Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
I think My Brother's Keeper already covered that ground post-"No Man".
TOS: Shadow of the Machine - discussion
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Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
Yeah, as represented in the Director's Edition. Not sure it was ever shown that way originally.
Yeah, as represented in the Director's Edition. Not sure it was ever shown that way originally.
Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
It's the same design it had in the original film; we just never got a full-length look at it until the DE.
It's the same design it had in the original film; we just never got a full-length look at it until the DE.
Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
Huh. Must not have ever seen the DE then, or at least it's been a while.
Huh. Must not have ever seen the DE then, or at least it's been a while.
Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
This is a duplicate thread. Nothing to see here. Move along. Please go to http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=260728
This is a duplicate thread. Nothing to see here. Move along. Please go to http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=260728
I'll merge the two threads.
Re: Star Trek: Shadow of the Machine
That's V'Gervas we saw in the Director's a Edition. Unfortunately in the original theatrical version the only "full" display of V'Ger that we saw was on the forward view screen when V'Ger was launching it's balls of destruction, you saw a little six-pointed thing over Earth that was suppose to represent V'Ger. but in the DE when V'Ger enters Earth orbit and the cloud dissipates there is a full shot of the V'Ger ship.
That's V'Gervas we saw in the Director's a Edition. Unfortunately in the original theatrical version the only "full" display of V'Ger that we saw was on the forward view screen when V'Ger was launching it's balls of destruction, you saw a little six-pointed thing over Earth that was suppose to represent V'Ger. but in the DE when V'Ger enters Earth orbit and the cloud dissipates there is a full shot of the V'Ger ship.
My review of this book. http://startreklitverse.yolasite.com/book-reviews.php
Spoilers in the full review but here is the redacted version.
Another in the line of ebook novellas, several of which have been The Original Series movie era tales, this story is set in the days following Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Because of my love for books set in the movie era, I wanted to like this story, and I had high hopes that would, until a few chapters in when I just couldn't deny that what I was reading was, sadly just not very good.
The book was essentially a character piece about Kirk, Spock, and Sulu. Each had their own stories which were totally unrelated to each other, apart from the fact that they all took place during the Enterprise's repairs at Earth following it's encounter with V'Ger. None of the stories were very action driven, instead going for a deeply personal look at the three characters. I was ok will the idea of all of this, but the execution contained many problems.
Spock's story was my favorite. But Spock's actions early in the book are too cold, even for him. His reunion with Sarek seems out of character for his father, and the resolution of his journey seems ubsurd. I was most struck at the beginning of Spock's story by the narrator claiming that Spock and McCoy were essentially the same: "material so similar that the differences were only apparent upon closer scrutiny." This doesn't ring true to me at all.
Kirk's tale was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the back story about Sam Kirk and the brothers life growing up in Iowa, but the present day portion was cliche and boring to me.
Sulu's story really threw me for a loop. The entire book isn't in continuity with the Lit-verse, and actually doesn't seem to be in continuity with the ending of The Motion Picture (in which Kirk takes the ship "out there, thataway" in search of new adventures, not back to Earth for more refitting). But bits and pieces of the Lit-verse are retained in contradictory ways. Spock's story seems to be building toward the new emotional state that we find him in in Christopher L. Bennett's post-TMP tales, a state which isn't really featured in any older Trek novels. But the entire setting of the novella is in contradiction to Ex Machina which takes place in the same time period. Demora Sulu's mother's name from The Captain's Daughter is retained in Shadows of the Machine, but she is a vastly different character, and her relationship with Sulu is in total contradiction to that older story. Why keep the name but make the character someone different entirely?
The ending of the Sulu story really bothered me. To me it makes Sulu out to be a horribly big cad.
I feel like these stories, reworked, could have been great B-plots to a bigger, more traditionally "Star Trek" A-plot, which would have had to have revolved around Scotty, Chekov, or Uhura. But taken as they are, Shadow of the Machine is one of the least impressive Star Trek tales I've read.
I'd give this story two out of five stars. I hope that future installments in the ebook line are better, because they have been very hit and miss lately.
Spoilers in the full review but here is the redacted version.
Another in the line of ebook novellas, several of which have been The Original Series movie era tales, this story is set in the days following Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Because of my love for books set in the movie era, I wanted to like this story, and I had high hopes that would, until a few chapters in when I just couldn't deny that what I was reading was, sadly just not very good.
The book was essentially a character piece about Kirk, Spock, and Sulu. Each had their own stories which were totally unrelated to each other, apart from the fact that they all took place during the Enterprise's repairs at Earth following it's encounter with V'Ger. None of the stories were very action driven, instead going for a deeply personal look at the three characters. I was ok will the idea of all of this, but the execution contained many problems.
Spock's story was my favorite. But Spock's actions early in the book are too cold, even for him. His reunion with Sarek seems out of character for his father, and the resolution of his journey seems ubsurd. I was most struck at the beginning of Spock's story by the narrator claiming that Spock and McCoy were essentially the same: "material so similar that the differences were only apparent upon closer scrutiny." This doesn't ring true to me at all.
Kirk's tale was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the back story about Sam Kirk and the brothers life growing up in Iowa, but the present day portion was cliche and boring to me.
Sulu's story really threw me for a loop. The entire book isn't in continuity with the Lit-verse, and actually doesn't seem to be in continuity with the ending of The Motion Picture (in which Kirk takes the ship "out there, thataway" in search of new adventures, not back to Earth for more refitting). But bits and pieces of the Lit-verse are retained in contradictory ways. Spock's story seems to be building toward the new emotional state that we find him in in Christopher L. Bennett's post-TMP tales, a state which isn't really featured in any older Trek novels. But the entire setting of the novella is in contradiction to Ex Machina which takes place in the same time period. Demora Sulu's mother's name from The Captain's Daughter is retained in Shadows of the Machine, but she is a vastly different character, and her relationship with Sulu is in total contradiction to that older story. Why keep the name but make the character someone different entirely?
The ending of the Sulu story really bothered me. To me it makes Sulu out to be a horribly big cad.
I feel like these stories, reworked, could have been great B-plots to a bigger, more traditionally "Star Trek" A-plot, which would have had to have revolved around Scotty, Chekov, or Uhura. But taken as they are, Shadow of the Machine is one of the least impressive Star Trek tales I've read.
I'd give this story two out of five stars. I hope that future installments in the ebook line are better, because they have been very hit and miss lately.
^ Oh my... I think aside from The Collectors, Love's Latinum Lust, and Stuff of Dreams the novella line has been incredibly more miss than hit. Seeing as this one seems so far afield of TOS novel "canon" I may just avoid it all together.
Well this is out today. Anyone else read it now?
I'm reading it. I'll probably finish tonight.
BTW, we're not having a poll thread for this one?
BTW, we're not having a poll thread for this one?
I'm only halfway through, but there's so much in the story that's annoying me:
o So when Kirk said, "Out there. Thataway," he was waving his hand back in the general direction of the drydock?
o But I guess it's a good thing since Spock suddenly remembered business he had on Vulcan after telling Scotty he had no further business there.
o Why is Kirk acting like Decker's dead and not an ascended being who's gone to hang out with Q and the Metrons?
o And what's with the reference to Kirk planning to take over the Enterprise and have Decker booted over to another ship even before the V'ger crisis came up? Is that from another novel? Because it makes Kirk sound like an even bigger jackass than he was at the start of the film.
o When Susan and Sulu decide to have a child, Susan doesn't just consider taking maternity leave for a few months -- she says she'll quit her job so she can raise Demora. Really? There aren't any daycare centers in the future?
o 23rd Century Iowa feels an awful lot like 24th Century LaBarre, France.
o So when Kirk said, "Out there. Thataway," he was waving his hand back in the general direction of the drydock?
o But I guess it's a good thing since Spock suddenly remembered business he had on Vulcan after telling Scotty he had no further business there.
o Why is Kirk acting like Decker's dead and not an ascended being who's gone to hang out with Q and the Metrons?
o And what's with the reference to Kirk planning to take over the Enterprise and have Decker booted over to another ship even before the V'ger crisis came up? Is that from another novel? Because it makes Kirk sound like an even bigger jackass than he was at the start of the film.
o When Susan and Sulu decide to have a child, Susan doesn't just consider taking maternity leave for a few months -- she says she'll quit her job so she can raise Demora. Really? There aren't any daycare centers in the future?
o 23rd Century Iowa feels an awful lot like 24th Century LaBarre, France.
I'll dive into this one tonight, since its a quick read.
I should start tomorrow, maybe finish it.
I read this one through Netgalley and my reaction was basically that the author wanted to retell the TNG episode "Family" in the TOS context. Kirk's storyline has parallels with Picard's, Spock and Worf both do family stuff relating to their alien/human identity issues, Sulu and Wesley both have stories relating to fathers and children. In retrospect, I like it less than when I wrote my Netgalley feedback.
I finished it tonight. It's readable, not a great piece of art, but not bad either. It reminded me a bit of Mozaic by Jeri Taylor because of flashbacks to the captain's childhood.
I appreciate Scott Harrison's loving and thoughtful attention to the characters' interior lives, because characters are the heart of Trek. On the other hand, Trek is science fiction; and I found no major science fiction elements in this story. The setting is science fictional -- starships, lightning shields, an alien planet (Vulcan) -- but, apart from these externals, this story could have been told just as effectively about people in 2015 struggling with issues we struggle with today: regrets about the past, anxieties about our changing futures, desires for parental approval.
Actually, I found Sulu's story the most compelling, probably remembering my own experiences as a father. It's a sudden life change, that's for sure; and you do have to struggle to balance work and home. I think the author's intent was to show Sulu was not a cad because, once Spock told him, in essence, to 'man up' and resolve things with his family before shipping out again, he presumably did so. IE., this is where Sulu is learning to apply what Captain Kirk "always said" (per Scotty in Generations, though I NEVER remember Kirk saying this and can't really imagine him saying it), "If something is important, you make the time for it."
I agree that this novella would have been improved by staying focused on Sulu. And, as I've said elsewhere, adding some really interesting science fiction concept into the mix. I really resonate with Harrison's obvious love for these characters and applaud his desire to delve into the immediate aftermath of TMP -- it is certainly field fertile enough for multiple authors' interpretations -- but it felt like he didn't have time or space to do all he set out to achieve. E for effort, though!
I agree that this novella would have been improved by staying focused on Sulu. And, as I've said elsewhere, adding some really interesting science fiction concept into the mix. I really resonate with Harrison's obvious love for these characters and applaud his desire to delve into the immediate aftermath of TMP -- it is certainly field fertile enough for multiple authors' interpretations -- but it felt like he didn't have time or space to do all he set out to achieve. E for effort, though!
I finished it. No major impact either way, but it was was a quick read.