Product Description
Jonathan Frakes is known around the world as Commander William T. Riker of the Starship Enterprise.Frakes portrayed Riker for seven successful seasons on the hit television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and both directed and starred in the hit feature film Star Trek: First Contact, as well as the latest Star Trek feature film.

Now, along with bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith, Frakes turns his creativity and imagination to his first novel, a powerful saga of alien conspiracy and heroic human resistance.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Star Trek Next Generation, Jonathan Frakes Actor and Author
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R31QALF9TUXBSY Malevelant extraterrestrials begin a covert operation to claim the Earth as their own. Strategically selected individuals are abducted, replicated by the aliens, then returned to Earth with a new directive. The global operation is well under way when a series of abductions and coincidences alerts private investigator McCallum.

Really really bad
A few of the characters had potential, but it was never developed. The story's concept was a good start, the writing explains why the first novel was the last so far (pray!)

The author, whether it was Frakes or D.W. Smith, started each chapter with an obscure little blurb from someone else's stories as if trying to impress upon the reader that they too, being the authors, were also literate. I wasn't conviced as the association with the chapters was greatly lacking.

Frakes acting rarely did much for me on ST:TNG, I always thought his character was a cheap knock-off of Captain Kirk, but it seems it was better than this book. I bought it for a buck and felt ripped off. Stay clear.

Bogangols
the book, The Abductors Conspiracy is peity good from my point of voy it. i lick that is has a good plot and a great conflick in it to and at the end of it all they find a way to stop the problum with a little bit of man power. in the begining of the book a man named Richard McCallum, an ex-cop went detetive is trying to find some lost kids it has a good twist in the middle if the book.the riter,Jonathan Frakes has tacken this si-fiy to a now level with this book but it is a little to long that is why i give it 4 stars

Commander Riker tries to write
This is a rather mediocre book.A story of an alien invasion, the protoganist is a retired police officer turned private investigator and is hired to find the daughter of a rich man, and later an elderly man, both kidnapped by aliens, though this fact is unknown to him at first.

The Aliens are kidnapping elderly people and having doubles go into all the major cities carting a hydrogen bomb with attached EMP blaster.The protoganist, along with a group dedicated to finding and eliminating the alien threat on earth find and dismantle thier plan, and rescue some people.

While the story is interresting, the writing quality is poor and this would have been much better if it had been better written.In a final battle(which was suposed to be the story climax, but wasn't that powerful) the protaginist loads up his AK-47 and recives last-minute instructions on it's use, only to find himself shooting an M-16..(did the aliens switch it on him?)..in the middle of a shoot-out with a couple of aliens.

Well Riker, try again, not terribly bad for a first book.

Drivel
Cliche after cliche.Why in God's name would the US Army be using AK-47s?Oh, then two pages later they magically turn into an M-16, didn't this book have an editor?This is a good book if you are 10 years old, if you want a good alien invasion book, read Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. ... Read more

Product Description
Word count: 1316. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

One of the worst Star Trek novels I have read
This is one of the worst of the Star Trek novels that I have ever read, the main premise is dubious and it is poorly executed. The USS Huxley is a star ship that vanished over ten years ago and the Enterprise has been ordered to search for any clue as to what happened. This takes them to the area of a planet called Rampart where there is a colony of humans. This is an unknown colony and the culture on the planet is bizarre.
It is a police state where the greatest crime is to engage in works of fiction or to engage in any flights of imagination. To do so is punishable by death of the personality, the rulers have the technical means to cleanse your mind of your previous personality and replace it by a more suitable one. If that tactic fails, then you are to put to a physical death by lethal injection. The rulers of Rampart have a great deal of technical expertise, they have machines called one-eyes that can detect and interpret thought patterns, so that they can react before humans act.
When some of the one-eyes accompany two of the leaders of Rampart to the Enterprise, they begin a battle to take over the ship and the leaders kidnap Captain Picard and beam to the surface. Commander Riker leads an away team to the surface and they are also captured. Troi is part of the away team and she becomes part of a group called the Dissenters that is battling the ruling class. She also suffers from dreams that indicate that there are other intelligences on Rampart.
The problems with the plot are many, starting with the fact that it would not take ten years for the loss of a star ship to be investigated. A rescue mission would have been launched within days of loss of contact. Secondly, the security measures of the Enterprise would not so easily be overwhelmed, the ship is constructed and the crew trained to handle the unknown and handle it quickly. However, the main criticism is that the society on Rampart could never have become so technically competent if they are constantly deleting the minds of their most imaginative people. Technical advancement begins with imagination, the mental creation of items that do not yet exist. Furthermore, the maintenance of such a society also requires a bit of imagination, so once the anti-imagination society were constructed it would collapse very quickly from the internal contradictions.

The Worst Star Trek Novel I've Read
Once the series had ended, (at least for the time being), and I'd purchased all the DVD's and seen every episode at least 3 times, (I even liked the Enterprise series), I finally started reading the books. This is by far the worst I've read so far. It has numerous plot holes and it makes the characters like Captian Picard and Data appear inept and foolish. Coucelor Troy is portrayed as a quasi-visionary. To top it all off, the story appears to be contrived and obnoxiously politically motivated, (unlike some of its more subtle predecessors).

It portrays an advanced civilization of humans that fled Earth and bases its beliefs on quote "the Christian Bible" to the exclusion of any other beliefs and that has banned all fiction. It's very 'un-Star Trek' to blatantly single out one religion and attack it so viciously.

You must be kidding
This book has the distinction of being the worst Sci-Fi related novel I have ever read.It combines mediocre writing with a staggering number of cliches, even for a Star Trek novel.It is also a prime example of the early attempts to justify Troi's existence as something other than eye candy, and like most falls into the trap of trying to "prove her mettle" as an adventure heroine.She's an empath, and a counselor.Think the psychologist (Dr. Friedman) from M*A*S*H, not Xena, space-warrior princess.

The entire society of Rampart is unstable, and as presented could not possibly have existed for 200 years.The level of technology given to the Rampartians is inconsistent, both internally and with their alleged backstory.

The one-eyes are supposedly built with "post-Atomic" era technology, but have abilities that surpass those of the modern Federation, except for when they don't.They are capable of deep-scanning an unconscious mind in order to mine O'Brian's transporter knowledge, but can only read surface thoughts when Sharee wants to impress us with Shibiko's "Zen archery" approach to security.Even then, they react to "visual input" to dodge a beam that travels at lightspeed, showing Mr. Sharee understands physics less well than he understands Zen.

It is established early on that the one-eyes communicate using radio frequencies, and all communication planetside uses these same frequencies.It has long been established that Starfleet communicators do *not* use "primitive" radio frequencies.Yet, the one-eyes can jam all communicator frequencies, and can even jam transporter frequencies, an ability which has previously been established to be a function of *shield* technology, not communications.Furthermore, they can jam with sufficient power, using only a small internal power source, that a Starship cannot overpower the jamming, even with a tight point-to-point beam.That would make the power source in a one-eye at least equal, actually somewhat superior, in output to the main anti-matter engines of the Enterprise.

Furthermore, allthis adaptability and creativity is possessed by a computer constructed by a civilization that has banned imagination and creativity.This, by itself, completely undercuts the supposed central message of the book - that creativity and imagination are a necessary part of human intelligence.Instead of being stagnant, the Rampartians are sufficiently adaptable to seriously challenge the Enterprise when, by all rights, they should have been instantly overwhelmed.

The behaviors of the crew as a whole are incredibly inconsistent with the Star Trek Universe background.As a lsot colony of Earth (actually, of the federation, since the colony is only 200 years old), the prime directive does not apply, and all the "we must be careful not to interfere" handwringing of the early chapters is so much foolishness.Of course, so is the ability of the one-eyes to get free in the first place.

All they have to do is lock them in and set up a containment field, something that can be done in all transporter rooms.Even if you choose to believe that the one-eyes can instantly learn everything O'Brian knows about the ship, they still don't have the necessary tools to override.in order for the weapon-systems of the one-eyes to not be detected during transport, and therefore be a surprise later, both O'brian and Worf have to have been on some kind of severely intoxicating drug when the devices were first transported.In order for the crew not to have noticed when monitoring communications that there was no fictional or speculative programming, the entire communications section would have to be criminally incompetent - this is a key part of the pattern any alleged contact team would be trained to look at.

I could go on, but I've already wasted far more energy than this book deserves.The idea of a world where all fiction is banned is interesting, and I'm sure a rebellion against such an oppressive regime would make a fascinating series of stories.This isn't one of them.It isn't even a good addition to the Star Trek canon, since it more inconsistent and more poorly executed than even a typical episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

STNG #11 - Gulliver's Fugitives - A good early STNG novel!
Given the complexity and thought provoking nature of this particular novel it is hard to believe that this is not only the only Star Trek novel written by this author is it the only novel one can find written by Keith Sharee.I found this novel to be in very good keeping with Gene Roddenberry's principals and ethos of Star Trek as it tells a well told tale that is capable of the "suspension of disbelief" within the Star Trek universe as it is a real future possibility and reminds one of Hitler's attempts to do the same.

The premise:

The Enterprise finds itself on the mission to find the USS Huxley, a starship that has been missing for over ten years, what they did not expect to find is a forgotten human colony named Rampart.Here is where the story takes an unexpected twist as this colony of humans has sought fit to ban fiction of any sort and it is considered to be the ultimate crime.As history proves proper, whenever there is a government that bans something harmless, or proves itself a dictatorship in any way, there is an underground movement and ultimately a civil war.It is that civil war in which Captain Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise suddenly find themselves inextricably in the middle of and must find an acceptable way of extricating themselves and solving this planet's problems...

What follows is certainly one of the better early Star Trek The Next Generation numbered novels that is well worth the time to locate and read for you will certainly not be disappointed.I highly recommend this early STNG novel to any and all Star Trek fans, casual or die hard alike!{ssintrepid}

Thought provoking in a different sense
Think about your closest friends; are they real to you? If you didn't know them in the first place, would they still be real? Now think about your favorite fiction characters; are they real? Think of a world without them; would YOU be real?

After Troi makes an intriguing contact with an "alien" life form from another dimension, thinking that this may be related to the disappearance of USS Huxley a long time ago, Picard decides to investigate inside a nebulae cloud where all subspace communications are blocked by natural sources. They are more than surprised to find a planet named Rampart inhabited by humans inside the cloud. Although human, Rampartians do not like the Enterprise's intrusion because it represents everything they tried to keep away from their society. The fiction in Rampart is a crime and the punishment is death. Since they were departed from the earth, Rampartian science is only excelled in one area: To read and cleanse minds; thus, not only actively involving in creating or consuming fiction is crime, but even thinking of it is... However there is a group of rebels - Dissenters - fighting against the dictatorship with the single weapon they have: Fiction! And Enterprise crew find themselves in the middle of this fight.

While the basic promise of the book seems to tell a simple story of rebels fighting against a dictatorship, the author manages to create a compelling storyline by combining some action and nice characters into it, Trek style. Most importantly you are asked what happens if you're ripped off all fiction, and Troi's dreams and the presentation of Dissenters give you a memorable sensation of how actually valuable your fiction characters to you than you've thought. A nice touch is added with Wesley's revelation that "he" is a part of a bigger "It", and the books ends with a nice twist.

I am almost sorry that this is a Trek book, because otherwise this would lead to a very nice Saga; How and why the colonists left earth, why are they greedy about fiction, how did they developed the technology and so on.

By the way, if you read and like this book, I recommend Ray Bradburry's Fahrenheit 451 too. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Sharon Stone, Grace Kelly, James Stewart, Blythe Danner, M. Night Shyamalan, Tina Fey, Jonathan Frakes, David Boreanaz, Will Smith, Christine Taylor, Danny Bonaduce, W. C. Fields, Nick Adams, Pink, Dennis Miller, Seth Green, Amanda Seyfried, Jack Palance, Benicio Del Toro, Patti Labelle, Peter Boyle, Norman Fell, Evelyn Nesbit, Kat Dennings, Tom Mix, Justin Guarini, Matthew Fox, Jeff Goldblum, Holland Taylor, Phyllis Hyman, Krysten Ritter, Joey Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Bob Saget, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Frankie Avalon, Henry Gibson, Aldo Ray, Francis de Sales, Ray Dennis Steckler, Maria Bello, Kyle Gallner, Carson Kressley, Anthony Fedorov, Edie Adams, Jamie Kennedy, Jewel and Blaire Restaneo, Tamara Tunie, Grayson Hall, Russell Johnson, Curly Joe Derita, Robert Prosky, Burt Mustin, Lara Jill Miller, Matthew Lawrence, Kevin Carvell, Linda Fiorentino, Daniel Dae Kim, Jester Hairston, Robert Picardo, Lauren Holly, Jeanne Clemson, Cynthia Rothrock, Mike Vogel, Stuart Pankin, Marion Lorne, Julius Harris, Frank Moran, Billy Barty, Amber Lee Ettinger, Elise Cavanna, Michael Constantine, Paul F. Tompkins, Rebecca Welles, Staci Keanan, El Brendel, Chris Young, Jackson Davis, Adam Mckay, Cheri Oteri, Johnny Arthur, Billy Blanks, Philip Loeb, John Billingsley, Cass Daley, Meg Foster, Mildred Davis, Anthony Warde, Kurt Doss, Cameron Mitchell, Kate Flannery, Jack Coleman, Rodney Harvey, Betty Garde, James Karen, Jennifer Gareis, Katie Wright, Eric Mabius, Sonya Smith, John-Paul Lavoisier, Omar Doom, Pat Crowley, Michaela Conlin, Michael Schoeffling, Vivian Rich, Sam Proof, Dorothy Page, Billy Bletcher, Brian Baker, Carmen Argenziano, Lauren Cohan, Kerr Smith, Ellen Albertini Dow, Thomas Roy, Matthew Mcgrory, Sujata Day, Noam Pitlik, Daniel Roebuck, Eric Martsolf, Gregory Michael, Larri Thomas, Michael Kelly, Marie Doro, Hugh Marlowe, Henrietta Valor, Dorothea Wolbert, Michael Rady, Chaz Lamar Shepherd, John Aniston, Jennifer D...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16273 ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Ezra Abbot, Jonathan Frakes, Phineas Quimby, Charles Dana Gibson, Lemuel Grant, William V. Pratt, Albert William Stevens, Frederick Low, Freeman Mcgilvery, Jesse Carter Little, James Otis Kaler, Charles G. Bryant, Hugh J. Anderson, Daniel D. Pratt, Neil Welliver, Daniel F. Davis, Henry Chadwick, George C. Chase, Ebenezer Knowlton, Frederick Stevens, Samuel Stillman Berry, Joseph B. Smith, Marlboro Packard, Richard S. Ayer, Eli Pariser, Roswell K. Colcord, Seth L. Milliken, Albert G. Jewett. Excerpt:Albert Gallatin Jewett (born 1802) was the American Chargé d'Affaires to Peru in the mid-1840s, under the administration of President James K. Polk Born in Pittston, Maine in 1802 and a graduate of Colby College in Waterville , Jewett practiced law in Bangor, Maine from 1829 until leaving for Peru in 1845. He served as Penobscot County Attorney at the height of Bangor's prosperity as a lumber port, and built one of the city's largest Italianate-style houses (the Jewett-Stetson Mansion, since demolished) in what is now the Broadway Historic District . After serving two years in Peru 1845-47, Jewett toured Europe and eventually returned to re-settle in Belfast, Maine , south of Bangor, where he was elected mayor three times in the 1860s. References (URLs online) History of Penobscot County, Maine (Cleveland, 1882), p. 211 Diplomatic posts A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Albert William Stevens Albert William Stevens (March 13, 1886 in Belfast, Maine , United States - March 26, 1949 in Redwood City, California ) was a US Army officer , balloonist and aerial photographer . While flying over South America in 1930, Stevens took the first photograph of the Earth in a way that the horizon's curvature is visible. To cut through haze, Stevens often employed infrared sensitive film ... ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Jonathan Frakes, H.d., Dwayne Johnson, Michael Andretti, Richard Carl Fuisz, Pool Group, Billy Packer, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Charles M. Schwab, Barry W. Lynn, Edwin Drake, Chuck Bednarik, David A. Bader, David Bressoud, Steve Kimock, Nathan Homer Knorr, Sean Tiedeman, David Zinczenko, Jimmy Degrasso, James Delgrosso, Pete Carril, Scott Krycia, John Spagnola, Gelsey Kirkland, Allen Appel, Thom Schuyler, Donald Smaltz, Daniel Roebuck, Alfred B. Littell, Anne Hills, Signor Lawanda, Mel Harris, Alexandra Chando, Carol Guzy, Robert Klotz, Eugene Grace, Sheetal Sheth, Ted Deutch, Russell Davenport, Steve Meilinger, John Strohmeyer, Jack Finn, Bob Parsons, Joseph John Thoder, Joe Ungerer, Sarah Strohmeyer. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 209. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Dwayne Johnson (born May 2, 1972) is an American actor, and former professional wrestler also known by his former ring name The Rock and occasionally credited as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Johnson was a collegiate football player, and in 1991, he was part of the University of Miami's national championship team. He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, but was cut two months into the season. This led to his decision to become a professional wrestler, like his grandfather, Peter Maivia and his father Rocky Johnson. He gained mainstream fame as a wrestler in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), originally known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1996 to 2004, and was the first third-generation superstar in that wrestling company's history. Johnson was quickly given a push in WWE, first as "Rocky Maivia", and then as "The Rock", a member of the Nation of Domination. Two years after he joined the WWF, Johnson won the WWF Championship, and became one of the most pop...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=156126 ... Read more

Product Description
Personality Presents The New Crew: Jonathan Frakes. Number One from the new Star Trek. Issue #2. Includes Limited Edition Signed and Numbered Certificate inside. Black and white. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Jonathan Frakes, Billy Packer, Barry W. Lynn, Chuck Bednarik, David A. Bader, Jimmy Degrasso, Paul Mchale, Pete Carril, Alexandra Chando, Sheetal Sheth, Gary Lavelle, Mike Hartenstine. Excerpt:Alexandra Chando Alexandra Chando (born July 28, 1986 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania ) is an American actress . She is most known for playing the role of Maddie Coleman on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns , which she began on July 28, 2005. Private Life A graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania , she currently resides in New York City . Chando was attending Manhattan College in New York City at the time she was hired by As the World Turns producers. During the shooting of "Rockville, CA" she moved to California. She recently moved back to New York again. Career A few months after joining As the World Turns , she was also featured on an episode of MTV 's True Life: I'm Getting My Big Break . She was let go two years later and her last airdate was on October 26, 2007. In 2008, she was cast as Debbie in the web-series Rockville, CA , created by Josh Schwartz (The OC , Gossip Girl , Chuck ). It ran on TheWB.com in spring of 2009. . On September 23, 2009, Alexandra returns to As the World Turns as Maddie. Filmography Year: Title: Role: Notes References (URLs online) Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Barry W. Lynn (born 1948) has been the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State since 1992. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ , and a prominent leader of the American religious left . He is known to be a strong advocate of separation of church and state . Biography Lynn was born in Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , but his family moved to nearby Bethlehem when he was a child. He attended Bet... ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Mayors of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Frakes, H.d., Dwayne Johnson, Michael Andretti, Richard Carl Fuisz, Pool Group, Billy Packer, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Charles M. Schwab, Barry W. Lynn, Edwin Drake, Chuck Bednarik, David A. Bader, David Bressoud, Don Cunningham, Steve Kimock, Nathan Homer Knorr, Sean Tiedeman, David Zinczenko, Jimmy Degrasso, James Delgrosso, Pete Carril, Scott Krycia, John Spagnola, Gelsey Kirkland, Allen Appel, Thom Schuyler, John B. Callahan, Donald Smaltz, Daniel Roebuck, Alfred B. Littell, Anne Hills, Signor Lawanda, Mel Harris, Alexandra Chando, Carol Guzy, Robert Klotz, Eugene Grace, Sheetal Sheth, Ted Deutch, Russell Davenport, Steve Meilinger, John Strohmeyer, Jack Finn, Bob Parsons, Joseph John Thoder, Joe Ungerer, Sarah Strohmeyer. Excerpt:Donald "Don" Cunningham is the current Chief Executive of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania . He is also the a former Secretary in the Pennsylvania Department of General Services , as well as Mayor and Councilman of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania . A Democrat, Cunningham was also a rumored candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2010. Personal History Cunningham was born on December 13, 1965. After 13 years in the Bethlehem school district, Don was educated in the Pennsylvania System of higher education where he went to Shippensburg University and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and a minor in government (1987). He then worked his way through graduate school, finishing summa cum laude with a Master of Arts Degree in political science from Villanova University (1991). Before Politics Before seeking public office, Cunningham worked in the private sector where he served as Senior Information Specialist at PPL in Allentown and Media Relations Director at Moravian College in Bethlehem. Prior to that, Cu... ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary.Chapters: Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Thunderbirds, the Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice, the Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, Clockstoppers. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 69. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996 by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s. The primary cast for First Contact is from the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, to which the film's producers added Alice Krige, Neal McDonough, James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard. In the film's plot, the crew of the USS Enterprise travel from the 24th to 21st century to save their future after the cybernetic Borg conquer Earth by changing the timeline. After the release of the seventh film, Star Trek Generations, in 1994, Paramount tasked writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore with developing a sequel. Braga and Moore wanted to feature the Borg in the plot, while producer Rick Berman wanted a story involving time travel. The writers combined the two ideas; they initially set the film during the European Renaissance, but changed the time period the Borg corrupted to the mid-21st century after fearing the Renaissance idea would be too kitschy. After two better known directors turned down the job, cast member Jonathan Frakes was chosen to direct to make sure the task fell to someone who understood Star Trek. The script required the creation of new starship designs, including a new USS Enterprise. Production designer Herman Zimmerman and illustrator John Eaves collaborated to make a sleeker ship than its predecessor. Princ...http://booksllc.net/?id=27097 ... Read more

Product Description
The novelization of the incredible final episode of the most successful syndicated television program of all time. Star Trek: The Next Generation's continuing mission is coming to an end in a spectacular television event that will springboard Picard and his crew into big-screen motion pictures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

This book follows the episode very closely and it should have deviated in specific areas
Given that I have seen the finale of the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" several times and that Friedman follows the plot very closely, there was nothing in this book that was unanticipated. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining light read, for the action flows smoothly and I was able to mentally fill in the imagery by recalling the specific scenes from the episode.
If there is a weakness, it is due to the lack of explanation regarding Q's motives for his placing Captain Picard in the situation that he is in. For all his annoying traits and powers, the idea that Q might be under orders is one that was not raised before, so an explanation as to why the continuum would have given Q a directive would have done something that had not been done before. Namely, explaining the purpose and motives of the members of the "elite" group that Q is a member of. Given that less advanced people would have considered Q a god, there was a lot of unfilled room for some serious philosophical pondering.

Pretty much as advertised--last TNG episode as novel
This book takes the last Star Trek: TNG episode and turns it into a decent, short novel.Having seen the episode a few years back, I read the book already knowing the story.But the novel does a good job of taking you through the story and adding a few elements here and there to more fully explain what's going on and why.This book isn't the kind I'm likely to ever re-read, though.

All Good Things... (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Could not put this one down. This is an amazingly well-written book that trancends the genre.

STNG All Good Things... - An exceptional novelization!
"All Good Things" is only the second of three episode novelizations for Star Trek's most prolific author, Michael Jan Friedman.As is standard fare for a Michael Jan Friedman novel, it is another excellent read.When setting out to put a novelization of an episode in print, the main things the readers are looking for are personalization of the characters thoughts during "on screen" moments and some added "between" the scenes, scenes.MJ Friedman accomplishes this with great ease.

The only sad thing about this novel is that it was, at the time of its publishing, just another sign that an era of extraordinary and historic television had come to an end.The upside would be the movies, for the better part, but overall, this show is sorely missed by many.

Credit to Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga for the original screenplay for "All Good Things..." which made up the outstanding conclusion to seven years of the some of the best television episodes ever to grace the home theater.

The cover art for this, the hardback and the later published paperback is "right on" with the overall theme of the television shows grand finale!

The premise:

As Star Trek The Next Generation began with Q introducing himself in "Encounter at Farpoint," so does it end with him once again challenging humanities right to be among the stars in "All Good Things..."How does he go about this; in his usual style of harassing but teaching Captain Picard, all at the same time.Captain Picard wakes to find himself on board the Enterprise D at the time in which he belongs, yet before he awoke he was thoroughly convinced several years had passed and he'd been an old man.

What follows from there is nothing short of one of the most brilliant episodes of Star Trek The Next Generation and an outstanding novelization in which Captain Picard is bounced around between three different time periods and the past, present and future of not only the Enterprise and her gallant crew are at stake but humanity itself is at stake.

I highly recommend this novelization to any and all fans of Star Trek, whether you can find it in hardback or paperback.I believe this is one story that Gene Roddenberry would truly have been proud of!{ssintrepid}

ST:TNGAll Good Things...
Star Trek: The Next Generation;All Good Things... novelization by Michael Jan Friedman based on All Good Things... Written By Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga is base on the television episode by the same name.

What you found in the television episode is covered in this book, but the leaps in logic and continuity are better covered in this novel.What I found very inteesting was the author's way of coveying time... past, present, and future.It was smooth and integrated in the storyline making for a logical progression.

The book is about Captain Jean-Luc Picard's fight to save the human race from the ravages of the "Q."The verdict is in, and humanity must be destroyed. As Picard makes his case for humanity, "Q" takes Picard on trips to the past and future making for an interesting read.

As Picard looks "Q" in the eye and stoically asks "Q" having reached a verdict... have you decided upon a sentence? "Q" replies that he has... It's time to end your trek through the stars... and make room for a more worthy species."Q" has wrapped up humanity's fate... You're to be denied existence... you will be destroyed.

Knowing this, Picard makes a valent attempt to save all humanity.This is a Picard/"Q" book and it is very well-written, intriguing and is the novelization of the classic final episode of The Next Generation's television journey.A very fast read as Picard in his effort to save humanity, must sacrifice himself and all those he holds dear... perhaps more than once as this has a time travel theme to it... and if Picard fails... Mankind is doomed. ... Read more

Product Description
Years before they served together on board U.S.S. Enterprise, Commander William Riker and ship's counsellor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain IMZADI - a powerful Betazoid term that decribes the enduring bond they still share. A bond that will be put to the ultimate test as Deanna falls ill and Riker finds himself pitted against some of his closest friends. ... Read more

Product Description
Years before they served together on board the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM, Commander William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain Imzadi - a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share.

During delicate negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill and dies. But her death is only the beginning of the adventure for Commander Riker, an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls Imzadi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Bit Over-Rated, but Good
While I enjoyed Imzadi, it wasn't what I'd call a home run.

Having not even read the backcover of the book when I got it at the resale shop, I was surprised to see most of it set in the future, using a plot structure that actually pre-dated similar stories like All Good Things, Timeless and Endgame. I liked the detail and characterization of all involved, however the flashback made for a very weak middle section.

One can definitely see the prototype for the Calhoun/Shelby relationship in how David depicts the relationship between Riker and Troi. Unfortunately, this sort of screwball comedy romance where the two outwardly hate each other but really love each other is a style I just really can't stand. It results in that kind of aggravating back-and-forth dialogue where each thinks they know what's best and what the other is really feeling. I guess I'm just not the romantic type, but it's something I don't find realistic at all (same goes for the two of them consummating the relationship in the jungle when she was probably malnourished and bloodied and everyone worried about them). And Troi finally developing a backbone with her mom and Will falling conveniently into the arms of another woman felt manipulative and telegraphed where the standard misunderstanding would come in.

I had other problems with the flashback sequence, namely details like how there was one little security team for the entire planet of Betazed and how there apparently isn't any kind of Starfleet vessel assigned to a member world, especially one that's come under harassment from pirates. That just didn't make sense. I imagine a member world coming under attack on a regular basis would bring harsh retaliation from Starfleet.

Thankfully, once the past segment is done, the book picks up again and finds a way to end on just the right note. I also liked the characters attempts to tackle time travel paradoxes that have gone by the wayside in recent televised episodes. Having the future Data become something of the villain was also an interesting twist and David made his near invulnerability fairly menacing. Although the scene of Admiral Riker running around with Data's head followed by his headless body was patently silly. He could have simply given him his head!

Otherwise, a fairly recommendable book. The slower pace was pretty welcome and might appeal to some more than others. The origin story of the Troi/Riker romance rang pretty false with me and it hurts the overall effect since it starts it all off, but again, some might not mind it.

Peter David turns the Imzadi idea into an epic love story
If telling the back story of William Riker and Deanna Troi was not ambitious enough, David is also audacious enough to work in the Guardian of Forever from the classic original "Star Trek" episode "The City on the Edge of Forever," scripted by Harlan Ellison (and you all know how Ellison felt about what Gene Roddenberry did to the episode, so you can imagine the second thoughts David had to have about picking up on the idea--the volume is dedicated to Harlan). The result is as fine a "Star Trek" novel as you will ever read, with an ending that I still pick up and read from time to time, and which still touches me.David took what ended up being a throw away element from the pilot and turned it into a truly epic love story.

The novel actually begins with the end of "The City on the Edge of Forever," as Captain James T. Kirk says, "Let's get the hell out of here." The event is being observed by several people, including Commander Data. The setting is the future, in which Riker is now an admiral, Wesley Crusher is the Captain of the "Hood," and Lwaxana Troi dies cursing Riker for letting Deanna die many years before. We then go back to the beginning, when young William Riker was assigned to Betazed and found himself intrigued by the tantalizing but completely uninterested Deanna Troi. What follows is one of those rare times that a love story in the "Star Trek" universe reaches a believable level of pathos, which, granted, is hard to do in a television episode.

In addition to the aforementioned challenges of coming up with a compelling story for the Riker-Troi romance and working off of the Ellison episode, David also decides to tell the story of "Imzadi" by jumping around in time from "The End" to "The End of the Beginning" and eventually to "The Beginning of the End." However, this is not a concern because David has worked out the logic of his story and all of the pieces fit together. Besides, if you have any questions, the Guardian of Forever can answer them.

This is probably my favorite "Star Trek" novel. I have a tendency to like stories that connect the dots more than those that try to tell stories that are too big for the small screen (or too expensive for a theatrical film). Even though I had already read the book at the library I went out and bought a copy, in hardcover, and when Marina Sirtis came to the Zenith City for a "Star Trek" convention it was my copy of this book that I had her autograph.

Wow!
After reading this book, I never saw Star Trek the same way again. One never knows of the relationship Troi and Riker had til they read this book. I reccommend this book to all my Star Trak friends.You need a good StarTrek book?Check it out ! You wont be disappoointed !

Excellent "voice-acting," well-abridged
Before buying the audio cassette of "Imzadi," I read the book which I absolutely loved. I'd always thought that there was a lot of story potential in the Troi-Riker romance storyline that was never developed in the TV episodes. Listening to the tape (narrated by Jonathan Frakes) was the next best thing -- but that's not to say that it wasa "secondbest" effort! Not at all!

The audio tape was great! It has a lot of sound effects which make it easy to imagine the scenes. And Jonathan Frakes for all the jibes he has endured about being a second-rate actor, was incredibly good as narrator and voice forall the characters in the story. (He's got that distinct Deanna Troi accent down pat! And his Jean-Luc was golden!) It's easy to forget that all the voices are being done by one person. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have listened to the tapes several times by now.

Also, as is inevitable with audio versions, the story was abridged, but very cleverly so as to maintain the continuity and tension of the story. In some respects, the audio tape story is stronger for its terseness. I highly recommend this tape! ... Read more

Product Description
An adventure in which Spock is imprisoned in the Romulan Empire. Both generations must work together to free the logical Vulcan, and at the same time prevent interstellar war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

This is really a crossover!
This is what a real trekky always love. A crossover between favorite characters of the different Star Trek series! Besides, the plot is easy to follow and very exciting. Michael Jan Friedman is very good at that. I definitely recommend this book and hope that more like it are currently being written.

"-I- AM SPOCK-TACUS!"
You can bet that if Peter David had lifted a cliche as hoary as the "I am Spartacus" moment for one of his stories, he would have at least given a nod to his source! Spock as messiah became fairly tedious, as did the rehash of 'old codger from OST becoming a liability and then proving himself' plot line from RELICS. Dry, humorless, with action scenes that lead nowhere and a seemingly superficial grasp on what makes the characters tick. I just don't get why Mr. Friedman is so popular. I've been so pleased with the overall improvement in the ST fiction offerings in the last few years - Kevin Ryan, Peter David, Greg Cox and others have all been able to incorporate and expand the dimensions of the trek universe with wit, heart and intelligence. Like another reviewer here, I keep trying to like this author's books since he is so prolific, but damn it, Jim, Star Trek fiction should never be a chore!

Not a bad book, admittedly
I picked this novel up on a whim long ago during my Trekkie phase, and I was pleasantly surprised by it.Not only does it bring back the memorable characters of TOS cast in TNG universe, it incorporates them and their motivations in a way that the shows never really did.

The story deals with Spock finally coming under Romulan capture during his lengthy task of reunification.Held by an ambitious governor, he is scheduled to be executed along with his followers, and thus the stage is set for the political intrigue and philosophical side of the novel.

Starfleet's response is swift and sure.Spock had an amazing memory, and 150 years of top-level Federation secrets locked within his mind.The security threat is staggering.Thus, one of Spock's old friends -- a certain Doctor Leonard McCoy -- is brought aboard the flagship Enterprise to help negotiate the prisoner release before the romulans discover Spock among the unificationists.

At the same time, retired engineer and genius Montgomery Scott intercepts a message from Starfleet to the Enterprise, and decided to go after Spock himself.To do that, he needs a ship, and so in pure Scotty fashion, steals an ancient constitution class starship in hopes of getting Spock out of Romulan territory himself.

The novel is a joy to read, and so I won't say much more.I will say, though, that this book really captures the adventure feel of the original series with the amazing characters of the next generation.In dealing with these relics of the past, the clash of tactics comes to the fore, and in the end it is a mesh of those tactics and philosophies that finally is needed -- but are the stubborn people of both crews and times able to meet that middle ground?

It's an interesting though, and explored fairly well.

Good Tale, Only a Little Choppy
This review is for the abridged audio version (2 tapes, 3+ hours).Jonathan Frakes did a great job reading this, he has a good voice, and does a credible job in recreating all of the characters.The story itself was very engaging, but disconnected in a few places (not bad, but it was obvious that some things ended up on the cuttingroom floor).The sound affects were good, never drowning out the narrater.Overall a good purchase, and I recommend it.

Star Trek Crossover: This should be the next movie
This is the best story to combine characters from both the original Star Trek series and The Next Generation. Jonathon Frakes gives an outstanding performance as he reads for characters like the surly Admiral McCoy, the stoic Ambassador Spock, and the irrepressible Captain Scott. His Picard, Data, and, of course, Riker are top notch, too.

The story involves Picard and crew on a diplomatic mission to return a group of captured Unificationists from the Romulans, who don't know Spock is among them. McCoy, who is 145 years old, is brought in as a mission specialist since he knows more about Spock than anyone alive. He's old, cranky, and arrogant, and there is great tension between him and Picard. Scotty, learns of Spock's capture and launches his own rescue.

This story would make an outstanding screenplay for the next movie. Make it so! ... Read more

Product Description
Years before they served together on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Commander William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain Imzadi -- a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share.

During delicate negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen. Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill...and dies. But her death is only the beginning of the adventure for Commander Riker -- an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls Imzadi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

If your a sucker for Romance...
First off if your not a fan of the Riker/Troi relationship you'll want to stay away from this one, but that should be given by the title. It starts off with Lwaxana telling an aged William Riker on her death bed to burn in hell. The old man then speaks and remissness to a grown Wesley Crusher(don't worry he isn't much of the story at all) about when he was first stationed on Betazed. We travel through his flirting with young Troi and learn how they came to the point where they call each other Imzadi, and what it means.

This was my first Trek novel, I'm a bit of a noob to the franchise but am a sucker for a good romance story,and was curious about their relationship. This book only made me like it more. After wriklly Riker finished reminessing about the past, he starts to wish he could change it and because of a slip-up by Data, gave him hope to change it.For me it only encouaged me to pursue the Trek books further. It's an excellent start for the hopeless-romantic and a good book for the fan.

So good!
I've been a Riker/Troi shipper for years. I can read this book over and over. I love the early history of the characters- it's fun to see them in their youth.Peter David is definitely one of my favorite Trek authors.

also features Odo
Odo helps Starfleet prevent the assassination of Gowron by Tom Riker.Planned by the Romulan Sela.

Very good, not perfect
This is a classic TNG hardcover because it has a very compelling and interesting plot. It fills in the backstory of Troi and Riker and does so in a rather satisfying way, rather than in a way that leaves you preferring that it remain a mystery.

My only complaints are that 1) writing was less than perfect and that 2) the section titles are confusing and even misleading. For example, the final section is called "The beginning of the end," even though it is chronologically the last part of the book. Perhaps it was a metaphor because, the timeline having been altered, a new "beginning" has been created. Another section is called "Epilogue" rather inexplicably. That title should have been given to the final section I just mentioned. Minor quibbles, of course.

One of the best books I've read
I purchased this book when it first came out and I still enjoy picking it up every now and then and reading a few passages, to which I end up reading the whole thing. Its THAT enjoyable and addictive.

The story is wonderful. Its epic, from past to present to future. You really see how the characters of Riker and Troi developed, where their relationship stems from, and the true meaning of "Imzadi".

I definitely recommend this not only to Star Trek fans, but to those who enjoy a great thriller with romance.

Truly wonderful. ... Read more