Star Trek:
A Pocket Full of Lies
by Kirsten Beyer
***Some Reviews may Contain Spoilers***
Pocket Books February 2016
ISBN: 9781476790848
This book is the sequel to the episode "Year of Hell" from the Star Trek: Voyager tv franchise. Note to publisher, please stop doing sequels of episodes you think we like. While they can be interesting, some of the Star Trek fans I know haven't seen the episode in such a long time that we have to sit and google things from the episode to help us remember. Such as the Krenim and other species factored in here. Also, fresh stories are better than turning the novel line into a bunch of sequels or add ons to episodes.
With that said, this is a good novel up to the about the last several pages. There are some interesting plot twists and turns and this book seems to be much like a Voyager outing. The story is a little more fast paced than the previous couple of books which was a nice bonus. With the reintroduction of the Janeway character, we have the pushing aside of the Chakotay character as we always do in Voyager. There is also a weird Tuvok interaction in this one with the Denzit character that doesn't seem to totally make some sense.
The end of the book - yeah Spoiler alert for the second time - when Nancy Conlon is saying she doesn't want the baby was very troublesome. For one, she totally ignored Harry's contribution despite 'loving him' and despite that at the very least he is 50% responsible for the baby's genetics. Honestly, this is the very hypocritical view in our society that is annoyingly reflected in this story. The current perspective now being that Women need to take back, and retain, their personal power and freedom. No disagreement there. What is found to be disagreeable is that Harry's input isn't even considered? Not even in the 21st Century do we discount the father, and in fact, try to involve them in just about every level of decision making possible. Men have been accused of taking women's rights away from them yet in this instance the opposite may be happening and somehow that is okay? I disagree and found it insulting as a man that Harry Kim would be written with such timidity and willingness to lose a child he hasn't even had a chance to know. What right does a woman have to deny a man fatherhood? Any more than a man has the right to deny a woman motherhood? In addition, I refuse to believe that not only have they evolved to a point of equal decision making when it comes to having a baby in the 24th century, but have they not also evolved to a point where unwanted babies are retained in some fashion? Do we not hear speeches from just about every hero or heroine in Star Trek about how ALL life is worth something and so on? Does Star Trek not represent the best of humanity that we will evolve socially into? So yet, here we are, having a story about a woman who doesn't want her baby and that she might get her way. Wow. It will be disappointing in the next book if the baby is terminated in the pregnancy because no one can convince me that we won't have a better solution for a child in that situation in the 24th Century.*
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (I am willing to give this book the benefit of the doubt despite my personal commentary.)
*Please note, that I am willing to entertain disagreements on my views; however, outright disrespect towards me or any other member in this literary discussion will not be tolerated nor accepted and I will take appropriate action if I determine harassment is occurring.
