I, Q (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Mass Market Paperback)

by John De Lancie (Author), Peter David (Author) "There seemed to be no reason to go on..." (more)
Key Phrases: grand nagus, coal tender, Times Square, End of Everything, Jean-Luc Picard (more...)

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 249 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (November 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671024442
• ISBN-13: 978-0671024444
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #366,854 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful compilation., February 24, 2000

By	Alex Perkins (AL, USA) - See all my reviews

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

The Star Trek fan will love this book. Especially those who enjoy the character of Q. John de Lancie was the perfect man to bring out the true character and humour of Q. Some parts have you giggling to yourself, some have you laughing out loud. The book is packed with bitter ironies and an amazing plot. Q's son and wife are falling victim to a strange phenomenon, as are many speices all over the multiverse. Q enlists Picard and Data to help him find out what the heck is going on before its too late. Some examples of the irony I mentioned earlier:

1. At one moment Q, who is the narrator of the story, tells the audience about a discussion he has with he child. He tells him that his father is NEVER afraid. A few pages later he's scared out of his wits

2. He tells the audience that he trusts his first instincts, and a page later, goes against that!

3. He tells us he is omniscient, but then doesn't know something!

This book is a real must have for any Star Trek fan, and a laugh riot for those Q lovers.

10 of 12 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.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	"immortalpyro" (Pennsylvania) - 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?