Book Review: Star Trek #5: Voyager:
Incident at Arbuk
Written by John Gregory Betancourt
Pocket Books, $5.99US/ $7.99 Can
214 pages
At first glance, this novel appears to be the obligatory retelling
of the Doomsday Machine. After further reading it turns out to
be something else, and something less. The V'ger stumbles upon
an immense cone that has the ability to emit a burst of tremendous
power. Also in the system are two space habitats, one still in
the process of being created, the other partially destroyed.
Evidence would seem to indicate that the damaged one was hit
by a burst from the object under scrutiny.
What follows is an attempt by the crew to understand the machine
they have stumbled upon and the society that built it. Neither
of which they do with any great success. Once again, it might
have been an idea if Pocket had brought in a writer that had,
at least, watched a few episodes. The speech and mannerisms do
not match well with the characters we see on the screen and the
plotting and pacing of the novel are stilted at best.
On the Makin Scale this drek gets 2/10.
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