By BWilliams / 10:52, 15 June 2005 / Reviews - Books

In 1997 Dean Wesley Smith and John Ordover conceived the concept of the Captain's Table, a place out of time and space where only ship captains were allowed to tell their tales of action, adventure, success, defeat, the list goes on and on. The only price for a drink: share a story. Some of those tales were spun out of the scars of personal experience, while others were shared with the twinkle of an eye and the ability to spin a tale of complete BS. No details were left out, right down to the design of the bar, the tables, even the bathrooms and the liquor cabinets. From there came the enormously popular six-book series THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE, featuring some of the most recognized captains in STAR TREK history (and even a few captains from other eras - where else could you see Kirk, Sulu, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, Mackenzie Calhoun, and Christopher Pike hobnob with the likes of Captain Edward J. Smith of the RMS Titanic, among others?). Now Keith R.A. DeCandido has picked up the mantle and continued that tradition with TALES FROM THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE, a collection of nine further entries out of time and space that continue in the same vein of action, mystery, and humor.

Right from the beginning I immensely liked TALES FROM THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE because of its more straightforward and fun approach to storytelling, whereas in the different CAPTAIN'S TABLE novels it required coming in at different points through the different novel releases. That's not to say I didn't like the previous novels; I say that because with this collection, the captains are free to stay as long as they like or leave whenever they wish, allowing for opportunities to open up the vast tapestry of the STAR TREK saga at different points in time and allow the captains entry into one common place where all are seen as equals. The bar itself well serves its fun and laid-back purpose as the framework device for all of these tales to be told, much in the same way as Geoffrey Chaucer's classic CANTERBURY TALES. And with a sober, reflective, and sometimes raucous bunch like this, who'd want to leave in the first place? Not me!

Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels begin the round-robin story with "Improvisations on the Opal Sea: A Tale of Dubious Credibility", featuring the newly-minted Captain William T. Riker of the U.S.S. Titan, weaving his tale of his honeymoon with Deanna Troi on Pelagia in the three weeks prior to the events of TAKING WING. Only Will Riker could spin this tale of mistaken identity and pirates galore with his degree of playfulness and wiseguy humor that we've all come to know and love.

Michael Jan Friedman then picks up the baton with "Darkness", featuring Captain Jean-Luc Picard after the end of his command of the Stargazer. Dealing with the after-effects of his court-martial, Picard finds himself experiencing the darkest days of his life and looking to escape them by looking up a former officer of his. Feeling that he hasn't made any difference in his command career, Picard soon becomes involved in an incident that forces him to look hard at his career and the decisions he has made over the years.

Elizabeth Shelby, captain of the U.S.S. Trident, is next with "Pain Management", a somber tale from the NEW FRONTIER and its creator, Peter David. In the months between STONE AND ANVIL and AFTER THE FALL, Shelby recounts how a mission gone awry and a showdown with hungry Orion pirates leads to a most unsettling decision regarding her relationship with her former Excelsior science officer, Soleta. And what Shelby learns leads her to drink.

From there Keith R.A. DeCandido spins the yarn "Brothers and Fathers", featuring Klag, captain of the I.K.S. Gorkon from DeCandido's popular all-Klingon spin-off series. Klag gives us two tales for the price of one, as he shares how sometimes the rite of passage into adulthood is not all that it's cracked up to be.

Another newly minted captain, Kira Nerys of Deep Space Nine, relays the tale "The Officer's Club", as written by Heather Jarman. When Kira infiltrates a Bajoran watering hole frequented by Cardassians to obtain information on a Cardassian spy feeding information to the Bajoran resistance movement, what she uncovers is a betrayal that cuts to her very soul.

Across the centuries, Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise NX-01, spins a wild and crazy yarn entitled "Have Beagle, Will Travel: The Legend of Porthos", written by Louisa M. Swann. When Archer is sent to rescue a research scientist, guess who winds up playing the hero? It "˜s another tall tale that simply cannot be read without holding back a few smiles.

Another past captain, Demora Sulu of the Enterprise-B, shares her story of "Iron and Sacrifice", as written by David R. George III, author of the successful LOST ERA novel SERPENTS AMONG THE RUINS. Sulu shares how a rescue mission gone awry led to two of the most important decisions in her life as a Starfleet captain and a reunion with a reluctant grandmother.

Christie Golden, who has written VOYAGER's relaunch novels over the past couple of years, showcases Captain Chakotay, Voyager's new captain, in "Seduced", relating the events that led a teenaged Chakotay to join Starfleet. We also get a prospective answer to a nagging continuity question, and either you'll like the answer or you won't.

Finally, writer/editor John J. Ordover spotlights David Gold, captain of the U.S.S. da Vinci from the successful S.C.E. series, in "An Easy Fast". For Gold, it's Yom Kippur time, and, while declining the customary drink, relates a parable of one Abraham Silver and the decisions both good and bad in his life and career.

The one noted drawback to this latest compilation is that it touts tales from "nine new captains", although we have previously heard from Jean-Luc Picard during the CAPTAIN'S TABLE miniseries. And yet, between the miniseries and this anthology, we have yet to hear from some other noted captains in the STAR TREK universe. Perhaps down the road we will have the opportunity to hear from Spock, as well as from Will Decker, Rachel Garrett, or John Harriman. And as the TREK tapestry further expands into new directions, namely with David Mack's upcoming VANGUARD series, perhaps we'll see a CAPTAIN'S TABLE entry there as well.

TALES FROM THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE is part adventure, part reflection, part mischievousness, part BS, and all fun. It's one of the most enjoyable anthologies to come down the pike from Pocket Books, so don't be surprised if we see another installment down the road. Just don't forget to pay your tab and tip the barkeep on your way out.

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