Customer Reviews

Flashback (Star Trek: Voyager)

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There's one good thing about novelizations of television shows -- they help to add a bit more dimension to things. Such is the case with this novelization of the VOYAGER episode FLASHBACK. The story, which deals with Tuvok's recollection of his career in Starfleet before his friendship with Janeway, helps showcase the enigmatic Vulcan (played to perfection by Tim Russ) and his experiences on another famous Starfleet vessel -- the EXCELSIOR, captained by one Hikaru Sulu. The novel follows the episode very well (Tuvok's memories of the EXCELSIOR, coupled with a intriguing mystery for the Voyager crew that hinges on those same memories) but adds that depth to the characters which only a novelization can do, not to mention allowing other scenes to be shown that might not be readily done by the show. For a writer, it's pretty easy to take a script and flesh it out to what the episode writer's written, but the author here has gone one better and given the scenes a depth that compliments the on-screen action. If you enjoyed the television episode, then why not go one step farther yourself and read the novelization? It's a read well worth your time.

This book follows the telivision episode very closly, and if you like Star Trek Voyager, you'll see that Diane Carey has done a good job with the characterization. Otherwise, it's just like watching the episode, with no remarkable background info hidden in Tuvok's thoughts.

I never really got into the Voyager series so I had no idea that the Sulu cross over episode had aired.
I saw the novel and being a great "Captain Sulu of the Exelcior" fan I had to read it.
Before I read a page I discovered the VHS tape of the episode.
I watched the episode, read the book and wow!
The book is far more fleshed out!
If you are a fan of such cross over book/episode fun as "Unification", "Relics" or "Trial & Tribble-ations", you will love this book.

I SUGGEST READING THE NOVEL 'FLASHBACK' *BEFORE* WATCHING THE VOYAGER TELEVISION EPISODE VERSION. THE NOVEL VERSION IS MUCH MORE RICH IN CHARACTER DEVELOPEMENT AND DETAIL. ALSO, IN THE IN THE NOVEL VERSION, YOU GET TO ENCOUNTER CHARACTERS AND MATERIAL THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE TELEVISION EPISODE (SPOCK, UHURA, JANEWAY BEING SHOWED WHY IT WAS WISE THAT AMELIA EARHART [FROM THE VOYAGER EPISODE 'THE 37'S'] CHOSE NOT TO STAY ON BOARD VOYAGER WHEN SHE WAS RESCUED BY JANEWAY FROM THE BRIORI CRYOGENICS TANK, ETC.). A GREAT READ FOR ANY STAR TREK FAN!

"Flasback," by Diane Carey, is a top-flight adaptation of the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode of the same name, teleplay by Brannon Braga. This novelization gives you everything in the episode and so much more. You'll be able to hear in your head all the familiar lines, such as "Neelix, I would prefer not to hear the life's story of my breakfast." But you'll also get the full version you could never quite get from the TV show --- "And then each and every one of them had to be parboiled inside the shell with a---" "Neelix," Tuvok interrupted, wondering how each and every egg was somehow different in the vernacular from each egg or every egg, "I would prefer not to hear the life's story of my breakfast."

The "Flashback" novelization gives you all this and more. You'll get a detailed look into the thoughts of each character in surprising and believable detail.


Here, without going into too much spoiler detail, is some of the bonus stuff you'll find in this book:

- Additional scenes involving Lieutenant Uhura, Captain Kirk and other characters

- Janeway coming to terms with her decision not to push Amelia Earhart to remain on Voyager in "The '37s"

- Much more character development for Tuvok, including some touching scenes at the end

- Some additional material with Paris and Torres that would prove revealing later

- Much more development for Kes, Neelix, The Doctor and Chakotay


This is the version of the story that probably should have aired on TV, but I know can't, due to the limitations of the format. If you know the the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Flashback," get ready to know it in a whole new way.

As part of the thirtieth anniversary of Star Trek, the producers of Star Trek decided to honor and make tribute to the Original Series through the two series that were currently airing, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager. "Flashback" is Voyagers entry in that tributary role and plays well as such, with a story that centers on the USS Excelsior and its leader, Captain Sulu.

I'm quite certain that George Takei was ecstatic to get an opportunity to don the Starfleet uniform one more time as Captain Sulu and take the bridge of the Excelsior. The show was a great show in so many ways, yet for me, the story seemed a little forced or least not as fluidic a story as it should've been. It is with that memory of the episode in mind that I picked up the novelization.

As most novelizations in Star Trek are done, Diane Carey received the nod for this novel and as usual, she does an outstanding job of greatly enhancing the original story. In this case it's the story of one of Star Trek Voyager's executive producers and most prominent writers, Brannon Braga. With "Flashback," Diane Carey's usual good pacing and between the scenes on the screen scenes, make for another good novelization.

The cover art for "Flashback," isn't all that imaginative but it does do the casual reader some good as far as letting them know that if they pick this one up, they're going to see something very rare in a Star Trek novel, Captain's Janeway and Sulu in the same story.

The premise:

Lieutenant Tuvok, while appearing to be a young officer, in fact has lived long enough to have served aboard the USS Excelsior with Captain Sulu as her captain. When Voyager enters a strange nebula, he starts to have "problems." Before long, these "problems" become life threatening and soon Captain Janeway, who considers Tuvok to be her closest friend, is there to help him...

What follows from there is a highly intriguing story in the Star Trek Voyager canon and I highly recommend this novelization if you wish to further your knowledge of the events that occurred during that episode. {ssintrepid}

As in "The Search" and "Descent" (novelizations of a DS9 episode and a Next Generation episode respectively) Diane Carey does an excellent job of faithfully telling the story presented her. Unlike in both of those books, to say nothing of many of her other original Star Trek novels, in this book she (mostly) contains her tendancy to get carried away in her attempts to use the language in "original" (read "WRONG") ways. There are a few places where her word choice is questionable (referring to Neelix as a "thermometer" of the crew's morale, rather than the more standard "barometer", for example, and in at least two places using the phrase "s/he bridged" to convey the concept "s/he said to bridge the gap") but none that are just clearly wrong and ridiculous, as has been the case in so much of her other writing. Which allows the reader to enjoy her writing without distraction, and to see just what she's capable of when she doesn't try to invent new words or find new uses for old words. And the answer is, "quite a bit".

I love Tuvok, he is my absolut favorit... That is part of the reason I enjoyed reliving this episode fleshed out in a book. But I thought I got much more out of the book than I did from the episode. A book always gives you more insight into the person you are reading about than tv ever could. So if you love Tuvok there is noway around it, you have to read this book. If you liked the episode Flashback, you will enjoy this book... But don't take my word for it, pick it up and see for youself. Happy reading...