Rating: 
Summary: Glad to recommend a much improved...
Review: ...annual edition of ST fan fiction. Didn't agree w/the prize winners, preferring a Ferengi's take on the Kobayashi Maru scenario over the Enterprise mission that would never end, a Seven (of Nine) and (Gary) Seven cooperative venture over a detective looking for an AWOL Gillian Taylor (from STIV: the Voyage Home). Still, some very creative offerings, from the aftermath of death of Edith Keeler to Data's experience in the Nexus to a DS9 Spy versus Spy. There were some clunkers: temporal shenanigans involving Kirk taking the Enterprise-A back to be decomissioned and another w/Kirk using the Guardian of Tomorrow to hop on Voyager (ugh). But the good stories outweigh the bad, so pick up and enjoy...
Rating: 
Summary: Star Trek Strange New Worlds I - Intriguing fan fiction!
Review: After years and years of requests to do so, Pocket Books and Paramount were finally able to come up with a way to publish fan fiction which culminated in this, the first of the Strange New Worlds anthologies. Prior to this I'd had only one other experience with fan fiction which I found to be quite enjoyable and I figured this would be the case here and it was. Although I found a few of the stories to have been somewhat tedious, taken as a whole, Strange New Worlds I is an enjoyable Star Trek experience and I look forward to reading the latest editions of them. It is interesting to finally now have read through this anthology and have the advantage of a couple years to see which of the authors within were able to become professional writers based on their experience with Strange New Worlds and of course their talented writing.Star Trek A Private Anecdote (Grand Prize winner) by Landon Cary Dalton **** - This is an interesting and very intriguing tale about Captain Pike. I believe it to be somewhat prior to 'The Menagerie, Parts I & II'. The Last Tribble by Keith L. Davis ***** - I found this particular story to be quite well written and very interesting as the author takes us through what happened to Cyrano Jones after 'The Trouble with Tribbles.' The Lights in the Sky (Third Prize winner) by Phaedra M. Weldon *** - I found this story to be somewhat interesting as the author brought closure to what happened to Shahna after 'The Gamesters of Triskelion.' Reflections by Dayton Ward ***** - I found this authors writing to be quite fluid and a perfect fit for Star Trek. It is no wonder at all as to why he continued on from here to being a professional author. The author takes us to when Captain Kirk died and that 'split' second of time where he looks up and says 'Oh my' and during that time Kirk is taken to the Organians who were originally seen in 'Errand of Mercy.' Star Trek The Next Generation What Went Through Data's Mind 0.68 Seconds Before the Satellite Hit by Dylan Otto Krider **** - The author did a wonderful job of capturing Data's 'style' in this particularly intriguing short story. The Naked Truth by Jerry M. Wolfe ***** - This is a great Barclay story as the author takes us through the nervous engineers first away mission in which he's in command. The First by Peg Robinson - ***** - This is a great and very original story as the author brings us into the world of the Enterprise during the Dominion War. A less technologically advanced species, more specifically one of them shows up in the middle of contested space using technology that would benefit the Dominion greatly. Fortunately Picard and the Enterprise reach her prior to the Jem'Hadar. See Spot Run by Kathy Oltion ***** - This is a very funny story and again this is why this particular author has gone on to author/co author other published Trek with her husband. As the title would suggest, the most unlikely of all heroes is about to have his/her day. Together Again, for the First Time by Bobbie Benton Hull ***** - This is an absolutely wonderful tale about Guinan and her arranging the first meeting between her and Picard. Civil Disobedience by Alara Rogers ***** - The author did a wonderful job with this story depicting the trials and tribulations Q went through to get Picard and the Enterprise through the events depicted in 'Best of Both Worlds' parts I & II. Of Cabbages and Kings (Second Prize winner) by Franklin Thatcher ***** - Out of all of the stories within this anthology, for me this was the best of them. The Enterprise suddenly finds itself far away from home minus its crew and must figure out what to do from there based on its programming. Star Trek Deep Space Nine Life's Lessons by Christina F. York ***** - This is another example of one of the authors whose work brought them to the professional ranks of Trek publishing. Nog is back from the Academy and he's found he has more than a casual interest in Mrs. O'Brien. Where I Fell Before My Enemy by Vince Bonasso ***** - This is an extremely interesting tale about Captain Sisko finding himself with the exact same Gorn and on the same planet as Kirk as depicted in 'Arena.' Star Trek Voyager Good Night, Voyager by Patrick Cumby **** - This is an interesting tale about the consequences of the bio neural network failing on the ship. Ambassador at Large by J.A. Rosales ***** - This is a great tale that brings some closure to what happened to Bailey after the 'The Corbomite Maneuver.' Fiction by jaQ Andrews ***** - This is another outstanding tale about the crew of the Voyager believing their ship was destroyed and that they've been living on a planet for the last three years. I, Voyager by Jackee C. ***** - This is a somewhat intriguing tale about a non corporeal being taking a liking to the crew of Voyager. Monthuglu by Craig D. B. Patton *** - While I found the style in which this story was told, I found the overall story to be somewhat trying and it seemingly fails. Because We Can The Man Who Sold the Sky by John J. Ordover ***** - This is an interesting 'short' story by Trek's Executive Editor. I guess I'm not as completely up on my Trek as I should be because I really could not discern who his primary character was? The Girl Who Controlled Gene Kelly's Feet by Paula M. Block ***** - This is an extremely well written short story about a young Lieutenant and a ships psychologist who just aren't quite satisfied with the mundane.
Rating:
Summary: Trek-Light makes for good quicky reads
Review: Star Trek Strange New Worlds is excellent escapism, a majority the stories are well written and you can polish off 1 or 2 in any "before bedtime reading secession" One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is that you will find that fan written fiction will generally delve in to areas that "professional authors" won't go, or the fact that these are short stories, wouldn't be substantial enough to create a novel from and therefore not worth the effort. The most outstanding stories in this book fall in to that category. You get quite a few stories of "Let's mix Kirk, Picard and any other character we can think of from different Trek shows", but they are done entertainingly and not nearly as geeky as it could be, if authors of lesser ability attempted it. With any Star Trek book, you get the arguments of "that's not cannon" and of course Paramount has steadfastly stood by the claim that anything that happens in Star Trek books has nothing to do or add to official Trek lore. With that in mind some of the authors stories tackle subjects such as "solving the Kobiashi Maru scenario" or "Q with Kirk and Janeway" All in all a good read, I would recommend it if you have read any other Star Trek books, but might not if you are new to reading Trek material.
Rating:
Summary: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds V
Review: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds V edited by Dean Wesley Smith is GREAT. Unlike the forth volume in this set of anthologies, this edition has great stories and will keep you glued to the pages with stories from the fan perspective. There are 23 short stories in this volume and they range from TOS, TNG, DS-9, Voyager and something new this year Enterprise. These stories are the winning enteries for this years contest and I must say... you established authors of TREK beware... these up and comers are good, with a little time they will bring Gene Roddenberry's dream forward. Adventure, thrills, action and intrigue all are found here with many different perspectives. This volume is, so far, the best overall of the five published to date and it is a vision of what is to come for TREK. I wish the authors luck and keep on expanding the boundaries of the universe. You are only as limited as your imagination... reading these stories proves that imagination is well and working here. This is where at least 3 current TREK writers have come from and others have sold stories to other publishers. Read this for a refreshing outlook of TREK.
Rating: 
Summary: Needs to make a few changes for SNW:VII
Review: Strange New Worlds VI outdoes some of its past editions in the overall quality of the stories. All were well done, with perhaps one or two exceptions (the Voyager and Enterprise stories were not that impressive). The good stories were really good. My favorites were THE SOFT ROOM, PROTECTING DATA'S FRIENDS, and BEST TOOLS AVAILABLE. The grand prize winner, OUR MILLION-YEAR MISSION, was well done but lacked the powerful punch I was expecting from the editor's introduction. If you pick this book up, you'll get a number of fun and entertaining stories that aren't "too far out" as some of the stories in the previous 2 volumes are.
Rating:
Summary: Best SNW to date
Review: The fifth Strange New Worlds anthology is the best to date. Although previous volumes have given us exceptional individual stories, such as "Isolation Ward 4" in SNW4 and "Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story" in SNW3, this volume is excellent from start to finish. There are stories from all five of the Trek series, which is sur[prising, considering how close to the October deadline for submissions the premier of Enterprise was. Yet these stories are some of the best in the book. For TOS fans, there's a visit to City on the Edge of Forever, and an exploration of just what kind of person voluteers to be a "redshirt" even knowing their high mortality rate. TNG deals with everything from investigating a new Leonardo da Vinci to Dixon Hill -- the real one, not Picard playing Dixon Hill -- saving the Enterprise. Voyager stories deal with the homecoming from two different angles and tie up a lot of loose ends left in the Delta quadrant -- including a wonderful resolution for Kes that more than makes up for the Fury. Sadly, there is only one DS9 story, but it is one of the best in the book -- set after the end of the series. All around a truly great collection and hopefully an indicator of things to come from Strange New Worlds and the fans who love to write about them.
Rating:
Summary: A very broad range of story quality.
Review: The range of quality of these stories has always varied between stories that should not have been included and stories that I find among the most entertaining and/or best in Trek. I did not find the Original Series stories to be either, except for the seemingly obligatory Iotian mob story. In fact, I do not see why the first story was included, let alone won a prize. The first Next Generation story, "The Soft Room", was brilliant. The others were good but not particularly entertaining. In Deep Space Nine, the first story was remarkable and I really enjoyed it. The next one was just silly. The last was Nog facing the Kobayashi Maru test, which has been done in a previous Strange New Worlds, and much better. The Voyager stories were generally well written and entertaining. "Seven and Seven" deserves specific mention for a great concept. Even better was "The End of Night". If you ever wished Kirk would show up on Voyager and correct some of Janeway's mistakes, this is for you. For Enterprise, the stories are good but to my mind point out how Enterprise does not fit in with Star Trek, particularly the depiction of the Vulcans. Finally, the new Speculations section contains one great story and the absolutely brilliant "Our Million-Year Mission". "The End of Night" is my favourite because of the concept, but "Our Million-Year Mission" is the most genuinely entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book So Far.....
Review: The sixth annual anthology of Star Trek short stories written by the fans themselves proves to be a joyful project again. This year the editors have again put together a wonderful collection of adventures expanding the generations of Star Trek. Captain Kirk and his crew were honored by six selections including the Third Prize winner "Whales Weep Not." This was a well-written piece about the natural investigation of the missing Gillian Taylor following her trip to the future following the fourth feature film. I also have to throw my two cents in for TG Theodore's story and the best title in the book, "Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer." Star Trek: The New Generation has four stories. The Second Prize winner is nice piece titled the "The Soft Room." It leaves you wondering how things will be resolved as you continue to read on. Although no prizes where give in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine group of stories, the three pieces include a wonderful look at Nog's encounter with the Boothby and the Kobayashi Maru. Shawn Michael Scott shows a surprisingly tight grip on the character and present a growing-up story like a professional. With the return to Earth of the U.S.S. Voyager, the dominant entries in the Star Trek: Voyager group dealt with the homecomings. One of my personal favorite stories was "Widow's Walk." Not all reunions are joyful occasions and this look into the recovery of Joe Cary's widow pulls at the heart. The latest installment of the Star Trek world-Enterprise-boasts three selections. No winners in this group but a cute little piece showing demonstrating Commander Tucker's early high school days was well worth the read. The Grand Prize winner forced a new grouping to be added to the categories. The Speculations section include stories that extend beyond the shows and demonstrate excellence in writing. Both stories here are wonderful but I do not personally agree with the selection of "Our Million-Year Mission" as the Grand Prize winner. It is a great story but I found other contributions more memorable. "The Beginning," the other story in this group, shows the creation of a group we all love to hate from a very unique perspective. These twenty-three fans have added their individual view to a world they undoubtedly love and every Star Trek fan would be amiss if they did not partake in the strange new worlds of this collection.
Rating:
Summary: Take part in the continuing adventures
Review: The sixth annual anthology of Star Trek short stories written by the fans themselves proves to be a joyful project again. This year the editors have again put together a wonderful collection of adventures spanding the generations of Star Trek. Captain Kirk and his crew were honored by six selections including the Third Prize winner "Whales Weep Not." This was a well-written piece about the natural investigation of the missing Gillian Taylor following her trip to the future ending the fourth feature film. I also have to throw my two cents in for TG Theodore's story and the best title in the book, "Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer." Star Trek: The New Generation has four stories. The Second Prize winner is nice piece titled the "The Soft Room." It leaves you wondering how things will be resolved as you continue to read on. Although no prizes where give in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine group of stories, the three pieces include a wonderful look at Nog's encounter with the Boothby and the Kobayashi Maru. Shawn Michael Scott shows a surprisingly tight grip on the character and presents a growing-up story like a professional. With the return to Earth of the U.S.S. Voyager, the dominant entries in the Star Trek: Voyager group dealt with the homecomings. One of my personal favorite stories was "Widow's Walk." Not all reunions are joyful occasions and this look into the recovery of Joe Cary's widow pulls at the heart. The latest installment of the Star Trek world-Enterprise-boasts three selections. No winners in this group but a cute little piece demonstrating Commander Tucker's early high school days was well worth the read. The Grand Prize winner forced a new grouping to be added to the categories. The Speculations section include stories that extend beyond the shows and demonstrate excellence in writing. Both stories here are wonderful but I do not personally agree with the selection of "Our Million-Year Mission" as the Grand Prize winner. It is a great story but I found other contributions more memorable. "The Beginning," the other story in this group, shows the creation of a group we all love to hate from a very unique perspective. These twenty-three fans have added their individual view to a world they undoubtedly love and every Star Trek fan would be amiss if they did not partake in the strange new worlds of this collection.
Rating:
Summary: My favourite for this series.
Review: This is probably the best of the series, in terms of the quality of the stories and the number that I read often. The Original Series section has an incredible story about Captain Pike in his crippled body with an active mind. It has two other great stories, including the first by Dayton Ward, now a well-established Trek author. It also has a light but good tribble story. The TNG section has mostly humorous stories, featuring Reg Barclay, Ro Laren, and Data - twice, once with Spot. There are also two strong stories featuring Picard, including his first meeting with Guinan. The grammar is strange but it is better than the full-size novel "Oblivion". There are also great stories about Q confronting the rest of the Continuum over his introduction of humanity to the Borg and about the Enterprise-D on its own. The DS9 stories are good but not great, a decided contrast to the rest of the collection. The Voyager stories unintentionally point out just how bad the writing in the televised episodes were by being so good. There are three action stories, a creepy ghost story, and a wonderful sequel to the Original Series episode "The Corbomite Maneuver". This should be an automatic choice for anyone with any of the other Strange New World books, and I would recommend it as the first one to buy for anyone unsure about the series.
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