Customer Reviews

Masks (Star Trek The Next Generation, No 7)

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

 

 

I'm a big StarTrek fan, and "Masks" was one of the first volumes I purchased. And it is still one of the best I've read so far. I think that John Vornholt hits the atmosphere of the series and tells a very interesting story. The background of the planet and the mask-based society is a very clever idea and it's set up very well. I enjoy re-reading the book from time to time. The story- twists and the building of tension is truely superb. I went out buying more books from Mr. Vornholt, though none achieved the quality and depth of this piece. I really hope, that the Starship Enterprise is going to re-visit the planet of Lorca sometime in the future. I'm also very sorry, that the book is out-of-stock. I was only able to obtain the german translation, and I'm looking forward for a re-issuing of the title. If you are able to get a copy, read the book and state your own opinion! I liked the book very much for it combines the classical StarTrek SciFi background with elements of a medeavel setting. When you read the book yourself, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for reading.

I just downloaded the Kindle version of this book, and it's the worst I've seen. There's almost no punctuation anywhere in the book (especially quotation marks) so it's VERY hard to tell who is speaking, and when, and about what. It's very confusing to read. The story is okay, but hard to follow since you rarely know what's going on.

This is an excellent Star Trek: TNG book. Vornholt brings to life the planet of Lorca and the mask wearing society that calls it home. The Enterprise crew must deal with a manipulating ambassador and a visit from the Ferengi. Enjoy!

This was one of the first Trek books I'd read. For me it started kind of slow and I'd even put it down for a while. When I'd picked it up again and started anew from the beginning, I couldn't believe I'd ever put it down. This is the one that put Vornholt on the map in the Trek novel world. Extremely good character development and carry through. It was wonderful to see Captain Picard in a situation you wouldn't ordinarily think he'd be in. Overall a huge thank you to John Vornholt for a memorable book. Unfortunately this one's not on the shelves anymore if you haven't read it, good luck finding it and if you do you won't regret it.

This is the best TNG book, IMHO, that takes place on a planet. Most Star Trek books don't get into the culture of new planets, but this one does that wonderfully. The only bad thing about the book is the death of a security officer that didn't need to die. A warning to everyone, the Globe Fearon edition of this book is an abridged edition and isn't the same as the Pocket Books edition that was originally published.

I am a big star trek fan, and have read several of the books years before. Now that I have a Kindle I started buying them on the Kindle. Today I shopped Masks, and while I remember the story as a very good one, I'm shocked to see the Kindle version.

I have no idea how books are transferred to e-books, but it looks like somebody just started typing, and never cared for how to properly translate it in to a book. It's flat, it's dull, it looks like an essay written by an 8 year old and personally I think the whole story is very sucessfully destroyed.

This is a huge miss, and I would strongly suggest that this book should be re-done, as it's an insult to the writer and those who buy it.

This is kind of unique for a Star Trek book. There is a lot of time and detail spent on a culture that was never featured in the television series.

The basic story is that Captain Picard, Deanna Troi and Lt. Worf accompany an ambassador on an mission to make contact with representatives of the planet Lorca, who are descended from a human theatrical troupe. The away team is cut off from the Enterprise because of volcanic activity interfering with communications with the ship. Commander Riker proceeds to take Data, Dr. Pulaski and 2 security officers down to the planet to find the Captain. A basic storyline, and not really worthy of such a high rating.

However, the culture of Lorca is fascinating. Everyone on the planet wears a mask. The masks show social status within the community, and they announce a person's place in society. There is a lot of detail about this very fascinating culture. The intricacies of Lorcan custom and the way the various Enterprise crew members react to Lorcan society make up the heart of this book.

Now there are a few problems. Commander Riker is portrayed as an almost hysterical person, who freaks out when they can't contact the Captain. He is in such a rush to get down to the planet that he forgets to provide his away team with masks, and risks offending the planet's population. The character of the Ambassador is rather unbalanced, and it is difficult to believe that Starfleet wouldn't catch his person's personality deficencies. Captain Picard's romantic interlude is unbelievable, and almost comical.

However, in spite of these problems this is a good book. It is a fairly fast read, and of all the Next Generation and Original Series books I've read this has the most interesting depiction of a planetary culture. I would love to see another book about the planet Lorca, and it wouldn't even have to be a Star Trek book.

This is one of the best on-planet Star Trek books I've read. John Vornholt really gets into the culture, and the book is good. I found it interesting; however, there is one security officer that it wasn't really necessary to kill off.

As an avid reader of all Star Trek books, this is one of my favorites. John Vornholt takes us into not only a new culture, but forces us to look at our own. Symbolism, history and a great read to boot.

I read this book in one sitting. That is saying enough, as far as I'm concerned. I've read a sack full of ST:TNG novels, and this is one of my favorites. The sumptuous descriptions hammered out by Vornholt inspired me to start drawing and designing masks myself. This is a wonderful, whimsical journey! I wish I could find more gems like this one!