As the conclusion to the Gateways saga, What Lay Beyond should have brought everything together with a satisfying, cohesive finale. Instead, it felt like six disconnected short stories — some more engaging than others — cobbled together without a solid narrative through-line. The overarching problem with the Gateways series is even more apparent here: a strong concept poorly executed.
Want to hear my thoughts on this book? Listen to Literary Treks episode 386.
Picard and Riker have always worked well together. So what happened? Did the promotion to Admiral get to Riker’s head? I mean, sort of, I guess… But how is Picard supposed to stop his old protege when he’s always a step (or more) behind?
Picard and Garak on the cover? The Enterprise-D docked at Deep Space 9, er, Terok Nor too?! Oh, this is going to be gooood! [Spoiler Alert: It. Is. Great!]
Hey, remember when Jean-Luc and Beverly got married? No? Could it have anything to do with the fact that they decided to get married in one book and they were magically already married in the next one? Well this novella tells us the real story of their wedding. And it wouldn’t be a story about Picard’s personal life without Q!
If that looks like Data in Dr. Soong’s body on the cover of the book, that’s because it is. And Lal too?! What is this? I’ll tell you what it is. It’s Star Trek storytelling at its finest. If you’re looking for Easter eggs, callbacks, and fan favorite characters, look no further! It’s The Light Fantastic, where even the holographic tea smells amazing and the light is oh so fantastic!
