by Robert E. Vardeman “Zarv’s entire family had been killed by the Romulans in a brief incursion years before.  His hatred for them and all they stood for transcended mere duty; it took on personal overtones.” This is a direct sequel to Mr. Vardeman’s “The Klingon Gambit,” and it is just as wretched, ridiculous, and poorly-written as its predecessor. Even though Enterprise and her crew are in desperate need of repairs and rest after their last mission, they are given a trio of ambassadors and […]

by A.C. Crispin  “I wish that once, just once, I could command a mission where everything goes perfectly.  Everything.  The transporter functions without a hitch, both the warp drive and the impulse engines stay on-line for the duration, nobody from security suffers so much as a hangnail, and the ship’s computer doesn’t even hiccup.”  Since this a sequel to the same author’s “Yesterday’s Son,” I decided to read it out of order.  It’s actually #39 in the Pocketbooks series, while “Yesterday’s Son” is #11.  I […]

by A.C. Crispin  “I specified clearance for three, Captain.  Taking into account Dr. McCoy’s predictable penchant for rushing in where angels fear to tread, I reasoned he would attempt this.  There is usually a logical pattern to his illogical behavior.”  Remember when Spock and McCoy found themselves transported through time 5,000 years into the past, into the middle of an ice age? And Spock reverted to pre-Surak Vulcanism and ate meat? And had a brief, passionate affair with a woman named Zarabeth? When Spock and […]