By BWilliams / 09:09, 23 December 2005 / Reviews - Books

Has it really been 10 years since VOYAGER first premiered on UPN? I've got to admit, VOYAGER has not held as strong an appeal to me as the other STAR TREK series. That's not saying I completely dislike it; I don't. There are a number of episodes of VOYAGER that are extremely solid entries in the TREK tapestry. I guess part of the problem is that by the time the series came along and went through its seven-year run on UPN, it became formulaic, at times repetitive, and even downright predictable. Maybe the fault is my own for seeing that way, because somehow I never really connected with the series. I guess that happens sometimes.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the premiere of the series, Pocket Books has released the first-ever VOYAGER anthology DISTANT SHORES, a collection of short stories that expands upon and adds to the series' tapestry. Editor Marco Palmieri has assembled some of Pocket Books' top writers in its stable to present all-new tales that further explore the lives of the ship's crew and the loved ones they left behind. And in this collection, Palmieri and company give readers a reason to care.

Robert Greenberger's tale "Command Code", set shortly after the series' premiere episode, addresses the mistrust and tension between new first officer Chakotay and security officer Tuvok. When Voyager is threatened by an alien race for trespassing through their region of space, mutiny nearly breaks out when Tuvok refuses to aid Chakotay in their mission. "Winds of Change" by Kim Sheard focuses on the friendship forged between Kes and B'Elanna Torres in the weeks following "Warlord". Still feeling the effects of dealing with her anger, Kes turns to B'Elanna to seek her guidance in learning how to channel her feelings into something positive and beneficial. "Talent Night" by Jeffrey Lang is a lighter tale that brings the crew together for a shipwide talent show. Lang's tale reminds us how important a role each crewmember plays, whether in daily ship operations or in organizing the talent show.

The most somber tale of DISTANT SHORES, Keith R.A. DeCandido's "Letting Go", is also the anthology's strongest story. Spanning the events of the second, third, and fourth seasons, DeCandido effectively and poignantly reveals how the loved ones left behind must pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward, even if the cost is too high. Some are willing to pay the price; some are not. The theme of letting go continues in James Swallow's "Closure", as Neelix finally comes to terms with the fact that Kes is gone.

"The Secret Heart of Zolaluz" by Robert T. Jeschonek, spotlighting Seven of Nine, occurs as Seven is trapped on an alien world in search of Janeway. When Seven befriends one of the locals to aid in her search for the captain, she unlocks the secret part of herself yearning to live.

In Kirsten Beyer's "Isabo's Shirt", we finally learn what happens when the potential relationship between Janeway and Chakotay reaches its zenith. Romance is also at the heart of "Brief Candle" from Christopher L. Bennett, as Harry Kim risks losing a dying Marika Wilkarah (from "Survival Instinct") all for the richness of love and a life worth living.

Terri Osborne's "18 Minutes" revisits the events of "Blink of an Eye" from the Doctor's perspective. Geoffrey Thorne's "Or the Tiger" sees B'Elanna Torres locating some vital information that may lead to Voyager's return home sooner than expected. And Ilsa J. Bick's "Bottomless" shows that even when wronged, the lowliest crewman is still a human being with much to contribute.

All of the tales in DISTANT SHORES are buoyed between the two-part "Da Capo al Fine" by Heather Jarman, set during the events of the series' finale "Endgame". As a dying Admiral Janeway confronts the Borg Queen, she relives the memories of her past, the decisions she made, the threats she endured, and the peace she finally faces in her last moments, knowing that she was successful in her mission in getting Voyager home safely.

Most of the tales in this collection have a lot of emotional strength to them; for some reason the only tale I could not connect with was "Winds of Change". All of the writers have a strong grasp on the VOYAGER characters, further fleshing them out to greater believability than what was sometimes leff off the series. Had Keith DeCandido's "Letting Go" been produced as an episode, perhaps the series could have had a stronger shot in the arm with fans.

Every tale in this anthology serves to remind us of the human drama that permeated VOYAGER during its seven-year run. Perhaps I, too, have been less kind to this series than I should have been. If anything, writers like Keith DeCandido, Jeffrey Lang, Kirsten Beyer, and Ilsa Bick have reminded me that the people on Voyager do have important contributions to make, as evidenced in this great anthology. Perhaps I should follow their lead.

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