[Report This]Date: 07 Dec 2009 11:44 Title: With the Hammer Down
First story I read by you, and thus first of your series (sorry if I messed up the supposedly correct order of reading, if there is one), but I had to start from here. The name Farragut has always been a "soft spot" name for me. Don't really know why, I just find it fascinating.
Anyway, this is a very fine story, beautifully written and very well thought. I loved the constant thrill of the "almost there but not quite" situation, and living it in parallel with what I know from Best Of Both Worlds has made things even more pacing and enjoyable.
While bitter-sweet ending is very well crafted, I can't help but having the feeling that it's a bit forced. Probably even someone as Necheyev would let something like that slip past in such an incredibly unusual situation. But that's not the point of the story anyway, I suppose.
I'll dive into the rest of The Quarterdeck Breed stories in the future, that's sure ;)
Author's Response:
Farragut could be considered my 'test story' for the Star Trek: Full Speed Ahead series (also located here at Ad Astra). The adventures of that ship and crew continue within that series, which has six episodes so far and seventh on the way (long in coming).
Thank you for your compliments, and with respect to the ending... when I wrote it, I was trying really hard to not re-write the whole episode of Best of Both Worlds, Part II. It seemed redundant to try, so I skipped ahead to the reprimanding scene with Necheyev, and given the information gleaned from the minor scenes with her in TNG and DS9, I felt like she would be this demanding in having her authority challenged openly by a Captain.
Enjoy the rest of The Quarterdeck Breed and Full Speed Ahead.
Thanks for reading and reviewing!
- MDg
Date: 23 Mar 2009 21:51 Title: The End Does Not Justify The Means
Well, this is a sort of a pessimistic note to end this wonderful anthology, but author's prerogative are not to be disputed, I guess. ;-) This one was haunting. Start to finish. I didn't expect Necheyev to be quite such a bitch (I mean, I know she is, but this is a new extent), particularly in view of so many line officers lost and the motivation, but I guess some do go by the book at all times.
I particularly enjoyed Leone's conversation with Caryn and the conversation between three captains. And of course, Andy's final checkmate move on both Leone and Necheyev. He acted in the true spirit of real command officers, those who are in command by nature. Loved the scene with the admiral. Masterpiece.
Now, that I'm done with this series, I can say that this is one pretty fascinating anthology. The stories are very different, yet somehow the warm feeling one gets upon reading them is the same. It was very well written and plot-wise downright incredible -- realistic and head-spinning at the same time.
Thank you very much for sharing, and I'm looking forward to explore your other works. ;-)
Author's Response:
Thanks for hanging in there and reading through the whole thing! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah, Caryn Johnson is a character I stole from Peter David's Q-Squared. See, Caryn Johnson is the birthname of Whoopi Goldberg, who plays Guinan on TNG :)
The cool thing about TQB is that I had intended it for other authors' to add to. So, if you ever feel like writing an 8k-15k story about a G-ship, let me know. :)
-- MDg