Far Beyond the Stars: Amazon.ca: Steven Barnes: Books

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Product Description

Benjamin Sisko contracts a disease which places him in a coma and creates the illusion that he is a Manhattan-based science fiction writer in 1953, whose current project is a story set on the fictional space station Deep Space Nine. An addition to the STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE series and a TV tie-in.

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Without warning, Benjamin Sisko is living another life. No longer a Starfleet captain, commander of space station Deep Space Nine, he is Benny Sadler, a struggling SF writer living in 1950s Harlem. Benny has a dream, of a place called Deep Space Nine and a man named Ben Sisko, and a story he has to tell. But is the Earth of that era ready for a SF hero? Everyone tells him no, but Benny cannot abandon his dream. One way or another, he will tell the world about Captain Benjamin Sisko and Deep Space Nine.

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First Sentence
FROM THIS FAR PERSPECTIVE, the planet Bajor was a misty, radiant opal, beautiful as a star, peaceful as the long-lost memories of the womb. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful story only tangentially about Star Trek., April 14 2004

By	James Yanni (Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are a number of aspects to this story that can be rated. It seems to be a fairly accurate, true-to-the-episode novelization; five stars there. It is a marvellous pure science fiction story, which leaves unsolved whether it's actually about an alternate-universe writer who is able to tap into the world of Deep Space Nine for his stories, or about Commander Sisko having temporary insanity that produces hallucinations. Again, five stars. It is a powerful, moving story about the effects of racism on a young black science fiction writer in 1953 Harlem. Once more, five stars. About the only way in which it is NOT a five-star effort is purely as a Star trek novel; ninety percent or more of this story has absolutely nothing to do with Star Trek, and another five percent is only tangentially related to Star Trek. Only the very beginning and the very end actually deal with the station and what's happening there; the plot for this tiny fraction of the story is virtually nonexistent except as a setup for the non-Star Trek part of the story. In that regard, it's barely worth two stars.

So if what you're interested in is a wonderfully told, powerfully moving story with some minor connection to Deep Space Nine, this is EXACTLY what you're looking for. If, on the other hand, you actually want a Star Trek novel, this may not be what you want.

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4.0 out of 5 stars a very good novelization, Sep 16 2003

By	Haseeb (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

I throughly enjoyed reading this novel which is a novelization of an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine. The setting for most of this novel takes place in the 1950s in Harlem. Sisko (commander of Deep Space Nine) unexpectedly falls sick and is transported to Harlem, New York in the 1950s. He keeps his body but is a different person who is struggling to become a Science Fiction writer. By reading the novel we feel the main character's (Benny's) pain and wish him well, but everyone who has seen the episode knows what the outcome will be. Seeing how Benny overcame so much adversity and kept his dream alive in spite of all of the obstacles that confronted him was an emboldening story.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was how it went back to Benny's childhood and into the bodies of men from several generations back. We see Benny as a child growing up in Harlem and also as a slave in america tending the fields.

I think this story would be enjoyable for any reader, but I think those familiar with the characters on Star Trek Deep Space Nine will appreciate it much more. The story transposes the main characters from Deep Space Nine and puts them in a different setting along with Sisko giving them different names but having mostly the same personalities.

I was surprised to discover that the original episode on television was written by a white man, because it really brings out the feelings and frustrations of a black man living in a time when any black man other than a custodian, busboy or shoe shiner was seen as a threat to the majority community.

The author's note at the end of the book discusses the role of blacks in film and TV. The author makes some interesting and insightful observations on how far we've come and how Star Trek has been at the forefront in placing blacks in good parts.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A memorable novelization!, Jul 22 2002

By	K. Wyatt "ssintrepid" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Clearly "Far Beyond the Stars" was one of the best Deep Space Nine episodes in it's seven year run. Steven Barnes took that episode and, in a very short amount of time, turned the novelization into an amazing accoutrement to that episode. Even more so than the episode, you can feel for the characters in the book. It is at times gut wrenching and at other times totally enlightening. The author captured all of the character's with perfection. He also captured the 50's era with ease. A truly delightful book. If you've not read this, you need to whether or not you're a fan of trek fiction. It would be nice if the author would make another foray into the trek universe.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book to accompany a wonderful episode
If you have not seen Far Beyond the Stars -- see it. It's simply one of the best Star Trek episodes ever, of all the series. Read more

Published on Sep 21 2001 by Makiko Itoh

5.0 out of 5 stars "Wonder-full" and wonderful book!!
I liked the episode, but the book was so much better there's almost no comparison. Steven Barnes' story of Benny Russell's struggle to preserve his dream of "Deep Space... Read more

Published on Jul 2 2001 by Joshua Claassen

5.0 out of 5 stars Facing Racism....
Of all the Trek novels I've read only a handful of the stories ever remained in my conscience, this of course is one of them! Read more

Published on Sep 15 1999 by Stan

5.0 out of 5 stars I felt Benny's pain
This book made me FEEL the pain of racism and made me think hard about the ways in which is still manifested today. Read more

Published on Jul 28 1999