I, Q (Star Trek The Next Generation) [Hardcover]

Peter David (Author), John de Lancie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999 | Series: Star Trek Next Generation (Unnumbered)

The enigmatic entity known as Q remains one of the greatest mysteries in the universe, yet no one, perhaps, understands Q as well as actor John de Lancie, who has played Q. on television for more than a decade. Now de Lancie and Peter David, the bestselling author of such acclaimed novels as "Q-in-Law" and "Q-Squared" have joined forces to send Q on an unforgettable cosmic odyssey, told from the mischievous trickster's own unique point of view.

The Maelstrom, a metaphysical whirlpool of apocalyptic proportions, is pulling all of reality into its maw, devouring the totality of time and space while bringing together people and places from throughout the universe. The Q Continuum pronounces that the end of everything has come, but Q refuses to meekly accept the end of all he has known. Defying the judgement of the Continuum, he sets out to derail doomsday -- at whatever the cost.

Q has been everywhere and done everything, but now he's in for a cosmic thrill ride beyond even his own astonishingly unlimited imagination. Old friends and adversaries wait in unexpected places, transcendent hazards abound, and the multiverse's most unlikely savior encounters wonders and dangers enough to render Q himself speechless. Almost.

Can even Q, reluctantly assisted by Jean Luc Picard, prevent the Universe As We Know It from literally going down the drain? "I, Q" is a wild and witty voyage through the secret soul of creation -- as only Q can tell it!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation know, Q is the omnipotent extradimensional entity who so often causes whimsical havoc on the Starship Enterprise and elsewhere--for example, by helpfully introducing Captain Picard and his crew to the menacing Borg collective. Now this petulant demigod's first-person story is told by John de Lancie, the actor who plays Q, and Peter David, author of successful Star Trek novels. It's an irreverent romp through one bizarre scenario after another, as not only Star Trek's Federation universe but the entire multiverse of alternative timelines looks set to gurgle down a metaphysical plughole. Q's own wife and son vanish into the maelstrom, and his "Q Continuum" colleagues blither about calmly accepting apocalypse as a change from eternal tedium. Only Picard and Data the android accompany the questing Q, whose monstrous egotism and complaints that Picard never genuflects to him are barely affected when he loses his godlike powers and realizes that he may need mere humans. En route to the end of all things, they encounter other Federation characters, including Romulans, Klingons, Ferengi, and our captain's dread cyborg alter-ego, Locutus of Borg. After a fast-moving sequence of fights, wisecracks, insults, old jokes, and ultimate despair, the fate of the multiverse is ... but that would be telling. Frothy entertainment. --David Langford

From Publishers Weekly

There are very few things that Q, a member of the Q continuum, can't handle, so he isn't going to let a little thing like the end of the multiverse get the better of him. Under normal circumstances, he might have gone along with the rest of the Qs in celebrating the End as the biggest party of all time, but these are not normal circumstances: the fates of Q's wife and child are at stake, and Q, usually omnipotent and omniscient, in not in control. Powerless, he needs the help of his erstwhile tormentee, Jean-Luc PicardAwho is convinced that some being even more powerful than Q is causing this sudden universal decline. There are plenty of such entities to choose from, including the M continuum, a being called god and a mysterious female presence who puts the cosmos on hold as she reads a peculiar message in a bottle. Considering that Q is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Trek universe, De Lancie (who plays him on the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, and who's here aided by veteran Trek mass-market novelist David) is sure to gain a wide readership even though Q's egotistical ramblings, which work so well on screen, can drag on here. The narrative, which presents an almost mythological universal manifestation of the five stages of grief, will take readers on a wild and unique ride, though it leads to a predictable conclusion. As for the quest to make Q a more prominent character in the world of Star Trek books? Fans will say, "Make it so." (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 249 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek; First Edition edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671024434
• ISBN-13: 978-0671024437
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ominpotent Hit and Miss, March 20, 2000

By 

Adam G. (Williamsville, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I, Q (Star Trek The Next Generation) (Hardcover)

When I first picked up this book, I was expecting a good story about Q, as only John De Lancie can tell it. Unfortunatly, I was greatly disappointed in the final product. On the cover of inside jacket, it basically says that Q will be fighting against the end of the Universe with the help of the Next Generation crew. However, the entire book ends up as nothing more than a tour of the stages of death. Q does nothing except whine and attempt to make himself look brave, and Picard and Data, the only members of the enterprise to actually show up, are used even less, often disappearing for no apparent reason. Finally, Q's amazing powers, which could have saved the book and made it somewhat interesting, are immeditaly 'nullified' as soon as he enters the land of death. As a result, he simply bumbles through to the end of the book, which is a simple, contrite ending, written simply to end the book and satisfy the reader. All in all, this book is a serious blemish on an otherwise amazing character.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars something to stretch your mind around, December 14, 1999

By 

"immortalpyro" - See all my reviews

This review is from: I, Q (Star Trek The Next Generation) (Hardcover)

Did you ever notice the bad reviews never seem to have names? Anyway. The makings of a good story: Tight concise plot, focused narration, great conclusion. Introduce characters, building action, climax and denoument.

If this is an unbreakable law to you, do not pick up this book.

If you can, however, stretch your mind around something different, to new places, challange yourself to allow something OTHER than the ordinary, pick it up.

Consequently, if you suffer from accute attention deficit disorder, you love it, too.

What you have here is a narrative put forth by that omnipotent, omniscent, trickster, Q, chronicling his attempts to save the universe and his family, with Jean Luc Picard and Data by his side. The narrative jumps from one place to another, and often completely OFF story as Q digresses into some farflung largle irrelevant, but always entertaining, story from his past. And in the end, well...lets just say in the end you may or may not be sure what to make of it.

And that is the books greatest strenght, for which most will damn it. It leaves you not knowing what to expect from one minute to the next, not entirely sure how to grasp what you're reading. It's always challenging, always involving, and, as told by Peter David (writer of stuff) and John De Lancie (Q, himself) always entertaining...well worth the trip it takes to get there.

The one minor flaw is that much of the book seems too familiar, too humanizing, though, that too is explained in the pages.

So, give it a chance. Or, if you've already purchased it, give it another one. Allow your mind into new possibilities and see where they take you...after all, isn't that what Trek's been about all along?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Viewpoint From An Omnipotent Being, July 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: I, Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Mass Market Paperback)

The above people are likely Trekkie fans, and read this book solely because it was in the Star Trek section. Believe me, this book is one of the best I have ever written, and definitely is one I recommend to anyone seeking to understand the universe better. The entire story (almost) was written by Q, as a narrative. Some people apparantly did not like this. I did. It showed a lot of wit, philosophy, and just plain good writing. Some of the jokes were incredibly funny, like the one about the man complaining to god. And I spent much of the book wondering about the hidden jabs against both religion and atheists. But which one is truly being supported? I cannot say. This book however, is really a funny view on life in general with the camoflage of being just another dull Star Trek adventure. I hope to see more books from Q's viewpoint written as well as this in the future.