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A review by pabloshevik
Pathways by Jeri Taylor
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Strong characterization has always been the beating heart of the Star Trek franchise. Pathways follows in this rich tradition (if a bit unevenly) by exploring the life and times of the crew of the Federation starship Voyager.
The narrative finds the crew as prisoners of war in a harrowing death camp. This adventure-of-the-week frame story provides them with plenty of time to get to know each other in between attempts at concocting an escape plan. Through a series of campfire stories, the crew narrates their biographies, unraveling for their comrades the paths they took to end up together in the Delta Quadrant.
Fans of the series will enjoy a deeper look into the formative events in the lives of the Voyager crew. Author and series writer, Jeri Taylor, certainly understands the characters well, having had a key hand in their creation. The narrative is a bit uneven, in that some of the backstories are more nuanced and detailed than others. Chakotay’s segment in particular (in a reflection of his treatment in the TV series) suffers from a lack of “screen time,” and the tale of Tom Paris does little to disprove those who theorize that he is a thinly-veiled avatar of a certain character from Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a fan of Voyager (and Tom Paris), I thought that he deserved more than a recycled backstory.
But overall I was pleased to delve deeper into the inner lives of the Voyager crew. The frame story effectively paces these vignettes and even manages to inspire some pathos in its own right. Taylor unfurls the individual segments in competent, colorful prose, every so often conjuring up some truly striking moments. These moments are fleeting, as the book does not take too long to linger on any one character. Pathways is a fun and informative voyage; I only wish we could have taken more opportunities for sight-seeing along the way.
The narrative finds the crew as prisoners of war in a harrowing death camp. This adventure-of-the-week frame story provides them with plenty of time to get to know each other in between attempts at concocting an escape plan. Through a series of campfire stories, the crew narrates their biographies, unraveling for their comrades the paths they took to end up together in the Delta Quadrant.
Fans of the series will enjoy a deeper look into the formative events in the lives of the Voyager crew. Author and series writer, Jeri Taylor, certainly understands the characters well, having had a key hand in their creation. The narrative is a bit uneven, in that some of the backstories are more nuanced and detailed than others. Chakotay’s segment in particular (in a reflection of his treatment in the TV series) suffers from a lack of “screen time,” and the tale of Tom Paris does little to disprove those who theorize that he is a thinly-veiled avatar of a certain character from Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a fan of Voyager (and Tom Paris), I thought that he deserved more than a recycled backstory.
But overall I was pleased to delve deeper into the inner lives of the Voyager crew. The frame story effectively paces these vignettes and even manages to inspire some pathos in its own right. Taylor unfurls the individual segments in competent, colorful prose, every so often conjuring up some truly striking moments. These moments are fleeting, as the book does not take too long to linger on any one character. Pathways is a fun and informative voyage; I only wish we could have taken more opportunities for sight-seeing along the way.