Step into Chaos: Quest for Tomorrow #3

Quest for Tomorrow #3

by William Shatner

Jim Endicott is a hero--and he hates it. Using the cybernetic secret weapon encoded in his DNA, he defeated the dreaded Hunzza fleet, but at a terrible cost in lives, both human and alien. Now Jim wants only to live a "normal" life and forget the horrors he witnessed and the heroic destiny he despises. But a new and even more terrible conflict is stirring. Earth's former ally, the Alban Packlord, suspects that humans are about to "Leap"--transcend to another level of existence in a mysterious and cataclysmic process that sweeps away entire star systems, laying waste to vast sectors of the universe. To prevent this cosmic disaster, the Packlord has made a secret alliance with his former enemies, the Hunzza. Their Armada is gathering to wipe out humanity before it can Leap. Meanwhile, the mysterious immortal known as Outsider is determined to stop the slaughter, even if it means luring Jim back into the cyberworld of the Mind Arrays. But where is Jim? Fleeing from his troubled conscience, Endicott has lost himself among the "wire-heads" and outcasts of grim Plebtown. But even here, destiny marks him. When he saves a spirited runaway from a drive-by shooting, he finds himself entangled in a troubling relationship with a girl as amoral as she is irresistible. The outlaw beauty, Char, is not Jim's only problem. The Alban Packlord has sent an assassin to hunt him down, knowing that Endicott, through the Mind Arrays, is the key to human powers--and possibly the dreaded Leap. And the assassin is Jim's friend, Korka! Jim's only hope lies with the mysterious Leaper cultures themselves. What happens to them after they disappear from our universe? Where do they go? To find out, he must hijack the most powerful warship in the Empire, find the charred worlds the Leapers ruined, and make the Leap the step into chaos that will save humankind or turn the universe itself into a graveyard of burned-out stars. In this third Quest for Tomorrow novel, the famed Star Trek veteran and bestselling author continues an action-packed series that is rich with memorable characters and bright with the glow of a legend in the making. Each adventure is complete with a special bibliography to document scientific accuracy, provide educational guidance, and suggest new directions for readers to explore.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 1999

About the author

William Shatner is the author of nine Star Trek novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Ashes of Eden and The Return. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including Get a Life! and I'm Working on That. In addition to his role as Captain James T. Kirk, he stars as Denny Crane in the hit television series from David E. Kelley, Boston Legal -- a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

Reviews

[Bryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry I just couldn’t get into it came across like a movie I watched sometime ago maybe I’ll try another day so at the moment it’s going on my unread shelf

[Gregory Faccone · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have been enjoying the series up to now, you might as well continue with this entry, just do not expect the same level of satisfaction as book one was able to deliver. The Quest for Tomorrow universe is getting bigger, and a bit stranger, but not necessarily in a good way. Of course, every series needs to grow beyond its launch, and for someone as unusually gifted as its protagonist, Jim, that can be a challenge. I admire Shatner's gusto to “boldly go” larger on the plot scale in a big way.

I generally enjoyed this series less as it went along. It was not entirely because the stories grew less strong, but because the series moved farther from the dynamic that so resonated in book one. Jim and his ability to see patterns, his big, unwieldy pistol, and his competent parents. Okay, the parents were killed off in book one, but even so it seems their temperance that could live on in Jim is fading. I enjoy writing a competent mother and father in my series, and I think such things add depth to a protagonist and lift us higher as a culture.

Protagonist Jim, a once a hopeful, naive, talented up-and-comer who felt held back by his immediate circumstances. Sound familiar? It's indeed similar to legendary protagonist Luke Skywalker. Luke grows mightily in the original three movies, but even by Return of the Jedi, still retained some of his boyish charm and farm raised wholesomeness. Jim seems to have lost some of that appeal. He is still fun, and can wield his super-pistol like Luke and his saber, but an intangible element has been lost.

Quest for Tomorrow: Step Into Chaos is not high fiction. Faced with hard choices for the series, this one hits and misses the mark, but is still worth reading for fans.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of William Shatner so I decided to pick up his pre-Star Trek novels that he writes now. This is the third in the series of the Quest for Tomorrow.
This book wasn't as fun as the second entry, but certainly took a huge story turn at the end of this book. I'm still digesting if I like this turn of events, but it was an interesting and unexpected ending for this book. It also does make you think about some important ideas about what is life and how we define it.
These concepts are certainly prescient now that we are in the midst of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Is an AI alive?
That said, I'm interested in seeing where Shatner this story over the next two novels in this series. At this point his possibilities are endless.

[Mark Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting continuation of the Quest For Tomorrow. Jim is at a crossroads getting drunk and feeling lost. The story extends beyond the sol system into further reaches of space. Short book and interesting but I like the second book the best. Not sure if this was originally meant as a trilogy. It feels like it. But the series continues on for two more books.

[Larry Holshu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third of four in the series, I believe. Not as well written. All over the place and really doesn't tie things in will well but still a good book. Just started the fourth book and so far it is back to the same grade as the first 2. Time will tell.

[Joel]

william shatner? I know what you are thinking, but he is actually a very good sci fi writer.