Star Trek- Indistinguishable from Magic

Star Trek: The Next Generation- Indistinguishable from Magic

By David A McIntee

2 Out of 5 Covers

Despite taking its title from the famous Arthur C. Clarke quote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” there is very magical about this addition to the Star Trek saga.  In fact it is a misnomer, as there is nothing sufficiently advanced to make the technology seem like magic. 

Taking place after the last Next Generation movie, this particular volume focuses on Geordi LaForge as he takes an assignment with Montgomery Scott to investigate a temporal anomaly.  Throw in a few other minor characters from the series such as Guinan and Nog, and it could be a nice nostalgic visit to the Star Trek universe.  But the author pushes and pulls the story in so many directions that it comes across more as implausible and chaotic.

First off, the book is actually two separate stories.  The first involves some villains from the television series, a charlatan from the past and a Ferengi who blames Picard for the death of his son,  attempting to use a temporal anomaly to travel back in time and change their pasts.  The second sees the starship flung across space and, in trying to find their way home, coincidentally allows them to discover the fate of LaForge’s mother.  Somehow, this at some point involved an attack by zombies.  

That last statement sums up the sort of problems I encountered during reading.  There were too many things that didn’t belong in a Star Trek story. 

Additionally, the author relies on the readers’ nostalgia for the television series to inform the characterization and history that exists between the characters.  This means that instead of bringing the characters to life, the characters are flat and the history oblique.  While it is unlikely that someone would read this book without already being the fan of the series, it should still be accessible without an encyclopedic knowledge of the show.

As this book takes place after the movies, it gives the writers the freedom to have the characters progress and their actions to have consequences beyond a single book; but such freedom is a two-edge sword. In this case it is a long journey for a small amount of progress.