The hardest and most rewarding thing about Deep Space 9 is that it is not episodic in nature. The stories often do not bear their full weight without being experienced in series and, like that, Avatar bears no weight without the entirety of the television run behind it. In other words, if you haven’t watched Deep Space 9 all the way to the end, this isn’t the book you’re looking for.

The thing I love most about Star Trek is the stories it inspires in my mind. Each episode is the doorway into new story possibilities in the Star Trek universe, so I am exploring the stories that Star Trek has inspired in other people’s minds looking for deeper explorations of themes and characters.

I chose Q-In-Law as my 2nd “mission" because it featured two of my favorite comedic characters, Lwaxana Troi and Q. The hilarity that my mind conjured for such an encounter convinced me that this book had to be the TNG book that I read first.

How I picked this book

It started with the title. I don’t think anyone who has watched The Original Series can forget the moment in “Charlie X" when Uhura is singing in the rec room while accompanied by Spock on the Vulcan lyrette. Her voice and songs are a reminder of beauty in an environment built for functionality and protocol. Combined with the promise of cat-people¹ I knew that this was the novel for me.