SeaQuest DSV: The Ancient Review Thread

[tomswift2002]

Published: March 1994 by ACE Books
Written By: David Bischoff

I'm currently reading "The Ancient" by New York Times Bestseller David Bischoff (Star Trek The Next Generation #25 Grounded). The book is from the 3 book SeaQuest DSV SERIES that only lasted from November 1993 to March 1994.

So far it is a very interesting book. Some of the characterizations are off, but I can understand that, since the books were written before the show hit the airwaves.

 

[Amaris]

To be honest, I didn't know there WAS a book!

 

[C.E. Evans]

I remember getting the novelization of the pilot episode, but that's about it. Didn't know there were other books.

 

[bullethead]

I got my hands on this book once, through an inter-library loan and it was pretty bad from a plot/content POV. Like the back half of the second book, it seems like a second season script that somehow fell back in time and wound up in the lap of the writer. While it's interesting to see how the early ideas of the ship and crew differed from the final product, it's pretty clear why the novels wound up dying off after this one. They needed (like the show) to focus more on the undersea pirates and the conflicts they brought up than bad/boring science fiction.

 

[RandyS]

I remember getting the novelization of the pilot episode, but that's about it. Didn't know there were other books.

Two others, actually.

 

[tomswift2002]

In the series there was:

SeaQuest DSV: The Novel by Diane Duane and Peter Moorwood (authors of The Romulan Way) (November 1993)

Fire Below by Matthew J. Costello (January 1994)

The Ancient by David Bischoff (March 1994)

But with "The Ancient" the novel tends to center on Lucas Walenzcak, with Darwin trying to get him on a date (or as Darwin says "mate") with a girl who is described as a "hot" 25-year-old scientist. And the Sea Monster story is the "B" plot. But it's n interesting "B" plot, since we don't yet know all the creatures that roam the Earth, either on the ground or deep below the sea.

But, you know, of the 3 major Sci-Fi debuts of 1993 (Star Trek Ddep Space Nine, Babylon 5 and SeaQuest DSV), it's hard to believe that we are almost caught up to when DSV's first Season takes place: 2018. I wonder if we will truly see any sea colonies in 5 years, or ships like the SeaQuest?

 

[Gil T.Azell]

To be honest, I didn't know there WAS a book!

Nor did I

 

[Amaris]

I'll have to check them out.

 

[bullethead]

But, you know, of the 3 major Sci-Fi debuts of 1993 (Star Trek Ddep Space Nine, Babylon 5 and SeaQuest DSV), it's hard to believe that we are almost caught up to when DSV's first Season takes place: 2018. I wonder if we will truly see any sea colonies in 5 years, or ships like the SeaQuest?

The only thing from seaQuest being close to attainable is the Stinger. We'd need some crazy tech developments (including fusion reactors) to make something like seaQuest possible.

 

[lennier1]

To be honest, I didn't know there WAS a book!

Yes, they're not that well known. Kinda like the novels that continued the story of the original Stargate movie.

 

[John Clark]

I remember liking the SG novels, but they are certainly different from the series.

As for the Seaquest books, I have the three (plus the making of book) but it's been a good few years since I've read any of them.

 

[tomswift2002]

But, you know, of the 3 major Sci-Fi debuts of 1993 (Star Trek Ddep Space Nine, Babylon 5 and SeaQuest DSV), it's hard to believe that we are almost caught up to when DSV's first Season takes place: 2018. I wonder if we will truly see any sea colonies in 5 years, or ships like the SeaQuest?

The only thing from seaQuest being close to attainable is the Stinger. We'd need some crazy tech developments (including fusion reactors) to make something like seaQuest possible.

But, still, it's amazing just how much has come since the show was on. I remember the episode with Tim Russ where there was mention of talking on online boards. Sure there were BBS's in 1993-94, but nothing like what they were describing (as I recall, back then in the real world BBS's were nothing more than electronic bulletin boards, a few discussions, but mostly for posting upcoming stuff, and not hat many people were aware of them or even how big the Internet would become).

 

[tomswift2002]

I just finished the book, and it was really good. 4 out of 5.

 

[Sephiroth]

ended up getting the book trilogy when they came out (was around 10/11) and they actually turned me off reading for a while.

 

[The Caretaker]

I just finished this novel, which admittedy wasn't exactly a long read. This very much felt like sci-fi pulp nonsense and read OK when taken at that level. However, quite a few things irked me!

SPOILERS BELOW!

• The description of MacIntosh liking to 'bugger' those under his command felt really out of place considering the audience this book was aimed at...
• When the dolphins and the Minisub go into the Ancient to fit it, why didn't the dolphins all drown? There was no mention of them wearing Aqualungs like the one that Darwin usually wears. They can't hold their breath forever!
• Bridger seems over-the-top action hero. The way he was described when he punched out Guitarrez was particularly cringeworthy.
• The whole 'Lucas must get the girl' subplot... Based on the very last page Dr. Notkin would now find herself on a sex offenders register for taking advantage of a minor. Twenty-five year old women do NOT flirt with and kiss 15 year olds if they have any common sense!

As for characters being inconsistent, I actually found that one of the more interesting parts of the novel, especially seeing those characters which were planned and then dropped before making it to screen.

Now I need to read the other original novel!