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defcons_treklitFor most parts a fun novel, but with some flaws.
To start with the flaws : In my opinion a Dixon Hill novel might have worked (even) better if the author had not tried to combine the setting with a Science Fiction story. The implemented log entries threw me out of the story every time. And at least for me it wasn’t necessary to make the case important through endangering the Enterprise, in my opinion it could have been just an ordinary Dixon Hill case with a Star Trek frame (i.E. Prologue & Epilogue). One thing I haven’t really understood was, why the Heart (or any other thing from outside) would vanish if the program/Holo Deck would be shut down ? Was that established anywhere onscreen ? In one of the last log entries Picard states, that humans (what about Klingons and Betazoids? If I were Worf or Troi I wouldn’t go into a Holodeck) and clothes are save and he wants to suggest a safety protocol to protect other things from outside. Even if we assume that he meant living things in general when he said humans, what about Data? For the computer scans he should be a piece of Equipment, just as the Heart of the Adjuster. We have seen him inside Holodecks while they shut down and he hasn’t vanished, so he’s protected somehow. They know the Holodeck isn’t functioning very stable why not using the same program protecting Data to protect an as vital piece of equipment ? The last thing I didn’t liked much was the solution of the Heart case. I don’t know if D.W. Smith found it extremely clever or funny, that Spot had “stolen” it, but I just think it’s extremely unsatisfying. And, by the way, I could accept that Data and Geordi don’t hear someone sneaking in and stealing the Heart, but shouldn’t they have heard when Spot is playing with it ? I don’t think the cat would be extremely stealthy when doing it.
Now you might ask why I gave it the relatively positive rating of 70 %, when I found it to be so flawed. That has to do with my opening statement, “A Hard Rain” definitely is a fun novel. This is one of those novels where the whole is more than just the sum of its pieces, D.W. Smith’s wonderful imitation of those trivial murder mystery scenarios, with all its cliché characters is just to amusing to read to overrate the above mentioned flaws. Even Data’s over the top eagerness to quote mystery stories somehow fits into the world. Is “A Hard Rain” a must read ? Probably not, but if you like those Who has done it? mystery stories you definitely should take a look.
Overall the Dixon Hill setting has its potential with its “trivial” (murder) mystery background combined with the characters of TNG, but at least here D.W. Smith tried to hard to combine it with a Science Fiction frame to get a better than O.K. rating.
”Defcon’s TrekLit” Rating :
Story : *** of *****
Characterization / character development : **** of *****
Originality : *** of *****
Writing style : *** of *****
Cover : *** of *****
Overall : 70 %
To start with the flaws : In my opinion a Dixon Hill novel might have worked (even) better if the author had not tried to combine the setting with a Science Fiction story. The implemented log entries threw me out of the story every time. And at least for me it wasn’t necessary to make the case important through endangering the Enterprise, in my opinion it could have been just an ordinary Dixon Hill case with a Star Trek frame (i.E. Prologue & Epilogue). One thing I haven’t really understood was, why the Heart (or any other thing from outside) would vanish if the program/Holo Deck would be shut down ? Was that established anywhere onscreen ? In one of the last log entries Picard states, that humans (what about Klingons and Betazoids? If I were Worf or Troi I wouldn’t go into a Holodeck) and clothes are save and he wants to suggest a safety protocol to protect other things from outside. Even if we assume that he meant living things in general when he said humans, what about Data? For the computer scans he should be a piece of Equipment, just as the Heart of the Adjuster. We have seen him inside Holodecks while they shut down and he hasn’t vanished, so he’s protected somehow. They know the Holodeck isn’t functioning very stable why not using the same program protecting Data to protect an as vital piece of equipment ? The last thing I didn’t liked much was the solution of the Heart case. I don’t know if D.W. Smith found it extremely clever or funny, that Spot had “stolen” it, but I just think it’s extremely unsatisfying. And, by the way, I could accept that Data and Geordi don’t hear someone sneaking in and stealing the Heart, but shouldn’t they have heard when Spot is playing with it ? I don’t think the cat would be extremely stealthy when doing it.
Now you might ask why I gave it the relatively positive rating of 70 %, when I found it to be so flawed. That has to do with my opening statement, “A Hard Rain” definitely is a fun novel. This is one of those novels where the whole is more than just the sum of its pieces, D.W. Smith’s wonderful imitation of those trivial murder mystery scenarios, with all its cliché characters is just to amusing to read to overrate the above mentioned flaws. Even Data’s over the top eagerness to quote mystery stories somehow fits into the world. Is “A Hard Rain” a must read ? Probably not, but if you like those Who has done it? mystery stories you definitely should take a look.
Overall the Dixon Hill setting has its potential with its “trivial” (murder) mystery background combined with the characters of TNG, but at least here D.W. Smith tried to hard to combine it with a Science Fiction frame to get a better than O.K. rating.
”Defcon’s TrekLit” Rating :
Story : *** of *****
Characterization / character development : **** of *****
Originality : *** of *****
Writing style : *** of *****
Cover : *** of *****
Overall : 70 %
