PeterDavid.net

Not sure where you are going with the story, Peter, but so far i am enjoying it. I was close to dropping Shulkie under Dan, as I was getting tired of the direction. But I like yours so far. Keep 'em coming!

The Scream #1 from Dark Horse was also out this week. Does this mean you are no longer exclusive to Marvel?

Corey

Before Dishonor was an amazing book. I only have one problem with it however. In the book Q & A the STTNG book that came out between Resistence and Before Dishonor, and the events happened after Resistence and before Before Dishonor there are several inconsistincies. In Before Dishonor you have Miranda acting like she doest agree with Picard and that she is a new officer. However, in Q & A she talks about how she has been a member of Picard's Enterprise since the D and how she would follow him and his decision into death itself, plus she hung out with Crusher on a regular basis doing morning workout etc. She knew the whole crew and was a proud member of such. That doesn't fit at all with how you wrote her. It was as if I was seeing two characters. Plus she had a husband and several children. Yet in Before Dishonor it is almost as if she has a like of Leybenzon. Also Leybenzon was not a new member of the crew either. True he was an addition that came after the events of Resistence. He also didn't seem like he would be as boldy disagreeable with Picard as you wrote him. He also was never a real officer, he never went to the acadamy. He was elisted and given a field commission from an admiral during the Dominion war.

I liked the book very very much but had a hard time reconciling it with the book and events that took place before it. Do you read the other drafts of books etc to write yours or do authors writing for series like this just get scant information?

As always a huge fan,

Steve Repka

It was always my understanding that the Absorbing Man's powers did not cause him to take on the properties of anything he happened to bump into but, rather, allowed him to absorb their properties after he made a conscious effort to do so. So seeing him transform into legos involuntarily and finally into water involuntarily (I'm assuming he went sharkey because he wanted to, even though Shulkie would be able to put her fist through sharkskin easily) kind of had me asking "what the...?" Am I missing something, or am I mistaken about his powers work, or what?

Aside from that, it was a good slugfest with "more hitting" as promised last issue, the dialogue was good without anybody seeming out of character (perceptive observation about Creel's name by Shulkie, btw), and the Mall of America worked very well as a setting. I do feel sorry for Rocky Davis being apprehended when he'd tried to do the right thing when that guard collapsed and when he talked about how he wasn't able to handle jail. I'd also hoped that the other Jen would turn out to be something besides a Skrull after people guessed it would be the case in the comments for the last issue, but it's not a big deal.

IMHO, Jen lost that bet. She should've chosen her words more carefully, since even if her partner had chosen to change into a lion she still wouldn't have gone green in the literal sense.

Speaking of green, if Madrox ever appears in this book and brings his green-tinted captions with him, things may become confusing... ^_^

"Am I missing something, or am I mistaken about (how) his powers work, or what?"

Back in one of his earlier battles, we saw Thor cause him to bump up against a plate glass window, and he inadvertently changed to glass and was thus vulnerable. My feeling is that, in the heat of battle and he is in full "absorbing" mode, he can wind up absorbing properties that he would rather not dupe.

PAD

Hmm, that's interesting. Thanks!

If this is the case, the dude should give serious consideration to wearing a shirt.

Not to be overly nitpicky, but don't you mean that he would wind up "duplicating" powers he would rather not dupe? :p

D'oh; I meant "properties" instead of "powers". Concrete doesn't have powers to duplicate or absorb, Rob you idiot! *smacks forehead*

Yeah, the legos thing was pretty lame.

But not quite as lame as the skrull reveal. I was getting sick of skrulls already from Bendis, but this issue made me positive I'm sick of them.

I enjoyed She-Hulk. The MoA was a nice setting, and I'm wondering if you chose that place just so that Creel could show up out of nowhere with a wrecking ball. The bit with him turning to water confused me, though, because I thought his absorbing ability was only activated consciously, and that scene indicated, IIUC, that the absorption happens whenever he comes into contact with any other substance. If so, everything from eating a sandwich to putting on a condom could be a problem for him, wouldn't it? :-)

As for Before Dishonor, I got it a couple of weeks ago. I started on it, but will probably get back to it when I finish Mark Salisbury's Writers on Comic Scriptwriting, which features you as one of the writers. I might end up finishing Before Dishonor on the plane to Italy in December. I'm thrilled that you're finally writing a story with Seven of Nine, the one fairly consistently and well-written character from Star Trek: Voyager.

I have a question, though, Peter: Given your stated disinterest in Voyager, how did you come to decide to write a novel with Janeway and Seven? When I last asked you this in regards to the Relativity showing up in New Frontier: Double Time, you said (IIRC) that you went and saw that episode because it was a time travel ep, and you liked those. How did it come about here? Was it just that you wanted to do another Borg story, and felt it wouldn't be right without including the two characters from which we've learned so much about them since ST: First Contact? Or did you accidentally glom onto Voyager and ended up liking them? (Just curious.)

Oops. I decided to read the previous comments after posting, and saw your response regarding Creel's absorbing ability. Thanks. :-)

Dear Peter:
1. Fallen Angel #21:
I thought after someone had been in Bete Noire long enough they couldn't leave. So how did Wanda, let alone the Fallen Angel, go overseas?
Otherwise a good issue. Jude should start praying for his soul and sanity, giving the course of the last couple of issues.
2. ST-TNG: Before Dishonor:
It's already out? Unfortunately you couldn't prove that to me based upon the shelves of the local Borders Express.
Hopefully next week...

Haven't seen it on any new releases shelves either, Before Dishonor must've gone right to the Trek shelf with no time on New Releases here.

She-Hulk: very good. I liked making Jadzia is a Skrull. Given Secret Invasion, that's a daring story move.

Before Dishonor. nice follow-up to Resistance (that was the right title. Actually thought it was better.) Very surprising ending. Don't want to spoil it, but how were you able to end it that way? Also liked how Calhan (spelled right?) showed up.

I thought She-Hulk #23 was a really fun issue. Using the Mall of America for the fight was a really cool idea. And, of course, there's Jazinda the Skrull. Her scenes with the local cops and with the fugitive were very entertaining. I have no idea what you have in store for the character but placing a Skrull into your book during the Secret Invasion paranoia is a bold move considering all of questions it will no doubt raise among fans, writers, bloggers, etc. I like it.

I've been wondering what it would be like (during Secret Invasion) for any Skrulls living incognito on Earth who've made nice, honest, comfortable livings for themselves and have no knowledge of any plot by their brethren. Would they be treated differently by friends and colleagues? Where would their allegiances lie? Would they get involved with the conflict at all or would they stay clear of the situation? Would they be forced into camps like the Japanese during WWII? Might you be addressing issues like this with the character?

Anyway, back to the issue. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I have questions as to the fate of Titania. Does she get out of the shark? Was she digested? Did the shark have to "pass" her? Creel couldn't have been any help because he turned to water. Will there be any follow up on her status?

Below I am copying my review that can already be found on Usenet as well as two websites:

S P O I L E R

I love this book but I would love it even more if there weren`t one aspect I will deal with at the end of my review. Nevertheless, it is a book that has a lot to offer. I enjoyed the references to PAD`s classic Borg novel “Vendetta” and smiled when I read the comments about female Borg which is, of course, referring to the disclaimer PAD was forced to put into “Vendetta” at that time. I laughed when I read about the ongoing debate if Pluto is a planet or not.

I was very curious how PAD would build on “Vendetta”. I think he succeeded to make the Borg scary and unpredictable again. He certainly kept me surprised and wondering what will happen next. I read some comments saying that PAD went over the top again but when I look at TOS, I think some of what was shown there was certainly more fantastic and unbelievable. All the changes made perfect sense to me and that makes the changes shown in this book so interesting. I certainly felt a chill when I read about the Borg absorbing ships now and even whole planets: Pluto and its moons being eaten by the Borg is certainly not something that left me cold and it definitely applied to the way the Borg developed a new means of reproduction.

From early on there was the solution in form of the Doomsday machine and the Endgame virus. PAD provided a good background for both in this book, something I welcomed, and used them very skilfully. Until the end I was kept on my toes, wondering how things will end. The drama built up very well because there was no straightforward defeat of the Borg, as it should be

It is not a secret at all that PAD is not a Voyager fan. I was really curious how he will write Janeway and Seven. That Janeway didn`t listen to Lady Q`s warnings didn`t surprise me and was definitely in character. PAD didn`t put Janeway in a good light at all. In the TV series is was often the case that Janeway was torn from one extreme to the other, she certainly wasn`t developed consistently. I think it would have been fairer to Janeway`s character to thrive for at least some kind of balance but I can understand why PAD chose otherwise. When Janeway was turned into the Borg Queen, my first instinct was feeling a strong wave of Schadenfreude. Later I felt bad about that because nobody deserves Janeway`s fate. I welcome it that at the end, it was Janeway who made the defeat possible, who delivered the final blow that saved Earth from destruction.

I would never have imagined that PAD would kill Janeway in this book and that means, that Pocket Books was given permission to do so. I don`t see any believable way to resurrect Janeway and that makes me wonder, is that the end of Voyager Relaunch? I doubt it that it would make sense to write these books after Janeway`s death. I must admit, the memorial scene was touching. Me personally, I have no problems with Janeway`s death. But I wonder if this move is fair to the Voyager fans who also exist. I am sure, if Picard would have been killed instead, the outcry would be huge and I very much doubt anyway that Pocket Books will ever get permission to do that. I am actually surprised that Janeway`s death caused so little reaction and by now, I have read quite a few comments.

I like it that PAD kept the reader guessing about Seven`s fate. I am so glad that she survived because I would certainly be upset if PAD would have killed her as well! The way PAD wrote her appealed to me very much. He showed her complexity very well indeed and presented her as a very likeable, brave character. I smiled when PAD also made comments about Seven`s looks and I couldn`t agree more with him. Especially after this book, I doubt it that there will be more Voyager Relaunch books as we know them so far. But especially after this book I am hoping at the same time that Seven will still have an important place in the current Star Trek book universe.

Speaking of Seven, I want to use this opportunity to also comment on the cover. After finishing the book, I can see even more that this simple idea is also providing a powerful teaser. The reflections from the Borg ship on Seven`s sad face look like tears. PAD described her loss very well and it was appropriate to at least mention that Chakotay was also struggling to come to terms with Janeway`s death.

I am glad that the book also included another guest. Especially because I have been waiting for a new New Frontier book for a while now. I loved Calhoun`s guest appearance towards the end of the book. I couldn`t help, I had to remember that Seven lost the woman who was much more than her friend but her mentor. The relationship between Picard and Calhoun is not so different. Janeway shaped a lot of Seven`s life and Picard did the same with Calhoun. It was great seeing Picard and Calhoun together again, fighting together. I also had to think again that whatever turned Jellico around in his attitude towards Calhoun must have been remarkable because especially in early NF, I would never have imagined that Calhoun would have been allowed to act as a commodore, leading several ships into battle. PAD also inserted some nice humour here I very much welcomed and I keep wondering, when will the next NF book be finally out?

PAD likes putting Spock into NF and it was a nice surprise to meet him in “Before Dishonor” as well. He certainly is a very wise man and this showed especially when he was dealing with T`Lana. I think PAD writes Spock very well and I hope he will keep appearing in his books.

Looking at the regular TNG characters, PAD wrote Picard and Beverly very well, very much in the NF style I like so much. Their parts don`t offer any special surprised in this book but that can`t happen in every novel. It was time to focus on other characters and I am glad that especially Seven was given the opportunity to really shine in a novel.

Worf was great. PAD found a good balance I enjoyed very much: He was the mature Worf he evolved into, especially in more recent books, but we could see her more than usual nowadays that he is nevertheless a Klingon warrior. I don`t think his emotional reaction towards the mutiny is a throwback or even out of character. I think his reactions were very understandable and they showed very well that it is not a good idea at all to make a Klingon angry. PAD also gave him some great, hilarious lines.

I also liked the part Geordi played in this story. In his own way, Geordi also left an important contribution by appealing to Seven`s humanity and his empathy. PAD showed him as the kind, gentle and caring man he is and I think it is about time that Geordi gets more to do in future and is giving more background.

As I said, I love the book but there is one aspect I am definitely not happy with. With the start of TNG Relaunch new characters were introduced that looked promising: T`Lana, Leybenzon and Kahota. Leybenzon but especially Kahota fit well into the crew and there was no reason whatsoever to imagine they would start a mutiny against Picard and certainly not for the reasons given. In the case of T`Lana I think it is very regrettable that she regressed this much but I can`t say she was not in character.

This threesome who initiated the mutiny displayed an amount of stupidity, narrow mindedness and arrogance that was astounding. Their reason for it was that Picard refused to follow orders and instead did what he thought needs to be done. What they wanted was that Picard returns to Earth as ordered and be one of many ships fighting against the Borg in a suicide mission. It didn`t matter what arguments Picard had, even what actually happened after this order was given, they stuck to the idea that orders are orders no matter what. The longer the story went on, the more ridiculous the whole background of the mutiny became but still, all three were locked in a mindset that reminded me of a broken record. Their minds were literally stuck, unable and unwilling to move and adapt to what was actually required.

I was torn between laughing at their stupidity and clumsiness as well as some of the jokes PAD inserted at their expense, being disappointed and even a bit annoyed that characters that seemed promising have been corrupted this way and feeling sorry for the next author/s who have the task to deal with this mess afterwards.

T`Lana is certainly irredeemable after what happened. With the choice Jellico announced, stay with Picard or resign, I think she will resign and good riddance to her. T`Lana could never function as counsellor on the Enterprise again. Instead Jellico could have been honest and offer her a post as Starfleet`s watchdog. Picard would have done his best to keep her as far away from him as possible and I can`t imagine that many people would come to her with their problems. I am hoping that T`Lana will indeed be gone in the next TNG Relaunch book and I am not interested to meet her again.

I am not sure if I would have been so forgiving towards Leybenzon and Kahota, maybe just dismissing their actions as an attack of madness. What possessed them is a mystery to me and if it was a kind of madness, what will happen the next time when there is a serious crisis and Picard decides to follow his own judgement against orders? Leybenzon is a veteran of the Dominion War who wasn`t shaped in the Starfleet Academy. I would have thought he is much more able to be an original thinker who knows that the situation you are faced with can change very quickly and that just relying on orders from people sitting far away can even be dangerous. Not to mention that Picard`s history with the Borg should tell him that he knows better what he is doing than anybody else, except Seven. And Kahota, who was hand picked by Data and has her family including three young children on Earth, is actually agreeing that it is better to be part of a suicide mission, to be one amongst many ships? Her lack of trust in Picard and participation in this insane mutiny makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I think instead of writing a mutiny that seemed more of a dark comedy than an actual drama, it would have been better if these people actually had a reason to mutiny I could understand. Understanding such motives and agreeing are not necessarily the same but I would have liked to continue to respect at least Leybenzon and Kahota.

We also shouldn`t forget that this threesome had a lot of help on board by officers who followed them. Why did they do that? Are these three instigators of the mutiny that much respected, did they have so compelling arguments or a charisma they couldn`t resist? I don`t understand that because I would answer all these questions with no.

I wonder how this mess can be fixed. I would think that jJust never mention it again is not an option that would be available. I am very curious how Christopher L. Bennett will handle the Enterprise crew in the next TNG Relaunch book, “Greater than the Sum”.

Heh, I just want to know if anyone's told Kate Mulgrew she's been killed off yet?

Beyond that, I liked the novel, although I agree about T'lana, I'll be marveled if she's still has a job in the next book, hopefully they get Dax over from DS9. If Titan can have Tuvok, Enterprise-E can have Dax.

Oh, and that line about Worf and a phaser was classic. I reread that passage five times out of sheer enjoyment. If anything shows you do not mutiny the captain of the Enterprise, it's that.

I enjoyed "Before Dishonor". I read "Resistance" first, and I normally enjoy Dillard's Trek novels, but I was amazed at how much crap she wrote about bees. So, I was glad to see that the PAD novel kept the hive metaphors to a minimum.

Was that a cameo by Lee at Sarek's reception? It seemed a bit odd, since it was more than just Tuckerisation, but it doesn't quite fit in with "Fallen Angel" either; maybe I'm just over-analysing it.

I particularly liked the way that the "mutiny" was handled, since the officers concerned were given a solid basis for their actions. I disagreed with them (partly because Picard is the type of leader I'd follow anywhere), but I could still sympathise with them. Actually, it reminded me of the TNG novel about Section 31, where one officer said that he considered joining them after he'd watched Picard flout Starfleet regulations any number of times to get the job done. In this case, it's more the opposite way around, i.e. the officers were opposing Picard in the same way that Sisko opposed Section 31.

My only complaint about the book is that some of the formatting was a bit iffy: they often continued the italics too far, e.g. "The Einstein was long on durability but short on amenities." Hopefully that was just a problem with the e-book (via ereader.com) rather than the printed version, but it was a bit jarring WHEN THEY emphasised random words.

[SPOILER WARNINGS] I very much enjoyed the new novel. It kinda surprised me to see you writing Janeway & Seven into the novel, too. For that matter, I was surprised that you weren't writing another "New Frontier" novel. Not that I'm complaining--it's great to see your terrific touch on a different set of Trek characters. I read the entire novel in a single day. Well, mainly it was a single night. I stayed up REAL late. The thing that really carried me on was a desire to see how you were going to return Janeway from her apparent demise. I was shocked when she stayed dead! This seems revolutionary to me.

Media tie-in novels are usually, for lack of a better word, safe. New characters, created for the novel can "bite it" at any time. Established characters, though, usually wind up with their status quo returned at the end of the book. Not this time! The status is anything but quo now. Great job, PAD.

OK, yeah, spoiler warnings...

Baerbel said much of what I felt about the mutiny...I just didn't feel it. I got character whiplash between KRAD's _Q&A_ and this. That threw me, because...I don't know how to say this. I was very surprised to feel character whiplash between two writers I enjoy a lot. I mean, going from a weak writer to a strong writer, or vice versa, it happens all the time--see also large chunks of the Star Wars expanded universe--but between KRAD and PAD? I was unprepared for it.

I think one problem was the way _Q&A_ took place between _Resistance_ and _Before Dishonor_--maybe it would have been better to have this be the immediate follow-up to _Resistance_ and then let Kadohata and Leybenzon get introduced in _Q&A_ to replace whoever it was who instigated the mutiny? I don't know. (One of the weaker parts of _Q&A_ was the way that the fallout from _Resistance_ was glossed over, anyway.)

Likewise, Lady Q's appearance sounded like there was a deal struck: "OK, my book will have Q, so yours can't. But yours can have Lady Q." Granted, the Lady has always been Janeway's...foil, in a way...but it felt tentative.

And finally...I'm not sure about the use of the ship and events of _Vendetta_. I mean, it worked, but...well, whatever. That could just be me.

OK. Enough griping. The rest of this review is positive, starting with: the characters besides the mutineers, I enjoyed immensely. Mac was great, with his promotion of Picard, and the way everybody just accepted it. Spock, a recurring figure in PAD's books for good reason, was used to his usual strong effect. I loved his appearance in the Sarek School of Diplomacy, and Picard catching him. Especially, I liked how the mind-meld, which was running the risk of turning into a bit of a deus ex machina, made things unaccountably worse.

Topping the list of best characterization outside an Enterprise crewer were, remarkably, Nechayev and Jellico. Jellico's reasoning for why he calls Seven by her human name was insightful, and the Admirals' black humor while in the Bunker--their debate about Pluto's status, and the way Jellico took "who promoted Picard?"/"Mackenzie Calhoun" in stride--all felt very real to what they were: anything to take their mind off of what they were about to face.

Which brings me to the other strong points of the novel: for one, the Borg absolutely terrified me this time around. I'm sure that was the intent. Gone was the ridiculous nerfing of the Borg in later Voyager, most notably how Janeway and company let themselves get assimilated in "Unimatrix Zero" (and bonus points for not bringing that up at all).

For another, the opening scenes, appropriately for a Halloween release, were downright scary. Especially the cube absorbing Janeway's blood. And I honestly wasn't sure that Earth would survive. (OK, sure, I thought it pretty likely, but...look, if anybody's going to rock the boat on the Pocket universe, I trust it to be PAD. So I had a seed of doubt. And he did change the universe, if only through Janeway.)

Seven...well, I have to admit to never liking the character, or more accurately, the directions she went in Voyager. But again, that's my issue, not the book's.

The closing, which like any good horror movie leaves room for the sequel, was handled well, but I have to wonder if it wasn't a case of "well, we can't make anything truly final, so let's leave the option of the Borg returning."

It goes without saying (but I don't let that stop me) that the Enterprise crew were used to great effect. Picard, as usual, rocked the house. Spock's recommended General Order was a nice touch.

All in all, I thought it was OK, and there was more to like than to dislike...but I have to admit that it's far from my favorite PAD work, or my favorite PAD Trek book. (The latter title probably goes to one of the later New Frontier books...as does the former, truthfully, but I don't guarantee they're the same.)

Right. Before Dishonor.

Short version? I hated it. Longer version? I was really sad to hate it because I pretty much love everything you've ever written.

About the only good part for me was that Janeway's dead. Never liked that bitch. And I liked the appearances by, well, just about everyone. I really did enjoy that.

But this concept... it's just flawed, and I'm sick of the blasted Borg, and I would think that you'd be intelligent enough to realize that. That's what really hurts. That for whatever reason, you didn't realize that this project bites.

Anyway, I wish there was something nicer I could say, but there isn't. I just hope you'll have the sense to leave the Borg as good and buried as they should remain in the future.

I find it interesting that just about every negative commentary is based in "I hate 7 of 9" or "I hate Janeway" or "I hate the Borg," which leaves me wondering why those particular fans bought it in the first place. I mean, I appreciate name loyalty, but if an author I like is writing about material that simply doesn't interest me or that I despise, I tend not to buy it.

PAD

I just finished 'Before Dishonor' last night, actually. Well done, Peter! I especially enjoyed the 'Vendetta' references; I think that was the first Trek novel of yours that I ever read, way back when.

I find it interesting that just about every negative commentary is based in "I hate 7 of 9" or "I hate Janeway" or "I hate the Borg"

Huh? Several of these negative comments, mine included, have focused on the Enterprise mutineers. (Yeah, I admit I didn't like Seven in Voyager, but that was far from a condemnation of the book.) Then again, you've probably been privy to a wider range of criticism than was shown here. I guess a lot of that flack was akin to Drtaylor's, then?

Anyway. I think one factor--in addition to the name loyalty, which I wouldn't discount--is that these books are more connected. I didn't read _Death In Winter_ or _Resistance_, and though I have no plans to, I know that a lot of the groundwork for _Q&A_ and _Before Dishonor_, both the obvious (the origin of the Jumbo Cube) and the less so (such as Picard and Crusher's relationship), was laid in those novels. And with the upcoming TNG Relaunch novels, it's probably going to get even more interconnected. (I didn't mention this above, but I note that at the end of _Before Dishonor_, Picard muses on destiny. That's interesting, in light of next year's big crossover trilogy: Star Trek: Destiny.) I can easily see how a reader would buy a book featuring characters he or she didn't particularly like, in order to keep following the thread of story.

I think something ate my previous comment. (If it didn't, and it's just waiting for moderation approval, I'm sorry for the double-posting.)

I find it interesting that just about every negative commentary is based in "I hate 7 of 9" or "I hate Janeway" or "I hate the Borg"

Huh? Most of the negative commentary I've seen, my own included, has been mostly focused on the Enterprise mutiny. (OK, yes, I admitted I don't particularly like the direction Seven went in Voyager, but that's far from what I was complaining about in _Before Dishonor_.) Then again, you're probably exposed to much more criticism of the book than I am, and if a lot of that has mimicked Drtaylor's, I can see how you'd have that reaction.

if an author I like is writing about material that simply doesn't interest me or that I despise, I tend not to buy it.

I think one factor, beyond the name loyalty (which I wouldn't discount), is the interconnectedness of the books. I didn't read _Death In Winter_ or _Resistance_, but I realize that by not doing so I missed a lot of the groundwork for _Q&A_ and _Before Dishonor_: the origin of the Jumbo Cube, Picard and Crusher's relationship, T'Lana's initial disagreements with Picard, and Worf's acceptance of the position of First Officer, to name four. And it looks likely that the books will get even more interconnected; Picard's mental riff on destiny in the end of _Dishonor_ is interesting in light of the announced crossover trilogy, Star Trek: Destiny...I can understand a fan buying books about subjects he or she isn't in love with, in order to follow the thread of the story. Plus, this was also a TNG novel, so even if a reader doesn't like Seven and Janeway, there's the entire Enterprise-D crew.

Question on a related note, PAD. I remember reading that the working title for this novel was...damn, can't remember the words...the Latin for "The Queen Is Dead." Why the change, if there was any specific reason, or was that always just the working title?

i loved the book har just a great laugh at the picard and calhoun back and forth woke my wife up laughing so hard. waiting for the next nf book

Yeah, I'm a little baffled too, Will. It also seemed to me that there were far more criticisms of PAD's characterization of the new crew members than there were of the "I hate Voyager" variety. Still, I'd imagine that most of those contradictions in characterization were down to Peter not having been able to read the other books featuring these characters.

I'd imagine that most of those contradictions in characterization were down to Peter not having been able to read the other books featuring these characters.

Oh, damn! I knew I'd forgotten to say something. (Two things, if you count how my all-time favorite PAD book might actually be one of the Centauri Prime trilogy...)

Yes, I definitely believe that one of the major factors contributing to the character whiplash I felt was the close publication of _Q&A_ and _Before Dishonor_, and how that affected the chance PAD had to read the former novel.

Thank you. *grin*

Wow, I really misread that title. I thought the issue of She-Hulk was called "Before Dishonor" and started imagining She-Hulk wrestling with a Gorn. (with me shaking the comic to get that shaky camera affect)

She-Hulk was really good. The action in these two issues is probably the best that's appeared in the whole series to date. The new status quo also seems to work.

My one small disappointment was that Jen didn't win the fight directly. We've seen Absorbing Man get defeated by his own powers almost every time he's appeared and it would have been nice to see something different here.

Ah well. A good excuse to bring Absorbing Man and Titania back. Somehow Titania has gotten pegged as She-Hulk's "arch-enemy" but I think we've yet to see the definitive throwdown between her and She-Hulk.

I was never sent a copy of Q&A prior to my writing "Before Dishonor." I was sent "Resistance" and read that, and I don't believe there was anything in "Before Dishonor" that contradicted that. If the fans want to pillory me for not hewing to a book I never had...*shrug.* Not much I can do about that.

PAD

As a long-time She-Hulk fan, I'd love to comment on PAD's second issue. I loved the fight between She-Hulk and Absorbing Man, and the way he used the Mall of America as a background. If there is any nitpick I have, it's this. Whenever She-Hulk fought a bad guy in Dan Slott's book, he took pains to show She-Hulk winning by using more than just her sheer power---she had to use her brains as well. The way this ended was more along the lines of "bad guy makes mistake/heroine gets lucky." However, EVERY hero in the Marvel Universe wins fights this way, including Spidey and the Hulk. I'm sure Jen will be more than happy to take this victory any way she can.

As far as her partner Jazinda the Skrull (and I'm sorry for mispelling her name on the other board), I have three words---I CALLED IT!!! I believe I was the first person to predict that she was a Skrull although I made the mistake of assuming she was Lyja Laserfist. I should have realized "J" stood for something besides "Jennifer." So, since we never actually saw She-Hulk as Jennifer Walters, does she ever change back? I'm sure she CAN change back if she wants to, but why should she have to if Jazinda can double for her? I'm sure we will see the answer to this in upcoming issues.

Keep up the good work, PAD!

P.S. As a Washington Nationals fan, I'd like to point out that the MoA is built on the site of Metropolitan Stadium where *sob!* the original Senators moved in 1961. Somewhere in that place you can find home plate and a seat where Harmon Killebrew hit a monstrous 500-foot home run.

Never had picked up a copy of She-Hulk until I read you were the writer, and it's pretty much what I expected... sharp dialog and plot twists. Loved it! Hope you stick around for a while, I'm looking forward to having a collection like your run on Supergirl. :)

"But this concept... it's just flawed, and I'm sick of the blasted Borg, and I would think that you'd be intelligent enough to realize that."

Huh. How would he have known that you were sick of the Borg? Did it come up at your last dinner conversation with him and he just forgot about it?

Let's remember something, folks; there's lots of other readers out there besides you, and yelling at someone for not writing to your particular tastes... Well, that's the stuff that gives us fanboys a bad name.

PAD SAYS "I was never sent a copy of Q&A prior to my writing "Before Dishonor." I was sent "Resistance" and read that, and I don't believe there was anything in "Before Dishonor" that contradicted that. If the fans want to pillory me for not hewing to a book I never had...*shrug.* Not much I can do about that.

PAD

PAD I never meant to be negative. I very much liked Before Dishonor and the way it was written. I just asked my question because it was contradictory to Q&A. However, since you didn't get a copy of that then no harm done. Heck, no harm done either way. There was nothing contradictory between Resistance and Before Dishonor. And in truth the differences I mentioned before were minor in the end. I really just want to thank you for another very well done STTNG book. I was pleasently suprised at how you blended so many series together. I, personally an happy at how Janeway's and 7 or 9's stories ended. Fitting.

I do have one question though. How does one go about getting rid of two such important characters?
Do you submit the idead to the publishers/series runners? or do they give you a guideline to workwith? I have always been curious about how writers do that.

Thanks

The idea was initiated by editors at Pocket. It never would have occurred to me to approach them with a story that involves doing away with characters.

PAD

O.K. blew it with the LMD theory. Shoulda paid more attention to the 'green' clue in #22.

I liked "Before Dishonor"

The (Spoiler) Death was so unexpected to encounter in a Main Stream Star Trek novel that some of its impact was nullified, as I didn't really believe it at the time.

I, for one, did not find the fact of the mutiny unbelievable, Picard has gotten away with way too much over the years. He flagrently flies in the face of rules and regulations and finds sucess, not by doing objectively wise things, but simply going on his gut and it is only the fickle finger of fate that whimsicly determines Picard's life always has plot twists towards resolution and happy endings (unlike poor Data...) Anyway, if every Captain had an attitude like Picard, Kirk and Calhoon, then those who weren't the main players in Fate's Fickle Hand would cause universal destruction on a weekly (or quarterly) basis.

Where was I? Oh yeah, so the mutiny is really understandable, although I think the particular reasoning could have been more compelling T'lana seems like she would have mutinitied in Resitance, if she had the support, but this senario didn't seem as strong (although the admirality intervening did help.)

I actually don't have an issue with Kadohata mutinying against Picard, despite having served with him since the early days on the Enterprise-D; actually, I thought that lent strength to the mutiny plotline, since it meant that not only the newbies were in opposition to the captain; after all, just because someone has served with Picard for years doesn't necessarily mean they automatically think he's right. Do I wish the characters had been able to hew closer to those established in Q&A? Well, yeah, in an ideal world, that would have been nice. But they weren't so different as to be unrecognizable, and in the end, the book was compelling and entertaining, so I'm hardly complaining (or, to use PAD's word, pillorying him).

Hmmm. Since I did not see Q&A in the bookstores when I picked up RESISTANCE and BEFORE DISHONOR, I was not disturbed by any changes in the minor characters.

In fact, Kadohata joining up with the mutineers along with most of security does make sense. The Borg were attacking Earth. Think about it. Picard was gambling on a chance that a planet killer though dead could be reawakened. If I was on the Enterprise and had loved ones on Earth, I think that I might have been emotional enough to have joined the mutineers.

1She-Hulk has always been a flat secondary character wherever she appears (even in her own books), but with your first two installments as her scribe I am completely impressed and excited about the possibilities. It is not that the thought of using her as a bounty hunter is stellar, but I love the degree to which she is at odds with the facism of Tony Stark (the current Marvel antihero). The possibility of her being a major player in his eventual downfall is part of why I will stick around. The main reasons are moments like the Absorbing Man duplicating the powers of the shark, and the comment that while his eyesight should be poor his sense of smell will be accute. Attention to detail in an artform that generally writes with broad strokes of the pen is why I love your comic book work. Very excited about this book.

I still think that following Picard`s idea of trying to reactivate the planet killer makes much more sense than insisting to return to Earth and be one of many ships trying to stop the Borg in a direct confrontation. Picard had Spock and Seven with him. If someone could do it, it was them. To me the logic is so obvious: If it works, great! If not, they would return as quickly as possible.

Starfleet/the Federation should be glad that they have or had captains like Picard, like Kirk, like Calhoun - and others like them, people who are original thinkers, who have the instincts and skills to adapt quickly to new situations and are confident and brave enough to do what is right or what seems to be right at the time, no matter what Admirals who are sitting far away think.

I still think the mutiny story makes little sense. All this mistrust towards Picard and this "orders are orders, no matter what" talk, that the Admirals were not thinking "Let Picard try it. Who knows, it might even work", first of all reminded me of episodes like "The Pegasus", "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" and "Valiant". "Stone and Anvil" also shows how cadets are drilled from early on to follow orders without questioning them, that even older cadets are considered to be superior officers and even when they obviously misuse their authority, including bullying, cadets have to obey or get into trouble. I find that very disturbing and in that light, "Before Dishonor" also left a bad taste in my mouth.

Instead of blaming Picard, I think it is about time Starfleet`s Admirals learn to be more flexible and trust captains more to do their jobs.

I'll let you know how I like them once my download finishes.

ARRRGGGHHH, MATEY!

I really enjoyed Before Dishonor and admit I did not see the death coming. I was pleasantly surprised that this was a follow up wo Vendetta, a novel I very much enjoyed.

My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is that the Starfleet of the novels seem to have forgotten how to enjoy themselves. They all seem so dour and grim all the time (NF being the exception to this). I miss seeing these people who were hell bent on exploring the galaxy. I'd love to see more stand alone novels that get us back out there where no one has gone before.

Haven't been to the comicshop yet, but She Hulk is on my 'to buy' list.

Bobby

The only real contradiction of events between "Q&A" and "Before Dishonor" was Geordi needing to explain to Kadohata about the events of "Vendetta" because she supposedly wasn't with the crew then. However, KRAD established in "Q&A" that she had been with Picard since "Encounter At Farpoint", which makes her participation in the mutiny -- and Geordi needing to explain this particular aspect of the story to her-- a bit puzzling. Maybe she was on leave... (-;

T'Lana was a character that I had high hopes for, but she's been "Kennedy'd" to me. Like Kennedy in BtVS, she is beyond redemption now. Leybenzon, OTOH, I didn't care for anyway.

BTW, PAD, over at the Trek BBS, author David Mack suggested actress Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen, seen recently as Kendra Shaw in BSG:Razor for the role of Kadohata. (Also, What did Cowboy Pete think of "Razor"?). KRAD felt she was a good choice, and although I originally thought that she was a bit young, I've warmed to the idea since "Razor" aired.

Bobby Nash said...

"I'd love to see more stand alone novels that get us back out there where no one has gone before."

Check out the "Star Trek: Titan" series. The first two boioks had to pick up from the events of "Nemesis", but boldly going where no man has gone before is part of the series reason for existing.

OK, Spoiler Warning, even though it seems kind of pointless this far down the page...

I thoroughly enjoyed Before Dishonor. Unlike the Xindi arc on Enterprise, I really believed in the threat to Earth and all the characters. With the tone of your writing having become darker over the last few years, I figured if anyone was going to destroy Earth and/or kill off major characters, it was going to be you! But at the same time there were still some great humorous moments that broke the tension and had me laughing out loud as I was reading. It's that balance of drama and humor that I've always loved about your work and have always kept me coming back.

I was also pleased to see interaction between the Borg and the Q again. I read an interview once (I think it was with Maurice Hurley ) where he said he always intended Q and the Borg to be constantly used together in stories, showing the opposite extremes of this unstoppable, unemotional cybernetic race on one side and this unstoppable, omnipotent to the point of apathetic race on the other side, with humanity in the middle trying to make it's way without falling into the extremes of either. I thought Before Dishonor captured a bit of that feel again.

Thanks for a great read, Peter!

However, KRAD established in "Q&A" that she had been with Picard since "Encounter At Farpoint", which makes her participation in the mutiny -- and Geordi needing to explain this particular aspect of the story to her-- a bit puzzling.

Kadohata was, per Q&A aboard the Enterprise-D during "Farpoint." Per Q&A, she was off the Enterprise by "Data's Day." (See the bottom of page 68.) The question is... when did Kadohata transfer off?

The dates given in Q&A point to sometime during the fourth season. And in the front half. If meeting the Burrito, Mk. II happened in the back half of season four, Kadohata would have been gone by then.

Only about 30 or 40 pages into Before Dishonour. Assimilated Janeway & several unlucky Marvel editors who got sucked in (Wacker, etc.)? That's just plain old mean!

Speaking of editor's names, when you use friends/co-workers names on characters, do you ask before doing it?

I liked the first two issues of your run. This is the best the book has been in many issues. The artwork had become pretty awful recently and I was close to dropping it. Now, I think the sty and art have gone right back to the top. keep tis guy on pencils, chain him down or do whatever.

I liked the lego bit, I tried not to look too deeply in to it.

How about following up your Leader plot line from back when, given the fact Sterns has already shown up in the book it would be a great follow on. We all want to know about Omnibus, the mouse with a large head and all the multiple deaths that other people followed on with badly. Here's your chance to do some house cleaning and put things in order....please???

Overall I enjoyed "Before Dishonor" but not as much as PAD's previous Trek books. My problems with the book were totally mine, tho. I having not read the book(s?) that directly led into this one I felt a bit lost trying to catch up on what was going on. Plus, since I don't read the non-PAD Treks I was expecting a NextGen book to have more of the classic Enterprise-D crew.

Again, totally my fault for not following the mainstream Trek series. New Frontier and (at least until the format change) Corps of Engineers are the only Trek books I keep up with.

I, too, was confused by the many references to more recent novels. It appears I'll have to be checking out some more Star Trek novels to get the back story. I've seen several titles bandied about in this thread: Resistance and Q&A most prominently. Is there a good place to see a current novels timeline? Or could someone do me the favor of posting it here?

As far as the novel itself goes, I have to say that it was not one of my favorite Trek books. (Neither was Vendetta, BTW, despite by deep love of most of PAD's work including much of his Trek work.) However, I absolutely loved every second of Spock's appearance. Bravo, PAD.

Eric

Oh, BTW: On the back cover, it claims that "What is revealed is the thing that no one believed the Borg could do."

What is "the thing"? How dumb am I for not having gotten it while reading?

Eric

My guess would be the whole "Borg Cube Eating Pluto, Its Moons, and Part of the Sun" thing. ::shrug::

Re: Before Dishonor

In the words of Bridget Jones: Oh. Holy. Jesus.

PAD, I've been reading your work for years, and you never cease to meet and exceed my expectations for storytelling and characterization in your novels. Before Dishonor, frankly, blew me away. I didn't think anything new could be done with the Borg. They were sort of defanged and boring after the Voyager tv series got finished imbuing them with too much personality (make no mistake, I love Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson, but the reason the Borg were terrifying to start with is that there was no preliminary scenery chewing before they wiped the floor with whatever they came across and kept right on rolling like a juggernaut). Some of the stuff they were doing in this novel had my eyes out on stalks. They were horrifying and relentless and perfect. Using Janeway as a physical conduit with bits and snatches of her humanity trying to claw their way to the surface? Oh my gawd. Chilling. Absolutely chilling. When they ate Pluto, I had to put the book down for a few minutes and go get a cup of coffee to digest that. No pun intended.

I am also neverendingly grateful for the deft touch with which you handle relationships in the Trek universe. Would that the tv shows had been asking you for advice on that front all this time. The easy, familiar synergy of the TNG crew was a physical presence in the book. These people are a family, and that came through in every scene they inhabited. Picard and Crusher? About damn time. They are a perfectly-matched riot to watch. Even the characters who were absent because of other assignments or death were still quite present and alive in the memories of the crew. Some of the new characters were utterly annoying, but I suspect you intended that to be the case. But, oh... Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine. More on that in a minute.

On the subject of your past comments about not liking Voyager the series, I'm with you there. I don't see any incompatibility though between not having thought much of the show while artfully writing two of its most prominent characters. I watched maybe four episodes of Voyager total when it was on first run. My attention wasn't really caught by the show until long after the series was over when I saw an episode in rerun from the fourth or fifth season and was blasted in the face by the over-the-top, screen-crackling chemistry between Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan. The rest of the episode was complete pants, but the scenes between Janeway and Seven of Nine were a revelation. When on earth did this happen, I wondered, and went digging around online. To my delight, I discovered that I was not, in fact, hallucinating in a vacuum and that lots and lots of other people had seen something interesting going on there as well. Hmmm!

So, fast-forward back to Before Dishonor, the level of subtlety you brought to this particular relationship was dead on for the layered, complex, conflicted thing that has seemingly existed between Janeway and Seven since the series. Lady Q's taunts were telling as was Seven's insistence upon rescuing Janeway personally or dying with her. Oh, and nuances of the salvation/destruction/completion of the metaphorical consummation at the end where everything came full circle. Brilliant.

The very last was heartrending. Love. Loss. Emotional shutdown. Enshrining a fallen hero. And then a little sparkle of hope.

What a ride. I'm looking forward to the next chapter in this story. I only hope that the next writer in the series continues on with the same care, attention, and insight that you have brought to it.

Well done.

Now, perhaps since I just finished up my studies I can come back from the place of being unable to refrain from critically analyzing Star Trek novels (and everything else). ;)

Before Dishonor: Best movie I've read all year. Couldn't put it down.

I'll always pick up a Trek book by PAD and I'm never let down. It's a constant in my universe.

Thanks, PAD!

Before Dishonor: I enjoyed it, however I am aware people seem to like nitpicking it, so let me reveal my feelings pn the notpick subjects and one or two of my own.

T'Lana: I would not be surprised if her parents were old enough to have mocked Spock when they were children because he was a "half-breed". She seems to be from the old school as seen from Enterprise that Vulcans are great because they are the most logical species, and therefore must be right. I think that this shows the lesson that being right sometimes does not mean that one is superior to others. I haven't read resistence or Q and A yet so as far as I am concerned, if thee was a character regression it was only because T'Lana ironically was aggrandizing herself.

Voyager Characters: Seven was spot-on, I always felt that Jeri Ryan was given a disservice by not being more emotional on Voyager. I didn't see every episode, but that damn monotone was driving me insane. Janeway, however, I disagree with some of the critics in that what she did was in character and yet perhaps since she had "assimilation/plot device" written on her forehead that it soured some of the other readers.

Starfleet: First, I think once it was proven that Seven was not crazy that Picard should have requested that Jellico rescind the order to come back to Earth at which time Jellico could say that they still needed to return to Earth. I say this because for purposes of Starfleet Records Picard could argue if this thing did end up going to a board of inquiry that the basis to return was to return Seven, because she was deemed nuts and/or insubordinate, then Starfleet had not changed its reasoning for the orders and rather expanding them to include the threat, in which case picard could argue the order to return was flawed.
I also felt that while it was fun to see PAD reference Nechayev's disdain for Picard's decision to not let Hugh be the carrier for Endgame, she sould let it go because as Picard said in Descent, Part 1, he "went through [the subject] with Admiral Brooks" which means that if Starfleet had a problem, Brooks would have let him know AND that if Nechayev has a proble with it she should have taken it up with Brooks.

The Mutiny: You need a dramatic twist to create tension, so no, no stupid officers. Besides Kadohata had been off the Enterprise for at least 10 years and so would have had some loyalty to Picard, hence her early hesitation and torment about the decision to mutiny afterwards.

So Yeah, I liked it. There were no moments that made me extemely frustrated with Star Trek, like the time when the producers decided to do the Demomte-O'Brien-from-Full-Lieutenant-to-noncom-just-because-of-some-throwaway-line-that-Michael-Piller-came-up-with-for-Theodore-Bikel-in-"Family"-because-as-far-as-career-motivation-goes-for-Miles-being-on DS9-we-got-nothing!