If you miss the re-runs of the original Star Trek series
Beyond Tomorrow
by Alan David
Endeavour Press
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date: February 19, 2016
Review
On a technical level, Beyond Tomorrow is skillfully written. What it lacks, however, is emotion and the ability to draw the reader in on a visceral level. I didn’t connect with Captain Jex Bowen. I didn’t feel any danger from the unknown or the alien threat.
The novel read much like an episode of the original Star Trek series. The tagline (To Boldly Go) and the beginning of the description (The Final Frontier) openly echo the intro credits. The Captain in his new and untested ship are on a mission to test/explore and discover information about an alien threat. The aliens materialize onboard and attempt mind control. The captain of course does not succumb fully. Like Captain Kirk, he even gets into a physical fight with one, which he of course wins. Meanwhile the chief engineer, like Scotty, has to pull miracles out of his hat to keep the ship from going to pieces.
Unfortunately there was not much in the plot to significantly differentiate it. The story also felt somewhat incomplete. There was no resolution to the situation with the aliens, and little new information was discovered. The only revelation at the end is that they were gone a “lot” longer than expected.
Alan David has potential as a writer. It is possible that the next book in the series will be more innovative as Jex and his crew have to deal with the time differential. I don’t know. As it is, however, I wouldn’t recommend Beyond Tomorrow unless you are a die hard fan of the original Star Trek.
3/5
I received a copy of Beyond Tomorrow from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Description
The Final Frontier…
Captain Jex Bowen is a veteran space ship test pilot coming to the end of an illustrious career. About to retire to get married to his beloved Mary, Bowen is ready to put an end to his adventurous life.
But that will have to wait.
His wealth of experience is needed to navigate one last test flight. After twenty years in the making, the first of a new freight of starships is due to go out on trials, and Bowen is the only man for the job.
What are three months, when he has the rest of his retirement to look forward to?
Pleased to be part of a venture with transformative potential in the world of space travel, Bowen is confident that he can handle the mission.
But there was more to it than he first thought, and when Bowen learns the truth it is already too late…
Evidence of an intruder aboard the ship makes the entire crew suspicious, and even the most loyal team members are accused of sabotage. The mystery thickens as potential military enemies and unknown agents enter the fray…
Now mortally threatened by a peculiar and fatal illnesses and a peculiar form of mind control, Captain Bowen is running out of time to overcome an increasingly abnormal advisory.
This trip will prove to be the most dangerous he had ever faced, and when he finally reaches its conclusion, he will realise the true extent of its terrifying consequences…
