Customer Reviews

Corona

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Those of you who know me know that I like Star Trek because it's a visit with old friends. Authors who can give voice to the ST character, write so that I can hear their voices, are considered to me to be top of the line. Authors who have a grasp of the ST universe, who can write the situations well enough are also top dog. Greg Bear doesn't even come close!

Greg Bear is a marvelous sci fi author. Sadly, I'm afraid, he cannot recreate the Star Trek Universe. Now mind you, he was writing _Corona_ before TNG came out so I tried to give him some slack. But the technology they were installing into the Enterprise was far advanced of anything in TNG. Eventually that fact got on my nerves.

But the worst thing of all is that he had no grasp of the characters, how they speak, what they would do. Captain Kirk would never have ignored another crew member's warning the way Greg Bear has him doing.

I could not and finally did not finish this book. As I was not really visiting old friends or the ST universe, it was a waste of my time. If you want to read a good Greg Bear book.... any other book he's done is heads and shoulders above this one.

Bear does a reasonably good job of portraying the known characters, and develops a few new ones that are also interesting. His plot has some similarities to the episode "The Ultimate Computer", and also some similarities to various books and episodes, notably "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", that involve the Enterprise saving the universe (or at least all life as we know it therein) from an almost-all-powerful energy creature. But for all of that, the plot is handled well enough that it was only occasionally noticable that the basic plot was somewhat hackneyed. Also, interestingly, it was not actually a member of the Enterprise crew who really saves the day.

This book does not, really, break any new ground, but the plot moves well and the writing is competent.

The level of technology has gone up a notch from the original TV series. For example : Warp 11 and Kirk's brain implant. Seems to me that you would test the monitors before hooking them up to the Enterprise where they can take over. Spock asked if the Monitors could be taken off line and the specialist did not know. Spock and Jim seem off a bit.

Save for those few elements mentioned above, I rather enjoyed reading the book.

I haven't read a huge number of books based on the Star Trek universe, mainly because many are so dreary that early on I was soured on the whole "enterprise." Lately, though, I've begun to try some of them again, and two that I've been lucky to find have made me much more positive about Star Trek novels. Those two are CORONA by Greg Bear and Star Trek Vulcan's Glory by D. C. Fontana, both of which are based on the original Star Trek TV series. The main reason that CORONA works so well is that it is based on an intriguing science fiction premise, namely, that an energy being from an early stage in our universe is dissatisfied with the way the universe has developed and so wants to return it to an earlier condition. The problem being that such an action would wipe the Federation (humans, Vulcans, etc.) out in the process. The beginning of the story is handled particularly well as Corona takes over a science station of Vulcans, which Bear describes in a very eerie and mysterious way that held my interest throughout the novel. Unlike many stories that begin well, the rest of this novel does not disappoint in its development.

I do have a few reservations about CORONA. For one thing, the characterizations of the regular Star Trek cast is handled adequately, but really it's some of the new characters, especially Mason, who shine here. And several times I did wonder where some of the background information about the Trek universe came from. Some of it was merely unfamiliar to me, such as details about the Vulcans (could some be from later Treks?), yet some details did seem inaccurate, such as the Enterprise traveling at Warp 10. In the Acknowledgements, the only reference work that Bear states was "useful" in writing this novel was the STAR TREK CONCORDANCE by Trimble and Heydt, yet some of the details of CORONA surely can't be in my first edition CONCORDANCE from 1976. However, the level of scientific discussion in CORONA is impressive, and based upon real science rather than just being meaningless technobabble.

A secondary aspect of CORONA is the issue of the Monitors, and I didn't have a problem with them, although the idea of computers being installed on the Enterprise to monitor and even override what Captain Kirk and others do is rather a re-hash of the episode "The Ultimate Computer," as is the ultimate decision that the monitors don't work very well. Also, I was glad that the ending of the novel was not the "might makes right" theme that seemed to be developing as Kirk began thinking maybe he should blast the station to smithereens before Corona could carry out its nefarious plot. Rather, the ending became an interesting interplay of ideas, and centered on one of the new characters.

In sum, I found CORONA to be quite a satisfying read. I wish that more of the Star Trek novels, and indeed more of the movies and TV series as well, were based upon intriguing science fiction concepts. That is what makes CORONA a worthwhile story set in the Star Trek universe.

The Enterprise is on a mission to rescue a Vulcan science team on an asteroid where they are observing some protostars as they evolve to full status as a star. The Enterprise contains the regular crew and some significant additions. Mason is a female reporter who grew up on a small planet where prejudice against non-humans was prevalent. She is along to chronicle the performance of the monitors, which is a set of computer program created using the knowledge and experience of experts in several fields. There are separate sets of Star Fleet commanders and medical doctors encoded in the program. However, the programs are not there in an advisory role only, but are capable of taking control of the Enterprise's function in their area if the situation is judged serious enough. This can occur even if the captain or chief medical officer is still in full control of the situation.
This premise was one that was very difficult to accept. Space exploration is full of unknowns where you don't know what you don't know. To apply reasoning that has been effective in the past and to override the command judgement of the human in control and on the spot seems too far beyond what would be acceptable in Star Fleet. You would have thought that the lesson of the "The Ultimate Computer" would have lasted longer than it did. Of course, the monitors override Kirk at a critical point; in fact much of the storyline was based on whether altering or bypassing the monitors was accepted command procedure. Veblen is a crew member who is obsessed with maintaining the functioning of the monitors, even when it is evident that it is not in the best interests of the Enterprise or the Vulcans they are trying to help.
When the Enterprise arrives at the asteroid, the Vulcan science team has been taken over by Corona, a sentient force in the protostars. It is the goal of Corona to unleash another Big Bang, returning the universe back to an earlier time. The new Big Bang would wipe out the previously existing universe, destroying all life in the process. After some initial setbacks, the Enterprise crew learns the truth and manages to convince Corona not to move forward with its plans. This is due in large part to the information Corona receives when it enters the personality of Mason, taking partial control of her actions.
I found this episode to be good, but there were spots when I grew tired of the debates over the monitors. A large part of my fatigue was due to the fact that I could not suspend my disbelief over their very existence. I simply could never reach the point where I could believe that such a system would be installed on a Star ship. Install it and have it act in an advisory role would be acceptable, but to have it capable of taking total control with no manual override was far too much for my tastes.

While this story doesn't really follow ST canon, it still an average story on its own. Like a computer that can overide the captain's orders, or the ship exceeding Warp 9. Hhhmmm! I didn't like some of the new characters. I didn't think they fitted into the story. But, after saying all that I liked the moving of the story from beginning to end.

Average read!

Russ

I really loved this book.It was one of the best "star trek" novels that I have ever read(and I've read quite a few)THE VERY IDEA that at the beginning of time there existed a race of sentient protostars was "fasinating".Some may think this is the usual "Kirk kills the malevolent entity and saves the universe"book are dead wrong.FIRSTLY,it's really Spock who "saves the universe,and "Corona" isn't actually malevolent,just lonely.In all,get the the book even if you are just curious about Corona(AND its origins)

When Corona was first published in 1984, it was one of the first 20 Star Trek novels to be published by Pocket Books. As number 15, Corona was on the edge between those initial novels that had been polished for years before publication, and the second wave of novels purposely written for this series of novels. Corona is a bit of a rehash of the old "Supercomputer" runs the ship and "Energy Beings are going to destroy the universe" scenarios. Put Corona on your list after you have exhausted your suuply of all the other Star Trek books

Long before he was tapped to write a novel set in the Star Wars universe, Greg Bear turned in this novel, a Star Trek novel.

While his characterization of the Star Trek characters (both new and the characters we know and love) is adequate, he really shines in world-building, in the nature of the "problem".

For once a Star Trek novel where the Klingons aren't going to conquer the quadrant, or the Romulans hatch yet another scheme, or any of the usually overworn tropes.

You'll wish,upon reading, that it was made into an episode, or even a movie.

In my reviews of Classic Star Trek novels, it must be understood that I adhere to the original canon
as invisioned by Gene Roddenberry, and not the "Star Trek" universe accepted by Rick Berman and company.

I generally rate a classic novel thus:

Adherence to Canon -- does this novel adhere to the vision of the original Star Trek?

Marginally.

Believability (within the confines of 23rd century Star Trek viability) -- is this novel well-plotted and well-written? Can I picture this novel or imagine myself in it?

No. Sorry, but no. A group of sentient PROTO-STARS with an affinity for young Vulcans?

Coherence and Consistency -- does this novel internally consistent? Is it consistent with other Star Trek novels by the same author? Is it consistent with what is known of the CLASSIC Star Trek universe?

Nope! Warp factors in excess of 10? A new (hostile) alien empire that isn't used by anyone else? A computer which can override command decisions? (Hasn't that theme been beaten to death already?)

Mitigating Factors -- pluses or minuses which dramatically affect the enjoyment of this book

Sorry -- this one is just plain bad.