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Review
'Some strong well-crafted tales make for an enjoyable read' Star Trek Magazine #'136 Jan/Feb 2008.
Product Description
Taking its title from the final words spoken by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the series finale, The Sky's the Limit is a collection of brand new original stories spanning and celebrating the entire twenty-year history of the most popular and successful Trek series of all. Stories by a variety of authors -- some old favourites, some new -- set during the events of the television series give the authentic feel of a newly discovered 'missing season' of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
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6 reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Satisfying. Enjoyable. Perfect Anniversary Book.
29 April 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I gave this one 5 stars, first with the hope it will raise the overall rating, and second because, well, I felt the book deserved it. Seriously, I don't know what readers were expecting from an anthology celebrating the twentieth anniversary of The Next Generation, but from where I sat, this book hit the mark and then some. It contains 14 stories by authors both known and unknown, and in doing so created a wonderful mix of the familiar and the brand new. What better way to celebrate twenty years?
The stories varied from thought-provoking (the bookends, "Meet with Triumph and Disaster" and "Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You") to downright hysterical ("Thinking of You"), from compelling ("Friends with the Sparrows") to, er, "CATastic" ("On the Spot"). IMNSHO, even the weakest story ("Ordinary Days") had merit, if for no other reason than we met someone who would actually *marry* Wesley, even if it was in an AU. Oh, har-de-har-har.
So, if you're a Next Gen fan, as well as a fan of the pro writers, you just can't go wrong with this book.
And, of course, let's not forget my fetish for good cover art. Kudos to artist Stephan Martiniere for his absolutely fabulous cover - and thanks Pocket Books for listing his name on the inside page. Well done!
As to the manga excerpt in the very back: eh. I suppose it's great for those who like it, but I'm not one of 'em. Plus I thought it was kinda strange to have a classic Trek comic in a Next Gen anniversary anthology, but I suspect that was just an advertising decision, based more on the timing of publication than fan interest. I can deal.
The stories varied from thought-provoking (the bookends, "Meet with Triumph and Disaster" and "Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You") to downright hysterical ("Thinking of You"), from compelling ("Friends with the Sparrows") to, er, "CATastic" ("On the Spot"). IMNSHO, even the weakest story ("Ordinary Days") had merit, if for no other reason than we met someone who would actually *marry* Wesley, even if it was in an AU. Oh, har-de-har-har.
So, if you're a Next Gen fan, as well as a fan of the pro writers, you just can't go wrong with this book.
And, of course, let's not forget my fetish for good cover art. Kudos to artist Stephan Martiniere for his absolutely fabulous cover - and thanks Pocket Books for listing his name on the inside page. Well done!
As to the manga excerpt in the very back: eh. I suppose it's great for those who like it, but I'm not one of 'em. Plus I thought it was kinda strange to have a classic Trek comic in a Next Gen anniversary anthology, but I suspect that was just an advertising decision, based more on the timing of publication than fan interest. I can deal.
14 of 18 people found the following review helpful
"Four Lights"
4 Jan 2008
Format:Paperback
**Warning: Spoilers for the story "Four Lights".***
What is wrong with "Four Lights", by Keith DeCandido? It doesn't stay true to the characters. It portrays Gul Madred as a completely nasty, self-serving Cardassian who is utterly self-confident and able to get the best of Picard again after all these years. The idea of revisiting the effects that the TNG episode "Chain of Command" had on Captain Picard is an intriguing one, but deserves better treatment that it receives in this work. When trying to think how exactly to put my objections into words, I went back to the original TNG episode itself. In Chain of Command, Picard is tortured by Gul Madred and later admits to Counselor Troi, "I actually believed that I could see five lights." (When in fact there were only four.) This suggests that Madred's torture had a profound effect on Picard. However, what about the effect that Picard had on Madred?
During the episode there are at least two, and I'll argue for three, times when Gul Madred is "thrown" or changed--call it what you will--by Captain Picard. The first time is when Picard brings up the subject of Madred's daughter, causing the torturer to lose control and slap Picard before resuming his "job". The second, and most obvious time, is when Picard uses knowledge of Madred's childhood to expose potential weakness in him. And the final time is at the end, when Picard screams, "THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS" before leaving Madred for the final time. I would contend that Madred's expression leaves open the possibility of self-doubt and perhaps even...respect...for a certain Federation Captain.
And that is where "Four Lights" rubbed me completely wrong. It portrayed instead a smug, manipulating Gul Madred with no hints of humanity and a firm belief in his dominance over Picard. And it portrayed a weak, shaken Picard, self-righteous and assured in his ability to handle everything while still seemingly unable to fight against the Cardassian at all.
As I said before, I thought the premise behind the story was brilliant, and was really looking forward to reading it, but ultimately it fell way short.
The rest of the stories in this anthology were a mixed bag, some good, some bad. Overall it was a decent read that I would recommend to a Next Generation fan.
What is wrong with "Four Lights", by Keith DeCandido? It doesn't stay true to the characters. It portrays Gul Madred as a completely nasty, self-serving Cardassian who is utterly self-confident and able to get the best of Picard again after all these years. The idea of revisiting the effects that the TNG episode "Chain of Command" had on Captain Picard is an intriguing one, but deserves better treatment that it receives in this work. When trying to think how exactly to put my objections into words, I went back to the original TNG episode itself. In Chain of Command, Picard is tortured by Gul Madred and later admits to Counselor Troi, "I actually believed that I could see five lights." (When in fact there were only four.) This suggests that Madred's torture had a profound effect on Picard. However, what about the effect that Picard had on Madred?
During the episode there are at least two, and I'll argue for three, times when Gul Madred is "thrown" or changed--call it what you will--by Captain Picard. The first time is when Picard brings up the subject of Madred's daughter, causing the torturer to lose control and slap Picard before resuming his "job". The second, and most obvious time, is when Picard uses knowledge of Madred's childhood to expose potential weakness in him. And the final time is at the end, when Picard screams, "THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS" before leaving Madred for the final time. I would contend that Madred's expression leaves open the possibility of self-doubt and perhaps even...respect...for a certain Federation Captain.
And that is where "Four Lights" rubbed me completely wrong. It portrayed instead a smug, manipulating Gul Madred with no hints of humanity and a firm belief in his dominance over Picard. And it portrayed a weak, shaken Picard, self-righteous and assured in his ability to handle everything while still seemingly unable to fight against the Cardassian at all.
As I said before, I thought the premise behind the story was brilliant, and was really looking forward to reading it, but ultimately it fell way short.
The rest of the stories in this anthology were a mixed bag, some good, some bad. Overall it was a decent read that I would recommend to a Next Generation fan.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Great Stories thru all 7 years on Next Gen
15 July 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The 14 short stories do a great job of taking us thru 7 glorious years and then beyond to after the last Next Gen movie. I particularly liked the tie in between the first and last story. This book is a great add in to anyone wanting more Next Gen stories. Bravo to all the authors.
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