Review: Star Trek: Picard — No Man’s Land
In what might be the first for a Star Trek audiobook, Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land gets a physical release treatment. The audiobook, which came out in 2022 and was written by Trek vets Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson, tells a story centering on Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd, who reprises her role from Star Trek: Picard) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan, reprising her role from Star Trek: Voyager and Picard) set in between the first and second seasons of Picard. Whereas before today fans could only enjoy this story in its original audiobook form, those who eschew audio dramas can now read the script of this production. But the question is: would you want to?
It’s important to drive home that this release isn’t a novel; it’s the script of the audiobook. That means the story unfolds without the detailed comforts of a novelization; readers read what the actors and production staff would have read when the audiobook was recorded. As such, it’s a brisk 147-page drama that forces the reader to imagine details otherwise filled by voice recordings or sound effects.
As it stands, having the script of an audio production available is pretty neat. When you open this script, it’s like reading a blueprint, rather than viewing the finished product. Normally, it would be up to actors to breathe life and personality into the words you read, so don’t be surprised if the words by themselves in this script can feel a bit hollow, lifeless, or lack the dramatic timing you’d listen to in an audiobook or read in a novel. Ultimately, you’ll use your imagination quite a bit to fill in the purposefully missing details in this sparse script; hopefully, you know Star Trek well. If this seems like something your mind is up for, give this script a chance.
“Star Trek: Picard – No Man’s Land picks up right after the action-packed season one conclusion of Star Trek: Picard. While Raffi and Seven of Nine are enjoying some much-needed R&R in Raffi’s remote hideaway, their downtime is interrupted by an urgent cry for help: a distant, beleaguered planet has enlisted the Fenris Rangers to save an embattled evacuation effort. As Raffi and Seven team up to rescue a mysteriously ageless professor whose infinity-shaped talisman has placed him in the deadly sights of a vicious Romulan warlord, they take tentative steps to explore the attraction depicted in the final moments of Picard season one. Based on the hit audio original, fans can now read this riveting script with fan-favorite characters.”
– Official summary of No Man’s Land.
If this doesn’t sound like something you’d find enjoyable, that’s okay. The script release of No Man’s Land isn’t designed to appeal to everyone. It’s a collector’s item, an example of how many minds – actors, voiceover directors, sound engineers, producers, and whoever else – need to come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Importantly, we doubt non-Star Trek fans would get much from this release, which isn’t usually our observation for Star Trek publications.
We never reviewed the original No Man’s Land release back in 2022, so this was our first time visiting the story. As fans of Star Trek: Picard, we appreciated learning how and why Seven and Raffi awkwardly interact the way they do in season two of that show. We also appreciated the story’s attempt to tackle a quintessential science-fiction theme – immortality – and place that within what’s essentially two love stories.
These love stories, one between Raffi and Seven and another between Doctor Gillan and his wife, are placed within what’s become a major event in Star Trek history: the evacuation of Romulan worlds preceding their home star going supernova. Seven, still with the do-gooding Fenris Rangers, enlists Raffi to help stop a rogue Romulan warlord from uncovering the secret to immortality. Unfortunately, we can’t say this story ranks highly among the best in Star Trek’s pantheon thanks to its cookie-cutter villain and cliché dialogue, but it at least provides context for season two of Picard.
Our advice: if you’re interested in seeing the blueprint of an audiobook, and you’re a Star Trek fan through and through, give this script a shot. It won’t be the best way to absorb the story, but it will be a novel experience.
You can buy Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land now on Amazon. The audiobook can be purchased on Amazon, too.
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