cover image GENE RODDENBERRY'S EARTH: Final Conflict—Heritage

GENE RODDENBERRY'S EARTH: Final Conflict—Heritage

Doranna Durgin, . . Tor, $24.95 (350pp) ISBN 978-0-312-87822-1

In the fifth tie-in to the Roddenberry-inspired TV series, fantasy author Durgin (Dun Lady's Jess) delivers a better than average franchise product, but the novel won't win any new converts. Liam Kincaid, one of the double agents for Earth's Resistance within the occupation forces of the alien Taelons, has more reason than most to feel conflicted: a Kimura, the now-extinct progenitor species of the Taelons and their ancestral enemies the Jaridians, was one of his three parents. Survivors of a secret experiment to infect humans with Jaridian DNA learn to channel energy through their palms—which could make them deadly, if risky, recruits for the Resistance. Liam's unique genome responds to the infection by giving him racial memories about the true relationships among Kimura, Taelons and Jaridians. These flashbacks are the novel's strength, adding depth to the series and to Liam's characterization. But the situation of the double agents is not precarious enough to generate suspense—their habit of phoning the Resistance from the Taelon mothership make them seem as snug in the enemy's midst as Hogan's Heroes. And the fateful decision to let the virus loose on Earth, instead of experimenting on prisoners, is implausible except as a way to drive the plot. Readers with a previous interest in the series will be rewarded, but only Durgin's deft use of familiar contemporary elements, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a computerized cameo by a certain warrior princess, will keep the uninitiated from feeling adrift. (Jan. 16)

Forecast:Flagging ratings and fan disgruntlement with the TV series on the SciFi channel may limit sales for this tie-in, especially as Roddenberry fans shift focus to the new Star Trek series that debuted on UPN this fall, Enterprise.