progress....
Still slogging through Chapter 4 of Spectres, but at least I broke 14,000 words. Or maybe they broke me. Wubble.
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Sonek Pran is an absorbing character, with a diverse background. As the central character in the story, he is the one to discover the great mystery and is integral in several negotiations. He is complex and is by far the most enjoyable new character to the Trek universe that I’ve read in a while.
What I enjoy about A Singular Destiny is how DeCandido manages to span the events along the different worlds and cultures, and not just the Federation alone, who must face a difficult task after a brutal apocalypse. It’s interesting to read this novel and see the mirror held up to our own society to reflect its current events on the worldwide arena. It’s hard to put down the mirror and see the obvious real-world parallels that DeCandido has brilliantly portrayed in A Singular Destiny, everyone is affected by the same problems, and no matter what the solution may be, no one is happy with the results.
Just as effective is the way DeCandido intercuts between chapters to reveal the thoughts behind those affected by the Borg blitzkrieg through personal narratives, letters, and reports. Some are happy with moving forward, while others teeter on the brink of emotional breakdown. And the fate of one series’ more beloved characters is handled with such brevity and starkness that said fate is the literary equivalent of a sucker punch. Little moments like these add frighteningly realistic big pieces to a puzzle that must now be put back together with delicacy.
A little bit of reminiscence from the Bygone Era of Fandom Past…
I can remember one — and *only* one — Star Trek film whose coming was not heralded by fannish screaming, whining, bitching, complaining, agita, baked beans and Spam. It was, if you take the strictest possible interpretation, the ONLY Star Trek project ever made since the Original Series that has never, as far as I know, been accused of the slightest bit of “non-canonicity” (which probably isn’t even a real word, but work with me here) and is, in fact, the only one of the series where every plot point, costume and set alteration, or character arc was scrupulously respectful of every previously established tenet of the Original Series.
That movie is also widely thought to be terrible, which indeed it was, and is. It was called STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE.
Put that in your canon cannon and fire it. :)
The expanded postseason is key. More than any other sport, MLB's playoff system acts as an equalizer. Fair or not, in broad strokes, a team that wins 83 games in a bad division has as much chance of winning the World Series as the Yankees or the Red Sox. Seemingly, no matter how much those teams spend over the winter, that competitive advantage is neutralized come October.
So while the capped leagues all struggle to find the right balance between capitalism and socialism, baseball continues to prosper operating within a much more free-market system. Teams in big markets and small markets alike are making money, and everyone has a chance to win it all.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And right now, baseball is anything but broke.