Reviews (1)

Slow and boring
"The Faceless Ones" is another BBC installment of reproduced missing episodes of Doctor Who in audio book format. All of these audio reproduction are excellent in terms of the clean-up of the audio track and the linking narration by former cast members. Some of the reproductions, however, fail in terms of actual content. "The Faceless Ones" is one Doctor Who story which does not quite make it.

We find the Doctor and his three companions at London's Gatwick Airport in 1966. After fleeing from the police, Polly witnesses a bizarre murder. After reporting it to the Doctor, the investigation is on! What is happening at Gatwick, and what does it have to do with the strange Chameleon Tours company? This story is simply too long. The plot plods along, moving pretty slowly, and without much enthusiasm. This story might have been decent if the editors had trimmed the fat to make four episodes rather than six. Much of the padding from this tale is made up of running around the airport, trying to convince the authorities of unearthly circumstances, and deviating plot lines that really lead to nowhere special. Most of the supporting characters are "faceless" as well, not enticing much interest. Even the Doctor and his companions lack their usual sparkle and drive that is seen in other stories. I was disappointed, and I wish I had not bought "The Faceless Ones." ... Read more

Book Description

Even Grues Get Full is the fourth collection of the hit geek comic strip User Friendly by J.D. "Illiad" Frazer. Written with fresh, dry humor and an amusing vividness that brings the cast of characters to life, the comic strip is loved and read by millions around the world, from professional technologists to eight-year old wunderkinds, from 83-year old grandmothers who miss their Commodore 64s to patient spouses of born programmers. The comic strip is packed with references to geek interests, from obscure movies to old computer games, yet non-geeks are able to enjoy the story lines and character quirks, from Erwin's acerbic humor to Miranda's constant angst; from the Smiling Man's Machiavellian machinations to A.J.'s dysfunctional naïveté. At the center of this lies Dust Puppy, the strip's gentle-hearted mascot and the character who has endeared himself to readers everywhere.This book is sure to be a hit with anyone who works with computers or for anyone who lives with someone who works with computers! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comic for Geeks
The characters fight to stay awake with the geek drink of choice, prepare for covert operations at Columbia Internet, obsess over Quake, and live in cramped quarters called cubicles.

Apple, Microsoft, COMDEX, AOL, and other bigwigs are the subject of a few pokes. Even Clippy makes a guest appearance. This one like the other books is a history book of geeky events that occurred in recent years with a funny bone added. But, students, do not use this to study for that next history exam!

Warning, serious sentence ahead. This book includes 9/11 tribute cartoons that have been drawn and handled with respect.

If you're not familiar with User Friendly, go to its site (http://www.userfriendly.org/) to get a taste of it and get to know Greg, Stef, Mike, and Dust Puppy, the UF mascot. The other editions available are User Friendly, Evil Geniuses in a Nutshell, and The Root of All Evil. Those whose companies have strict rules about Internet surfing can surf the book to get their UF fix. Don't get mad at users, read User Friendly. ... Read more

Book Description

BATMAN BEGINS is the most anticipated movie event of Summer 2005. From director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia), BATMAN BEGINS stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Liam Neeson. It features a new story, a new vision, and a new commitment to the Batman legend.More than 150 of David James's magnificent photos will appear in the official BATMAN BEGINS book. Set alongside excerpts from the screenplay and short essays, the photographs will allow the reader to follow the arc of the film's story and marvel at the filmmaking magic on display-from the spectacular creation of the Batmobile, the Batcave, and Gotham City to the breathtaking action set pieces. BATMAN BEGINS explores the origins of Batman and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham City. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrialist heir Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego, Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high-tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten his city. • Official Movie Date: June 17, 2005 ... Read more

Book Description

ROUGE SAUCER

While its own saucer section receives needed repairs, the U.S.S. Enterprise™ tests a new experimental saucer. In theory, the new saucer can survive a planetary crash landing, but will it come through intact under genuine test conditions? Riker, Data, Worf, and La Forge risk their lives to find out, and so does Admiral nechayev of Starfleet.

But a dangerous test turns even more deadly when hostile forces seize control of the saucer --and turn it against the Enterprise. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

STNG #39 Rogue Saucer - A truly exceptional numbered novel!
"Rogue Saucer" is, without a doubt, one of the best numbered novels in the Star Trek The Next Generation novel series. This exceptional novel was written by John Vornholt who, over the years, has proven himself to be one of the most consistently wonderful authors in the Star Trek genre. As with any of his other previous novels, "Rogue Saucer" once again reaffirms John Vornholt's extraordinary writing skills, from the exciting premise and the plot setup and execution to the fast pace, this novel scores in all areas.

As was standard for the time in which this novel was published, the cover art for "Rogue Saucer" is somewhat lackluster but it doesn't detract from the experience of the novel.

The premise:

This novel has some obvious influence from Star Trek "Generations," but it is placed shortly after the events in the seventh season's "Preemptive Strike."

The Enterprise's saucer section is put in "dry dock" for some needed repairs and the crew of the Enterprise is given the opportunity to test an experimental saucer, marrying it up with the primary hull. Before the command crew of the Enterprise, aboard the experimental saucer section, can get hooked up with the engineering hull, it is hijacked by the Maquis, in hopes of hijacking the primary hull of the Enterprise and using her against the Cardassians in the DMZ.

What follows from there is, as stated above, one of the best numbered novels in the STNG novel line. I truly enjoy how John Vornholt can bring in guest characters and use them so well, such as he did with this novel and Admiral Nechayev.

I highly recommend this and any other John Vornholt Star Trek novel as you will most certainly find in your hands, some of the best Star Trek fiction available! {ssintrepid}

ST-TNG: Rogue Saucer
Star Trek-The Next Generation: Rogue Saucer written by John Vornholt is an action-adventure novel spiced with a plot to steal an experimental new saucer section being fitted to the U.S.S. Enterprise.

As the U.S.S. Enterprise has its saucer section being refitted for damage and upgrading a new improved saucer section is being issued to replace the old section. Adniral Nechayev, Commander Riker, Data, Worf, and LaForge are on the new saucer section taking it out on a shake-down cruise when all of a sudden it's being hijacked by a group of loyal Maquis. The Maquis are a band of rebels that want to drive the Cardassians out of the homeland planets by any means possible.

Now, faced with a dilemma, Captain Jean-Luc Picard must choose between his friends lives aboard the saucer section and his orders from Admiral Nechayev to destroy the hijacked saucer section. This storyline has a lot of action-adventure and will keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat as Picard must resolve this dilemma.

The saucer section being hijacked is a newer model that can survive a re-entry and landing and be reused again. That is why the Maquis are so interested in obtaining this new ship for their on going fight with the Cardassians. Commander Fulton, Blue Moon, and Peacock are the Maquis who take over and hijack the new saucer section.

Picard must solve this and other twists and turns in the plot in order to resolve the situation before it gravely affects the Enterprise in an all out attack.

You won't be disappointed in this novel as there is intrigue, some mystery, but there is a lot of action-adventure as the U.S.S. Enterprise is divided and under attack.

LOVED IT!!!!!
Its a great book I loved reading it and now im gonna read it again.

twists and turns
This is a good story, but the number of twists and turns reduces its credibility. The basic story is predictable from the title and the early introduction of the Maquis, but the details and the twists are not predictable. However, ignoring a few minor typos and inconsistencies, it is an entertaining story. See other reviews for parts of the plot.

amazing!
I had gotten this book from a bookstore and even though there were about a hundred book there i picked this one. the book Is very well written. and the way he brought a former starfleet officer In to this adventure was creative you sort already know who it is a little bit through the book if you keep up with the series:startrek:the next generation. the only thing I believe was wrong the book was to many curse words but other than that, AMAZING! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Anderson and Moesta have done it again!!
What a relief after "Return to Ord Mantell"!! In that one, I just wanted to hit Jacen over the head and knock some sense into him!! But this one was better. The Anja character is getting deeper, starting to sound like a REAL young woman with REAL problems, not some she-woman. All the characters are progressing into their "realness" nicely. Tenel Ka cries. Zekk is not riddled with gilt. And above all, Jacen is not such a idiot!! But I am curious about the next book. How are they going to bring all this to a final resolve?? And what about Raaba?? This book does have it's few faults, but above all it's a winner. There are a few sceans [one in paticular] that are written with such talent and beauty. Way to go Anderson and Moesta!!! Everybody else, READ THIS BOOK!!

This was a great book! I hope KJA and RM never stop writing!
This was a really good book. (In fact, I think it just might be the best.) It was really exciting and action-packed! There were so many surprises that I gave up trying to figure out what would happen next! The story goes like this: Lando Calrissian shows up and asks the twins and there friends if they liked to go on a "vacation" to Cloud City. ( I've always liked Cloud City, that's one of the things I like about this book.) So, they gladly accept and go to Cloud City and have a great time, right? Wrong. Well, the part that they gladly accept is true, but they find out that Lando's partner, who was working on Cloud City's new amusement park "Sky Center Galleria"with him, is dead. The Jedi Knights decide to investigate his death, and, in the process, end up having some pretty exciting adventures. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

This book deserves 10 stars!
Well, I have to say that this was the best Young Jedi Knights book to come along in a while. Oh, but don't get me wrong, they're all good, but a few definitly stand above the others. Namely, Lightsabers, Jedi Under Siege, Jedi Bounty, and The Emperor's plague. And now Trouble on Cloud City has joined the ranks of the great. In this book, Lando askes Jacen, Jaina, Lowie, Tenel Ka, Anja, and Em Teedee to come with him to Cloud City to help supervise a new amusement park he is building there. When they get there however, they find that Lando's partner has been murdered, and they set out to find who did it. Anja knows of course, or at least guesses that her master Czethros is at work and she struggles on many moral points concerning her new friends, and her growing adiction to Andris Spice. Actually, in this book I found myself softening a bit towards Anja, who I previously hated. I still don't like her nearly as much as the other characters, but I began to realize that she is a victim is her own right, since it isn't her fault she was mislead and used and duped into Andris. Also, this book focused a lot on Tenel Ka, who is my favorite character in the series, and allowed us to get inside her, and see her thoughts and feelings in a way that has not been done since the masterpiece of Lightsabers. Her reaction when Jacen fell of Cloud City was heartbreaking, and I'll confess, that the scene where they all thought that they would never see him again almost had me in tears, and I never, EVER cry over books or movies or anything. I liked how this book let us see how much Tenel Ka truly cares about Jacen. Speaking of Jacen, his crush on Anja seems to have ended, which may in fact be what opened me up to her a bit, since I was always adamently against that. Anyway, I would recommend this series to any Star Wars fan, no matter what their age, even though they are generaly geared towards the 10-15 set. Also, this book would have a stronger effect on you and generally make more sense if you have read the previous twelve first, though if that is to much work, it is at least reccomeded that you read the one before it.

If you love Star Wars you will love this series!
These are great books! This book is great for begginers. The story is great, the plot is great, it's very intriging. The book is about Jason, Jaina, and Tenel Ka, and Lobaca. Lando Calorisian is inviting the Young Jedi Knights to his Resort on Cloud City. The kids will come as long as they can bring their friend Anga Gilrado. But what they will find out is... You'll just have to read the book. It's a great book as a gift. It's a must for all Star Wars fans.

Not bad at all
Alright, I know YJK is supposed to be for the younger set, but I'm 15 and really do enjoy them. They shed new light on the characters of Jacen and Jaina, who, until YJK came along, were portrayed as bratty wonder children who kept getting kidnapped and escaping by dumb luck. OK, on to the actual book, sorry to ramble. This is the second in the Under Black Sun trilogy, which will be the last of the YJK books, at least for the time being. The kids are invited by Lando to spend time on Cloud City, bringing Anja Gallandro along. When she was introduced, I immediately understood the significance, since I have read the original Han Solo adventures back from 1979 and 1980. They arrive to find Lando's partner murdered by agents of Czethros, the Black Sun operative controlling Anja and out to get the YJK. Through a series of discoveries and things, the kids find out about Black Sun's involvement through several parties, most notably Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, who were supposed to be playing on CC. Concluding a bunch of near-death mishaps, the kids are reunited on Cloud City, but Anja is suffering Spice withdrawl, and the preview of Crisis at Crystal Reef indicates that she's really losing it. It's interesting that something that's a young adult book would deal with something like drug addiction, but it's well written and thoughtful. This is a good read for fans of the series, and even for you older folks looking for a nice light read. ... Read more

Book Description

It`s Star Wars: A New Hope like you`ve never seen it before! Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Obi-Wan, and Darth Vader all drawn MANGA style! Taken directly from George Lucas` script for Episode IV of Star Wars, this book is masterfully drawn by Hisao Tamaki. This is one Star Wars book you won`t want to miss! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Star Wars: A New Manga
I used to love Star Wars more than anything. It was the end-all, be-all of sci-fi. Then I started to read sci-fi books and watch anime. My opinion of Star Wars went down considerably. And over the years I saw the movies so many times I thought I would never want to see them again. Well, I am once again VERY excited about Star Wars...

What do I love about this Manga? Where do I start? First, this Manga is pretty much word-for-word exactly the same as the movie. Secondly, the art style is more than good. It's incredible. I never thought I could get into a comic book without color, but man this one changed my mind. Then there is the character designs.

Some people might not like their favorite Star Wars characters remade into anime-style characters with big eyes, but personally I REALLY dig it. I never really liked Princess Leia in
A New Hope, but man, get a load of what she looks like now! She just went from a character I didn't like to a fantasticly beautiful and deeply soulful character (well, that how I feel about it anyway).

Lastly, I will say that the action in this Manga series is truly amazing. From the first time a light saber lights up you will be amazed. If you love Star Wars you need this Manga. If you used to like Star Wars and now like comic books, check it out anyway.

Incredible!
Well at least this is a more complete version of the film than the American one, I'm a great lover of anime and manga, and you can be sure that I loved reading Star Wars in this highly expressive style, This volume features many scenes scripted that never made even to the Special Edition.

Certainly artist Hisao Tamaki took some liberties like changing a little bit of Princess Leia's look, but I can asure you that it looks great and true to the original style... hey! by the way if George Lucas got inspired to create Star Wars by watching Akira Kurosawa's films then you can be sure this is a wonderful adaptation!

Beautiful and entertaining.
This is a truly wonderful adaption. I love the style, and the whole thing is just so good you won't care that you've already seen the movie. It's like, you can really look over the good parts, taking in every detail. Thank God they kept it in black and white! The artist does an incredible job with shading and character likeness, and you can almost hear Mark Hamill's voice... This manga also includes a flash back and a cool pic of the sandtroopers on dewbacks. I'd recommend this for Star Wars fans in general, Japanese or American.

The Star Wars comic for people who hate Star Wars comics!
Remember when Star Wars was actually fun? When the merchandising didn't overshadow the actual movie? When Colonel Sanders didn't wield a lightsaber? If not, read the manga version -- and you will. Hisao Tamaki's adaptation is fluid, juicy, and funny, his mecha are solid, and his character design and depiction inject a familiar cast with new life. Simply wonderful.

May the Force (Manga Style) be with you...
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Hisao Tamaki made the best comic adaptation of a movie the US and Japan has ever seen. If you want something original...then your'e outta luck. But if you're a Star Wars fan, or just want something new...then you better get a copy of Star Wars Manga. It's amazing how movies and manga fit so well together(i.e. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Patlabor, Ranma 1/2, Battle Angel Alita, and Sailor Moon). The series throws in some extra goodies like the sandtroopers on dewbacks and a flashback.The text is based off of the script of the movie, so don't expect something out of the ordinary. (Everyone has memorized the script anyways), but what lacks in text that we already know make up in the stuningly visual art. From the menacing Star Destroyers to the scorched remains of Luke's aunt and uncle, it truly is something to read. The character designs are slightly modified, but don't worry, Princess Leia still has two cinnimon buns on her head. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Babylon 5 is a rarity among SF TV series in having a thoroughly worked out future history, even if parts of that history are only hinted at on TV. Which is where this novel comes in. Based on an original outline by series creator J. Michael Straczynski and following Dark Genesis: The Birth of the Psi Corps, it is the second novel of a trilogy detailing the history of the Psi Corps. Yet it is sufficiently self-contained to be accessible to readers unfamiliar with B5.

The book chronicles the life of the Psi Corps Alfred Bester from boyhood to the dramatic events that will first take him to the eponymous space station. As befits the show, Deadly Relations is complex and well characterized, aware of SF history, and filled with fascinating background detail. J. Gregory Keyes portrays Bester's paradoxical nature: a man haunted and lonely, able to read the thoughts of others, and capable of betraying those closest to him out of a sense of duty to the greater good. A sinister, ruthless figure becomes a sympathetic, almost tragic antihero as the book ranges from Earth to the Beta Colony and Mars.

The fictional Alfred Bester had a real-life namesake who authored several major SF novels. These include the still extraordinary 1953 thriller of murder and psychic detection, to which Deadly Relations pays due homage. If you enjoy B5, try The Demolished Man by the original Alfred Bester. It's a genuine SF classic. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (30)

The B5 Ideal: Enjoyable on its Own yet a Part of the Whole
J. Gregory Keyes's second installment of the Psi Corp trilogy 'Deadly Relation -Bester Ascendant' is a wonderful addition the Babylon 5 tapestry. The first book of the trilogy, 'Dark Genesis -The Birth of the Psi Corps', explores the Psi Corps itself, its conception, birth and the struggles faced during its adolescence. The second installment focuses on a single character, the celebrated antihero Al Bester. We learn of Bester's childhood, education, adolescence and development into the Psi Cop Babylon 5 fans love to hate. Keyes's excellent writing provides the loyal Babylon 5 fan with a superbly convincing treatment of Al Bester offering character development and dimensions unattainable in the television show. Considering what Walter Koenig's acting and Straczynski's writing have brought to this character, this is saying a lot.

The non-Babylon 5 fan should enjoy this installment of the trilogy as much as the first. Fitting the ideal of a Babylon 5 story, the novel is thoroughly enjoyable in its own yet brilliantly connected to the larger Babylon 5 universe. The only aspect that might appear strained to the non-B5 fan is an out-of-the-blue reference to the Earth-Minbari war. For the non-fan, this war is the subject of the film and novel 'In The Beginning' and an essential part of the series Babylon 5.

The true Babylon 5 fan will appreciate the story even more. Series creator J. M. Straczynski provided the outline for the story and reviewed the final product; series editor Fiona Avery provided some assistance and control as well. Besides the mentioned reference to 'In The Beginning' there are tie-ins to the television series spanning from the first to the fifth year, a nice connection to the 7th novel 'The Shadow Within', and a nod to DC comic #11 'The Psi Corps and You' that is a real grabber. We also see the events of comic series #5 to 8 from Bester's point-of-view. The connections are not forced, strained or redundant making the story wonderfully satisfying in its own right.

Finally, some additional credit should go to Keyes's care as a writer and the assistance he received from members of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab. The Martian climate and geology are accurate (compared to one of the early B5 novels) and he does a convincing job describing Lunar and Martian colonization. The combination of science fiction, mystery and politics together with outstanding character development makes this novel a worthy addition to the Babylon 5 universe.

More a biography than a novel
Deadly Relations opens as Bester is 6 years old, growing up in the Psi Corps center in Switzerland. The book follows his life as he struggles with his ambition and his desire to be loved. Interestingly for fans of the Babylon 5 TV show, Lyta and Byron have cameos and this book ends with Bester about to leave for his first trip to the station.

Fans of the series will enjoy this book. J. Gregory Keyes has done a good job of capturing Bester and making him sympathetic. Bester truly becomes a well-rounded character whose motives we can understand, even if we don't agree with them. This is something I enjoyed about the show itself, and I'm glad to see it continued here.

However, this book suffers from the same problem as the first in the trilogy - no real plot. It follows Bester for 68 years, and as such reads more like a biography. There is no real climax; it just ends. The other characters just serve the purpose of helping us understand Bester and are not super interesting on their own.

Any fan of Babylon 5 will enjoy this novel because of the information on Bester. New comers to the series will be more interested once they've viewed the show.

The history lesson continues.
This book, based on an outline from Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski (so you know it's official), covers the period in B5's history detailing the early life of Psi Cop Alfred Bester, from his first years being raised by Psi Corps right up to before his first visit to the Babylon 5 station.

There were revelations abound in this book, including details of Bester's first love, Lyta Alexander's internship with the Psi Cops, and just how Bester's hand became crippled. Let's just say, it's a big surprise.

The book also gives a greater look into the Bester character and after reading it you start to understand his motives for the things that he does both here and during the B5 series. Highly recommended.

Understanding Bester
After reading this book, now I have a better insight "why Bester is who he is". The book explained the motives of BEster, give me a better understanding of the great series of Babylon 5.

I used to hated Bester almost as much as Ivanova, but after reading this book, I feel pity for Bester, and I can understand his point of views

Not bad. Interesting storyline.
This book offers some background information on Bester. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For the true Star Wars fan, the Essential Guide to Planets and Moons is crucial. You can keep track of all the places mentioned in the movies, books, and comics with this detailed reference. One hundred locations, from the well-known (Tatooine and Hoth) to the more obscure (J't'p'tan and Taanab), are covered in detail. Each planet, moon, or asteroid is accompanied by information on solar system, terrain, language, and points of interest, along with illustrations of the resident species, intelligent and otherwise. Daniel Wallace investigates each planet's role in the Star Wars saga, while Brandon McKinney and Scott Kolins's comic-style black-and-white drawings help the reader get an idea of what these unique worlds and their inhabitants look like. The Essential Guide series also includes Weapons and Technology, Vehicles and Vessels, and Characters. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Excellent for Star Wars fans
When it comes to science fiction, the Star Wars saga is the best. However, the films themselves give very little information regarding the locales that our beloved characters find themselves exploring. This is a shame, because the planets that occupy everyone's favorite galaxy far far away are nothing short of fascinating. Finally, a book entitled Star Wars - The Essential Guide To Planets And Moons was released! Now, fans would be able to learn about the ever-so awesome places characters in the films travelled to! Read on for my review of this book.

PROS:
-If you're a fan of the Star Wars films, and you're interested in reading about the worlds explored in the classic trilogy, this book will have more than enough information to make you happy. From Luke Skywalker's desert homeplanet of Tatooine to the icy world of Hoth, they're all here.
-The book covers the expanded universe! This means places from the novels, comic books, and video games appear in this book! Even if you're just a fan of the films, the information on the expanded universe will fascinate you.
-This book is readily available in most major bookstores (B. Dalton, Barnes And Noble, Borders, etc.) You shouldn't have any trouble finding it.
-The price for this book is very good, considering all the information it has to offer. This is a worthwhile purchase if you're a Star Wars fan.

CONS:
-The major problem with this book is that it was released circa 1997. This means it came out before 1999, and accordingly the locales exclusive to the prequel films, Episode I and Episode II, don't appear in here. That kind of bites, because I wanted to read up on Naboo and Kamino.
-The only pictures in the book are black-and-white sketches. I would have liked to see some more detailed pictures, preferably in color.

OVERALL:
If you're a Star Wars fan, I guarantee this book will fascinate you. If you're not a fan of the Star Wars series but know somebody who is, this makes a great gift. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Superb reference book for any Star Wars afficionado
This book is fantastic! You know that there is a Rebel Base on Yavin, but what about it's history? This book has the ultimate reference to planets and moons, an extremely comprehensive and detailed look at the planets and moons in the world of Star Wars.

A Great Reference
Although it is not officially a supplement, I found this book indispensable for gamemastering in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. The fact is, there really isn't a better resource for finding new places to visit in the Star Wars Universe. Even if you're not into the RPG scene, however, this member of the 'Essential Guide' series is an excellent read.

For some of those, namely the hardcore fans that have read every single Star Wars thing ever published (I cannot claim this title, as I've only read about half of it all) this book might seem a bit redundant. All of the locations are taken from either film or literature, so if you've read all the literature it follows that you'll have seen all of the 100 worlds depicted here at least once. Nevertheless, it is useful to have all of this information in one place, in case you forgot just which world the Ugnaughts come from (Umgul) or how to spell "Mrlsst." The Star Wars Encyclopedia and Guide to the SW Universe have all of this information as well... somewhere. The problem is you have to remember what you were looking for to find it. This book simplifies matters if you just have to know, but can't recall any of it.

For those who are NOT hardcore fans or could care less that Wild Boetays can be found on Garos IV, you probably won't find this guide more than moderately amusing. The other ones in the series (Characters, Vehicles and Vessels, and Weapons and Tech, to name a few) might be more diverting. But for those who are serious about Star Wars (you know who you are) the Guide to Planets and Moons is a really cheap thrill.

planets of the star wars universe
This book is very cool.There are 200 planets in this book.But there are way more planets then this.

Helpful
This book is helpful for those who haven't read a certain Star Wars book, but come across one of the planets in that book mentioned in some other book. However, with all the new books coming out right now, you'll find that this book is pretty useless for them. ... Read more

Book Description

Centuries ago, followers of the tyrant Khan Noonien Singh left Earth for theplanet Hera to continue his experiment in selective breeding. Now, they arefinally ready to launch their plan of universal domination -- with theU.S.S. EnterpriseTM as their weapon.Captain Picard must enlist the help of Heran expatriate Astrid Kemal to defeather fellow superbeings. Unless the captain and crew of the Enterprisecan stop them, the Heran infiltrators could alter the genetic landscape of thegalaxy for generations to come. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

STNG #42 Infiltrator - A superb novel!
"Infiltrator" is a very impressive book for being one of the numbered novels in the Star Trek The Next Generation line of novels. Sadly enough, this novel is the second and final Star Trek novel written by W.R. Thompson which is a shame considering how well this novel and the author's first novel, "Debtor's Planet" were written. It would be nice to see this author make a return to the Star Trek genre.

"Infiltrator," from beginning to end is an extraordinarily intriguing story, written with an excellent premise, superb plot setup and execution and very fast pacing, all combining to make for an excellent read in the Star Trek genre.

The cover art for this novel is good, but still merely standard for the time in which this novel was published.

The premise:

As authors in the Star Trek genre are often want to do and most successfully carry out, this novel draws from the "history" of Star Trek by furthering the legacy of Khan Noonien Singh, the leader of the Eugenics Wars.

During the height of Khan's reign on Earth, several of his followers left Earth to colonize the planet Hera and continue their experiments in selective breeding. After several centuries, the Heran's are ready to launch their plan for universal domination through genetics. The Enterprise comes into the picture and we soon learn that a Heran expatriate named Astrid Kemal is dubiously on board. We also soon learn that is it solely up to Captain Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise to stop this plan before it comes to fruition.

As stated above, "Infiltrator" is one of the more intriguing and better written numbered novels to be released in the STNG line. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek fiction! {ssintrepid}

ST-TNG: Infiltrator
Star Trek-The Next Generation: Infiltrator written by W.R. Thompson is a book about a selective breeding experiment on the planet called Hera.

At the time when Khan Nooien Singh was being a tyrant on Earth, some centuries ago, a few of his followers decided to leave Earth and start anew. Thus, we have a race of genetically alter humans wanting to reek havoc across the galaxy. Now, enters Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise as the foil in the Federation plans to stop this insanity.

Captain Picard enlists the help of an expatriate called Astrid Kemal to defeat this the plot hatched by these other superbeings. This book gives us a good look at what can go wrong with all good intentions, even those of superhumans.

We see Number One, William Riker in the thick of things to stop the brink of galaxy-wide eugenics war and gives us a good look of what he is made of. With Geordi and Wolf things get pretty dicey and grim, but I can't tell out how this gets all resolved or I'll ruin the book for you.

The narrative moves quickly and the character development grows, while the plot is forming and we get a well-planned adventure that will keep you engrossed till the ending. This is one of the better ST-TNG books where the lesser bridge crew do most of the action and clean-up what could be a galaxy-wide Khan on the universe.

Totally a good Star Trek Book
I read this book several years ago while stranded in an airport with a six hour layover. We all remember "Khan" the super genius that enslaved half the world was resuced by Kirk ect ect. What if there was an entire planet of such super geniuses? It is a very interesting premise for a book and even when I read this book it impressed upon by the facts of why the federation so feared someone or something genetically enhanced. I also liked the fact(being 14 at the time) that a 14 year old was the key leader of the oppositions peace negotations. Also the whole "What if Riker is a desendant of these people" was very cool.

Definitely one of the better Trek books
This book provided just the right balance between action and humor. I particularly liked the character of Astrid Kamal, a genetically enhanced woman descended from Khan. She handled her fear of being "a lab animal" quite well, and even managed to save the ship (surprise, surprise). Her attempts to learn proper insult technique were quite amusing. ("Go pet a tribble... just the thing to say to a kill-crazy Klingon. Damn, she really is your kind of woman, Worf!")

a great star trek book
The story is an excellent one. There are some interesting moments included in this book. I liked Thompson's treatment of the characters Worf, Geordi, Picard and Riker. ... Read more

Book Description

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, an inspiring example of "age reversal," now shares his own program for revitalizing the body, mind, and spirit with the more than 78 million baby boomers searching for the fountain of youth. "Age reversal" is defined as the ability to restore energy, vitality, and health while actually reversing some of the bothersome side effects of growing older. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good suggestions on reducing the ravishes of advancing age
This books presents basic information anyone can incorporate to try to evade the ravishes of advancing age. Cooper gives recommendations in regards to exercise, stress management, diet, supplements, and related matters that will help people to retain their youthful energy.

He also explains that most people have unrealistic expectations on how much their physical abilities will decline with advancing age. Most people tend to think the decline is much more rapid and pronounced than it really is. This is particularly encouraging to me since I just turned 40!

His recommendations in regards to exercise include doing aerobic, strength training, and flexibility exercises. It is important for one to do all three kinds of exercises. Doing so will reduce the loss that most people experience in each of these areas.

He correctly notes that emotional stress can be as much a drain on one's vitality as poor exercise and diet habits. And as a Christian, I appreciate that he emphasizes that spiritual activities like prayer, Bible study, and attending worship services are ideal ways to deal with stress.

In regards to diet, he presents "bedrock principles" like eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing one's intake of fat. And he correctly points out that trans fat, found in hydrogenated oils, are the worst kind of fat. He doesn't go into too much detail in regards to diet in this book. But what he does give I tend agree with as I present similar information in much greater detail in my book "Creationist Diet: Nutrition and God-given Foods According to the Bible."

But it is in regards to supplements that I disagree with Cooper. He wholeheartedly recommends high doses of the antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E, along with the mineral selenium. He claims taking amounts several times the RDA helps to prevent heart disease and cancer. However, the evidence is not as clear-cut as Cooper makes it sound. I include a chapter in my book citing scientific studies in this regard. Some have shown a reduced risk from taking antioxidants, but other studies have shown no effect.

But that disagreement aside, this book does present helpful information for those of us who are starting to worry about our health and vitality as we age.

A few gems, but mostly a rehash in need of an editor
This book basically covers ground other Cooper books have covered, but in a more confusing way. If you have read the other Cooper books, there is little need to pick up this one other than a few pages on retaining bone density. If you have not read the other books, this one is an o.k. introduction if you are willing to wade through a lot of crapola to get to the good stuff.

This is mainly aimed at the generation above 40. Cooper reaffirms his belief in aerobics, but doesn't mention the new research in interval training that seems to displace his old steady pace concept. He also covers stretching, strength training, diet and supplementation. Cooper is not really very strong on strength and his advice is probably better avoided in that area.

On supplementation, Cooper's prescriptions seem to be safe if one is to overlook that a previous recommedation, taking extra beta carotene, has proven to be a problem for many people.

The book mostly comes off as a bunch of notes that were gathered together in a hurry. The case stories are pretty uninspiring. His introductory story about falling off a mountain bike seems to have no relevance to anything. And references to himself as "Super Doc" are, to say the least, irritating.

By inventing the concept of aerobics, Cooper has done the world a service. Yes, the promise of aerobics has not been fulfilled in practice, but Cooper's recommendations are better than nothing, which is pretty much what they replaced. However, the Doc needs to move along and keep up with the exercise research coming out of other countries, as The United States is behind the learning curve in this area. His intentions are good, but he either has to teach this dog to hunt or turn the quest over to a hungrier author.

The best, well documented book on fitness and nutrution
This book has helped me to understand the importance of good nutrition and fitness as no other book or speaker ever has. It was well researched, and many different aspects of fitness and nutrition are covered to provide excellent health for different age groups.

Energizing and insightful...a great read for every age
I thought this book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down. The research was well documented. There are side bar research highlights that relate to everyone and it really hit home. If you truly believe that you can solve 90% of your medical and social issues without medicine, this book will give you great insight into how. As a kickboxing instructor, I have recommended this to all my classes. Good for all ages, even me at 29!

Disappointing
Well researched but poorly presented. Disjointed. Awful flow. No new insights. The takeaways or "aha's" were hard to find. Living in Dallas, Dr. Coopers reputation is unsurpassed. His research center is deserving of this reputation. However, his most recent books and health club facility fall far short of his medical expertise. ... Read more

Book Description

For three full decades, on television and in film, actor William Shatner has portrayed one of the legendary heroes of science fiction: James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise™. Although Kirk was believed to have perished at the conclusion of Star Trek® Generations™, his amazing literary resurrection led to an acclaimed trilogy of national bestsellers, The Ashes of Eden, The Return, and Avenger. Now William Shatner again brings his unique blend of talents as actor, writer, director, and producer to continue the thrilling new trilogy that began in Spectre, as Jim Kirk must confront the most dangerous enemy of his career -- himself.

The Mirror Universe is a dark and twisted reflection of our own, where humans and Vulcans live as slaves to a brutal alliance of Klingons and Cardassians -- an alliance long believed to be the creation of one man: the feared and hated Emperor Tiberius, the Mirror Universe counterpart of James T. Kirk. But just as Kirk survived his own age to live in the era of a new generation of heroes, so Tiberius now returns to fulfill his mad dreams of total domination -- not just of his universe, but of Kirk's as well.

From the nightmarish landscape of the Mirror Universe Earth to the joys of impending parenthood and marriage to the woman he loves, the incomparable Teilani of Chal, Kirk is propelled into his most personal and dangerous mission yet as he fights to uncover the secret of Tiberius' return, and learn the terrible truth behind the madman's real plans for the Federation.

With the fate of two universes hanging in the balance, Star Trek®: Dark Victory is Star Trek storytelling at it its best. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Entertaining - But Essentially A Filler
This story, the second of the "Mirror Universe Trilogy", continues right where "Spectre" (the first book in the series) left off. The story takes place in 2374 initially and then jumps forward about eight months later into 2375, placing it at least after the events of the movie "Star Trek: Insurrection".

Here we have Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Picard (and his crew), and the "Mirror Universe" counterparts setting off to save the day. And this highlights some of my issues with this book: there are a lot of characters and a lot going on. You have secretive Starfleet organizations in this universe and two fighting factions in the "Mirror Universe" plus various members of both the Original Series and the Next Generation showing up (not to mention a few Deep Space Nine and Voyager personnel) and I just get this feeling of not really caring about the plot, per se - just letting the story carry me forward.

And that brings up another point for me which is that a lot is happening here from a human angle. Dealing with counterparts from another universe; the possible death of loved ones; the loss of limbs and abilities; the chain of command and when it should and should not be followed; different command styles for different time periods; being out of place in a new time period; bitter regret at apparent betrayal after services rendered in the line of duty. All these things are alluded to, in passing, but none are really explored. They are subsumed under the general plot. Whole areas where human angst would come into play are usually glossed over in a page or even just a paragraph. I know that in-depth exploration of these issues is not the point of the story: but then the brief focusing on each of them is, to me, more distracting than engaging.

"Spectre", in my opinion, was saved from avoiding many of these same kinds of issues by the pace of the action *and* by the continuity of the action. To be sure the same sense of pace is in "Dark Victory" and that pace is just as fast in some ways, but, for me, not as continuous. Too much of the action struck me as episodic to the point of being a bit too fragmented. Certain events just seemed to happen without a lot of context behind them, the idea being just to keep the pace going. Characters would just turn up or say things or know things and, again, sometimes a context seemed to be lacking. What saved the book for me is that it is the second of a series. So if you are reading it you are (presumably) already curious about how the story continues and thus a little more forgiving than you might be with a stand-alone story. Overall, "Dark Victory" was a moderately interesting story for me in the Star Trek mythos but I really only found myself plodding through it to make sure I would have a context for the third in the series ("Preserver"). I would prefer a story that is not trying so hard to interweave so much Star Trek history and instead explores the characters in a given setting that allows us to come to understand them and their motivations better.

I gave this three stars because it kept me reading - but only by rote. It was not a boring read by any means but a lot of characterization was subsumed under the plot as the mysteries and secrets kept piling on leading to the inevitable cliff-hanger that would take us to the final book of the series.

If I know my Spocks...
Arguably the best of the 6 ST books.Taken from the original Star trek TV series episode MIRROR MIRROR, Kirk's double - twin has not been defeated by spock as we hoped."Spock is logical and the mirror universe is illogical.If I know my Spocks, he'll..."well he didn't. The Kirk Twin is now Emperor Tiberius (ET) and he has enslaved humans and Vulcan alike.

ET has left home and found a way to our universe and has bad things planned for the federation.Only kirk can stop him.But kirk has a lot of friends to help.Shatner has two Spocks, McCoy and Scotty, and Picard & crew to help.But how do we know which Picard is a mirror or not?

This is the second book of the second trilogy (5th of the double trilogy) written by Shatner and friends for the star trek galaxy.I had long been disappointed in ST books, because they often read as if throw together.Shatner's ST is clearly the best that ST has to offer.If started with ASHES OF EDEN which turned into a trilogy, with the second book being THE RETURN.So, you want to kill off James T. Kirk huh?If you haven't read at least SPECTRE, you will want to because it starts this story arch.The story doesn't end with this book, and continues with PRESERVER.This is great sci-fi and great ST stuff.
Some have called DV the weakest of the trilogy which can happen to the middle book for a series, because things end "up in the air".But for shear entertainment this was a lot of fun to read.You have to read PRESERVER for the ending.Do it.Shatner is a great story teller.

Since I am now boycotting Star Wars NJO with the killing of Anakin, I truly hope that the Star Trek people will do a better job giving us more high quality books that are fun to read.Shatner is great.But I recently read the Dominion War 4 book set and was disappointed.I read these for the familiar characters and especially like what Shatner has done, reviving kirk and putting him with TNG characters.

An engaging tale read well and with good sound effects
Mirror, Mirror has long been my favorite episode of the original Star Trek series. The prospect of a parallel universe where there is empire rather than federation is one that seems more likely when human history is considered. In this, the second in a series written and narrated by William Shatner, James Kirk must come face to face with what his evil counterpart, Emperor Tiberius, has done in the parallel universe.After Kirk plants the seed of rebellion in the Spock of the empire, Tiberius is overthrown and seeks assistance from an alliance of the Klingons and Cardassians. With the help of Tiberius, they destroy the federation, enslave all member species and turn Earth into a dead planet.
The story is one of the darker of Star Trek stories, in that it is one of a bleak future. Agents from the empire are filtering through and taking the place of their counterparts in the federation. There is a small rebellion in the empire, but it needs the help of James Kirk to have a chance. Kirk is hindered by his desire for the woman he loves and by the reality that he is battling himself. The other version is more capable, because it has no reluctance to destroy friends and even entire planets to get what he wants. Tiberius also knows every weakness that Kirk has and it is clear that only by becoming Tiberius can Kirk hope to defeat him.
William Shatner is quite good as a dramatic reader. Some of the exaggerated mannerisms that he exhibited playing James Kirk come through well as he reads. There are some excellent sound effects that add strongly to the strength of the story. It is one of the best of the Star Trek books on audio, I listened to it in my car and often stayed in it longer than usual to listen to the end of an especially exciting section.

*Picard Should Have Edited This One*
"Dark Victory" is the second, but weakest novel in William Shatner's Mirror Universe trilogy.Solid enough for true believers, the book lacks the punch shown in the first and third volumes.It makes good airport reading material, but you probably won't lose sleep staying up late because you can't put it down, unlike the other two novels in the series which are riveting works.

Basically, the reader follows James T. Kirk through the recovery of his injuries from book one, "Spectre", which was an excellent book.The other main theme is the wedding of Kirk and his beloved Teilani.Frankly, Shatner may have wanted to pay tribute to love and humanize Kirk, but it just doesn't work.The bigger than life Federation hero doesn't play so well with such a weakness in his middle-to-old ages.Don't kid us, Kirk is a ladies man, period.In this aspect, Kirk's Mirror Universe counterpart Tiberius plays better than the original protagonist.

There are key characters and underlying foreshadowing that lend importance to the trilogy as a whole, and the writing partners put words on paper rather nicely.These elements make the book worth the effort, but it is honestly not their best work.As so often happens, writers planning out trilogies just don't have enough juice to make it last three full books.In this case, it is "Dark Victory" that suffers as opposed to the excellent bookends that surround it in the series.

I rate this work at a moderate 3.00 out of 5.00 stars, for good style and a great job with ongoing continuity.You have to read "Dark Victory" to bridge "Spectre" to "Preserver" (book three), both of which are terrific pieces of Star Trek fiction.

Well worth your time
Although I'm unsure how much of any of these novels Shatner did, but that doesn't take away from the fact that all 3 books in this trilogy (Spectre and Preserver being the other 2) are great reads.The books are great with staying with the science and story of Star Trek.The books are follow ups on the original series episode "Mirror, Mirror", and Deep Space 9 episodes "Through the Looking Glass" and "Shattered Mirror."More great character development between the Kirk and his evil mirror universe counterpart known as Tiberius.Kirk is forced into an unthinkable position and it leads you right into Preserver. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Want to know why Episode 1sucked compard to classic SW?
This book is a great behind the scences look at how Star Wars Trilogy was made. It shows how George Lucas bulit an empire from a film that the stuidos were sure would flop. It describes how Lucas had to fight for every penny and try to keep the studio excs from butchering his film. However behind the scences it also showed how Lawarnce Kasdan, the producer, and the special effects wizards at ILM helped shape and refine Luca's vison. I love Star Wars BUT after reading this book and watching the embarrasment that was Episode 1 I no longer view George Lucas as the god that can do no wrong. I came away feeling cheated after seeing Episode 1. It was a lame movie. The villians were weak, the plot moved so s l o w ly, there was almost no Wars in Star Wars. The best villian Darth Maul gets little screen time and a big five lines. (The imperial officers had more lines in the classics) and Lucas directed this? What went wrong? Did he go senile? The I found this book and the answers to all my questions. The movie Lucas had the least amount of input (Empire Strikes Back) is considered by most the best SW film in terms of charecter delvepoment, humor, plot, etc. He hated how it was shot and kicked Kasdan out and picked a director that was bascialy his puppet, thus the subpar ework filled Return of the Jedi. This book is a great look at how SW affected Lucas, Kasdan, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill, and why did the acting in Ep 1 not even make it the level of the previous films? Lucas might be a visonary but as a direcor of actors he is subpar at best and this book will tell you why. Classic SW moments (i won't give it away after all buy the book)Lucas did not even and sometimes reisted thier inclusion into the films. There was no grey side (Fett, jabba, Solo) in Episode One, just black and white, good and evil. Also please in the next SW film give the bad guys more screen time, they had none in ep 1. and those weak droids make stromtroopers seem like snipers. The myth of Star Wars is George Lucas bulit it by himself, but as you will see from the book if it was not for a top fox exuctive, Lawarnce Kasdan, some freaked out 70's band of geek boys obsessed with models and computers, numerous rewrites to inject some humor (real adult humor not Jar *grinding of teeth* Jar Binks, the force would not be with us today.

A very interesting work
This book was kind of a guilty pleasure for me. On one hand, I have been a huge Star Wars fan (pretty much since birth) and I couldn't put this book down due to the behind-the-scenes story of the struggle Lucas had to go through to put his grand vision on the screen. All of the adversity and drama that is very well described in this book would make a very good story for a decent fiction writer, but knowing that all of the seedy hollywood politics actually did happen makes the "making of the movie" story almost as powerful as the film itself. The guilty part of the pleasure is that I almost felt like I was betraying George Lucas by reading the book. Jenkins seems to write much of the story from Star Wars/Empire producer Gary Kurtz's point of view. This would not be a problem if Kurtz didn't come off like a bitter ex-producer who got booted from the set for conflicting with Lucas' demands. Many passages allude to Kurtz being the one who saved the production, and since Kurtz did have much input in the book, it looks like Jenkins is trying to downplay Lucas' involvment while trying to over-emphasize his buddy Kurtz's involvement. Even while feeling this, I could not put the book down. A must have for all Star Wars fans.

I couldn't put it down.
This is a book that I could not put down for a day! Then a month or so later after I read it, I had to read it again. Must read for anyone at all interested in Star Wars.

Could've been much better.
This book is packed full of entertaining information that is worth reading, but not paying for; so I suggest that if you want to read this book, try borrowing it from a library or friend, read it, return it, and be done w/ it. Gary Jenkins has a reasonably well-developed vocabulary, but there is the whiff of imaturity about his writing as well. This book is heavily opinionated in some respects and this little fact gets obnoxious after awhile. He also tends to get off track; for instance, no one cares about some dude's crumbling marriage (not Lucas') and the book is about the story behind Star Wars, NOT American Graffitti. This book reads more like a biography rather than a book based solely on the production of 3 movies as the title suggests. But it is all kind of worth reading just to learn the interesting story behind the movies--if you don't have to pay for it.

Terse, packed with information, brilliant!
I'm only halfway through Empire Building. But I could stop reading right now, and already I'd call it the most informative, well-researched meanderings yet laid to print about the the sci fi movie king George Lucas and the incredible cast of characters that made so colorful and lively his professional and personal lives. Good stuff. Not only is it a great biography of Lucas and a history of the making of his films, it can serve as an "Art of War" manual to the young filmmaker searching for inspiration or a new hope.

Robert K S ... Read more

Book Description

RETURN TO THE EDGE OF THE FINAL FRONTIER.

As the Federation prepares to launch a counterstrike against the Dominion, Colonel Kira Nerys searches for a way to prevent another galactic holocaust.But when a newly discovered prophecy propels Jake Sisko on an impossible quest and threatens to plunge all of Bajor into chaos, Kira is forced to choose between being true to her faith...and being true to herself.

Meanwhile, as the combined crews of Deep Space 9™ and the Starship Enterprise™ struggle to stop a terrorist plot to destroy the station and the ship, lives change, new friendships are forged, and the shocking truth behind a grisly murder is revealed.

THE ASTONISHING RENEWAL OF THE EPIC ADVENTURE. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Deep Space Nine Reborn!
Well, it seems DS9's story is not yet over, and if the next books in the series are as good as the Avatar Duology, then Star Trek fans have a great time ahead. Set 3 months after the events of "What You Leave Behind..", Avatar returns us to Starbase DS9 (is it the first time DS9 is reffered to as a STARBASE?) and to its key personnel : Kira, Bashir, Dax et al. (not to mention some new characters, some introduced earlier in the comic book series N-Vector). The plot? well, a real page-turner that deals with a newly-discovered ancient Bajoran text which deals with Sisko and Kassidy's unborn child. The effect of this text, as well as its future implications for Jake and Kira (above all others) keep the reader at the edge of his\hers seat and set the stage quite nicely for future tales. The new characters? I, for one , really like the new Jem'Hadar "observer" (and I won't spoil it for people who haven't read the books, but not all is what it seems..). I also took quite a liking to Commander Vaughn - the new soldier "first officer" in much the same way that Kira used to be.. ..quite a reversal, where once this was a Starfleet station with a Bajoran second-in-command, it is now , more than before, a Bajoran station with a Starfleet second-in-command.

All in all, a great start to the next phase of Star Trek in general and DS9 in particular. It is actually almost as good as the Millennium Trilogy, which ranks as my all-time favorite Trek story (including ALL incarnations!).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Deep Space 9 saga continues
This is a review of the two part Star Trek: Deep Space Nine story called Avatar.

The only disappointment I with the Deep Space Nine TV series was with the way they ended it. It was a bit anti-climactic, the final episode wasn't well-written, but it also left me really wishing that we could see where the characters would go from there. Thus, I was overjoyed when I saw that Pocket Books was going to continue the Deep Space Nine story, starting with the two book series called Avatar, by S.D. Perry. Was it worth the wait? Was it worthy of the Deep Space Nine name?

To quote a famous 60s persona stuck in the 90s, "YEAH, BABY!"

Avatar contains a wonderful mix of the characters fans love along with a selection of new characters that have a lot of potential. Perry has come up with a very plausible way for the story to continue, that contains action, intrigue, romance, and personal strife. Probably the best portrayed, though, is Colonel Kira. Kira was one of my favourites on the TV show, and it's a testament to Perry's writing that I could hear Nana Visitor speaking the lines and going through the conflicts that the story puts her through. Kira is so well-rounded (though it does help that the TV show provided a wonderful springboard for this), and Perry paints the angles and the gray areas of the character marvelously. When Kira has to go through a crisis of faith, with the prophecy making her choose between her religious beliefs and what's best for the people of Bajor, I could feel the tension radiating off of the page.

The rest of the returning characters succeed admirably as well. Dr. Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax continue the relationship that they formed during the last season of the TV, but they find that interspecies romance isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Nog, the young Ferengi ensign who matured greatly during his fighting in the war, especially when he lost his leg in battle, has become the new Chief of Operations on the station. He's still dealing with the emotional trauma of the war, and it doesn't help when a Jem'Hadar warrior from the Dominion beams on board and claims to be there on a peace mission. All of the characters are very true to their characterization from the series, but Perry expands on that as well. All of them seem real, but they show the ability to grow in interesting ways. I look forward to more character growth in the rest of the series.

The new characters are just as good. I found Ro Laren the most intriguing. She's a character from the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, a Bajoran who joined a rebel group against the Federation, but is now the new security chief on the station. She brings a real emotional conflict with her, trying to decide where she belongs, and whether or not she belongs among her fellow Bajorans. She doesn't have the same faith in the Prophets that her people do, and this often puts her into conflict with Kira. I found that Ro's character really stood out in this one, and I think she'll quickly become my favourite of the new bunch. She'll always have a slight chip on her shoulder, which will bring her into some conflict with the rest of her compatriots. It should be interesting to see how her relationship with Kira develops, especially after what happens at the end of the book.

I found the Vaughn character slightly annoying, just because he seemed almost too perfect. He's 101 years old, only a Commander but yet seeming to have the ear of all the higher-ups in Starfleet. He doesn't really come across as haughty; he's actually more philosophical than anything else. However, he just seems to know everything. Hopefully his character will be a little subtler in subsequent books. Ensign Shar, the Andorian technical officer, is also given a nice character hook, but not much is done with it. I think that will be done more in future books as well. What we are given, though, is very nice.

I've said a lot about the characters, mainly because I think they are very important to any Star Trek series, whether it's a book series or TV series. But how is the plot? I'm pleased to say that Perry hits a home run with that as well. It's the perfect continuation from the TV series, yet completely understandable to anybody picking this up with no knowledge of the series. It even has a complete timeline of the TV series at the beginning of Book 1, which is a tremendous help to new readers as well as forgetful older readers as well. Perry blends the plots very well, all of them interacting at points, but having their own resolution. There's no contrived "one size fits all" solution to everything.

In fact, not everything is completely resolved, and the book actually ends on an emotional cliffhanger, which I found pleasing. It really brought the feel of the TV series back to the books, as if this is a true continuation, Season 8 if you will. Character arcs don't end in the same book where they begin. The book is self-contained plot-wise, but things aren't necessarily rosy when the book ends. I found this a really nice touch.

There are no gaping plot holes, and everything leads naturally into each other. There are no contrived situations either. Perry writes with ease, and her prose is very good for this kind of book. It's not literature, but it doesn't aspire to be. Instead, it aspires to be a great Star Trek novel, and in that it succeeds admirably. Between the two books, you get over 500 pages of action-adventure, interesting characters and lots of drama. What more could you ask for?

Really the launching of Season 8 DS9. No ending!
I loved the way this book ended. It did not wrap everything up in a neat little package, but rather ends with the words: The Beginning. Since that is what these books are. They are the beginning of the DS9 relaunch, and are set up as an introduction to new characters who have replaced those gone on (Worf, O'Brien, Garak and Rom make no appearances at all. Odo is talked about and briefly seen in action, and Sisko...well there's mystery surrounding that guy!).

Other people have had problems with the way the book ends, but I loved it. A reviewer said that Book 1 could have been the opening episode of DS9's eighth season, and I completely agree! Book 2 would be the continuation of the season premiere, and WHAT A CONTINUATION! Book 2 is much better than the necessary Book 1. All the new characters are well flushed out and relationships are solidified (Ro and Kira; Dax and Bashir; Vaughn and everyone; ch'Thane and Nog; etc.). The plot quickens and the truth behind Kitana'klan's statements is revealed... with a neat twist.

I can say for sure that I want to keep reading the rest of the "episodes" in the DS9 relaunch. The way they are set up (the other books that is) is that they flow from Avatar in a sequence so that there's great continuity! "Abyss", Bashir's section 31 romp continues where Avatar left off, and it's good to see that it doesn't bother reintroducing everyone, but assumes you've read Avatar and know the deal. For this reason, I love that Avatar does not get wrapped up, but leaves itself open for plenty more books (which were subsequently written). I especially like the manner in which the idea of exploring the Gamma Quadrant opens up.

Problems: One will have to ignore the Dominion Books (1&3) since it contradicts Ro and Picard's relationship. Personally I liked how it was dealt with in this book (and I liked how it clears up why Ro didn't got to a Federation penal colony). However, it cheapens the Dominion Books which saw some great action for Ro and Picard... so you be the judge if you can deal with the HUGE discrepancy.

Missed Opportunities: Seeing the TNG crew in action!!! Riker does virtually nothing, when so much could have been done, especially considering the Thomas Riker incident! Crusher does a good job filling in as CMO. Troi does a little. But a real disappointment was the lack of any Data dialogue with Bashir (common, seeing an android and genetically engineered human interact would have been brilliant) or even ch'Thane or Dax or others who are curious about Data.
The biggest mistake I think was the lack of seeing Geordi LaForge work on DS9's repairs! We learn that O'Brien has kept in touch with Geordi and told him all about DS9's screw ups... so how cool would it have been to see Geordi trying to tackle some of those problems... and seeing the Chief's innovations... and commenting on them and whatnot! That was definetely a missed opportunity.

But, ignoring what wasn't in the book, what was in it was excellent. It was good to see a Federation-Klingon-Romulan task force and hear them lectured from a Jem'Hadar supposedly sent from Odo... really good stuff.
The Avatar prophecy sort of gets shoved aside quickly, but resurfaces in an interesting way indeed! It was good to see the interaction between Ro, Kira, Vedek Yevir and Kassidy. Their heated debate was excellent and I was just screaming for someone to say what I was thinking when finally Kass lets it loose! Oh baby that was excellent! Good religious/spiritual (maybe philosophical?) and conformist/orthodox interplay!
Everything else was really interesting, and the scene at the central core was very intense!
It was good to see th'Chane's character explained a bit more, and you can tell a lot more will revolve around this young ensign in the future!
The job Perry does with setting up Vaughn as a guy you have to like deserves kudos. I love this guy already and keep hoping Sisko won't return so he can stay as XO! Seriously, he's THAT cool! He's only a Commander but with Admiral-type knowledge and secrets. I can't wait to hear some of them in later books!

Book 1 was good; Book 2 is much better! Although it would have been better to have the books in one set, it takes nothing away from them to have them alone. Though I absolutely recommend reading Book 1 before reading Book 2.

If you plan to read any of the DS9 relaunch books, I highly recommend reading Avatar first, for otherwise characters in the later novels won't be as flushed out as they are here. If you haven't read Garak's "A Stitch in Time" novel, which takes place after he returns to Cardassia in ruins, I highly recommend reading that novel first. Avatar makes quick mention of Bashir reading Garak's communique (which is the book).
Also, if you haven't read the Reeves-Stevenses' Millenium trilogy (available as 3 separate books, or in an Omnibus version) I highly recommend reading that as well. So far those two novels are the best of the DS9 series, though Avatar came close in many instances.

I look forward with enthusiasm to reading the rest of the DS9 relaunch novels. Look for my next review for Section 31: Abyss.

opens up more questions than answers
Eagarly reading this book to find answers to certain questions and plot resolutions, I was sorely mistaken. It advances some plots, but others are left dangling. One of the most disappointing things about the book was the fact that "Avatar" has not happened yet and the plot involving Jake has not gone anywhere. The mystery involving the mysterious Jemhadar soldier "Kitana'klan" was resolved to my satisfaction and opens up some interesting possibilities for future novels. There is one good fire fight and I'll add that S.D Perry describes them well.

The action, character development and the overall writing style compels me to give this book 4 stars. Were it not for the dangling plots, I would have given this book 5 stars. Oh, and the awkward relationship beween Ro Lauren and Quark is rather annoying and a waste of space.

Just the Begining
Avatar book two opens up new possibilities for the future of the trek book series. Finally, books which are consistant with one another, and individual books build on a richer picture to continue an ongoing history.

I greatly enjoyed this book, it's well writen, the charachters portraied very well. There are some incridibly tense situations as past personal histories are brought together, and new charachters brought in as well, including one very intriguing Commander Elias Vaugn. Ezri Dax is more thoroughly explored as she comes to terms with the depth of meanings of being a joined Trill and the possibilities and consequences this brings for her.

Quark brings some humor to the story in an oh-so-Quarkish way. Jake is on a mission alone to find his father, and I'm looking foward to the future book which explores this adventure. For now, this is only the begining of a great new era in trek books. ... Read more

Book Description

The Battle of Endor was never fought -- it was just so much Alliance propaganda. At least, that's the lie being spread by the Ante-Endor Association. But Wedge Antilles and his Rogue Squadron comrades know the truth. They were at Endor when so many gave their lives to destroy the second Death Star. And so, for those lost friends, this is a battle they will not lose. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fans of Star Wars will love The Phantom Affair

Presenting Star Wars in a medium other than film has proven to be a tricky task. Dark Horse Comics has the distinction of producing stories in the Star Wars universe in comic book format. Many of these efforts have been hit and miss, hampered by a synopsis type of writing style that prevents readers from getting too close to the characters--and therefore not really caring if they live or die. The first four issues of X-Wing: Rogue Squadron were hampered by plot flaws, continuity mistakes, and uninspired artwork.

The Phantom Affair, collecting issues five through eight of the series, manages to avoid all of these pitfalls. The story, crafted by Michael Stackpole (author of the first four X-Wing novels) and scripted by Darko Macan has everything a Star Wars fan craves: action, humor, and (most importantly) a multi-layered, intelligent plot.

The story follows Wedge Antilles and his group of intrepid pilots to the planet of Mrlsst, where they are to bid on behalf of the New Republic for an item that could greatly alter the war: a miniature cloaking device. When representatives of the Empire, including a dark figure from Wedge's past, arrive to bid on this very same device, the team of pilots are thrown into a web of intrigue that provides plenty of action.

The artwork, provided by Edvin Biukovic, John Nadeau, Gary Erskine, Jordi Ensign, and Dave Nestelle is nothing short of brilliant. The style is something akin to Moebius or Geof Darrow, with intricate details provided in practically every frame. The characters are very well defined; each one has his or her own distinct look instead of being the same stock drawing with a different shade of hair. A good deal of "in" humor can be found in the artwork as well. For example, George Lucas makes a guest appearance, his camera equipment being carried by two cloaked Jawas.

Fans of Star Wars (particularly Stackpole's X-Wing series) will no doubt enjoy this book; it's a great, full-throttle ride through the Star Wars universe that will leave them satisfied at the last page, but still wanting more.

This is where you start to enjoy the Saga of the Rogues
Dark Horse made a lot of X-Wing Rogue Squadron comics. After a false start with the first 4 issues called Rebel Opposition, which contains some of the best cover art of all, which was never made into a TPB. Dorman drew Wedge for the very first issue, and this is the Wedge that I have on my wall.

Stackpole had introduced us to Wedge and his band of Rogues with his 4 X-wing books written from Feb of 1996 to Feb of 1997. The Phantom Affair is the first TPB and was published in Nov. 1997 collecting issues 5 to 8. On the star wars timeline I have placed it at the end of year 5 ANH at 5.91. My feeling is that all 8 TPB's come just before the novels.

Story grade is 4.5, pencils vary but get a 4, ink and color vary from 3 to 4, and cover is a 3 for a grade of 4 stars.

The story here is fun, but the art is a real mixed bag. Sometimes the pencils, ink and coloring are luxurious, rich and awesome. The artwork itself is consistently detailed with almost not lazy artists panels. Given the technology that existed at the time, this is one of the best TPB comics ever produced by Dark Horse. Look at the impact that Stackpole has had on the EU. This is where we meet Mirax on the time line, because the comic take place before the novels and the assault on Coruscant.

Like most people I read the novels first, then the comics. My advice today for those wishing to engage the tales of Wedge and the X-Wing saga is to start with right here with this comic. This comic is totally start alone and introduces many of the main characters that you will get to know and love. Meet Mirax Terrik, daughter of booster, Wedge, Hobby, Wes Janson, and Tycho.

There must have been some real butt kicking at Dark horse because almost everything about this comic is brilliantly conceived and executed, except the drably colored cover.

A spectacular achievement
The second part in the X-wing: Rogue Squadron series, The Phantom Affair is arguably one of the finest comics you could find, and for many reasons.

The art quality is simply astounding. Facial features differ with character and emotion. Even the background is not left to waste. Look carefully and you'll see just how much work and creativity there is: how every spare space is utilised, even if it's just to have pedestrians or surface features. The sheer variety of aliens, both familiar and merely exotic, is both appreciated and well done.

Dialogue is great. Everyone has a part, everyone contributes to some effect. And if a character has no purpose in that given situation, no problem, give him a witty line and there you go! Plenty of humour will have you smiling; Dllrr asking if the fruit around him is edible, being told it's too hard to eat, and then dropping it on a stormtrooper's head was funny.

And there were sneaky touches thrown in. How many of you thought that was George Lucas on p74, the one standing beside a Jawa holding a camera tripod, making a picture frame with his hands? Mirax dusting the step with a leaf before she sits is another.

And that page . . . where something suddenly jams the cantina music, that something being a haunting illustration of the Interdictor Cruiser you'll see turn the next page. Simply excellent.

The plot sounds straightforward but like all good stories all is not what it seems. Wedge's childhood flashback gives readers a visual link to what they have read in the X-wing books of his past.

Just a couple of minor errors though. That starfighter Wedge flies to avenge his parents is not what a Headhunter looks like. Aren't they fixed-wing? This one had X-wing S-foils. And readers may have problems with the wormhole at the end, and how its credulity affects the plot.

Be Warned! Make The Phantom Affair your first foray into this comic series and you'll see just why it's so damn good.

Wow . . .
This is, so far, my favorite of the Rogue Squadron comics. The artwork is great and the story is brilliant. Michael A. Stackpole remains one of my favorite authors. Since others have synopsed the story, I won't bother, but suffice it to say, I highly recommend it!

Not a bad way to start a series
The tpb premier of the XWRS series manages to give a good start to a great series. The story in itself is a bit different from the rest of the story arcs, and remains on an individual scale like rest of the series's first half, whereas the second half is essentially one long, complex story. 'The Phantom Affair' puts the Rouges on the world of Mrlsst, bargaining at an academy campus for a new war technology. This is mostly a wedge-centered arc, and he gets a few people from his past to join in. The art by the late Edvin Buikovic is very good. While his ships are detailed but fail to gain a sense of movement, his people are very good. Incredibly detail goes top every face and background figure, which works very well when you have a story set on a crowded campus. Three-fourths of the way through, the art is taken over by Gary Erksine. While trying to imitate Buikovic, the art still takes a noticeable plunge in overall quality and Buikovic's sense of smoothness is unfortunately lost. The color is done by David Nestelle, who will come to grace most of the series's story arcs with his superb coloring. Nestelle proves that coloring is just as important as the art in setting the mood in many a scene.

The script is done by Darko Macan, who does casual dialogue pretty well, although his combat lingo leaves something to be desired. The series begin with seven rouges, five of whom will see the end of the series. Many future players await introduction, so 'The Phantom Affair' is set apart a bit from other arcs, especially those in the latter half. Wedge's background is set up well by the flashback involving Booster Terrik and the death of Wedge's parents. Loka Hask proves to be an interesting, of not a bit too vocal, villain. Also, tying together the beginning and ending of the series, Mirax Terrik takes on an important role in the story. On an interesting note, another 'special appearance' from later on in the series is her future husband, Corran Horn. ('Blood & Honor')

Overall the plot takes more than its share of twists and turns. While a good overall read, I personally feel that 'The Phantom Affair' is a bit distanced from the rest of the series. Nonetheless, it's a good kick-off that provided a glimpse of what is to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An Imperial Star Destroyer plus a doughnut equals a Neimoidian battleship. So reveals Phantom Menace design director Doug Chiang, as he's discussing how the previous Star Wars films influenced the conceptual planning of Episode I. Fans of Star Wars, of course, love to get this kind of skinny, and The Making of Episode I doesn't disappoint. In this comprehensive account of Phantom Menace's origins, packed with page after page of behind-the-scenes sketches and set photos, you also learn about the many hairdos of the Jedi, how Huttese is based on the Incan language Catua, and what a huge influence Young Indiana Jones had on Episode I's seat-of-the-pants, guerrilla-style production.

All the films in the Star Wars saga share unusual origins, but Phantom Menace may take the prize with its ground-breaking technology, nonlinear digital production process, strenuous casting demands, and, of course, the idiosyncratic style of Lucas himself, with his focus on editing and collaboration with actors and designers. The veterans of quite a few "making of" books and documentaries, Laurent Bouzereau (Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays) and Jody Duncan (Cinefex magazine) don't miss a trick, combining exclusive Lucas interviews with blow-by-blow recountings of every stage in the process, from initial script development and casting to storyboarding, costume design, and set-building through to shooting, editing, and scoring. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (20)

To quote Darth Vader "Impressive".
This book provides a snap-shot of film-making at the end of the century. The story of Star Wars episode I's crafting in 150 pages. Packed with detail. Short quotes from people involved, from cast to crew, pepper the text adding colour and information. Well illustrated, clearly told and attention grabbing. Thorough in its scope and ecomomic in language, good reading and eminently collectible. A suitable companion to Thomas Smith's, Industrial Light and Magic: The Art of Special Effects (1986), which covered much on the special effects of episodes IV-VI. A contribution to the myth of Star Wars.

Interesting and Informative
This is a very infomative book, and lots of fun to read. Finding out how the movie was made and all the work that went into it, astounded me. Lots of nitty-gritty details and interviews with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and other members of the crew and cast. The behind the scene pictures were also very intersting. I couldn't stop reading. A must have for any Star Wars fan.

Every Film Has A Story
Authors Laurent Bouzereau and Jody Duncan, are no strangers when it comes to taking film-goers behind the scenes, explaining how films are made. Bouzereau has produced some great DVD documentaries for the movies of Hitchcock and Spielberg. While Duncan has written making of books for Jurassic Park, The X-Files film, and others. As I have stated before in other reviews, having graduated college with a film degree, I have always been interested in the process of how films are made for as long as I can remember. In the case of "Menace", it's no secret that I was disappointed with the finished product, yet reading the book gives insight into the mega mind of George Lucas. I guess the appeal for me with this book, is the opportunity to try and figure out what makes the guy tick, why does he do what he does and so on.

The first thing that struck me about the book, was how much Lucas seemed so sure that folks would fall in line, and love the film, no matter what the story was. History, as we know, didn't exactly work out the way he thought. I know that expectations for the prequels are high, and it's impossible to please everyone, but Lucas thinks that since the new films, will make bucks, no matter what, the human element that was present in the previous 3 films, takes a back seat. The book is well written, even if its biggest flaw is the fact that, if you believe what you read, the shoot was near perfect .Since everyone on the film, thinks Lucas is infallible, there's not one negative about him in the book. This is weird because, on every film, that I have ever read about or watched a documentary on, there's always a bit of trouble like that and then the parties move on. It's normal.

The problems aside, the authors do a good job, with explaining a, b, and c. The 164 page book is recommended, for anyone who wants to know "why" Menace both suceeded and failed, at the same time

The Ultimate Tour de Force!
Well,to begin this review I must say that this is an incredibly interesting behind the scenes (BTS)look at one of the most successfull films of the 90`s.
I don`t think I've ever been looking forward to any film as much as this (may be except the Lord of the Rings),and it was really a pleasure to watch it,although I was a little bit disappointed on the childishness of the movie.
But with the incredible special effects,I was more than pleased to see how they were done. And I bought this book and became very happy. It contains nearly all you need to know about SW Episode I. It follows the movie as it developed from beeing just an idea to the most impressive CG effects movie I'd ever seen by that time. In the introduction,George Lucas says how he had to develop an entire new world,which is an interesting read about how he created the new characters and locations. Anakin needed a mother,Obi-Wan needed a master and Palpatine needed an apprentice. The first chapter contains some great preproduction artwork and notes for every drawing. They are really nice,and definitly worth having (some of them does not appear anywhere else). It also has some notes when looking for good cast. They needed a man who looked like a new Alec Guiness for playing Obi-Wan and they needed a 8-year old boy who could really act to play Anakin. That wasn`t easy to find.
There are also some pics of the fantastic clothes featured in the film,as Amidala`s dresses.
The second chapter is mostly about the shooting itself. It is interesting to see how the stunts were performed and how they built up all the locations on Tatooine. There are also some good shots of the cool masks that people wore during the podracer sequences. In this chapter,there are also lots of interviews with the crew,especially George Lucas.
The third chapter is about the special effects and it`s named "I could do whatever I wanted". If you didn`t knew this already,I can say that Lucas was planning this film already in '77,but he waited until now,because now he could create all of the fantastic characters and environments with the help of today's computers. There are lots of interesting BTS images here,such as the podracer arena - one before,with just about 50 people,and one when after the CG adding,with thousands of people. And it looks terrific!
At the back of the book,there is a complete list of all people that were ever involved in the project,taking up approx. 15 pages!
Over all,this is a great Behind the Scenes look at Episode I.
It has everything you could ever want from such a book. So if you have any interest in Star Wars,behind-the scenes of cool movies,or just special effects,then this book is definitly something. And if you think there is too little artwork,don`t worry - there is another book named "The Art of Star Wars". Buy both of those and the Visual Dictionary and your Phantom Menace collection will be complete!

Yes, But what will he say on the DVD?
Rumor-mill has it that Laurent Bouzereau will be given a commentary track on the soon to be made Episode One DVD, let us hope he offers up the same insight and humor found in this written edition. ... Read more