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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #23
Ds9 #23 The 34th Rule
For once, business is going well for Quark, even if the inhabitants of Deep Space Nine don't seem to appreciate his talents. He's just about to clinch the deal of a lifetime ... when he suddenly finds himself right in the middle of a major dispute between Bajor and the Ferengi Alliance. The Grand Nagus Zek is refusing to sell one of the lost Orbs of the Prophets to the Bajoran government, and Bajor's response is to ban all Ferengi trading activity within Bajoran space. Quark finds himself losing both his bar and his freedom, with only his cunning and his lobes left to help him get back on top - and prevent an interstellar war!
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 22, 2019
Perfectly capturing to tone of the series whilst focusing on one of my favourite characters Quark the Ferengi who’s motivated by profit, this DS9 helped written by the actor who played him wont disappoint fans of the show.
I’ve slowly been working my way through all the various Trek shows since they’ve been added to Netflix.
I’m not the biggest TV watcher as would rather dive into a book, but with this story being set during the later part of Season 4 (I’m currently on the fifth) meant that I could enjoy reading this highly regarded novel.
Quark soon finds himself stuck in a middle of a dispute after Grand Nagus Zek refuses to sell one of the lost of the prophets back to Bajor.
Not only does he lose his bar, but soon find himself imprisoned after the Bajoran government cuts all diplomatic ties with the Ferengi.
The characters are vividly brought to life in this book, the most interesting aspect is how the rest of the crew react to Quarks woes. The Ferengi had originally appeared as a figure of fun so it’s good to see their culture explored more in-depth during this story.
It really felt like an extension to the series, DS9 is slowly becoming my favourite of the various shows mainly because of the types of stories it tells. If other novels around this time are just as good, I’ve got plenty of great book to discover.
The perfect tie-in novel!
I’ve slowly been working my way through all the various Trek shows since they’ve been added to Netflix.
I’m not the biggest TV watcher as would rather dive into a book, but with this story being set during the later part of Season 4 (I’m currently on the fifth) meant that I could enjoy reading this highly regarded novel.
Quark soon finds himself stuck in a middle of a dispute after Grand Nagus Zek refuses to sell one of the lost of the prophets back to Bajor.
Not only does he lose his bar, but soon find himself imprisoned after the Bajoran government cuts all diplomatic ties with the Ferengi.
The characters are vividly brought to life in this book, the most interesting aspect is how the rest of the crew react to Quarks woes. The Ferengi had originally appeared as a figure of fun so it’s good to see their culture explored more in-depth during this story.
It really felt like an extension to the series, DS9 is slowly becoming my favourite of the various shows mainly because of the types of stories it tells. If other novels around this time are just as good, I’ve got plenty of great book to discover.
The perfect tie-in novel!
February 5, 2020
"War is good for business"
-- The 34th Rule of Acquisition
A book portraying a beloved TV or film character, written by the actor/actress who brings that character to life over the course of many years, can be a real treat. Andrew Robinson's portrayal of Garak in A Stitch in Time is perhaps my favorite example of this. And Armin Shimerman's portrayal of Quark in The 34th Rule, though certainly not an introspective deep dive like Robinson wrote, is still a fantastic treat, bringing to bear a knowledge and insight of his character that perhaps he alone is uniquely qualified to provide.
In The 34th Rule, Quark finds himself a pawn, caught between Bajor and the Ferengi as tensions escalate over the contested sale by the Grand Nagus of Ferenginar of one of the sacred orbs of the prophets. With war looming on the horizon, all Ferengi are ordered out of Bajoran space, including Quark and his brother Rom, forced to abandon their bar for good.
This is a great DS9 story with spot on character portrayals, plus a good deal of intrigue and action and a dash of mystery. Highly recommended for DS9 fans!
“My life and my business are open books,” Quark claimed. “If you ever opened your books, I'm sure they'd read like a fairy tale.”
-- The 34th Rule of Acquisition
A book portraying a beloved TV or film character, written by the actor/actress who brings that character to life over the course of many years, can be a real treat. Andrew Robinson's portrayal of Garak in A Stitch in Time is perhaps my favorite example of this. And Armin Shimerman's portrayal of Quark in The 34th Rule, though certainly not an introspective deep dive like Robinson wrote, is still a fantastic treat, bringing to bear a knowledge and insight of his character that perhaps he alone is uniquely qualified to provide.
In The 34th Rule, Quark finds himself a pawn, caught between Bajor and the Ferengi as tensions escalate over the contested sale by the Grand Nagus of Ferenginar of one of the sacred orbs of the prophets. With war looming on the horizon, all Ferengi are ordered out of Bajoran space, including Quark and his brother Rom, forced to abandon their bar for good.
This is a great DS9 story with spot on character portrayals, plus a good deal of intrigue and action and a dash of mystery. Highly recommended for DS9 fans!
“My life and my business are open books,” Quark claimed. “If you ever opened your books, I'm sure they'd read like a fairy tale.”
September 18, 2018
The 34th Rule was a great read. Armin Shimerman and David R. George III have crafted an excellent tale that fits very well into the Deep Space Nine continuity, and forces the reader to look at the Ferengi in a way that is all-too rare: not as silly, over-the-top antagonists, but as well-rounded characters fully deserving of respect and consideration. The messages regarding racism and the cycle of violence are well-represented in this novel's pages, and the story carries on the proud Trek tradition of shedding light on issues of social justice and liberal ideals.
Full review: http://www.treklit.com/2018/09/DS923....
Full review: http://www.treklit.com/2018/09/DS923....
October 29, 2022
I was able to get the audiobook from the library, read by Quark, OMG what fun. I really enjoyed this book so much more because of it.
June 3, 2017
The Ferengi Grand Nagus has acquired one of the lost Orbs of the Prophets, intending to sell it to the highest bidder. The Bajoran government, failing to make the cut to participate in the final round of bidding, is incensed at the Nagus's refusal to return their holy relic to them and responds by banning all Ferengi from Bajoran space and closing off Ferengi access to the wormhole, and things quickly escalate from there, bringing Bajor and the Ferengi Alliance to the brink of war. Quark and Rom, unhappy in the extreme at having Quark's business confiscated and losing their home, refuse to leave the station and end up being taken first to jail, then, as the political conflict gets worse, to one of the labor camps in which the Bajorans themselves suffered at Cardassian hands not too long ago. Meanwhile, Sisko's continued attempts to mediate and de - escalate the growing conflict are met with failure and he concludes that the only one who might have a chance at stopping the imminent war is the most unlikely diplomat he could otherwise have imagined: A certain Ferengi businessman, currently stuck in a labour camp.
It's easy to dislike and dismiss the Ferengi under normal circumstances, and more often than not, their presence in DS9 is used for little more than comic relief. This book, written by the actor who portrays Quark in the show, shows a more serious side and does an excellent job of pointing out the hypocrisy and dismissive attitudes the Ferengi are rather frequently subjected to by many of the other characters. Additionally, it's simply a well written and compelling story, definitely one of the better DS9 novels I've read so far.
It's easy to dislike and dismiss the Ferengi under normal circumstances, and more often than not, their presence in DS9 is used for little more than comic relief. This book, written by the actor who portrays Quark in the show, shows a more serious side and does an excellent job of pointing out the hypocrisy and dismissive attitudes the Ferengi are rather frequently subjected to by many of the other characters. Additionally, it's simply a well written and compelling story, definitely one of the better DS9 novels I've read so far.
February 10, 2023
Most Star Trek novels suck.
Armin Shimerman wrote one that's so damn good it just knocks my socks off each time I reread it.
He completely nailed the voice and cadence of each character not just Quark.
Armin Shimerman wrote one that's so damn good it just knocks my socks off each time I reread it.
He completely nailed the voice and cadence of each character not just Quark.
October 13, 2020
It's sort of funny, I feel more like this is a story told by Quark himself, rather than a novel written by Armin Shimerman and other authors. By that I mean, quite a few parts of it seem unrealistic and I found characters didn't act entirely true to their depictions on the TV show, but I could see them behaving that way if Quark was telling the story to us, embellishing certain parts and making himself look good. Especially Kira, I felt her characterization was completely misrepresented. Even in season 1 she didn't act this antagonistic.
But other characters as well, like Sisko and Odo, I felt weren't done quite enough justice. Close, but something felt just a bit off about them. Sisko especially, as we follow him through a great portion of the novel but a lot of his actions feel impotent, just having him run messages back and forth between the heads of Ferenginar and Bajor.
There's a particular scene near the end that rubbed me the wrong way, where Quark changes in sickbay from prison rags to a clean set of clothes and Bashir chastises him and rolls his eyes when Quark leaves the dirty rags on the floor. This is after the Ferengi have been rescued from a prison camp where they were mercilessly tortured, and which Bashir had just finished healing a beaten and starved Quark. Bashir is a COMPASSIONATE MAN. Do you really think he would be snapping and snipping at Quark because he left some clothes on the floor, after healing him from literal torture? NO.
I feel like Kira, Sisko, and Bashir's reactions to Quark and the other Ferengi weren't quite done properly. Yes, I will entirely agree that the Federation and Bajor are racist in their opinions of the Ferengi, but they're not usually so rude or unfair, unless Quark has done some scheme to warrant it. Especially after they see the treatment Quark and Rom received in the prison, I would have expected a lot more compassion.
There is some. Both Sisko and Kira apologize and thank Quark, in the end. But it just rang hollow for me when they didn't seem to really be acting themselves throughout.
I did appreciate the character of the crazy prison leader. Before we meet him, I felt so much frustration because everyone in the novel was acting pigheaded but they were all characters from the show I liked, so it was hard to hate them for their pigheadedness. But then we get this mad-crazy Bajoran man and HIM I could hate without trouble. It felt very satisfying.
To be honest, with each passing chapter of the second half of the book, I swore we were going to find out that he was a Changeling spy. Or a Cardassian spy. Or that the Ferengi working for the nagus in secret was a Changeling pulling the strings of it all to plunge Bajor and Ferengi both into war. Surprisingly, neither of them were, so I felt sheepish by the time I finished.
In the end, it was an okay book but not a great one. I felt like the characterizations of the people we love from the show were tarnished by the writers' attempts to make the Ferengi seem better and the humans/Bajorans seem worse. And certain other small things seemed to be tricks at the readers' expense, like when we see the crazy Bajoran from his own POV coming to kill Quark in the night, but it just turns out to be Quark's nightmare. Why would Quark's nightmare be in the Bajoran's POV? Small things like this all added up to me being a bit frustrated and unable to trust the writers to tell an honest tale.
But other characters as well, like Sisko and Odo, I felt weren't done quite enough justice. Close, but something felt just a bit off about them. Sisko especially, as we follow him through a great portion of the novel but a lot of his actions feel impotent, just having him run messages back and forth between the heads of Ferenginar and Bajor.
There's a particular scene near the end that rubbed me the wrong way, where Quark changes in sickbay from prison rags to a clean set of clothes and Bashir chastises him and rolls his eyes when Quark leaves the dirty rags on the floor. This is after the Ferengi have been rescued from a prison camp where they were mercilessly tortured, and which Bashir had just finished healing a beaten and starved Quark. Bashir is a COMPASSIONATE MAN. Do you really think he would be snapping and snipping at Quark because he left some clothes on the floor, after healing him from literal torture? NO.
I feel like Kira, Sisko, and Bashir's reactions to Quark and the other Ferengi weren't quite done properly. Yes, I will entirely agree that the Federation and Bajor are racist in their opinions of the Ferengi, but they're not usually so rude or unfair, unless Quark has done some scheme to warrant it. Especially after they see the treatment Quark and Rom received in the prison, I would have expected a lot more compassion.
There is some. Both Sisko and Kira apologize and thank Quark, in the end. But it just rang hollow for me when they didn't seem to really be acting themselves throughout.
I did appreciate the character of the crazy prison leader. Before we meet him, I felt so much frustration because everyone in the novel was acting pigheaded but they were all characters from the show I liked, so it was hard to hate them for their pigheadedness. But then we get this mad-crazy Bajoran man and HIM I could hate without trouble. It felt very satisfying.
To be honest, with each passing chapter of the second half of the book, I swore we were going to find out that he was a Changeling spy. Or a Cardassian spy. Or that the Ferengi working for the nagus in secret was a Changeling pulling the strings of it all to plunge Bajor and Ferengi both into war. Surprisingly, neither of them were, so I felt sheepish by the time I finished.
In the end, it was an okay book but not a great one. I felt like the characterizations of the people we love from the show were tarnished by the writers' attempts to make the Ferengi seem better and the humans/Bajorans seem worse. And certain other small things seemed to be tricks at the readers' expense, like when we see the crazy Bajoran from his own POV coming to kill Quark in the night, but it just turns out to be Quark's nightmare. Why would Quark's nightmare be in the Bajoran's POV? Small things like this all added up to me being a bit frustrated and unable to trust the writers to tell an honest tale.
November 23, 2020
It is no surprise that Shimerman has Quark's voice and the show's style down perfectly. This book is a delightful, Ferengi-centric, lost episode of Deep Space Nine. I would highly recommend it to fans of the show.
**2020 Update**
**2020 Update**
November 10, 2020
UPDATE: Get the audiobook. Seriously, you owe it to yourself. Not only is the audiobook edited (which the not-audiobook does not appear to be), it is read by Armin Shimerman and you get to hear him do everyone's voices.
GET. THE AUDIOBOOK.
***
This is not well written. Things that should have been said in a sentence took, I kid you not, 11 pages. Bad, bad writing. However, Quark.
That's it. That's all I have to say.
And also Rom.
GET. THE AUDIOBOOK.
***
This is not well written. Things that should have been said in a sentence took, I kid you not, 11 pages. Bad, bad writing. However, Quark.
That's it. That's all I have to say.
And also Rom.
August 31, 2018
I listened to this audio book during my commute to and from work. It took less than a week.
I really enjoyed it. It was written and performed by Deep Space Nine actor, Armin Shimerman. The story stars the character he portrayed on the show, the Ferengi barkeep, Quark. Shimerman truly performed the voices of the other characters. His portrayal of Zek and Rom were particularly good. I recently finished re-watching Deep Space Nine on Netflix and I miss these characters. (The mark of a good TV show, right?) So hearing them in action again was really great.
This book also has a clear subtext about racism. It's not the subject of the plot itself, but prejudice and racist attitudes fill the world in which the plot unfolds. One of the strengths of the book, I think, is that readers see and feel what racism is like from the perspective of a group that is routinely maligned in the Star Trek universe, the Ferengi. At different points in the story even Starfleet officers look bad. I could feel their deeply-seated prejudice creeping out sometimes. (Even in one of my favorite characters, Captain Benjamin Sisko.)
For this, I am grateful to Shimerman and his co-author. I think they handled the subtext tactfully and truly. (And the actual plot was good too.) The world needs more stories that help us understand what it's like to be hated and marginalized. More stories that show our heroes from different angles. Perhaps empathy and understanding will grow as a result.
I really enjoyed it. It was written and performed by Deep Space Nine actor, Armin Shimerman. The story stars the character he portrayed on the show, the Ferengi barkeep, Quark. Shimerman truly performed the voices of the other characters. His portrayal of Zek and Rom were particularly good. I recently finished re-watching Deep Space Nine on Netflix and I miss these characters. (The mark of a good TV show, right?) So hearing them in action again was really great.
This book also has a clear subtext about racism. It's not the subject of the plot itself, but prejudice and racist attitudes fill the world in which the plot unfolds. One of the strengths of the book, I think, is that readers see and feel what racism is like from the perspective of a group that is routinely maligned in the Star Trek universe, the Ferengi. At different points in the story even Starfleet officers look bad. I could feel their deeply-seated prejudice creeping out sometimes. (Even in one of my favorite characters, Captain Benjamin Sisko.)
For this, I am grateful to Shimerman and his co-author. I think they handled the subtext tactfully and truly. (And the actual plot was good too.) The world needs more stories that help us understand what it's like to be hated and marginalized. More stories that show our heroes from different angles. Perhaps empathy and understanding will grow as a result.
January 3, 2021
I have somewhat mixed feelings about finishing this book. I adored this book and was on the edge of my seat throughout my entire read but was disappointed personally with the ending.
The story starts out on par with how a lot of episodes of deep space nine go but the stakes run much higher for quark and his fellow Ferengi. I was so excited when I was reading and I saw an honest conversation between two characters about how their actions and biases are racist and how they can move past them and I'll be honest...I was jazzed to see this, honestly. And the story continued with intrigue and twists more akin to how Garak would act in this situation; with me not knowing who was in the wrong, but the book ends telling you exactly who the villain is.
Armin Shimerman absolutely nailed every single character in this book. They all reacted and behaved like they would given other circumstances. This did cause another problem as characters who did and said awful things to quark are just forgiven after a "sorry you got tortured. I still don't like Ferengi". There were definitely ways that I would have preferred for this book to end.
Despite loving this book, I can't give it 5 stars just due to the final chapter letting me down, even slightly
The story starts out on par with how a lot of episodes of deep space nine go but the stakes run much higher for quark and his fellow Ferengi. I was so excited when I was reading and I saw an honest conversation between two characters about how their actions and biases are racist and how they can move past them and I'll be honest...I was jazzed to see this, honestly. And the story continued with intrigue and twists more akin to how Garak would act in this situation; with me not knowing who was in the wrong, but the book ends telling you exactly who the villain is.
Armin Shimerman absolutely nailed every single character in this book. They all reacted and behaved like they would given other circumstances. This did cause another problem as characters who did and said awful things to quark are just forgiven after a "sorry you got tortured. I still don't like Ferengi". There were definitely ways that I would have preferred for this book to end.
Despite loving this book, I can't give it 5 stars just due to the final chapter letting me down, even slightly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2024
DS9 #23: the 34th Rule by Armin Shimerman and David R.George III
This was a great book and easily one of the best DS9 novels out there! I felt like if they ever wanted to make a movie based on DS9, it should have been this. It would be an odd choice to focus on Quark and Rom, but this book feels very cinematic.
Here, we see Quark lose everything as the Grand Nagus is refusing to sell one of the Orbs to the Bajorans. In response, the Bajoran government bars all Ferengi from Bajoran space but Quark and Rom don’t leave in time. They end up in an internment camp, inspired by George Takei’s experience as a Japanese-American in WW2. Ah yes, the comedic side character goes through a traumatic experience. Typical character development for any comedic side character.
This book very much felt like an encore for DS9 if I had to compare it to anything. I always sort of considered the Millennium trilogy by the Reeves to be that. But this is a second one. It starts off slow and George is known to write his books like this. But when it finally takes off, it takes off. The plot was good, the pacing was good and it was surprisingly very dark for a book involving Ferengi.
8/10.
PS: I really wish this book didn’t share a title with such a cursed thing on the internet
This was a great book and easily one of the best DS9 novels out there! I felt like if they ever wanted to make a movie based on DS9, it should have been this. It would be an odd choice to focus on Quark and Rom, but this book feels very cinematic.
Here, we see Quark lose everything as the Grand Nagus is refusing to sell one of the Orbs to the Bajorans. In response, the Bajoran government bars all Ferengi from Bajoran space but Quark and Rom don’t leave in time. They end up in an internment camp, inspired by George Takei’s experience as a Japanese-American in WW2. Ah yes, the comedic side character goes through a traumatic experience. Typical character development for any comedic side character.
This book very much felt like an encore for DS9 if I had to compare it to anything. I always sort of considered the Millennium trilogy by the Reeves to be that. But this is a second one. It starts off slow and George is known to write his books like this. But when it finally takes off, it takes off. The plot was good, the pacing was good and it was surprisingly very dark for a book involving Ferengi.
8/10.
PS: I really wish this book didn’t share a title with such a cursed thing on the internet
April 11, 2019
When I started this book I was excited especially when I saw the mind behind Quark was writing this story. I had very high hopes of this being a masterpiece, how could a star trek actor do wrong?
By the end of the first part I was horrified by what I was reading. How could Kira act like that? How could starfleet stand by and do nothing? I thought Armin Shimerman had no idea how his characters should have acted.
Halfway through the book I was seriously considering putting the book down for good, especially after we find out where Quark and Rom are imprisoned. I thought Bajor would never stoop that low.
By the end of the book though I have pretty much reversed my views. Shimerman has crafted a fascinating tale with wonderful character development and a great addition to the star trek universe.
I won't say what changed my mind, I highly encourage people to read this book to the end :)
4 stars
By the end of the first part I was horrified by what I was reading. How could Kira act like that? How could starfleet stand by and do nothing? I thought Armin Shimerman had no idea how his characters should have acted.
Halfway through the book I was seriously considering putting the book down for good, especially after we find out where Quark and Rom are imprisoned. I thought Bajor would never stoop that low.
By the end of the book though I have pretty much reversed my views. Shimerman has crafted a fascinating tale with wonderful character development and a great addition to the star trek universe.
I won't say what changed my mind, I highly encourage people to read this book to the end :)
4 stars
July 5, 2025
I’m a big Quark fan (he’s one of my favorite characters in all of Star Trek) and I’ve always admired Armin Shimerman, so I went into The 34th Rule hoping for something special. I get what the book was going for with the allegory, and I respect the attempt to tackle something as serious as internment and prejudice through a Star Trek lens.
But the idea of Bajor interning Ferengi just didn’t sit right with me. It felt off, like the characters and culture we knew were being bent too far to fit the message.
And the book itself is just bloated. There’s a lot of setup, a lot of repetition, and it drags more than it should. I stuck with it because of Quark and Rom, there are some nice moments there, but overall, it felt like a chore.
I don’t regret reading it, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.
But the idea of Bajor interning Ferengi just didn’t sit right with me. It felt off, like the characters and culture we knew were being bent too far to fit the message.
And the book itself is just bloated. There’s a lot of setup, a lot of repetition, and it drags more than it should. I stuck with it because of Quark and Rom, there are some nice moments there, but overall, it felt like a chore.
I don’t regret reading it, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2021
Listening to this in audiobook format read by ARMIN SHIMMERMAN HIMSELF was probably the best way for me to enjoy this book. His impersonations of everyone else on DS9 had me cackling so much. And the fact that he wrote it too??? KING SHIT. This book is a rare dive into Quark as a person and not Quark as a caricature which really endeared me to him a bit more. Not that I didn't like him before, love that big eared fool I do. I could have totally seen this as an episode or two parter even on DS9, which I think is what most ST novels should strive for. Just my onion...
December 10, 2024
Really impressed how Shimmerman had an accurate voice for most characters. It was a nice short audiobook with some characterisation flaws but other really enjoyable
April 4, 2013
I usually give Star Trek books 4-star reviews. This is because I don't rate anything that I did not finish, and if I did finish it, I usually liked it enough to warrant that (with a few 3 star exceptions). Plus, those who know me will be aware that I am biased in my enjoyment of Star Trek -- I didn't like EVERYTHING that came out of the original canon, but there are times when I have liked things that a more objective observer would have disliked, simply because I'm a trekkie to begin with.
Honestly I didn't think I was going to like this book much, just because if focuses on Ferengi. Let's face it -- it's easy to hate Ferengi. For the unindoctrinated, in the show Ferengi are depicted as cowardly, snivelling, conniving opportunists that would do anything to make a buck, and are at times painted in a comical light. The idea is basically to make you dislike them from the start. What I liked about this book is that it breaks one of the concepts in Trek that I actually don't like -- that people can be judged by the group. Romulans are always cunning tricksters. Klingons are always brash warriors. Cardassians are always brutal thugs. Can anybody tell me how these people ever advanced their societies to the point of expanding out into space without doctors, scientists, teachers, engineers, and other sorts of visionaries who would have had at least some altruism on their minds, and would have had to work together with their peers at some point?
This book breaks with that idea. The plot in a nutshell is that the Bajorans and Ferengi become involved in a disagreement over possession of an artifact that the former consider a priceless religious item. The Ferengi Grand Nagus refuses to sell the item to the Bajorans because they can't meet his price. No warfare, no conflict. Just business. As a result, the Bajorans (who I should add are a people who have recently gotten over decades of racial subjugation themselves) decide to make it a crime for any Ferengi to be in their space at all. The main character, Quark, finds himself in prison just because he IS a Ferengi, when it is quite obvious he committed no crime. Througout the tale, Quark and his brother Rom find themselves the butt of hatred based solely upon what species they are. There are three notable conversations I found myself getting lost in:
In one, Quark is being taken to a prison camp by a Bajoran officer. The officer refers to him as "ferengi" with a connotation that the word is supposed to be an insult. Quark says something along the lines of (heavily paraphrased)- "Is that supposed to be insulting? Would I be insulting you if I called you 'Bajoran'? You're right. I am a Ferengi. And I am as proud to be one as you are to be yourself."
In another, Kira Nerys is trying to get Quark to meet with the Grand Nagus and convince him to sell the artifact to Bajor. Quark refuses, and Kira becomes angry. Quark reminds Kira that while her people are religious, so are his -- their species sees mercantilism as a spiritual pursuit, and trying to convince the Grand Nagus to do something to go against that ideal would be the same as Kira trying to go against the Kai (for the unindoctrinated, this would be somewhat akin to what Judas did to Christ). Kira refuses to understand.
In another conversation, Quark appeals to Captain Sisko for help. Sisko states that Starfleet has chosen not to get involved, and he asks Quark why he wouldn't just want to leave anyway before he is arrested. Quark reminds Sisko that it's apparently ok for him to champion the freedom of anybody, except when that person is a Ferengi. Later on in the book, Quark convinces Sisko to take action because he was taken not to a normal prison, but to an internment camp where he was beaten daily for no reason. Ironically, this camp (now run by Bajorans) was once run by Cardassians, and was used to do the exact same thing to the Bajorans.
I liked this book because there's a greater message here. Gene Roddenberry was a WWII vet, and it really shows in Star Trek. The Klingon sense of honor and glorious death in combat has always reminded me of wartime Japan. The Romulan Tal Shiar sort of reminds me of the Russian KGB. The Cardassian Obsidian Order, yes, reminds me of the Nazi SS. And what the Cardassians did to the Bajorans very much bespeaks of the Holocaust. What does that say about the Bajorans who seem totally fine with inflicting on the Ferengi what the Cardassians inflicted on them? And what of the Federation, who are supposed to represent the United States (why else is it called the "U.S.S." Enterprise?)
At any rate, this book makes you think. And I liked that about it. Even in your favorite science-fiction universe, consider who you judge and why.
Honestly I didn't think I was going to like this book much, just because if focuses on Ferengi. Let's face it -- it's easy to hate Ferengi. For the unindoctrinated, in the show Ferengi are depicted as cowardly, snivelling, conniving opportunists that would do anything to make a buck, and are at times painted in a comical light. The idea is basically to make you dislike them from the start. What I liked about this book is that it breaks one of the concepts in Trek that I actually don't like -- that people can be judged by the group. Romulans are always cunning tricksters. Klingons are always brash warriors. Cardassians are always brutal thugs. Can anybody tell me how these people ever advanced their societies to the point of expanding out into space without doctors, scientists, teachers, engineers, and other sorts of visionaries who would have had at least some altruism on their minds, and would have had to work together with their peers at some point?
This book breaks with that idea. The plot in a nutshell is that the Bajorans and Ferengi become involved in a disagreement over possession of an artifact that the former consider a priceless religious item. The Ferengi Grand Nagus refuses to sell the item to the Bajorans because they can't meet his price. No warfare, no conflict. Just business. As a result, the Bajorans (who I should add are a people who have recently gotten over decades of racial subjugation themselves) decide to make it a crime for any Ferengi to be in their space at all. The main character, Quark, finds himself in prison just because he IS a Ferengi, when it is quite obvious he committed no crime. Througout the tale, Quark and his brother Rom find themselves the butt of hatred based solely upon what species they are. There are three notable conversations I found myself getting lost in:
In one, Quark is being taken to a prison camp by a Bajoran officer. The officer refers to him as "ferengi" with a connotation that the word is supposed to be an insult. Quark says something along the lines of (heavily paraphrased)- "Is that supposed to be insulting? Would I be insulting you if I called you 'Bajoran'? You're right. I am a Ferengi. And I am as proud to be one as you are to be yourself."
In another, Kira Nerys is trying to get Quark to meet with the Grand Nagus and convince him to sell the artifact to Bajor. Quark refuses, and Kira becomes angry. Quark reminds Kira that while her people are religious, so are his -- their species sees mercantilism as a spiritual pursuit, and trying to convince the Grand Nagus to do something to go against that ideal would be the same as Kira trying to go against the Kai (for the unindoctrinated, this would be somewhat akin to what Judas did to Christ). Kira refuses to understand.
In another conversation, Quark appeals to Captain Sisko for help. Sisko states that Starfleet has chosen not to get involved, and he asks Quark why he wouldn't just want to leave anyway before he is arrested. Quark reminds Sisko that it's apparently ok for him to champion the freedom of anybody, except when that person is a Ferengi. Later on in the book, Quark convinces Sisko to take action because he was taken not to a normal prison, but to an internment camp where he was beaten daily for no reason. Ironically, this camp (now run by Bajorans) was once run by Cardassians, and was used to do the exact same thing to the Bajorans.
I liked this book because there's a greater message here. Gene Roddenberry was a WWII vet, and it really shows in Star Trek. The Klingon sense of honor and glorious death in combat has always reminded me of wartime Japan. The Romulan Tal Shiar sort of reminds me of the Russian KGB. The Cardassian Obsidian Order, yes, reminds me of the Nazi SS. And what the Cardassians did to the Bajorans very much bespeaks of the Holocaust. What does that say about the Bajorans who seem totally fine with inflicting on the Ferengi what the Cardassians inflicted on them? And what of the Federation, who are supposed to represent the United States (why else is it called the "U.S.S." Enterprise?)
At any rate, this book makes you think. And I liked that about it. Even in your favorite science-fiction universe, consider who you judge and why.
May 12, 2017
I've grown accustomed to the usual Star Trek formula that relegates Ferengi-led episodes to comedic efforts. DS9, of course, was always at the forefront of Ferengi representation, fleshing out its large-lobed characters and moving away (if only slightly) from TNG's bumbling, cartoonish capitalist villains. Still, it's a safe bet that in any given episode or book, featured Ferengi will serve as comic reief.
The 34th Rule is a stark exception. Despite starring familiar Ferengi (and even being written by the most famous Ferengi actor!), the tone of this book is anything but light. Instead, it's one that follows the extremes of our favorite characters and cultures to their logical conclusion, and no one comes out looking good.
Grand Nagus Zek has acquired Bajor's Orb of Wisdom, and he's auctioning it off to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for the Bajorans, that doesn't include them. Tensions escalate and a cold war erupts. Soon any remaining Ferengi on Bajor - or it's space station - will be striped of their business licenses and shipped to labor camps around the planet. It's up to the crew of Deep Space Nine to solve the stand-off and restore peace to Bajor.
The plot sounds simple, and it ties up neatly, but along the way we're treated to a jarring misadventure: the dark underbelly of our comfortable DS9 routine. Suddenly themes we've been taught to casually laugh off over the course of the series come to dangerous (if realistic) conclusions. Ferengi greed warps into something that could start wars and deprive spiritual people of gifts from their gods. War-ravaged Bajor becomes so obsessed with reclaiming its stolen identity that it mimics the very oppressors who destroyed it. Disdain for Ferengi culture, commonplace among our main cast, allows atrocities to occur with little concern elicited. It implicates favorite characters like Odo, Kira, O'Brien, Sisko, but also ourselves as audience, blindly laughing along.
No where is this seen better than at the newly-created Ferengi internment camps. I'm a big fan of the Bajorans, and disliked seeing them on the defensive. I especially balked at the idea that they would reopen Gallitep, the most notorious labor camp of the Cardassian Occupation, and imprison another species there just years after escaping it themselves. It was also upsetting to shift from Quark and Rom, the rascally and unwitting comic relief, to Quark and Rom, the tortured death camp prisoners. I know that was the point - that they hadn't done anything wrong, and were merely being rounded up because of their race - but it was painful to read.
Perhaps the worst part, however, was the incredible fact that no one on Deep Space Nine ever bothered to follow up on what happened with the Ferengi. It's not clear whether they realized the brothers (among others) were imprisoned on Bajor, but regardless they never seemed saddened or concerned by the duo's forced absence from DS9. This, of course, is the crux of the book. That even in Utopian Starfleet, even on this progressive space station at the edge of the galaxy, a hierarchy exists, and much of it is built on race. Ferengi are the low men on the totem pole, the punch lines and punching bags, the nuisances we need around to create comic relief. We don't want to think it's racism when Odo or Kira or even Sisko dismisses Quark's concerns, but the book makes it clear it's exactly that.
In the end, of course, everything comes out alright. The world is reset. And maybe that's the most disturbing part of all. We know that next time Quark complains or Rom takes a prat fall, the crew of DS9 will laugh or roll their eyes. And we will too.
The 34th Rule is a stark exception. Despite starring familiar Ferengi (and even being written by the most famous Ferengi actor!), the tone of this book is anything but light. Instead, it's one that follows the extremes of our favorite characters and cultures to their logical conclusion, and no one comes out looking good.
Grand Nagus Zek has acquired Bajor's Orb of Wisdom, and he's auctioning it off to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for the Bajorans, that doesn't include them. Tensions escalate and a cold war erupts. Soon any remaining Ferengi on Bajor - or it's space station - will be striped of their business licenses and shipped to labor camps around the planet. It's up to the crew of Deep Space Nine to solve the stand-off and restore peace to Bajor.
The plot sounds simple, and it ties up neatly, but along the way we're treated to a jarring misadventure: the dark underbelly of our comfortable DS9 routine. Suddenly themes we've been taught to casually laugh off over the course of the series come to dangerous (if realistic) conclusions. Ferengi greed warps into something that could start wars and deprive spiritual people of gifts from their gods. War-ravaged Bajor becomes so obsessed with reclaiming its stolen identity that it mimics the very oppressors who destroyed it. Disdain for Ferengi culture, commonplace among our main cast, allows atrocities to occur with little concern elicited. It implicates favorite characters like Odo, Kira, O'Brien, Sisko, but also ourselves as audience, blindly laughing along.
No where is this seen better than at the newly-created Ferengi internment camps. I'm a big fan of the Bajorans, and disliked seeing them on the defensive. I especially balked at the idea that they would reopen Gallitep, the most notorious labor camp of the Cardassian Occupation, and imprison another species there just years after escaping it themselves. It was also upsetting to shift from Quark and Rom, the rascally and unwitting comic relief, to Quark and Rom, the tortured death camp prisoners. I know that was the point - that they hadn't done anything wrong, and were merely being rounded up because of their race - but it was painful to read.
Perhaps the worst part, however, was the incredible fact that no one on Deep Space Nine ever bothered to follow up on what happened with the Ferengi. It's not clear whether they realized the brothers (among others) were imprisoned on Bajor, but regardless they never seemed saddened or concerned by the duo's forced absence from DS9. This, of course, is the crux of the book. That even in Utopian Starfleet, even on this progressive space station at the edge of the galaxy, a hierarchy exists, and much of it is built on race. Ferengi are the low men on the totem pole, the punch lines and punching bags, the nuisances we need around to create comic relief. We don't want to think it's racism when Odo or Kira or even Sisko dismisses Quark's concerns, but the book makes it clear it's exactly that.
In the end, of course, everything comes out alright. The world is reset. And maybe that's the most disturbing part of all. We know that next time Quark complains or Rom takes a prat fall, the crew of DS9 will laugh or roll their eyes. And we will too.
May 17, 2017
Star Trek novels are not known as masterful exemplars of literary style. This book is no exception to that standard, but it does surpass the normal bar these books seem to hold themselves to. In this story, the characters’ motivations are clear, the actions they undertake are generally predictable, there’s no Deus Ex Machina resolution, and the tech fades into the background.
Is this the best story ever? No. And it’s not trying to be. But is it a surprisingly well-crafted story from the Star Trek universe that might raise your expectations of the genre? Yes. For that alone, it’s worth picking up.
Is this the best story ever? No. And it’s not trying to be. But is it a surprisingly well-crafted story from the Star Trek universe that might raise your expectations of the genre? Yes. For that alone, it’s worth picking up.
July 18, 2013
The first part of this novel has a smooth pace: Quark has his usual run-ins with Kira and Odo while working at his bar, but it gets serious when it turns out that the Ferengi Nagus (or Ferengi 'ruler') Zek has one of the Bajoran orbs. Since this orb is very important to the religious Bajorans, Zek tells the Bajorans they have to 'pay' for their orb - as Ferengi are stereotyped to always be looking for profit. Of course, the Bajorans don't feel they have to pay for something that is rightfully theirs. Thus, this back and forth becomes a literal battle where Ferengi are banned from Bajoran space and Ferengi block transports giving Bajor supplies such as food, medical, etc. Quark, his brother Rom, and other Ferengi still on Bajor after a deadline put forth that Ferengi should be gone from Bajoran space, are sent to the former Cardassian prison camp named Gallitep where they are subjected to harsh treatment, beaten.
This is when the book slows down the pace and some plot details get confusing, as the story focuses more on Sisko as he tries to mediate the situation even as he is told – as a Starfleet officer – to stay out of the matter that is between Ferengi and Bajorans. Furthermore, the '34th rule' wasn't very clear, nor any of the other rules that break the book into parts. Sisko manages to talk to Kira to appeal to the Bajoran government, and – when Quark, Rom, and others escape Gallitep – manages to talk to Quark to appeal to Zek. Interestingly, it turns out that Zek planned the entire setup all long to save face with his own government. Also, Zek knew (?) about ships that were sold to the Bajorans who used those ships to fire on Ferengi vessels. Since he doesn't have 'God – like' powers this is highly unrealistic, even for a fictional universe. It turns out that there were no casualties on either side (save for those Bajoran soldiers who helped the Ferengi prisoners on Gallitep killed by a warped Colonel who may or may not be Cardassian; he disappears three quarters in the novel and it is never explained where he leave to).
The second half hurts this novel, and I was really getting into it initially. I do like the fact that there is a nod to Shimerman playing a Betazoid gift box (from the TNG episode 'Haven') towards the end, but by that time I wanted the book to end, and it seemed things were just being panned out.
This is when the book slows down the pace and some plot details get confusing, as the story focuses more on Sisko as he tries to mediate the situation even as he is told – as a Starfleet officer – to stay out of the matter that is between Ferengi and Bajorans. Furthermore, the '34th rule' wasn't very clear, nor any of the other rules that break the book into parts. Sisko manages to talk to Kira to appeal to the Bajoran government, and – when Quark, Rom, and others escape Gallitep – manages to talk to Quark to appeal to Zek. Interestingly, it turns out that Zek planned the entire setup all long to save face with his own government. Also, Zek knew (?) about ships that were sold to the Bajorans who used those ships to fire on Ferengi vessels. Since he doesn't have 'God – like' powers this is highly unrealistic, even for a fictional universe. It turns out that there were no casualties on either side (save for those Bajoran soldiers who helped the Ferengi prisoners on Gallitep killed by a warped Colonel who may or may not be Cardassian; he disappears three quarters in the novel and it is never explained where he leave to).
The second half hurts this novel, and I was really getting into it initially. I do like the fact that there is a nod to Shimerman playing a Betazoid gift box (from the TNG episode 'Haven') towards the end, but by that time I wanted the book to end, and it seemed things were just being panned out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2023
Let's get the bad out of the way: the book really needed another pass with the editor, not only to catch typos, but to cut all the unnecessary exposition. Parts of the ending are a letdown: I was particularly disappointed with the villain, an intriguing character who wasn't developed well, and whose ending is right next to "nonevent" in the dictionary. And while the points about racism are well-made--and perfectly in line with DS9, which thrived on deconstructing Roddenberry's "ideal future"--they are rather heavy-handed, especially where Kira is involved.
That said, there's also a lot of good about this book. The plot is fairly well-constructed; there are plenty of twists I didn't see coming, and by the end, most of the pieces have come together nicely. The Ferengi are a difficult race to write for, and here they actually make the convincing opponents they were meant to be in The Next Generation: they may lack brute force, but they make up for it by being cunning and clever, and the wheels within wheels of their plotting keeps the crew on their toes. And then there's Quark--he's perhaps the most difficult character to write for, but here he's spot-on. He's not perfect, but he has his own strengths, and he's capable of using them to accomplish surprising things if he gets a chance. But while Quark and Rom are particularly noteworthy, it's worth noting that the other characters are generally written pretty evenly: it'd be easy to just depict them all as "people who have always been so mean and unfair to the Ferengi just because" and spend the book demonizing them. Instead, they're mostly depicted as well-rounded individuals who have been shaped by all kinds of events, for better and for worse. And despite everything they've been through, they're also capable of reflecting, growing, and working to become better people.
Long story short, it's not a perfect book, but it's one of the better DS9 ones. If you enjoyed the series, this is worth a read.
That said, there's also a lot of good about this book. The plot is fairly well-constructed; there are plenty of twists I didn't see coming, and by the end, most of the pieces have come together nicely. The Ferengi are a difficult race to write for, and here they actually make the convincing opponents they were meant to be in The Next Generation: they may lack brute force, but they make up for it by being cunning and clever, and the wheels within wheels of their plotting keeps the crew on their toes. And then there's Quark--he's perhaps the most difficult character to write for, but here he's spot-on. He's not perfect, but he has his own strengths, and he's capable of using them to accomplish surprising things if he gets a chance. But while Quark and Rom are particularly noteworthy, it's worth noting that the other characters are generally written pretty evenly: it'd be easy to just depict them all as "people who have always been so mean and unfair to the Ferengi just because" and spend the book demonizing them. Instead, they're mostly depicted as well-rounded individuals who have been shaped by all kinds of events, for better and for worse. And despite everything they've been through, they're also capable of reflecting, growing, and working to become better people.
Long story short, it's not a perfect book, but it's one of the better DS9 ones. If you enjoyed the series, this is worth a read.
October 29, 2012
The story is okay (although I think it's too dramatic to actually take place during the timeline of the show... cause like. If it had happened, we'd have heard about it) but the writing style is just not good. Blargh. So much unnecessary description. Especially when you consider that almost all of the readers of these books are not only familiar with DS9, but intimately so, because only big fans would actually read these books. Therefore, there's no need to overly describe things we see on the show, such as what Odo looks like when he transforms, how replicators work, and what Bajor looks like. ETC ETC. It's annoying because it's so redundant.
The one redeeming factor is that the people are actually mostly in character and the dialogue is too. There was one scene with Sisko that seems a little too inconsiderate of him, when Quark is asking for help in a serious situation in his office and Sisko is wandering around playing with the baseball. It just didn't feel quite right.
Okay but there's this whole drama about Quark and Rom being interned at Gallitep, which is extremely hard to believe and so it seems like.. "OMG LOOK IT'S SO DRAMATIC" because I mean apparently Gallitep is now some like historical site just like all the German concentration camps so like... that some wacko Bajoran could like kidnap his internees and take them to Gallitep or whatever, and no one would know... yeah right. I'm pretty sure historical sites are like, monitored and have staff.
Not to mention that the whole internment was extremely unoriginal and exactly like a gulag. COME ON PEOPLEEEEE.....
Not that star trek is like, the most original, but the guy didn't even try to have an original internment camp. At least Andrew Robinson tried to be creative with all the stuff he had to make up.
SO yeah it was okay but not great.
The one redeeming factor is that the people are actually mostly in character and the dialogue is too. There was one scene with Sisko that seems a little too inconsiderate of him, when Quark is asking for help in a serious situation in his office and Sisko is wandering around playing with the baseball. It just didn't feel quite right.
Okay but there's this whole drama about Quark and Rom being interned at Gallitep, which is extremely hard to believe and so it seems like.. "OMG LOOK IT'S SO DRAMATIC" because I mean apparently Gallitep is now some like historical site just like all the German concentration camps so like... that some wacko Bajoran could like kidnap his internees and take them to Gallitep or whatever, and no one would know... yeah right. I'm pretty sure historical sites are like, monitored and have staff.
Not to mention that the whole internment was extremely unoriginal and exactly like a gulag. COME ON PEOPLEEEEE.....
Not that star trek is like, the most original, but the guy didn't even try to have an original internment camp. At least Andrew Robinson tried to be creative with all the stuff he had to make up.
SO yeah it was okay but not great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2015
The Ferengi declare war on Bajor and Starfleet evacuates DS9. All for what? All for that religious belief relating to the Orb (the 9th one).
The war comes about when the Grand Nagus decides to exclude the Bajorans from the line of authorized bidders of the 9th Orb of Celestial some sort of other blah blah blah.
The Bajorans, as usual, come off as terroristic, and Major Kira especially cunty. Yes, cunty, to a point where her character is just plain despicable.
As it turns out, the Ferengi engineered the entire turn of events to maximize their profits by manipulating purchases and capitulations of all species involved.
This novel is one of the few I know about that depicts the Ferengi as a non-comedic relief. The Ferengi in this book had substance and might and taken seriously by the Federation and Bajor.
Personally, I could have done without the internment camp sub-plot. I mean, it has some small role that contributed to the twist and added to the allure of a "strong Ferengi Empire". It was cheesy as far as I'm concerned.
April 13, 2023
After reading Andrew Robinson's excellent book, 'A Stitch in Time', I was excited to discover another Deep Space Nine novel authored(or in this case co-authored) by one of its cast. Shimmerman and George, unsurprisingly do an excellent job capturing Quark's voice. But that is about all they accomplish.
The 34th Rule was beyond bloated, it could be about cut down to about a third of its 400+ pages. The most mundane of business at Quark's bar or on Bajor is given dozen of pages. Talk about padding(or should I say PADD-ing, heh). The boredom doesn't just end at its glacial pace, but even the book's ultimate plot amounts to little in way of action, thought or entertainment.
Imagine writing a book-length Ferengi story without any of the charm, camp or just fun of the Ferengi stories of DS9.
The 34th Rule was beyond bloated, it could be about cut down to about a third of its 400+ pages. The most mundane of business at Quark's bar or on Bajor is given dozen of pages. Talk about padding(or should I say PADD-ing, heh). The boredom doesn't just end at its glacial pace, but even the book's ultimate plot amounts to little in way of action, thought or entertainment.
Imagine writing a book-length Ferengi story without any of the charm, camp or just fun of the Ferengi stories of DS9.
May 15, 2020
Armin Shimerman's involvement does not seem to have turned The 34th Rule into an above-average Star Trek novel, though I'll grant it's probably been about twenty years since my last one. The purple prose, tediously over-described action, and aseptic lack of anything that could be mistaken for social commentary were all just as I remembered them, though.
Only worth your time if you're a particular fan of Quark or if, like me, you've had your brain turned to mashed potato by the Internet and thought the title was funny.
(Look for obnoxiously signposted cameos by daiMon Bractor, Letek, and a Betazed gift box, all played by Shimerman in TNG.)
Only worth your time if you're a particular fan of Quark or if, like me, you've had your brain turned to mashed potato by the Internet and thought the title was funny.
(Look for obnoxiously signposted cameos by daiMon Bractor, Letek, and a Betazed gift box, all played by Shimerman in TNG.)
August 22, 2013
This is somewhat patchy in style but bears persevering with, particularly for the sections involving the DS9 crew. Quark is one of my favourite characters and his trials here are hideous; his relationship with Rom grows nicely through it all. There is a bit too much telling instead of showing in the opening chapters which makes for a slow start, but do give it at least five before making a decision.
May 7, 2015
2006 grade D-
Deep Space 9 #29
Could not finish
with David George
Deep Space 9 #29
Could not finish
with David George
May 17, 2024
Several years back, my future sister-in-law convinced me to watch through the entirety of Deep Space Nine with her, even though I had previously refused to touch Star Trek with a ten-foot pole. Coming out of the pilot, I was already drawn in by the show’s surprisingly well-acted cast, with one major exception. I absolutely could not stand Quark, that loathsome little gremloblin! But she assured me I’d grow to love him with time, and sure enough, I was eventually won over by his, erm, “charms”. Perhaps I just have a thing for jerks with hearts of gold.....pressed latinum. And so, when I decided to sample one of the many, MANY Trek novels, I found myself drawn to this entry co-authored by Quark himself, Armin Shimerman. Sounds like a rollicking good time, right?
(As it turns out, Armin recently admitted he didn’t write a single word of this book, even though they slapped his name on the cover. But he DID help pitch the story when it was planned as an actual episode of DS9, and he narrates the excellent audiobook version — more on that later — so I suppose I can’t feel too cheated.)
The most interesting thing about The 34th Rule is the way it takes the Ferengi seriously for once, after years of treating their entire race as little more than over-the-top comic relief villains. Which is to say, this is NOT a lighthearted, wacky romp a la “The Magnificent Ferengi”. If that’s what you’re expecting, you may end up disappointed and/or traumatized! Instead, the centerpiece of the book is an exploration of fantastic space racism, as an allegory for less-fantastic Earth racism. To that end, I admire that it isn’t afraid to portray many of DS9’s beloved characters and their prejudices in a less than flattering light. In some cases, it comes across a bit cartoonish; Worf’s insistence that “the Ferengi are not to be trusted” is practically a catchphrase, and Kira is at her most genuinely unsympathetic here. But Sisko grappling with his own space-racial biases is possibly the highlight of the entire book for me, even if his helplessness in dealing with the actual Bajor-Ferenginar conflict is rather frustrating.
Conversely, the most frustrating thing about The 34th Rule is.... the way it takes the Ferengi seriously for once. While the book’s message about racism is doubtlessly well-intentioned, it also underscores just how shallow Ferengi culture is portrayed, to an almost offensive degree. Can you imagine if any real-world culture was boiled down to little more than greedy money-grubbing capitalists? Yeah, um, I’m sure you can. But in the Ferengi’s case, Shimerman and George (okay, mostly George) seem to confirm that’s all they are! What I’m saying is, this book would’ve been an excellent opportunity to tell us something, anything else about the Ferengi, like a cultural explanation of why they’re obsessed with profit, or better yet, even a single aspect of their culture that doesn’t revolve around monies and/or sexism. Presumably, they weren’t allowed to come up with their own lore in a novel released while the series was still on the air, but it sure would’ve helped them feel less like a comic relief Planet of Hats!
Only after trudging through all 425 pages of my physical copy did I learn that Armin himself read the audiobook. And it was available from my local library, as luck would have it, so naturally I made myself listen to that as well! Having experienced both, I’ll echo the sentiment of many other reviews here in saying the audiobook is the superior version. For one thing, it’s abridged. Normally I wouldn’t say that’s a good thing, but this is a book where every simple action is described in ludicrous detail and dialogue is generally accompanied by a blunt explanation of the intended subtext. And more importantly, ARMIN DOES ALL OF THE VOICES. Granted, not all of them are great. Kira in particular sounds like a cigarette hag for some reason? But all of the Ferengi are spot on, of course, and his Odo is also quite creditable. All of this is to say, this is a 2.5-star book at best, but the audiobook is easily a 3.5-star production, well worth the listen for any DS9 fan.
By the way, the title The 34th Rule refers to one of the many Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. I’d hate to spoil its relevance to the plot, but if you Google “Ferengi rule 34”, you will surely be rewarded with a veritable treasure trove of information about their rich cultural heritage!
(As it turns out, Armin recently admitted he didn’t write a single word of this book, even though they slapped his name on the cover. But he DID help pitch the story when it was planned as an actual episode of DS9, and he narrates the excellent audiobook version — more on that later — so I suppose I can’t feel too cheated.)
The most interesting thing about The 34th Rule is the way it takes the Ferengi seriously for once, after years of treating their entire race as little more than over-the-top comic relief villains. Which is to say, this is NOT a lighthearted, wacky romp a la “The Magnificent Ferengi”. If that’s what you’re expecting, you may end up disappointed and/or traumatized! Instead, the centerpiece of the book is an exploration of fantastic space racism, as an allegory for less-fantastic Earth racism. To that end, I admire that it isn’t afraid to portray many of DS9’s beloved characters and their prejudices in a less than flattering light. In some cases, it comes across a bit cartoonish; Worf’s insistence that “the Ferengi are not to be trusted” is practically a catchphrase, and Kira is at her most genuinely unsympathetic here. But Sisko grappling with his own space-racial biases is possibly the highlight of the entire book for me, even if his helplessness in dealing with the actual Bajor-Ferenginar conflict is rather frustrating.
Conversely, the most frustrating thing about The 34th Rule is.... the way it takes the Ferengi seriously for once. While the book’s message about racism is doubtlessly well-intentioned, it also underscores just how shallow Ferengi culture is portrayed, to an almost offensive degree. Can you imagine if any real-world culture was boiled down to little more than greedy money-grubbing capitalists? Yeah, um, I’m sure you can. But in the Ferengi’s case, Shimerman and George (okay, mostly George) seem to confirm that’s all they are! What I’m saying is, this book would’ve been an excellent opportunity to tell us something, anything else about the Ferengi, like a cultural explanation of why they’re obsessed with profit, or better yet, even a single aspect of their culture that doesn’t revolve around monies and/or sexism. Presumably, they weren’t allowed to come up with their own lore in a novel released while the series was still on the air, but it sure would’ve helped them feel less like a comic relief Planet of Hats!
Only after trudging through all 425 pages of my physical copy did I learn that Armin himself read the audiobook. And it was available from my local library, as luck would have it, so naturally I made myself listen to that as well! Having experienced both, I’ll echo the sentiment of many other reviews here in saying the audiobook is the superior version. For one thing, it’s abridged. Normally I wouldn’t say that’s a good thing, but this is a book where every simple action is described in ludicrous detail and dialogue is generally accompanied by a blunt explanation of the intended subtext. And more importantly, ARMIN DOES ALL OF THE VOICES. Granted, not all of them are great. Kira in particular sounds like a cigarette hag for some reason? But all of the Ferengi are spot on, of course, and his Odo is also quite creditable. All of this is to say, this is a 2.5-star book at best, but the audiobook is easily a 3.5-star production, well worth the listen for any DS9 fan.
By the way, the title The 34th Rule refers to one of the many Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. I’d hate to spoil its relevance to the plot, but if you Google “Ferengi rule 34”, you will surely be rewarded with a veritable treasure trove of information about their rich cultural heritage!
September 25, 2024
I get what they were trying to do here, definitely, which is to add tons of humanity and depth to the Ferengi, challenging the attitudes established towards them.
And I really like that Armin Shimerman has brought such depth to the species. You definitely see that in the book as you get a real, in-depth look at them. You leave feeling like they're real and multifaceted.
This book also brings up the often-criticized 'speciesism' in Star Trek. Mainly that all species are treated as a mono-culture when they're actually composed of individuals, who each have their own lives, and judging any group for actions their members (or even leaders) take is unjust.
But what lost me is the 'neutrality' of Sisko and the federation crew of DS9 and their acceptance of the situations presented in the book, and the overall meta-narrative way they presented the Ferengi.
And I think that's what the story misses -- the Ferengi are intended to be ridiculous. They're intended to show us how small and petty a continuous greed for profit makes you. They are a silly nuisance that are meant to be outsmarted and ultimately undone by their greed.
When you validate that greed, you definitely get a more nuanced view of the Trek world but at the expense of missing one of the basic points of Trek -- the Ferengi are no threat because greed is no longer a threat. In the Trek world we have mastered that drive, and it's from that perspective of a mastery of greed that we usually see the Ferengi and their pettiness.
So, again, I see what they were trying to do and it works really really well to tell a story, but it 'misses the mark' a bit on what the Ferengi are intended to reflect in the Trek universe.
And I really like that Armin Shimerman has brought such depth to the species. You definitely see that in the book as you get a real, in-depth look at them. You leave feeling like they're real and multifaceted.
This book also brings up the often-criticized 'speciesism' in Star Trek. Mainly that all species are treated as a mono-culture when they're actually composed of individuals, who each have their own lives, and judging any group for actions their members (or even leaders) take is unjust.
But what lost me is the 'neutrality' of Sisko and the federation crew of DS9 and their acceptance of the situations presented in the book, and the overall meta-narrative way they presented the Ferengi.
And I think that's what the story misses -- the Ferengi are intended to be ridiculous. They're intended to show us how small and petty a continuous greed for profit makes you. They are a silly nuisance that are meant to be outsmarted and ultimately undone by their greed.
When you validate that greed, you definitely get a more nuanced view of the Trek world but at the expense of missing one of the basic points of Trek -- the Ferengi are no threat because greed is no longer a threat. In the Trek world we have mastered that drive, and it's from that perspective of a mastery of greed that we usually see the Ferengi and their pettiness.
So, again, I see what they were trying to do and it works really really well to tell a story, but it 'misses the mark' a bit on what the Ferengi are intended to reflect in the Trek universe.
January 15, 2021
"The 34th Rule" is by far the best DS9 book I've read (thus far). On Goodreads, the book is listed as being written by Armin Shimerman, the actor who played Quark, and I would just like to add that, from what I've read online, he provided much of the plot, but the majority of the book was written by David R. George III.
This book focuses entirely upon Quark, and to a lesser extent, his brother Rom, as well as minor bits featuring Sisko and Kira. A very blatant parallel to the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII, Quark gets locked up on Bajor after a conflict between the Ferengi Alliance and Bajor. There are a few subplots running in line with this overarching plot, and some very good narrative threads connecting them all.
The plot is expertly written, with Shimerman and George diving into the heads of our characters better than I've seen in any Star Trek novel thus far. There was a particular scene between Sisko and Jake that showcased how humans can be "racist" to Ferengi and not realize it, with Sisko coming to terms with this himself.
In a part from most DS9 novels, this one was also particularly violent and a tad creepy, as Quark and company had to deal with a crazed colonel at Gallitep who was torturing the prisoners for his own bemusement. There were parts in this novel that I was genuinely surprised to find written.
My one small complaint involves, of course, continuity. Things return to the status quo at the end of the novel, and I find it hard to suspend my belief that everything would just be a-okay on DS9 after all of this. Quark should be a far different person after what he experienced, and so should the Bajorans. While its understandable that the tv show ignores canon, it just makes it a tad disappointing to read this book and then watch the episodes following it without some relation to the wonderful plot from this novel.
My applause to the writers of this book. If every other DS9 book was written like this, they would be quite an achievement for science fiction.
This book focuses entirely upon Quark, and to a lesser extent, his brother Rom, as well as minor bits featuring Sisko and Kira. A very blatant parallel to the Japanese Internment Camps during WWII, Quark gets locked up on Bajor after a conflict between the Ferengi Alliance and Bajor. There are a few subplots running in line with this overarching plot, and some very good narrative threads connecting them all.
The plot is expertly written, with Shimerman and George diving into the heads of our characters better than I've seen in any Star Trek novel thus far. There was a particular scene between Sisko and Jake that showcased how humans can be "racist" to Ferengi and not realize it, with Sisko coming to terms with this himself.
In a part from most DS9 novels, this one was also particularly violent and a tad creepy, as Quark and company had to deal with a crazed colonel at Gallitep who was torturing the prisoners for his own bemusement. There were parts in this novel that I was genuinely surprised to find written.
My one small complaint involves, of course, continuity. Things return to the status quo at the end of the novel, and I find it hard to suspend my belief that everything would just be a-okay on DS9 after all of this. Quark should be a far different person after what he experienced, and so should the Bajorans. While its understandable that the tv show ignores canon, it just makes it a tad disappointing to read this book and then watch the episodes following it without some relation to the wonderful plot from this novel.
My applause to the writers of this book. If every other DS9 book was written like this, they would be quite an achievement for science fiction.
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