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: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: ST-TNG: A Rock and a Hard Place
Review: Star Trek-The Next Generation: A Rock and a Hard Place written by Peter David is a double plotted book. As Commander Riker is given leave of the U.S.S. Enterprise to help with the terraforming of the planet Paradise and his replacement on the Enterprise is Commander Quintin Stone. Only Peter David could write such a compelling story with a double plot and keep the reader's intrest till the blockbuster ending. First off you'll be reading about the terraforming of the planet Paradise where it's Commander Riker vs. Nature storyline. We get a fleshing out of the character of Riker and we get to see how he does without of the influence of Captain Jean-Luc Picard looming overhead. As Riker is pitted against an unforgiving environment where unter the best of circumstances "unforgiving" would be a mild term. We alernate plotlines to the next confrontation, that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Quintin Stone. Stone is considered here as the prototype for Peter David's Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in the ST-New Frontier series. Rough around the edges, quite strong-minded, with a quick wit, and radically novel solutions to problems, this is how Quintin Stone is portrayed. David hasn't lost his wit either as he pulls off the double plot with an ending the is both clever and stunning. You've got to read it to believe it. Confrontation between Store and Riker is all I'm going to tell you the rest you'll have to read for yourself. This book is a solid 4 stars, not quite as good as "Imzadi" but close. Both plots keep the reader's intrest and I'd like to see further Quintin Stone books as he seems to be a very intresting character... a kind of by the seat of your pants, guy. This is a good read and you'll finish it wanting another story with the same character called Quintin Stone.
Rating:
Summary: ST-TNG: A Rock and a Hard Place
Review: Star Trek-The Next Generation: A Rock and a Hard Place written by Peter David is a double plotted book. As Commander Riker is given leave of the U.S.S. Enterprise to help with the terraforming of the planet Paradise and his replacement on the Enterprise is Commander Quintin Stone. Only Peter David could write such a compelling story with a double plot and keep the reader's intrest till the blockbuster ending. First off you'll be reading about the terraforming of the planet Paradise where it's Commander Riker vs. Nature storyline. We get a fleshing out of the character of Riker and we get to see how he does without of the influence of Captain Jean-Luc Picard looming overhead. As Riker is pitted against an unforgiving environment where unter the best of circumstances "unforgiving" would be a mild term. We alernate plotlines to the next confrontation, that of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Quintin Stone. Stone is considered here as the prototype for Peter David's Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in the ST-New Frontier series. Rough around the edges, quite strong-minded, with a quick wit, and radically novel solutions to problems, this is how Quintin Stone is portrayed. David hasn't lost his wit either as he pulls off the double plot with an ending the is both clever and stunning. You've got to read it to believe it. Confrontation between Store and Riker is all I'm going to tell you the rest you'll have to read for yourself. This book is a solid 4 stars, not quite as good as "Imzadi" but close. Both plots keep the reader's intrest and I'd like to see further Quintin Stone books as he seems to be a very intresting character... a kind of by the seat of your pants, guy. This is a good read and you'll finish it wanting another story with the same character called Quintin Stone.
Rating:
Summary: Cool!
Review: The two plots, one involving the replacement of Riker with another, slightly psychotic, first officer, and the other featuring Riker himself fighting giant wolves on an ice planet, work well together, though I enjoyed the former much more. Peter David's qualities as a writer lie in his ability to be both dark and funny at the same time, and he doesn't miss the mark this time either. Is this as good as some of his giant novels? No, of course not, or they would have made him expand it into an Imzadi. Is it better than your usual "numbered" Star Trek novel. Oh, yes!
Rating:
Summary: Quentin Stone deserves a full length novel
Review: This is one of the best numbered Star Trek books out there due in large part to the characterization of Quentin Stone. Peter David has a great handle on these characters, and the dialogue is both believable and fun. The Stone/Picard confrontations were wonderful. Stone is similar in type to David's New Frontier captain, MacKenzie Calhoun, at least in the first four installments of the New Frontier. After that, Calhoun was toned down. Stone never got toned down. He's high-octane and quite memorable. Sadly, he's probably a one shot character, but I would love to see him again.
| 
