Rating: 
Summary: Riker gets to play the part of man vs. nature.
Review: A common theme in many genres of literture: man vs. nature has been used as the basis of this early TNG novel. Simply a novel for Riker fans.
Rating: 
Summary: STNG #10 - A Rock and a Hard Place - Good early Trek!
Review: As good as his first Star Trek novel, Star Trek The Next Generation #5 - "Strike Zone" is, "A Rock and a Hard Place" is that much better. If you were to read through the entirety of the early STNG novels, you will quickly gather that there are a couple authors' novels that are to be looked forward to, Peter David's and Michael Jan Friedman's. With this particular installment, Peter David firmly reaffirmed and set himself in place as the one Star Trek author that can deliver a solid plot with thought provoking twists and an excellent sense of humor. His novels are the ones that will make you laugh as you read along. The premise: The planet Paradise is being terraformed but the terraformers in charge have fallen behind schedule and they've requested assistance. Commander William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise is given that task and sets off for Paradise. This is where we see Riker on his own, dealing with nature and its quirks. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Riker's temporary replacement is a brazen individual by the name of Commander Quinton Stone and let's just says that he and the Captain and crew of the Enterprise aren't getting along chummily! What follows is but a mere inkling as to some of the outstanding adventures that author Peter David will take Star Trek fans on in the future. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of the genre! {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: STNG #10 - A Rock and a Hard Place - Good early Trek!
Review: As good as his first Star Trek novel, Star Trek The Next Generation #5 - "Strike Zone" is, "A Rock and a Hard Place" is that much better. If you were to read through the entirety of the early STNG novels, you will quickly gather that there are a couple authors' novels that are to be looked forward to, Peter David's and Michael Jan Friedman's. With this particular installment, Peter David firmly reaffirmed and set himself in place as the one Star Trek author that can deliver a solid plot with thought provoking twists and an excellent sense of humor. His novels are the ones that will make you laugh as you read along. The premise: The planet Paradise is being terraformed but the terraformers in charge have fallen behind schedule and they've requested assistance. Commander William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise is given that task and sets off for Paradise. This is where we see Riker on his own, dealing with nature and its quirks. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Riker's temporary replacement is a brazen individual by the name of Commander Quinton Stone and let's just says that he and the Captain and crew of the Enterprise aren't getting along chummily! What follows is but a mere inkling as to some of the outstanding adventures that author Peter David will take Star Trek fans on in the future. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of the genre! {ssintrepid}
Rating:
Summary: The mysterious and exasperating Commander Quintin Stone
Review: I have considered Peter David the best writer of Star Trek: The Next Generation novels for quite some time, with "Imzadi" the cream of the crop. In "A Rock and a Hard Place," David presents Commander Quintin Stone, who is quite possibly the most original and fascinating character created in a Next Generation novel. Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the Enterprise to help the terraformers on the brutal ice planet ironically called Paradise deal with problems maintaining their schedule. Stone arrives to take Riker's place despite the insistence of his former captain that the man is a "loose cannon," "space case," and completely "impossible." It does not take Captain Picard long to see why. When Stone leads an away team to deal with a hostage situation on the planet Culinan, his outrageous solution has Captain Picard convinced the man is insane, Counselor Troi insisting he is not, and Dr. Crusher wondering about the massive scarring on the Commander's back. The book basically alternates chapters between Riker on Paradise and Stone aboard the Enterprise. The latter plot line is so fascinating that you begrudge spending time on the other one, although you know in the end the two men are going to have some sort of confrontation that will solve the mystery of Quintin Stone. All we know is that Stone tells everybody a completely different story regarding his past and that he has a really big chip on his shoulder about the Prime Directive. All you need to know before you read the book is that the payoff for this mystery is an absolute stunner. "A Rock and a Hard Place" is also worth a second look because Quintin Stone is obvious prototype for Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier series. Granted, Calhoun is not as psychotic as Stone, but each shares the ability to find creative ways of getting things done. Stone was always the one character from a Next Generation novel that I would have liked to have seen pop up again, and this is sort of like getting my wish granted.
Rating:
Summary: The mysterious and exasperating Commander Quintin Stone
Review: I have considered Peter David the best writer of Star Trek: The Next Generation novels for quite some time, with "Imzadi" the cream of the crop. In "A Rock and a Hard Place," David presents Commander Quintin Stone, who is quite possibly the most original and fascinating character created in a Next Generation novel. Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the Enterprise to help the terraformers on the brutal ice planet ironically called Paradise deal with problems maintaining their schedule. Stone arrives to take Riker's place despite the insistence of his former captain that the man is a "loose cannon," "space case," and completely "impossible." It does not take Captain Picard long to see why. When Stone leads an away team to deal with a hostage situation on the planet Culinan, his outrageous solution has Captain Picard convinced the man is insane, Counselor Troi insisting he is not, and Dr. Crusher wondering about the massive scarring on the Commander's back. The book basically alternates chapters between Riker on Paradise and Stone aboard the Enterprise. The latter plot line is so fascinating that you begrudge spending time on the other one, although you know in the end the two men are going to have some sort of confrontation that will solve the mystery of Quintin Stone. All we know is that Stone tells everybody a completely different story regarding his past and that he has a really big chip on his shoulder about the Prime Directive. All you need to know before you read the book is that the payoff for this mystery is an absolute stunner. "A Rock and a Hard Place" is also worth a second look because Quintin Stone is obvious prototype for Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier series. Granted, Calhoun is not as psychotic as Stone, but each shares the ability to find creative ways of getting things done. Stone was always the one character from a Next Generation novel that I would have liked to have seen pop up again, and this is sort of like getting my wish granted.
Rating: 
Summary: Not exactly the great book I expected from Peter David
Review: I liked the book, but after reading some other Peter David's novels, I thought this one would also be a 10 in my list... it wasn't, altough it's a good book, and if you like Peter's work, you'll probably also like this one. Just don't expect a ¨Q-Squared¨ or ¨Imzadi¨ novel because it is not THAT good.
Rating:
Summary: O.K.
Review: I was slightly disappointed with this novel.It seems to shift back and forth,from being overly brutal to extremly sentimental.It's one of those "man vs. nature" with a bit of genetical engineering thrown in.I groaned when Comm. Stone found that his "soul mate" was a Wild Thing.This is so typical of "man vs. nature" books.And it definatly would have been more dramatic if Stone had died(yes,Picard and Deanna would be staying about how strange yet amazing Stone was...but...).I expected more from Peter David,who usually writes more interesting things,but this IS a good book for Riker fans,as it shows some of his past and explores his personnality,and that's why I decided to read it.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining and even thoughtfull read.....m
Review: I'd probably give this book 3 and a half stars really. It was enjoyable, but not quite four or five star material. This is an early TNG, before Worf was expanded as a charachter byond the hulking mass of Klingon brute. David's portrayals of the charachters are on target with the TV show at the time this book was written though, and the diolague and action were good. An interresting plot, Riker is sent to investigate a city on a world in the process of being terraformed. It just so happens his old running buddy from his hometown in Alaska is running the place. In his place, starfleet command puts Commander Quinton Stone as a 'project' of sorts for Picard to straighten out. He's got potential as an excellent captain someday, making decisions on instinct and quick wit and able to sort out incredibly complex and volatile situations. However, everyone says he's nuts, he can't be trusted, can't follow orders, and seems on the edge of doing something dangerous at any moment. His personal problems stem from a situation you'll have to read about to discover. I did think it was somewhat implausable for starfleet to want to 'save' someone who was seen oftentimes as a dangerous and downright crazy individual, but that isn't too hard to put aside for the duration of the book to enjoy the read.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining and even thoughtfull read.....m
Review: I'd probably give this book 3 and a half stars really. It was enjoyable, but not quite four or five star material. This is an early TNG, before Worf was expanded as a charachter byond the hulking mass of Klingon brute. David's portrayals of the charachters are on target with the TV show at the time this book was written though, and the diolague and action were good. An interresting plot, Riker is sent to investigate a city on a world in the process of being terraformed. It just so happens his old running buddy from his hometown in Alaska is running the place. In his place, starfleet command puts Commander Quinton Stone as a 'project' of sorts for Picard to straighten out. He's got potential as an excellent captain someday, making decisions on instinct and quick wit and able to sort out incredibly complex and volatile situations. However, everyone says he's nuts, he can't be trusted, can't follow orders, and seems on the edge of doing something dangerous at any moment. His personal problems stem from a situation you'll have to read about to discover. I did think it was somewhat implausable for starfleet to want to 'save' someone who was seen oftentimes as a dangerous and downright crazy individual, but that isn't too hard to put aside for the duration of the book to enjoy the read.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to Peter David's standards.
Review: Not a bad book, but definitely not one of David's best; he clearly fell in love with the character of Stone, who I found obnoxious and annoying. I simply could not find it in me to understand why this was supposed to be a sympathetic character. Nor was it plausible that a character with his problems would have passed psych profiles, much less been able to read as "sane" to Deanna Troi. The man as portrayed was clearly pathological. Other than that, the writing was, as usual for David, excellent.
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