Book #120: Star Trek TNG: All Good Things… by Michael Jan Friedman
Michael Jan Friedman
Released: June 1st, 1994
My 50th book for 2025 was Michael Jan Friedman’s "Star Trek TNG: All Good Things…".
50 books read this year! Whew, what a streak. I’ve been pounding out books recently attempting to get through the Star Trek series at warp speed. I’m hoping this will open up some opportunity to go back and fill in some missing blogs or even allow for additional novels at the end of the year.
Technically the next book in the series is the seventh film,, Star Trek Generations. As much as I wanted to step straight into that one, I wanted to read a book that acknowledged the “Next Generation” series. I could have done Encounter At Farpoint, or “Best of Both Worlds”. For some reason, “All Good Things…” seemed like a better bridge as it was the last episode of the series.
In this one, Captain Jean-Luc Picard finds himself being thrust back and forth between multiple time periods, past, present, and future. All of it correlates to a temporal disturbance in the Darvon system. He eventually realizes that he is up against a paradox that is formed in the future, but grows into the past. He must make the same calculated decision in each timeline to save the future. Q plays a role in setting all this up, hoping to teach Picard a lesson, but ends up being enlightened by him instead.
Captain Picard seems all out of sorts in this one. He is experience time differentials that cause him to be conscious in various time periods. You can definitely feel the cause of concern expressed by his crew.
In the future, some have regressed (Worf), some have excelled (Riker), and some have passed on (Deanna). The crew has followed the path that each destiny has led them towards. Picard must deal with each person based on their experience level in each time period.
Even though the odds seem stacked against him, Picard eventually solves the puzzle, and learns how to create a course of action that will save both his crew in the current time zone, and the future.
Q returns to toy with Picard yet again, but is blown away by his intelligence and conduct. Picard learns that Q put him in this situation as a way to save himself from something he would have never known about.
This was a fitting end to the Next Generation era. The movies that would follow were mixed with only one true standout film, and another being legendary for nostalgic reasons. The series ended on a strong note, signifying it’s mark in history.
Here is what I learned:
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- To Joan and Brett, for understanding, past, present, and future.
- The Eskimos of North America had sixteen different words for snow.
- Word and Deanna are courting.
- Word has a son named Alexander.
- Word is proud that Alexander takes his studies seriously.
- Deanna puts Worf in a good mood.
- Earl Gray tea is Picards favorite flavor.
- Geordi La Forge’s partner in Picard’s vision is Leah. He has three children, Bret, Alandra and Sidney with her.
- He lives on Rigel Three.
- Picard suffers from Irumodic syndrome.
- Nurse Alissa Ogawa is six months pregnant.
- 30 Romulan Warbirds are mobilizing near the Neutral Zone.
- The Romulans are doing something in the Devron system.
- Data’s personal library looks like something out of a Sherlock Holmes novel.
- “To Picard, Data's library looked like something out ofa Sherlock Holmes story... spacious, comfortable, the walls lined with a wide assortment of leather-bound books. He could smell the oils that had been used to preserve them. A fire—not a real one, of course, but a rather authentic-looking hologram —was roaring cheerfully in the hearth.”
- Tasha Yar didn’t feel comfortable in the Ten-Forward Lounge.
- Tasha grew up on Turkana Four.
- Mot is Picard’s barber on the Enterprise.
- Picard has retained 2 days worth of memories from his couple minutes in time shift.
- The habak was a rectangular room in a high tower which served the Indians of Darvon V as a ceremonial chamber.
- Picard appears to be trapped in a temporal disruption, a hole in the continuum.
- In the future, Klingons have taken over the Romulan Empire.
- Admiral Riker is stationed at Starbase 247.
- Captain Sam Lavelle is over the U.S.S. Enterprise.
- Riker is from Alaska.
- There was an outbreak of Terellian plague on Romulus.
- Dr. Beverly Crusher became Captain of the medical vessel U.S.S. Pasteur.
- Picard and Crusher were married at one point.
- Worf was living on H’atoria, a small Klingon colony near the border.
- Q is the one shifting Picard through time.
- Q dislikes Balalaika music.
- Guinan makes a good Lime Rickey.
- Worf was expelled from the Klingon High Council for opposing the withdraw from the Federation Alliance.
- Rule number 29 states that, “The sightseeing is just as good on the way home.”
- The namely is two hundred million kilometers in diameter. It is a highly focused temporal energy source which is emitting approximately the same energy output as ten G-type stars.
- Captain Picard was a big card player back in his youth.
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Overall, solid novel. This story shows critical elements of problem solving, trust, rationality, and faith. It’s a deep tale that makes you think about life and choices. Recommended.
Recommended.
On to Book #121: Star Trek: Generations by J.M. Dillard.
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Need to catch up? See previous blog post: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
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Want to read about just this series? See the other posts below:
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek TNG: All Good Things...
Star Trek X: Nemesis
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek: Into Darkness
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