objective fact, that it would be such a vast undertaking and require the reallocation of so much of the Federation's resources. Again, it's proportional to the US government moving just 30,000 people. It should be doable with a comparatively small fraction of the total resources of a nation as vast as the Federation. It's not about attitudes, it's about numbers.

It'd be easier for her to reduce it all to simple racism. Federation citizens just don't like Romulans. And there is a bit of that present, as would be expected. But she does raise some issues that might be realistic concerns by elements in the Federation. Just because someone has concerns doesn't mean they don't want to help. Some of it is how do we best help the Romulans in this situation? It just seems Picard too easily dimisses those concerns as 'my goal is to save lives'. It's the singular focus that's bothering me. You can answer those concerns and still have your top priority to save lives. There may be cases where you can do both. When Bordson says maybe they can mention how this might advance shipbuilding technology for the future benefit of Starfleet Picard basically all but says he could care less. Old Picard would exploit that advantage when pressing his point, without sacrificing his top priority to save lives. There are times you can have your cake and eat it to. Helping the Romulans leading to advances that can later help the Federation is not something I would so easily dismiss.

You and I read Picard's words in this text very differently. I don't see him being dismissive at all. I see him considering the other issues but not losing sight of the big picture that dwarfs them all. The people arguing against him often just seem to be stuck in their own habitual bubbles of thought and unable to broaden their perspective enough to realize how much needs to change. They're the ones being dismissive, as I read it.

And if they really did want to help, then they wouldn't just voice their protests, they'd offer alternatives. There's a bit where Quest tells Geordi "I'm not talking about leaving them to die!" as if she were scandalized by the notion -- but it's just empty words, because she doesn't actually offer a solution or a way to help, just complains about what's being done to save them. Which makes it pretty clear that she's a hypocrite. It's not enough to say you care if you don't back it up with actions.

I agree, there is a danger of being TNG-lite, and I know the showrunners want to break from that (though I'm concerned the new show might be too reflective of the world today--IMHO it'd be nice to have a show with a positive outlook--it doesn't have to be a TNG copycat, but I kind of wished it reflected at least the atmosphere of TNG).

Given all the Federation went through with the Borg and the Dominion, it would be implausible if it were unchanged from its TNG-era outlook. It makes perfect sense that the Dominion War left scars and undermined the UFP's optimism and idealism, that there would be an isolationist reaction in its wake. It would be implausible if everything just got reset to the way it was before.

This book is a prequel to Picard, and sort of a sequel to TNG. I suppose it just would have been nice in some ways for it to be more transitioning. It was such a sharp cut off. Barely a nod to TNG and the Enterprise to start and right into Picard.

That's exactly what the first tie-in novel to Picard should do -- tie into and set up Picard. And it's got a lot of story to tell, four years' worth. The nods to the past couldn't be a major part of that, since there was so much work to do setting up the new present.

Maybe something a bit more gradual--as the years pass it transitions more from TNG era to the Picard era would have helped. Say he had Beverly on his team for the first year or so--or a communique with Riker here and there. While it's probably more realistic from a military point of view, I see no reason there couldn't be a friendly chit chat with someone like Riker from time to time, even if it was just once or twice.

That would be sentimental and satisfying, sure, but that's exactly why it would've been wrong for this story of tragedy and failure. If anything, the abrupt transition is part of the point. It underlines how completely he's thrown himself into this work, how he's invested his whole identity in it, which is what makes it so personally devastating when it falls apart.

Also, maybe it reflects his loneliness and his recognition that the old family is breaking up. Data is dead, Riker and Troi are gone, Worf deserves his own command... maybe he lets Crusher go because he doesn't want to risk being hurt by another loss. In the novels, we gave Picard (after a couple of false starts) a new family to compensate for the people he'd lost, but here, he didn't have that.

And I'll admit, as an avid litverse reader, and someone who liked the narrative created in that continuing story, I find thus far I prefer where things are at currently in the litverse. There have been challenges and difficulties, but as of Collateral Damage things are looking up. The Federation has come to terms with Section 31 and is working to fix the sins of its past, Captain Picard is back doing what he does best, commanding the Enterprise on a mission of exploration. I don't know how better to put it other than it feels right for where Picard is at this moment in that universe. I'm having a hard time reconciling this new version of Picard, and a moment where things look grim for the Federation. I always liked Star Trek because of it's positive outlook for the future. It's not without its challenges and mistakes. But humanity (and the Federation at large) is working towards moving in the right direction up to and including the litverse. I'm just not sure I like the idea of a Federation that's reactionary and depressing as it seems to be in Picard.

You're forgetting that the Novelverse timeline went through far worse disasters in order to get to that point. The Borg Invasion was far more devastating to the quadrant than the Romulan supernova would be. That led to the rise of the Typhon Pact as a new threat, and we had the destruction of Deep Space 9, the assassination of President Bacco, the scandal and corruption of the "Ishan Anjar" administration in its wake, the outing of Section 31 and its political fallout, and so forth. It had to go through some hellish times to get to the current "looking up" stage. So doesn't it follow that, when Picard reaches the end of its planned 3-year run, things might be looking up once again in that continuity? Why assume things have to stay bleak just because they start that way?

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

I wonder why this particular author was selected to write the book. Nothing against her, but isn't UM known mostly for DS9-related lit?

 

[Damian]

You know, I'd still love to see how the current litverse would handle the destruction of Romulus. It was something I always hoped the books would reach. I'd be fascinated to see what the Federation would do in that universe to assist. Obviously there are far different dynamics involved. How would the Typhon Pact allies react? Would they help or exploit the situation? Praetor Kamenor is more pragmatic and open about things. Would she seek Federation help?

And the dynamics of the Enterprise are quite a bit different and I can see them, under Captain Picard, swooping in to help in some way.

 

[BillJ]

I tend to agree with @Dinosaur Enabler about the language. It just seems out of place in Trek, especially when it is poured on heavy. Chabon can go on about censorship, but this is a future sci-fi show that has operated in a certain manner for 50+ years. It is going to be just as jarring changing that as it is changing the Enterprise.

And I don't think it makes the material any better or more relatable.

I thought Clancy was written very negatively.

I actually like her in both the show and the book. Not every one should be a rubber stamp for Picard's "moral" crusades. Though it was a shame they didn't bring back Natalia Nogulich as Admiral Nechayev to ream Picard one last time.

 

[Damian]

That seems completely consistent with her portrayal in the show.




I'm not talking about the people's concerns, I'm talking about what the novel and show assert as an objective fact, that it would be such a vast undertaking and require the reallocation of so much of the Federation's resources. Again, it's proportional to the US government moving just 30,000 people. It should be doable with a comparatively small fraction of the total resources of a nation as vast as the Federation. It's not about attitudes, it's about numbers.




You and I read Picard's words in this text very differently. I don't see him being dismissive at all. I see him considering the other issues but not losing sight of the big picture that dwarfs them all. The people arguing against him often just seem to be stuck in their own habitual bubbles of thought and unable to broaden their perspective enough to realize how much needs to change. They're the ones being dismissive, as I read it.

And if they really did want to help, then they wouldn't just voice their protests, they'd offer alternatives. There's a bit where Quest tells Geordi "I'm not talking about leaving them to die!" as if she were scandalized by the notion -- but it's just empty words, because she doesn't actually offer a solution or a way to help, just complains about what's being done to save them. Which makes it pretty clear that she's a hypocrite. It's not enough to say you care if you don't back it up with actions.




Given all the Federation went through with the Borg and the Dominion, it would be implausible if it were unchanged from its TNG-era outlook. It makes perfect sense that the Dominion War left scars and undermined the UFP's optimism and idealism, that there would be an isolationist reaction in its wake. It would be implausible if everything just got reset to the way it was before.




That's exactly what the first tie-in novel to Picard should do -- tie into and set up Picard. And it's got a lot of story to tell, four years' worth. The nods to the past couldn't be a major part of that, since there was so much work to do setting up the new present.




That would be sentimental and satisfying, sure, but that's exactly why it would've been wrong for this story of tragedy and failure. If anything, the abrupt transition is part of the point. It underlines how completely he's thrown himself into this work, how he's invested his whole identity in it, which is what makes it so personally devastating when it falls apart.

Also, maybe it reflects his loneliness and his recognition that the old family is breaking up. Data is dead, Riker and Troi are gone, Worf deserves his own command... maybe he lets Crusher go because he doesn't want to risk being hurt by another loss. In the novels, we gave Picard (after a couple of false starts) a new family to compensate for the people he'd lost, but here, he didn't have that.




You're forgetting that the Novelverse timeline went through far worse disasters in order to get to that point. The Borg Invasion was far more devastating to the quadrant than the Romulan supernova would be. That led to the rise of the Typhon Pact as a new threat, and we had the destruction of Deep Space 9, the assassination of President Bacco, the scandal and corruption of the "Ishan Anjar" administration in its wake, the outing of Section 31 and its political fallout, and so forth. It had to go through some hellish times to get to the current "looking up" stage. So doesn't it follow that, when Picard reaches the end of its planned 3-year run, things might be looking up once again in that continuity? Why assume things have to stay bleak just because they start that way?

Part of this whole thing for me is not even really related to the book. It's the focus of the show, and McCormack is just writing for that show. So some of my criticisms aren't even related to her as she does not get to decide the focus of the show. And yes, Picard just 'feels' off to me in some ways. Not all ways. Certainly not his willingness to help the Romulans. But I'll be fair, I may be colored by the current litverse and where it's at. It's hard after reading 20+ years of stories to set that aside. So it felt off from the very beginning. I imagine anyone reading this novel who hasn't read the relaunches may very well think this is an excellent book. It's kind of a handicap knowing that alternate future and reading this novel. Part of me can't help but feel let down that this Picard is not going to be the Captain of the Enterprise going off to explore strange new worlds, finally realizing his relationship to Crusher and finally coming to terms with having a family of his own.

It's the whole idea that the Federation is looking backwards and has become a dark and reactionary place and still is by 2399 apparently. You're right, in the novelverse a lot of bad stuff happened. But the last novel took place in 2387, 12 years earlier than the show, and already by then things were looking up. It doesn't mean difficulties won't arise. Obviously even in that narrative the destruction of Romulus would have happened which would have dramatically affected and challenged the Federation.

The Federation has faced difficulties, yes, even taking out the Borg invasion and everything that happened after that. And I don't expect it to replicate TNG--I just would have preferred a more positive, forward looking Federation in the spirit of TNG. From a general point of view. It doesn't have to be the utopia we saw pre-Dominion contact. I just wish it had that general spirit of optimism that Star Trek is generally known for.

Like I said in other threads, I don't mind Picard facing challenges, a dangerous mission, or something along those lines. I just wish instead of being a reflection of today's world, that it was sort of the antithesis to today's world. One where Picard had the system at his back (Starfleet and the Federation). I think of "Collateral Damage" where Admiral Akaar, the CinC was actively trying to find ways to help Captain Picard. In that case the system, in the form of Akaar, had Picard's back.

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

I don't care one way or another if characters on Trek swear like sailors, but at least make it natural. Some of the swearing in this book seemed like it was in there just because it could be. We get it. This ain't your daddy's Star Trek.

 

[Damian]

I tend to agree with @Dinosaur Enabler about the language. It just seems out of place in Trek, especially when it is poured on heavy. Chabon can go on about censorship, but this is a future sci-fi show that has operated in a certain manner for 50+ years. It is going to be just as jarring changing that as it is changing the Enterprise.

Yeah, it's hard to explain. I watch plenty of shows and movies with profanity. It just doesn't feel right and I can't explain it better than that. I mean, they could have used the f-word in the movies certainly. But they avoided it (I don't recall an instance when it was used in any of the Star Trek movies). Even the s-word seems a bit out of place, though I'll admit when it was used in Generations by Data it was amusing, and fitting in that case. You could argue a well placed word here or there can be used for dramatic effect. And yes, it has popped up on an occasion in prior novels, but sparingly.

For me it has nothing to do with censorship. It just seems like something that was left to history in Star Trek. But I guess it is what it is and I'll get used to it. It's not to the level that it would make me hate a show by itself. If that's the only thing wrong with Picard and it was an excellent show otherwise then I'd eventually get over it.

I guess at least Picard (thus far) has not used the f-word. Now that would definitely seem out of place. At least in Raffi's case she's a new character so maybe she just grew up in a household that liked the f-word. Ditto for other characters (though it seems she uses it the most up to this point I'm at in the novel)

 

[BillJ]

The Federation has faced difficulties, yes, even taking out the Borg invasion and everything that happened after that. And I don't expect it to replicate TNG--I just would have preferred a more positive, forward looking Federation in the spirit of TNG. From a general point of view. It doesn't have to be the utopia we saw pre-Dominion contact. I just wish it had that general spirit of optimism that Star Trek is generally known for.

I think the problem here is that, even without Starfleet, we've seen a very limited amount of what is going on in that world in 2399.

 

[Christopher]

You know, I'd still love to see how the current litverse would handle the destruction of Romulus. It was something I always hoped the books would reach. I'd be fascinated to see what the Federation would do in that universe to assist. Obviously there are far different dynamics involved. How would the Typhon Pact allies react? Would they help or exploit the situation? Praetor Kamenor is more pragmatic and open about things. Would she seek Federation help?

Honestly, at this point, I'm glad we didn't get there. After all, due to license restrictions, we got up to 2386 without even mentioning the impending supernova, which means it would've had to happen with hardly any advance warning, which just isn't plausible. The new canon version makes far more sense. And the way things stand, the only way to salvage the Novelverse as an alternate timeline is by assuming it's one where the supernova doesn't happen, or at least is delayed by more than 5 years.

I don't care one way or another if characters on Trek swear like sailors, but at least make it natural. Some of the swearing in this book seemed like it was in there just because it could be.

I didn't get that impression at all. It seems very organic to me, even understated compared to what you'd see in a lot of other fiction. I don't think it would've stood out for me if people in this thread didn't keep talking about it.

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

I didn't get that impression at all. It seems very organic to me, even understated compared to what you'd see in a lot of other fiction. I don't think it would've stood out for me if people in this thread didn't keep talking about it.

"Organic" is most definitely not the word I would use in reference to some of the cussing in the book, but it's not a big deal. Honestly, it kind of fits the new direction Trek is going in. Overall it's a small nit to pick, but this is the Internet. Gotta complain about something.

 

[Damian]

Honestly, at this point, I'm glad we didn't get there. After all, due to license restrictions, we got up to 2386 without even mentioning the impending supernova, which means it would've had to happen with hardly any advance warning, which just isn't plausible. The new canon version makes far more sense. And the way things stand, the only way to salvage the Novelverse as an alternate timeline is by assuming it's one where the supernova doesn't happen, or at least is delayed by more than 5 years.

Well, there are probably ways to do it, but yeah, it would have to go in a different direction. The books would probably have to run with the idea like the comics did, that it wasn't actually the Romulan star but another star (the Hobus star) and that the severity of the supernova caught everyone by surprise. I'm sure there'd be a way to write a story that at least made in story Star Trek sense (even if it's a bit fantastical by real world standards). But it'd probably have to be a different star at minimum.

IIRC in the comics the Romulans and everyone was sort of caught by surprise at the rapidity and severity of the Hobus supernova. Which could be somewhat consistent with the novel in the sense that everyone seems surprised at how fast it's all happening.

It probably would have helped if there weren't all the licensing issues and if the relaunches could have started mentioning it earlier in the timeline. But you guys are a pretty ingenious bunch. I'm sure one of you could sell it to the readers and at least make it sound good and least marginally plausible

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

If the Hobus supernova occurred in the Litverse timeline, the 2380s would have been effing BONKERS.

Imagine if the Borg hasn't been stopped in the Destiny trilogy...and then the supernova went down, right on schedule. That's just cruel.

 

[Christopher]

Well, there are probably ways to do it, but yeah, it would have to go in a different direction. The books would probably have to run with the idea like the comics did, that it wasn't actually the Romulan star but another star (the Hobus star) and that the severity of the supernova caught everyone by surprise. I'm sure there'd be a way to write a story that at least made in story Star Trek sense (even if it's a bit fantastical by real world standards). But it'd probably have to be a different star at minimum.

And as I said, that wouldn't work as an alternate timeline, since it's too radically different an interpretation of the physics and cosmology of the event.

Besides, I've been trying for years to think up a remotely plausible explanation for the version of the supernova implied by the movie and presented in the comics, but I was never really able to make it work to my satisfaction, because I was stuck with the assumptions made in those sources. By retconning it so it was Romulus's own star and gave years of advance warning, Picard has made it far more plausible than anything I could've come up with under the old assumptions. I'm glad we never had to tell a story about the supernova using that model, because it just didn't work remotely as well as what we have now.

 

[Damian]

And as I said, that wouldn't work as an alternate timeline, since it's too radically different an interpretation of the physics and cosmology of the event.

Besides, I've been trying for years to think up a remotely plausible explanation for the version of the supernova implied by the movie and presented in the comics, but I was never really able to make it work to my satisfaction, because I was stuck with the assumptions made in those sources. By retconning it so it was Romulus's own star and gave years of advance warning, Picard has made it far more plausible than anything I could've come up with under the old assumptions. I'm glad we never had to tell a story about the supernova using that model, because it just didn't work remotely as well as what we have now.

Well, the only other way then would have been for the Romulans to have kept it under wraps. It'd be rather hard to explain how the Federation didn't detect issues but maybe someone was asleep at the wheel.

The Romulans have been quiet in the litverse as of late. Maybe they were trying stay quiet and deal with it on their own.

Or maybe the Federation does know about it and has kept it confidential. It's implied the Vulcans were involved with the whole creation of red matter. Maybe it was kept secret to keep people from panicking.

Does make me wonder if red matter will make any sort of appearance at all. I'm not fond of it as a story plot device (though I suppose it's no more crazy then some other Star Trek inventions over the years), but it is how Star Trek (2009) and that universe came to be so I'm not sure it can be completely ignored in the prime timeline.

I know I'm reaching a bit here but a large part of why I was curious to see the destruction of Romulus in the litverse was to see its after effects on the Typhon Pact and it's impact on the Khitomer Allies. It would be a major change in the balance of power and I'd be really interested to see how it impacts everything

 

[Christopher]

Well, the only other way then would have been for the Romulans to have kept it under wraps. It'd be rather hard to explain how the Federation didn't detect issues but maybe someone was asleep at the wheel.

As I said, I'm glad that now we don't have to worry about it. The Picard version of the supernova story works very well for me.

The Romulans have been quiet in the litverse as of late. Maybe they were trying stay quiet and deal with it on their own.

Hard to believe they wouldn't call on the Typhon Pact. And of course there's no way the Federation wouldn't detect it. There are no horizons in space. Stars are just sitting there out in the open for anyone with a telescope to look at. You can't hide them.

Or maybe the Federation does know about it and has kept it confidential. It's implied the Vulcans were involved with the whole creation of red matter. Maybe it was kept secret to keep people from panicking.

That's a nonsensical trope. Hiding a danger from the people affected by it isn't protecting them, it's an act of staggering negligence. It would just result in more panic when the truth ultimately came out, and far more destruction, because people wouldn't be prepared.

And again, it's impossible for a government to hide the condition of a star. Astronomers exist. They would find out.

 

[Damian]

As I said, I'm glad that now we don't have to worry about it. The Picard version of the supernova story works very well for me.




Hard to believe they wouldn't call on the Typhon Pact. And of course there's no way the Federation wouldn't detect it. There are no horizons in space. Stars are just sitting there out in the open for anyone with a telescope to look at. You can't hide them.




That's a nonsensical trope. Hiding a danger from the people affected by it isn't protecting them, it's an act of staggering negligence. It would just result in more panic when the truth ultimately came out, and far more destruction, because people wouldn't be prepared.

And again, it's impossible for a government to hide the condition of a star. Astronomers exist. They would find out.

Well, it was a stretch (ok maybe a bit more). The only way probably to do it would be to stretch the plausibility of it all and make it a surprise (Star Trek has been known to do that from time to time as well all know).

Another possibility I just thought of is maybe something artificial. Maybe someone attacked the Romulan star causing it to go supernova prematurely. Maybe there'd be a way to use that as a reason for such short warning.

That would be a way to explain how no one knew about it ahead of time. I mean, it would probably have to be a few months notice if you want to include the red matter plot device--but that might be one way to do it and fit it in the litverse.

Honestly it's not even really the destruction itself that I'm all that interested in. I noted earlier I'd be curious to see it's impact on the balance of power and internal juggling in the Typhon Pact powers. And now I'd be interested to see what role Captain Picard and the Enterprise from the litverse play and what differences there would be in the litverse version of Star Trek compared to the Picard show. How does that Federation react? And all that goes with it.

 

[Kilana2]

Some German fans are obviously still waiting for their preordered books. It seems to sell well.....

 

[Jinn]

Some German fans are obviously still waiting for their preordered books. It seems to sell well.....

Didn't it already sell out?