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A review by reeshadovahsil
The Prometheus Design by Sondra Marshak, Myrna Culbreath
2.0
It's a foreboding sign when a 190-page Star Trek novel takes me 6 weeks to read.
These authors... were just not any good at creative writing, I'm sorry to say. This is their third collaboration on a novel (so, excepting both The New Voyages fan fiction compilations and non-fiction works like Star Trek Lives!—each of which had their own problems, also connected to these authors). Whereas the second novel was slightly better than the first, this third effort took several steps back.
The general idea of the plot is good, interesting, sci-fi-worthy, Star Trek-y one might say. But the execution is just awful. (The same as their previous efforts.)
The writing is done in half-measures, as if they cannot be bothered to fully explore their own ideas or the thoughts of their characters, or as if they believe what they really mean to say but don't will be absorbed from the page by the reader through osmosis without them having to actually write. It comes across as if they believe they are far more poignant and profound than their writing truly is. Their characterization is all over the place, half the conversations make no sense, and their OCs are painfully unrealized.
I'd be willing to read the same story idea properly written by a better writer, but I'll never touch this one again. I looked this writing team up and am dismayed to see there is yet another collaborative novel only the next year (I'm reading all Star Trek novels in order of publication). One last chance, I suppose, but my hopes are not high.
Unless you are a completionist like me, or you actually enjoyed these authors' previous works, give this one an easy miss.
These authors... were just not any good at creative writing, I'm sorry to say. This is their third collaboration on a novel (so, excepting both The New Voyages fan fiction compilations and non-fiction works like Star Trek Lives!—each of which had their own problems, also connected to these authors). Whereas the second novel was slightly better than the first, this third effort took several steps back.
The general idea of the plot is good, interesting, sci-fi-worthy, Star Trek-y one might say. But the execution is just awful. (The same as their previous efforts.)
The writing is done in half-measures, as if they cannot be bothered to fully explore their own ideas or the thoughts of their characters, or as if they believe what they really mean to say but don't will be absorbed from the page by the reader through osmosis without them having to actually write. It comes across as if they believe they are far more poignant and profound than their writing truly is. Their characterization is all over the place, half the conversations make no sense, and their OCs are painfully unrealized.
I'd be willing to read the same story idea properly written by a better writer, but I'll never touch this one again. I looked this writing team up and am dismayed to see there is yet another collaborative novel only the next year (I'm reading all Star Trek novels in order of publication). One last chance, I suppose, but my hopes are not high.
Unless you are a completionist like me, or you actually enjoyed these authors' previous works, give this one an easy miss.