Caretaker (Star Trek Voyager, No 1)

After watching the pilot on televison, I saw this book a the grocery store. I wasn't a big trek fan, but Kate Mulgrew's "Girl Power" attitude hooked me to Voyager.I read this book in a few days. There were a lot of details that I'd missed the first time I saw the show and lots of details that weren't even in the pilot.I liked how it described in more detail how the crews attempt to mesh so they can use their combined resources to get home.The 8 page photo insert would have been a lot better if it was in color, but it was a neat feature anyway.

Surprisingly enough, out of all of the Star Trek novels written by the LA Graf (Let's All Get Rich and Famous) writing team of Julia Ecklar and Karen Rose Cercone, this was the first one of theirs that I'd read. I found their writing style for this novelization of Voyager's lead off episode to be very well written and fast paced, easily accomplishing what novelizations are for. They deftly added several "between the scenes" scenes that weren't scene on screen and enhanced those scenes we did see with some very interesting personal dialogue.The cover art for this novelization is nothing spectacular but it does serve well in what it was designed to do, give the fans a photo of the new and exciting crew!As is custom with novelizations of Star Trek movies and pilot episodes, there is an eight page set of black & white photos included.The premise:The newly commissioned Intrepid class USS Voyager NCC-74656, commanded by Captain Kathryn Janeway sets out on the mission to find a particular band of Maquis in the badlands. Here is where the novelization goes above and beyond the episode; the novelization begins with an excellent introspective opening sequence with Chakotay, a Maquis leader.Voyager arrives at Deep Space Nine to pick up some additional crew members and then she heads out for the badlands with her crew to find the Maquis. Unbeknownst to them, an entity known as the Caretaker has spirited the Maquis raider some seventy thousand light years away, deep in the Delta Quadrant and they're heading for that same destiny.Captain Janeway and her crew find themselves in the same situation; deep in the Delta Quadrant, several crew members dead or missing and those left alive being held captive by the Caretaker. In true Janeway fashion, she soon learns what must be done and has to make the ultimate decision that will leave her crew and the remaining crew of the Maquis raider stranded in the Delta Quadrant, looking at seventy years at maximum warp to get home to the Alpha Quadrant and the Federation.Thus begins the wonderful seven year journey, where at many times, the series didn't quite live up to the expectations of many Star Trek fans but it was still some very decent Star Trek and a journey that I enjoyed watching.I highly recommend this novel to those that can find a copy of it. It serves well as a beginning to the series of novels for Star Trek fiction readers! While several of the early Star Trek Voyager stories couldn't exactly be classified as "classics," it's worth it to read through them and this is the best place to start. {ssintrepid}

A must for any Voyager fan, even if you've seen the first episode, you will still enjoy the book. Robert Picardo (The Doctor on Voyager), reads the story and does a magnificent job. This explains how Voyager got lost in the Delta quadrant, and gives some insite into the characters. I highly recommend this book.

WOW! I got this book a few months ago because I had never been able to see the episode and I was very curious...what in the world IS the Caretaker anyway???? By the time I had finished reading, I was dying to see the episode. I finally found it (on this web site!) for sale and paid $45 for a ST set when I couldn't care less about the other three episodes included. I just had to get "Caretaker." Well... The episode is awesome. HOWEVER, when you go back and read the pages in the book again, you realize how much is missing!! I was almost disappointed in the episode (almost) after reading all the details in the book. I found myself waiting often for a great line that never came. (Examples: "If a member of my crew gets hurt because you make a mistake, you won't have to worry about an anklet, mister..." and "I'll go in first; I'm expendable"...among others.) So, I would recommend the book more for those who HAVE seen the episode. You'll be awestruck by all the details! But if you haven't seen the episode, be prepared to feel like some things are missing, once you've read the novel.

This novel I bought before Star Trek Voyager came to British television. I read it, and then I read it again. I could remember it all but I was just in a daze. If all the Voyager novels were as detailed and enthralling as this I would collect the whole series. They were not. I had read this this novel five times before the episode came to BBC2 and I just thought "Wow. How coud someone write such an excellent novel from that!". The truth was the novel was far superior than the program it was based on, not a usual occurrance. The characters are decribed excellently and I felt I knew them by the time I had finished reading the novel. After watching Caretaker on our television I still went back and read the novel a few more times, it was so great