A Hard Rain (Star Trek: the Next Generation)

As others have mentioned, this is Not a serious book, but it is clever. Most of it takes place in the Holodeck with Dixon Hill (Picard), Luscious Bev, and Mr Data searching for an important object. The story is full of clichés, "gangster talk" (especially by Data), and bad metaphors that made me laugh out loud, such as "...the stars were bright, like dandruff on a black suit.." An enjoyable read, as long as you keep these things in mind.

Yes, some people are upset that this novel is written at a junior high school level. But really, if you enjoyed the Holodeck and you like Picard and Dixon Hill, this is an enjoyable, easy read, that is fun and guilt free.

This book is written in a fairly shallow, somewhat tongue-in-cheek fashion. With this author it is hard to tell if that shallow style is deliberate or not. Anyway, this does not read as a really serious or tense book, despite the situation the Enterprise is in. However it is definitely enjoyable. We have never had a chance to see Picard in the world of Dixon Hill for an extensive amount of time. Regardless of the circumstances, Picard is definitely enjoying the chance to spend so much time there. The 1930s detective genre is an interesting setting in itself. The characters are shallow, but they work well as a part of the story. There is also simply an enormous amount of action, of a very unusual type for the Next Generation: gunfights and shoot-outs. Finally, it is actually quite a mystery, and Picard is forced to do some hard deduction at the end, when all his leads seem broken, to finally solve it. I quite enjoyed it.

I came at this book from a different angle than most Trekkies (Trekkers, for you young people). I happen to love he old mysteries by Chandler, et al., and I knew this was an homage to -- not a parody of, as some have suggested -- the detective fiction of the golden age of pulp before I started reading. Dean Wesley Smith clearly loves the genre as much as I do and cleverly worked in trademark touches from several writers of the period. Including Ellery Queen's summary of "clues" at the end of each chapter, some of which are red herrings. Even if you miss every little Easter egg and can't tell Sam Spade from Philip Marlowe, there's enough action, interesting characterizations and intriguing plot twists to keep you going. If your Trek simply must have planets exploding and Romulans conspiring and the Enterprise locked in deadly combat against overwhelming odds, this is not the book for you. If you're in the mood for a delightful variation on familiar themes -- with more than a bit of whimsy and humor -- this could be just what you're looking for.

I found this book delightful. A venture from the usual Star Trek tales full of moral delima and technobabble (which I like, by the way). If you're looking for something different that is seems more along the lines of fan fiction, rather than pro-fiction, this book is for you.

It another one of those Enterprise in jepordy stories if Dixon does not solve the mystery...just like with Cyrus Redblock..I only wish they had a sequel to this one. It would have been neat if Dixon could fight retro 1940's creatures from outer space more often. A treat to any Dixon Hill fan without giving away the details...and this one is one of the better holodeck adventures. This one would have made a good TV episode!