Book Review: Star Trek #37: The
Next Generation: The Last Stand
Written by Brad Ferguson
Pocket Books, $5.99US/$7.99Can
274 pages
This novel, if it was written in any other genre, could stand
an excellent chance of being one of the most controversial of
the year. In many ways it is an interesting treatise on the "victim
mentality" which, it is said, is sweeping most of the 'Big
Seven' nations.
The Enterprise-D is on a standard patrol when they encounter
a society that seem to be 'ripe' for first contact. Once on the
planet they find the inhabitants to be under attack from a massive
armada of sub-light vessels who seem intent on destroying all
of the inhabitants of the planet.
The novel has as many twists and turns and convolutions as
a good mystery novel. We jump around, at least conversationally,
in time from the 'present' to the distant past. All during this,
Picard is attempting to act a mediator between the peaceful inhabitants
of the planet and the fleet of destroyers.
The differences between the two new races portrayed in this
novel are quite extreme. The government of Nem Ma'ak Bratuna
is gentle and benevolent. They only wish to be left in peace.
The Krann, on the other hand, are brutal and warlike. It seems
the only reason for them to continue to live is to find and destroy
all of the Bratuna. The reasons behind the attack are straight
forward, as they have been behind everyone of the previous attacks.
However, to explain it here would be telling.
This is one of the most thought provoking novels to come from
the Star Trek line in many years. It rates a 9/10 on the ol'
Makin scale.
|