Re-Entry

Long time no blog. I am just flexing my muscles here--preliminary stretching for the marathon ahead.

Since the last entry I went on vacation, my oldest grandchild turned 15, another is now 10 and, sadly, my son and his wife separated.

I have just diddled around for the past month, working in the house, working in the yard, emailing friends and family and just generally celebrating summer.

I vacationed in Utah, which might sound like an odd place to vacation in August, but I was in the mountains where it is cool, not down in the valley where it is generally in the 90's at least every day.

Maybe this is the odd part--while in our time-share condo I watched episode after episode of Startrek Voyager with an extended family grandson--and loved them. (No commercials!) So much so that when I went to my wonderful library and saw a novelized version of Flashback on the paperbacksforgrabs shelf, I grabbed it. I was surprised to find it fairly well written. A "real" novel. The story did become a bit convoluted and repetitious, (those script writers!) but I stuck with it. I would pick up another, for a summer read. (It was perfect for waiting in line, or riding the bus.) I think my having seen about 20 episodes of the original series was an aid to reading that book--I could easily see and hear B'Lanna, Tuvok, Neelix, Kes, Chakotay etc., although Flashback was not one of the episodes I had watched.

What was memorable about the book? I started watching Startrek the Next Generation with the aforementioned grandson when he was only 3 or 4. I like that series because it was relaxing and it espoused values I could appreciate. In each episode they solved galactic problems while embracing compassion and respect for other cultures. Voyager continued in that same vein. Plus, of course, here was a woman at the helm. I can recall that having a woman as Captain back then was controversial. The book Flashback no doubt follows the original script religiously. As usual, the writer of the series is gently imaginative, contriving scenes underpinned by equally imaginative science. The plot is not merely explosive action--at every juncture there is a moral decision to be made--a decision of conscience, even if the character making the decision is a mere holographic display--the doctor.
Well, it is truly humorous that of all the books I have read this summer the one I write up is a Startrek novel. Hmmm. Will have to do some others justice.