'I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THEM, Kirk thought harshly, his eyes still fastened on the ten thousand square kilometers of shimmering distortion that blurred Vancadia's image on the viewscreen'.
I'd be lying if I said that I didn't select Renegade (1991) (#55 Pocket, #48 Titan) by Gene Deweese based on the cover art. It is utterly gorgeous! I pulled this picture straight from the Simon & Schuster page, so it's the Pocket Books cover, I actually read from the Titan Books edition, which seems to use slightly warmer palette and the cover itself is blown up so the whole front cover is represented by what is inside the white lines on the Pocket Books cover.
I love seeing all three of the trinity on a cover, especially when the artwork is this good! The Enterprise is also present and being fired on by an opposing ship too - intriguing!
Renegade somewhat continues the story of Ben Finney (Court Martial), although he is a supporting character as opposed to the 'big bad' who is an original character of Deweese but with a similar background. The antagonist, Jason Carmody, is an ex Starfleet officer, who was due to be court martialed for violating the Prime Directive and who now wants revenge against Starfleet; he enlists the computer genius Ben Finney to help and defects to the Klingon Empire.
The overarching story of Renegade is that the Enterprise is asked to mediate a dispute between a planet, Chyrellka, and it's errant colony Vencadia - not 'Chrellkan IV' and 'Chrellkan III' as the blurb at the back of the book suggests (did the editors even check these?). Chyrellka and Vencadia declined membership to the Federation when approached ten years prior to the events in the book and are pre-warp but obviously space flight species. Essentially, inexplicable hostilities have escalated between Chyrellka and Vencadia within the last five years in a tit for tat fashion, despite the fact that Vencadia is to have it's independence within the next year, through peaceful agreement.
While meeting with the premier of Chyrellka, Kaulidren (known as Cauliflower in my own mind), Enterprise suffers a computer glitch which, during the course of the novel snowballs into even greater errors, causing the sensors to detect things which are not there, and be blind to things which are. This is of course where Ben Finney's expertise comes in and also where Spock 'goes out'.
Spock and McCoy beam down to Vencadia and are almost immediately attacked by the leader of the rebel government/movement Delkondros. Spock, McCoy and a couple of the council members escape due to Spock's observations with his tricorder - with which he detects Klingon lifesigns. They find they are unable to contact the Enterprise due to some sort of field and so are stranded as fugitives on the planet which seems to have moved towards nigh on martial law. Much of Spock & McCoy's narrative now involves furtively moving from place to place and trying to evade Klingons whilst trying to get to a secret spaceship hidden by concerned members of the Vencadian council.
On the Enterprise, Kirk believes that Spock & McCoy are dead and Kaulidren is urging Kirk to retaliate with lethal force. Kirk retains his cool despite the loss of his friends and his apparently failing ship, he is powerless and bound to the bridge.
Spock and McCoy are able to board the hidden ship, after finding Finney but find that this was also part of Camody / the Klingon plans, which will see the Enterprise destroy them, at which point, Kirk will be disgraced and will begin the propagation of a computer virus across Starfleet.
Phew! That's quite a scheme! I won't spoil the end or quite how Carmody / the Klingons manage it but it's quite clever! The only downside is that Carmody is such an egoist that he falls into the trap of telling his adversaries his plan... thus giving Kirk a hint as to what to do...
I really did quite enjoy this book, it was quite refreshing in a way! Gene Deweese is a male author, and if shows quite clearly in his writing style. Previously I've talked about how generally I (and probably you, if you're looking out for it) can tell if an author is male or female. Women tend to be more interested in relationships and emotions and men tend to be more interested in the technology or creating a situation, Deweese adheres to this rule. I also think that I'd be able to pick Deweese's style out from a selection of pieces because he's quite distinct, quite clinical. This may be because he worked as a technical writer (including for the Apollo program). Not many words are spared on description and Deweese doesn't seem very interested in emotional responses. There are perhaps three sections in the entire novel in which Deweese offers a small amount of sentimentality into his work. Generally, I would have thought that these little diversions would be like the 'rewards' I do so very much like, but, because of the clinical and sparse way Deweese writes even these sections don't quite hit the mark (for me at least). For example Kirk in a fit of sentimentality and grief (I guess?), goes to Spock's quarters and reflects on the Vulcan's 'otherness', his loyalty... his history. Not so much any soul searching or reflection on his own pain at losing Spock - not to mention McCoy by the way. McCoy who is supposed to be dead too (as far as Kirk is concerned) doesn't seem to be mourned at all or even really mentioned as having any effect on Kirk whatsoever. Deweese just doesn't seem interested in the emotional impact that the events in his novel could - or should - be having on the characters.
Why did I say it was refreshing? Well, actually it's kind of nice having a 'technical' story if you will, without the emotional burden. Sometimes it can be quite tiring reading really emotional, really stressful stories, and although I really do live for the roller coaster ride, sometimes it's nice to ride the teacups. On the other hand, I think if Deweese had put a little bit more description in, a little bit more relationship building, I think it could have been a lot stronger.
I did ask my partner what he thought of the 'emotional' scenes, he thought it was just a much more masculine way of depicting grief, more objective and didn't have a problem with it. Perhaps I'm just a drama devouring monster, and this leaves me hungry.
A bugbear of mine was the lack of description generally in the novel, it's not just clinical in its treatment of the characters, it's also clinical in it's description of surroundings, scenery. There's no description of the actual scenery of Vencadia, so all I have in my mind is 1960s suburbs and buildings + hovercraft. Which, I don't know, frustrates me a little bit. I guess I want a window on another world and not the just a reflection of my own.
The inclusion of Ben Finney was inspired, after all 'Court Martial' was a really excellent episode and one of the few that gives Kirk more of a backstory. He's also a computer genius, after all he was able to manipulate the computer to the point of changing the visual record to make it look like Kirk had pressed the wrong control. Further still, he almost succeeded, even if he was a mad as a box of frogs. In this case, he manages to cause the computer to ignore or change the sensor readings and also to change it's own records. Ben Finney himself is totally unhinged and remains the paranoid genius, although if possible he seems to be even more tragic and unhinged than before his partial rehabilitation. Jason Carmody was quite the comic book villain, but I can forgive that, just because he is essentially a way to use Ben Finney who really doesn't have the mental acuity to be the driving force behind such a scheme.
Keeping Kirk somewhat helpless on the bridge of his own starship without Spock or McCoy was a break from the norm, especially as he was rendered so impotent with an effectual ship. He also had to be more the Hornblower captain than an action hero, that is he was forced to use his own wits from the Captain's chair. This actually highlights something that is often overlooked about Kirk; Kirk isn't just all action, he isn't all just charisma, he's a genius in his own right who is a good leader and delegates to ensure the smooth working of the ship. His analytical skills and his skills in diplomacy are put to use throughout, even if he can never succeed in this instance.
All in all I think that the book is pretty good, the political situation and schemes that Deweese has conceived are enjoyable and separating Kirk from Spock and McCoy and allowing them time to act separately a different way of presenting the characters. I do think that a little more description and attention to the emotions of the characters wouldn't go amiss. I do recommend Renegade as a change of pace and a light read.
3/5 - I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Renegade somewhat continues the story of Ben Finney (Court Martial), although he is a supporting character as opposed to the 'big bad' who is an original character of Deweese but with a similar background. The antagonist, Jason Carmody, is an ex Starfleet officer, who was due to be court martialed for violating the Prime Directive and who now wants revenge against Starfleet; he enlists the computer genius Ben Finney to help and defects to the Klingon Empire.
The overarching story of Renegade is that the Enterprise is asked to mediate a dispute between a planet, Chyrellka, and it's errant colony Vencadia - not 'Chrellkan IV' and 'Chrellkan III' as the blurb at the back of the book suggests (did the editors even check these?). Chyrellka and Vencadia declined membership to the Federation when approached ten years prior to the events in the book and are pre-warp but obviously space flight species. Essentially, inexplicable hostilities have escalated between Chyrellka and Vencadia within the last five years in a tit for tat fashion, despite the fact that Vencadia is to have it's independence within the next year, through peaceful agreement.
While meeting with the premier of Chyrellka, Kaulidren (known as Cauliflower in my own mind), Enterprise suffers a computer glitch which, during the course of the novel snowballs into even greater errors, causing the sensors to detect things which are not there, and be blind to things which are. This is of course where Ben Finney's expertise comes in and also where Spock 'goes out'.
Spock and McCoy beam down to Vencadia and are almost immediately attacked by the leader of the rebel government/movement Delkondros. Spock, McCoy and a couple of the council members escape due to Spock's observations with his tricorder - with which he detects Klingon lifesigns. They find they are unable to contact the Enterprise due to some sort of field and so are stranded as fugitives on the planet which seems to have moved towards nigh on martial law. Much of Spock & McCoy's narrative now involves furtively moving from place to place and trying to evade Klingons whilst trying to get to a secret spaceship hidden by concerned members of the Vencadian council.
On the Enterprise, Kirk believes that Spock & McCoy are dead and Kaulidren is urging Kirk to retaliate with lethal force. Kirk retains his cool despite the loss of his friends and his apparently failing ship, he is powerless and bound to the bridge.
Spock and McCoy are able to board the hidden ship, after finding Finney but find that this was also part of Camody / the Klingon plans, which will see the Enterprise destroy them, at which point, Kirk will be disgraced and will begin the propagation of a computer virus across Starfleet.
Phew! That's quite a scheme! I won't spoil the end or quite how Carmody / the Klingons manage it but it's quite clever! The only downside is that Carmody is such an egoist that he falls into the trap of telling his adversaries his plan... thus giving Kirk a hint as to what to do...
I really did quite enjoy this book, it was quite refreshing in a way! Gene Deweese is a male author, and if shows quite clearly in his writing style. Previously I've talked about how generally I (and probably you, if you're looking out for it) can tell if an author is male or female. Women tend to be more interested in relationships and emotions and men tend to be more interested in the technology or creating a situation, Deweese adheres to this rule. I also think that I'd be able to pick Deweese's style out from a selection of pieces because he's quite distinct, quite clinical. This may be because he worked as a technical writer (including for the Apollo program). Not many words are spared on description and Deweese doesn't seem very interested in emotional responses. There are perhaps three sections in the entire novel in which Deweese offers a small amount of sentimentality into his work. Generally, I would have thought that these little diversions would be like the 'rewards' I do so very much like, but, because of the clinical and sparse way Deweese writes even these sections don't quite hit the mark (for me at least). For example Kirk in a fit of sentimentality and grief (I guess?), goes to Spock's quarters and reflects on the Vulcan's 'otherness', his loyalty... his history. Not so much any soul searching or reflection on his own pain at losing Spock - not to mention McCoy by the way. McCoy who is supposed to be dead too (as far as Kirk is concerned) doesn't seem to be mourned at all or even really mentioned as having any effect on Kirk whatsoever. Deweese just doesn't seem interested in the emotional impact that the events in his novel could - or should - be having on the characters.
Why did I say it was refreshing? Well, actually it's kind of nice having a 'technical' story if you will, without the emotional burden. Sometimes it can be quite tiring reading really emotional, really stressful stories, and although I really do live for the roller coaster ride, sometimes it's nice to ride the teacups. On the other hand, I think if Deweese had put a little bit more description in, a little bit more relationship building, I think it could have been a lot stronger.
I did ask my partner what he thought of the 'emotional' scenes, he thought it was just a much more masculine way of depicting grief, more objective and didn't have a problem with it. Perhaps I'm just a drama devouring monster, and this leaves me hungry.
A bugbear of mine was the lack of description generally in the novel, it's not just clinical in its treatment of the characters, it's also clinical in it's description of surroundings, scenery. There's no description of the actual scenery of Vencadia, so all I have in my mind is 1960s suburbs and buildings + hovercraft. Which, I don't know, frustrates me a little bit. I guess I want a window on another world and not the just a reflection of my own.
The inclusion of Ben Finney was inspired, after all 'Court Martial' was a really excellent episode and one of the few that gives Kirk more of a backstory. He's also a computer genius, after all he was able to manipulate the computer to the point of changing the visual record to make it look like Kirk had pressed the wrong control. Further still, he almost succeeded, even if he was a mad as a box of frogs. In this case, he manages to cause the computer to ignore or change the sensor readings and also to change it's own records. Ben Finney himself is totally unhinged and remains the paranoid genius, although if possible he seems to be even more tragic and unhinged than before his partial rehabilitation. Jason Carmody was quite the comic book villain, but I can forgive that, just because he is essentially a way to use Ben Finney who really doesn't have the mental acuity to be the driving force behind such a scheme.
Keeping Kirk somewhat helpless on the bridge of his own starship without Spock or McCoy was a break from the norm, especially as he was rendered so impotent with an effectual ship. He also had to be more the Hornblower captain than an action hero, that is he was forced to use his own wits from the Captain's chair. This actually highlights something that is often overlooked about Kirk; Kirk isn't just all action, he isn't all just charisma, he's a genius in his own right who is a good leader and delegates to ensure the smooth working of the ship. His analytical skills and his skills in diplomacy are put to use throughout, even if he can never succeed in this instance.
All in all I think that the book is pretty good, the political situation and schemes that Deweese has conceived are enjoyable and separating Kirk from Spock and McCoy and allowing them time to act separately a different way of presenting the characters. I do think that a little more description and attention to the emotions of the characters wouldn't go amiss. I do recommend Renegade as a change of pace and a light read.
3/5 - I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
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