The Autobiography of Jean Luc Picard
by David A. Goodman
Synopsis:
The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard tells the story of one of the most celebrated names in Starfleet history. His extraordinary life and career makes for dramatic reading: court martials, unrequited love, his capture and torture at the hand of the Cardassians, his assimilation with the Borg and countless other encounters as captain of the celebrated Starship Enterprise.
Review:
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is one of the most fascinating characters in Star Trek. He has had a traumatic history, as well as a fascinating early life that, until now, we’ve only seen glimpses.
The novel begins with Picard’s early life on the vineyard, and choice to join Starfleet and make his own way – to the disappointment to his father. His early years at Starfleet and first appointments in the fleet are my favorite stories. The narrative flows well, and jumps ahead to the important times in his life – including his first time meeting Guinan and other individuals who he ends up asking to join his crew. There are brief glimpses through his years as Captain of the Enterprise, that are wonderful highlights and memories – as well as some darker ones, such as his capture by the Borg and Cardassians. Then, the book wraps up with his later years.
Since this was published by Titan and not Pocket Books, it’s obvious in some places that they chose not to abide by the canon already set by the novels, but by the television episodes and films only. But it wasn’t too far off other than the future years. The story flows very well. I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety. Even the familiar scenes didn’t get bogged down, but were fun to reminisce and were poignant. I highly recommend this engaging read for TNG fans.