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Posted: |
Oct 1, 2016 - 3:17 PM
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By: |
Matt S.
(Member)
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I still read them from time to time, particularly if one of my favorite authors puts a book out (David Mack is probably my current favorite). I agree that the continuity has gotten quite convoluted, especially in the "present day," i.e., post-TNG, DS9, VOY timeline. All of the novel series, including the USS Titan series, have intertwining stories where if you miss one novel, you miss out on some major plotlines and events. I lose interest in that, where I feel I "have" to read every book otherwise I'll miss out. It makes it feel like a chore. It's the same reason why I tailed off with the Star Wars novels after awhile....there were just too many books coming out to keep up with them.
However, there are some bright points. I particularly enjoyed the "Vanguard" series, which takes place concurrent with TOS...it's about a new Federation starbase on the very fringes of Federation space, as a launching point for the exploration of the Taurus Reach, a huge region of space also in close proximity to Klingon and Tholian territory. The books are alternately written by David Mack, and the writing team of Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. After the series ended, a spinoff series of sorts called Seekers, continues the story of two of the starships' crews that feature heavily in the Vanguard story. Because it takes place in the TOS era, there aren't as many continuity issues. (Some of the events of Vanguard are referenced in the "present-day" stories, but you wouldn't need to know that).
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Back before the novel "reboot", when most books were just self-contained stories, I didn't really like them that much. Even though I was a kid then myself, I thought most of them weren't really that well-written. There were some exceptions... The Lost Years, Best Destiny, Dark Mirror, Shadows on the Sun. However, TNG-era novels of that period were little more than drek... the male equivalent of Harlequin romance novels.
However, with the new EU-style novels (dubbed the "Pocketverse" by many fans), I've actually become quite interested in them... particularly given the lack of a televised continuation of the Prime Universe post-Nemesis. The novels also managed to satisfactorily "fix" a few of the more questionable writing choices made in Nemesis and Enterprise, as well as reconciling The Balance of Terror's description of the Romulan War with how that era was depicted on Enterprise. They also handle the repercussions of Voyager arriving back in the Alpha Quadrant with new technologies like the stuff Admiral Janeway gave them, as well as Slipstream Warp... and realistically handle how that impacts other major powers. The focus on antagonistic species other than the Romulans and Klingons is also a welcome change of pace, and the idea of the Typhon Pact is pretty interesting.
In particular, I really enjoyed the "Destiny" and "Cold Equations" trilogies. The former would be excellent material for a miniseries, although I suspect the casting required would be next to impossible at this point. It would be a much better send-off for the TNG crew than they got in Nemesis, though. It would also require certain actors from Enterprise and DS9... but man would it ever be fun to see that story told on screen.
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Riotengine not only reads them, he provides his own illustrations!
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Posted: |
Oct 10, 2016 - 10:54 AM
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By: |
Nils
(Member)
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I think I’ve read about 60 Trek novels, over the last 20 years or so. While I don’ t think anyone will claim that this is in any way profound literature, at its best it’s at least on the level of good crime novels (if we want to compare it with mainstream literature), and that’s OK.
Some Trek novelists are excellent or good, while others are merely so-so, or worse. My favorites are Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Peter David, and not far behind are people like Diane Duane and Diane Carey.
I’m with Matt S. when it comes to stand-alone stories vs. the interconnected “Expanded Universe” novels. The latter are a LOT to keep up with, and while as a fan I would like the story to continue after the series finale, the problem is that several authors are usually involved in the same series of novels, which can result in very variable quality. I started the Enterprise “re-boot” novels after finishing the series on Blu-Ray recently. I’ve read the first three books so far, all written by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin. The storyline and plotting are fine, but the prose is generally mediocre, and at times downright cringe-worthy. I see that the next two books are also written by Mangels, so I’m not really motivated to continue with those.
Then there’s the fact that the EU novels seem to first and foremost deal with war and politics, which aren’t the main reasons I like Star Trek. I’d much rather prefer a good stand-alone story where the focus is on exploration, and where the crew has a moral/ethical/cultural/scientific/diplomatic/what-have-you dilemma to deal with – just like in the show itself.
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I'm a piker, though I've been reading Star Trek books since the mid 70's - Blish's collections and Foster's Logs from the Animated Series (which are great adaptations). Probably read between 20 and 30, and nothing from the last 15 years or so except the first Starfleet Corps of Engineers collection. Tried to get into Vanguard but can't abide the endless scenic description that slows the action way down and overdetails every moment. Working through Duane's Bloodwing Voyages over the last few months, but got stuck in the third novel, Swordhunt, because I'm getting darn tired of the endless d'hiannnshuurrrrrlll names. Cryin' out loud, call 'em Romulans!
My problem with reading Star Trek novels is the variable quality of the writing (even Peter David reads like everything is in first draft - I want to get out my red pencil and edit the hell out of the text). And the biggest point is that they are mostly a good deal less satisfying than real sci-fi, which I tend to always go back to after reading one here or there.
That said, I do highly recommend Ishmael by Barbara Hambly (a serious but meta-hilarious cross-over with an imaginary fourth season TOS and Here Come the Brides, with Mark Lenard in his role on that show acting as an amnesiac Spock's surrogate father). And John Ford's early novels. The Final Reflection reads like real sociological science fiction that just happens to take place in the Trek universe, and is a great Klingon story, maybe the best. And How Much for Just the Planet, the only musical-comedy in Star Trek. It doesn't work, and sadly isn't as funny as it is effortful, but he wrote a lot of clever new lyrics to old Cole Porter tunes and it's worth reading just for the skilled effort at trying it out. And all the Trek's by others people mention from the good old days, and also Gerrold and Haldeman and Bear - yes, actual name science fiction writers. I'm biased, sue me.
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Then there’s the fact that the EU novels seem to first and foremost deal with war and politics, which aren’t the main reasons I like Star Trek. I’d much rather prefer a good stand-alone story where the focus is on exploration, and where the crew has a moral/ethical/cultural/scientfic/diplomatic/what-have-you dilemma to deal with – just like in the show itself.
Nils, I neglected to chime in on this point - this is also my preference (which is obvious from my earlier choices). Star Trek has always been at its best as a format for storytelling of all kinds. and though I'm fond of serial storytelling, many of the best Trek stories are one offs, whatever the medium.
And yes, as to How Much for Just The Planet, you have to love the whole idea of a mashup with classic musical comedy and farce, which aint exactly Trek's strong suit. But it had the virtue of never having been tried. 
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I've only read a handful over the years (as opposed to books ABOUT Star Trek). I've actually started trying to read a few of the novels over the past year or so, and one thing I've noticed about the most recent ones, which was alluded to in an earlier reply, is the length. They seem to go on too long, padded out with a lot of unnecessary description.
And now I'm having deja vu. I think I've had this conversation on this board before.
I'm daunted by the long overarching plot lines. I've wanted to get into the Voyager "relaunch" series but not sure I want to commit to all those books. I recently finished Mosaic, an older Voyager novel and enjoyed it, and I've got a few other select novels (mostly original crew) I'm hoping to get to soonish.
Let us know if you start dipping in.
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Posted: |
Oct 11, 2016 - 9:27 AM
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By: |
CCOJOE
(Member)
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I still read them from time to time, particularly if one of my favorite authors puts a book out (David Mack is probably my current favorite). I agree that the continuity has gotten quite convoluted, especially in the "present day," i.e., post-TNG, DS9, VOY timeline. All of the novel series, including the USS Titan series, have intertwining stories where if you miss one novel, you miss out on some major plotlines and events. I lose interest in that, where I feel I "have" to read every book otherwise I'll miss out. It makes it feel like a chore. It's the same reason why I tailed off with the Star Wars novels after awhile....there were just too many books coming out to keep up with them.
However, there are some bright points. I particularly enjoyed the "Vanguard" series, which takes place concurrent with TOS...it's about a new Federation starbase on the very fringes of Federation space, as a launching point for the exploration of the Taurus Reach, a huge region of space also in close proximity to Klingon and Tholian territory. The books are alternately written by David Mack, and the writing team of Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. After the series ended, a spinoff series of sorts called Seekers, continues the story of two of the starships' crews that feature heavily in the Vanguard story. Because it takes place in the TOS era, there aren't as many continuity issues. (Some of the events of Vanguard are referenced in the "present-day" stories, but you wouldn't need to know that).
Excellent series and the three best authors working right now. They never fail to tell an entertaining story!
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