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The Battle for Betazed & Immortal Coil

Hoshi_Mayweather

Hoshi_Mayweather

Fleet Captain
Fleet Captain
I've just finished reading 'The Battle for Betazed'...and I thought it moved pretty well.

I wanted to get some opinions on the novel before I further post my own....;)

Another I'm looking at is 'Immortal Coil'....because it has references to TOS Prime... (If I can get some opinions on that novel, that'll be great too)..
 
I haven't read it yet myself, but Immortal Coil does come up quite a bit in best of TrekLit threads.
 
"The Battle of Betazed" has a particular place in my heart as the first Star Trek book I ever read, when I had just turned 12. I had watched a few TNG episodes (re-runs) and season seven of VOY (first UK transmission) and had enjoyed them immensely. I found the book and bought it, intrigued because I knew of Betazed from TNG. I knew it was a peaceful place, so why would there be a battle there? Why did Deanna Troi have a gun? Well, while it was a TNG story, this book was my introduction to the wonders of DS9. I found it fascinating just how big and complex this whole universe was, and I loved how
the final battle involved something that wasn't shooting and guns but something much less conventional. The struggle of the Betazoid people, not against the Dominion but against the demands, restrictions and virtues of their own culture, the terrible cost of letting go of those things, and the cost of not doing so, was really fascinating to me. I was glad they were able to free their world without giving up who they were, without using their telepathy to kill. And yet, the ending wasn't la-di-da, we're all happy now, it was sober and thoughtful.
Basically, it was everything a child should be given to read. I started saving money and buying every month's book (or books) and began to see how the stories all linked up, how the universe of Star Trek all linked up.

Evaluating the book now, it was average (which is not dismissive; I think the "average" 21st century Trek book is well worth reading and very enjoyable). It told its story well and made use of a very interesting moral premise. :)
 
I liked the Battle of Betazed and a untold story about the Dominnion war. It was nice Seeing Deanna Troi and Vaughn working together with her mother and othersto free their world.
 
Let me save you the trouble of reading Immortal Coil:

"Hey, Data, you ever read 'The DaVinci Code'*? Well, someone was just murdered and he drew your name on the ground. Looks like you have a murder to solve."
"Excellent. Let us now reference every episode of our own series and the original series in which some form of artificial intelligence makes an appearance."
"'Measure of a Man' was an awesome episode."
"Indeed."


*- To be fair, Immortal Coil came out before DaVinci Code, so this isn't a steal from that.
 
Hoshi_Mayweather said:
Another I'm looking at is 'Immortal Coil'....because it has references to TOS Prime... (If I can get some opinions on that novel, that'll be great too)..
Click to expand...

I absolutely loved "Immortal Coil", but I'm a Data fan, love all references to androids and AI in TOS, and it's a classic "whodunnit" that had me guessing right till the end. It also links to "The Questor Tapes".

Some TNG fans, ie. those who aren't as intimately familiar with TOS, felt cheated by the many references back to TOS androids, with some wishing the novel had had footnotes or a glossary, but I think that would've taken the fun out of it for another large group of readers. Also, if you're someone who can spot the McGuffins in movies from the first few scenes, or can solve a murder before Poirot or Miss Marple, maybe this isn't for you. But it had me guessing.

Jeff Lang did a great job on this one, and I'd love to see him do a follow-up that explores the B-4 and tying it all in with IDW's "Countdown".
 
Follow-up exploring B4 - absolutely.
Tying it into Countdown - no way!

Actually, to be honest, I've been against the rebirth of Data because I hate it when main characters who have died somehow come back. It's always so forced. But I'm coming around to the idea, so long as other characters who die, die permanently, then Data is the only character who *can* come back from the dead.
I'm very pleased that the authors are taking their time with it, and not rushing to bring him back asap just because it's what the fans want.
And I'd also be really happy if B4 becomes some new kind of Data, advancing the character in some way.
But I *REALLY* hope the novels eventually come up with their own version of the events preceding the new Star Trek.

(But it's just a lone fan's wish; I know I don't speak for everyone)
 
Heehee!! Me and some ST fans (and IIRC, someone who didn't like ST!) did a High School book report and speech on Battle for Betazed!! I liked it- wanted to know what went down, and I... appreciate their solution! :)
 
Vestboy said:
Let me save you the trouble of reading Immortal Coil:

"Hey, Data, you ever read 'The DaVinci Code'*? Well, someone was just murdered and he drew your name on the ground. Looks like you have a murder to solve."
"Excellent. Let us now reference every episode of our own series and the original series in which some form of artificial intelligence makes an appearance."
"'Measure of a Man' was an awesome episode."
"Indeed."


*- To be fair, Immortal Coil came out before DaVinci Code, so this isn't a steal from that.
Click to expand...

...it was the other way around
 
I am reading Immortal Coil right now and I think the book is great! I can't wait to finish it. I really need a TNG list of books from 2002 forward to do some catch up reading.

I do agree and I miss Data. Of all the characters ever killed off, Data is the only one I could believe if they brought back. I wait for the day...
 
Deranged Nasat said:
I found it fascinating just how big and complex this whole universe was, and I loved how
the final battle involved something that wasn't shooting and guns but something much less conventional. The struggle of the Betazoid people, not against the Dominion but against the demands, restrictions and virtues of their own culture, the terrible cost of letting go of those things, and the cost of not doing so, was really fascinating to me. I was glad they were able to free their world without giving up who they were, without using their telepathy to kill. And yet, the ending wasn't la-di-da, we're all happy now, it was sober and thoughtful.
Click to expand...

I wasn't as impressed by that. In fact, I was a bit put off by all the hand-wringing over the topic: should we? shouldn't we? et al because in the end the option was taken away from them from the outside, rendering all the angst useless.
 
I have to post my thoughts on 'Immortal Coil' after I finish reading it.

Some thoughts on 'The Battle for Betazed':

I thought the imagery was interesting, but sad, with the Betazeds that were tortured by Crell Moset (who comes off as a mad scientist, but expands with what possibly happened during the Bajoran Occupation).

I usually thought TNG came off too preachy, but I did find the resolution satisfying.

It was nice seeing Lwaxana Troi again, even though she was a bit worn out by this time due to what was occuring on her world.

I was looking for the reference to Mr. Homm, but I didn't find any. (I thought I read a very old post that he died...)
 
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