[.ca] Broken Bow (ISBN 0743470621)

The adventure begins...:
A great story about mankind reaching for the stars. After almost a century of being held back by Vulcan guidance Starfleet's first Warp 5 starship commanded by Capt. Johnathan Archer embarks on a mission to return a wounded Klingon named Klangg to his people. Along the way they run into temporal cold war agents-the Suliban and must try and prevent them from killing Klangg (as he carries valuable information back to the Klingon Empire). Archer must also overcome his distrust of Vulcans and his new Vulcan first officer T'pol. This pre-federation chapter of Star Trek is just as enticing as the other Star Trek series'. Even though the technologies featured (Only Warp 5 capable Engine designed by Archer's dad,no tractor beams on Enterprise,no phasers or photon torpedos) are a bit primitive compared to the other series you get to witness the early Starfleet deep space missions. An excellent story nonetheless and well worth reading or watching.

The Beginning Of Starfleet:
This novel by veteran Star Trek writer Diane Carey is based upon the first 'Star Trek: Enterprise' episode, Broken Bow. It lays the foundation for the formation of Starfleet, which of course came before 'The United Federation Of Planets', and includes some events leading up to the aquisition of warp technology (this book is more detailed than the television version) including a bit more about Zephran Cochran, the inventor of warp drive on earth. This is really fascinating stuff. The plot and storyline are good, as is character development, required reading for any serious Star Trek fan. This book also goes into some detail concerning the start of Vulcan-Terran cooperation and mutual trust and respect, very interesting coverage here. This is great science fiction on any standard, well worth reading, written in an easy to read, flowing style.

Excellent adaptation of a fine episode.:
In this book, Diane Carey once again demonstrates what she is capable of when not attempting to show how cute and clever she can be with the language. In many of her earlier works, her writing was almost indecipherable due to a tendancy to try to find new, unusual uses for perfectly good words. More and more, in her recent efforts, she has gotten away from this quirk, and the result has been some truly fine writing; this is one of the best so far. The story itself is not as good as her story in "Day of Honor, Ancient Blood", but that isn't her fault. In this case, she is writing a novelization of an existing episode, and she does a solid, workmanlike job of it. The episode is good, just not as good as the best ideas that Ms. Carey has had on her own. This story is an excellent introduction to the "Enterprise" characters and storyline, and Ms. Carey's treatment of it is very worthwhile reading.

Enterprise Broken Bow:
Enterprise: Broken Bow This book is not unlike the Season Premeire Movie Broken Bow, however there is a bit more detail and the characters seem to come alive in a much better form within its pages. We also get a glimpse into what the writers and producers were and are expecting with the Enterprise series in the Concept Log that has been bound with the story.

A Pretty Good Book but it beggars belief in spots.:
"ENTERPRISE" is an interesting series, and this book does appear to be a fairly handy introduction to "The Star Trek Universe before Captain Kirk" but after reading it (and after watching the pilot episode on which it is based), I was left with one nagging question: Where and how did the conflict between the Klingon Empire and Starfleet Command arise?? In the afterword at the end of this book, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the show's producers, tell us that in the new ENTERPRISE series, which takes place a century before Captain Kirk's time, the Klingons will be portrayed as "gnarlier, nastier, and more warlike" (their words). But after reading this book and watching the entire series so far, I have yet to find any evidence of the vicious hostility with which Klingons of this time regarded other races. Before Kirk's time Klingons were supposedly little more than a warlike band of savages! The Khitomer peace accords were still 150 years away and yet, in this story, the role of "villians" are assigned to a race of time-traveling conspirators called the Suliban while the Klingons behave with a certain degree of deferrence to Captain Archer and his crew!! Klaang behaves like Worf drunk on bloodwine! I understood the Klingons of this time saw no dishonor in attacking their enemies!! What's wrong with this picture?! I always expected the first encounter between Starfleet and the Klingons as being far more bloody and violent!! How did the enmity between Klingons and Starfleet Command begin?? Weren't the Klingons of this time a race of conquerors? This book ,and by extension, the whole series so far, could use some historical corrections. Thank you for reading this.