Spoilers TNG: Q&A by Keith R.A. DeCandido Review Thread

[Deranged Nasat]

Lots of people have spoken of their appreciation for the alternate realities that we glimpse at the end, so I'd like to instead draw attention to the interludes featuring various characters in different locations responding to the "holes in space". Given my love for continuity - not just references to previous stories or established "facts" but the act of stringing stories and events into a coherent whole - I really liked these glimpses into other peoples' lives. Catching up with Klag and Shelby, seeing Titan exploring the Gum Nebula, getting a sense of how the economic situation is in near-Dominion space, and above all giving us some insight into the changing situation in Romulan space, helping link The Red King to the formation of the Imperial Romulan State at the end of Articles of the Federation. All good stuff. KRAD even worked in a reference to the loss of his Malon super-tanker in Demons of Air and Darkness.

 

[KRAD]

Question: How big is the Enterprise which has only Picard as crew, and hotwired directly into the ship, supposed to be? Surely not as huge as most other Enterprises are, yes? A ship with only one crewmember wouldn't need to be much bigger than a runabout, you'd think.

And I love the Klingon version, the IKS Qu'. Considering what the word Qu' means...

Well spotted regarding the Qu'. And that particular Enterprise was not as big as the other ones, but much bigger than a runabout. Bigger, more powerful engines, weapons emplacements, and also cargo bays.

I remember being disappointed by this one. Tying all the Q adventures together as a means to impress the Super Q's (or whatever they were) seemed overly fanwanky and undermining of Q's motivations in several episodes.

Fair enough. Honestly, I freely admit that the book was fanwanky -- it was kind of the point. But that's not going to be to everyone's taste....

KRAD even worked in a reference to the loss of his Malon super-tanker in Demons of Air and Darkness.

I think you're the first person to catch that................

 

[ATimson]

KRAD even worked in a reference to the loss of his Malon super-tanker in Demons of Air and Darkness.

I think you're the first person to catch that................

Pretty sure I noticed that at the time; but listing all the continuity references in any given KRAD novel when talking about it online would rapidly approach the length of the novel.

 

[Enterprise1701]

Do the references in Q & A to Q-including works include Q-in-Law, Q-Squared, The Q Continuum trilogy, and I, Q. Are all those novels fully compatible with the modern novelverse?

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Do the references in Q & A to Q-including works include Q-in-Law, Q-Squared, The Q Continuum trilogy, and I, Q. Are all those novels fully compatible with the modern novelverse?

Several of them are alluded to, though whether that's intended to suggest the events are in continuity or whether the references serve simply as Easter eggs or homage to other Q authors, I couldn't say. (KRAD can, I'm sure ). Q notes being pleased that Troi is gone because that reduces the likelihood of her mother being present, obviously a sly nod to Q-In-Law, and the Galactic Barrier is referenced as an adventure Q and family shared together (Q Continuum).

Since I'm fond of both Q-In-Law and the Continuum trilogy, I like to think they took place in some form, though I don't know if everything is compatible. I'm pretty sure I, Q isn't compatible.

 

[Christopher]

Well, Q-in-Law doesn't quite fit into canon, because in "Qpid," Q makes it pretty clear that his previous visit, where Picard saved his life, was the one seen in "Deja Q." True, Peter David tried to put in something about Picard saving Q's life in QiL to make it seem like that was what was being referenced, but there are other details that don't quite fit.

Still, QiL is such a cool novel that I want to believe it happened. So my personal view is that it did happen, but Q was so embarrassed by its events that he turned back time to just before it happened and undid it, so that its events are in an alternate timeline all their own.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

So my personal view is that it did happen, but Q was so embarrassed by its events that he turned back time to just before it happened and undid it, so that its events are in an alternate timeline all their own.

I'd like to think that the Continuum occasionally tugs that timeline into view whenever Q needs deflating a little. Like the equivalent of a very shameful old photo.

 

[KRAD]

Do the references in Q & A to Q-including works include Q-in-Law, Q-Squared, The Q Continuum trilogy, and I, Q. Are all those novels fully compatible with the modern novelverse?

The answers to those two questions are "yes" and "maybe, but only with a really big hammer, in some cases."

But I made sure to at least reference every prose Q story I could. I even through in a veiled reference to I, Q.......

 

[Enterprise1701]

Do the references in Q & A to Q-including works include Q-in-Law, Q-Squared, The Q Continuum trilogy, and I, Q. Are all those novels fully compatible with the modern novelverse?

The answers to those two questions are "yes" and "maybe, but only with a really big hammer, in some cases."

But I made sure to at least reference every prose Q story I could. I even through in a veiled reference to I, Q.......

Awesome.

 

[BuckBokai]

Actually decided to reread this one yesterday. It was one of the first, if not the very first, trek novels I read and I really couldn't remember many details looking back. I'm about 2/3 through it now and things are definitely coming back to me. It's especially interesting seeing the development of his senior staff, since I remember what is to come in Before Dishonor. Most of all the Q stuff is just plain fun to reread and I'm really enjoying all the references to Trek episodes. Outside of Q, I must say my favorite other characters are Q, Q, and q. They're good ones for sure!

 

[Enterprise1701]

The Trek BBS has been around for a long time, right? Why can't I find a review thread for Q&A from when it first came out? Are review threads a recently initiated tradition?

 

[Defcon]

There was a pretty long thread about it when it was released. It wasn't a review thread like we have now,though. http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=35798

 

[Enterprise1701]

^Thanks.

 

[JD]

We didn't start doing these kinds of review threads regularly until Sho set up his site. Before that the pre-release threads often continued on with the discussion of the book after it was released, and when a post-release thread was started, it didn't always include a poll.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

After hiking through the treacherous trails of Death in Winter and Resistance, I finally arrived at the peaceful oasis of Q & A. And what a marvelous destination it turned out to be!

This book was brilliant.

Q was so much fun. Genius work at tying most of his appearances together into a coherent narrative. KRAD nailed his voice and his snark was scorching -- his comment to "Randy" about leaving her children behind made my jaw drop.

Speaking of Kadohata, I really enjoyed her addition in this volume. Her interactions with other characters were always charming and I liked the friendship that is developing between her and Beverly.

I also approve of the new security chief, if for no other reason than he brought out the neurotic side of Geordi briefly in the Happy Bottom scene over drinks. During the TNG series, the writers would sometimes give LaForge odd little social hang-ups and his feeling slighted here over Leybenzon blowing him off for drinks reminded me of "visored" Geordi in a good way.

Unsurprisingly, the Klingon portions of the book were fantastic. I include in this praise the author's handling of Worf. He was a suitable bad-ass in the final A Time to... volume and he slips perfectly into what I imagined a Worf first officer would be. He's matured without losing that terse gruffness that so identifies his basic character.

Echoing posts upthread, the alternate versions of the Enterprise crew and the galaxy-wide glimpses of how the fissures were being experienced by other crews and in other quadrants were a blast to read. Narrative juggling at this level is a rare art and a helluva lot of fun to behold.

I read this in nearly one sitting and now I regret not savoring it some more.

 

[Mizrach]

I remember being disappointed by this one. Tying all the Q adventures together as a means to impress the Super Q's (or whatever they were) seemed overly fanwanky and undermining of Q's motivations in several episodes.

Same for me, and too much human-centric even for ST standards.
KRAD is KRAD, so the writing is top notch, but the story is a waste... why not making THEM a permanent feature of the Prime Universe with an ongoing cold war with the Qs? Infinite opportunity for future books.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

I recall loving this book for its mega continuity. I'm a sucker for sprinkles of references and linking events you wouldn't think have linked. It must take a huge amount of imagination to weave something big like that into a coherent story. Man, these throw-back reviews are seriously making me want to reread all the post-Nemesis relaunch books again!

 

[Jinn]

I recall loving this book for its mega continuity. I'm a sucker for sprinkles of references and linking events you wouldn't think have linked. It must take a huge amount of imagination to weave something big like that into a coherent story. Man, these throw-back reviews are seriously making me want to reread all the post-Nemesis relaunch books again!

I couldn't agree more! I am currently somewhat undecisive on what to read next. I could continue my 23rd century read-through with TOS: Constitution or continue reading post-Nemesis novels with TF: Peaceable Kingdoms. I am tempted to do the latter, but than again I am also really enjoying the backstory of various TOS characters. Or maybe I'll just go read Early Voyages again...

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

I couldn't agree more! I am currently somewhat undecisive on what to read next. I could continue my 23rd century read-through with TOS: Constitution or continue reading post-Nemesis novels with TF: Peaceable Kingdoms. I am tempted to do the latter, but than again I am also really enjoying the backstory of various TOS characters. Or maybe I'll just go read Early Voyages again...

Your predicament is exactly why I diligently read through all post-DS9 finale litverse to the end, so that when I got to a point where I could actually wait for new books, I could fill the space in between with other litverse canon books that weren't necessarily part of the 'overall' narrative of the modern litverse.

So after I'm done with Control this week, I'm thinking of going back and reading all the original Section 31 books that I missed. I'm assuming that they are all part of the current litverse canon?

 

[Jinn]

So after I'm done with Control this week, I'm thinking of going back and reading all the original Section 31 books that I missed. I'm assuming that they are all part of the current litverse canon?

They are. The TNG novel actually features an important LitVerse character.