Here There Be Monsters

Star Trek SCE (ebooks) Novellas #10

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Starfleet Corps Of Engineers

After the events of What Lay Beyond, the Gateways crisis has finally come to a close and Starfleet can rest easy, knowing that another threat to the galaxy has been stopped.

Except for the Starfleet Corps of Engineers who, as usual, are left to clean up the mess.

While on a mission to Tellar, the U.S.S. da Vinci gets a distress call from the planet Maeglin. Still reeling from a previous attack, the natives of Maeglin find themselves under siege by a horde of alien creatures that came through one of the Iconian Gateways and are now hell-bent on destroying the planet!

Commander Sonya Gomez and her team of S.C.E. engineers must find a way to stop the rampaging monsters before it's too late!

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Technology, Adventure, Fantasy

89 pages, ebook

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is essentially an epilogue to the Gateways series, which is why I was interested in it. I did not have much prior exposure to the SCE series or characters. I don't know if it's intentional, but it has a distinct YA flavor. Judged on that basis, I suppose it's fine, but I couldn't help feel somewhat disappointed by the lack of any kind of sophistication or nuance.

[Casey Pettitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek: S.C.E. #10: Here There Be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido is billed as the epilogue to the Gateways saga, and while it works fine in that context, it shines even more as a standalone S.C.E. story. The crew of the da Vinci is dispatched to a planet overrun by bizarre, monstrous creatures that have crossed over from another universe through one of the Gateways. As the team scrambles to contain the chaos, the story balances action, teamwork, and a bit of the series' trademark weirdness.

What really elevates this novella is how it lets the crew collaborate in classic Trek fashion, and especially how it gives the ship's linguist a chance to take the lead by making meaningful contact with the creatures. IT's a little silly — sure — but in the best way. This is exactly the kind of smart, team-focused problem-solving that makes the S.C.E. series so fun to read.

[Michel Siskoid Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read the Gateways mini-series, but not much is spoiled in the opening recap, and the story stands alone anyway. It's a slim story, especially with the POV of various guest characters and victims being given chapters, but it still manages some fun set pieces. The monsters are quite obviously the giants of 50s and 60s movies, with analogues of Godzilla, King Kong and Rodan especially noticeable. That might seem goofy, but the whole book is laced with comedy, and the comedy really works. The repartee is like that of a zingy Doctor Who script. And always nice to see an adventure that requires Bart's linguistic expertise, he's probably my favorite character. One short note on the Da Vinci's EMH, here mentioned many times, but not yet seen: The idea of modeling an EMH's personality on that of an intern is a great idea. The problem with every other EMH has been the massive ego that comes with being programmed with the total sum of medical knowledge. I can't wait to meet him in the, hem, flesh.

[Taaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little disappointed. I mean, a huge, cuddly Sehlat-like thingy? I would have liked it to be I-Chaya reloaded. But ... the resolution was nice, although saying 'oh well, they were political captives, they're probably good people' is a little TOO easy for my liking.
Anyway, using Sign Language and making friends is a good solution to a crisis and I like it when almost all is well at the end of a day/novel.

Minus one star because it's really annoying that you actually have to have read TWO other series to understand this novel, even if you have read every earlier novel in THIS series. Who the hell thought an extended book universe would be a good idea and when will they finally end this crap and go back to standalone novels?

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well my first step into the SCE series. Read it due to the Gateways series so I feel I am a bit clueless about the characters and what is going on with their lives. However I liked the premise and the resolution and look forward to reading more of it in the future.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my favorite story in this series to date. Love the SCE series!

[Robin × · Rating 5 out of 5]

laughed and cried

[Nicky2910 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Trek: S. C. E.: #10 Here There Be Monsters by Keith R. A. DeCandido This part is sort of a coda to the Gateways series of novels that was one of the first series-wide cross-over (loose meaning as the crews didn't really cross over, but the topic was the same for all - that being the simultaneous opening of the Iconian gateways throughout the galaxy and its ramifications) in that the daVinci is called in to the planet Maeglin, already mentionned in #6, where creatures came through a gate, got stranded there after the gate was shut down, and now wreak havoc... apparently at least.
 
This is another ensemble story, like the last one, but with a little bit more of an emphasis on the burgeoning relationships between Gomez and Duffy, and Stevens and Corsi respectively. Bart Faulwell, the ship's linguistics expert gets his place in the spotlight this time - and he's left on Maeglin to try and facilitate communication between the inhabitants and the newcomers, as the "monsters" use a sign language that can't be translated by the universal translator. I wonder if one of the upcoming novellas will deal with his time off the ship. Frankly, I hope so because he's one of the few characters who haven't really had any major screentime yet, so I'd be interested in getting to know him.
 
Otherwise, there are quite a few little details further stories could explore, like Corsi's past trauma that clearly distracts her, Lense's preference to let the EMH handle minor emergencies, the one security person who despises bugs (and ends up working with Pattie who's essentially a bug...) etc.
 
So far, I enjoy the SCE-novellas in general. They make up for a bit of light reading, nothing too involved up until now, and once we get over the getting-to-know-the-crew-and-all-their-little-quirks-phase I hope there are going to be stories that dig a bit deeper.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun story, this time tying in with the Gateways crossover miniseries, providing a sort of coda to the multi-series story. A typically Star Trek ending caps this story off nicely. Bart Faulwell is fast becoming one of my favorite characters in this series. I enjoy when these stories tie into the larger continuity, such as the adventure at Empok Nor in S.C.E. #6: Cold Fusion. These small stories that tie into the overarching ongoing continuity form cool little touchstones that make this wider universe feel more real.

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2015/04/S...

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good entry in the SCE/COE Star Trek series, this is basically the epilogue to the Gateways storyline that runs through about eight or nine books. Luckily, reading this or not reading those will not spoil your enjoyment of reading either. This one is basically the Starfleet Corps of Engineers vs. Godzilla. Large monsters wander through one of the gateways onto a planet colonized by Tellarites and begin to raise chaos. Naturally, things are not what they seem and it's up to the crew of the Da Vinci to set things right.

Excellent story and good writing. Recommended yet again!

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Da Vinci is sent to clean up the mess after the Gateways problem. One planet has some aliens that came through a gate and are wreaking the place. This is a short, no brainer little story. There's nothing particularly noteworthy in character development, but it is a fun enough read. An ok story.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too simple, not a fully thought out story.