Spoilers TNG: A Singular Destiny by Keith R.A. DeCandido review thread

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Brendan Moody, Jan 21, 2009.

  1. RonG

    RonG Captain Captain

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    As an Israeli TrekLit reader, this just begs for an answer :p

    Trek books have traditionally been sold in the leading chain(s) of bookstores, but for some reason the amount of Trek books in stores, as well as stores where you can find Trek books, have greatly decreased in the last 1-2 years. Could be a decline in popularity among the Israeli readership...

    Either way, my primary sources for Trek novels have been Amazon and eBay until I started ordering them via my local Comicbook store (by way of Previews)...
     
  2. Dayton Ward

    Dayton Ward Word Pusher Rear Admiral

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    It was Janeway. She was resurrected *and* killed off again, all between books....just to piss people off.
     
  3. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool :rommie:

    And wow, a Welshman has this already! I guess I shouldn't have ordered it through my local bookshop.
     
  4. Man of Steel

    Man of Steel Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Ron,

    Where in Israel are you?

    The strange thing is that every book under the sun is sold here from Grisham to Patterson to Star Wars and if Trek can be sold in the UK, Europe, Aussie why not here? Man am I glad I live in America where everything is easy to get.
     
  5. Brefugee

    Brefugee No longer living the Irish dream. Premium Member

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    I'm sure you are aware of this minor detail, but the UK is in Europe and The European Union (which I'm assuming you mean) unlike America or Australia is not a country just yet but it's on its way.
     
  6. Man of Steel

    Man of Steel Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Was aware. Just noticed the typo now. Sorry about that mate.:techman:
     
  7. William Leisner

    William Leisner Scribbler Rear Admiral

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    I find it hard to believe that, if all these other American authors are available, Trek books would be so difficult to attain. Do Israeli bookshops not accept customer special orders? Or might there be a SF specialty shop somewhere in town that maybe has sources the general interest stores don't?
     
  8. ronny

    ronny Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Got my copy today. I'll start reading it tonight.

    Bitter sweet experience though as it's probably the the last Star Trek book I'll be getting at Stacey's, my usual source for ST books. They are closing down in a few weeks after 85 years in business. I need to find another independent source. Not that many left...

    EDIT: forgot to mention, love the cover. hefty book, just the way i like'em. i'm really looking forward to this. back to this thread when i'm done.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2009
  9. RonG

    RonG Captain Captain

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    I live in the Tel Aviv area, filled with second hand bookstores (some of which do carry older Trek novels). Also, Star Wars is a lot easier to find :scream:

    There are two main Israeli bookstore chains, which (as far as I know) do accept special orders in general. I once (a couple of years ago) tried to order a Trek novel, but they couldn't get it done, so I haven't tried it since and order Trek novels mainly through my LCS or online...
     
  10. Ktrek

    Ktrek Captain Captain

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    You guys from Israel could always buy a Sony Reader or a Kindle and not have to pay such outrageous postage fees and also get the books in a more timely manner in most cases. I personally prefer paper copies but if I lived in a place like you do I would do what I needed to.

    Kevin
     
  11. RonG

    RonG Captain Captain

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    Well, I prefer the dead-tree versions as well...

    I think that my LCS does a great job in that regard:

    1. While the cost of a Trek novel when ordered or bought in one of the main bookstore chains is approx. 15.5 USD, the cost through my LCS is approx. 11 USD (including all costs) so it's not THAT expensive...

    2. The LCS guys know what a Trek fan I am, so they often order a Trek novel just for me (thy did it in the case of Mere Mortals, which Id missed in Previews...). If for some reason I don't want the book, they just put it on display (though in several years, there was only time I declined a Trek book :cool:)
     
  12. Man of Steel

    Man of Steel Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Ya know Kevin, I live in NY and it's never a problem for me to get the books. However, I happen to have an apt here in Jerusalem where I am staying for a few months visiting friends and family and I am still getting my stuff in a timely matter.

    At one point, Barnes and Nobles was going to open a store near the Western Wall Mall but the deal fell through over a few disagreements but rumor has it that they have restarted negotiations to bring them here.
     
  13. DarkHorizon

    DarkHorizon Captain Captain

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    So, I managed to write a full review of the novel, reposted here from my blog:

     
  14. Corran Horn

    Corran Horn Vice Admiral Admiral

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    That was particularly depressing to see, at least in one case.
     
  15. Jean-Luc Picard

    Jean-Luc Picard Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    Now I am really intrigued...
     
  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    The Kinshaya were only alluded to in The Final Reflection, not depicted or explored in any detail. ASD is the first novel that's ever portrayed them "onscreen" or established anything about their culture.

    They also appear in a FASA role-playing game book that John M. Ford wrote, The Klingons, but their description there is incompatible with what's described in ASD. I found this description online:

    Keith's Kinshaya are quadrupeds with actual wings and large, expressive ears. I imagined something like griffins. They do have the spherical black ships mentioned in the gaming material, though.
     
  17. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Unfortunately, Diamond cancelled orders on Mere Mortals, probably because they were too low. :(
     
  18. RonG

    RonG Captain Captain

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    So how come they were able to send out copies? Did they cancel orders other than the preliminary ones?
     
  19. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Come, could you guys tell us? In spoiler coding of course.
     
  20. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Oh, Mere Mortals. My bad, sorry. I thought you meant Mere Anarchy. (It's the "Mere" that threw me.) Which was reported on Psi Phi as having had its orders through Diamond cancelled last week.

    Obviously, I need more coffee.