Sins of Commission

Star Trek: The Next Generation #29

by Susan Wright

While on a mission to save the planet Lessenar from environmental collapse, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise becomes entangled in a web of treachery and murder.

When a member of a strange, emotion-casting race is killed on board the ship, all evidence points to Lieutenant Worf and one of his oldest friends.

Soon the crew of the Starship Enterprise is crippled by an emotional onslaught as the surviving aliens respond in anger and pain to the death of their comrade.

Worf must overcome this alien influence and find the true killer with the destruction of the Starship Enterprise, the survival of Lessenar, and his Klingon honor hanging in the balance.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek The Next Generation, Fiction, Ebooks, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

277 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

See also S.L. Wright

Susan Wright (aka S.L. Wright) is a USA Today Bestselling author of more than two dozen novels and nonfiction books. She writes New Adult Contemporary Romance novels, as well as Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Star Trek novels, and has been published by Pocket Books, Penguin Group, St. Martin’s Press and Kensington.

Reviews

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

I wasn't a big fan of this one.

EDIT: I actually enjoyed this one the second time around; maybe I blew through it too quickly the first time.

[Reesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and easy to read novel that lends itself well to a single sitting.

The unusual new species were just fascinating. I could happily have spent a lot more time getting to know them.

The issue on the planet was kept mainly in the background, which was for the best as it was a bit on the nose ("Lesson... arians"? Oy.), while the main story on the ship was unique and engaging.

I could recommend this as a good example of Star Trek novels of the time. 3.75 stars.

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, which is set somwhere after the episode 'Cost of Living', offers character exploration at it's best by putting the characters under telepathic influence, making it possible for the deepest aspects of their psyche to surface.

One of the effects is that the Enterprise crew isn't a one big happy family anymore, but is facing a situation where all the family members don't necessarily get along. This is done with great expertise and without compromising the substance of the characters one bit

Wright also does a wonderful job in promoting characters left with too little attantion in the series. Deanna and Worf are slightly more prominent characters than the rest, and especially Deanna is portrayed extremely well. Worf also gets some memorable scenes. This novel boils down as a battle between openminded and conservative views as portrayed by the intellectual Counselor Troi and the 'primal' Liutennant Worf, and does this with respect toward both of their characters.

"Sins of Commission" explores many of the main characters of TNG and does so with insight and confidence. The plot though, while intriguing, isn't quite as good as it might have been.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well can't say it wasn't frustrating seeing the crew of the Enterprise delve too deep into one emotion and stay stuck on that. It seemed more like a Deep Space Nine story with everything being such a mess while they try to figure things out. Am I wrong in thinking that I thought Deanna could not read Ferengi because she does a few times in this book and certain plotlines and characters seemed to be all over the place. I enjoyed Simon Tarses inclusion in this book as it is always neat seeing where the writes takes these secondary characters and seeing how Tarses was after The Drumhead. I liked it but it was nothing overly great.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a mission to help a world that's destroying itself due to pollution, the Enterprise rescues a tourist ship that's suffered an explosion. The captain aboard the ship is a friend of Worf's parents. He can't understand why the explosion occurred, though it might be due to the Sli, one of whom was killed in the disaster. This mysterious alien race, which the universal translator cannot be used upon, manipulates (intentionally?) the emotions of the crew, causing chaos on the ship. Adding to the ship's troubles is the Sli's agent, a Ferengi.

This was a story that spent a lot--a lot--of time with emotions running loose with the crew. Naturally Data is spared, as is Guinan, but there are plenty of outbursts, especially from Geordi and Worf. Troi plays a major role in trying to temper these flares, but she is having issues as well. I wasn't thrilled with these emotional diatribes. This made the book come off as a budget saving episode as over 90% of the book is set on the Enterprise. The initial danger of the planet in ecological danger is pushed aside in favor of the emotions run rampant storyline and addressed as an afterthought in the final two chapters.

There are some interesting possibilities with Worf realizing something about Alexander and a crew member from the episode "The Drumhead" getting some major exposure, but there just wasn't enough to keep me happy. And if you'll blink you'll miss Ro.

This is just not a Trek novel I'll remember in a few weeks.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much going on, that the author dropped several stories without the endings that would have made sense. Lots of characters are explored - but not Riker, and he does not belong on the cover at all! He did almost nothing, and we have no idea if the aliens' emanations affected him. And, btw, how sapient are the aliens? Still have no idea.

Worst sin, though, is that I never felt the effects that the characters felt. I never identified with them, or empathized. The exploration was more, erm, the word that comes to mind is 'clinical.'

Oh, and the polluted planet plot? I can't find a single reason it was included.

Not a horrible entry in the series, but some good ideas just wasted.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plots of TNG novels can be very sedate; combine that with the early novels' ability to miss the mark on the main characters, the end result can be disappointing. Not so with this novel, which manages to fashion an interesting alien mystery & and demonstrate an enormous amount of excellent character work. In fact, apart from a few mistakes with names and ranks, this novel manages to capture the season five TNG crew exceptionally well, particularly Guinan (which is someone few authors manage to capture accurately). A delightful and satisfying surprise from the TNG back catalog.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic Trek in the sense that the whole story takes place on the ship, however, my feeling is that novels offer more opportunity that TV sets limit. I don't mind a character study, but I was honestly confused a lot of the time. It was not clear to me what emotions our favourites characters were displaying that was different from their usual character. I'm not sure if the idea was to be subtle, but I just found it unclear. Not one of my favourites.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m trying to read all the core Star Trek novels meaning no mirror universe etc. that alone will likely take me the rest of my life and I read fast. I generally really like the tng novels despite being a bigger tos fan. This one was meh. Very perfunctory. I did enjoy that it featured simon tarses an interesting character from one of my favorite episodes the drum head

[Aaron Krell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked: Now what I liked about this, is that this was both a sci-fi and mystery book. Trying to figure out who committed murder on a cruise liner type starship.

What I didn't like: What I didn't like was that the species that was murdered, have a way of manipulating emotions. Making it difficult for the crew to solve the murder.

[Lachlan Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid entry for TNG fans only.

Fans will like:
- Well written main characters
- Features Ensign Ro (although she disappears from the plot half way through the narrative), Simon Tarses and Guinan.
- Well written Ferengi characters
- interesting non-biped species

Cons:
- Not sure why it's called Sins of Commission?
- Riker and Worf are on the cover but it's more of a Troi story.

[Anthony Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long drawn out storyline. Took 180 something pages to implicate someone (Worf) of the murder. Disjointed plot about the Lessenarian situation that was finally told on the last couple pages of the final chapter. Very dull read.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? Felt like an episode of Star Trek.

[Doreen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tad boring...

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading as soon as I encountered the character who talks in poorly rendered hillbilly slang. Whoo doggies why come that there author couldn't figger out that's offensive as shit yeehaw?

[Grace Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/1

[Richard Sampson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story, featuring a few interesting characters.

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Star Trek television shows had a tendency to repeat similar themes and fall into cliché. Surprisingly, this did not happen as often in the books, mostly due to the novelists not having the budget restrictions on their imagination. It is strange then that in Susan Wright’s ‘Sins of Commission’, she is able to use her imagination, but also falls into deep Star Trekian cliché – how can we hold onto these emotions?

The book revolves around two missions that the crew of the Enterprise find themselves having to balance. Initially they set off to help a planet that has destroyed its atmosphere due to poor management, but once there they stumble across a leisure ship that has been bombed. On the ship are strange aliens that Star Fleet wish to know more about – are these jellyfish like creatures truly sentient? The start of the book is very good as Picard and co. try to juggle several things happening at once. You get a sense of what it must feel like to be on a very busy Starship, but this course does not continue.

As the book progresses the plight of the starving millions on the planet is pushed to one side in favour of the tired story of the crew having their emotions manipulated by the new jellyfish type aliens. Reading about Worf’s anger or Troy’s passion is not that interesting to me. Riker is the only sane person in the book as he is worried about the MILLIONS of people dying and not the four jelly aliens. I don’t believe for an instant that Picard would allow a catastrophe to happen just because of some mild upset amongst his crew members. Wright completely undermines the book by introducing a society on the brink of death and then ignoring them. Without this element, the book’s emotional elements would not have been effected at all and the reader would not be left feeling dumbfounded by the lack of compassion from the crew.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've said this time and time and time again when dealing with licensed books because I know they are never going to be literary masterpieces. All I go in hoping for is that they are at least be something that would make a good episode or movie and this one just isn't.

I don't know who is to blame for this one being so godawful. On the one hand, Wright violates the show not tell rule a zillion times over. On top of that there are scenes with repetitive dialogue/narration or things that happen two or three times in different locations. it gave me flashbacks to watching Tom Wiseau's masterpiece 'The Room'.

On the other hand, the book was trying to be a suspense/murder mystery in a Star Trek book written during the era where The Richard Arnold Directives were still in effect. Which means that it is a murder 'mystery' with only one suspect. No canon character can do anything wrong or be critically injured long term or die. So there are no stakes and thus no suspense.

On top of that there are lots of little subplots that either wrap up via dues ex machinia or they don't bother really wrapping up at all.

On top of that there are quite a few blatant continuity errors. Barclay is a Lieutenant not an Ensign. To make matters worse they keep bring up Barclay and then forget to put him in the book. Considering the book deals with aliens empathically exaggerating repressed emotions this is the type of story that would have been almost tailor made for him.
The terms Ferengi Alliance and Consortia are used. Ferengi Alliance is correct.
Weirdest of all... the book takes both one year after The Drumhead (thus midway through season five) but at the same time AFTER O'Brien left the Enterprise (meaning mid to late Season Six).
These things are just as easy to get right as they are to get wrong.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Star Trek. And Doctor Who. But that's it, no other sci fi TV or fantasy book series. So when I found a second hand bookshop with two shelves of Star Trek novels in Wellington I thought I was in heaven! I bought 4 and brought them home and they sat in my bookcase, and I admired them and saved them up for a rainy, Book less day.

And then my husband came home with 20 Star Trek novels he'd found at a giant book sale. And suddenly it was an embarrassment of riches. There were too many Star Trek novels! I felt like King Midas :(

So now there are nineteen novels waiting for the rainy day, as I read Sins of Commission. A polluted planet with uncaring rulers, a cruise liner suspiciously damaged and a cargo hold full of emotion interfering aliens. This takes place in the time when Worf has Alexander with him, and is struggling with his relationship with his son.

I found the solutions to the mysteries a bit confusing (the damaged cruise liner, how to communicate with the aliens) but it was nice to visit with the Enterprise crew again. The characters felt true to the tv series), even that essential character the Prime Directive pops in for a visit :)

[Andrew Beet]

This was a good novel not brilliant. I liked that an alien race like the sli can project their emotions onto people that was a great plot point. The author captured the characters perfectly it was good to see her bring back the character of simon tarses who was seen in the brilliant episode in season 4 the drumhead one little bit of criticism you see the character of reg Barclay at the beginning of the novel and then that's it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a suprisingly good story that is well written and all the characters act how they should. A team based novel where the crew are supposed to save a planet from itself. Only problem is when a cruise ship brings some unusual life forms near the enterprise. There's enough plot to keep anyone interested, and it feels like an episode. A very good read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read! I finished it in an afternoon. In particular, I really liked the opening scene where Picard goes to Cyrano de Bergerac's theatre on the holodeck. That's one of my favorite plays, so I appreciated the homage. It was also nice to see Simon Tarses come to terms with his Romulan ancestry. I'm definitely going to check out her other books!

[Adam]

This might be the most average possible Star Trek novel. It features Worf, some Ferengi, Troi, and some bio-luminescent space squids who both project their emotions onto others and somehow force others to confront their emotions in uncomfortable ways. It was just OK.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical TNG book, nothing overly special about it, I didn't care much for the Sli, they just didn't appeal to me. The story was compelling at times and overall, an enjoyable book.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

It dragged on way too long. I didn't care for the Sli and kind thought Worf was right, just kill them and be done with it. Oh yeah, Troi was boring.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun. As ever some quirky characterisation, but would have been a top notch episode I think