Dark Mirror (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Dark Mirror (Star Trek: The Next Generation) by Diane Duane A gripping Star Trek: The Next Generation tale hearkening back to the original TV series episode, "Mirror, Mirror." That was the one in which Captain Kirk encountered his brutal alter ego in a parallel universe, a place where only the alternative Spock showed any humanity. Here, the alternative Enterprise draws Captain Picard's vessel into its alternative space, bent on capturing it and staffing it with a look-alike crew--all to spearhead an invasion of the Federation. Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, and Captain Picard outwit the scheme by transporting aboard the other Enterprise and turning its technology against the would-be conquerors. Here's where Duane's novel turns clever, with Picard assuming his doppelg„nger's role and discovering--among other things--just how malicious and threatening a Betazed can be and how bitter the alternative Dr. Crusher can be in the role of the "captain's woman." There's also a particularly nasty alternative Riker and a noble alternative Worf. The true Picard maneuvers his ship back into Federation space, but the alien follows; there's some manipulation of hyperstrings (with the help of a spacegoing dolphin) to send the bad Enterprise back where it belongs. Another capable entry in this series that always seems to be better than one would expect. John Mort