The Sky's the Limit

Star Trek: The Next Generation

by Marco Palmieri (Editor)

Taking its title from the final words spoken by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the series finale, The Sky's the Limit is a collection of brand new original stories spanning and celebrating the entire twenty-year history of the most popular and successful Trek series of all. Stories by a variety of authors -- some old favourites, some new -- set during the events of the television series give the authentic feel of a newly discovered 'missing season' of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Contributors include Christopher L. Bennett, Greg Cox, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Bob Ingersoll & Thomas F. Zahler, David A. McIntee, Scott Pearson, Michael Schuster & Steve Mollmann, Susan Shwartz, Amy Sisson, James Swallow, Geoff Trowbridge, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, Richard C. White.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Star Trek The Next Generation, Fiction, Ebooks, Anthologies

392 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many instances where the TV series left viewers hanging. These short stories answer some of the questions raised and round out otherwise flat characters. I especially wanted to read about when Picard took Admiral Jarok's ("The Defector") suicide note to his wife and daughter. And it was great to get some background on Stefan DeSeve from "Face of the Enemy."

Now I'm exploring to see what other goodies are waiting in this book.

[SamB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really strong collection, there's not a dud among them. I find it hard to pick out highlights, because everything here is good, but I particularly enjoyed "Meet with Triumph and Disaster", featuring the Enterprise's original captain, Thomas Halloway, along with its companion piece "Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You", and "Suicide Note", in which Picard visits Romulus to keep his promise from 'The Defector'.

[Nicky2910 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Sky's the Limit by various This is an anthology of stories set within the various seasons of TNG and the movies. Overall a good reading experience, even if the quality of the stories differs. I read the framing stories, Meet with Triumph and Disaster/Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt by Schuster & Mollmann, as one story - I didn't quite know what to make of the first story until I read the conclusion, got the hint about Tapestry and of course Wolf 359. It's still not one of my favourite stories but it ultimately worked well enough for me. Acts of Compassion by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore is a good story, but unfortunately not the extraordinary one I'd have liked to read. Maybe it was just too straightforward, no twists in loyalties, no surprises... but it was nice to "see" Tasha once again. Redshift by Richard C. White is an average story - the downside is that Pulaski's mannerisms were a bit over the top for my taste. At least she got some slap on the wrist until, of course, her ideas about the drills save the day... but throughout season 2 she was the odd one out, she just didn't fit in - and this story does nothing to remedy or explain that fact. Among the Clouds by Scott Pearson absolutely reminded me of the Temeraire books, the living ships, the aerial battles - a very interesting premise, superbly executed, a definitely fitting contribution to a TNG-anthology. Thinking of You by Greg Cox... Well, at first I thought "Urgh, Lwaxana *and* Barclay?!?" I never cared too much for either character but Cox managed to play on all the eccentricities of both characters, the duo just works, and add Ro to the mix - and set the whole thing on a holodeck with frogs as opponents, lots of bugs etc, stir well and you get a real page turner. Definitely one of my favourites here. I also enjoyed Turncoats (by Susan Schwartz) quite much although I have to admit that I quite forgot all the Romulan characters Schwartz and Sherman introduced in their Vulcan's XY books (and I so far haven't even read the Vulcan's Soul trilogy) - so I liked the follow-up to "Face of the Enemy" which is my favourite Troi episode, but I couldn't appreciate all the nods to her created miniverse, something I'll remedy once I had the time to read Vulcan's Soul. Ordinary Days by James Swallow: I admit to once upon a time watching TNG also because of Wesley - granted, he was badly written, but then I could simply relate to him in a way I couldn't to any of the other characters. Of course, that changed when I grew older and I always hoped to see more of him in the light of "First Duty"... trying to fit in, getting into the wrong group, peer pressure etc. So I very much appreciated this little glimpse into an alternative universe where he's not the genius who lives up to his promise, but rather someone who desperately tries to fit in, to be ordinary, to find his way on a path that's not so clearly defined and makes some poor choices. While the setting intrigued me, I have to agree with Trent that this story ultimately missed the opportunity to actually show the impact of Wesley's decisions. Perhaps the focus shouldn't have been so much on Wesley himself, but on the crew dealing with his choices, questioning themselves perhaps why Wesley made his choices of leaving everything behind, and why Picard and Data die (just because Wesley wasn't there doesn't mean no one else is brilliant enough to come up with ideas that work after all)... I'd have loved to see an Enterprise where Wesley isn't expected to live up to promises of geniality but allowed to be an ordinary adolescent without being forced in a certain direction. One doesn't exclude the other, after all. That's what I, now as a grown-up, criticize most about his treatment in TNG and to a lesser degree in this story. There has to be some sort of middle way between the boy-genius and the rebellious/ostracized Wesley of this story. And I also agree that the ending seemed a bit abrupt, though I really enjoyed reading the way the Traveler influenced Wesley's life up till Dorvan. All the criticism aside, I actually liked "Ordinary Days" quite much... and given the restraints of 30 pages it tells an interesting and gripping story. But I think the premise would have warranted a story of the likes of Myriad Universes. 'Twould ring the Bells of Heaven by Amy Sisson was a bit too predictable a story to me. I thought it obvious that those rings were a lifeform. Troi's angsting didn't quite grip me but at least I wasn't annoyed by it, either - though some of her decisions were a bit too random to actually make sense at the time she made them. And Data's monologue/PoV was a bit too reminiscent of Geordi's of just a few stories before. Usually, Christopher L. Bennett's writing style doesn't really agree with me - but Friends with the Sparrows was a phenomenal exception. I loved going back to the Tamarans and their language, the use of Data and his emotion chip - and the way some still see him more as a tool than a sentient being... Well, there's nothing to criticize about this story at all. Along with "Thinking of You" definitely the highlight of this anthology. Suicide Note by Geoff Trowbridge worked well enough for me - but like "Turncoats" I guess I'll appreciate it even more once I've rewatched the relevant TNG-episode. Four Lights by Keith R. A. DeCandido is a bit the opposite to "Friends with the Sparrows", a story that I was very much looking forward to, but that then didn't quite work for me as well as I had hoped for - perhaps it's the "stylistic quibble"... I'm not fond of a 1st person PoV, neither of present tense used in stories which both distracted me a bit too much of the confrontation between Picard and Madred. Oh, I absolutely loved Madred's mind games, and Picard's obsession but somehow I'd have wished for - well, more of a defeat of Madred's at the hand of Picard, not just Picard's common sense once again reasserting itself. Of course, rationally I realize that Picard practically had no other choice than to step back from the interrogation in order not to lose himself once again, and recognizing that was Picard's victory - but it did feel as though Madred's won again... Ultimately that ambivalence came across in a very poignant manner, but still I found that this story somehow lacked KRAD's usually easy style that just sucks one into the story and doesn't let up till the finish. 'Til Death by Bob Ingersoll & Thomas F. Zahler... well, the picture of Riker running around with a gaping hole in his chest has some merit, but somehow it reminded me a bit too much of Spock missing his brain. But I, too, loved Riker's final message and the way he ultimately defeated his opponent. I have to admit that Riker's not my favourite character, he's too much overshadowed by Picard and, especially in the movies, Data - but I always loved his ability to think beyond the obvious and to turn disadvantages into advantages... as he does here. And kudos to the writers for not going down the most obvious road and pair him up with Deanna on this mission but with Crusher. And so, a story that I had lost all hope for right at the beginning turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I enjoyed On the Spot by David A. McIntee quite a bit - definitely not because of the little plot to destroy the Enterprise, but... well, it's a simple story, set in the aftermath of Data's death, and it actually deals with this aftermath. Worf lost a friend (and 2 others with Riker and Troi's transfer), he's suddenly dealing with a job that he never wanted... and then there's Spot, a cat that finds itself on loose ends. Both, Spot and Worf are creatures of habit - and both find themselves in new situations and don't quite know how to deal with that. Spot's, of course, only the focal point, the real development's with Worf - and I have to say that I definitely find this development credible and well told. ~~
 
review originally written in 2009

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed quality

I read this book for task #9 in the #ReadHarder Challenge for 2019: a book with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads. It had been on my TBR list for a while because two of the stories follow on from my two favourite episodes, Darmok and Chain of Command. The story based on Darmok expands on the concept of the Tamarian language and culture in interesting ways, although the writing is a little clunky in places. The Chain of Command story is less original, but better written. That more or less sums up the anthology: almost all the stories have their good points, but also their flaws. The one that comes closest to perfection is a cute, but also imaginative story about what happens when Worf is entrusted with Data's cat.

[Arthur B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent collection of short stories; you will benefit significantly if you're familiar with the TV show, especially since some stories are sequels to specific episodes, but it doesn't require any deep knowledge of Pocket Books' expansive range of tie-in novels, making it a decent pick if you're a Next Generation fan who wants to dip into Pocket Books' offerings without committing to taking a deep plunge. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating 4
Individual stories rated between 3 & 4

I enjoyed this collection more than I expected tbh.
There were no real duds for me, a couple that were okay but the majority were better than that.
A very good collection overall to celebrate 20 years of sttng, wonder if something will be published for the 40th.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Enjoyed This Book

I enjoyed all the stories. It was time well spent. Star Trek has always been part of my life. The crew members have been and always will be my family and friends.

[Robert W. Walthers Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of star trek stories

I really enjoyed these stories that occurred through out the seasons of star trek the next generation.
I found the last story to be extremely emotional .
I look forward to reading more like this.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. 14 short stories, some by familiar authors, others new to me. My favorites: Worf being put "On the Spot" and Picard searching for words of wisdom to pass along to Will in "Trust Yourself When All Men Doubt You."

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Good collection of stories that celebrates the entire Next Generation era. A couple sequels to classic episodes as well as tales that served as good connective tissue between the TNG movies. The one with Spot and Worf was hilarious.

[Preston Pendergraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty good.

[Richard Archambault · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any anthology, some stories were a little less good than the others, but overall this was a very enjoyable read, and I definitely recommend it for any TNG fan.

[Dusty Huntley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual approach

This book was filled with multiple short stories. Not sure if I was a big fan of if. Each one was unique but just didn't feel cohesive.

[Gerard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't like the stories, not much else to say.

[Nabil Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Brilliant and Enchanting!!

These Star Trek The Next Generation short stories are simply wonderful and endearing to read. The short stories are snappy and poignant. They proved to be a fabulous collection of feats and such like. The collection was equally good as a normal standalone novel and is highly recommended. The collection was brimming with Sci Fi wonder and was awesome. It was well worth the price that I paid for this.

[Vladimir Ghinculov · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anniversary collection for the Next Generation TV show. The stories in it are a varied bunch in quality, some better, some worse. They take you through the whole history of TNG, even beginning before Encounter at Starpoint. We meet even little used characters, like Taurik, Ro or Barclay.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original Star Trek struggled in ratings, especially after being shifted to a late-evening slot of doom in its third season, and was canceled prematurely in 1969. It proved to be rather more difficult to kill than that, however, flourishing in syndication and leading to persistent demands for a return, or at least a movie. Surprisingly, The Motion Picture didn’t smother interest in more, and in the 1980s Star Trek and the Enterprise returned with a new show. Although it struggled in the beginning, hindered by manskirts and characters who weren’t quite sure who they were, it would be The Next Generation that built the behemoth that was late-90s Star Trek. Surely its 20th anniversary was worth celebrating!

The Sky’s the Limit brings more to the table than Constellations, spanning the entire TNG run from before its first season until after Nemesis, when Picard is struggling with the question of what advice he might give to Captain Riker, now leaving the Enterprise for his own command. As with Constellations, there are a variety of authors and genres,and most of the characters have their moment in the spotlight, even more minor ones like Barclay and Tasha Yar. Unlike Constellations, here stories are closely mapped to episodes and movies; the Barcley story, for instance, happens while the Enterprise is off doing something else, leaving him and Ro Laren to assist Lwaxana Troi (Hazard pay, anyone?). Another story is a direct sequel to “Darmok”, as the Enterprise continues to establish a means of reliable communication with a people who seem to speak only in literary references. That one goes into the complexities of language-building and is penned by Christopher L. Bennett, who contributed to all four anniversary anthologies. The collection is replete with fascinating stories, like one that puts Riker on his death bed, or another that follows Wesley in an alternate history where he tried to avoid his destiny — not to mention Picard’s Dominion War encounter with Gul Madred, the sinister figure so expertly played by David Warner.

[Jimyanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half star, really. Better than mediocre, but not really as good as I generally expect from a four-star book. This is a collection of Next Generation short stories, which is not really a format I care for; still 13 of the 14 stories were at least okay, and some were quite good. The exception was the last story, which was a pretty dull introspective on Picard's mindset after the costly victory over Shinzon in "Star Trek: Nemesis". In that story, nothing much happens at all other than Picard sitting in his ready room writing a "congratulations on making Captain" letter to Riker. Seriously; that's the big excitement.

Oh, and the excerpt from Tokyopop's Star Trek Manga saga was about as bad as you might expect; terrible writing telling a trite (Dr. McCoy saves the day much to the chagrin of not-really as-logical-as-you-might-expect Vulcans) story, illustrated by terrible artwork in which the characters are almost completely unrecognizable.

[Luca Mauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good thing about Star Trek novel is that the paper medium allows writer more space, more time and more resources to tell a story than a costly TV production.
This book is a collection of short stories about TNG characters: that fact already wastes the strongest point of any books. Beside this, all stories appears just drafts of possible stories to be developed. Everything is rushed and approximate. The most part of the stories are plain bad, the others are too short to be of any interest. Probably the only worthy story is the very last one: it is intriguing and it is fit for the short space.

[Darkpool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 stars, but I don't do half stars...
Only picked this up because I've 'met' one of the authors online, and was feeling stalkerish curious. And of course I was a big TNG fan back in the day. It was really pleasant to reacquaint myself with what felt like a bunch of old friends. I didn't read all the stories in the anthology, skipping any that didn't engage my interest sufficiently within the first page or 2. I think in the end I read all but about 3 of them. A most enjoyable little collection.

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories from various time periods in the history of ST-TNG, with quite a few focusing on the era around the final film. There are some very interesting narratives and visions here, and it's definitely worth the time of any Trek fan to read this one. My personal favorites are the one that takes a different view on the ultimate resolution of the episode "Journey's End" and the tale of Worf learning to take care of Date's cat Spot, which is told from both their point of views.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Talk about a stupendous collection of short stories that fill in the gaps between seasons and movies in the Star Trek TNG universe. If you are a fan of the TV series and movies, this book is a great supplement to expand the depth of the Star Trek TNG world. (Of course I recommend all of the Star Trek TNG books, but THAT's a lot of reading!)

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first try reading a Star Trek short story collection. I can't believe how much I enjoyed it. I have read some st novels over the years and was never very impressed. I think the universe really lends itself to short story form (or maybe it's just that I already know the characters) but I will definitely be reading more of these in the future.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A selection of short stories based on the Next Gen. They start at before the beginning, and end just before Riker goes off to Titan. I particularly liked the Barclay story and the Four Lights. Yes, Picard remeets his torturer. A good read.

[Brent Knorr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nice collection of short stories, including one that is partially from the point of view of Spot (Data's cat)

[Laura Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories were "Acts of Compassion", "Redshift", "Among the Clouds" and "Thinking of You".