Star Trek: DS9 — Enigma Tales
{4.5/5} “In the enigma tale as we have known it… we have evidence that literature — that art — encodes into itself, despite all attempts at extirpation, critiques of the world in which it is created. In the enigma tale these authors tried to address — through the medium of the puzzle, the riddle — what we could not discuss in public: the nature of our guilt, its role in our past, and its impact on our future.”
Star Trek: DS9 — Enigma Tales by Una McCormack, published in 2017
Dr. Katherine Pulaski is on Cardassia to receive an award. While being interviewed live she says people who committed crimes during the Bajoran Occupation should be prosecuted she says yes — without exception. This could prove awkward for Garak, who has done great things as the castellan of Cardassia — but was once a member of the Obsidian Order.
This story takes place completely on Cardassia. Despite it not being on Deep Space Nine with Captain Ro and the rest, it’s essential reading.
The main characters you already know are Garak and Dr. Pulaski — two characters who are absolutely delightful. We also see a chief of police whom Garak trusts, a university professor who was the very best Cardassian in the bad old days, and a researcher who’s dug up some disturbing information about the children of some Cardassian men and Bajoran women.
It’s about terrible things people did in the past and how that should affect the future.
The previous book in the story of the 24th century is Star Trek: TNG — Hearts and Minds by Dayton Ward. I also reviewed Una McCormack’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — The Missing.