A Rock and a Hard Place (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Kinda silly, I know, I'm nearly 70, but I can't remember being more absorbed in a book since I read Call of the Wild in 7th grade! Good read!

I put this a book the maximum possible rating, 5 stars. The reason why I do that is because I think this novel is brilliant! Not only it takes you in from the first page and keeps you interested EVERY page till the end, but it also has that great ST:TNG feeling that makes it seem that it is an integral part of the official canon. Also, it is very sad to say good-bye to Stone, to the Carters and terraformers at Paradise. I want to meet them all again!

As good as his first Star Trek novel, Star Trek The Next Generation #5 - "Strike Zone" is, "A Rock and a Hard Place" is that much better. If you were to read through the entirety of the early STNG novels, you will quickly gather that there are a couple authors' novels that are to be looked forward to, Peter David's and Michael Jan Friedman's. With this particular installment, Peter David firmly reaffirmed and set himself in place as the one Star Trek author that can deliver a solid plot with thought provoking twists and an excellent sense of humor. His novels are the ones that will make you laugh as you read along.The premise:The planet Paradise is being terraformed but the terraformers in charge have fallen behind schedule and they've requested assistance. Commander William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise is given that task and sets off for Paradise. This is where we see Riker on his own, dealing with nature and its quirks.Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Riker's temporary replacement is a brazen individual by the name of Commander Quinton Stone and let's just says that he and the Captain and crew of the Enterprise aren't getting along chummily!What follows is but a mere inkling as to some of the outstanding adventures that author Peter David will take Star Trek fans on in the future. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of the genre! {ssintrepid}

I have considered Peter David the best writer of Star Trek: The Next Generation novels for quite some time, with "Imzadi" the cream of the crop. In "A Rock and a Hard Place," David presents Commander Quintin Stone, who is quite possibly the most original and fascinating character created in a Next Generation novel.Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the Enterprise to help the terraformers on the brutal ice planet ironically called Paradise deal with problems maintaining their schedule. Stone arrives to take Riker's place despite the insistence of his former captain that the man is a "loose cannon," "space case," and completely "impossible." It does not take Captain Picard long to see why. When Stone leads an away team to deal with a hostage situation on the planet Culinan, his outrageous solution has Captain Picard convinced the man is insane, Counselor Troi insisting he is not, and Dr. Crusher wondering about the massive scarring on the Commander's back.The book basically alternates chapters between Riker on Paradise and Stone aboard the Enterprise. The latter plot line is so fascinating that you begrudge spending time on the other one, although you know in the end the two men are going to have some sort of confrontation that will solve the mystery of Quintin Stone. All we know is that Stone tells everybody a completely different story regarding his past and that he has a really big chip on his shoulder about the Prime Directive. All you need to know before you read the book is that the payoff for this mystery is an absolute stunner. "A Rock and a Hard Place" is also worth a second look because Quintin Stone is obvious prototype for Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier series. Granted, Calhoun is not as psychotic as Stone, but each shares the ability to find creative ways of getting things done. Stone was always the one character from a Next Generation novel that I would have liked to have seen pop up again, and this is sort of like getting my wish granted.

This is one of the best numbered Star Trek books out there due in large part to the characterization of Quentin Stone. Peter David has a great handle on these characters, and the dialogue is both believable and fun. The Stone/Picard confrontations were wonderful. Stone is similar in type to David's New Frontier captain, MacKenzie Calhoun, at least in the first four installments of the New Frontier. After that, Calhoun was toned down. Stone never got toned down. He's high-octane and quite memorable. Sadly, he's probably a one shot character, but I would love to see him again.

This book shows Will Riker's strong qualities: his loyality, his strength of character, his perseverence in the presence of impossible odds. Peter David has also created a wonderfully complex character in Quintin Stone (Riker's "replacement" on the Enterprise, while Riker is on the planet). The stories of both men play out separately and then are joined in a gripping (pun intended - if you read it, you will understand) climax. There is also a very sweet scene between Riker and the teenage daughter of his friend when he rescues her and they are trapped in a cave together.