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Alternate History in Star Trek Part 13: First Frontier, Dark Mirror, Imzadi, and Q-Squared
- Thread starter Gary Oswald
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It was nice to be able to do a more focused article rather than a whip-over summary for a change. Dark Mirror is one I read recently specifically for this article, whereas the other three are based on memories from over a decade ago.
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I’m kind of bummed you didn’t like Dark Mirror more, although I admit a lot of my fondness for it is based on how the golden age of sci-fi is 15. Nice set of reviews, as always. I’m tempted to pick up Q-Squared and give it a second (or maybe third?) look now.
I still enjoyed it a lot overall, it's just certain things didn't gel with me - I worry the review sounded more negative than I intended, just because it's easier to write about points of contention. I was genuinely impressed at how Duane captured the feel of mid-era TNG as unashamedly intellectual but also with warm character relationships.
You are correct that one appreciates these books a lot more at a younger age, which you can see in how I read the other three earlier on.
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The reference to a Dolphin/Dolphin-like alien in navigation makes me wonder if that might not be a reference to David Brin's Uplift series/universe.
One of the interesting elements there is that humanity has essentially gained an advantage over much more advanced alien races through the use of uplifted intelligent Dolphins as pilots for spaceships on the basis that they naturally think in terms of 3-dimensional maneuverability rather than having to adjust to it. Of course this is tempered by the fact that they're so early in the uplift process (even accounting for the probability that the multi-millennia long uplift oversights that are treated as standard across the galaxy are a feature of maintaining control rather than actually necessary) that they're still working out the genetic kinks in the species. And the fact that the three Terran races- Humanity, the Chimps and the Dolphins- have become acutely aware that most of the Galaxy is really not certain they like the fact that they're having to just accept this upstart race of humans with no pedigree of uplift ancestry just because they'd started doing it themselves already and so are really rushing through things to give the Dolphins and Chimps a chance at escaping if humanity happens to get conquered.
One of the interesting elements there is that humanity has essentially gained an advantage over much more advanced alien races through the use of uplifted intelligent Dolphins as pilots for spaceships on the basis that they naturally think in terms of 3-dimensional maneuverability rather than having to adjust to it. Of course this is tempered by the fact that they're so early in the uplift process (even accounting for the probability that the multi-millennia long uplift oversights that are treated as standard across the galaxy are a feature of maintaining control rather than actually necessary) that they're still working out the genetic kinks in the species. And the fact that the three Terran races- Humanity, the Chimps and the Dolphins- have become acutely aware that most of the Galaxy is really not certain they like the fact that they're having to just accept this upstart race of humans with no pedigree of uplift ancestry just because they'd started doing it themselves already and so are really rushing through things to give the Dolphins and Chimps a chance at escaping if humanity happens to get conquered.
Regarding the "origin stories", I seem to recall that Duane described the "Augments" rising to power and then wiping themselves out (along with millions of others) in what I read as a different version of Star Trek's WWIII, rather than an avoided one, though it might have just been an extended, worse version of the Eugenics Wars. In the aftermath (kind of like the "Romulan occupation" plot), humanity decides it needs to expand to survive, no matter the cost--least of all in alien lives or cultures. Plausible, if not fully able to account for the "byzantine-on-steroids" kind of backstabbing and exaggerated/almost cartoonish cruelty which defines the Mirror Universe, as you point out. The "Vulcans-as-fellow-Imperials" angle does feel kind of tacked on, although given how important a figure Surak is in "prime Universe" Vulcan culture, his absence (or altogether different philosophy/psychology, as I think the "EHHH" Shatnerverse mentioned at one point) seems to validate (in a rare instance) the "Great Man" theory, and might well lend itself to the Mirror Vulcans becoming a "logical" ruthless people.
I think the other (or maybe tandem) origin story was mentioned as being a "moral inversion" that began long before the "Augments", with attitudes towards society, self, power and virtue having a POD
from "prime" ones at around the time of the Trojan War and getting progressively worse in one form or another; I admit to being one of the "Quality of Mercy speech" fans, in that respect. It's not implausible, and does fit with the psychological aspect of Duane's writing, though it is a bit "because reasons", like you said.
Bottom line, as I've said elsewhere: I read this book as maybe a "Parallels"-type take on the Mirror Universe, which allows for more suspension of disbelief and greater enjoyment. I don't think your review was intended as negative, either; had I read it when I was younger (during the "golden age of scifi at 15", perhaps, as @varyar said; for me that consisted mainly of Ben Bova, and early forays into Turtledove, alongside other, non-Mirror Trek books) and before the various other takes in DS9 and print fiction, I probably would have a much different view, maybe one closer to yours.
If you're taking review suggestions, I'd be curious to see your thoughts on David Mack's "Mirror" stories; they try to weave everything together (apart from the Shatnerverse and Dark Passions), from the Original Series to DS9's version, with side stories/characters from TNG, New Frontier and (I think; it was hard to tell after a while) Voyager.
I think the other (or maybe tandem) origin story was mentioned as being a "moral inversion" that began long before the "Augments", with attitudes towards society, self, power and virtue having a POD
from "prime" ones at around the time of the Trojan War and getting progressively worse in one form or another; I admit to being one of the "Quality of Mercy speech" fans, in that respect. It's not implausible, and does fit with the psychological aspect of Duane's writing, though it is a bit "because reasons", like you said.Bottom line, as I've said elsewhere: I read this book as maybe a "Parallels"-type take on the Mirror Universe, which allows for more suspension of disbelief and greater enjoyment. I don't think your review was intended as negative, either; had I read it when I was younger (during the "golden age of scifi at 15", perhaps, as @varyar said; for me that consisted mainly of Ben Bova
, and early forays into Turtledove, alongside other, non-Mirror Trek books) and before the various other takes in DS9 and print fiction, I probably would have a much different view, maybe one closer to yours.If you're taking review suggestions, I'd be curious to see your thoughts on David Mack's "Mirror" stories; they try to weave everything together (apart from the Shatnerverse and Dark Passions), from the Original Series to DS9's version, with side stories/characters from TNG, New Frontier and (I think; it was hard to tell after a while) Voyager.
She does explicitly have Picard's inner monologue say "so this version of Earth avoided WWIII", which surprised me, as I didn't think that bit of the timeline was quite so well defined at the pre-First Contact time this book was written.
I haven't read many Star Trek books from the era in which Mack wrote, although I did enjoy his work on "Vanguard".