Jim Fulner reviewed Over a Torrent Sea by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek. Titan)
Harder Science-Ficiton for the Star Trek Universe
3 stars
Over a Torrent Sea was different from most Star Trek books. It was much more "hard science fiction" than we have come to expect from Star Trek. While TNG has been described as "board meetings in space" this fifth book in the Star Trek: Titan series had a whole bunch of new scientific concepts found on the planet Droplet the Titan just "discovered."
Much of the beginning of the book revolves around whether there is any sentient life on this ocean planet where there is no actual land masses. That in and of itself deals with a bunch of different theory about how things like weather and sea currents etc. word work on a truly ocean-based planet.
Eventually they determine that not only is there, at least one, sentient species, but it is actually much more advanced in a way that humans, or other humanoids of the federation, âŚ
Over a Torrent Sea was different from most Star Trek books. It was much more "hard science fiction" than we have come to expect from Star Trek. While TNG has been described as "board meetings in space" this fifth book in the Star Trek: Titan series had a whole bunch of new scientific concepts found on the planet Droplet the Titan just "discovered."
Much of the beginning of the book revolves around whether there is any sentient life on this ocean planet where there is no actual land masses. That in and of itself deals with a bunch of different theory about how things like weather and sea currents etc. word work on a truly ocean-based planet.
Eventually they determine that not only is there, at least one, sentient species, but it is actually much more advanced in a way that humans, or other humanoids of the federation, have seen in their use of biotechnology to have achieved their advancement. They've never seen anything that isn't alive before so the Titan's tech scares them and defines much of the story.
The most character development we get is from Ensign Aili Lavena, featured on the cover of the first Pocketbooks edition, whose aquatic lifestyle now makes her the one who for once isn't a fish-out-of-water on this new planet, particularly her native Selkie song language which is much better for communication here.
A giant asteroid appears and as usual Federation officers break the prime directive and calamity ensues.
If you like that kind of stuff Over a Torrent Sea is all-in-all pretty self-contained with most relevant information from earlier books spelled out. That being said, if you are a completionist I wouldn't recommend reading this right after book 4. It wasn't communicated in the previous book, but there was another story that takes place after Sword of Damocles in the Star Trek: Destiny series that greatly effects the overarching story line including: changes in characters & universe (or at least quadrant-wide) upheavals. I will take a break on Star Trek: Titan and start at that next and see what is really relevant, though I know much of it may be spoiled by reading this first. đ¤ˇââď¸đ¤ˇââď¸đ¤ˇââď¸đ¤ˇââď¸