Dark Mirror

This is my second favorite ST:TNG novel and I always wished they'd made a movie or a multi-part story arc when the show was still in syndication. How interesting it would have been to see the TNG actors portray such opposites of their normal characters, most especially Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). This novel returns us to the Dark Mirror Universe featured in one of the better Original Series episodes ("Mirror, Mirror"), this time with TNG charcters. Diane Duane, author of the great Spock's World, treats us to a rolicking good time. Deanna Troi uses her telepathic skills as a form of torture, Dr. Crusher is a vindictive kept woman, and Worf is the noble hero. A great read! This would have been a much better way to end the movie series than with the lame "Nemesis."

Easily one of the better entries into published Star Trek, the Next Generation fiction, Dark Mirror does a much better job, er, 'mirroring' the feel of the original Star Trek episode, by leaving enough familiar for us to be truly appalled at the different turns characters with the fundamental abilities of the crew could take. The characters, in both senses, are written very real and very strongly, with even Troi being an interesting character (on both sides of the mirror), and Duane shows her usual flair for creating societies, both in terms of the Mirror Empire, as well as a few new types from in and around the Federation. This book can't carry a higher recommendation, being a mix of action, discovery, and the old Star Trek hope for a better future.

This is a very good tie-in novel. It takes the basic alternate-universe premise and creates a strong story. Evil fails and good succeeds, but we get the delicious thrill of watching our favorites behave very badly indeed, often with the sexual threat that for some reason is always part of Star Trek alternate universes (e.g., evil Kira).Other reviewers have suggested this book violates "canon" as established in Shatner's books. I have no respect for Shatner, but it also violates "canon" established in the Deep Space 9 TV show; after more than 30 years and hundreds of writers, to expect total continuity would be unrealistic (whatever that means -- we're talking about Star Trek here). If you like, call it another alternate universe in itself, like Diane Duane's Rihannsu novels.

Judging from the praise and invective in this thread, people seem to love or hate Duane's version of the Trekworld. Count me among the former. She creates a universe I'd like to poke around in, and her writing (derided by some in here as 'wordy') verges on the lyrical in its economy ... yes, economy. She can suggest whole universes in a turn of phrase, a skill not to be dismissed lightly in this age of thousand-page potboilers containing less actual story than the nutrition information panel on a can of Coke. My only complaint ... her Enterprise characters, with the singular exception of the good people of ICC-1701D, are all just too darn noble. In a complement of 1,000, or even 430, you've gotta have some people who just plain don't get along. But Duane's non-human creatures (particularly the Hamalki, less so the dolphin) are a wonder of inventiveness, far more so than the humans-in-bad-makeup that of necessity populate the canonical Trekverse. To the person who refuses to touch "Spock's World" ... ahh, c'mon. Take a chance. But I understand.

M.Gelfund(6-1-98) stated that Diane Duane went against the principle of the "Mirror, Mirror" episode by having Spock fail. And DS9's "Crossover" didn't go against this principle by portraying Spock's reforms as leading to the Empire being conquered with its people forced into slavery? The hardcover and audiocassette versions of Dark Mirror came out before "Crossover" was aired, and this allowed the paperback to come out afterward. I found Dark Mirror to be infinitely superior to "Crossover," although the mirror episodes aired after the paperback came out were an improvement. William Shatner's Spectre follows up on events after DS9's "Shattered Mirror," and explores the anguish mirror-Spock would have felt seeing his reforms backfire the way they were portrayed as doing on DS9. Both mirror novels are a must-read for any fan of the classic episode.-Robert Treat.