• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Q & A (potential spoilers)

Deano2099

Commander
Red Shirt
There's bound to be a thread already but it's impossible to search for it so...

I finished this book the other day, unusually for me it was mostly done in one sitting (a 4 hour train ride from Edinburgh to Stafford) and I enjoyed it greatly. Before starting it I'd made a point to watch every Q appearance in TNG and Voyager, and in a way I was slightly disappointed - watched back to back in this fashion Q swings from a proper villain in the likes of Farpoint and Q-Who into a comedy character and ends playing family with Janeway in the latter Voyager episodes. Watched years apart this might have felt like natural progression but watched back to back the personality and motivation of the character just seemed confused and inconsistent.

Q & A basically ties it all together, explaining exactly what motivated Q and why he acted in the ways he did. Every question I had was answered, such as the meaning behind the "Don't provoke the Borg" line in Q2 and why the civil war started and so forth.

I don't normally do book reviews or write ups or anything like this, because I'm not what I'd consider well read and really lack the critical faculties for that sort of thing but what I really did appreciate in Q & A was how the narrative did intertwine and tie up all the Q appearences in Trek in this beautiful fashion - while I feel unqualified to judge the writing (beyond: I like it) the structure and concept for this book really were a work of art.

I would hugely suggest people watch through the Q episodes before reading this as you'll appreciate it so much more.
 
I loved Q&A and it's probably my second favorite Q story (after Q-Squared), although I, Q is right there, too.
 
I think it is the definitive Q story. All the threads woven into one giant tapestry.
 
I should really re-read Q Squared. I first read it when I was about 12 or 13 and it was the first time I'd read something with that sort of non-linear narrative. Sort of blew my mind but I'm not sure I understood it all back then.
 
The notion of tying Q's appearances together had been in the back of my mind for something like six or seven
years before Margaret said to me, "Wanna write a TNG book for the 20th anniversary?" at which point it moved to the front of my mind.

And I got to write the tights line, which may be the single line of my entire writing career I'm proudest of. :D
 
And I got to write the tights line, which may be the single line of my entire writing career I'm proudest of. :D
While that is indeed an awesome line, I still prefer: "They held off on letting this universe die in hopes that it would provide something interesting."
 
And I got to write the tights line, which may be the single line of my entire writing career I'm proudest of. :D
While that is indeed an awesome line, I still prefer: "They held off on letting this universe die in hopes that it would provide something interesting."
Can't argue with you there. :)
 
I never really saw what was so great about Q&A. I mean yes, it has good characterisation and it was good the way Q's appearances were linked together. But nothing much really happened. For the 'ultimate Q book', it was bit disappointing. Too much set-up, not enough pay-off, IMO.

And the scenes with various different characters in different locales experiencing the same event got very repetitive.

Sorry for the negativity. I enjoyed the book but it's nothing special, in my opinion.
 
^

QFT: The Definitive Q Autobiography

Coming 2009 from Pocket Books.

I'd buy that!

I never really saw what was so great about Q&A. I mean yes, it has good characterisation and it was good the way Q's appearances were linked together. But nothing much really happened. For the 'ultimate Q book', it was bit disappointing. Too much set-up, not enough pay-off, IMO.

And the scenes with various different characters in different locales experiencing the same event got very repetitive.

Sorry for the negativity. I enjoyed the book but it's nothing special, in my opinion.

See, though, that's the way to express an opinion. I don't agree with Bec's opinion at all (Q & A is one of the only two post-Nemesis TNG novels that I actually like, and it's one of my favourite TNG books overall), but I love the way he/she made her point - respectfully, substantively, and with specific things about the book s/he didn't like (sorry, Bec, I don't know whether you're male or female!). A lot of other posters could learn a lesson from this, I think. :techman:
 
Q & A is one of the only two post-Nemesis TNG novels that I actually like

Glad I'm not the only one who hasn't been able to get into the "relaunch" (or the "A Time To" series for that matter - not sure if by post-Nemesis you mean timeline or real time).

I thought Q & A was excellent, with a real Douglas Adams flavour at times.

As the OP highlighted, the links to past events were particularly well-handled. So many writers just throw in chunks of backstory with little to no insight or original touch (and one of the "A Time To" books is a prime example of that), but here there was a real effort to add some context and meaning to the events.
 
I never really saw what was so great about Q&A. I mean yes, it has good characterisation and it was good the way Q's appearances were linked together. But nothing much really happened. For the 'ultimate Q book', it was bit disappointing. Too much set-up, not enough pay-off, IMO.

Hmm, you might have a point. It's so closely linked to the episodes. I read it right after and it was much like a companion piece, showing the other side of things. It's so closely tied in with the show that it might not really stand-alone. But conversely that's why I loved it.
 
I never really saw what was so great about Q&A. I mean yes, it has good characterisation and it was good the way Q's appearances were linked together. But nothing much really happened. For the 'ultimate Q book', it was bit disappointing. Too much set-up, not enough pay-off, IMO.

And the scenes with various different characters in different locales experiencing the same event got very repetitive.

Sorry for the negativity. I enjoyed the book but it's nothing special, in my opinion.

This is kind of how I felt. And although I suppose I should've expected it, I can't say I was too enthused about the ending. It almost took the sort of farcical angle, after what had been a more seriously-toned book,that I have not liked when it came from other authors.
 
I enjoyed the book but it's nothing special, in my opinion.


See, that's what made it special for me - that I actually enjoyed it. At a time when Trek novels seem to be taking a darker, downright depressing tone of war, mass destruction, torture and the like, this was a fun, light read.

If a Trek book can make me smile, can be enjoyable and fun, I am satisfied.
 
I never really saw what was so great about Q&A. I mean yes, it has good characterisation and it was good the way Q's appearances were linked together. But nothing much really happened. For the 'ultimate Q book', it was bit disappointing. Too much set-up, not enough pay-off, IMO.

And the scenes with various different characters in different locales experiencing the same event got very repetitive.

Sorry for the negativity. I enjoyed the book but it's nothing special, in my opinion.
Fair enough, and you have nothing to apologize for. That's a perfectly reasoned and reasonable critique.


I thought Q & A was excellent, with a real Douglas Adams flavour at times.
High praise, indeed. Thanks!


This is kind of how I felt. And although I suppose I should've expected it, I can't say I was too enthused about the ending. It almost took the sort of farcical angle, after what had been a more seriously-toned book,that I have not liked when it came from other authors.
If any book should end farcically, it's a Q one.
Steve's answer is mine as well -- farce is the order of the day with Q, and I think it would've been dishonest to end it any other way.

Besides, I honestly and truly believe that one of the things that makes humanity unique and wonderful is our sense of humor. I'm tired of all this nonsense about indomitable spirits and constantly questioning and curious exploring and all that other bullshit. What's cool about humanity is we can laugh.

And I made it essential to saving the universe. So there.

Q & A was my favorite Star Trek novel of 2007.
Seriously? Wow. Given the competition (particularly from The Sorrows of Empire, which would get my vote), that's also high praise.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top