Orion's Hounds
Star Trek Titan Series, No. 3
by Christopher L Bennett
Following the events covered in the last Star Trek film concerning Shinzon and the Remans,
Riker has accepted the post of captain at last and has his own ship, Titan. This
is an exploratory vessel and has just gone beyond the reaches of known space to the Gum
Nebula, when all the telepaths on board are assailed by a vast cry of pain. Vast creatures
known as star jellies roam space, but are being preyed upon by a local avian species.
Riker decides that it is time to put a stop to this, but is this the whole story?
Star Trek succeeds where other SF series fail -or at least fall short- in not merely
telling an exciting story of exploration and strange alien beings, but in exploring the
characters and their relationships. We already know some of the characters here, but
many have never appeared on the screen. Thus, readers are able to enjoy some more arcane
life forms than might grace their television sets. The Titan is trying to break the
mold and be a ship with the most diverse species as its crew, and part of the story describes
the ups and downs of this inevitably difficult crew. There is also the suggestion that
meddling in other species' affairs might not always be in their best interests, but to
say more would spoil the story.
The book could stand editing in some places, but on the whole it is a good one, marrying
the best tradition of Star Trek in being about an exploratory vessel, but also providing
a thought-provoking story about the relationship between hunters and prey, the joys and
pitfalls of being part of a "mixed" group, and the ethics of getting involved with others' conflicts. |
The Book |
Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster) |
March 2006 |
Paperback |
141650950X |
SF/TV Tie-in |
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UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Various Star Trek Planets |
The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: |
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