Star Trek: Tng: The Sky's the Limit: All New Tales

I have been a Star Trek fan for over 40 years. This book is one of the best! I recommend it also for newcomers to the Star Trek universe.

I gave this one 5 stars, first with the hope it will raise the overall rating, and second because, well, I felt the book deserved it. Seriously, I don't know what readers were expecting from an anthology celebrating the twentieth anniversary of The Next Generation, but from where I sat, this book hit the mark and then some. It contains 14 stories by authors both known and unknown, and in doing so created a wonderful mix of the familiar and the brand new. What better way to celebrate twenty years? The stories varied from thought-provoking (the bookends, "Meet with Triumph and Disaster" and "Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You") to downright hysterical ("Thinking of You"), from compelling ("Friends with the Sparrows") to, er, "CATastic" ("On the Spot"). IMNSHO, even the weakest story ("Ordinary Days") had merit, if for no other reason than we met someone who would actually *marry* Wesley, even if it was in an AU. Oh, har-de-har-har. So, if you're a Next Gen fan, as well as a fan of the pro writers, you just can't go wrong with this book. And, of course, let's not forget my fetish for good cover art. Kudos to artist Stephan Martiniere for his absolutely fabulous cover - and thanks Pocket Books for listing his name on the inside page. Well done! As to the manga excerpt in the very back: eh. I suppose it's great for those who like it, but I'm not one of 'em. Plus I thought it was kinda strange to have a classic Trek comic in a Next Gen anniversary anthology, but I suspect that was just an advertising decision, based more on the timing of publication than fan interest. I can deal.