Rough Trails (Star Trek: New Earth, Book 3)

Rating:
Summary: Sci Fi authors might SEEM to live in the future...
Review: ...but they really live in the present, and tend to imprint present-day issues on the time period they're writing about. This "New Earth" series is no exception--from the git-go, anti-government "individualists" have posed as much a problem to this new colony as "alien space invaders" or forces of nature. It's bad enough that in previous volumes they had to cross a battleground between two warring cultures on the way to the Promised Land, not to mention showing up just in time for a cataclysm right out of Niven's "Lucifer's Hammer"--now there are two groups from their own population who make war on the mainstream and each other--a survivalist group called the "Carsons" and a vigilante outfit called the "Peacemakers". One thing the three factions have in common--they can't ANY of 'em stand Starfleet! Remind you of anything you encounter on the Nightly News? One remark by a character is probably a bit of social commentary on the part of authors Graf and Carey--certain colonists who are resentful of the way the Federation "stifles" their freedom tend to forget that it also provides a safety net. If only we of the 21st Century could see beyond the ends of our own noses and realize that!

Rating:
Summary: Sci Fi authors might SEEM to live in the future...
Review: ...but they really live in the present, and tend to imprint present-day issues on the time period they're writing about. This "New Earth" series is no exception--from the git-go, anti-government "individualists" have posed as much a problem to this new colony as "alien space invaders" or forces of nature. It's bad enough that in previous volumes they had to cross a battleground between two warring cultures on the way to the Promised Land, not to mention showing up just in time for a cataclysm right out of Niven's "Lucifer's Hammer"--now there are two groups from their own population who make war on the mainstream and each other--a survivalist group called the "Carsons" and a vigilante outfit called the "Peacemakers". One thing the three factions have in common--they can't ANY of 'em stand Starfleet! Remind you of anything you encounter on the Nightly News? One remark by a character is probably a bit of social commentary on the part of authors Graf and Carey--certain colonists who are resentful of the way the Federation "stifles" their freedom tend to forget that it also provides a safety net. If only we of the 21st Century could see beyond the ends of our own noses and realize that!

Rating:
Summary: A Star Trek Western
Review: Although I liked the two previous books (and also the three following ones)I absolutely hated this one!!! The idea of giving minor characters Sulu, Uhura and Chekov an oportunity was a great one, but the way L.A.Graf implemented it, is downright disgusting. What should have been a Star Trek novel turns out to be a western, with stables and tumbleweed included!!! I kept on reading just to see if it would get better but it never did. Skip this book if you can, it won't detract from the rest of the series and you'll save $6 in the process.

Rating:
Summary: Sulu, Chekov and Uhura Fans Rejoice!
Review: Although I love Kirk, Spock and McCoy, it's nice to see Sulu, Chekov and Uhura get to play major roles in a story. This quality reminds me of another Trek Novel, Uhura's Song. I thoroughly enjoyed Rough Trails, L.A. Graf writes so vividly that you practically feel yourself choking on olivium dust right along with the characters! It would have been nice if Graf had played up the potential love interest for Chekov a bit more, but it was still a good story. I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it again someday.

Rating:
Summary: Sulu, Chekov and Uhura Fans Rejoice!
Review: Although I love Kirk, Spock and McCoy, it's nice to see Sulu, Chekov and Uhura get to play major roles in a story. This quality reminds me of another Trek Novel, Uhura's Song. I thoroughly enjoyed Rough Trails, L.A. Graf writes so vividly that you practically feel yourself choking on olivium dust right along with the characters! It would have been nice if Graf had played up the potential love interest for Chekov a bit more, but it was still a good story. I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it again someday.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Characterization
Review: Finally, after a great many years, They are realeasing Star Trek Novels with good characterization that aren't all about Kirk. This book"s focus is on how Sulu, Chekov, and Uhurah deal with a hostile planet with no support from the Enterprise. While many of the elements in this book are similer to the other books written by L.A. Graf, This one fits in well with the mini-universe that is "New Earth".

Rating:
Summary: Not the best of Star Trek
Review: I enjoyed the book, but then again I have been a fan since 1966. This book is 3 of 6, it can stand alone but it helps to read all in sequence. The main Star Trek character in the book is Chekov who with some help from Uhura, Sulu and a little from Scotty try to help out the disgruntled settlers on a new world that kind of blame the Federation and Kirk (who is off world keeping space pirates away) for making things there worse. It seems when you have trilogies, foursome and now a six book sets the Star Trekness is waterdowned, but if you are a true fan you always enjoys meeting your Trek freinds again. However, if you are not a Trek fan, I would advise starting with the old shows, movies and books rather then starting with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Great story bad writing
Review: I gotta admit the first chapter or so bored me to death. But the story gets really good. I love the actual story format, but I don't like the way the writer wrote the story. What really threw me off is you have to really pay attention to the book when reading it, not distractions, because you'll miss key parts. ITs alomst like the writer put in detail in a sentence that tells you why something happend, and it seems to be put in out of the blue. Also like Dian Carey, they start another scene/chapter expecting you to have followed along, just giving a little back story of what happend since the previous chapter, and that just sucks. Like one page they're in the air in a shuttle, and the beginning of the next chapter they're walking the ground and getting shot at, and not untill a page or so later does the author exaplin what happend. Other then that though the storyline was awesome really entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: A good Book!
Review: I think if you like the First Star Trek Show you will love this book! I think Genn Rodenberry would have! It's nice to see how man starts to settle the galaxy.

Rating:
Summary: Rough Trails and rough reading
Review: I'm not a big reader of Star Trek books and am not familiar with L.A. Graf, but Rough Trails was disappointing, at best. 1.) I'm just not really interested in Sulu, Chekov or Uhura. To me they are accessory players and character development of the three these long 360 pages was minimal. 2.) L.A. Graf seemed more interested in words and not the story. How many times did he/she describe olivium dust and olivium dust storms? How many times must we be reminded that the Star Trek crew is intrigued by a bullet-shooting rifle? I got it the first time...okay? 3.) The western theme was fun but compomised by the fact that it's been done before and the fact that L.A. Graf didn't use it to the extreme. If you're doing the stereotypical western, where were the big shoot-outs? stampedes? bar maids? gruff but honest sheriff? 4.) Gwen Thee was a pretty good character, and the fact that Chekov didn't bed down with her was fun. But, L.A. Graf should've had her die at the end. It could've added some dimension to Chekov and the actual ending (a cook-out? jeez...) would not have been so sappy. This book would've been great at 200 pages. I feel I read 160 pages of needless writing.