A Rock and a Hard Place

Star Trek: The Next Generation #10

by Peter David

Under the best circumstances, terraforming is a tough, dangerous task that pits the hardiest of pioneers against an unforgiving environment. When the terraformers on the planet Paradise fall behind schedule, Commander Riker is given temporary leave from the USS Enterprise and sent to assist.

Riker's replacement on the Starship Enterprise is a volatile officer named Stone whose behavior soon raises questions about his ability and his judgment. Meanwhile, Commander Riker has become enmeshed in a life and struggle with Paradise's brutal landscape. However, he soon learns that not all of the planet's dangers are natural in origin – as he comes face to face with Paradise's greatest danger and most hideous secret.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Star Trek The Next Generation, Media Tie In, Science Fiction Fantasy, Tv

244 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter David is a fantastic writer, and this is without a doubt IMHO one of the best written Star Trek: The Next Generation novels. Peter David knows characterization and he writes these well-known characters impeccably. A Rock and a Hard Place is ST: TNG #10, one of my favorite novels Star Trek novels with a tremendous insight into Commander Riker's character. The story revolves around a Starfleet officer that is emotionally distant. He acts in erratic, almost dangerous ways. He’s about to be drummed out of the service, but Starfleet has contrived a solution. Starfleet needs Riker, on loan from the Enterprise, to go to a terraforming community on an inhospitable world with a small contingent of scientists to advance the pace of these terraformers. In the meantime, Captain Picard is asked to work with Commander Stone to either help him to become more disciplined in his thoughts and practices or to determine whether Stone should not be a Starfleet officer. Great story and there is a dialogue scene that Riker has in a dream that demonstrates David’s superior writing chops.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from modern sci-fi/fantasy legend Peter David. Exciting and fun, with a rather creepy villain.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a taut and effective psychological thriller that would have worked well as an episode of TNG, infused with occasional humor and wholly authentic portrayals of the entire cast, with emphasis on Riker and Troi and their complicated relationship. Peter David's Trek novels consistently seem to hit the mark and I consider them among the best.

[Nadienne Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far from my simmering dislike for almost every early TNG novel, this one was actually good...I know, right?!? I'm shocked, too. Well, I guess I shouldn't be, because it was written by Peter David...

Commander Stone is far and away my favorite character in this story. Through him we learn something that I've always known (and which others in various places have also commented on): the Prime Directive is garbage. Oh sure, sure, in some instances, it probably has its uses and places, and is based in the best of intentions...however, it's a philosophy that ultimately will not work, and can lead to some of the worst evils being committed in the name of "not my problem..." ...(I can go into a whole diatribe about my issues with this idea, but here is not the place).

I always find it odd how people are compared to each other, as well. Riker's friend, Carter, is repeatedly referred to as "his elder" or being "so much older"...he's two years older. Two years...that's the same age. I mean, maybe - maybe, when you're 9 and 11 or something that might matter...but oh no, I'm 32 and you're 34...you can't possibly understand the pain I feel, Dad!!!

Honestly, though, ignore those petty complaints. Unlike so many others, I would highly recommend this book if you want to read a TNG novel. Action, adventure, poker games, Picard losing his kewl and then admitting that he feels some things too, but he knows tact. It's great Star Trek! :)

[Kyle Muntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one day and loved it. May actually read a ton of these TNG novels, which I think is a sign I've finally hit peak-nerd.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some…uncomfortable moments in this one, but overall really good. Just like reading an episode, and I love a good Riker episode! 😊

[Kati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Star Trek: The Next Generation tie-in. And I loved it! Peter David is an amazing writer and I love his ST books! Most male authors - especially those writing tie-ins - don't really "get" female characters or they write the emotional side of the characters wrong, just wrong or they completely omit it - but not Peter David. You can literally feel the characters the way he writes them. There's action and emotions and fun and suspense in this book, Peter David just gets it right. Also, a big part of the book is about Riker - my favorite ST:TNG character - so it made me very, very happy :)

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Commander Riker is temporarily reassigned to a terraforming colony to gauge progress on behalf of the Federation.

His replacement, Commander Stone, has been branded reckless, irresponsible and difficult to work with.

Stone soon finds himself at odds with the Command staff and, when a crisis means Riker's life is at risk, Stone soon finds himself in charge of rescuing his nemesis.

Peter David has created a fascinating character in Quintin Stone and, even knowing he is sociopathic and dangerous, readers will find themselves rooting for the maverick officer.

[Chris Fieldhouse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might be the worst thing I’ve ever read. The average bodice-ripping romance from a drugstore spinner rack would show more nuance and understanding of character. Throughout this book the curious pastiches of Star Trek characters wondered whether the authorial voice character was a brilliant quixotic renegade or insane. Judging from his paedophilic descriptions of a minor, I assume that like the author the character is neither: he’s just an asshole.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blasted through this goofy book in two evenings.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riker is sent to a terraforma planet to check on their status, his replacement, Quintin Stone, might be insane (even though he beat the Kobayashi Maru Simulation without cheating during Starfleet Academy), Troi is doing her Troi thing (feeling stuff) and we meet Wild Things (cannibal wolf like animals).

All and all it was another good read from Peter David. He is my favorite Star Trek TNG author because his story-lines are always intriguing, characters interesting and genuine humor throughout the story.

A quick read which will leave you entertained.

[Kreg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characterizations for the TNG crew are a bit off, particularly with Riker and Troi. However the lead character of Stone is a real piece of work. The author tried to make him a problem child/bad boy, but it really just disguises the fact that it's a Mary Sue type character. It got to be more and more implausible as the story wore on.

[Randy Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for all fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation

I admit it. I am a sucker for all things Star Trek, especially Star Trek: The Next Generation. My generation grew up on a steady diet of Picard, Troi, Crusher, La Forge, Data, and of course, Riker. I used to read these novels pretty regularly, and decided I would pick one back up again. It was as good as I remember, but I was a little shell shocked to realize that this particular book in the series, was published thirty-one years ago in 1990. Yeah, I felt old. But, the story sure did make me feel young again.

A Rock and a Hard Place follows two main storylines. In one, a somewhat troubled Starfleet officer named Stone is assigned to The Enterprise because of a desperate plea of his former Captain. Apparently this guy has a lot of personality disorder stuff going on. But, just like in the 21st century, the question with people like this is whether they are really out of touch with reality, or are they just a-holes. The second story line spins off of this and follows Riker who is assigned to a remote planet being colonized by humans who are attempting to terraform the inhospitable world. It turns out that one of the main leaders of the colonists is one of Riker's closest friends from childhood. They enjoy kidding each other constantly and talking about the old days back on Earth growing up in Alaska (yes that's where Riker is from, file it away to impress your friends).

This is just a great little story, both storylines moved along quickly and kept my interest. Eventually they intertwine and reach what was for me, a realistic, but unpredictable climax. The author, Peter David, explored each of the well known characters enough to satisfy me, focusing mainly on Riker, Troi, and Picard. He also gave a really great character study of Stone (the one with the personality issues).

This quick read is a must for all fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Hopefully you haven't waited thirty-one years to read it, like I did.

4 out of 5 stars

[Liv]

everyone:
literally everyone: hey WHO the fuck are you people? like, to each other
riker and troi: how many times do we have to tell you that there's not a word for it

(idk how to feel abt this one on the whole but this ONE aspect deserves 80 billion stars)

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t as into the plot, but the poker bit was a reminder of how good Peter David was at some of the light hearted and slice of life moments.

[Jeff Maughan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this book does not hold up after 29 years.

I loved this book back in 1990 when it was published. Not only was at PAD book, but Commander Stone was very interesting. A fresh, dark character in a perfect Starfleet.

Flash forward and Stone is still interesting, but he's also, sadly, creepy. He creeps on Troi, he creeps on Crusher.

The creepyness doesn't stop there. Picard has some creepy, just a touch, but he has a comment to Troi that bothered me. Her reaction to his comment bothered me more. Riker has some strange dialogue down on the planet with a young girl. I didn't notice this before; have no memory of it. I guess the audience at the time was mostly male; this might be deliberate. I don't know.

Now I'm nervous to read the other books in the line.

The plot is just ok. It's really just a vehicle to let Stone show his stuff, and then have a resolution with Riker. The whole plot is almost throwaway. The book is based on the idea of the character Stone and his issue with Starfleet.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are like a Sci-Fi version of a Harlequin romance. Easy to read with interesting but uncomplicated plots. If you watched the TV show the books will feel familiar - with the same characters and stories similar to a show episode. If you like Star Trek or even sci-fi stories in general these books are great for a light read or a pool or beach day.

[Alexander Ballantyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The big, glaring error with this novel, is that it pays very little attention to the way in which one of the characters has been traumatised to the point of mental illness, by federation policies. There is so much milage in that idea, yet there is a couple of paragraphs about it.

An oppertunity wasted, but gets a star more than other similar books by including it at all.

[Michael Hanscom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riker’s sent off on a B-plot, so a troublesome first officer is temporarily assigned to the Enterprise in the hopes that Picard can corral this loose cannon. He’s an ass, but is he unstable?

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first steps to develop a great character!


This is a tie-in novel of the numbered books from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” prose novel series.


Captain’s Log:

The USS Enterprise-D is ordered to send First Officer Commander William Riker to an away mission to the planet known as “Paradise” due his familiarity with a scientist family assigned there and that they need assistance with a problem of dangerous animals. This coincides with the ordered posting of Commander Quintin Stone as temporary first officer, since he is a loose cannon, with disrespect to authority and no other starship captain is willing to take him.

Senior Staff:

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Commanding Officer)

Cmdr. Quintin Stone (Temporary First Officer)

Cmdr. William Riker (away on a mission)

Lt. Cmdr. Data (Operations Manager & Second Officer)

Lt. Worf (Chief Security Officer)

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Chief Engineering Officer)

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Chief Medical Officer)

Wesley Crusher (Acting Ensign & Helmsman)



BEFORE MACKENZIE, THERE WAS QUINTIN

I wanted to read this novel since I was curious about the character of Quintin Stone since it’s clear that he was a prototype of the eventual Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of Star Trek: New Frontier, also created by Peter David.

And without a doubt, Quintin Stone was the first draft to the better defined and better developed Mackenzie Calhoun, even both have facial scars!

But, thankfully, Peter David did a better job with Calhoun, since Stone is interesting to read, I like better Calhoun.


FAIR ADVENTURE BUT NOT A GREAT MISSION

The book is a fair reading but nothing too awesome.

You have the Enterprise-D dealing with the reckless personality of Quintin Stone, and even sometimes I feel odd that the crew was so hostile to him keeping saying him in his face how good is Riker and how he would do the things better than Stone. I don’t think that the civilized and respectful crew of The Next Generation would act like that.

The other part of the story is Riker travelling to “Paradise” planet where a scientist family that he knows from his home at Alaska, and discovering that they were experimenting creating wild animals that become a menace to the research lab.

So, it’s well written (Peter David is my favorite Star Trek authot) but in this novel, there isn’t much exciting or epic challenges, resulting in a fair reading but nothing much spectacular.

Still, definitely it’s a relevant book, since it’s obvious that it was key to Peter David to play with the idea of the character and making the right adjustments for making it to work perfectly as Mackenzie Calhoun.

[Farrens · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was very nearly a did not finish. I've been trying to distill exactly what it was about the novel that didn't work for me and I have managed to trim it down to a few points.

First, and most critical for me, is that this presents a more 'gritty' Star Trek universe. This isn't a hopeful future where humanity has solved it's more base problems. Instead the people presented often seem mired in petty feuds. The bridge of the Enterprise feels more like a group of office workers who can barely tolerate each other than the closely knit family of explorers I loved from the show. The Federation is not presented as a force of good in the universe instead coming across as just another government that will compromise its own principles at a drop of a hat. As I come to TNG to experience a hopeful future this all comes as a pretty major let down.

Second the Commander Stone character was grating. The Enterprise crew seem to fawn over him for reasons that escape me. He comes across as a narcissistic jerk with no sense of team spirit. He also shows a startling lack of concern with maintaining personal discipline (despite us being CONSTANTLY told how in control he is) and shows a total lack of respect for the chain of command. His behavior towards Troi was particularly alarming. I found myself counting the incidents that should have seen him busted out of the service for gross insubordination. He also holds the prime directive in complete contempt. Oddly this stems from seemingly the only time in his career he actually observed it. In a situation where (unlike the others seen in this book) his violating the Directive would probably have been excused!

Third and finally when the story was all over it didn't really seem to be about anything. It explored no interesting questions of ethics or philosophy. It didn't present any mind boggling wonder of the universe interesting in its own right. At the end of the book I was still left with no real notion of why Riker was called away from the Enterprise. He didn't seem to actually have anything to do with the review of terraforming operations going on. Frankly I don't even know what they were reviewing. The Enterprises diplomatic mission is equally vacant. A hostage situation resolved in a single chapter by Commander Stone violently disregarding the Prime Directive with no consequence to his career.

This one has left me 0/3 with Peter David's TNG entries. The other two being Strike Zone and Doomsday World with Strike Zone being the best of the lot.

[E.M. Jeanmougin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riker is sent to an alien planet named Paradise to do a survey on a group of terraformers. His position aboard the Enterprise is temporarily filled by Commander Stone. Other key players include Counselor Troi and Captain Picard. Worf, Beverly, Guinan, and Geordi support the cast, while Data, Wesley, and O'Brien make only brief appearances.

The Riker bits are very much a man-vs-wilderness type story, with Riker trying to navigate and survive in a frozen wasteland, while simultaneously attempting to rescue a family of terraformers. To make matters worse, Riker is pursued by the Wild Things -a genetically created species of fierce wolf-like creatures, capable of surviving in the harsh weather conditions of Paradise.

This is a suiting sort of tale for a character like Riker and I kind of found myself wishing that the whole book was just focused on him.

But this is Star Trek after all and tradition dictates that there MUST always be a B-Plot.

Aboard the Enterprise, members of the crew are having difficulty coping with Commander Stone, who they perceive to be somewhat of a maniac. Stone is having trouble coping with the crew, who can't seem to help but compare him to Riker. Soon, Stone becomes drawn to Troi, who is somewhat tempted by the fact that she can't read his emotions. Upon discovering that Troi is still in love with Riker, Stone becomes insanely jealous (or does he? I'm not sure).

The B-plot isn't bad and Stone can be both compelling and entertaining at times. It's a little hard for me to believe that Picard (or Starfleet in general) would put up with some of his bullshit, but it's understandable given the context.

Even at a great distance, Troi can still sense her Imzadi's thoughts and emotions in moments of great panic or terror, a skill that seems to go entirely underutilized in the climax of the story. This does allow for a sort of long-distance romance between Riker and Troi. I liked these parts of the book, but your mileage may vary.

The last few chapters move at a dead run and are sure to keep a reader entertained.

I would recommend this book to people who like monster-of-the-week type episodes or who like survival stories with a touch of sci-fi flare.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a kid! I liked it then and I like it now - and most of that's down to the portrayal of Troi. She kind of got the short end of the stick in a lot of TNG episodes, reduced to stating the obvious much of the time, so I really appreciate that here, David shows her as a highly competent professional, a well-trained and well-regarded psychologist with a challenging case in the form of an officer temporarily seconded to the Enterprise.

That officer, Stone... well, I have mixed feelings about him. I think he's effectively abrasive, and he can certainly out-manoeuvre many of the people around him. While I can often find that appealing in a character, I do think he's a little over the top. He once comments, somewhat snarkily, on questions of style, and I think that's the issue. I want to see an ambiguous officer who is questionably sane, because that is interesting in the context of the well-ordered structure of the Enterprise, but what I am getting is an ambiguous officer who is questionably sane but who I think I'm supposed to see as cool. Even his back story is over the top, and I don't for one minute believe that the Federation would admit as members planets who see no problem torturing children and infants to death for political purposes. Not for one minute, but it's the style isn't it, that insertion of edge for coolness factor. This is something that turns up in another of David's characters, but where Stone is merely over the top, Calhoun - who I admittedly loathe - is full on caricature, albeit come from the same mould. I can't help but think that Stone is an early version, or at least an influence, on what Calhoun turned out to be. (If only any of the New Frontier women were portrayed as well as Troi is here.)

Anyway. Easy, quick, fun read. Troi is excellent, may there be many more stories like this for her in the rest of the tie-in novels.

[Michel Siskoid Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter David is well known for being allowed to play with Star Trek's shiniest toys, but this is a rare book of his that doesn't do that. In a way, it's still a precursor to his Imzadi (exploring Troi and Riker's telepathic relationship) and in Stone, we discover a prototype for MacKenzie Calhoun, star of David's New Frontier series. It's a pretty good read, but despite merging at the end, the fact that there are two stories is a problem. Riker's arctic adventure provides a cast with potential and a way to explore Riker's youth, but it's too slim a monster story for it to accomplish all that much. It feels like the Wild Things should be more of a mystery, and certainly, the terraformers are relatively cagey about some of what they're doing, but as soon as the (well-described) action kicks in, that's all but forgotten, and that potential lies uncracked. The mystery of Quintin Stone also suffers from its relegation to half of a plot. It seemed to me that he wasn't just "dead inside", but had some kind of empathic powers - the way he changed personality depending on who he talked to, and of course, his difficult relationship with both Guinan and Troi - but we're only given a psychological reasoning for his strange attitude, nothing more. Calhoun (who did not exist when the book was first published, obviously) had strange powers, so perhaps the similarities made me think there'd be something like that, but no, I think you get that impression whether you've read New Frontier or not. Regardless, David may have inspired TNG's Chain of Command, with Jellico taking Stone's role, and this makes an interesting companion piece to that exalted two-part episode. It's just that... I always felt like there was more to the story (both stories) the page count couldn't accommodate.

[Discovery One · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rock and a Hard Place by Peter David is a Star Trek: TNG novel that offers a mix of suspense, character development, and emotional depth.

The story centers on Commander Riker, who is sent to a harsh terraforming planet called Paradise, where he must survive both the brutal environment and genetically engineered monsters. Meanwhile, his replacement on the Enterprise, Commander Quintin Stone, is a volatile and unconventional officer whose behavior creates tension and conflict aboard the ship. Stone is portrayed as a complex character, blending cold logic with a darker, more unpredictable edge, which adds intrigue to the narrative. The novel explores themes such as PTSD and personal trauma, particularly through Stone's character, and also delves into the emotional dynamics between Riker and Troi, providing some character growth and emotional exploration.

Peter David's writing is praised for capturing the essence of the Star Trek characters while adding layers of internal thought and personality that are often absent in the TV series. His dialogue and character interactions feel authentic, and the pacing keeps readers engaged, especially with the suspenseful survival story on Paradise. However, some readers feel that certain plot elements, such as Stone's storyline, are not fully resolved, leaving a sense of incompleteness. There are also moments that I found uncomfortable, though they remain within acceptable boundaries.
In summary, this is a solid Star Trek novel with strong character work and suspenseful elements. It is particularly recommended for fans interested in deeper psychological and emotional aspects of the characters, though it may not satisfy those looking for a tightly wrapped plot or a purely optimistic tone.

[Reesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed both plots of this novel, though the Riker-centric one taking place on a planet was less interesting to me than what was going on aboard Enterprise.

The original character, Commander Stone, was a fascinating fellow, someone I wouldn't mind seeing return in a future novel. It was extremely engaging watching him act outside of the Starfleet standard, wondering what he'd do next and what was going on in his head.

Particularly welcome from the planet-side plot was Riker's limiting interactions with a teenager who took an inappropriate romantic interest in him. Riker so often comes across as a total sleaze, both on screen and on the page, that putting him a situation where his maturity was finally in the spotlight instead of his libido was a real breath of fresh air. I could do with more of that in future novels.

About halfway through the novel, there was a very uncomfortable and out of character moment from Picard during a conversation with Troi that made my skin crawl and briefly threw me out of the story. There were a few other small moments that gave me pause, as well - mainly POVs that started to lose some of their individuality - but nothing so stark as that one.

But overall, each page was an easy read, and I really appreciated and enjoyed the author's writing style. A solid 4 stars for this one from me.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter David makes it look easy with a surprisingly slight tale about one Commander Stone, who replaces Riker as No.1 for a few weeks after Starfleet inform Picard that Stone can't work with other Captain's despite doing literally everything by the book. It sounds weird but it's an ingenious setup, a wonderful twist on the outsider crew coming aboard, usually a stereotypical bullyboy character drafted in to make Picard or Riker's life hell and cause a bit of extra tension as a B-plot, but here Stone makes Picard's life hell by ... well, even as reader one can't quite put one's finger on it and it would be telling to say any more. In usual David style it's riproaringly funny, although this time the humour is in the frustration more than the one-liners (although there's a great recurring poker game situation with O'Brien). Characters are superbly written, the pacing is wonderful, there's just enough on and off starship antics (a Riker sideplot of course sees him meet an old friend and delves into his past as a Lothario), with the story knowing when to pick up on one story or the other to keep things moving - it knows it's an easy read and it also knows you're not gonna want to put it down and the final revelations are swift but exquisite, a very Asimov like deconstruction of how the Starfleet universe might or might not work.

[Janssen Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter David Star Trek novels are my favorite. I have many more to read and I’m enjoying the journey.

This one is very entertaining, and flexes many of the author’s strengths. He really excels at character, every familiar crewman has appropriate personality, and his new characters for this plot leave an impression. They have human perspectives on the Enterprise, Starfleet, the whole setting. Commander Riker, who must be David’s favorite, is thrown into gritty, dangerous situations where his willpower and personality can impress the reader.

While Riker fights for survival and meditates on what’s important; a new, stone-cold commander character took his place and held my attention. I like how despite his calm, controlling mannerisms, he has a powder-keg personality that makes his sanity questionable. But I hated how often Counselor Troi (romantically torn between Commanders) repetitively questioned Stone’s stability, or that he won’t straight up kill Riker. An extra minus star for sloppy ending. Why does Stone stay on Paradise? It has cannibal monsters who understand him??

Overall good book. I only drifted off as my mind scanned the text occasionally. I would, however, rank it weaker than most of David’s TNG novels like Imzadi 1, Strike Zone, Vendetta, and all the Q-related ones.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog, Shared Universe Reviews.

This is the second Star Trek book Peter David’s ever written and it’s the second one I’ve ever read. It was good but not as good as the first outing. I have to say I’m glad this wasn’t the first Peter David Star Trek novel I’ve read because I might not have read another one so soon. There is a lot to like about this book and one of them was to see how Pater David is getting comfortable writing about the crew of the Enterprise D. He writes good dialogue and his characters are true to their portrayals on the TV series but there’s a bit extra. The extra is that we get to be inside of their heads and most, not all, of it rings true. It’s very interesting to get more depth of characterization in the novels than in many of the television episodes.

The story of A Rock and a Hard Place is pretty simple. Starfleet Command has ordered that Riker be sent to planet Paradise, a terraforming planet. In his absence, he will be replaced by Commander Quintin Stone who is being placed on Picard’s ship because he’s proved to be an extremely difficult officer to discipline. Stone’s stay on the Enterprise results in high emotions and much conflict while down on Paradise, Riker is also experiencing some troubles where he has to survive in a harsh environment as well as defend himself against genetically engineered monsters.

The best thing about this book is David’s writing on the characters and, strangely enough, that’s also where David fails. I was sad that Worf wasn’t at the centre of this story like he was in Strike Zone but he does have some nice moments. David writes him so well. One of my favourite moments of his happens about halfway through the book. Worf and Deanna have a pretty big disagreement and their discussion which begins as a confrontation ends in renewed and strengthened friendship. It’s a joy to read and it shows just how good a grasps David has on these characters. This story took place sometime during the second season of TNG and this scene between Worf and Deanna shows some nice foreshadowing for their relationship, even if it’s unlikely those actual plans were laid out. The scenes works just as well without the knowledge of what’s to come for the characters later in the show.

Unfortunately, not all the characters are nearly as interesting as Worf or written as well. Commander Stone is a frustrating character. He’s such an ass! He has so much potential as a Starfleet officer but his disdain for all around him and his disregard for authority and regulations make him impossible to work with. I disliked him so much that I just wanted to scream during some parts of the book. I completely object to his behaviour and the intentional mistreatment of the crew. The book doesn’t work because of Stone. Not only was he frustrating as a character, but the way the crew of the Enterprise dealt with him was equally frustrating. The guy has serious issues and the author’s explanation as to why Stone is like he is rings as hollow as his ending to Strike Zone. If Stone is psychologically scarred by the events that took place on Ianni, how has it not been noticed during his psychiatric evaluations? What about the rest of the crew that was also present at the same event? Why are they fine? It’s hard for me to believe that there was no psychological precedent that resulted in Stone being more susceptible to the horrors he faced compared to the rest of Starfleet.

Stone also serves another purpose. Part of this book contains David’s criticism of the Prime Directive. Sometimes you simply can’t justify non-interference and David clearly wanted to voice that in this novel. The problem is that he uses a mentally unstable character to voice that message. It’s also difficult to accept a message when it comes from the mouth of an infuriating and dangerous asshole of a man like Commander Stone. He’s not even a real person and I’m angry at him!

What’s great about having multiple people work on one series is that different writers will better explain certain elements of the series. In this particular Star Trek novel Peter David explains a staple of life on the Enterprise in a way I’ve never understood it before: the communicators. I’ve seen the communicators be used in every single The Next Generation episode but David gives it a different perspective in A Rock and a Hard Place that made it revelatory. The communicator badges are on the uniforms of every member of Starfleet. They’re the ultimate communication device on board. They allow any member of the crew to talk to any other instantly. Yes, it’s basically just a little walkie-talkie by what does its presence on everybody’s uniform signify? Starfleet isn’t a democracy but if the Captain of a vessel wanted to hear the opinions of any of his crew, the communicators can create a forum for discussion and sharing of ideas. More important, it allows for easy communication on an extremely large ship and it has been particularly useful in difficult and dangerous situations. It’s something we’ve seen countless times on the show but I’ve never seen it described in that way.

There are a lot of things that do not work with this book but a few things do. Just like in Strike Zone, Peter David has a good grasp of the characters. Perhaps surprisingly is how good of a grasp his has on the female characters. Deanna Troi, though frustrating with her interactions with Stone, is well written. The same goes for Doctor Crusher. The best female character in the book has to be Stephie. She is the daughter of two childhood friends of Commander Riker. There are some surprisingly good dialogue and insight into the mind of a teenaged girl. I know that Peter David has daughters of his own and maybe it’s because of them that he writes Stephie so well. I’m not sure how old David’s daughters were at the time he wrote this book, but Stephie’s character is spot on. A Rock and a Hard Place isn’t my favourite Star Trek novel but there’s enough here to please, and infuriate, any fan of the franchise.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Commander Riker is sent on temporary assignment to the planet Paradise, a frozen hell of a world being subjected to terraforming, but there's been some problems. Commander Stone is taken on the Enterprise as Riker's replacement, also temporary. But there's something dangerously off about the new commander, just like something is dangerously wrong in Paradise...

Why I picked it up: I'm a Commander Riker fangirl, and when I flipped through it, the writing seemed like it could engage my attention.

Thoughts: This book is a good solid Star Trek story. Kinda wish it could be made into a movie. All the established TNG characters acted according to their cannon behavior, and the "newcomers" had their individual quirks and eccentricities... and Stone had his psychosis. Or did he? That's the grand question of the entire book, "What the f*** is up with Stone?" Only Troi really gets close to the answer, maybe understand most of it, but not quite, which is true to life, so I'm okay with it.
Stone really is a work of character development art. Well done, Mr. David.

I'm debating keeping it. I'm glad I read it, but will I read it again? Not sure.

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