Customer Reviews

Distant Shores: A Tenth-Anniversary Celebration (Star Trek Voyager (Paperback Unnumbered))

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Any television series, especially viewed in hindsight, misses storytelling opportunities. Pocket Books set out to exploit some of those missed opportunities on Star Trek: Voyager in the new anthology Distant Shores. In Distant Shores Editor Marco Palmieri has brought together a blend of veteran Star Trek authors and newer voices to pay tribute to the 10th anniversary of the series with a beautifully balanced collection of stories that accomplish something I did not think was possible; reading the stories within its pages made me feel nostalgic for Voyager.

Each of the stories in Distant Shores is set within the series seven year run and the stories are presented in chronological order with a framing story bookending the first and last entries. Twelve different and singular voices contributed to Distant Shores: Christopher L. Bennett, Kirsten Beyer, Ilsa J. Bick, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Robert Greenberger, Heather Jarman, Robert T. Jeschonek, Jeffrey Lang, Terri Osborne, Kim Sheard, James Swallow and Geoffrey Thorne. Collectively this volume shares the spotlight among all the characters and provides for the reader a very real sense of the long journey the crew undertook and the changes that occurred along the way.

Each story in this collection is, in its own way, a true tribute. In this case, missed opportunities are to the benefit of the reader. Distant Shores is a wonderful commemoration and celebration of Star Trek: Voyager.

This book is a collection of stories that covers different time periods in Voyager's 7 year journey. All the stories are excellent and dive deeper into the characters than the show ever did. It's almost like reading Fan Fiction!!!!! I certainly hope that the Publisher's have more of these types of books on the drawing board, especially ones that have a deeper exploration of the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay...who have a HUGE fan following.

Star Trek: Voyager was ten years old in 2005, and as part of the celebration, Pocket Books published Distant Shores, an anthology of stories set during the television series. Edited by Marco Palmieri, this collection is definitely better than a lot of the episodes, with great characterization of the regulars, imaginative extrapolations from existing episodes, as well as original stories that don't have anything to do with the episodes. One of the things I've noticed about these anthologies (Prophecy & Change for Deep Space Nine is another one) is that the stories are often used to show us things that the various episodes weren't able to show, for whatever reason.

Thus, we get some closure to the relationship between Neelix and Kes ("Closure"). We see some of the survivors of the Equinox (from the episode of the same name) who joined the Voyager crew, and then disappeared into the vast Central Casting pool, never to be seen again. Some of the stories are quite touching, while others are fun. This is definitely a collection for any Voyager fan, and even non-Voyager fans might actually like it a little bit.

The anthology begins and ends with "Da Capo al Fine" (Heather Jarman),
told in two parts and separated by a cliffhanger. The Admiral Janeway from the future who came back to help Voyager home (in the finale) is being mentally assaulted by the Borg Queen. Or is she? Could some alien be returning to deliver what he promised? She visits numerous instances of the life and death decisions she's had to make over seven years in the Delta Quadrant, and she must decide whether to turn down a final offer that could eradicate all of that. I wasn't sure what to make of this story at first, but ultimately it could almost be an analogy for the whole Voyager series. If we had it all to do over, would we begin this tragic journey again? These seven long years? Ultimately, the answer is a given, but it's still an interesting exploration in Jarman's hands.

Probably the best story in the entire book is "Brief Candle" (Christopher L. Bennett).
Lieutenant Marika Willkarah has recently been rescued from the Borg collective, but unfortunately her severing from the link is going to kill her soon. She decides that she has to live her life to the fullest in her limited time. She becomes attracted to Ensign Harry Kim, who feels he can't return her feelings because he would get too close to her and her death would be too painful. Whether or not she convinces him to ignore that fear, we see her carry out her goal. And when it's time to go out, she is able to make the choice her own way. This is an incredibly touching story that did leave a tear in my eye at the end. It ties in nicely with the episodes that are supposedly around it, and Bennett's characterization is wonderful. Kim is a great mix of naïve and afraid, and his best friend, Tom Paris, is not afraid to let him know when he's being an idiot. The coda to the story is what definitely makes it work, however. This is a must-read for any Voyager fan.

Coming very close to "Brief Candle" is "Letting Go" (Keith R.A. DeCandido)
What about those who the Voyager crew left behind? Told from the eyes of Mark Johnson, Janeway's fiancé, this is the story of the survivors and how they coped with the supposed loss of Voyager. It covers about three years in time, from the one-year anniversary of Voyager's disappearance to just after they discover the Voyager is stranded, and it's a very poignant story. Mark is basically living his life from day to day, never quite severing his ties with Janeway, until a friendship develops with another Starfleet officer who also lost a loved one on Voyager. She finally forces him to let go and live his life again, and he finds a woman right under his nose. Meanwhile, a young man whose father was on Voyager also can't let go, and that may have more tragic consequences. This is a side of Voyager that the television show could never show us, and I'm glad DeCandido did. It almost brought a tear to my eye. It's a story of love, loss, and mourning, and ultimately how we can hold too tight to the past if we don't let go. It's simply wonderful.

There really isn't a bad story in this book, with just minor characterization problems, or slightly boring bits, being the main problem with any of them. I could only say that about one or two of the stories, though. Otherwise, this is a standout story collection, and a must-have for any true Voyager fan.

David Roy

I am generally not a person who likes short stories, so I only bought Distant Shores because it contained stories about Voyager. Distant Shores fills in some of the holes in the seven year journey Voyager took through the Delta Quadrant when a deranged alien sends Voyager chasing a Maquis space ship 70,000 light years from home (Alpha Quadrant) to uncharted space.

If you watched the television series, you know there are many time periods unaccounted for, relationships hinted at, but not fulfilled, characters created and not filled out to satisfaction. This is not due to neglect, but to the demands of series television, keeping action consistent with the timeline both in real life, and in the life of the fantasy crew on Voyager.

Distant Shores is a remarkable collection of stories written by various, talented authors who penned some of the actual series filmed for TV. These stories give us closure between Neelix and Kess not explained to satisfaction in the series, an explanation of the relationship between Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay, the Doctor's experiences in the 18 minutes (four years) we never got to see on Tahal-Meeroj, a tear-jerking finality to the one-month life left to Marika Willkarah after she was disengaged from a Borg triad and decides to stay on Voyager in her capacity as Starfleet Lieutenant, and the thoughts and feelings of a dying older Janeway as she saves her beloved Voyager in the series finale and brings her ship home by outsmarting her nemesis, the Borg Queen.

And many, many more stories which give us a more in-depth view of these characters during their seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant. These stories are near perfect in their depiction of each person and help us to understand them just a little bit better. The only thing I would say is, I'd really like to read more of these stories. There are so many more things left unsaid and unexplored.

All in all, a most satisfying read. I'm just sorry it's over.

I loved this book. Some great stories. Janeway/Chtokay get romantically involved. I also enjoyed Neelix/Kes's story which was moving. Command Code was my favourite. I found it a real page turner.

I think this book could have been better but I am still glad I bought it though. Here is what I think about each of the stories.

De capo al fine 1- This is the story that made me want to buy this book cause I read an excerpt of it on the amazon page. Well it was interesting til I got confused reading the part with Seska. I was reading about Janeway and the Borg Queen then bam Seska creeps in. I got confused by this story til I read the last story called De capo al fine 2. Aha now everything makes sense. I think these two stories should have been together. I give it a 3 because of that reason.

Command code-Pretty good! I could see this happening between Tuvok and Chakotay. The mistrust between them(Starfleet & maqui's).Captain Janeway gets injured and Chakotay takes control of voyager. I give this story a 5.

Winds of change-Kes becomes conflicted & angry because she was taken over by tieran. She asks B'Ellana for help. This story would have been good except for the unbeliveable part that just working on a windmill helped Kes's aggresive feelings. I give this story a 2 for it being unbelievable

Talent night-Not that great. It was just o.k. I give it a 3.

Letting go-Now this is the kind of story this book should have been full of. It tells how the voyager's disappearance affected Mark and other people who had husbands, wives, girlfriends, etc. on Voyager. Very good!! I give it a 10!

Closure-Another story that was what I was expecting! This is a sweet story about Kes and Neelix. This story gets a 10 also!

The secret heart of Zolaluz-I love this story! This tells the story of how 2 people Seven of nine and Zolaluz changed each other's lives. Two strangers whose impact on the other was surprising and unexpected. Just perfect! This is the quality of a story I'm looking for and expected. I give this a 10!!

Isabo's Shirt-A story about Captain Janeway and Chakotay. I so wanted this to end with them together. I've always thought they belonged together and I want to read a story where they do end up together. Well they didn't. I do understand her responsibilities as a captain but I still think they could have worked it out. I give this a 10!

A brief candle-Marika Wilkarah was one of the three people/borg who Seven forced into mental link. The link was severed but now she only has a few weeks to a month to live. Will Harry allow her in his life even if it's only for a little while? I give this a 10 also!

18 Min-The doctor is left on a planet where time is different. In voyager time he was only on the planet for 18 min. By the planet's time he was there for 1,000 days. It was ok. It was a little boring to me so I give it a 2.

Or the tiger-Torres thinks she has finally found Voyager a way to get home by way of alien technology. I'm being generous by giving this story a 4 cause I think it could have been better but...

Bottomless-I did not like this story much. Janeway giving up ha Never! I give this a 2.

De Capo al fine 2-o.k. finally the first story makes sense now with this. I enjoyed it and I will give it a 10!

Distant Shores is the perfect collection of 'novelettes' by previously-published Star Trek novel authors. Focused around the Voyager cast and crew, with most episodes being placed after the 5th season, it is a mix of stories that (a) further explore the emotional psyche of characters whilst experiencing events already told in the series (e.g. there is a story of how Janeway's ex fiance processed her being 'lost in space' and moving on shortly prior to receiving confirmation that she was still safe and sound); and (b) introduce new storylines around the already established events. Both are enjoyable in their own way, if not a little saccharine-sweet sentimental - but that's just a matter of taste. This bag of mixed lollies certainly has enough variety of sweets to appeal to all tastes. A recommended read for all.

This book is absolutely GREAT!! It fills in the missing scenes from the series. It's especially perfect for J/C fans (read Isabo's Shirt!! and part of Talent Night!)!! Only one or two stories were a little slow, but still okay. I hope they do some more like this.

Voyager was exasperating. The crew never ran out of fuel, food, or shuttles, the characters never really changed, and there was never any sense of peril, that the characters might die or that Voyager might not make it home. But still, after seven years together I couldn't help feeling a little wistful after the last episode knowing I'd never see those characters again, except in reruns.

Which is why Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores was such a pleasant companion for a couple of weeks, a collection of 12 short stories each of which reads like a typical television episode. The stories cover all seven seasons and with the exception of Tuvok, all the major characters are featured in at least one story.

The writers in this volume must be great fans themselves. They've succeeded in capturing the essence of the show and the characters, recreating in print what we saw each week on television. Their faithfulness, however, sometimes goes too far and as a result we get ridiculous plot contrivances, such the first season story in which Tuvok withholds the command codes from Chakotay even though the ship is under alien attack and Janeway incapacitated because, well, Tuvok's not really sure if he can trust the former Maquis. There's also the sentimental, ripped-from-a-Harelquin-romance episode in which Chakotay confesses his love to Janeway, and 38 pages of stuporous logs recorded by the doctor while stranded on the planet Tahal (which answers the question of how a being made of light could have a "son.").

The better stories in this collection equal and even outdo the better televised episodes. Harry Kim finally gets the girl, a very special person who teaches him the value of living in the present. At Janeway's suggestion, the crew puts together a talent show, full of wit and humor with a rather sorrowful and touching ending. And perhaps the best episode of all, the story of how Kes and B'Elanna learn to build a windmill and in the process learn something about themselves and each other.

You're sure to find something of interest in Distant Shores, a wonderful volume for anyone who has ever enjoyed Voyager. Even those of us who sometimes couldn't wait for it end.

A lot of Voyager novels that take place during the series have become rather 'stale' in that they are not cannon (according to Paramount), but things have changed- the show is off, and all Voyager novels that are published are pretty much cannon. I like that "Distant Shores" can crave a lot of the fans wondering about certain events and specifics that in between episodes have been overlooked. But a lot of the books published during the show's running could not do much to alter the characters, drastically balance and reshape them and plot them in a new course. The re-launch novels by Christie Golden and Kirsten Beyer (not to mention Peter David's "Before Dishonor") do a good job of altering Voyager's new potential since their return to the Alpha Quadrant. This novel was an excellent 10th anniversary addition in that it showed a lot of details about the crew and their lives that the show or the other re-launch books mentioned little of. This is one of the only novels that gives fans their red meat, while making it new interesting, and spontaneous all at once. Next to Jeri Taylor's "Mosaic", "Pathways" and Kirsten Beyer's "Full Circle" I would add "Distant Shores" up there as one of the best delicious Voyager treats.