A Mysterious and Menacing Artifact
In Eyes of the Beholders (a story from The Next Generation series) the crew of the Enterprise encounters a large, menacing, and mysterious artifact in space. A tractor beam from the artifact does not permit the Enterprise to move. Furthermore, this artifact has the effect of causing members of the crew to have dreams about their past. In some cases, the dreams are so tormenting that some commit suicide. Also, the artifact has an unpleasant appearance to humans. However, because Data is not a human and Geordi La Forge's visor is set at a different wavelength, these two crew members seem to be somewhat immune from the unpleasant effects of the artifact. Captain Picard faces a dilemma as to what to do when dealing with the effects of the artifact and how to break free. The book contains two other story lines: Data is attempting to write a romance novel and Doctor Selar, a Vulcan, faces difficult questions as to what to do about the fate of Thala, an Andorian girl who is an orphan. I thought this book had a good balance of suspense, mystery, and humor. I look forward to reading other books by A. C. Crispin.