Book review
Edited by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Pocket Books paperback
Release date Out now

Another collection of adventures for the backroom boys of Starfleet…

There are some great moments in the latest batch of stories collecting the eBooks published back in 2004. The nature of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers' remit allows them to become embroiled in everything from first contacts to diplomatic entanglements as well as repairing the tech when it goes wrong.

Paradise Interrupted gets the collection off to a strong start, charting an unusual first contact on the pleasure planet Risa. The idea of other life forms having a different lifespan has been tackled before across Trek but the S.C.E. way of handling it is unique. The Art of the Deal sees the da Vinci encounter a shady businessman, and becoming involved in corporate espionage. Spin is another first contact story with some novel revivication techniques on display.

The title story is one of the collection's gems, counterpointing Captain Gold coping with the universe's first Jewish-Klingon wedding with a training scenario that goes wrong. There's elements of the animated episode The Practical Joker in here and some great humour for Gold.

The collection ends with the short Small World, which is yet another first contact situation with links to the original series episode The Paradise Syndrome.

The other gem is Where Time Stands Still, which reintroduces the 23rd Century S.C.E. in a sequel to the animated episode The Time Trap. Along the way it retcons some of the 'errors' of that episode while still telling a strong tale. Patrick Holm

VERDICT: 7/10
Three first contact stories slightly overbalance the collection, but this is an enjoyable read.

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