LZR-1143: Within - Bryan James

Title: LZR-1143: Within
Author: Bryan James
Genre: Horror
Published: 2012
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
LZR-1143: Within is a Novella which introduces the reader to the LZR-1143 series of zombie novels which were written by Bryan James. It follows a group of people who are trapped in their place of employment as society collapses around them. This novella is quite short and is quite clearly published as a way to entice readers into delving into the full series. The issue I have is that it did not work for me at all and I can't say I have any burning desire to go and buy the rest of the novels.

Don't get me wrong the novella has some good points, as Bryan James does create some believable characters and the scene setting elements were well constructed. It just took too long to get into the action and whilst the characters were believable, they were lacking in depth. If the novella had been lacking in character depth but quicker into the action elements or vice versa then it may have worked better for me.

The biggest issue though is in the lack of originality, there is nothing here which hasn't been covered in many other zombie stories before. I appreciate that it gets harder to find something new in this sub-genre but without it I don't have a reason to read this over any of the other books out there. However, the novella is available for free on Amazon so there is no harm in giving it a go and perhaps you may find something there which I missed and decide to pick up the other stories.

Star Trek: How Much For Just The Planet? - John M. Ford

Title: How Much For Just The Planet?
Author: John M. Ford
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 1987
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“How Much for Just the Planet” is the second and final Star Trek novel penned by John M. Ford. After reading his other novel, “The Final Reflection” I was really looking forward to this as that novel was one of the best Trek novels I have read so far even if it did contradict what is now accepted as Trek Lore. Unfortunately, as you will discover from reading my review, I ended up being thoroughly disappointed.

The plot follows Captain Kirk and some Klingons who arrive at the planet Direidi to try and secure the planet's dilithium supply. Due to the Organian Peace Treaty both the Federation and Klingon Empire most use diplomacy in order to persuade the rather eccentric colonists who live on the planet to let them have mining rights. The colonists however have their own plan on how to deal with these two antagonistic groups which leads to some rather absurd situations.

The novel is quite simply a silly romp in the Trek Universe, there are people just bursting into song, moments of slapstick and multiple references to Gilbert & Sullivan or classic movies. I am sure if these references mean something to you and you like slapstick comedy like The Three Stooges etc. then you may find it enjoyable but I just found it to be ridiculous rather than funny.

The other issue I had with the novel was that the plot was just too convoluted and there was too much going on for me to keep track of. Maybe I could have managed it if the novel also wasn’t full of absurdity but trying to keep on track of everything in amongst the singing, and chaos was very off putting.

In summary I think that a more focused plot and maybe a level of restraint being put on the attempted comic moments would have probably helped me enjoy this novel much more. Don’t get me wrong, there are some funny moments which did have me smiling but overall it just didn’t work for me, probably because I am not really a fan the reference material which was being utilised. I still think that people should probably read this book however because it is so very different from a regular Trek novel and it is nice to see someone attempt a bit of originality.

The Stainless Steel Rat for President (The Stainless Steel Rat Book 5) - Harry Harrison

Title: The Stainless Steel Rat for President (The Stainless Steel Rat Book 5)
Author: Harry Harrison
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 1982
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Stainless Steel Rat for President” is the fifth instalment in Harry Harrison’s amusing and at times quite ridiculous science-fiction series entitled “The Stainless Steel Rat”. This entertaining series has gotten more and more ridiculous and I can't think of anything more ridiculous that Slippery Jim DiGriz fighting for democracy! The plot follows Jim as he undertakes a mission to liberate a backward planet from the clutches of a dictator. Of course, Jim is willing to lie, cheat and steal in order to bring democracy and freedom to the world.

Harrison's writing is as sharp and witty as always and I found the satirical take on Democracy and Dictatorship to be rather amusing. This is probably because I am a bit of a political animal myself but I think this should also appeal to those of you out there who really do think politics is corrupt! Unfortunately, I still found myself becoming a little bit bored as Harrison utilised the same predictable plot-lines we have already seen many times before. I suppose as this is the fifth book in the series I shouldn't be surprised but it would be nice to see Harrison try and mix things up a bit.

The novel is of course still enjoyable and anyone who has read the previous novels in the series will be entertained but I find myself feeling like I should take more of a gap between each book now rather than wanting to jump straight into the next. This isn't really an issue as I have so many books to read but it does show that there is a little bit of series fatigue creeping in.

Star Trek: Dreams of the Raven - Carmen Carter

Title: Dreams of the Raven
Author: Carmen Carter
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 1987
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Review:
“Dreams of the Raven” by Carmen Carter is an Original Series Star Trek novel which is primarily focused around the character of Dr. McCoy. The overall plot follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they attempts to deal with a new and dangerous species who are seemingly able to take control of ships and their crews with relative ease. Unfortunately, the crew aren’t helped by a head injury to Dr. McCoy which has resulted in him losing all his memories from his time in Starfleet. Devoid of all his experiences, he is more of a hindrance than a help as the crew tries to battle the new foe!

The first thing to mention about the plot is that the cause of McCoy’s amnesia is rather silly and quite unimaginative. The concept of his reversion to a younger self however was an interesting one which did keep me intrigued. It was particularly nice seeing how the effect of past experiences could change someone as was evident with McCoy and how he now acted without those experiences. However, I do think that the author maybe went a bit too far at times as some of McCoy’s core personality traits were altered beyond what I felt was realistic. Of course, it could be argued that this was potentially just another aspect of his head injury.

The plot elements around the alien threat itself were rather standard and uninspiring. It wasn’t that long ago that I finished the book but I am already struggling to remember anything of note about these aspects of the plot. Overall, this is probably best described as another average Original Series novel. The amnesia plot is a bit trite in set-up and conclusion but it was nice to see a book dedicated to McCoy and the concept of how the memory loss affected him was interesting. The rest of the story isn’t really anything memorable but it isn’t the worst Star Trek novel I have read.

Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures - Dayton Ward

Title: Drastic Measures
Author: Dayton Ward
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2018
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository

Review:
“Drastic Measures” by Dayton Ward is the second Star Trek: Discovery novel that has been released. The story actually takes place many years prior to the Discovery series but does feature two of its main characters, Gabriel Lorca and Philippa Georgiou. These two Starfleet officers get involved in events as they unfold on the planet Tarsus IV which is suffering from a fungal plague that is ravaging the colony food supplies. Fans of Star Trek should of course be aware of what unfolds on Tarsus IV regarding the colony Governor, Kodos and his decision to murder 4000 colonists in a misguided attempt to save the rest. The novel shows us these events and the aftermath of how Starfleet attempts to hunt him down.

Whilst the events on Tarsus IV have been covered various times in the past it was still interesting to read this latest attempt at taking what we know from the Original Series and bringing it all together. Of course, most readers will know how the overall plot ends but it was still a satisfying read with enough twists to keep me entertained. A particular point which I appreciated was the attempt which Ward makes to provide some insight into the thoughts of Kodos himself and how those around him came to rationalise what they were doing.

In regards to the characters, the portrayals were generally acceptable. It is difficult to really compare Lorca to what we saw on the TV screen as this is the Prime Universe version which we don’t really know that much about. However, his rather stiff persona and stifled emotions, supported by loyalty to his colleagues did seem to work. In regards to Georgiou, well her heroism is quite clear but I didn’t see much of her humour or playfulness on show during the novel. The only other character to comment on is the young Jim Kirk who unsurprisingly makes an appearance and is just as brave as you would expect when you know who he grows up to be.

Overall, I thought the story was well-written and undertook an interesting exploration of an important piece of Trek lore. In all honesty, I am not sure this was really a Discovery novel as it felt more like a prequel to the Original Series and the author has just used two Discovery characters in order to link the two. This isn’t really an issue but readers should be aware that due to this there isn’t any real expansion on what we know about the Discovery and its crew.

The Zombie Generation - Drake Vaughn

Title: The Zombie Generation
Author: Drake Vaughn
Genre: Horror
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
"The Zombie Generation" by Drake Vaughn is an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic zombie genre. The story follows Warner, a survivor who is trying to stay alive in a world overrun by infected people whom he calls "Buggers". What makes things even worse for Warner is that he is quite clearly losing his grip on reality. He is tormented by hallucinations and is no longer sure what is actually real and what isn't.

This novel was anything but a standard zombie story, the zombies themselves were very unique with features such as an obese bodies, a love of alcohol, and the fact that they sleep in piles which can reach the height of a building. In addition, Warner's weak grasp of reality actually leads the reader on an intriguing psychological journey which I found to be just as unique as the zombies themselves. Warner's hallucinations result in him being the epitome of an unreliable narrator which kept me wondering if what was happening was actually real or not.

In regards to the characters, the book is centred around Warner and his life alone so unless you feel like an overweight, alcoholic zombie, I suspect he is the only characters that a reader can actually relate to. I felt that Vaughn has done a great job in bringing him to life as everything he does comes across as natural. His choices and actions were realistic, especially when you consider the world he has survived and how well his sanity is holding up. I actually gave a damn about him as the main characters which is something I always appreciate in a book.

My only real issue with the book is that the plot could be a little bit slow at times. This was exacerbated by some of the background information that Vaughn decided to include in the story. Don't get me wrong, I like to know about the history of a world but not when seemingly unrelated and overly detailed points cause the story to actually drag.

Overall, I did find this story entertaining enough with the rather different take on the zombie genre keeping me intrigued from start to finish. I can imagine that some people may dislike the unreliability of Warner's narrative but this is the very thing which helps give it a unique feeling.

Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference - Christopher L. Bennett

Title: Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference
Author: Christopher L. Bennett
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2017
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository

Review:
“Patterns of Interference” by Christopher L. Bennett is the fifth novel in the “Birth of the Federation” series which continues the adventures of the crew from Star Trek Enterprise. This book was probably the weakest in this series which is a shame as up until now I had been finding the series to be incredibly enjoyable.

The novel is set in the first few months of 2166 as the federation continues to deal with multiple issues. The main plot point however is in relation to the planet Sauria and the dictator, Maltuvis who is determined to undermine the Federation in order to cement his own power. Into this dangerous situation comes Tucker who is determined to undermine Maltuvis's authority in a manner which could also bring down Section 31 as well. This is supported by various other plotlines such as Hoshi and the crew of the Endeavor on the world Birnam who are dealing with what could be a sentient race of Dryads. In addition, we also get to see the growth in relationship between Malcolm Reed & Caroline Paris

I suppose the reason why this book disappointed me in comparison to the earlier books is that it simply felt like a filler and it feels like Bennett is sometimes struggling to give some characters interesting things to do. I worry that the series appears to be turning into “The Adventures of Trip” rather than properly progressing all the characters and delving into some of the open plot points from the series.

What Bennett does do well is that he once again showcases his understanding of the characters in the Enterprise universe and his skill at bringing them to the page. I just didn’t feel as entertained as I had with the previous entries in the series although this doesn’t make “Patterns of Interference” a bad book, it just makes it an average book.

Overall, this is still a reasonably solid Trek novel but it just didn’t capture my attention to the same extent as the previous novels. I am hoping that in the next book we will see some of these plots get closed down and maybe give less page time to Trip!