What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Trek: Myriad Universes #2
Echoes and Refractions
It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-beens. But in those myriad universes, what might have been...is what actually happened.
THE CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT: In a continuum where Spock died during childhood, an Andorian named Thelin became Captain Kirk's stalwart friend and first officer. But at the moment of Khan's final defeat, history takes an even stranger turn, and the emerging potential of Project Genesis is revealed as the galaxy's greatest hope...and its most ominous threat.
A GUTTED WORLD: Terrorist Kira Nerys -- from a Bajor that was never liberated -- may hold the key to winning a war that has engulfed half the galaxy. But with the Romulans and the Klingons at each other's throats, and the Federation pulled into the conflict, even victory may not bring salvation.
BRAVE NEW WORLD: Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin.
501 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
39 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 17, 2018
Having enjoyed the first and third of the "Myriad Universe" collections of Star Trek novellas set in alternate universes, I looked forward to reading the middle one. When it arrived, I dug in and wasn't disappointed by the stories inside, all of which involve major reimaginings of the Trek universes with which fans are familiar.
"The Chimes at Midnight" by Geoff Trowbridge — Premised on a "what if" dating back to the animated series of Spock dying as a child, it imagines the role his replacement, an Andorian named Thelen, would have done during the events chronicled in the Star Trek movies. This was my least favorite of the three, in part because of the setting (let's face it, most of the original Star Trek movies were not the franchise at their best) and the story doesn't so much end as trail off.
"A Gutted World" by Keith R. A. DeCandido — This one takes the very premise of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series and runs with it in a different direction by premising a Cardassian discovery of the wormhole prior to their abandonment of Bajor. Using the entire series as a template, DeCandido then examines the impact of the discovery of the Dominion on an even less prepared Alpha Quadrant. It's a very grim story (which is part of the fun), though DeCandido's seeming need to name check dozens of characters from most of the various series and non-canon works gets tiresome pretty quickly.
Brave New World by Chris Roberson — Drawing together elements from throughout the Next Generation series, Roberson imagines a Federation in which Data was just the first of thousands of androids. This was my favorite of the three, both for the story itself (in which the Enterprise-E visits an android world) and Roberson's re-imagining of the Next Generation universe in which androids and the technology to create them is commonplace. His story hints at any number of rich possibilities, suggesting the considerable amount of thought the author put into realizing the world depicted in his story.
As with the other two collections, Echoes and Refractions offers entertaining storytelling that offers something refreshing for even longtime fans of the franchise. As with the others, I found myself wanting to delve further into the possibilities of the universes the authors imagine (well, DCandido's and Roberson's at any rate), but evidently the concept wasn't viewed as a success. For this, however, little blame can be attached to the authors, for their tales are never less than entertaining.
"The Chimes at Midnight" by Geoff Trowbridge — Premised on a "what if" dating back to the animated series of Spock dying as a child, it imagines the role his replacement, an Andorian named Thelen, would have done during the events chronicled in the Star Trek movies. This was my least favorite of the three, in part because of the setting (let's face it, most of the original Star Trek movies were not the franchise at their best) and the story doesn't so much end as trail off.
"A Gutted World" by Keith R. A. DeCandido — This one takes the very premise of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series and runs with it in a different direction by premising a Cardassian discovery of the wormhole prior to their abandonment of Bajor. Using the entire series as a template, DeCandido then examines the impact of the discovery of the Dominion on an even less prepared Alpha Quadrant. It's a very grim story (which is part of the fun), though DeCandido's seeming need to name check dozens of characters from most of the various series and non-canon works gets tiresome pretty quickly.
Brave New World by Chris Roberson — Drawing together elements from throughout the Next Generation series, Roberson imagines a Federation in which Data was just the first of thousands of androids. This was my favorite of the three, both for the story itself (in which the Enterprise-E visits an android world) and Roberson's re-imagining of the Next Generation universe in which androids and the technology to create them is commonplace. His story hints at any number of rich possibilities, suggesting the considerable amount of thought the author put into realizing the world depicted in his story.
As with the other two collections, Echoes and Refractions offers entertaining storytelling that offers something refreshing for even longtime fans of the franchise. As with the others, I found myself wanting to delve further into the possibilities of the universes the authors imagine (well, DCandido's and Roberson's at any rate), but evidently the concept wasn't viewed as a success. For this, however, little blame can be attached to the authors, for their tales are never less than entertaining.
September 23, 2022
Each of the three novellas is set in a different universe, so they aren’t related.
The Chimes at Midnight: in this novella, Spock died as a young boy. Kirk’s best friend is an Andorian named Thelin. Thelin is a passionate and impatient man so this throws the Kirk-Spock-McCoy trinity off kilter. McCoy is the logical one here. The story starts near the end of Wrath of Khan and continued with the Search for Spock and the Voyage Home.
Admiral Kirk and a crew of cadets face the Genesis device. Thelin and David Marcus manage to shield the Enterprise so it remains in one piece, if only barely. When Carol and David Marcus return to Earth, Starfleet wants to employ Carol as a civilian scientist to research the Genesis planet. However, David volunteers.
Aboard the Grissom, he meets the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan Saavik who is a diplomat and a civilian scientist. They transport down to the Genesis planet to find out whatever they can before the planet disintegrates. However, someone attacks and destroys the Grissom. The culprits are renegade Klingons and they take the two hostage. When the Klingon commander Kruge realizes that David is Kirk’s son, he blackmails Kirk to get the Genesis device.
Meanwhile, Kirk thinks that his son has died. When he finds out that David is alive, he recruits his old friends (Thelin, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and McCoy), steals the Enterprise, and is off to rescue his son at any cost.
However, soon after the Enterprise leaves, Starfleet notices a huge alien probe going toward Earth. Kirk decides to continue to meet Kruge.
While this story isn’t as dark as the next one, it did get quite dark about halfway through. Except for that rather graphic torture scene which didn’t feel like Star Trek to me. David and Thelin are the main POV characters. Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t see much of Kirk-Thelin-McCoy banter which I was rather looking forward to.
A Gutted World: the darkest of these stories. Bajor is still under Cardassian rule but the ore mines are depleting. Kira is the last surviving member of her resistance cell and she has knowledge that the rest of the galaxy needs to know. She decides to turn to the Federation. However, it’s not easy to steal a mining shuttle and drive it to Federation space.
Meanwhile, the great powers of the galaxy are near total war. A Romulan ship attacks and destroys a Klingon outpost without warning. The outpost commander’s kin attacks Romulans in retaliation. The Cardassians have engulfed the Ferengi. The Enterprise-E has just returned from the past where they stopped the Borg from assimilating the Earth. The ship is in a bad shape and many crewmembers died. However, the Enterprise is ordered to reinforce the Klingon Defence Force against Romulan retaliation. Captain Picard is tired of war but has no choice but to obey.
The story starts with multiple POV characters ranging from the Romulan ambassador to the Klingons, the Romulan Praetor, and a journalist in the Federation. However, the major POV characters ended up being Worf and Kira.
This is one of those dark alternative realities where we get to see the characters we love dying. The world is fascinating, though. Since the Cardassians still hold Bajor, the other powers don’t know about the wormhole. Voyager didn’t end up in the Gamma Quadrant. Commander Sisko builds starships, Odo has vanished from Terok Nor, and Quark has bought himself his own planet.
Brave New World: my favorite of the stories. In this world, Soong didn’t create just a couple of androids: he created hundreds of them. Federation created thousands more and they’re serving aboard spaceships and space stations, on colonies and homeworlds. Ten years ago, the androids received citizenship as sentient beings. Well, not quite a full citizenship: they can’t reproduce. When that decision became public, Data and thousands of other androids left without telling why or where they were going. Now, Data has sent an urgent message to Picard asking the Enterprise-D to come to a planet on the Romulan Neutral Zone. Picard is curious and agrees.
In this story, Romulan-Klingon Alliance is the strongest faction in the Alpha Quadrant rather than Klingons allying themselves with the Federation. Commander Ro Laren is Picard’t tactical officer, LaForge is his first officer, and Wesley Crusher is the chief engineer. In addition to androids, the story has also people who have uploaded their minds into android bodies (Ira Graves from Schizoid Man was successful), in essence becoming immortal.
I enjoyed all of these tales, even though the Gutted World was darker than I’d like. I wouldn’t mind reading more stories set in these worlds, but that’s not going to happen.
The Chimes at Midnight: in this novella, Spock died as a young boy. Kirk’s best friend is an Andorian named Thelin. Thelin is a passionate and impatient man so this throws the Kirk-Spock-McCoy trinity off kilter. McCoy is the logical one here. The story starts near the end of Wrath of Khan and continued with the Search for Spock and the Voyage Home.
Admiral Kirk and a crew of cadets face the Genesis device. Thelin and David Marcus manage to shield the Enterprise so it remains in one piece, if only barely. When Carol and David Marcus return to Earth, Starfleet wants to employ Carol as a civilian scientist to research the Genesis planet. However, David volunteers.
Aboard the Grissom, he meets the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan Saavik who is a diplomat and a civilian scientist. They transport down to the Genesis planet to find out whatever they can before the planet disintegrates. However, someone attacks and destroys the Grissom. The culprits are renegade Klingons and they take the two hostage. When the Klingon commander Kruge realizes that David is Kirk’s son, he blackmails Kirk to get the Genesis device.
Meanwhile, Kirk thinks that his son has died. When he finds out that David is alive, he recruits his old friends (Thelin, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and McCoy), steals the Enterprise, and is off to rescue his son at any cost.
However, soon after the Enterprise leaves, Starfleet notices a huge alien probe going toward Earth. Kirk decides to continue to meet Kruge.
While this story isn’t as dark as the next one, it did get quite dark about halfway through. Except for that rather graphic torture scene which didn’t feel like Star Trek to me. David and Thelin are the main POV characters. Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t see much of Kirk-Thelin-McCoy banter which I was rather looking forward to.
A Gutted World: the darkest of these stories. Bajor is still under Cardassian rule but the ore mines are depleting. Kira is the last surviving member of her resistance cell and she has knowledge that the rest of the galaxy needs to know. She decides to turn to the Federation. However, it’s not easy to steal a mining shuttle and drive it to Federation space.
Meanwhile, the great powers of the galaxy are near total war. A Romulan ship attacks and destroys a Klingon outpost without warning. The outpost commander’s kin attacks Romulans in retaliation. The Cardassians have engulfed the Ferengi. The Enterprise-E has just returned from the past where they stopped the Borg from assimilating the Earth. The ship is in a bad shape and many crewmembers died. However, the Enterprise is ordered to reinforce the Klingon Defence Force against Romulan retaliation. Captain Picard is tired of war but has no choice but to obey.
The story starts with multiple POV characters ranging from the Romulan ambassador to the Klingons, the Romulan Praetor, and a journalist in the Federation. However, the major POV characters ended up being Worf and Kira.
This is one of those dark alternative realities where we get to see the characters we love dying. The world is fascinating, though. Since the Cardassians still hold Bajor, the other powers don’t know about the wormhole. Voyager didn’t end up in the Gamma Quadrant. Commander Sisko builds starships, Odo has vanished from Terok Nor, and Quark has bought himself his own planet.
Brave New World: my favorite of the stories. In this world, Soong didn’t create just a couple of androids: he created hundreds of them. Federation created thousands more and they’re serving aboard spaceships and space stations, on colonies and homeworlds. Ten years ago, the androids received citizenship as sentient beings. Well, not quite a full citizenship: they can’t reproduce. When that decision became public, Data and thousands of other androids left without telling why or where they were going. Now, Data has sent an urgent message to Picard asking the Enterprise-D to come to a planet on the Romulan Neutral Zone. Picard is curious and agrees.
In this story, Romulan-Klingon Alliance is the strongest faction in the Alpha Quadrant rather than Klingons allying themselves with the Federation. Commander Ro Laren is Picard’t tactical officer, LaForge is his first officer, and Wesley Crusher is the chief engineer. In addition to androids, the story has also people who have uploaded their minds into android bodies (Ira Graves from Schizoid Man was successful), in essence becoming immortal.
I enjoyed all of these tales, even though the Gutted World was darker than I’d like. I wouldn’t mind reading more stories set in these worlds, but that’s not going to happen.
March 6, 2018
When I first heard about these Myriad Universes novels I loved the whole idea of it. What would have happened if...? is a question that has intrigued me and got me thinking more times than I could even remember. Both regarding my own life, life in general and Star Trek. It's just one of those things that gets me going. And, having finished this book, I can say that I'm not disappointed. I give the book as a whole 3 1/2 stars.
It will, however, be a whole lot easier to review the three different stories in this book individually. So that's what I'll do.
The Chimes at Midnight (TOS) 3 1/2 stars
I had some vague memories of Genesis, which is a huge part here, from the movie released 1982 that I watched a few years back and really liked. I decided to update myself somewhat on a few Trek movies from this time period. This is not something that you need to do in any way to understand the story, it was just me wanting to update myself on how things turned out in the prime universe for comparison.
One of the main characters here is Thelin. He's an Andorian of mixed Andorian heritage that you could say is kind of an outsider in Andoria in some ways and that found a family in Starfleet being Kirk's first officer way back. I found this character really interesting to get to know and follow throughout this story. Although I liked it from the beginning, it was a story that grew on me as I read and that I ended up liking even more than I thought I would starting out. I would say that it was the whole idea of how much things can change if you take something out of the equation, how circumstances changes people and not to mention how desperation changes people. Like I said in the beginning of this review this is something that intrigues me immensely. And in this particular story I guess it got to me even more because some of the things that were changed from the prime universe didn't seem that big in comparison to the changes they resulted in. It got to me. It was also good enough written by Geoff Trowbridge who doesn't seem to have written very much else and works as a librarian. You get to know the characters on a deep level, for a story being just under 200 pages, and you feel their pain.
He wanted to run... to get away from this place, to take a shower, to wash away any memory of what he had witnessed here this day. But he didn't even know where to go. Back to a home that was just a glorified refugee shelter? He didn't feel like he had a home. He didn't feel like anything really mattered any longer.
A Gutted World (DS9, mainly) 3 1/2 stars
My first impression of this story, after having read a few chapters, was that it was a story with many different points of view. While this is something that I usually like, I was wondering if this shorter story would give that justice or if it would end up having needed more space. Having finished it, I would say that I would have liked to have read a longer version of this to get that much more out of it. But with that being said I still like it. The main reason most likely being that Keith R.A. DeCandido is a very good writer. I remember reading Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-Gateways #4: Demons of Air and Darkness by him previously and really enjoying it. He writes in a way that makes it easy to be drawn into the story.
I also enjoyed how this in a lot of ways was a crossover involving Captain Picard and the Enterprise, not to mention a small part by my beloved Voyager with Captain Janeway in the lead. I felt like I really got a story with a lot of the characters from Trek that I know and love. All wrapped up in how it could have played out had Bajor never been freed from the Cardassian occupation while the Dominion still had their agenda for the Alpha Quadrant. The story contains darkness, war and death and is pretty dark. But on the other hand you also have people fighting and wanting a peaceful existence.
Brave New World (TNG) 4 stars
This story contains a whole lot of Data. Him being one of my favorite characters from TNG I found this to be a good thing. He's an interesting character, and Android rights and way of living is also something that I found very interesting reading this story. Picture a planet with Androids being led by Data and getting to evolve freely and you can imagine part of what this is about. Add the Enterprise called upon to solve a crisis and Iconian gateway technology and it's just wow...
And instead of having the size and shape of an adult male, there were androids of all conceivable dimensions. Some were as small as children, while others towered overhead. Not all were strictly humanoid, either. Some weren't even bipedal, instead employing tripedal or quadrupedal forms, while others crabbed along spider-like on to many legs to count; there were even some that hovered limbless in midair on antigrav fields.
I also liked getting to see more of Ro Laren and having her playing a somewhat big part in the story. And just the mentioning of Chakotay from Voyager made my day. But what really got to me as both beautiful and wondrous was the epilogue from a distant future that became the result of this universe.
It will, however, be a whole lot easier to review the three different stories in this book individually. So that's what I'll do.
The Chimes at Midnight (TOS) 3 1/2 stars
I had some vague memories of Genesis, which is a huge part here, from the movie released 1982 that I watched a few years back and really liked. I decided to update myself somewhat on a few Trek movies from this time period. This is not something that you need to do in any way to understand the story, it was just me wanting to update myself on how things turned out in the prime universe for comparison.
One of the main characters here is Thelin. He's an Andorian of mixed Andorian heritage that you could say is kind of an outsider in Andoria in some ways and that found a family in Starfleet being Kirk's first officer way back. I found this character really interesting to get to know and follow throughout this story. Although I liked it from the beginning, it was a story that grew on me as I read and that I ended up liking even more than I thought I would starting out. I would say that it was the whole idea of how much things can change if you take something out of the equation, how circumstances changes people and not to mention how desperation changes people. Like I said in the beginning of this review this is something that intrigues me immensely. And in this particular story I guess it got to me even more because some of the things that were changed from the prime universe didn't seem that big in comparison to the changes they resulted in. It got to me. It was also good enough written by Geoff Trowbridge who doesn't seem to have written very much else and works as a librarian. You get to know the characters on a deep level, for a story being just under 200 pages, and you feel their pain.
He wanted to run... to get away from this place, to take a shower, to wash away any memory of what he had witnessed here this day. But he didn't even know where to go. Back to a home that was just a glorified refugee shelter? He didn't feel like he had a home. He didn't feel like anything really mattered any longer.
A Gutted World (DS9, mainly) 3 1/2 stars
My first impression of this story, after having read a few chapters, was that it was a story with many different points of view. While this is something that I usually like, I was wondering if this shorter story would give that justice or if it would end up having needed more space. Having finished it, I would say that I would have liked to have read a longer version of this to get that much more out of it. But with that being said I still like it. The main reason most likely being that Keith R.A. DeCandido is a very good writer. I remember reading Star Trek: Deep Space Nine-Gateways #4: Demons of Air and Darkness by him previously and really enjoying it. He writes in a way that makes it easy to be drawn into the story.
I also enjoyed how this in a lot of ways was a crossover involving Captain Picard and the Enterprise, not to mention a small part by my beloved Voyager with Captain Janeway in the lead. I felt like I really got a story with a lot of the characters from Trek that I know and love. All wrapped up in how it could have played out had Bajor never been freed from the Cardassian occupation while the Dominion still had their agenda for the Alpha Quadrant. The story contains darkness, war and death and is pretty dark. But on the other hand you also have people fighting and wanting a peaceful existence.
Brave New World (TNG) 4 stars
This story contains a whole lot of Data. Him being one of my favorite characters from TNG I found this to be a good thing. He's an interesting character, and Android rights and way of living is also something that I found very interesting reading this story. Picture a planet with Androids being led by Data and getting to evolve freely and you can imagine part of what this is about. Add the Enterprise called upon to solve a crisis and Iconian gateway technology and it's just wow...
And instead of having the size and shape of an adult male, there were androids of all conceivable dimensions. Some were as small as children, while others towered overhead. Not all were strictly humanoid, either. Some weren't even bipedal, instead employing tripedal or quadrupedal forms, while others crabbed along spider-like on to many legs to count; there were even some that hovered limbless in midair on antigrav fields.
I also liked getting to see more of Ro Laren and having her playing a somewhat big part in the story. And just the mentioning of Chakotay from Voyager made my day. But what really got to me as both beautiful and wondrous was the epilogue from a distant future that became the result of this universe.
October 18, 2016
I was mostly unfamiliar with Andorians except beyond knowing they were blue, hairy, and had antennae. The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge gave a most thorough background into this alien race. The reader follows two separate characters: Thelin (an Andorian) and David Marcus (James T. Kirk's estranged son). Thelin is Kirk's closest friend and First Officer of the Enterprise. David is a scientist who creates the Genesis Project in the hopes of making uninhabitable worlds fertile and livable for those looking to colonize new areas of space. When the secret of this innovation is leaked to the Klingons war is threatened. (Note: There's a rather explicit scene of torture in this book so if you're squeamish be aware.) Most troubling of all in this universe, Spock never lived beyond childhood. :'-( 7/10
War, war, war. A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido is chock full of violence and destruction as war rages across the galaxy. The Cardassians still occupy Terok Nor (DS9 reference for the uninitiated) and the Klingons and Romulans are at each other's throats. The Federation is pulled into the fray and devastating losses are piling up on all sides. Kira Nerys with the aid of Garak and Odo are trying to convince the Federation that all is not as it seems. I don't want to give too much away because it's pretty spoiler-y for Deep Space Nine even though it's an alternate reality timeline. 7/10
Brave New World written by Chris Roberson was absolutely brilliant. In this iteration, Data is not the only Soong-type android in existence. In fact, he's one of the earliest of many. When the Federation decides to limit their rights to full citizenship Data and many of his fellows resign their Starfleet commissions and drop off of the grid entirely. The story picks up 10 years later when Data inexplicably returns with a request for assistance from the Enterprise. Many familiar faces are still onboard including Chief Engineer Wesley Crusher and First Officer Geordi La Forge. (They've also perfected brain uploads in this universe which is frankly terrifying.) I so badly want to tell you the big shocker of this book but that would really kill it for you. Just read it! 10/10
War, war, war. A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido is chock full of violence and destruction as war rages across the galaxy. The Cardassians still occupy Terok Nor (DS9 reference for the uninitiated) and the Klingons and Romulans are at each other's throats. The Federation is pulled into the fray and devastating losses are piling up on all sides. Kira Nerys with the aid of Garak and Odo are trying to convince the Federation that all is not as it seems. I don't want to give too much away because it's pretty spoiler-y for Deep Space Nine even though it's an alternate reality timeline. 7/10
Brave New World written by Chris Roberson was absolutely brilliant. In this iteration, Data is not the only Soong-type android in existence. In fact, he's one of the earliest of many. When the Federation decides to limit their rights to full citizenship Data and many of his fellows resign their Starfleet commissions and drop off of the grid entirely. The story picks up 10 years later when Data inexplicably returns with a request for assistance from the Enterprise. Many familiar faces are still onboard including Chief Engineer Wesley Crusher and First Officer Geordi La Forge. (They've also perfected brain uploads in this universe which is frankly terrifying.) I so badly want to tell you the big shocker of this book but that would really kill it for you. Just read it! 10/10
March 22, 2018
Three different looks at the Star Trek Universe- what might have happened it- - -?
---Spock had died as a child and thus never served with Captain Kirk? An Andorian named Thelin serves as first officer to Captain Kirk at the moment of Khan's final defeat. How does Project Genesis play out in this world? What do Dr. David Marcus and Saavik have to do with it? I found this Spock-less universe intriguing indeed.
---Cardassia had discovered the wormhole? In a universe where Bajor is still occupied, resistance fighter Kira Nerys finds herself holding what may be the key to winning a war that has engulfed the galaxy. There is no Deep Space Nine- there's only Terok Nor. Federation and Klingons vs Romulans, with the Cardassians waiting to attack the loser of any given conflict. Kira, Quark, Odo and various ships and their crews (including Captain Picard and the Enterprise) try to hold the line in all out war.
- - - -Dr. Soong had shared his android technology far and wide? In this universe, Soong androids are everywhere. They were deemed sentient and received their rights years ago, and many of them dropped off the face of the universe. Data resurfaces after years in hiding and asks Captain Picard to come and help him- and the society of androids he leads. Picard and his different than we're used to crew (First Officer Geordi LaForge, Chief Engineer Wesley Crusher, Security Chief Lt. Ro Laren, helmsman Lt. Sam Lavelle, Ops officer Lt. Sito Jaxa) have to see if they can in fact help avert a war.
I enjoyed these three very different looks at familiar Star Trek characters and storylines. Well worth the reading!
---Spock had died as a child and thus never served with Captain Kirk? An Andorian named Thelin serves as first officer to Captain Kirk at the moment of Khan's final defeat. How does Project Genesis play out in this world? What do Dr. David Marcus and Saavik have to do with it? I found this Spock-less universe intriguing indeed.
---Cardassia had discovered the wormhole? In a universe where Bajor is still occupied, resistance fighter Kira Nerys finds herself holding what may be the key to winning a war that has engulfed the galaxy. There is no Deep Space Nine- there's only Terok Nor. Federation and Klingons vs Romulans, with the Cardassians waiting to attack the loser of any given conflict. Kira, Quark, Odo and various ships and their crews (including Captain Picard and the Enterprise) try to hold the line in all out war.
- - - -Dr. Soong had shared his android technology far and wide? In this universe, Soong androids are everywhere. They were deemed sentient and received their rights years ago, and many of them dropped off the face of the universe. Data resurfaces after years in hiding and asks Captain Picard to come and help him- and the society of androids he leads. Picard and his different than we're used to crew (First Officer Geordi LaForge, Chief Engineer Wesley Crusher, Security Chief Lt. Ro Laren, helmsman Lt. Sam Lavelle, Ops officer Lt. Sito Jaxa) have to see if they can in fact help avert a war.
I enjoyed these three very different looks at familiar Star Trek characters and storylines. Well worth the reading!
August 18, 2015
Another fun set of 3 stories- set in the TOS, DS9 and TNG universes. The TNG one was especially good but all were great this time.
January 11, 2024
More alternate Star Trek history from the second book in the Myriad Universes series. Some very interesting stuff here. Some possible spoilers ahead.
The Chimes at Midnight: Spock never grew up, and so Captain Kirk's number one in this universe is Thelin, an Andorian man. This is a reality that was actually seen on-screen in an episode of the Animated Series in the early 1970s. The story in this book begins with the alternate universe's equivalent of the events of The Wrath of Khan, the ship limping away from the Reliant, where Khan has activated the Genesis torpedo. As we all know, in the "real" timeline, Spock sacrificed himself to allow the crew to escape. In this one, however, Thelin manages to do something to the shields which may allow them to ride out the explosion. Really? Thelin came up with something that Spock couldn't?
Anyway, familiar characters recur in this story. Kirk's son David, and the Vulcan science officer Saavik, both are central characters. Even the whale probe shows up, and the damage it inflicts touches off a crisis, in the midst of a conflict with the Klingons. The Genesis device is also a central theme, as the Federation finds itself in the difficult position of whether to stick to its peaceful, planet-fixing (or creating) purposes or use it as a weapon to end the conflict. The story thus explores some interesting ethical questions, as well as some political intrigue.
I enjoyed this story. Even just the question of "what if the whale probe in Star Trek IV had NOT found any whales and continued to ravage Earth" is a fascinating one to explore. So this is probably my favorite story of the three in this book. 4/5
A Gutted World: Bajor remains under the iron thumb of Cardassia. Terok Nor never becomes Deep Space Nine, and the influence of the Dominion, with nothing preventing its coming through the Bajoran wormhole, spreads inexorably throughout the Alpha Quadrant. The powers in the Alpha Quadrant are pretty much all at each others' throats, and in this story, our heroes (Kira, Odo, Picard, Sisko, even Mr. Scott) discover the presence and influence of changelings. Can they make the galaxy aware of this threat, and expose the changelings currently infiltrating high levels of government, before it's too late? Suffice it to say, thanks to the deteriorating situation in the quadrant, we see some beloved characters killed off. It is definitely a darker story than many in this series so far. And, it is not entirely optimistic. I found that actually a bit refreshing, a bit of a break from the way these stories usually end.
Not much pop to it, but interesting anyway. 3/5
Brave New World: Androids everywhere! Data-like androids are being built all over the Federation, with prejudicial Bruce Maddox characters having been overruled and human-like robots granted full citizenship. People are even able to upload their minds into androids just before they die, so immortality is in a sense achieved. In this timeline, Data resigns and disappears soon after these rights are granted, and starts an android colony called Turing, where androids live, work, flourish, and reproduce (as in, build other androids). Data leads this colony, along with his brother, Lore. But their planet is in the Neutral Zone, and the Romulans don't like that, so they go after the colony with a ship full of their OWN androids, who are slaves in their society.
Data reappears (thanks to a magical "Gateway" technology from the extinct Iconians) and asks Picard to come to Turing to help prevent a war with the Romulans. But I had a lot of trouble figuring out why Data really needed Picard, or why the crisis that they dealt with could not have been solved without him. There really wasn't much depth to this story, not much I found particularly interesting, and the "Gateways" just seemed like such a lazy plot contrivance. Perhaps with more thought they might have made for a more interesting twist.
Also, the characterizations. Let's start with Lore. Absolutely nothing comes out of his mouth that is not dripping with sarcasm and contempt. I know the Prime timeline Lore was a SOB, but was there really ZERO nuance to his thinking and behavior like in this story? Man, he was annoying. Also, Wesley Crusher. We all know he's smart, but is he really capable of cracking the science behind the Gateways before an entire colony of androids does, just because his human meat brain looks at things from "oblique angles?" I just don't buy it. Everyone else in the story is more or less believable based on their Prime timeline characterizations, but those two start to grate.
Not as big a fan of this one. It seemed rushed and outlandish. 2/5
The Chimes at Midnight: Spock never grew up, and so Captain Kirk's number one in this universe is Thelin, an Andorian man. This is a reality that was actually seen on-screen in an episode of the Animated Series in the early 1970s. The story in this book begins with the alternate universe's equivalent of the events of The Wrath of Khan, the ship limping away from the Reliant, where Khan has activated the Genesis torpedo. As we all know, in the "real" timeline, Spock sacrificed himself to allow the crew to escape. In this one, however, Thelin manages to do something to the shields which may allow them to ride out the explosion. Really? Thelin came up with something that Spock couldn't?
Anyway, familiar characters recur in this story. Kirk's son David, and the Vulcan science officer Saavik, both are central characters. Even the whale probe shows up, and the damage it inflicts touches off a crisis, in the midst of a conflict with the Klingons. The Genesis device is also a central theme, as the Federation finds itself in the difficult position of whether to stick to its peaceful, planet-fixing (or creating) purposes or use it as a weapon to end the conflict. The story thus explores some interesting ethical questions, as well as some political intrigue.
I enjoyed this story. Even just the question of "what if the whale probe in Star Trek IV had NOT found any whales and continued to ravage Earth" is a fascinating one to explore. So this is probably my favorite story of the three in this book. 4/5
A Gutted World: Bajor remains under the iron thumb of Cardassia. Terok Nor never becomes Deep Space Nine, and the influence of the Dominion, with nothing preventing its coming through the Bajoran wormhole, spreads inexorably throughout the Alpha Quadrant. The powers in the Alpha Quadrant are pretty much all at each others' throats, and in this story, our heroes (Kira, Odo, Picard, Sisko, even Mr. Scott) discover the presence and influence of changelings. Can they make the galaxy aware of this threat, and expose the changelings currently infiltrating high levels of government, before it's too late? Suffice it to say, thanks to the deteriorating situation in the quadrant, we see some beloved characters killed off. It is definitely a darker story than many in this series so far. And, it is not entirely optimistic. I found that actually a bit refreshing, a bit of a break from the way these stories usually end.
Not much pop to it, but interesting anyway. 3/5
Brave New World: Androids everywhere! Data-like androids are being built all over the Federation, with prejudicial Bruce Maddox characters having been overruled and human-like robots granted full citizenship. People are even able to upload their minds into androids just before they die, so immortality is in a sense achieved. In this timeline, Data resigns and disappears soon after these rights are granted, and starts an android colony called Turing, where androids live, work, flourish, and reproduce (as in, build other androids). Data leads this colony, along with his brother, Lore. But their planet is in the Neutral Zone, and the Romulans don't like that, so they go after the colony with a ship full of their OWN androids, who are slaves in their society.
Data reappears (thanks to a magical "Gateway" technology from the extinct Iconians) and asks Picard to come to Turing to help prevent a war with the Romulans. But I had a lot of trouble figuring out why Data really needed Picard, or why the crisis that they dealt with could not have been solved without him. There really wasn't much depth to this story, not much I found particularly interesting, and the "Gateways" just seemed like such a lazy plot contrivance. Perhaps with more thought they might have made for a more interesting twist.
Also, the characterizations. Let's start with Lore. Absolutely nothing comes out of his mouth that is not dripping with sarcasm and contempt. I know the Prime timeline Lore was a SOB, but was there really ZERO nuance to his thinking and behavior like in this story? Man, he was annoying. Also, Wesley Crusher. We all know he's smart, but is he really capable of cracking the science behind the Gateways before an entire colony of androids does, just because his human meat brain looks at things from "oblique angles?" I just don't buy it. Everyone else in the story is more or less believable based on their Prime timeline characterizations, but those two start to grate.
Not as big a fan of this one. It seemed rushed and outlandish. 2/5
September 26, 2024
DeCandido’s story, A Gutted World, is the only reason I started reading these books, because it presents the most compelling question: "What if the Cardassians discovered the Bajoran Wormhole?“ And let me tell ya, it gets rough. Expect copious death. I didn’t appreciate jamming Picard and crew in as the central figures when you had a perfectly good Sisko in the mix as well, but still an interesting look at how all the factions of the Dominion war might’ve gone about things if the Cardassians had lucked upon the wormhole first.
December 22, 2018
4 Stars. I liked this book and all three stories.
I looked up my review for the first book, & unlike that one, I enjoyed all three (3) stories in this one.
I thought they were all very good & well written.
I recommended for all Star trek fans & even those who only kind of consider themselves ST fans.
I looked up my review for the first book, & unlike that one, I enjoyed all three (3) stories in this one.
I thought they were all very good & well written.
I recommended for all Star trek fans & even those who only kind of consider themselves ST fans.
August 31, 2017
3 decent alternate-timeline tales. Weak point for the first two is that it has the Federation somewhat abandoning it's ideals as a result of prolonged war. The last story was the best of the three for me, with Data forming a society of androids like himself.
December 30, 2024
First story - Did not care for the writing style. Only read two pages and bailed.
Second story - 4/5 stars. Riveting. Well written. Docked a star for the cliffhanger ending. Come on, man.
Third story - 3/5 stars. Average writing, typical for a Trek book. Interesting premise.
Second story - 4/5 stars. Riveting. Well written. Docked a star for the cliffhanger ending. Come on, man.
Third story - 3/5 stars. Average writing, typical for a Trek book. Interesting premise.
January 3, 2025
Another entertaining tale of What If's of the Star Trek Universe. I really wish some of the stories continued
December 27, 2012
3.93 · rating details · 91 ratings · 9 reviews
It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-been...more It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-beens. But in those myriad universes, what might have been...is what actually happened.
THE CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT: In a continuum where Spock died during childhood, an Andorian named Thelin became Captain Kirk's stalwart friend and first officer. But at the moment of Khan's final defeat, history takes an even stranger turn, and the emerging potential of Project Genesis is revealed as the galaxy's greatest hope...and its most ominous threat.
A GUTTED WORLD: Terrorist Kira Nerys -- from a Bajor that was never liberated -- may hold the key to winning a war that has engulfed half the galaxy. But with the Romulans and the Klingons at each other's throats, and the Federation pulled into the conflict, even victory may not bring salvation.
BRAVE NEW WORLD: Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin
*Out of 3 "Myriad Universes" books...This one was my favorite. I enjoyed every story in this book! :)
It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-been...more It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-beens. But in those myriad universes, what might have been...is what actually happened.
THE CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT: In a continuum where Spock died during childhood, an Andorian named Thelin became Captain Kirk's stalwart friend and first officer. But at the moment of Khan's final defeat, history takes an even stranger turn, and the emerging potential of Project Genesis is revealed as the galaxy's greatest hope...and its most ominous threat.
A GUTTED WORLD: Terrorist Kira Nerys -- from a Bajor that was never liberated -- may hold the key to winning a war that has engulfed half the galaxy. But with the Romulans and the Klingons at each other's throats, and the Federation pulled into the conflict, even victory may not bring salvation.
BRAVE NEW WORLD: Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin
*Out of 3 "Myriad Universes" books...This one was my favorite. I enjoyed every story in this book! :)
November 22, 2012
Presumably the reader is familiar with the concept of "Alternate histories", stories that explore the question of what the present would look like if some key factor in the past had not happened, or had happened differently, than it actually did. This book is comprised of three such stories, each of novella length, in which the "history" that has been altered is the "history" of the Star Trek universe. The first plays on on a change that was actually detailed in one of the animated series episodes, in which the child Spock does not survive his coming-of-age trial, and was replaced in the timeline by an Andorian named Thelin. This story explores further into the future of such a timeline, and we see that it would, in fact, have changed many things if Spock had never lived to take his place in history. In each of the next two stories, I am less certain of what the specific occurrence is that caused the divergence from the "standard" timeline, but all three stories are interesting and well-told.
They are, however, stories that could never have been told in the canonical timeline; two of them are unremittingly depressing and end badly, and the other has a rather Polyanna-ish ending which would have rendered further interesting stories impossible. As stand-alones exploring what would have happened if a given variable in the equation of history were changed, they are not without interest, but they are unsatisfying because Star Trek needs to be an ongoing story and none of these would have worked as such.
They are, however, stories that could never have been told in the canonical timeline; two of them are unremittingly depressing and end badly, and the other has a rather Polyanna-ish ending which would have rendered further interesting stories impossible. As stand-alones exploring what would have happened if a given variable in the equation of history were changed, they are not without interest, but they are unsatisfying because Star Trek needs to be an ongoing story and none of these would have worked as such.
August 13, 2008
Again, another look at th would've couldv'e should've...
The first story shows life w/out Spock. Yes, the Enterprise managed and got by, leading up to a familiar movie sequence from Star Trek 2. Following this, there are interesting twists and turns throughout the rest of the classic Star Trek movies. Imagine having the ultimate technology for hope, but instead using it for evil. Decent overall.
War!!! The second story is in the TNG/DS9 timeframe in a universe where the Bajorans (very religious and overal annoying species) were never liberated from their ruthless oppressors, the Cardassians (the Nazis of Star Trek). Here the Cardassians get help from a familiar DS9 species capable of taking the place of important bureaucrats and military personnel amongst the main species in the galaxy. Can they be stopped in time?? Easily the best story in this book.
The third story shows Star Trek meeting I Robot. In this universe, androids modeled after the legendary Data serve on ships. But what happens when they want equal rights?? And what will other powers do to learn the technology??
Overall, a pretty decent book. I'd also suggest the Star Trek Mirror Universe books recently published
to see the classically "evil" Trek.
The first story shows life w/out Spock. Yes, the Enterprise managed and got by, leading up to a familiar movie sequence from Star Trek 2. Following this, there are interesting twists and turns throughout the rest of the classic Star Trek movies. Imagine having the ultimate technology for hope, but instead using it for evil. Decent overall.
War!!! The second story is in the TNG/DS9 timeframe in a universe where the Bajorans (very religious and overal annoying species) were never liberated from their ruthless oppressors, the Cardassians (the Nazis of Star Trek). Here the Cardassians get help from a familiar DS9 species capable of taking the place of important bureaucrats and military personnel amongst the main species in the galaxy. Can they be stopped in time?? Easily the best story in this book.
The third story shows Star Trek meeting I Robot. In this universe, androids modeled after the legendary Data serve on ships. But what happens when they want equal rights?? And what will other powers do to learn the technology??
Overall, a pretty decent book. I'd also suggest the Star Trek Mirror Universe books recently published
to see the classically "evil" Trek.
June 26, 2010
I love "what if" stories. This set of short stories was a great idea. It differs from the "mirror universe" because it explored what would happen if different events in Star Trek history were tweaked. There are three stories in this volume.
"The Chimes at Midnight"--What if Spock had died in childhood? Kirk's second in command is now an Andorian. So what happens when Kirk faces Khan? There's no Spock on the Genesis planet, so what happens then? Who rescues earth from the whale probe? Things play out a little differently with Kirk, Saavik, David and the rest of the Federation as a whole.
"A Gutted World"--What is Bajor had never been liberated? Gul Dukat is still in power at DS9 but there's trouble brewing. The Romulans and Klingons are fighting and Cardassia has just annexed the Ferengi. Terrorist Kira Nerys escapes from Bajor and defects to the Federation with information on what is behind the current war.
"Brave New World"--What if there were Soong Androids all over the Federation? I didn't particularly like this one. This is what knocked my star rating down to three. Data and other androids have moved to Iconia and are creating their offspring. It gets a little weird. Apparently, you don't die, you just download into an android body too.
"The Chimes at Midnight"--What if Spock had died in childhood? Kirk's second in command is now an Andorian. So what happens when Kirk faces Khan? There's no Spock on the Genesis planet, so what happens then? Who rescues earth from the whale probe? Things play out a little differently with Kirk, Saavik, David and the rest of the Federation as a whole.
"A Gutted World"--What is Bajor had never been liberated? Gul Dukat is still in power at DS9 but there's trouble brewing. The Romulans and Klingons are fighting and Cardassia has just annexed the Ferengi. Terrorist Kira Nerys escapes from Bajor and defects to the Federation with information on what is behind the current war.
"Brave New World"--What if there were Soong Androids all over the Federation? I didn't particularly like this one. This is what knocked my star rating down to three. Data and other androids have moved to Iconia and are creating their offspring. It gets a little weird. Apparently, you don't die, you just download into an android body too.
September 28, 2012
First time reading a Star Trek book. We shall see what I think...
As of 9/28/12: Meh. I didn't like it very much--I didn't even finish it before Mom took it back to the library. The characters were really flat and I didn't really like the alternate universe of TNG. (That's the only story in the book that I tried to read.) The telling instead of showing was frustrating and made me feel like my intelligence was insulted as a reader. :P I'm sure it's a great story! It just didn't make me want to finish it.
As of 9/28/12: Meh. I didn't like it very much--I didn't even finish it before Mom took it back to the library. The characters were really flat and I didn't really like the alternate universe of TNG. (That's the only story in the book that I tried to read.) The telling instead of showing was frustrating and made me feel like my intelligence was insulted as a reader. :P I'm sure it's a great story! It just didn't make me want to finish it.
October 25, 2010
This book is based on an intriguing premise encountered in the series: What if ...? The novellas contained herein remain remarkably consistent with the Star Trek universe. And, given the most recent movie, it is a premise well worth asking - for fans, as well as writers - as the franchise moves forward.
June 3, 2009
while probably a little too arcane for the general reader, or those new to the trek universe (one of the stories included here takes place in an alternate timeline introduced in the animated series), this is fascinating stuff for those well-steeped in trek lore.
August 12, 2010
Third story is very poor, feel free to skip it. Other two are very very good.
August 6, 2011
Easy to read and essential to any trek fan. Granted, these are written by fans and not official writers of the series, but it was still very enjoyable.
Want to read
January 15, 2012I hope someone will give me this book.
Want to read
June 1, 2014Bought: May 1, 2013
Location: Booksale (Robinson's Bacolod)
Price: P115
Bought: May 29, 2014
Location: Booksale (Citiland)
Price: P100
Location: Booksale (Robinson's Bacolod)
Price: P115
Bought: May 29, 2014
Location: Booksale (Citiland)
Price: P100
July 6, 2013
Good book...always like alternative history....gives good perspective.
November 1, 2019
Not quite as good as the first in the Myriad Universes series, this was still a ton of fun.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews