Spoilers Section 31: Control by David Mack Review Thread

[David cgc]

Spoiler

From the fact that it has already killed some admirals, had taken posession of Ariam and the way it acts in "Project Daedalus", i would assume that it is already sentient for some time...

Spoiler

Well, future-Control took over Airiam, which is when she started sending data back to 31 headquarters, and apparently around the time it killed the admirals (they may have already been dead when they were holoconferencing with Leland and Georgiou last week; it's hard to tell how much time passes between episodes) and stopped taking Cornwell's calls. It looks like future-Control hijacked its past self using Airiam to bootstrap-paradox its own inception.

 

[JD]

Spoiler: This week's Discovery

I haven't read the book, but from what little I know of the book version there does seem to one pretty big difference. The show's version isn't just in charge of Section 31, it's a program that everyone in Starfleet uses in order to make tactical decisions.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I still say that Section 31 is more like KAOS than like CONTROL.

 

[DWMarch]

There were a few things in the last episode that were unusually similar to the events of the book:

Spoiler: episode spoilers

Control impersonating Starfleet figures to give false orders
Control killing off people who had the potential to be obstacles
Control upgrading itself
The effort to restore normal function being a commando mission taking place on a remote, heavily guarded outpost

These were all in the book and the episode.

 

[thribs]

Pocket Books should re issue this book with some new material. They could make a few more bucks from it.

 

[rahullak]

Well, the C word gets into the picture now. And I don't mean Control.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Spoiler

Well, future-Control took over Airiam, which is when she started sending data back to 31 headquarters, and apparently around the time it killed the admirals (they may have already been dead when they were holoconferencing with Leland and Georgiou last week; it's hard to tell how much time passes between episodes) and stopped taking Cornwell's calls. It looks like future-Control hijacked its past self using Airiam to bootstrap-paradox its own inception.

Spoiler

Yes, Airiam might have been hijacked by a future version of Control but we don't know if she upgraded the 23rd century version to become sentient for now.

If she hadn't, Control might have already reached sentience on its own.

 

[trampledamage]

@DWMarch I've edited your post.

Please, everyone remember, this is the Literature forum. Outside of the specific TV Show thread, any Discovery TV show reveals should be put in spoiler code.

Link to the TV Show Thread

The spoiler marking for this thread is for the book, not the show.

 

[Hugh Cambridge]

I am rereading this book as an aftermath to the season 2 of discovery and noticed that in page 283

Spoiler

control send orders to someone on the uss discovery !

so I have a question for David Mack, did you already know at the time what season 2 would be about ?
and besides, I voted outstanding.

 

[DimesDan]

Did you already know at the time what season 2 would be about ?

I suspect the writers of the programme in question were't aware themselves where season one was going, let alone season two when Control was being written.

 

[20fridge]

I am rereading this book as an aftermath to the season 2 of discovery and noticed that in page 283

Spoiler

control send orders to someone on the uss discovery !

so I have a question for David Mack, did you already know at the time what season 2 would be about ?
and besides, I voted outstanding.

Earlier in this thread...

From the timing, it'd have to be an earlier ship of the same name. Although it couldn't be Discovery NX-04, since that was the first NX-class ship to be lost in the Romulan War, more than 8 years before the scene in question.

 

[Hugh Cambridge]

sorry I asked then, I read the thread too quickly and missed some information
And thanks for the info by the way

 

[20fridge]

^No need to apologize. I don't think there's any expectation that someone has to read every post preceding their's. I just think it's funny that we had similar thoughts on the subject

I wonder if the mention of a U.S.S. Discovery during the Uraei code chapter was intentional or just coincidental...

 

[thribs]

I knew the Discovery there was a NX since they are all named after NASA shuttles.

 

[Tuskin38]

We're on page 31.

Hah

 

[Kilana2]

I just finished the German edition of it.

Sarina's

Spoiler: fate

death was like the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet. At least Bashir's desire to join Serina in death. Unlike Juliet Sarina was forced to kill herself, which is dramatically even more shocking.

I'd like to know about the Jack Pack's reaction to Sarina's fate.

 

[JD]

I just finished Control a little while ago, and I loved it.
I know a lot of people had a problem with the whole Control/Uraei reveal, but I really wasn't that bothered by it. It did add an extra layer to things, but the things that we saw still happened.
I found the whole history of Uraei pretty interesting, and it was a little scary following how it grew and developed.
It was nice to get to see Data and Lal again. I'm a huge Data fan and I've been pretty happy with what's been done with Data 2.0.
Bashir and Sarina's fates were pretty sad.
Definitely looking forward to seeing how the fallout from this plays out in the next couple books.
It gets an outstanding vote from me.

 

[Jinn]

What a terrific novel! There's so much good stuff in this novel, the plot was exciting, the characters and their relationships interesting, Garak was excellent, as were Data, Lal and Shakti. Bashir, a character I never really cared for in the show was used effectively here (and in previous novels). I'm also a sucker for sad or bittersweet endings, and this book certainly delivers on that.

 

[Damian]

What a terrific novel! There's so much good stuff in this novel, the plot was exciting, the characters and their relationships interesting, Garak was excellent, as were Data, Lal and Shakti. Bashir, a character I never really cared for in the show was used effectively here (and in previous novels). I'm also a sucker for sad or bittersweet endings, and this book certainly delivers on that.

Be sure to read Una McCormack's DS9 novel, "Enigma Tales." (if you haven't already) It follows up a bit on Bashir's condition and I thought it was an excellent Garak/Cardassia centered novel.

 

[Jinn]

Be sure to read Una McCormack's DS9 novel, "Enigma Tales." (if you haven't already) It follows up a bit on Bashir's condition and I thought it was an excellent Garak/Cardassia centered novel.

I got it on my post-Nemesis list as final entry, but decided to make a detour, before reading Hearts and Minds and (re)-read some pre 22nd century Trek, so it'll probably take a while, again. At least I'm already in 1519 again!