I, Q

There are very few things that Q, a member of the Q continuum, can't handle, so he isn't going to let a little thing like the end of the multiverse get the better of him. Under normal circumstances, he might have gone along with the rest of the Qs in celebrating the End as the biggest party of all time, but these are not normal circumstances: the fates of Q's wife and child are at stake, and Q, usually omnipotent and omniscient, in not in control. Powerless, he needs the help of his erstwhile tormentee, Jean-Luc Picard--who is convinced that some being even more powerful than Q is causing this sudden universal decline. There are plenty of such entities to choose from, including the M continuum, a being called god and a mysterious female presence who puts the cosmos on hold as she reads a peculiar message in a bottle. Considering that Q is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Trek universe, De Lancie (who plays him on the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, and who's here aided by veteran Trek mass-market novelist David) is sure to gain a wide readership even though Q's egotistical ramblings, which work so well on screen, can drag on here. The narrative, which presents an almost mythological universal manifestation of the five stages of grief, will take readers on a wild and unique ride, though it leads to a predictable conclusion. As for the quest to make Q a more prominent character in the world of Star Trek books? Fans will say, ""Make it so."" (Oct.)