Infection: Double Helix, Book One

John Gregory Betancourt

Aug 2000 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

A Star Trek adventure set during The Original Series era from bestselling author John Gregory Betancourt!

Like the twisted strands of mutant chromosomes, an insidious alien conspiracy winds its way through the entire Alpha Quadrant, just as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history—beginning near the very start of Captain Picard's command of the Starship Enterprise™!

It is only the first year of the U.S.S. Enterprise™-D's ongoing mission when a virulent epidemic strikes the populace of Archaria III, endangering the lives of thousands and provoking acts of mob violence against those believed responsible for the spread of the disease. While Data and Natasha Yar team up to uncover the true origins of the virus, Dr. Crusher finds that the implacable sickness resists all her efforts to find a cure. The desperate quest for a cure becomes even more urgent when Deanna Troi succumbs to the dreaded plague...again and again.

Ratings and reviews

PLOT OR PREMISE: This is the first of six books dealing with biological terrorism by an unknown foe. The story is interesting, as a planet has been infected with a plague with an 100% fatality rate -- but only for those aliens who are of mixed-race...pure breeds remain unaffected! . WHAT I LIKED: I am not a hard-core sci-fi reader, but I do enjoy Star Wars and Star Trek. This is definitely different from most ST:TNG plots where they steer away from racial relations that aren't easily solved. The plot is interesting and the medical portion is solid. . WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately, the problem with this novel is that the characters are written similar to those of the first few books in the ST:TNG series i.e. when the characters weren't quite developed yet or as well-defined as they became in the TV series. So, when you read those early books now, you can't help but say to yourself "But THAT character wouldn't do THAT!". Such divergence from the real characters they become was understandable early on in the series, but now that there have been seven years worth of episodes, fifty odd books, and a couple of movies, going back to the "not yet defined" characters seems too far out of the fold. The characters fit the timeline in the series, but are not true to their real character not yet revealed. . BOTTOM-LINE: A readable entry but fans of later seasons may have trouble relating. . DISCLOSURE: I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, and I do not follow him on social media.

About the author

John Gregory Betancourt is the bestselling author of more thirty books, including several Star Trek novels and the Dawn of Amber trilogy.