Star Trek: Gateways: What Lay Beyond (book 7 of 7) by Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith RA DeCandido, Christie Golden, Robert Greenberger and Susan Wright

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Star Trek: Gateways: What Lay Beyond (book 7 of 7) by Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith RA DeCandido, Christie Golden, Robert Greenberger and Susan Wright

pub: Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster. 488 page paperback. Price: £ 5.99 (UK), $ 6.99 (US) and $10.50 (CAN). ISBN: 0-7434-5683-1.

Check out website: www.startrek.com and www.simonsays.co.uk

Star Trek: One Giant Leap
A simple tale of what happens when Kirk jumps through the Gateway-well you would wouldn't you?

Star Trek: Challenger Exodus
Keller on a metal planet with barely any sustainable resources attempts to persuade the whole population to go through the gateway before it collapses.

DS9: Horn And Ivory
After suffering a massive dose of radiation, Major Kira leaps through a gateway into Bajor's history.

Voyager: In the Queue
There's a clue in the title as Janeway has a meeting with a meddling multi-dimensional being.

New Frontier: Death After Life
What would happen if you found the heaven you believed in on the other side of a gateway and decided that it wasn't for you? When Shelby and Calhoun emerge into Kaz'hera they face a battle for their lives again and again and again...

Next Generation: The Other Side
The wrap-up story for all seven books as Picard boldly goes again. It features all the main players from Next Generation and winds up the 'Gateways' story.

I dimly remember a story featuring a Gateway from the original 'Star Trek' TV series where Kirk is able to jump through to the bridge of the Enterprise. This set of books (a septet or octet?) takes the idea further. It has created a series of stories featuring all the captains from the various TV Series and those who only exist on paper.

Just to complicate matters for this reviewer, I have been sent Book 7 only. All right, I thought, there should be sufficient continuity to allow me to offer an opinion on this. Alas, reading the book has highlighted what many visitors to the Amazon.com site have noted that it is a 'rip off'.

To read a complete tale, it is necessary to buy at least 2 books and that does not include Book 8, 'The Epilogue'.
I think this is poor show by the publishers. I can see that the 'Gateways' concept is an agreeable one and has potential to include all the 'Star Trek' series.

Readers may be intrigued enough to try a 'Star Trek' such as 'Challenger' not yet dipped into. However at about £6 each book it is a hefty investment to buy all 8 books. Also, not every story in the book is strong enough to fit into the whole including the wraparound Next Generation story.
I enjoyed the premise of 'Death After Life' and 'Horn And Ivory' but I thought the 'The Other Side' was ponderous and weak with some very simplistic notions in it.

When Picard meets certain characters he offers simple homilies on how to live like a Federation member -with a straight face as well. He also has a fascinating chat about how to produce wine. No really.

It was nice to meet Kathryn Janeway again 'In the Queue', the story was slight but had a lighter touch than some of the others. I had not previously read any 'Challenger' or 'New Frontier' books but this introduction was not overly fascinating as they lack the prehistory of the various TV series.

Overall, I can say that I would not have bought a book with the Kirk story and if I had bought any of the others I would have felt cheated at waiting over a year for the final instalment. The publishers seem determined to wring the public dry and these books need to have stronger narratives to allow this treatment.

Sue Davies

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