Customer Reviews

The Final Reflection (Star Trek (Numbered Paperback))

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I muust admit that it took me a while to get into this novel, because it opens with a blow-by-blow Klingon game of strategy (klin zha) using live players. I'm not a fan of martial arts or action video games, so I found it hard to figure out exactly what was going on at first. However, because I am currently reading all the early Trek novels in search of possibly Jewish characters (for a research project), I made myself continue reading, even though I expected the book to be a slog. Boy, was I wrong! The game in Chapter 1 turned out to be the template for understanding the whole book, which is as tightly-plotted as a Grand Master chess game -- and then some.

Other reviewers have given excellent synopses of the story, so I won't reinvent the wheel. I'll just point out some interesting trivia, such as a brief appearance by Leonard McCoy's grandfather (the book is a prequel, with Leonard himself a mere babe in diapers at the time), and a meeting between young Spock and the Klingon Captain Krenn, who play a game of chess together. Also of interest is the fact that the "Imperial Race" of Klingons in this book have ridged or knobbed foreheads. Remember, the book was published in 1984, three years before we saw Worf's ridges in NextGen. Klingons in this book also do not cry, and apparently have no tear ducts, since Krenn takes special note of this in Humans. Although tearless Klingons did not become "canonical" until the Star Trek VI movie, the idea was obviously invented by Ford here. My point being, that this novel is an important source for a lot of things about the Klingon culture.

And oh yes -- there is a Jewish character, too: Colonel Jael Rabinowich, assigned to security for Captain Krenn's delegation to a Babel conference on earth. Oh sure, the word "Jewish" is never actually used, but with a name like Rabinowich, what else can she be? She's described as coming from a long line of warriors in what could be the Middle East. But the real clincher is that she bids Captain Krenn "Shalom aleichem" to which the Klingon replies, "Aleichem sholom"! (see page 143.)

Years ago, in "Best of Trek", I read a fan's amateur reviews of pro Star Trek novels. Her critique of The Final Reflection: "I don't like any book that I have to read three times just to understand what's going on." I believe her comment says a LOT about the simplistic drivel which comprises most Star Dreck, compared with the richness of this novel. Author Ford, a respected science-fiction writer, gives us a fascinating vision of a very alien species, whose culture is based on a bushido-style code of honor and a chesslike Perpetual Game of personal advancement and power. This definitive novel about the Klingons is presented as a book within a book, and takes place some forty years before the famous five-year mission of Captain Kirk. The protagonist is an Imperial-race Klingon. An orphan raised in a militarily-structured Lineless House, six-year-old Vrenn makes his first sentient kill -- an adult Human male -- in the arena of the Years End Games. A skilled fighter in the klin zha kinta, the Game With Living Pieces, Vrenn is noticed by Thought-Admiral Kethas, who adopts him into his Line. He joins the Navy, and through battle-prowess and political maneuvering, rises quickly to the rank of Captain. He begins to make his Name in the service of Empire. Then Krenn is chosen for a mission of great secrecy and delicacy... This is a meticulously-developed novel of strategy, conspiracy, subtrafuge, diplomacy, betrayal, vengeance, and above all, honor. The plot is so intricate, the prose so precise, that the story can be read again and again, and can seem fresh each time. Even people who hate Trek will enjoy this one. By the way, this book also provides the reason why the Original Series Klingons look different from the ones in the modern series.

Does this book an injustice. It is an excellent novel in it's own right, and would stand alone as a superior work without the extended Trek universe to support it. I stopped reading Trek novels years ago when it became apparent that they all pretty much followed the same formula. One in which the author used the story to insert themself into the Trek universe. This work is nothing like that.
Apparent from reading the book is that it was the source of much Next Generation Klingon lore (houses,lines, a quasi-feudal society, a "privateer" style military) and many plot lines. (Worf's dead or dishonored line, Worf being the son of a Klingon commander, killed by a Romulan massacre, he and his brother's adoptions, the character of General Martok.) John M. Ford's name should have been listed somewhere in the series' credits for creative contributions.
If Paramount ever decides to take another trip to the Well of Trek, this book should be the vehicle for that series.

Exciting, captivating, and just hard to put down. It is a rousing good tale true to the Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey mold.
John M. Ford wrote this book in 1984 I think. What I find particulary interesting is that some of the Klingon ship's systems he describes, are now actually used in modern weapons systems like the AH-64 Apache Longbow and the M1A2 Abrams tank.
In the last 20 years I've kept only one Trek novel---The Final Reflection.

One of the few truly good STAR TREK novels with any appeal to a non STAR TREK audience. Ironic since the novel does not deal with the familiar STAR TREK cast of characters at all, but is set approximately 40 years before the time of the original series.

The story focuses on Krenn, a young Klingon Commander who is a practitioner of "that least Klingon of arts...strategy" and his relationship with Emanuel Tagore, an ambassador sent to the Klingon Empire to represent the United Federation of Planets.

Skillfully crafting the interactions between these two characters, Ford allows for an exploration of human nature on a general level, as Krenn struggles to understand the alien concepts of morality and humanism while Dr. Tagore tries to assimilate the Klingon's more Darwinistic philosophies and conception of honor.

The novel builds to a suitably satisfying climax where Krenn must think several moves ahead of events in order to secure himself, Dr. Tagore and their two respective Empires.

All in all, a tight, fascinating exploration of what the Klingons refer to as the Komerex Zha (The Perpetual Game) that represents life itself wherever it thrives in the universe.

In his introduction to his two-part story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"--a sort of elegy to the Silver Age Superman--comic book writer Alan Moore said, "Yes, it's an imaginary story, but aren't they all?" Even though there is official, "canon" Star Trek continuity, and some of the details of this book have been contradicted by developments in the movies and TV series, this book is no less "true" than anything in the official canon, and I'd even argue that Ford, in one book, develops a picture of Klingon society that rivals all the Klingon stories that have taken place on large and small screens.

I'm sorry that some people found the story confusing. I'll admit that it isn't the sort of story that can be read while you're IMing with three other people. However, anyone who sits down with this book and gives it the attention that it deserves will be richly rewarded with an elaboration and expansion of the Star Trek universe that takes the few shreds of information about the Klingons available in 1984 and weaves it into a grand story. There's a reason why this book has been in print for 22 years, a rarity (if not a singularity) among Trek novels.

Herein lies the answers to the mystery surrounding the transformation of the Klingons from the originial series version to the version presented in Star Trek The Motion Picture and everything that followed.

An excellent story, pre-dating the original series by a generation, It provides both adventure and intrigue by following the life of a Klingon warrior - Captain Krenn.

Most importantly,it provides great insights into the Klingon culture as the author adds tremendous depth and character to the Klingons. "Kai!" Mr. Ford and thank you for your clever explanation/transformation and for setting the Klingons on the path to becoming the colorful, formidable characters that they are today!

As a Star Trek fan my favorite alien race is the Klingons. This is a superior Trek novel about their warrior culture which is a bit like the Samurai of ancient Japan. John Ford created a complex and believable culture of the type of Klingons which were seen only briefly, in the early motion pictures. For some reason, Krenn is depicted in the cover art as a fusion-style Klingon from the original series, but a careful attention to the physical descriptions in the book reveal the characters to be the ones from The Motion Picture. Lt. Cdr. Kelly is the only Human Fusion in the story. This book is extraordinarily well written, and is an example of truly excellent science fiction. You truly believe these aliens exist! A lot of the concepts in Next Generation were based on Ford's creativity. As are many of the novels inspired by "The Final Reflection" such as Jeffry Hertzler's "The Left Hand Of Destiny" and Kat Ramo's "Citizen Of The Empire". In fact, the whole subculture of the Star Trek Klingon fandom is patterned after "The Final Reflection".

"The Final Reflection" would have won every award there was, if it hadn't been written about Star Trek. John M. Ford's book is just as relevant today as the day it was written; it talks of love, honor, passion, pain, glory and death in ways that transcend the Star Trek universe. Maybe they even transcend the science fiction universe, for all I know.

Vrenn Khemara is a stranger in a strange land; he's Klingon, but has been adopted into a new House from the Houses of Lineless Youth. His new father, Thought Admiral Kethas, is a brilliant war strategist who's also unsurpassed at the game of klin zha, the Klingon board game which is similar to, but not exactly like, chess.

Kethas schemes to get Vrenn into the Academy, and sends him off. While Vrenn's on a ship, he gets promoted two ranks due to bravery in combat. Just as he's about to enjoy some well deserved shore leave, he's taken aside for "questioning" by security officers.

It seems his father, the Thought Admiral, was a traitor. Or so they say.

The rest of the book mostly deals with Vrenn (turned Krenn after he makes Captain) and how he finds out the truth about his parentage, how he forges a friendship with the first Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, Emanuel Tagore, and how he finds his own style of happiness and love -- which isn't that close to human style happiness and love at all.

This was written far before the Next Generation series; Krenn isn't a Next Gen Klingon. He's not even that close to an original series Klingon, except for the passing resemblance between him and Captain Koloth ("The Trouble with Tribbles"). But Krenn is honorable, even if he's not human, and the frame story Mr. Ford came up with around Krenn's story is astonishingly original. It's not just one frame story (that of Kirk and company reading the novel about Krenn), it's _two_, as John M. Ford himself explains _why_ he wrote this novel, and about how he's afraid the Federation might just try to stop publication due to sensitive stuff he found out in the researching of the novel. Very, very well done.

This, without a doubt, is the best Star Trek novel of all time -- and it's also one of the best science fiction novels _ever_ about an alien culture, and how tough it'd be for a "first contact" to work even if all parties want it. I've read other stuff by Mr. Ford, and it's uniformly excellent; this, however, transcends it all, and is one of the truly classic novels of the twentieth century in my opinion.

Five stars plus, and with the highest recommendation possible.

Sometimes it is very hard to remember that there was a time when Klingons were guys with a tan, long moustaches, and vaguely Mongol attire, as opposed to the samurai-vikings with lumpy foreheads. John Ford's book was the best thing to come along about Klingons until TNG, Marc Okrand, and later movies changed our image of them and their society. In many ways, I still love this old school vision.

These are not the Klingons of Worf and Gowran. Warriors names still all begin with the letter "K". Why? Well, because that is how you know someone is in the Imperial Klingon Navy. These Klingons are massively paranoid because the Imperial Intelligence Service pokes into every aspect of life, public and private. Also quite importantly this is a society that thinks in binary terms. There is "komerex" (that which grows, lives, expands, fights) and "keterex" (that which shrinks, dies, contracts, is defeated). To be a true klingon means to fight and expand the empire. A stable-state government is just not in the picture.

Captain Krenn, a klingon suddenly without a House, is sent to learn more about the latest adversaries of the Empire, the United Federation of Planets. The humans make little sense to him and he is wary, but he is also wary of his own government -- he knows there is a plot afoot, one that he thinks is there to destroy him; on the other hand, it might just be a plot to start a war. The komerez zha (the Klingon game, their "equivalent to chess") is deadly and everyone plays. Especially those who claim not to play.

No, this is not what the klingons are "really like" anymore. I find that a pity as the book is intriguing. But if you are a Trek fan, do yourself a favour and read this book with an open mind. Maybe its another parallel universe, like the Mirror Universe we have seen in other episodes.

Or perhaps the komerex zha is still being played behind your backs.

"The Final Reflection" by John Ford represents the very best of "Trek"-based writing. The best Trek novels are so much better than anything that comes out of the television shows that Paramount's cry that it cannot require writers to become familiar with all of the written works rings very, very hollow.

John Ford's Klingons, Diane Duane's Rihannsu, Peter David's Q novels, and anything by Judy and Gar Reeves-Stevens...these people write characters and Empires as they should be, not limited by the range of skill of the actor and screeenwriters portraying them in the limited media of television and motion pictures.