You must login (register) to review.
Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 17 Aug 2020 14:46 Title: 30 - Agamemnon, 2372

Both really nice counseling sessions. I see what you mean about Vej being an essential component of this team. Again, refreshing to see a shrink presented in a positive light considering the prevailing trope of the useless psychologist/psychiatrist that runs through both modern fiction and science fiction.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Glad you're enjoying Vej. He was a fun character to write. And counselors just get a bad rep. Sometimes they are invaluable and in Maya's case, somebody she can truly rely on.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 17 Aug 2020 14:29 Title: 29 - Agamemnon, 2372

Totally onboard with Maya's reasoning why she needs to lead the assault. Also please to see that Glover, while rambunctious and veyr much the take charge sort is supporting her. 

Nice characturization - no one fits into simple buckets.

Also a good moment with Queen Ket quitting the room in discomfort and dismay.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I'm not sure if Starfleet Command would agree with Maya on her reasoning. Glover is captain more in the vain of Kirk than Picard, so it makes sense that he supports her decision.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 14 Aug 2020 16:42 Title: 28 - New Xenarth (Iota Crucis IV), 2372

So they need the Artisan Queen next.. and there is one...

The cycle of queens reminds me of the Avatar cycle - Water, Earth, Fire, Air

And it appears the Warrior Queen has learned nothing. When do they ever?

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: It's definitely a cyclical thing with these Xenarth. Everybody gets a turn. Sometimes that's not a good thing. Case in point, when you clearly do not posses the wisdom to be a good leader.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 14 Aug 2020 16:34 Title: 27 - Agamemnon, 2372

Good action sequence and a good fast read. I really liked the interaction on the bridge and the sense that Maya is finally getting her captain's legs under her. 

Nice transparant prose that stays out of the way of the story.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Oh yeah, action has to be fast when I write it. I find slow and prose heavy action somewhat counterintuitive. Of course, it doesn't work for everybody but I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 13 Aug 2020 14:27 Title: 26 - Iota Crucis IV, 2267

Given how delicious the cliff-hanger from the previous chapter was, I was almost reluctant to rejoin Bob Wesley - and he's easily my favorite character in this story. 

It's astounding how poor the fanatic can be at math. There's always an error in their calculations when judgement day fails to arrive on schedule.

And it looks like the the insects are fighting the same battles in this century that Maya is seeing.

Really nice cultural depth on these bugs. Pretty sure this plot would have picked up the Harlan Ellison stamp of approval.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: High praise. Thanks. I do enjoy putting off resolutions to big cliffhangers. Maybe it's that whole pleasure-delaying effect. It certainly helps with building tension.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 13 Aug 2020 14:10 Title: 25 - Agamemnon, 2372

"Glover and Donners exchanged a concerned look across the table, both of them fully aware how difficult it would be to argue against a religious motive. It would throw reason and common sense right out of the airlock."

Allow me to add: "Amen."

And would that be a shock wave gavelling the meeting to a close?

Nice cliffhanger!  Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Religion and spirituality can be a great thing, but not when it is mixed in with fundamentalism and guiding your every thought and decision. I don't envy starship captains trying to argue with people who are so completely entrenched in their positions.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 13 Aug 2020 13:55 Title: 24 - New Xenarth (Iota Crucis IV), 2372

Okay - fanatically religious insects willing to destroy their world in search of eternal salvation... And insectoid manifest destiny... What is science fiction for if not for this? I just really love these bugs.

If only this book could become a bestseller before the 2020 election...

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Politics were not an inspiration for me when I wrote this story, honest. Although sci-fi is supposed to hold up a mirror to contemporary society. I always strife for that. The Xenarth are a bit intense, I'll give you that.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 11 Aug 2020 18:03 Title: 23 - Agamemnon, 2372

And that most charismatic of all borg... Hugh! And not as deus-ex machina but as a separate force to be reckoned with.

The plot thickens..

I had forgotten about the borg type 3 vessel - nice description of it. Not as powerful as a cube, but more than a match for the romulans or Star Fleet.

Glover seems an interesting addition. Could be as much a hinderance as a help. 

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Terrence Glover is a creation of another follow United Trek writer, Darkush. A mainstay of his Dark Territory series. I just mentioned that Wesley is the calm and contemplative type, Glover is not that. So yeah, hopefully that will make for an interesting pairing with our rookie starship captain Maya Donners.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 11 Aug 2020 15:59 Title: 22 - Lexington, 2267

I looked up Bob Wesley in Memory Alpha and you seem to present him pretty much as both the original and cartoon series did, calm and thoughtful in the face of danger. A very adroitly handled first contact situation and also expertly handling his crew. He just makes every scene pop in this story.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy Wesley. In many ways he's the anti-Kirk. He's not the gang-ho, action type, instead he's more cautious and contemplative. Maybe closer to Picard.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 11 Aug 2020 15:37 Title: 21 - Agamemnon, 2372

And the borg scramble everybody's eggs...

The enemy of my enemy - but which enemy?

Another nice cliffhanger and entirely unexpected. 

But then.. "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!!"

I really enjoyed the ploy on intersteller law.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I knew I didn't work enough Monty Python references into my writing. In my defense, I do have some references to Gilbert & Sullivan (not in this one)

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 07 Aug 2020 18:48 Title: 20 - Khazara, 2372

Ahhh - sweet! A capable romulan who is also a fairly deep one. This opens several really good storyline possibilities.

As a writer, you tend to play your cards close to the chest - nice slow buildup here and gradual reveal of character points for the romulans as well as a witches brew on the Agamemnon. 

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I try to be conscious of pacing, sometimes, I know I go too slow. That's why I like starting stories off with a bang, similar to a TV show teaser, before we are setting into the slow build-up. It may be a bit formulaic but it seems to work most times.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 07 Aug 2020 18:36 Title: 19 - Agamemnon, 2372

Nice! The cat provides the solution to the problem... That cat really pops - easily the most fun thing on the ship. 

Good third-party character development on Daystrom - the sleeper issue. And good ephiphany moment.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Cosmo is one of my favorite characters as well! He's not getting enough page-time.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 07 Aug 2020 18:15 Title: 18 - Agamemnon, 2372

A very nice romulan pickle. Commander Toreth is quite an adroit antagonist - which is refreshing. Very nice build to this point and a good cliffhanger.

I'm enjoying seeing Maya still getting her sea legs as a commander and having to learn as she goes. Really good caracturization for both of these leads. And not lost that we have a high stakes situation hinging on four female leads.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I always liked the guile of Romulans and they tend to get a bad rap. Toreth was actually a really likable character in TNG and I wanted to keep that going here. Make her formidable and dangerous but also avoid her being just another cookie-cutter villain. She is also far more experienced than Amaya and I really wanted to show that here.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 06 Aug 2020 18:24 Title: 17 - Lexington, 2267

Wesley is a very charismatic character and comes off more than a little like Kirk. Very good characterization. I have a clear mental picture of him - just not certain where it comes from. 

Really good captain's dialogue - which can be a challenge to write. The Lexington chapters of this story and especially Wesley really pop.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I'm continue to be gratified that you like the TOS and Lexington chapters. I believe I wrote all of those chronologically separately and then interlaced them with the Agamemnon plot to make them feel more consistent. It might have worked out.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 06 Aug 2020 18:13 Title: 16 - Khazara, 2372

Tomalak returns! One of my favorite oily romulans. It looks like Toreth is a good gambler. Nice presentation of a variety of divisions within the romulan culture and of Toreth. More interesting backstory emerging about the Xenarth and their relations with the Federation.

 

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I've gone all canon with my Romulans. Well, at leas the main ones. Toreth also appeared in TNG, in the episode where she had to deal with Troi as a fake Tal Shiar agent.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 06 Aug 2020 16:52 Title: 15 - Agamemnon, 2372

Nice to see an effective and not overly obsequious bolian officer. Just because they're nice doesn't mean they can't be tough - they're just nice about it...

The breaking in of new staff provides a nice B story to the A story - one in which the protagonists (antagonists) think they are the A story. Very entertaining.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Thanks. Texx may be an easy-going Bolian dude, but he's also a Starfleet command officer and when the occasion requires it, he can lay down the law.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 05 Aug 2020 18:28 Title: 14 - Agamemnon, 2372

Short answer - nope. So if that is the original Ket, that would be a very old bug. I'm surprised the species survived their first encounter with Omega. Very interesting and a nice echo to have the Xendi involved as members of the crew. 

 

Hotheads sparking off each other is a time honored Star Trek trope. In that moment Maya sounds more like Kate Mulgrew, whom my wife referred to as Star Fleet's most exasperated captain. "There's coffee in that nebula..."

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I don't believe Ket is the same queen we've seen in the 23rd century. Although, if I remember right, they were related.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 03 Aug 2020 18:50 Title: 13 - Lexington, 2267

I remember those funky original series conference rooms - but had forgotten about it until this description. And those funky microtapes that held less information than a floppy disc. Total memory lane!

Excellent discussion - and simultaneous characterization of the obnoxious scientist, the doctor, the engineer and the science officer. It moves the plot at the same time as exposing the characters. Really excellent little chapter. And the description of the conference room and its funky technology really made it pop old school.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Glad you enjoyed this retro look at Starfleet. I think I mentioned this before, but I was really trying to highlight these little details in the chapters focused on the Lexington to give it that old-timey feel. Looks like it may have paid off.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 31 Jul 2020 18:57 Title: 12 - Agamemnon, 2372

So one of the queens survived? Interesting...

I am also amused by the presence of a Xendi bug on the crew. 

The kerfuffle between DoSoto and Allenby is amusing and engaging - still awaiting its resolution..

Lots of nice buildup and an unexpected plot twist. Sweet!

Thanks!!! rbs



Author's Response: Much more on the Xenarth of the 24th century to come. I cannot recall if I decided to go with a Xindi insectoid as part of the crew before or after deciding on the Xenarth story. But it definitely adds an interesting aspect to it as the plot progresses.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 31 Jul 2020 18:42 Title: 11 - Agamemnon, 2372

Nice presentation of the science team at work and a really good ethical discussion in relation to science. Now the value of having a Daystrom aboard comes into focus. I really enjoyed the characturization of the scientist vs. the pragmatist. 

I also really liked Daystrom calling out what a cliche the eugenics reference was. Pretty much similar to everyone calling out "Hitler" every time they're faced with something they don't like. 

One of the biggest disadvantages to such cliches is that there are things that are potentially worse than Hitler - or a eugenics lab.

 

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I think I wanted to make clear, that although the Akira-class is often linked to a warship or gunboat, this is still, primarily a Starfleet vessel dedicated to science and exploration. And the scientists on board a professionals. I'm not sure if the Eugenics War has become a cliche but I'm certain it keep popping up in Trek and it certainly is a valuable lesson. But I can see that it is also used frequently by people worried about unchecked scientific progress to try stymie or slow down eager researchers.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 31 Jul 2020 18:23 Title: 10 - Agamemnon, 2372

Well... It sounded like a good idea at the time... 

I like the fact that the 1st Offiicer's plan appears to have backfired. Provides verisimilitude. And both young officers in question definitely needed a lesson in self control. Count on Professor Volta to provide such lessons...

I like these kind of B (or even D) stories - especially when they go awry.

I also liked the link between Maya and Wesley. Puts the A/B story into context.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Thanks. Clearly there is no easy answer to this, seemingly trivial, interpersonal conflict. And it isn't the only one aboard.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 30 Jul 2020 18:02 Title: 9 - Lexington, 2267

Excellent reacitons on the part of Commodore Wesley it's nice that going back and forth in time, that the older generation of Star Fleet isn't shown as operationally less capable than the current version.

There's a certain style to Original Series Trek (TOS) that comes through particuarly in Wesley. I get a really clear picture of him in my mind. Only for some reason I keep picture him wearing a blue uniform.

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Thanks, and yeah, I definitely wanted to make this crew, particularly Wesley, come across as professional and very capable. It's a century before Donners and Agamemnon and they certainly didn't have the benefit of that accumulated knowledge, but that doesn't mean that they didn't know their stuff.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 29 Jul 2020 16:50 Title: 8 - Agamemnon, 2372

Roll opening credits. Nice description of the Omega particle and good dialogue between the captain and admiral. I particularly liked the banter between the bolian and andorian officers and especially the character development of the first officer. 

Interesting to have a Lt. Commander as 1st officer on a ship with a crew of 500 - he must have done really well on those exams (and, like most bolians, had some well placed friends pulling for him.)

Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: I liked to have a younger officer as the XO on this story. We know Starfleet isn't as strict about which ranks can hold which positions as say contemporary militaries. That's why we regularly get to see full-rank captains in command of smaller ships, which I know drives military purists crazy.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 29 Jul 2020 16:25 Title: 7 - Agamemnon, 2372

Refreshing to see a positive spin on a ship's counselor. The counselor in Stargate Atlantis was a total washout. I was unaware that Ulians were telepathic. But then the only ones I recall seeing were seedy merchants in STNG. Interesting to see one serving in Star Fleet. 

Also enjoyable to see a quartermaster - a role I didn't think of for STH (but with a crew of 35, not really needed as a separate role.) Good characterization on that individual. Again, good crisp visuals that really help put the reader in the story.

Thanks! rbs



Author's Response: Thanks, I'm glad you liked my counselor. He is certainly an integral part of the crew and also part of Maya's inner circle. In a break from tradition I also decided to make him a civilian rather than a Starfleet officer. Should you ever be interested in how Maya got her command, I recommend you check out the short story "And a Star to Steer her By" which is part of my vignette series "Crossing Over". It's not on Ad Astra but you can find it at StarEagleAdventures.com. That story pretty much works as a prequel to The God Particle.

Reviewer: Robert Bruce Scott Signed Liked [Report This]
Date: 29 Jul 2020 16:13 Title: 6 - Lexington, 2267

I'm assuming the Lexington and crew are about to wipe some bug guts off their deflector screens...

Great comment about the seat belts - lots of people mentioned that oversight about Trek classic and the 2009 reboot included them. The bit aobut the Commodore peering into the viewer is an oft referenced Trek meme that probably has its genesis in Shatner's acting. All of these classic memes give the scene a classic Trek feel. 

I definitely have a mental image of both Wesley and Ketteract - largely from the actors who played Pike in the original premiere and the very familiar actor who was the scientist in the STNG episode about the nanites. 

Crisp. Thanks!! rbs



Author's Response: Glad the classic Trek feel continues to resonate so well. I should probably point out here that Commodore Wesley and the crew of the Lexington are the creation of my fellow United Trek writer David Falkayn (http://unitedtrek.org/star-trek-lexington/). Wesley did actually appear in the original series episode in which the Enterprise was taken over by a new computer designed by Richard Daystrom and was pitted against other Starfleet ships in a war game. One of those was the Lexington under Wesley.

You must login (register) to review.