Blood and Fire

Based on the rather reiterative fore- and afterwords by DC Fontana and Gerrold, respectively, this installment of the Star Wolf's misadventures is a bit of a catharsis for Gerrold regarding the headaches he received trying to get this story filmed as an episode of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. The book is interspersed with sharp jabs at the Star Trek franchise, such as Captain Parsons' previous posting, the "Big E" (the US Navy's nickname for the Enterprise) being too valuable to risk on the front lines due to potential morale problems if it's destroyed, and one of the Norway's doomed crewmembers being named M. Okuda, after TNG production staffer Michael Okuda; I also suspect that the Norway's AI "LENNIE" is named after Roddenberry's lawyer who shot down the episode in preproduction. The death of one recurring character wasn't a surprise if you'd read the Star Wolf Briefing Book, which had marked said character for death. The complaints about it not reading like the earlier Star Wolf books do have merit, since this is technically a novelization of a teleplay, but I was able to shrug it off because I've been experiencing similar with novelizing a screenplay of my own.

Blood and Fire is another great book, in a wonderful series, from one of America's most underappreciated authors.I do not understand where the criticisms of some are coming from. The characters and story of Blood and Fire have all of the depth and breadth that those of us who read Gerrold have come to expect from one of his books. In this book, perhaps, Gerrold places a bit more emphasis than he usually does on the subject matter rather than on the internal lives of the characters; the unsophisticated reader may not appreciate that this is a perfectly valid and, in this case, appropriate approach. But don't be surprised to find significant character development here too; Gerrold is, after all, Gerrold.Blood and Fire is a fantastic continuation of the Star Wolf story and should not be missed.

For someone who does not typically read science fiction, I must say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was reminded at times of a particular popular science fiction/horror movie classic, but that's to be expected, as this is a book based on a Star Trek script. I think it only makes for a more fast-paced, exciting story line. As far as writing goes, Gerrold's tone manages to be entertaining yet never condescending. He gives just enough detail and description to satisfy your imagination without slowing down the story's pace. Overall, Blood and Fire is a great blend of action and substance.

The first two books in this series were written in an earlier era of science fiction-- and they read like it. (Which is not, at all, to say anything against them: Voyage was probably my favorite of the three.) Blood and Fire is a different kind of book, written at a different time, with a different kind of story arc.The book was based on an unproduced episode of Star Trek: Next Gen . . . and it reads like an episode. Neither better nor worse-- just different. The story plunges you far more quickly into the action, there's more of an ensemble feel, and the duration of time in which the story takes place is much shorter.It's still David Gerrold though-- still the same easy, competent fluidity of writing that's a joy to read.

David Gerrold is back with a brilliant conclusion to his Star Wolf saga. As revealed in the introduction by D.C. Fontana, Blood & Fire was originally written as a Star Trek Next Generation script...but it was too daring for them and they passed. So Gerrold turned it into a wonderful novel in the Star Wolf universe. If you like Star Trek or David Gerrold, you'll love this book!