Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Force and Motion by Jeffrey Lang

Star Trek:  Deep Space Nine:

Force and Motion

by Jeffrey Lang

***Some Reviews may Contain Spoilers***

Pocket Books June 2016

ISBN:  9781501110733

This is a stand alone Deep Space Nine Novel focusing on O'Brien and Nog as they go on a 'vacation' to a research station where they meet up with the former Captain Ben Maxwell.  To be honest, Ben Maxwell is not one of those minor Star Trek characters that many people seem to be interested in.  Having appeared in only one episode of Star Trek:  The Next Generation, there is not a lot about this character other than he was doing something wrong by prematurely attacking the Cardassians.  The end of the episode implied he was going to jail 'forever' and we saw nothing of him again.  It was a nice and creative touch to add him into this book.  Ben takes on more dimensions as a result and we get to see some possible scenarios from Ben and O'Brien's past.

The story is fast paced and a fun read.  (I read this while on vacation at the beach with my family.)  Being a stand alone, it's a good book to pick up anytime and enjoy and potentially re-read.

A recommended read for all Star Trek Novel fans and a good one for anyone not a regular reader of the novels.

4 out of 5 stars

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Doctor Who: Human Nature by Paul Cornell

Doctor Who:

Human Nature

by Paul Cornell

***Some Reviews may Contain Spoilers***

BBC Books 2015 Edition

ISBN:  9781849909099

This is a story that a decade or so later went from a seventh doctor novel to a tenth doctor two part episode of the revival series starting with 'Family of Blood.'  The story went through some reworks and the author's introduction in this edition of the novel highlights some of those.

The story is a bit mature, with some references that are not always found in Doctor Who.  I had read a while back that the latter seventh doctor novels got a bit edgier.  This one qualifies.  It was surprisingly violent with the main villains being willing to eat various people and at one point having eaten a part of the Doctor's thumb.

This novel contains the novel only companion 'Bernice Summerfield' who eventually spins off to her own series of novels.  Having only read this one novel with her in it, I am not sure yet how I feel although she reminds me a lot of Martha, the tenth Doctor's second companion, although without the love interest piece.

A fast read as the novel does keep moving despite there being some love scenes.  Also some humor injected as well, but overall a pretty dark tale.  The ending was a bit rough, with a woman the Doctor is in love with finding out that the Doctor, who was human and hiding from the family of blood, having to terminate an engagement.  We are left questioning the Doctor and can he love? Interesting read for Doctor Who fans, especially those who enjoy exploring aspects of the Doctor's character we normally do not see.

Four out of Five Stars

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