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Q-Squared part 1
May. 9th, 2007 11:17 pmSo, I begin with Q-Squared, by Peter David. For some of you, you may be wondering why I've chosen to do this book, instead of others that have recommended or even that aren't so... fandom specific. Peter David writes fan fiction. Fan fiction that's good and well written. This is to compare to Eragon and Eldest which was fan fiction that wasn't really well written. David manages to pull of things that Paolini wishes he could have.
Since this is a very specific universe, I'll be linking to things that are fandom specific, like character names and things like that to help you along.
Summary
We begin with an adult and a child. The child asks what are they going to do today, and the adult who believes that the child is full of potential says that there "Is nothing that they are not going to today" (page 1) The boy decides that he wants to understand everything. The adult wants to know what he means by "everything", the boy says "everything as in everything." When the boy wants to know what they shall do when they understand everything, the adult declares, "Die, most likely." This is our introductory scene, letting us know about the powers at work. The two individuals are capable creating stars, reshape cosmoses. The forces at work -that will be at work - are of galactic proportions. It is an everything can and will go story.
Track A chapter one.
One of the more famous lines in the Next Generation episodes is "Jean-Luc... there's something I've been wanting to tell you." It is spoken by Beverly Crusher, the chief medical officer on the Star Ship Enterprise. She is an old friend of Captain Picard, captain of the Enterprise. Dr. Crusher has never been able to say what it is that she wanted to tell him in the series. David begins his book with this line. By starting the book with this line, it allows the reader to believe that they're in comfortable and familiar territory. Not only that but for readers who know the history of this line, they get a little, "ah-ha". But if they don't know they history, they don't lose anything. Picard puts down a book of Shakespeare sonnets, telling us what sort of man he is, educated and cultured. And the sort that reads paper books in a paperless future.
As the text is produced, Picard's rank is never given and Crusher's gender is not said. It could be said that this is done because the reader already knows this. Crusher apparently is uncomfortable about a woman coming aboard the ship. A former lover. Which immediately draws the reader's attention to the fact that something might be wrong. Though it is perfectly acceptable for us to believe that Crusher is having a relationship with a woman, but most fans would know that this isn't likely. Picard tries to guess who it is, going through several names, finally settling on "Beverly".
And here is our big twist. The person who is speaking to Picard is not Beverly Crusher as previously expected, but instead her long dead husband, Jack. This is similar to the twist that Paolini tried to throw at the readers when he said that Murtagh and the Twins were gone, but not dead. No where did David say that Crusher wasn't Beverly, but instead he lets the reader assume it. Paolini lets the reader assume it as well, but he then doesn't bring it up ever again. He allows the reader to forget about it, and then when he brings Murtagh back it's supposed to be a big surprise and twist, but instead it's more of a where did this come from and why is this even here? There was no reason for us to believe that Murtagh was dead. By letting us believe that the reader feels cheated. The same emotional drama, in fact even more emotional drama could have been had if Eragon believed that Murtagh had been captured as he wondered what sort of torment Murtagh had been going through. In David's case, it allows us to realize that, no we're not in the universe we thought we were. To help us realize that we're not in our regular universe, David takes us into Picard's thoughts where he says, "One did not, after all, become the first officer on the Fleet's flagship without making a habit of proceeding with caution." (page 6). Here we learn that Picard is not the captain, like we thought. Here in this universe something happened to allow Jack Crusher to live and Picard to get demoted in rank.
Picard and Crusher talk about Beverly, who has apparently divorced her husband and returned to her maiden name of "Howard", and how she's going to be the Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise. Though it is uncomfortable for the captain, he only wants the best for his crew, and Beverly is the best. In an effort to ease relations between him and his ex, Crusher asks Picard to run interference between her and him on day to day matters.
So, what do you think? Should I continue?
Since this is a very specific universe, I'll be linking to things that are fandom specific, like character names and things like that to help you along.
Summary
We begin with an adult and a child. The child asks what are they going to do today, and the adult who believes that the child is full of potential says that there "Is nothing that they are not going to today" (page 1) The boy decides that he wants to understand everything. The adult wants to know what he means by "everything", the boy says "everything as in everything." When the boy wants to know what they shall do when they understand everything, the adult declares, "Die, most likely." This is our introductory scene, letting us know about the powers at work. The two individuals are capable creating stars, reshape cosmoses. The forces at work -that will be at work - are of galactic proportions. It is an everything can and will go story.
Track A chapter one.
One of the more famous lines in the Next Generation episodes is "Jean-Luc... there's something I've been wanting to tell you." It is spoken by Beverly Crusher, the chief medical officer on the Star Ship Enterprise. She is an old friend of Captain Picard, captain of the Enterprise. Dr. Crusher has never been able to say what it is that she wanted to tell him in the series. David begins his book with this line. By starting the book with this line, it allows the reader to believe that they're in comfortable and familiar territory. Not only that but for readers who know the history of this line, they get a little, "ah-ha". But if they don't know they history, they don't lose anything. Picard puts down a book of Shakespeare sonnets, telling us what sort of man he is, educated and cultured. And the sort that reads paper books in a paperless future.
As the text is produced, Picard's rank is never given and Crusher's gender is not said. It could be said that this is done because the reader already knows this. Crusher apparently is uncomfortable about a woman coming aboard the ship. A former lover. Which immediately draws the reader's attention to the fact that something might be wrong. Though it is perfectly acceptable for us to believe that Crusher is having a relationship with a woman, but most fans would know that this isn't likely. Picard tries to guess who it is, going through several names, finally settling on "Beverly".
And here is our big twist. The person who is speaking to Picard is not Beverly Crusher as previously expected, but instead her long dead husband, Jack. This is similar to the twist that Paolini tried to throw at the readers when he said that Murtagh and the Twins were gone, but not dead. No where did David say that Crusher wasn't Beverly, but instead he lets the reader assume it. Paolini lets the reader assume it as well, but he then doesn't bring it up ever again. He allows the reader to forget about it, and then when he brings Murtagh back it's supposed to be a big surprise and twist, but instead it's more of a where did this come from and why is this even here? There was no reason for us to believe that Murtagh was dead. By letting us believe that the reader feels cheated. The same emotional drama, in fact even more emotional drama could have been had if Eragon believed that Murtagh had been captured as he wondered what sort of torment Murtagh had been going through. In David's case, it allows us to realize that, no we're not in the universe we thought we were. To help us realize that we're not in our regular universe, David takes us into Picard's thoughts where he says, "One did not, after all, become the first officer on the Fleet's flagship without making a habit of proceeding with caution." (page 6). Here we learn that Picard is not the captain, like we thought. Here in this universe something happened to allow Jack Crusher to live and Picard to get demoted in rank.
Picard and Crusher talk about Beverly, who has apparently divorced her husband and returned to her maiden name of "Howard", and how she's going to be the Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise. Though it is uncomfortable for the captain, he only wants the best for his crew, and Beverly is the best. In an effort to ease relations between him and his ex, Crusher asks Picard to run interference between her and him on day to day matters.
So, what do you think? Should I continue?
