Love letter to Star Trek: New Frontier

[wraith1701]

Someone once said "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." 



This is how I feel each time I complete on of Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier books.  For those who haven't had the pleasure to check the series out, let me give you a little background:

The series follows the adventures of Capt. Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur.  Calhoun is a Xenexian, a near-human race known for their martial prowess and purple eyes. 


Capt. Calhoun

After leading his enslaved people in the overthrow of their ruthless oppressors, the Danteri, a teenaged Mackenzie Calhoun (or, in Xenexian, M'k'n'zy of Calhoun) has an encounter with the Captain of the U.S.S. Stargazer- Jean-Luc Picard.  Inspired by a semi-mystical vision, Calhoun leaves his war-torn world behind and joins Starfleet, with Picard as his unofficial mentor.

  Because of his prior life as a warlord, Calhoun's transition to the Starfleet way of life is... a bit rocky.  He quickly earns a reputation as a maverick, and a loose cannon.  To the dismay of his detractors, however, his unorthodox style and attitude nearly always lead him to success.  After leaving Starfleet for a period of time, Calhoun is convinced to return by Picard, and takes command of the Ambassador-Class Starship Excalibur.  His mission:  to patrol the largely unexplored Sector 221-G; a chaotic and often dangerous region which is home to the recently fallen Thallonian Empire.  It seems that Calhoun's "cowboy-diplomacy" way of dealing with adversity makes him the perfect man for the job...


          The Excalibur

This series has 2 things that keep me coming back for more.  First and foremost is Peter David's writing style.  He manages to consistently mix humor and action, with just a dash of raciness, in each and every installment. 

The second thing is the fact that the characters are fully fleshed out.  In fact, they seem as "real" to me as the characters we see on the Trek movies and TV shows.  Of course, part of this is due to the fact that several of the key characters are folks who we have seen on episodes of The Next Generation.  For example-

Elizabeth Shelby.  Calhoun's primary romantic interest was first seen in the episode The Best of Both Worlds. (you know, the one with the Borg?)



  It seems that these two have a history that predates Shelby's appearance on TNG.  Matters are complicated, however.  As the series begins, Shelby is Calhoun's first officer, which makes the tension that exists between them a little... inappropriate.


Dr.  Selar. 



The Chief Medical Officer of the Excalibur was glimpsed on several episodes of The Next Generation, where she served as part of Dr. Crusher's support staff.

Lieutenant Robin Lefler serves as Engineer on the Excalibur, as well as liaison to the Thallonian ambassador Si Cwan.



She appeared in two Next Generation Episodes, where she was played by Ashly Judd.

Admiral Edward Jellico.



Early on in the series, Jellico is one of Calhoun's chief detractors. 

I think this series is outstanding.  Over the course of 16 books (and counting), the characters have grown and evolved so naturally, it is easy to suspend disbelief.  The dangers they face seem real, as do the lighter moments.  And as much as I enjoy reading the different Next Generation books, this series has a distinct advantage-- every book is written by the same author, which makes the series much more consistent than the Next Generation books. 

If you haven't checked the series out yet, I strongly recommend that you do. 

And if anyone out there is following the series, I'd like to hear what you think of it. 

[Ktrek]

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. I do think the earlier books are stronger but that does not mean that the latter books are not worth your time. Like you I love Peter David's style and have found his humor to be much like my own. He always makes me laugh out loud. I hope that we will see a continuation of the series soon.

Kevin

[Rico]

This is one set of Trek books I haven't had a chance to check out yet.  But thanks for the comments and review.  I'll definitely give them a read now.

[Blackride]

Sounds interesting. Maybe I will give it a shot.

[jedijeff]

Thanks for the review on this, does sound very interesting. Will check the books out sometime.

[wraith1701]

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. I do think the earlier books are stronger but that does not mean that the latter books are not worth your time. Like you I love Peter David's style and have found his humor to be much like my own. He always makes me laugh out loud. I hope that we will see a continuation of the series soon.

Kevin

Hi, Kevin. 

Have you read up to the latest book, Missing In Action?  I'm curious as to what your reaction was to the way the Si Cwan/Kalinda/New Thallon plotline was tied up?

For me, it was sheer disbelief!  I was convinced that David would pull the ol' switcheroo, or that he was simply leading the reader to think one thing only to later reveal that something else had happened.  I was genuinely caught off guard by the way things turned out.  :o