Diplomatic Implausibility (Star Trek The Next Generation, No 61)

Rating:
Summary: STNG #61 Diplomatic Implausibility - Exceptional!
Review: "Diplomatic Implausibility" is author, Keith R.A. DeCandido's first full length novel in the Star Trek genre. From his work in the Star Trek S.C.E. (Starfleet Corps of Engineers) e-Book series one could tell that he was going to become a major influence in the Star Trek genre which has proven quite true given his breadth of work since this, his first outstanding Star Trek The Next Generation novel.

DeCandido's work stands out with great flare as its originality in the story telling is quite clear, his knowledge of the Star Trek universe is extensive and most importantly, the story is extremely well balanced between pace and narrative!

Pocket Books has done a great job over the last few years in bringing in authors such as Keith R.A. DeCandido who are not only authors but fans of Star Trek which, in this reader's opinion, is quite integral in the pursuit of being able to write a decent Star Trek story such as this novel.

The Premise:

Fresh off the heels of the events depicted in Star Trek Deep Space Nine's final episode, "What You Leave Behind" where Lt. Commander Worf, after defeating the Klingon High Chancellor Gowron and giving the Chancellorship to General Martok, is then offered the opportunity to be the Federation's Ambassador to Klingon which he gladly accepts.

Some two hundred years ago, a mineral rich world known as taD was conquered by the Klingon Empire and its inhabitants became slaves of the Klingon Empire. When the Klingons were mislead by the Dominion into attacking the Cardassians the people of taD, seeing a shortage in Klingons guarding their world, seized the opportunity and retook their world for their own and called upon the Federation for assistance however, the Federation could not and would not intervene due to the potential political ramifications.

With the end of the Dominion war came the Klingons retaking of taD and its inhabitants renewed efforts to gain protection from the Federation comes the need for Ambassador Worf who is now called into the situation to negotiate between the Klingon Empire, the Federation and taD's inhabitants...

I highly recommend this numbered Star Trek The Next Generation novel as you will find it to be among the best of the numbered novels and in it, a truly knowledgeable and crafty author who stands out in the genre. {ssintrepid}

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic book
Review: After a long string a reading mediocre books (like Do Comets Dream?), I find myself looking at one that is truly a pleasure to read. Keith R.A. DeCandido has certainly outdone himself here. This was the first time I've had the experience to enjoy his work, but I will definitely be getting more of his titles, namely the upcoming I.K.S. Gorkon duology and Gateways - 4 of 7 - Demons Of Air And Darkness.

Now, there are two main things this book is about. One is to introduce (I think anyway) the I.K.S Gorkon crew, which is a new ship in the Klingon fleet. The other is to show some of Worf's new challenges as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire. For the former point, Keith goes past the typical Klingon archetypes and really makes this crew come to life. In fact, the Captain (Klag) reminisces about how strange and unique his crew is compared to typical Klingon vessels. The crew is very likeable and is engineered so that interesting and natural conflicts arise throughout the story (and, no doubt, future stories). For the later point, we get to see how Worf deals with the losses of the Dominion War and accepts the new challenges that await him as ambassador, which provides a lot of rich character development throughout the story. Even in diplomacy, his honor and his ability to remain a warrior are constantly tested. It's interesting that a quote from season 4 (spoken by Curzon) says, "The only people who can really handle the Klingons are Klingons". That is very true in this book, making Worf a very logical and natural choice to handle the intense diplomatic situation that unfolds.

What makes this book really special is not just the plot (which is very good), but that it's true to the characters (old and new). When you read the words of Worf, Martok, Riker or any of the other characters, you can really hear the actors speaking the dialog in your mind. Keith goes much further than that, though. While the story remains in the 3rd person, Keith does a great job letting you know how the characters think and reflect on the situations around him. Even Riker's experiences aboard a Klingon vessel in TNG's season 2 are of key importance to his actions in the story. Most of the time, I couldn't help but smile as I was completely absorbed and convinced that these characters were exactly as I remembered them from TNG and DS9.

The book is also true to established continuity as well. There are many times where Worf reflects on the death of Jadzia or Kah'lar, as they have a direct and significant impact on the story itself. Worf's history in Starfleet and the aftermath of the Dominion War are also big events that this story has drawn from. It makes everything fit into place very nicely as you get the feeling that the story is a logical consequence of these events, yet interesting enough that you'll want to read about it.

Commander Riker and Dr. Crusher also make appearances, as they do have a history with several of the crew members of the I.K.S Gorkon. Rather than some books just putting them in for the sake of familiarity, or perhaps for marketing reasons, Keith takes a different approach. Since this is a book about Worf and the I.K.S. Gorkon, the author makes sure he develops the *right* characters. In each case, Crusher helps bring out the passions of B'Oraq, the Chief Medical Officer aboard the ship, and likewise, Riker helps make Klag into more than just a one-dimensional character (which seems like a one-purpose adversary to Worf at the beginning of the book).

Another aspect that I really like the book is that every paragraph is important to the plot or its characters. I'm not a big fan of books that use so much description that you could just remove it from the book and it wouldn't change a thing. I think the English language can be somewhat clumsy if it's used incorrectly, trying to describe every detail as if you were really trying to show a picture or a movie. But no, Keith doesn't do that. Every paragraph is relative to the plot or explains why the characters are reacting or thinking the way they do. Every plot point is intelligently graphed into the whole. I guess the best to describe it is that it's efficient yet emotional and captivating at the same time, which is typically the writing style I enjoy best.

So if you haven't read Diplomatic Implausibility now, you should definitely pick it up. While I'm not sure if the plots in this novel correlate to the Left Hand of Destiny (which I'm reading that now), there is lot to like here and it's an excellent addendum to the shows. This could have been very well been a real episode, as there was no indication that it was a case of bad fan fiction or contrived storytelling at all. This is one is great.

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic book
Review: After a long string a reading mediocre books (like Do Comets Dream?), I find myself looking at one that is truly a pleasure to read. Keith R.A. DeCandido has certainly outdone himself here. This was the first time I've had the experience to enjoy his work, but I will definitely be getting more of his titles, namely the upcoming I.K.S. Gorkon duology and Gateways - 4 of 7 - Demons Of Air And Darkness.

Now, there are two main things this book is about. One is to introduce (I think anyway) the I.K.S Gorkon crew, which is a new ship in the Klingon fleet. The other is to show some of Worf's new challenges as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire. For the former point, Keith goes past the typical Klingon archetypes and really makes this crew come to life. In fact, the Captain (Klag) reminisces about how strange and unique his crew is compared to typical Klingon vessels. The crew is very likeable and is engineered so that interesting and natural conflicts arise throughout the story (and, no doubt, future stories). For the later point, we get to see how Worf deals with the losses of the Dominion War and accepts the new challenges that await him as ambassador, which provides a lot of rich character development throughout the story. Even in diplomacy, his honor and his ability to remain a warrior are constantly tested. It's interesting that a quote from season 4 (spoken by Curzon) says, "The only people who can really handle the Klingons are Klingons". That is very true in this book, making Worf a very logical and natural choice to handle the intense diplomatic situation that unfolds.

What makes this book really special is not just the plot (which is very good), but that it's true to the characters (old and new). When you read the words of Worf, Martok, Riker or any of the other characters, you can really hear the actors speaking the dialog in your mind. Keith goes much further than that, though. While the story remains in the 3rd person, Keith does a great job letting you know how the characters think and reflect on the situations around him. Even Riker's experiences aboard a Klingon vessel in TNG's season 2 are of key importance to his actions in the story. Most of the time, I couldn't help but smile as I was completely absorbed and convinced that these characters were exactly as I remembered them from TNG and DS9.

The book is also true to established continuity as well. There are many times where Worf reflects on the death of Jadzia or Kah'lar, as they have a direct and significant impact on the story itself. Worf's history in Starfleet and the aftermath of the Dominion War are also big events that this story has drawn from. It makes everything fit into place very nicely as you get the feeling that the story is a logical consequence of these events, yet interesting enough that you'll want to read about it.

Commander Riker and Dr. Crusher also make appearances, as they do have a history with several of the crew members of the I.K.S Gorkon. Rather than some books just putting them in for the sake of familiarity, or perhaps for marketing reasons, Keith takes a different approach. Since this is a book about Worf and the I.K.S. Gorkon, the author makes sure he develops the *right* characters. In each case, Crusher helps bring out the passions of B'Oraq, the Chief Medical Officer aboard the ship, and likewise, Riker helps make Klag into more than just a one-dimensional character (which seems like a one-purpose adversary to Worf at the beginning of the book).

Another aspect that I really like the book is that every paragraph is important to the plot or its characters. I'm not a big fan of books that use so much description that you could just remove it from the book and it wouldn't change a thing. I think the English language can be somewhat clumsy if it's used incorrectly, trying to describe every detail as if you were really trying to show a picture or a movie. But no, Keith doesn't do that. Every paragraph is relative to the plot or explains why the characters are reacting or thinking the way they do. Every plot point is intelligently graphed into the whole. I guess the best to describe it is that it's efficient yet emotional and captivating at the same time, which is typically the writing style I enjoy best.

So if you haven't read Diplomatic Implausibility now, you should definitely pick it up. While I'm not sure if the plots in this novel correlate to the Left Hand of Destiny (which I'm reading that now), there is lot to like here and it's an excellent addendum to the shows. This could have been very well been a real episode, as there was no indication that it was a case of bad fan fiction or contrived storytelling at all. This is one is great.

Rating:
Summary: Long Overdue
Review: An adventure with a Klingon POV! Finally!

Keith R. A. DeCandido did it exceedingly well. By giving us the first story of Worf as Ambassador, in a novel with a scope that wasn't an over-the-top save-the-galaxy type Star Trek epic, Keith R. A. DeCandido did a marvelous job of delving into some great characters. No stereotypical Klingons here. The author gives these aliens substance and leaves the reader begging for more, especially since there is so much unresolved issues with these charcters.

Bring on more I.K.S. Gorkon and Captain Klagg.

Rating:
Summary: Good Klingon Novel
Review: Containing an excellent portrayal of Worf, this novel manages to pull together a number of loose ends of his life after the war, and coming to terms with the death of Jadsia. He is now a diplomat for starfleet, and is sent to resolve a conflict of a world which is under Klingon rule, much to the dismay, and anger of this worlds inhabitants. His old friends on the Enterprise make an apperance as they escort him to his mission, but do not take part in the mission byond that. Worf must manage to pull off a settlement which is agreeable to the Klingons, who will accept nothing less than Klingon rule continuing, and the factions on the world who will accept nothing less than freedom, and Klingons leaving thier planet for good. Among this the constant harrasment by other Klingons and challenges of his honor are present. A good read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Klingon Novel
Review: Containing an excellent portrayal of Worf, this novel manages to pull together a number of loose ends of his life after the war, and coming to terms with the death of Jadsia. He is now a diplomat for starfleet, and is sent to resolve a conflict of a world which is under Klingon rule, much to the dismay, and anger of this worlds inhabitants. His old friends on the Enterprise make an apperance as they escort him to his mission, but do not take part in the mission byond that. Worf must manage to pull off a settlement which is agreeable to the Klingons, who will accept nothing less than Klingon rule continuing, and the factions on the world who will accept nothing less than freedom, and Klingons leaving thier planet for good. Among this the constant harrasment by other Klingons and challenges of his honor are present. A good read.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Definetely one of Star Trek's best. KRAD kept me entertained with Ambassador Worf and the crew of the IKS Gorkon from cover to cover. I must say that this is one of the funniest books I have ever read, and DeCandido has written the characters of the Gorkon very well. I highly reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: DeCandido has written a compelling and fun novel.
Review: Do you enjoy reading novels about Klingons? Do you enjoy the character of LT/LCDR and now Ambassador Worf? If so, then _Diplomatic Implausibility_ comes about as recommended as it gets. With his first Star Trek novel, Keith DeCandido has scored a major hit, creating a compelling story that also demonstrates a wonderful enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the Trek Universe.

Telling the first story of Worf's journeys as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, _Diplomatic Implausibility_ moves the character of Worf forward from where he was last seen in the "Deep Space Nine" finale. Even better, it is done with style and grace, and reads as highly true to the Worf character. Worf's fans will not be disappointed. Many times, while reading, I could hear Michael Dorn's voice in my head, delivering those lines. The story itself poses challenges for Worf that compel him to be both resourceful and creative, and does so very effectively.

Worf, however, is not the only reason to buy _Diplomatic Implausibility_. Mr. DeCandido's use of a myriad of characters from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" firmly anchors this story in the well-known Trek Universe, but equally, never comes off as forced or contrived. The characters fit naturally into their environment, and one never gets the sense that someone was shoehorned into a spot just for the sake of being there. The crew of the IKS Gorkon are a unique and fun bunch of Klingons, and a large chunk of the fun of this book is heavily tied to reading about *them*. Cardboard cutouts these are not, nor are they a bunch of stereotypical Klingons. In fact, one of the real successes of this book is in portraying the variety of personalities among these characters.

Continuity is also quite strong here, with character and situation references going back to "Encounter at Farpoint". Clearly, Mr. DeCandido has done his homework, and the result is a richer world within this novel. Going even further, there are several subtle-but-noticeable references to other Trek novels. It's not at all necessary to have read the books referenced to fully appreciate the storytelling here, but if you are familiar with those stories, it gives a nice sense of verisimilitude.

Overall, _Diplomatic Implausibility_ scores on multiple levels, and the combination results in a book that's well worth reading. I recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: Good...but not great.
Review: First of all, let me say that I'd award this novel 3 and a half stars, not just three.

I picked up this book for a variety of reasons. One was there was definite on-line buzz about the story. The second was that the premise intrigued me--exploring Ambassador Worf's first mission beyond his time on Deep Space Nine. The third was that upon first glance, it brought up a lot of familiar characters from the history of TNG and DS9, which was very welcome. It was these final two reasons for picking up this book that made me enjoy it so much. As DeCandido says in his afterward, Worf was one of the most intriguing characters introduced by the modern Trek. And his story-arch through two series and the movies has been intriguing to watch. To see him accept the role of ambassador was interesting and that's why this book intrigued me so.

And on many levels, Worf's work as ambassador is interesting. Worf becomes caught between two worlds--he must satisfy the needs of the Klingon Empire while not betraying the ideals and beliefs he has learned in his time with Starfleet. That kind of conflict within a character can make for excellent drama and a compelling novel. And for the most part, DeCandido succeeds in spades. One of the biggest compliments you can pay a novel based on a TV show is that you can hear the actors delivering the lines in the novel. You can definitely hear Michael Dorn's Worf throughout this book.

And it's also nice to see a Trek writer bring in a lot of older characters and give us a chance to catch up on them. It's a bit hard to believe they'd all come toghether on board one ship, but I can easily put that aside simply because DeCandido explores them so well.

But the part of this book that really took it down was the main plotine. Worf's being sent to a planet conquered by the Klingons but petitioning the Federation to help free them. Certainly, we've seen this done before and there's not really anything new here. There are rebels and there is the puppet governement run by the Klingons who are trying to supress the uprising. We've seen this before and better done in the underrated TNG episode, "The Hunted." That episode gave us three-dimensional characters who interacted with each other and the crew to be interesting and believable. Not so here. Instead we get aliens who are tall and furry. There is little to distinguish them and the only one that comes off even remotely interesting is the puppet governor who resist the Klingons in his own way.

The other part that bothered me is the ending. It seems to come out of left field. Given another 50 or so pages, DeCandido could have done wonders with this story. He certainly made the story compelling and page-turning up until it comes abrubtly to a halt. I won't give away any plot details here. Suffice it to say the ending is too quick and pat for my liking.

All in all, this novel has a lot of potential. If you love Klingons, I recommend it. If you liked Worf, again I recommend it. If you're looking for a truly great Klingon Trek story, I recommend you look to the underrated classic, "The Final Reflection."

Rating:
Summary: Tasted good, but left me hungry
Review: I found DIPLOMATIC IMPLAUSIBILITY an enjoyable read. The writing style was good, the characters and their relationships were engaging, and Worf's debut as a diplomat was an important story to tell. Also, it was good to get a rare insight into one of the subject races of the Klingon Empire. As a history major, I found DeCandido's depiction of the various forms of resistance, both overt and subtle, employed by a subject people to be credible and effective. The aliens themselves were refreshingly nonhumanoid, though they were basically just a variant on polar bears rather than truly alien.

But when I was done with the book, I realized it was lacking in depth. Too much potential went unrealized. Worf should've had more difficulty adjusting to thinking like a diplomat instead of a soldier. His aide needed a lot more character development. The character arcs of the Gorkon crewmembers never quite got as far as I'd expected -- there was some movement and growth, but it didn't feel like anything really major happened, that any real resolutions occurred. This book felt more like a pilot, introducing character arcs without giving them closure, than a self-contained work. The most disappointing thing was the use of Kurn/Rodek. He wasn't as completely wasted here as he was in Dafydd ab Hugh's DS9 novel VENGEANCE, but he was wasted nonetheless. DeCandido set up a promising tension with Rodek's attitude toward Worf and Worf's reaction to who Rodek had become, but it never really went anywhere.

So this book had real potential, and was reasonably fun to read, but it never transcended the superficiality that's become the norm in Star Trek novels these days. Which is a shame, since these books set after the end of TNG/DS9 should be freer to tell stories with real growth and substance, rather than just placeholders that give the illusion of stuff happening while maintaining the strict status quo. I'm hoping that the upcoming DS9 Relaunch series will succeed in breaking free of that tie-in mentality and give us stories with real substance and character growth. And hopefully DeCandido will write a sequel which will allow the interesting characters and relationships he featured here -- especially the Worf/Rodek situation -- to be more fully developed.