Well.... funny!

I remembered bits and pieces of this book from back in the day when I first read it - it's definitely a Hitchhiker's Guide kind of vibe, with multiple in-joke SF references. The best thing in the beginning is all the commiseration offered Geordi over the death of his beloved (not!) professor.

Sometimes the jokes go on too long, but there is a lot to like in this jolly Trek romp. I'm glad to find where the line about "a broken chronometer is right twice a day" discussion was, one I've remembered for years. ( )

Huh, a book with Wesley Crusher in it. I didn't know that there had been any Star Trek The Next Generation novels that had him when he was at the Academy (after the whole 'held back a year because I participated in killing my wing man' episode but before the 'traveler's going to abduct me' episode).

There are two main stories. The first is that a famous inventor dies and his son decides to auction off all his inventions. Some think that they're amazing (and the weapons dangerous), others, like Geordi LaForge are sure that they're a bunch of hot air (vaporware).

The second story involves Wes Crusher. He and his Academy roommate inadvertently create a machine that turns another metal into something that passes perfectly for Latinum.

It wasn't a badly written novel, but in some places it seemed sort of uneven. Not in regards to the plot, that was even and well put together, but at the beginning and a couple of other sections the writing seemed forced.

Still, I liked how ab Hugh wrote the Wes Crusher character, a lot of time the character is given a short shrift because the writer only sees what the character started as on the TV show (sorta a whiny brat), not what he ended the show as (more of an adult for sure). So, that makes this book refreshing. And, it was a bit more humorous in places than your average Star Trek novel as well. ( )

This is, at one level, your standard Star Trek novel; the crew of trhe Enterprise have to save the galaxy from itself.

However, on another level, it is a damned funny read and the way that virtually no-one ends up representing the people you would expect at the auction, and how they come to terms with this, is brilliantly told. ( )