Poll TNG-SA: #8 Starfall by Brad and Barbara Strickland Review Thread (25th Anniversary)

[tomswift2002]

Starfall
Published: October 1995
Written by Brad and Barbara Strickland

Plot:
Jean-Luc Picard has failed his entrance exam to Starfleet Academy. Now all his plans for the future are gone, and he must make the best of his life in his parents' vineyard. Pressure from his father to become more involved in the family business and the constant fighting with his older brother, Robert, make this life difficult. Jean-Luc's best friend, Louis, tries to cheer him up with an exciting trip, but the future captain's dream of the stars still haunts him.
A chance to re-apply to the Academy arises and Jean-Luc must use all his skills to pass the challenging tests. But the greatest risk he faces is the wrath of his father
Review:
Considering that Star Trek: Picard is releasing this month, I thought that this book should get a review thread, as it is, really, the only book that I can think of to tell the story of Picard's failure to get into the Academy (I haven't read all the Stargazer books, so I don't know if anything is in those books) as Captain Picard told Wesley in the episode Coming of Age.

I remember getting this book in my stocking from Santa for Christmas 95 (plus I got The Hardy Boys: The Secret of the Lost Tunnel (1968) & The Arctic Patrol Mystery in the stocking as well). I remember starting to read Starfall in my bed before the rest of my family was up, and getting drawn into it more than the previous two Data books.

Just an interesting Trek-related note, but Brad and Barbara Strickland did not write any Trek books for the main adult line of Star Trek novels, so they are authors that are exclusive to the Young Adult line. Brad Strickland authored the first 2 DS9 Young Adult novels by himself (Star Ghost & Stowaways), while he was joined by his wife on Starfall, Nova Command & Crisis on Vulcan.

 

[tomswift2002]

So I’m reading this right now. An interesting note is that it seems that transporters are restricted to Starfleet use only and civilians have to get around by aircar and shuttle. Of course, as I recall DS9’s “Homefront” established that civilians could use transporters, but I don’t think that was out when “Starfall” was written.

 

[Christopher]

An interesting note is that it seems that transporters are restricted to Starfleet use only and civilians have to get around by aircar and shuttle.

Seriously? In the 24th century? How bizarre.

 

[tomswift2002]

Actually throughout the whole series, transporter use is limited. In “Worf’s First Adventure”, he’s picked up by a shuttle to go to SA, rather than transporting. LaForge’s trip to the volcano is done by shuttlepod. Maybe the authors and editors were trying to get a sense of modern kids riding a school or city bus.

 

[Stevil2001]

I remember liking this one. A lot of these have to contrive a reason for cadets to be in danger but this focuses on a more realistic dilemma.

 

[tomswift2002]

Unless I’m forgetting a book, “Starfall” is really the only book that shows us what happened to Picard as a youth and why he had to apply twice to Starfleet Academy, as Picard would tell Wesley 40 years later in “Coming of Age”.

 

[JD]

Did the Picard autobiography deal with that?

 

[F. King Daniel]

I used to love those old academy books but I've not read this one.