Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously)
- Thread starter MNM
- Start date
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I've lived here 25 years and have never tried a garbage plate. Never really felt the need to. With that being the city's most popular food, it's no wonder the town has an image problem.
Whereabouts in town did you grow up?
I've lived here 25 years and have never tried a garbage plate. Never really felt the need to. With that being the city's most popular food, it's no wonder the town has an image problem.
Whereabouts in town did you grow up?
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I finally got a hold of this one and was richly rewarded for my patience. I found this deeply moving, perhaps because of the many situations here on Earth that echo the despair and fear the refugees must feel. Leisner's references to Earth's sometimes bumpy ride to space were very poignant. I liked the lack of exlposions and blood and appreciated him showing the "So, now what?" aspect. Once the gallant heroes ride off in thier shiny space ship - how do all the pices get picked up? How does an entire planet recover what was lost? I think this will stay very high on my list of the TrekLit I consider great, along with KRAD's AotF and Greg Cox's Eugenics War trilogy.
Perhaps this moved me at this time because my husband is currently reading Blood And Soil, a History of Genocide and has been sharing to alleviate the burden of ingesting the horror alone. People often ask me how I can sit through horror movies with blood spattered all over and animal entrails spewn about the set without flinching. Unfortunately my answer is that I know fact is always more horrible than fiction and people stoop to even lower things individually and collectively than any writer has the temerity to commit to paper.
I also enjoyed getting to know Beverly and Geordi better, Leisner's characterization of all the players was subtly and deftly done. I award this book as many stars/thumbs/kudos as I can offer.
I finally got a hold of this one and was richly rewarded for my patience. I found this deeply moving, perhaps because of the many situations here on Earth that echo the despair and fear the refugees must feel. Leisner's references to Earth's sometimes bumpy ride to space were very poignant. I liked the lack of exlposions and blood and appreciated him showing the "So, now what?" aspect. Once the gallant heroes ride off in thier shiny space ship - how do all the pices get picked up? How does an entire planet recover what was lost? I think this will stay very high on my list of the TrekLit I consider great, along with KRAD's AotF and Greg Cox's Eugenics War trilogy.
Perhaps this moved me at this time because my husband is currently reading Blood And Soil, a History of Genocide and has been sharing to alleviate the burden of ingesting the horror alone. People often ask me how I can sit through horror movies with blood spattered all over and animal entrails spewn about the set without flinching. Unfortunately my answer is that I know fact is always more horrible than fiction and people stoop to even lower things individually and collectively than any writer has the temerity to commit to paper.
I also enjoyed getting to know Beverly and Geordi better, Leisner's characterization of all the players was subtly and deftly done. I award this book as many stars/thumbs/kudos as I can offer.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I suppose I'm in the minority who felt the book was just 'okay'. I didn't seem have the overwhelming, orgasmic reaction many seem to have. My assesment:
I am on the fence with "Losing the Peace." It is the first 'The Next Generation' novel to follow 2008's big 'Destiny' trilogy. It, in a nutshell, deals with the Picard and crew dealing with the aftermath of the novel 'Star Trek: Lost Souls'. Off hand, it would help if you've read the 'Destiny' trilogy, and while not necessary, the novel 'A Singular Destiny'. The Federation, to say the least, has seen better days and things are not as we've been accustomed to through all the television shows and novels - things are outright bad for the Federation, even worse than they were during the Dominion War. This novel does well to craft a true 'The Next Generation' novel; you have a conflict, a planet (or planets) and people in distress, the Enterprise is in the middle and Picard must figure out how to play by the rules while saving the day. There's not really a lesson or moral to the story, but in the end, there's a feeling of optimism that many 'Next Generation' stories have lacked over the past few years. Until the Epilogue, which casts a dark shadow over things and hints that the situation is going to get worse for Picard and the Enterprise before they get better.
The Good: Unlike many recent 'Next Generation' novels, this one really tones down on the big battles, the action, the Borg and big looming end-of-the-world threats and focuses more on the characters and how they're coping with this changed universe. This is what I enjoyed most about the novel. After so many novels that seemed, to be frank, out-of-character for 'The Next Generation' and like some fan-boy's wet dream, this one seemed more down-to-earth, dealing with character reflections and issues easily to relate to that didn't seem far fetched or science-fiction. The start of the novel felt a lot like the episode 'Family', with the crew back on Earth, dealing with family, loss, change and trying to move forward. The character of Commander Miranda Kadohata also really got to shine in the spotlight, giving a unique perspective to those serving and honoring their duties while struggling with their family obligations. Surprisingly, this was also a big novel for revealing the past of Beverly Crusher, who finally stands out and is given a proper novel and storyline.
The Bad: The novel lost my attention half-way through. After the start, the plot feels as if it's meandering and wandering. The Picard/Enterprise plot is simply dull and unengaging, while the Crusher/Pacifica plot is far more interesting and unique. I'd rather the novel had been more about Beverly Crusher and the present situation revealing parts of her past that we haven't seen than to see the focus split and spread too thin. By the end, it felt as if the Crusher focus waned and fizzled just as it was getting interesting. At the start, I thought La Forge was also going to finally get a great development moment, but he also is lost in the shuffle. What bore me as well was the return of the plot point we've seen in TNG novels of the past 2-3 years: Picard thinks he's right, he does what he wants, defies orders and evades consequences. We've seen this in 'Insurrection.' We've read this in all of the 'A Time To...' novels, in addition to the past 3-4 TNG novels dealing with the Borg. Enough. The Pacifica plot started out somewhat interesting until it turned into a watered-down abbreviated version of Star Trek: Insurrection. Also, I did not like that one of the main TNG-relaunch characters are (apparently) written out far too soon, just as they are getting interesting. By the end of the novel, I went from being engaged in the plot to disappointed and let down by it.
In all, average novel. It's not bad, but it's not as great as many are making it out to be (in my opinion). Having read a great deal of 'Star Trek' fiction, including TNG, this novel, as with the previous ones, leaves me missing the old days. The quality of the novels have gone from being episdoe/tv worthy, gripping, 'i can't believe no one thought of this before' to simply feeling like fan-fiction gone horribly wrong. I miss the dynamic 'TNG' used to have, even in the novels. I'm tired of these plots attempting to make Picard out to be another Kirk, always defying rules and orders. I dislike the 'common man' characters like Chen and some of the Pacifica characters that, I think, are supposed to be down-to-earth and relatable but just come off as annoying and seem entirely out of place. "Losing the Peace", along with many other TNG novels, have made 'The Next Generation' feel more like a running joke or fan-fiction experiment than something truly attention grabbing and gripping.
I suppose I'm in the minority who felt the book was just 'okay'. I didn't seem have the overwhelming, orgasmic reaction many seem to have. My assesment:
I am on the fence with "Losing the Peace." It is the first 'The Next Generation' novel to follow 2008's big 'Destiny' trilogy. It, in a nutshell, deals with the Picard and crew dealing with the aftermath of the novel 'Star Trek: Lost Souls'. Off hand, it would help if you've read the 'Destiny' trilogy, and while not necessary, the novel 'A Singular Destiny'. The Federation, to say the least, has seen better days and things are not as we've been accustomed to through all the television shows and novels - things are outright bad for the Federation, even worse than they were during the Dominion War. This novel does well to craft a true 'The Next Generation' novel; you have a conflict, a planet (or planets) and people in distress, the Enterprise is in the middle and Picard must figure out how to play by the rules while saving the day. There's not really a lesson or moral to the story, but in the end, there's a feeling of optimism that many 'Next Generation' stories have lacked over the past few years. Until the Epilogue, which casts a dark shadow over things and hints that the situation is going to get worse for Picard and the Enterprise before they get better.
The Good: Unlike many recent 'Next Generation' novels, this one really tones down on the big battles, the action, the Borg and big looming end-of-the-world threats and focuses more on the characters and how they're coping with this changed universe. This is what I enjoyed most about the novel. After so many novels that seemed, to be frank, out-of-character for 'The Next Generation' and like some fan-boy's wet dream, this one seemed more down-to-earth, dealing with character reflections and issues easily to relate to that didn't seem far fetched or science-fiction. The start of the novel felt a lot like the episode 'Family', with the crew back on Earth, dealing with family, loss, change and trying to move forward. The character of Commander Miranda Kadohata also really got to shine in the spotlight, giving a unique perspective to those serving and honoring their duties while struggling with their family obligations. Surprisingly, this was also a big novel for revealing the past of Beverly Crusher, who finally stands out and is given a proper novel and storyline.
The Bad: The novel lost my attention half-way through. After the start, the plot feels as if it's meandering and wandering. The Picard/Enterprise plot is simply dull and unengaging, while the Crusher/Pacifica plot is far more interesting and unique. I'd rather the novel had been more about Beverly Crusher and the present situation revealing parts of her past that we haven't seen than to see the focus split and spread too thin. By the end, it felt as if the Crusher focus waned and fizzled just as it was getting interesting. At the start, I thought La Forge was also going to finally get a great development moment, but he also is lost in the shuffle. What bore me as well was the return of the plot point we've seen in TNG novels of the past 2-3 years: Picard thinks he's right, he does what he wants, defies orders and evades consequences. We've seen this in 'Insurrection.' We've read this in all of the 'A Time To...' novels, in addition to the past 3-4 TNG novels dealing with the Borg. Enough. The Pacifica plot started out somewhat interesting until it turned into a watered-down abbreviated version of Star Trek: Insurrection. Also, I did not like that one of the main TNG-relaunch characters are (apparently) written out far too soon, just as they are getting interesting. By the end of the novel, I went from being engaged in the plot to disappointed and let down by it.
In all, average novel. It's not bad, but it's not as great as many are making it out to be (in my opinion). Having read a great deal of 'Star Trek' fiction, including TNG, this novel, as with the previous ones, leaves me missing the old days. The quality of the novels have gone from being episdoe/tv worthy, gripping, 'i can't believe no one thought of this before' to simply feeling like fan-fiction gone horribly wrong. I miss the dynamic 'TNG' used to have, even in the novels. I'm tired of these plots attempting to make Picard out to be another Kirk, always defying rules and orders. I dislike the 'common man' characters like Chen and some of the Pacifica characters that, I think, are supposed to be down-to-earth and relatable but just come off as annoying and seem entirely out of place. "Losing the Peace", along with many other TNG novels, have made 'The Next Generation' feel more like a running joke or fan-fiction experiment than something truly attention grabbing and gripping.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
It seems to be that you're just not that happy with the direction that the pre- and post-Destiny books have gone in. So I have to ask, what did you think of Full Circle and A Singular Destiny? Do you like the single-continuity that the editors have gone with, or would prefer the cookie-cutter novels of old?
I have read a number of cookie-cutter novels and a number of the more recent novels and I have to say I prefer the latter, the stories of the old stories were just "meh" for the most part though there are a few gems in there.
I have to ask why you keep reading the post-Nemesis fiction if you feel that way? IMO, the TNG series had been faltering since Resistance, but Destiny and Losing The Peace have solidified the post-Nemesis characters and given us a view of the Federation that was lost in DS9. Picard is helping to get everyone back to the "we are all friends" view that early TNG had, which is a good thing. Kadohata hasn't been written out as far as we know, it is a temporary reassignment and we'll probably still have her in the next book, albeit in a smaller capacity.
It seems to be that you're just not that happy with the direction that the pre- and post-Destiny books have gone in. So I have to ask, what did you think of Full Circle and A Singular Destiny? Do you like the single-continuity that the editors have gone with, or would prefer the cookie-cutter novels of old?
I have read a number of cookie-cutter novels and a number of the more recent novels and I have to say I prefer the latter, the stories of the old stories were just "meh" for the most part though there are a few gems in there.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
Just a couple of comments:
I'm confused by this comment. Insurrection was about a Starfleet plot to displace the native population of an unaligned planet so that the Federation could move in and get firmer boobs, or something like that. I have to ask where you see the parallels, and where exactly the Pacifica plot, which you say you initially liked, fell apart for you?
These are two very different assessments, coming from one reviewer three sentences apart. You are of course entitled to express your opinion, but... which is it?
I can't complain too much about getting an "okay" judgment, though I am sorry your reaction wasn't overwhelming and... um, overwhelming.
Just a couple of comments:
I'm confused by this comment. Insurrection was about a Starfleet plot to displace the native population of an unaligned planet so that the Federation could move in and get firmer boobs, or something like that. I have to ask where you see the parallels, and where exactly the Pacifica plot, which you say you initially liked, fell apart for you?
These are two very different assessments, coming from one reviewer three sentences apart. You are of course entitled to express your opinion, but... which is it?
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I finished this like a week or so ago. Some of my thoughts on it:
It's pretty good. I think of the other TNG-R books (not counting Destiny) it's the best one. For me it was quite difficult for me to sympathize with either the refugees or the affected planets and the people in power on those planets. The refugees came off as too demanding and insistent as if they automatically deserve and have a right to the kindness of others. Going so far as bitching because life wasn't as posh as it was before. And at the same time the leaders of the planets (Alpha Centauri and Pacifica) were a tad bit TOO unwilling to try to help at all. Sure those planets were untouched by the Borg but you don't need first-hand experience with something to understand what is happening and what that means. If someone told you whole planets were destroyed and every other planet in the Federation was taking the same refugees you are how can you reasonably say "Screw you! I'm not taking any refugees, in fact I'm going to make things worse by leaving the Federation!"
This brings me to my next thing. Now, it's not on page that Earth has taken any refugees at all. I can only hope that Earth is having all of the same issues these other planets are. But this lack of it being on page, (be it this book or any other book) makes me think Earth is still moving along in its idyllic way of living with no resource issues. That, then, would be something for other planets to bitch about.
But all of that aren't problems I had with the story, more just observations being made. My lack of sympathy for them didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
One small thing that did however affect my enjoyment of the book was Picard's exchange with Admiral Akaar where he was offered admiralty. When the scene first started out I was ecstatic about it, it helped make sense of why Picard was given free rein to do whatever he wanted for all of Destiny and most of this book. I was not however happy that he turned it down. I don't care what Kirk told him, I don't care what we fans in the real world think about admirals only being "desk jockeys", and I certainly don't think that Akaar should have so quickly and easily said "Oh, OK" just because Kirk told Picard to. Given the situation Picard was in he could have quite easily said "Yes, under one condition. That I remain aboard the Enterprise and in the thick of things." Desk-problem solved.
Great scenes: Geordi/Picard with the whole Thalaron Weapon thing was fantastic. Worf/Geordi was also an amazing scene where they expressed their friendship and had some banter. Pretty much all of Worf's scenes were great though to be honest -- his scenes with Choudhury were great too.
I finished this like a week or so ago. Some of my thoughts on it:
It's pretty good. I think of the other TNG-R books (not counting Destiny) it's the best one. For me it was quite difficult for me to sympathize with either the refugees or the affected planets and the people in power on those planets. The refugees came off as too demanding and insistent as if they automatically deserve and have a right to the kindness of others. Going so far as bitching because life wasn't as posh as it was before. And at the same time the leaders of the planets (Alpha Centauri and Pacifica) were a tad bit TOO unwilling to try to help at all. Sure those planets were untouched by the Borg but you don't need first-hand experience with something to understand what is happening and what that means. If someone told you whole planets were destroyed and every other planet in the Federation was taking the same refugees you are how can you reasonably say "Screw you! I'm not taking any refugees, in fact I'm going to make things worse by leaving the Federation!"
This brings me to my next thing. Now, it's not on page that Earth has taken any refugees at all. I can only hope that Earth is having all of the same issues these other planets are. But this lack of it being on page, (be it this book or any other book) makes me think Earth is still moving along in its idyllic way of living with no resource issues. That, then, would be something for other planets to bitch about.
But all of that aren't problems I had with the story, more just observations being made. My lack of sympathy for them didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
One small thing that did however affect my enjoyment of the book was Picard's exchange with Admiral Akaar where he was offered admiralty. When the scene first started out I was ecstatic about it, it helped make sense of why Picard was given free rein to do whatever he wanted for all of Destiny and most of this book. I was not however happy that he turned it down. I don't care what Kirk told him, I don't care what we fans in the real world think about admirals only being "desk jockeys", and I certainly don't think that Akaar should have so quickly and easily said "Oh, OK" just because Kirk told Picard to. Given the situation Picard was in he could have quite easily said "Yes, under one condition. That I remain aboard the Enterprise and in the thick of things." Desk-problem solved.
Great scenes: Geordi/Picard with the whole Thalaron Weapon thing was fantastic. Worf/Geordi was also an amazing scene where they expressed their friendship and had some banter. Pretty much all of Worf's scenes were great though to be honest -- his scenes with Choudhury were great too.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
FInished the book today, and I really like seeing T'Ryssa Chen doing something other than running her mouth... <G>
FInished the book today, and I really like seeing T'Ryssa Chen doing something other than running her mouth... <G>
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
But. Um. They do automatically deserve and have a right to the kindness of others. Apparently it's even spelled out in the Articles of the Federation.
They were being put into a giant cage where preventable diseases were spreading and almost killing people, all the while being treated like shit by the Pacifican government for no particular reason from the very start. I hardly think it's unreasonable for them to bitch about it.
But. Um. They do automatically deserve and have a right to the kindness of others. Apparently it's even spelled out in the Articles of the Federation.
They were being put into a giant cage where preventable diseases were spreading and almost killing people, all the while being treated like shit by the Pacifican government for no particular reason from the very start. I hardly think it's unreasonable for them to bitch about it.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
To answer the question, I wasn't impressed with 'A Singular Destiny'. It was, as I said with this novel, just okay. Not to insult the author but my favorite part of 'A Singular Destiny' was in fact the end with the big 'reveal' that I won't get into for the sake of those who haven't read it. I felt the majority of the novel was just mediocre at best and wasn't entirely moved by it.
As for 'Full Circle', I have to say that it was probably my favorite 'Star Trek' novel of the past year or two. It focused on the characters, it moved the characters and plot forward, setup what will be a rather interesting situation for the 'Voyager' universe. It also made sense out of Peter David's backwards approach to Janeway in 'Before Dishonor'. Even though it introduced a slew of new characters, I felt they were setup far better than those in TNG's relaunch in the novels.
Yes, the pre-Destiny TNG novels were a mixed bag. You had some hits and a lot of misses mixed in but to me, they were more enjoyable to read. The latest books feel like, as I've stated, fan-fiction run wild with apocolyptic-Borg invasions and an attempt to top all of the other disasters we've seen in Trek novels lately (The 'Double Helix' crisis of '99, Gateways of '01, Dominion War, 'A Time To ...' crisis era). It's like ... enough. While many seem to like characters like Chen, I don't. She's not adding anything but some comic relief to the fold and TNG is going from where it used to be to feeling like some ABC Famliy or Disney Channel spin-off. Plus, every book something happens to a re-launch character that pretty much leave the audience still not knowing or connecting with this new crew. I'm hoping at some point things will come together and we'll get a steady group of core characters to get to know, as in the 'Voyager' relaunch, the DS9 relaunch, and the other books series. That is what keeps me reading and that's what I'm hoping to find in future installments.
I think if anything we've seen that the singular-continuity adds something great to the novels. It's worked with New Frontier, DS9-R, it's bringing the Enterprise relaunch together, and so on. Some stand alone 'cookie cutters' wouldn't hurt but I think we're all interested in seeing these characters and books move forward more so than backward and 'filling in the gaps' we somehow didn't see. It's just a matter of how it's executed and carried out. Perhaps it's that TNG's relaunch has been too connected to setting up 'Destiny' and hasn't been able to benefit from standing alone establishing itself like the other series and groups of characters. I dunno, but TNG is definitely turning into one of my least favorite 'relaunch' set of books so far.
To answer the question, I wasn't impressed with 'A Singular Destiny'. It was, as I said with this novel, just okay. Not to insult the author but my favorite part of 'A Singular Destiny' was in fact the end with the big 'reveal' that I won't get into for the sake of those who haven't read it. I felt the majority of the novel was just mediocre at best and wasn't entirely moved by it.
As for 'Full Circle', I have to say that it was probably my favorite 'Star Trek' novel of the past year or two. It focused on the characters, it moved the characters and plot forward, setup what will be a rather interesting situation for the 'Voyager' universe. It also made sense out of Peter David's backwards approach to Janeway in 'Before Dishonor'. Even though it introduced a slew of new characters, I felt they were setup far better than those in TNG's relaunch in the novels.
Yes, the pre-Destiny TNG novels were a mixed bag. You had some hits and a lot of misses mixed in but to me, they were more enjoyable to read. The latest books feel like, as I've stated, fan-fiction run wild with apocolyptic-Borg invasions and an attempt to top all of the other disasters we've seen in Trek novels lately (The 'Double Helix' crisis of '99, Gateways of '01, Dominion War, 'A Time To ...' crisis era). It's like ... enough. While many seem to like characters like Chen, I don't. She's not adding anything but some comic relief to the fold and TNG is going from where it used to be to feeling like some ABC Famliy or Disney Channel spin-off. Plus, every book something happens to a re-launch character that pretty much leave the audience still not knowing or connecting with this new crew. I'm hoping at some point things will come together and we'll get a steady group of core characters to get to know, as in the 'Voyager' relaunch, the DS9 relaunch, and the other books series. That is what keeps me reading and that's what I'm hoping to find in future installments.
I think if anything we've seen that the singular-continuity adds something great to the novels. It's worked with New Frontier, DS9-R, it's bringing the Enterprise relaunch together, and so on. Some stand alone 'cookie cutters' wouldn't hurt but I think we're all interested in seeing these characters and books move forward more so than backward and 'filling in the gaps' we somehow didn't see. It's just a matter of how it's executed and carried out. Perhaps it's that TNG's relaunch has been too connected to setting up 'Destiny' and hasn't been able to benefit from standing alone establishing itself like the other series and groups of characters. I dunno, but TNG is definitely turning into one of my least favorite 'relaunch' set of books so far.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
Pacifica Plot/Insurrection Parallel: Essentially, there's a planet with a crisis and one of the Enterprise crew members (Crusher, instead of Data) discovers it. Realizing she can't save the world on her own, she reveals the troubles Pacifica is facing to Picard. Rather than sticking to his orders from the admiral (Akaar in sthis case, rather than Matthew Daugherty), he makes an emotional decision and defies his training and orders to sets off on a mission that he thinks he knows how to solve best. He makes rather brash, irrational decisions more akin to Kirk, and even goes so far as to get the crew involved (such as the scene toward the end where the ship 'mysteriously' suffers communication troubles). In the end, Picard is right (of course), he teaches the admiralty and Starfleet Command a lesson and all is well for the Enterprise-E to soar off to another crisis next week. Insurrection was a bit more than just the quest for firmer boobs. And while Federation isn't out to move any Ba'ku, the plot is still about displaced people. So, in all, the Pacifica plot fell apart for me when the focus shifted from Crusher being sent to Pacifica to help out to the Enterprise having to come in and 'rescue' the displaced people and teach a lesson to the admiralty and Federation leaders who (somehow) 'just didn't get' the whole apocalyptic Borg invasion that seemed to consume a big part of the Federation.
The fact that more wasn't done to draw in Barash, who sent Crusher and the group of docs to Pacifica, just seemed more like an attempt to cram in another 'oh, there he is! I remember him!' cameo. A la, fan-fic. For me, "Losing the Peace" was just 'ok'. Meaning, it falls somewhere in between 'i've read worse' and 'wow, someone got paid to write this?' It just felt like fan-fiction, as has many of these 'Destiny' novels, the ones that setup the situation and the ones that have followed the big event. It's just my opinion though so as the 'SNL' Joy Behar would say, 'So what, who cares?' People seem to like the novel and people are making money from it so congratulations either way.
I can't complain too much about getting an "okay" judgment, though I am sorry your reaction wasn't overwhelming and... um, overwhelming.
Just a couple of comments:
I'm confused by this comment. Insurrection was about a Starfleet plot to displace the native population of an unaligned planet so that the Federation could move in and get firmer boobs, or something like that. I have to ask where you see the parallels, and where exactly the Pacifica plot, which you say you initially liked, fell apart for you?
These are two very different assessments, coming from one reviewer three sentences apart. You are of course entitled to express your opinion, but... which is it?
Pacifica Plot/Insurrection Parallel: Essentially, there's a planet with a crisis and one of the Enterprise crew members (Crusher, instead of Data) discovers it. Realizing she can't save the world on her own, she reveals the troubles Pacifica is facing to Picard. Rather than sticking to his orders from the admiral (Akaar in sthis case, rather than Matthew Daugherty), he makes an emotional decision and defies his training and orders to sets off on a mission that he thinks he knows how to solve best. He makes rather brash, irrational decisions more akin to Kirk, and even goes so far as to get the crew involved (such as the scene toward the end where the ship 'mysteriously' suffers communication troubles). In the end, Picard is right (of course), he teaches the admiralty and Starfleet Command a lesson and all is well for the Enterprise-E to soar off to another crisis next week. Insurrection was a bit more than just the quest for firmer boobs. And while Federation isn't out to move any Ba'ku, the plot is still about displaced people. So, in all, the Pacifica plot fell apart for me when the focus shifted from Crusher being sent to Pacifica to help out to the Enterprise having to come in and 'rescue' the displaced people and teach a lesson to the admiralty and Federation leaders who (somehow) 'just didn't get' the whole apocalyptic Borg invasion that seemed to consume a big part of the Federation.
The fact that more wasn't done to draw in Barash, who sent Crusher and the group of docs to Pacifica, just seemed more like an attempt to cram in another 'oh, there he is! I remember him!' cameo. A la, fan-fic. For me, "Losing the Peace" was just 'ok'. Meaning, it falls somewhere in between 'i've read worse' and 'wow, someone got paid to write this?' It just felt like fan-fiction, as has many of these 'Destiny' novels, the ones that setup the situation and the ones that have followed the big event. It's just my opinion though so as the 'SNL' Joy Behar would say, 'So what, who cares?' People seem to like the novel and people are making money from it so congratulations either way.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read and finished it in few days. Great charcterization. Enjoyed Crushed flashbacks. Couldn't beileved Picard kidnapped a world's leader and no body chased him, other than that I enjoed the themes, and the way they were handled. Why does Worf always feel so uncomfortable after having been close with someone? I guess he doesn't hook up casually! Jasminer Chodery(sp ikno) seems like a good choise as a parter as shes simlar but different enough it might work long term! nice job MR.Leisner.
Did Picard feel an emotional tie to his wife to impare his judgement to leave Alpah C. Did he feel there was no other option? Seemed like a rash decison. The Kirk comparison in the end...he is turning into Kirk. So different than the early pompus Picard shown early in season one of Star Trek TNG. Is there no other ship that could go back to Pacifica to help the situation there. Where is the admiralty at times? Why are they not constantly monitering and issuing orders...sorta fuzzy on the communications gaps...like equipment goes out and they can't talk to the boss. There are other ways it just seems. If my wife can't get a hold of me she'll find another way...seems like command needs to command for once...kind makes starfleet seem so unserious. Would this ever occur in the Navy? That captian would never captain again i'd think, but i don't know..
Side note been reading Star Trek books since i was young, and the newer novels allow for much more freedom and are more intersting all around! What a great job writing stories for money. thank you for all your hard work...and a hopeful outlook for the future of humanity.
I enjoyed this novel. It was an easy read and finished it in few days. Great charcterization. Enjoyed Crushed flashbacks. Couldn't beileved Picard kidnapped a world's leader and no body chased him, other than that I enjoed the themes, and the way they were handled. Why does Worf always feel so uncomfortable after having been close with someone? I guess he doesn't hook up casually! Jasminer Chodery(sp ikno) seems like a good choise as a parter as shes simlar but different enough it might work long term! nice job MR.Leisner.
Did Picard feel an emotional tie to his wife to impare his judgement to leave Alpah C. Did he feel there was no other option? Seemed like a rash decison. The Kirk comparison in the end...he is turning into Kirk. So different than the early pompus Picard shown early in season one of Star Trek TNG. Is there no other ship that could go back to Pacifica to help the situation there. Where is the admiralty at times? Why are they not constantly monitering and issuing orders...sorta fuzzy on the communications gaps...like equipment goes out and they can't talk to the boss. There are other ways it just seems. If my wife can't get a hold of me she'll find another way...seems like command needs to command for once...kind makes starfleet seem so unserious. Would this ever occur in the Navy? That captian would never captain again i'd think, but i don't know..
Side note been reading Star Trek books since i was young, and the newer novels allow for much more freedom and are more intersting all around! What a great job writing stories for money. thank you for all your hard work...and a hopeful outlook for the future of humanity.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
You make an interesting point. My view is that it was the best decision Picard could make given the circumstances. What I disliked (and have previously mentioned) is that while Picard deals with Crusher's call for assistance in a very professional manner, the author then has Beverly say something along the lines of "I knew there was a reason why I married you" (apologies: don't have the text to hand) which is broadcast to all and sundry on the E bridge. THAT is unprofessional.
You make an interesting point. My view is that it was the best decision Picard could make given the circumstances. What I disliked (and have previously mentioned) is that while Picard deals with Crusher's call for assistance in a very professional manner, the author then has Beverly say something along the lines of "I knew there was a reason why I married you" (apologies: don't have the text to hand) which is broadcast to all and sundry on the E bridge. THAT is unprofessional.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I thought the reactions from both sides rang true. Even though they were told what had happened, at that point I think a lot of people might have had trouble grasping the extent of the destruction. Because of that, the refugees and those helping them may have expected the situation to improve more quickly than was possible. Especially in a society where people felt entitled to a certain standard of living, I can see how their frustrations would boil over when things didn't go as expected.
I thought the reactions from both sides rang true. Even though they were told what had happened, at that point I think a lot of people might have had trouble grasping the extent of the destruction. Because of that, the refugees and those helping them may have expected the situation to improve more quickly than was possible. Especially in a society where people felt entitled to a certain standard of living, I can see how their frustrations would boil over when things didn't go as expected.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I finished this today and really enjoyed it, I liked the way it picked up the pieces of what has happened in the Destiny trilogy in regards to the refugees and living conditions I particularly liked the bit about the alpha Centuri governor wanting to succeed because of his hardships, then picard 'kidnaps' him and then he sees the real horrors that are going on at the time. It was also interesting to see a Dr Crusher back story.
I also liked the but at the end when Picard was talking about Kirk in regards to become an admiral
I finished this today and really enjoyed it, I liked the way it picked up the pieces of what has happened in the Destiny trilogy in regards to the refugees and living conditions I particularly liked the bit about the alpha Centuri governor wanting to succeed because of his hardships, then picard 'kidnaps' him and then he sees the real horrors that are going on at the time. It was also interesting to see a Dr Crusher back story.
I also liked the but at the end when Picard was talking about Kirk in regards to become an admiral
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I finished the book last night. Good book overall. I am not into Crusher so much I want to hear about this and that from her past with Jack although after I have read it, it was nice to read. Good job!
I think Picard should have taken an admiral field commission position or something and remained on the Enterprise. This seems plausible with the current situation.
In the end, I miss Data in the books. So I have decided to read Immortal Coil instead of ASD. I need my Data fix.
I finished the book last night. Good book overall. I am not into Crusher so much I want to hear about this and that from her past with Jack although after I have read it, it was nice to read. Good job!
I think Picard should have taken an admiral field commission position or something and remained on the Enterprise. This seems plausible with the current situation.
In the end, I miss Data in the books. So I have decided to read Immortal Coil instead of ASD. I need my Data fix.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I felt the same way. When the scene started, I was sure it was going to end with Admiral Picard and the Enterprise as his flagship.
I felt the same way. When the scene started, I was sure it was going to end with Admiral Picard and the Enterprise as his flagship.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
But in recent years, the Enterprise seems to have had a number of communications issues with Command. Perhaps the subspace communications array should be completely replaced.
Starfleet lost two many admirals in the Breen attack to allow even one to be permanently flitting around the galaxy, disobeying orders to do what he thinks is right.
But in recent years, the Enterprise seems to have had a number of communications issues with Command. Perhaps the subspace communications array should be completely replaced.
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
It was an excellent read! I really enjoyed this book and I was actually hoping that Picard would have accepted that promotion. I am really looking forward to the novels set post-Borg war.
On a different note:
Admiral Picard..... I have to say it does sound nice.
Someone should have that talk with Picard about his career not moving forward anymore, the same talk he had with Riker in The Icarus Factor and The Best of Both Worlds part 1. We learn that Picard was one of the youngest captains in the fleet, he was decorated so many times. But somehow his career stagnates. Yes, I know Kirk warned Picard to never to accept a promotion. But Picard is not Kirk, Kirk was a man of action. Picard was on the other hand a much more of a renaissance man, a thinker. In my opinion, Picard is admiral material.
Sorry for my blithering...
Any hope that we might see Picard actually being promoted to admiral and not just promoted up to ambassador?
It was an excellent read! I really enjoyed this book and I was actually hoping that Picard would have accepted that promotion. I am really looking forward to the novels set post-Borg war.
On a different note:
Admiral Picard..... I have to say it does sound nice.
Someone should have that talk with Picard about his career not moving forward anymore, the same talk he had with Riker in The Icarus Factor and The Best of Both Worlds part 1. We learn that Picard was one of the youngest captains in the fleet, he was decorated so many times. But somehow his career stagnates. Yes, I know Kirk warned Picard to never to accept a promotion. But Picard is not Kirk, Kirk was a man of action. Picard was on the other hand a much more of a renaissance man, a thinker. In my opinion, Picard is admiral material.
Sorry for my blithering...
Any hope that we might see Picard actually being promoted to admiral and not just promoted up to ambassador?
Re: Some thoughts on Losing the Peace (spoilers for the book obviously
I don't accept the assumption that a career is "stagnant" unless it involves constant promotions. That's the kind of thinking that leads to the Peter Principle. There's more to life than greedily striving for more, more, more. I think it's more sensible and mature to find something that you're good at and happy with and stick with it for as long as you're able. Instead of measuring advancement by some arbitrary, external standard like how high your rank or your salary is, you should measure advancement by becoming better at what you do, gaining more experience, making a difference for more people, etc.
There is no rational way you can say a man's career is "stagnant" when that career involves discovering new worlds and new forms of life, going where he's needed and making a positive difference, contributing constantly to the body of knowledge and the well-being of the life forms of the galaxy. That's a very dynamic, active, fulfilling career, in a lot of ways that are profoundly more meaningful than how many pips you have on your collar. Picard doesn't have to move upward, because he's doing something better: moving forward.
I don't accept the assumption that a career is "stagnant" unless it involves constant promotions. That's the kind of thinking that leads to the Peter Principle. There's more to life than greedily striving for more, more, more. I think it's more sensible and mature to find something that you're good at and happy with and stick with it for as long as you're able. Instead of measuring advancement by some arbitrary, external standard like how high your rank or your salary is, you should measure advancement by becoming better at what you do, gaining more experience, making a difference for more people, etc.
There is no rational way you can say a man's career is "stagnant" when that career involves discovering new worlds and new forms of life, going where he's needed and making a positive difference, contributing constantly to the body of knowledge and the well-being of the life forms of the galaxy. That's a very dynamic, active, fulfilling career, in a lot of ways that are profoundly more meaningful than how many pips you have on your collar. Picard doesn't have to move upward, because he's doing something better: moving forward.
Similar threads
