Deny Thy Father (Star Trek: The Lost Era 2355-2357)

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed the book
Review: My purpose is not to reiterate the plot which is already provided by the publisher and several reveiwers. My purpose is to express whether or not, in my opinion, the book is worth trading my hard-earned money for the price on its cover. I thought that "Deny Thy Father" was one of the better Star Trek books published lately.

I agree, to some degree, with each previous reviewer. But I gave the book its full five stars because I haven't particularly enjoyed Star Trek books lately, and I enjoyed this one for its entertainment value--not necessarily for its value to the Star Trek storyline. There is a separation of values here. I read the book as a reader looking for something to read solely for its science fiction entertainment merit, and this story entertained me.

The Star Trek books aren't exactly literary epic novels and I thought this book was very well done for its subject matter. No, we don't really get into the Ryker heads, but we see some action. While I admit growing extremely board with Ryker Sr's life on the run, overall, the story was entertaining.

Would I read a second Star Trek book by Jeff Mariotte? Yes. Did I think the cover price of the book was a fair exchange for its entertainment value? Yes.

Rating:
Summary: The History, But Not The Characters...
Review: Pocket Books' Lost Era series, encompassing the time between the beginning sequence in "Star Trek Generations" and the first Next Generation episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", is one of their better recent ideas. Using the various bits of backstory accrued throughout 21 seasons of Next Gen, DS9 and Voyager, the contributing authors have shown various bits of this timeline through the eyes of important characters of the period. On the whole, it has done so very successfully, too. Most have been highly readable and very interesting. It's a shame "Deny Thy Father" is neither.

On The Next Generation, Will Riker's past became a very interesting time for him. Where originally he had a Kirk-like golden-boy past about him, over time he was shown to have overcome any number of moral issues to bring him to where he was then. Among these issues were his drive to succeed and his alienation from his father. Taking the span from the end of his second year at Starfleet Academy to his early weeks of his first posting on the U.S.S. Pegasus, Jeff Mariotte dives into some of these issues of Will Riker's - and his father's.

However, while he has his history down cold, he misses much of what made both characters (Will and his father) so dynamic. Will comes off as shrill and immature while his father is equal parts coward and cold-hearted jerk. Admittedly, these are all traits the characters strive to overcome, but in playing up these character flaws he loses the voice of the characters.

Also problematic is Starfleet Academy, where much of the action takes place. Starfleet Academy has been problematic for writers throughout Star Trek's history, but few mangle it so badly as Mariotte. While it is unlikely that Starfleet Academy would be much like modern West Point, also would it not be much like a modern high school - which is what it feels like. The characters are caricatures, exemplifying the very traits Starfellt would not want, and the situations the characters are put in to are laughable.

It's a shame this book is not better, especially given the high standard set by the rest of the series. Will Riker's past is a fascinating area begging for a good telling. Unfortunately, this book does not provide that. If you're working your way through the whole Lost Era series, go ahead and pick this one up, too, but I don't recommend it as stand-alone entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: ST - The Lost Era: Deny Thy Father 2355-2357
Review: Star Trek - The Lost Era "Deny Thy Father" 2355-2357 written by Jeff Mariotte is a two main character book, Kyle Riker and William T. Riker. This is the fifth book of a six book series and starts in 2355, sixty-one years after the presumed death of Captain James T. Kirk aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-B in Star Trek "Generations." The book concludes in 2357, seven years before the launch of the Enterprise-D in "Encounter at Farpoint."

"Deny Thy Father" is a three part book and takes us through William T. Riker's Starfleet Academy days to his first assignment on the U.S.S. Pegasus. As we read on in this book, we get to see what a cadet has to go through to become and officer in Starfleet. The other main character is Will Riker's father Kyle Riker.

"Deny Thy Father" is a look into a failed father son relationship. Where both father and son are too stubborned to realize that working together things would work well but they let their maleness take over and the relationship fails.

"Deny Thy Father" is essentially two stories one about Will and the other about Kyle as he trys to cope with someone trying to kill him for something that he might have done. "Deny Thy Father" is a fast read and you'll finish it quickly. The book has some mystery and intrigue as Kyle Riker is trying to figure out who is trying to kill him. And we get to see him try to cope with his situation making for an intresting read.

Will Riker, on the other hand, is making his way through Starfleet Academy in the course of the book and his first years are not really that good and he struggles. We get to read about his friends which aren't the best people in the world as they need to grow-up as well.

The rift between the Rikers never really gets resolved, but the father realizes his error and saves his son in a circumspect sort of way, making for some interesting reading.

I gave this book a solid 4 star rating as it gives the reader a glimpse of Will Riker's early Starfleet career and a glimpse into Kyle Riker as a man with problems and his estranged relationship with his son.

Rating:
Summary: ST - The Lost Era: Deny Thy Father 2355-2357
Review: Star Trek - The Lost Era "Deny Thy Father" 2355-2357 written by Jeff Mariotte is a two main character book, Kyle Riker and William T. Riker. This is the fifth book of a six book series and starts in 2355, sixty-one years after the presumed death of Captain James T. Kirk aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-B in Star Trek "Generations." The book concludes in 2357, seven years before the launch of the Enterprise-D in "Encounter at Farpoint."

"Deny Thy Father" is a three part book and takes us through William T. Rikers Starfleet Academy days to his first assignment on the U.S.S. Pegasus. As we read on in theis book we get to see what a cadet has to go through to become and officer in Starfleet. The other main character is Will Riker's father Kyle Riker.

"Deny Thy Father" is a look into a failed father son relationship. Where both father and son are too stubborned to realize that working together things would work well but they let their maleness take over and the relationship fails.

"Deny THy Father" is essentially two stories one about Will and the other about Kyle as he trys to cope with someone trying to kill him for something that he might have done. "Deny Thy Father" is a fast read and you'll finish it quickly. The book has some mystery and intrigue as Kyle Riker is trying to figure out who is trying to kill him. And we get to see him try to cope with his situation making for an intresting read.

Will Riker, on the other hand, is making his way through Starfleet Academy in the course of the book and his first years are not really that good and he struggles. We get to read about his friends which aren't the best people in the world as they need to grow-up as well.

The rift between the Rikers never really gets resolved, but the father realizes his error and saves his son in a circumspect sort of way, making for some interesting reading.

I gave this book a solid 4 star rating as it gives the reader a glimpse of Will Riker's early Starfleet career and a glimpse into Kyle Riker as a man with problems and his estranged relationship with his son.

Rating:
Summary: ST - The Lost Era: Deny Thy Father 2355-2357
Review: Star Trek - The Lost Era "Deny Thy Father" 2355-2357 written by Jeff Mariotte is a two main character book, Kyle Riker and William T. Riker. This is the fifth book of a six book series and starts in 2355, sixty-one years after the presumed death of Captain James T. Kirk aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-B in Star Trek "Generations." The book concludes in 2357, seven years before the launch of the Enterprise-D in "Encounter at Farpoint."

"Deny Thy Father" is a three part book and takes us through William T. Rikers Starfleet Academy days to his first assignment on the U.S.S. Pegasus. As we read on in theis book we get to see what a cadet has to go through to become and officer in Starfleet. The other main character is Will Riker's father Kyle Riker.

"Deny Thy Father" is a look into a failed father son relationship. Where both father and son are too stubborned to realize that working together things would work well but they let their maleness take over and the relationship fails.

"Deny THy Father" is essentially two stories one about Will and the other about Kyle as he trys to cope with someone trying to kill him for something that he might have done. "Deny Thy Father" is a fast read and you'll finish it quickly. The book has some mystery and intrigue as Kyle Riker is trying to figure out who is trying to kill him. And we get to see him try to cope with his situation making for an intresting read.

Will Riker, on the other hand, is making his way through Starfleet Academy in the course of the book and his first years are not really that good and he struggles. We get to read about his friends which aren't the best people in the world as they need to grow-up as well.

The rift between the Rikers never really gets resolved, but the father realizes his error and saves his son in a circumspect sort of way, making for some interesting reading.

I gave this book a solid 4 star rating as it gives the reader a glimpse of Will Riker's early Starfleet career and a glimpse into Kyle Riker as a man with problems and his estranged relationship with his son.

Rating:
Summary: If I had three hands I'd give this one three thumbs up!
Review: The Tholians are back, which in itself is reason enough to want to read this book. But, aside from the action and brilliant space opera of the story, the very fact Will Ryker's estranged father gets thrown into the mix makes for even greater space opera. Definitely get it and add it to such works by other authors as: "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Puppet Masters", "2001", "2010", "Rendezvous with Rama", "Ringworld", all the "Star Wars" books, as well as books as new to the genre as "Advent of the Corps" and others.

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes it's not good to be true to character
Review: _ Deny They Father _ does a good job of explaining the difficult relationship between Will Riker and his father hinted at in a couple of NG episodes. The stories are about Will finishing at the Academy and Kyle, his dad, on the run from an unknown threat. The trouble is neither Riker is a particularly stimulating character and the emotional distance they keep from other characters impacts the readers experience.