The First Amendment

Stargate SG-1 (ROC) #3

by Ashley McConnell

Based on one of the Sci Fi Channel's most popular shows--Book three in the series!

Colonel Jack O'Neill and his SG-1 team are about to show a reporter who has violated the security of the Stargate base that the success of this project will not be jeopardized for the sake of a headline-and that the truth can be far more dangerous than any outsider could ever imagine.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Media Tie In, Adventure

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[BlueRose99 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story was fine I guess but the copyeditor must have been snorting cocaine.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

After things start going wrong on the planet Etaa, with a captured SG team and a failed rescue attempt, SG-1 are sent back to see what is going on.
In tow is a reporter, the son of a senator who has previously tried to shut SGC down.

Jack O'Neill and the team are reluctant to have him along, but events dictate otherwise.

Bit of a slow build up, giving background characters a bit more "screen time" than they'd have in a normal episode, but the main people act like you'd expect and are well written.

It's good when it gets going, introducing new alien species and a tense ending.
Slightly more sweary than a TV episode would be (only a few scattered around) which may not be to everyones liking.

[Sir Nicho · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is terrible. It doesn't catch the essence or characters of the show well at all. I almost threw it against the wall when I read Carter calling Daniel "Danny." I started reading them because I'm a fan of the series. I'm told the books get better especially the ones not written by this author. Here's hoping.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say it’s the worst book by Ashley, but it’s not one of her best either. The story focuses on a news reporter – who just also happens to be the son of Senator Kinsey, funnily enough – who manages to get access to the SGC. After his initial introduction to the complex, he is taken hostage by a member of the SGC (Major Dave Morley) who argues that the public has a right to know what actually goes on beneath Cheyenne Mountain. However, after inadvertently seeing the Stargate in action, Kinsey is released by Morley but he now has a whole lot of questions and decides that he’s going to run with a story, threatening to tell the world about this top-secret operation.

After a little discussion, however, the SGC feel they might be able to convince Kinsey to say nothing – by SG-1 reluctantly agreeing to take him off-world. They gate to a planet they’ve previously visited, but things quickly go south; a war has broken out on the planet and no-one seems to have any explanation as to how (or why) it started. Along the way, Daniel also gets captured and is badly injured, and the team race against the clock to get him back before it’s too late.

If you want to read this book and get to the action, skip the first 100 or so pages. Nothing really happens, except for Hammond moving from one meeting to another, and a whole lot of paper-pushing going on. It is nice to see the General take a lead role in the beginning of the story (as well as an insight into the actual running of the SGC), don't get me wrong, but it gets a little boring at times as Ashley goes into - sometimes - painstaking detail about NORAD, the appearance of the SGC and the Stargate, etc.

Also, this story is supposedly set within season 2 of the show, but there are a few continuity issues. For example, Sam’s rank changes a few times throughout the novel, while the characters aren’t always “in character”.

When the action does kick in, it's also a little odd. The descriptions of the creatures on the planet make it hard to visualise them, but the ending is also completely rushed. There are no explanations as to who these enemies were, or what really happened to the society that lived there (the wrong place, wrong time theory is a bit too convenient). Also, what became of Dave Morley? What did he really see on that planet? What made him go crazy? Did he get the help he needed? I guess we’ll never know...

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is centred around a reporter, the son of Senator Kinsey, who is taken for a tour around Cheyenne Mountain, and he sees more than he bargained for! Whilst I think this is a brilliant stand-alone book, I do think you need to have seen the series, and have some idea who Senator Kinsey is, and why he is integral to the plot. I do agree in place, the author repeats some of the ideas which have been stated on the show, I don't think this is tiresome or boring to read, I think it just reinforces the plot development.

Again, its been mentioned, but a lot of the story is set in the mountain complex, which personally I liked. It can some of the background characters a voice, and was a nice change of direction from SG-1 on centre stage. Similarly, it seemed General Hammond had more of a presence which I loved. So, it can be said the story is slow, however, I enjoyed this. Whilst I do agree the ending was a bit rushed, I felt this kept with the series - there are some episode I watch when SG-1 are in deadly situation and only 5 minutes left to go! And amazingly they end up back at the base with a few scratches! Role ending credits! So I think the book keeps with that theme, and much of the action is in the last couple of chapters, I enjoyed this!

Overall, I think any fan will love this, and it keeps with the themes and characters of the SG world.

[David Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so I'm a big fan of the series but never read any of the books until recently.

The First Amendment Is all about the buildup.. a rescue mission has went wrong but things still aren't adding up. SG1 are itching for a mission so this could be right up their street.

While trying to figure out what happened on the rescue mission a reporter finds himself in Stargate command and its decided that SG1 should take him along for the ride in the hope that showing him the truth will earn his silence.. afterall what would happen if the human race knew the truth.

The mission quickly goes bad as we learn of the gruesome deaths of the local inhabitants and the previous SG team.

Overall I think I enjoyed this one the best out of the series of 4 books, it just felt right, the characters, the tone.. it just fits what a fan of the tv show would be looking for. I know its bad but being a fan of the show you have expectations so it will be hard to please everyone.

Throughly enjoyed reading this one!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

SG2はSG4を救出をしにエタに向かったのだが、壊滅に近い状態で戻ってきていた。
エタに最初に足を踏み入れたのはSG1だ。その時は住人達は皆フレンドリーで、平和そのものの星だった。
SG1のその報告を受けて、SG4がさらなる調査に赴いた。しかし、彼らは消息をたち、彼らを救出に向かったSG2もほとんど壊滅である。
オニールはそのことに責任を感じていた。
その頃、ハモンドは上部からキンゼイ議員の息子が基地を見学に来ると聞かされ、頭を抱えていた。
キンゼイ議員の息子フランク・キンゼイはジャーナリストなのだ。
そのフランク・キンゼイが見学に来た日、トラブルが起こった。部下を失ったことで心を病んだSG2のリーダーが、今すぐゲイトは埋めるべきだと主張し、フランクを拉致して、よりによって機密事項であるスターゲイトを見せてしまうのだ。

※前半SG1の面々がほとんど出てこないので読むのに手こずりました。ダニエルの出番が少ないので余計に。後半はダニエルがたっぷりでてきてくれて、色々ピンチにもあってくれるので快調に読み進めました。やはり英文読破にどハマりしたキャラの存在が欠かせないとあらためて認識した一品。

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was meh for me, not great, not terrible. The characterizations were decent, but the plot is what hinders this novel. For the first 100 pages or so, nothing really happens. Considering it's only 190 pages, that leaves only 90 pages of actual action and it just makes this book kind of a waste.

[Michael Sigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the absolute worst Stargate related novel I've ever read, but it's certainly the most boring... 110 pages of this 200 page novel is internal dialogue, Hammond's morning routine, meeting to briefing back to meetings... All for a bunch of stuff that would never again come up over the course of 17 seasons of television.
If that ain't a waste, I don't know what is.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book didn't really have much going on in it, but the second half was actually alright... though I did find the aliens that featured to be quite ridiculous!

Also, it is not a British thing to eat a burger with a knife and fork. Like what even?! lol

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some obvious typos and Daniel has brown hair, not blond, but overall an excellent, original, and enjoyable story to add to the Stargate canon.

[Kieran Leahy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright.

[ette]

Oh these have been disappointing

[Marisa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, largely because it deals with the concept of 'the public's right to know.' Senator Kinsey's son is a reporter and manages to get into the stargate facilities. He wants to blow their cover and become famous for his article exposing the truth of what is going on with the program.

The others don't want him to do that, of course, and they point out to him that exposing the public to the truth could cause widespread panic and unrest all over the world (which is a quite reasonable assumption.)

The sub-plot revolves around a Major who led a rescue attempt that went disastrously wrong, and who ends up wanting to expose everything himself so he takes the reporter hostage.

The only solution seems to be to take him along on a trip through the gate. It's a trip, though, that does not go well at all, exposing the reporter to various aliens, death and injury.

It's a good story and one that reflects itself in the argument over whether or not UFOs exist and are from other planets. Movies generally depict any such aliens as being hostile, and a lot of people would panic if they found out aliens were real and have been here. Just as in the book there would be people who would want to fight the aliens and others who would want to sell out to them. There would also be some major religious repercussions, especially if the aliens had their own spiritual system.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading any kind of tie-in novel. I had no idea what to expect when I picked it up. I enjoyed the book, despite some typos and continuity errors, and have continued to read the Stargate tie-in novels.

In this book, Senator Kinsey has a new plan to bring the Stargate program under his control. He orchestrates for his son Frank, a journalist, to take a tour of NORAD. While there, Major Samuels goads Frank into charging past the guard at the secondary elevator. Things go off the rails, however, when a disgruntled SG member takes Frank hostage. A mission has gone bust, all his team
members dead, and he wants a second shot at rescuing them. His plan is thwarted by an incoming wormhole, but it’s Senator Kinsey’s dream come true. A journalist has seen the Stargate in action.

Hammond decides that the best course of action is to convince Frank Kinsey not to write the
story by proving that the public is better not knowing about the Stargate. To that end, Frank is to
go off world with SG-1. Even a routine scouting mission can go wrong, however. SG-1 is
caught in the crossfire of two hostile alien races.

This story is exactly what you would expect of an episode of Stargate SG-1. It’s fun and entertaining with a little suspense, a lot of danger, and wrapped up nicely at the end.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I will admit was read out of sequence - its actually the 3rd but I guess having had a few distractions recently I didn't realise it till it was too late - that said it gives it away when you can read a book and not realise you are reading out of sequence!
The book at one level reads like an episode - however on another there are too many recaps and explanations something you would not see in the TV show simply because it takes too much time and the audience already knows. So really this is a book for the non-stargate wanna be fine - if that makes sense. The plot this time is a little more solid and the characters are more in line with what you would expect (again if you were a fan who knew the series - see where this is going). In short on a basic level its a contradiction where it assumes a level of understanding but then again does not.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Stargate book I've read but, liking the Stargate series, I thought I'd give it a go. I was really impressed with the writing style. Sometimes science fiction / TV series books are written in a rather stilted manner, but this one wasn't. The characters acted in a way which fitted their TV personas and the adventure was different to many Stargate episodes. Having said that, the planet seemed far too much like something out of a 1960s science fiction movie. There were plot reasons for this, but I think it could have been done more effectively. Suitable for Stargate lovers and novices, thanks to the brief but thorough explanations of characters and events.

[Carmen K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book. I found the character descriptions a bit amusing. I've watched the TV series, so much of the description was unnecessary for me, but I understand that not everyone watches the series. I probably will not read more Stargate books, as I enjoy the series more than the books.

[Godzchild96 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh... yeah... this was NOT a good book. Nothing happens in the first half. The second half actually does have some decent action. But Ashley McConnell knows squat about the show. If she did, she wouldn't have TWENTY members on an SG team. I mean, REALLY?!?! Have you even watched the show, Ashley?! And there were typos. And her writing has much to be desired.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one didn't really work for me - too many explanations and recaps that noone who actually watched the show (and does anyone else ever read these? I kinda doubt it.) needs, details were off, too much time spent on unimportant secondary characters rather than the SG-1 team and the story took forever to actually go anywhere.

[Kaitlyn Wooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yea...again, this author needs to get some things straight. Otherwise an 'okay' book. But whatever At least there was some sweet honest-to-goodness Danny-whumping toward the end to placate us in compensation for the rest of it. ;)

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book. It was a quick read and a by the numbers Stargate story that hadn't been done before. My only gripes are the changes in Carters rank, the wrong descriptions of the uniforms and getting Carter's first name wrong.

[Dustin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first SG-1 book I read, way bak in the day when it was first published. It had an idea that was later better explored in a couple of episodes of the show. It was an ok book, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it.

[rivka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Making the reporter Kinsey's son was clever. The NORAD details were interesting. So were the aliens.

[Miss Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Wouldn't bother if I were you and I had the chance to go back and not read this having had the benefit of someone else's experience.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the first Stargate SG1 novel I've read. It was good to read about the characters instead of watching them on screen.

[Vampiress_demitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

great plot

[Ana]

At times I felt like the author maybe only saw the pilot episode of the show and nothing else.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

They'll all exactly like the episodes. You don't get any more insight from watching it to reading it.