New book today - and other book news

[altariel]

Today is the official publication day of my new Star Trek novel: Brinkmanship:

The Venette Convention has always remained independent, but it is about to become the flashpoint for a tense military standoff between the two power blocs now dominating interstellar space—the United Federation of Planets and the recently formed Typhon Pact. The Venetan government turns to the Typhon Pact’s Tzenkethi Coalition for protection in the new order, and has agreed to allow three of their supply bases for Tzenkethi use. But these bases—if militarized—would put Tzenkethi weapons unacceptably close to Federation, Cardassian, and Ferengi space. While Captain Ezri Dax and the crew of the U.S.S. Aventine are sent to investigate exactly what is happening at one of the Venette bases, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise are assigned to a diplomatic mission sent to the Venette homeworld in order to broker a mutually acceptable resolution. But the Cardassian delegates don’t seem particularly keen on using diplomacy to resolve the situation, which soon spirals out of control toward all-out war...

I worked really hard with the female characters in this book. My aim was to represent as many different women with as many different agendas as I could. Hope I pulled it off.

And I'm also pleased to say that the Table of Contents has now been released of Chicks Unravel Time, in which I have an essay on Season 26 of Doctor Who. More here, where you can see the rather brilliant full list of contributors.





In other news, we are four days into the semester, and I'm losing my voice. Oops.

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I hugely appreciated your thoughtful responses (particularly as it's getting a bit of a pasting at Amazon - ouch!).

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

That's very unfortunate, especially since it seems to me some of the critics didn't read the same novel I read and your wrote. :-(

Some, more thoughtful, readers may be reacting to the themes of the Typhon Pact series generally, of cutthroat and morally problematic astropolitical competition between our guys and the other ones, and not finding it enjoyable.

Re:

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's unfortunate: one reviewer at Amazon.co.uk noted that he'd liked the book, but simply didn't like the set-up.

I kind of like the "Cold War" set-up, which I think can deliver rich stories, and ones where the various political philosophies of the various civilizations are up for examination: Why are we ready to defend our ideas to the death?

Re:

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

I'll do it because I know the benevolent Autarch cares for his people and knows what's best for me!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

LOL

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

How do you deny the glory radiating from the Royal Moon?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I have a tinfoil hat, standard issue for all members of the Cardassian Intelligence Bureau. Pity Efheny forgot to pack hers.

[rfmcdpei.livejournal.com]

Rather.