Geoff TrowbridgeCritiques

2/3 of these are "look how bad things would be if" stories - the other is basically a utopia, although I have some serious questions about whether it would really be all that good. I enjoyed all three, though, in a very fanfictional mode of "what-ifs."

The best perhaps was the first, which springs from an alternate timeline, although it would have been better if it could have been longer and shown rather than told more about the experience of being an Andorian.

Having enjoyed the first and third of the "Myriad Universe" collections of Star Trek novellas set in alternate universes, I looked forward to reading the middle one. When it arrived, I dug in and wasn't disappointed by the stories inside, all of which involve major reimaginings of the Trek universes with which fans are familiar.

"The Chimes at Midnight" by Geoff Trowbridge — Premised on a "what if" dating back to the animated series of Spock dying as a child, it imagines the role his replacement, an Andorian named Thelen, would have done during the events chronicled in the Star Trek movies. This was my least favorite of the three, in part because of the setting (let's face it, most of the original Star Trek movies were not the franchise at their best) and the story doesn't so much end as trail off.

"A Gutted World" by Keith R. A. DeCandido — This one takes the very premise of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series and runs with it in a different direction by premising a Cardassian discovery of the wormhole prior to their abandonment of Bajor. Using the entire series as a template, DeCandido then examines the impact of the discovery of the Dominion on an even less prepared Alpha Quadrant. It's a very grim story (which is part of the fun), though DeCandido's seeming need to name check dozens of characters from most of the various series and non-canon works gets tiresome pretty quickly.

Brave New World by Chris Roberson — Drawing together elements from throughout the Next Generation series, Roberson imagines a Federation in which Data was just the first of thousands of androids. This was my favorite of the three, both for the story itself (in which the Enterprise-E visits an android world) and Roberson's re-imagining of the Next Generation universe in which androids and the technology to create them is commonplace. His story hints at any number of rich possibilities, suggesting the considerable amount of thought the author put into realizing the world depicted in his story.

As with the other two collections, Echoes and Refractions offers entertaining storytelling that offers something refreshing for even longtime fans of the franchise. As with the others, I found myself wanting to delve further into the possibilities of the universes the authors imagine (well, DCandido's and Roberson's at any rate), but evidently the concept wasn't viewed as a success. For this, however, little blame can be attached to the authors, for their tales are never less than entertaining.

I was mostly unfamiliar with Andorians except beyond knowing they were blue, hairy, and had antennae. The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge gave a most thorough background into this alien race. The reader follows two separate characters: Thelin (an Andorian) and David Marcus (James T. Kirk's estranged son). Thelin is Kirk's closest friend and First Officer of the Enterprise. David is a scientist who creates the Genesis Project in the hopes of making uninhabitable worlds fertile and livable for those looking to colonize new areas of space. When the secret of this innovation is leaked to the Klingons war is threatened. (Note: There's a rather explicit scene of torture in this book so if you're squeamish be aware.) Most troubling of all in this universe, Spock never lived beyond childhood. :'-( 7/10

War, war, war. A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido is chock full of violence and destruction as war rages across the galaxy. The Cardassians still occupy Terok Nor (DS9 reference for the uninitiated) and the Klingons and Romulans are at each other's throats. The Federation is pulled into the fray and devastating losses are piling up on all sides. Kira Nerys with the aid of Garak and Odo are trying to convince the Federation that all is not as it seems. I don't want to give too much away because it's pretty spoiler-y for Deep Space Nine even though it's an alternate reality timeline. 7/10

Brave New World written by Chris Roberson was absolutely brilliant. In this iteration, Data is not the only Soong-type android in existence. In fact, he's one of the earliest of many. When the Federation decides to limit their rights to full citizenship Data and many of his fellows resign their Starfleet commissions and drop off of the grid entirely. The story picks up 10 years later when Data inexplicably returns with a request for assistance from the Enterprise. Many familiar faces are still onboard including Chief Engineer Wesley Crusher and First Officer Geordi La Forge. (They've also perfected brain uploads in this universe which is frankly terrifying.) I so badly want to tell you the big shocker of this book but that would really kill it for you. Just read it! 10/10

Really a volume with three stand alone stories, each of which is novel size and could have been published separately. All are "What If" stories.

"The Chimes at Midnight" asks "What if Spock had died at age 7 and was never there for Jim Kirk or the Enterprise when needed." Kirk still commands the Enterprise but his first officer is an Andorian. All the other characters are there and David survives, but Kirk doesn't and then...

"A Gutted World" has us on a non-liberated Bajor but Kira still becomes a hero. Worf commands Sisco and Scott on the Defiant and the Founders get to do a lot of damage.

"Brave New World" sees Data and Lore and a lot of other androids living on a world in the Neutral Zone with a gateway technology leftover from a long dead race called the Iconians.

A must read for any staid Star Trek fan. There a very few characters missing, except for the earlier Enterprise series people.

The second volume of the Myriad Universes series likewise contains three short novels: The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge, A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Brave New World by Chris Roberson. My favorite of these was DeCandido's A Gutted World; he once again demonstrates that he is the master of capturing character in this or any other universe, as we see how the characters we know and love would have developed had things gone slightly differently in 2369. It's a solid look at people we know in desperate circumstances, and Keith's use of continuity is as adept as ever, never obtrusive.

Geoff Trowbridge's tale is decent, but not quite as successful: his prose and characterization are somewhat awkward and the continuity occasionally gratuitous (for example, was there any need to explain the rank of Colonel West?). His Thelin is a good character, not quite as I'd imagined him, but that's all right, and his David Marcus and Saavik actually somewhat compelling. The alternate view of the original series films was also very chilling.

Chris Roberson's tale has perhaps the most fascinating premise of all six stories-- what if Soong-type androids were in widespread use throughout Starfleet and the Federation? There's some very interesting ideas here in the best sf traditions, and I really like his alternate versions of the TNG crew (even Wesley), as well as new character A. Isaac. The implications of the end are disturbing (such as the fate of Lore-- never thought I'd feel sorry for him), but it works in the frame of the story.

Overall, the first two Myriad Universes volumes have been an unreserved success, opening up Star Trek in a new way, which is always a good thing. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between A Less Perfect Union and A Gutted World, but I enjoyed almost all of the stories quite a bit. I look forward to the future planned installments in the series, though I'd like to see those utilize some new formats: full novels, short stories, &c.