The Siege

The Siege is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel written by Peter David (one of my favorite Trek authors) when the series was new and only five episodes of the show had aired (this according to David's introduction to the novel). It is "The First Original Novel Based on the Hit Television Series!" and its strongest aspect is the characterizations. David, in my estimation, very nicely captures in prose the personalities of the various DS9 characters as they stood at that early stage of things. Perhaps he made the Ferengi---Rom, Nog, and Quark--a bit too odious and perverted, but that would be my only quibble---other than the fact that Jadzia Dax and Kira Nerys are underused. The novel, about a serial killer on Deep Space Nine, is uneven in tone, swinging from the horrifically gruesome to the gleefully comic, but despite this the story works and is entertaining. David apparently had great fun describing Security Chief Odo's shapeshifting abilities, stretching them beyond the limits of what could be shown on a television show. A particularly noteworthy and engaging sub-plot of The Siege involved Dr. Bashir's endeavors to save the life of the son of visiting missionaries. This story contained emotional complexity and moral ambiguity that I just was not expecting and was very well done. Despite some unevenness, The Siege is a good novel; a quick, entertaining read; a pleasurable light diversion.