Double Helix

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by garoo1980, Jun 14, 2010.

  1. garoo1980

    garoo1980 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I just picked these up last week and I was wondering what everyone thought of them. I'm trying to stave off withdrawl until the Typhon books arrives and these came up. Did I waste my money? Thanks!
     
  2. Thrawn

    Thrawn Rear Admiral Premium Member

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    Not to be blunt or anything, but in my opinion, yes you totally wasted your money. The only one that isn't completely forgettable is the Stargazer one, and even it is 7/10 at most.
     
  3. 21Spike65

    21Spike65 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    I thought overall the series was pretty good. It gets a little repetitive in the middle books, but I thought they were worth the read.

    Infection fit well as a first-season TNG book--I thought it really felt like a first-season TNG episode. That said, first-season TNG wasn't all that great, so neither is the book, but it fits with the time so it worked.

    Vectors was a good read. It was cool to see the pre-DS9 Terok Nor interactions, and I thought it was probably the best of the first few books.

    Red Sector has had mixed reviews. I'd say it was the weakest of the series, but if you can get through it, it does get better.

    Quarantine suffers from being the fourth book in the series. It's the last book before the climax, so it's hard for it to really have its own place when we've already had three books before. Not a bad book overall though, though the ending does kind of feel incomplete.

    I thought Double or Nothing was the best book of the series. In typical Peter David fashion, I found myself laughing, and I read it before I read any of New Frontier, and still enjoyed it.

    The First Virtue goes back to the Stargazer days, and brings in Tuvok as a guest character. Another solid book in my opinion, probably my second favorite, and just reading a scene with Tuvok, Crusher, and a bath house was priceless.

    Hope this helps. :)
     
  4. garoo1980

    garoo1980 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    That's about what I expected. To be fair I didn't pay much so I'm not too worried. I just started Infection and I was hoping it would be better than the first season of TNG given that it was written in 1999.

    I do like Peter David and Michael Jan Friedman so I was optimistic that it would be good. I'll stick it out I think
     
  5. captcalhoun

    captcalhoun Admiral Admiral

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    i've only read DoN anad i love it. it's a Star Trek version of a James Bond movie.
     
  6. Dancing Doctor

    Dancing Doctor Admiral Admiral

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    They're an okay series. Red Sector is a bit meh, and Quarantine was hard to really care about.

    The series has a decent premise, though, and it is interesting.
     
  7. Therin of Andor

    Therin of Andor Admiral Moderator

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    Agreed. I'm one of those who really enjoyed "Red Sector", then joined the Internet world of ST fans and innocently, naively, found I was in a minority.

    The NF title, "Double or Nothing" is a fun read!
     
  8. UncleRogi

    UncleRogi Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    This is my exact reply.
    Stick it out, it is ultimately worth it
     
  9. David cgc

    David cgc Admiral Premium Member

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    It even has Q, who I suspect was intended to be a Q.
     
  10. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    I picked up the omnibus for 50p a couple of weeks ago. Mwahaha....
     
  11. Smiley

    Smiley Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The plots in the early novels of the series are of similar types, but they make such effective use of the characters and settings that I don't mind. The last two books provide the climax and then the background, so they are the most appealing.

    Be aware that Red Sector is a horrible waste of paper. The Romulus stuff is mildly interesting, but the Stiles stuff is basically unreadable to me.
     
  12. Defcon

    Defcon Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    It's a decent mini-series. Two good novels, 3 average novels and only one slightly sub-par novel.

    My ranking of the novels:

    1. Double or Nothing
    2. The first Virtue
    -----------------------
    3. Vectors
    4. Red Sector
    5. Quarantine
    -----------------------
    6. Infection
     
  13. T'Ressa Dax

    T'Ressa Dax Captain Captain

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    It's a pretty good series. Though not having read it for a while I don't have too many distinct memories. First thing that came to mind involved the Cardassians, actually. Don't know why.
     
  14. 21Spike65

    21Spike65 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    ^The Cardassians played a significant part in Quarantine.
     
  15. Dancing Doctor

    Dancing Doctor Admiral Admiral

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    ^And Vectors.
     
  16. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Red Sector fans unite! I, too, really enjoyed the book and was shocked to discover all the hate for it when I first came here (and Psi-Phi).

    Double or Nothing is my favorite of the series but I think that's partially because of my love for New Frontier (especially during that time). Vectors and First Virtue are enjoyable but nothing special (especially with the release of the Terok Nor trilogy in regards to the former). Quarantine and Infection are meh.
     
  17. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^Yeah, DoN came out right in the middle of the high point of NF, and played in big role in helping keep that high point going. Sadly it wasn't much longer before it started going downhill. It's still a good series, just not as good as it was when DoN came out.
     
  18. ronny

    ronny Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The concept sounded really interesting to me but the execution left a LOT to be desired. My favorite was the NF book but I can see where other people wouldn't. Although Red Sector isn't as bad as Ship of the Line, it's not far away. It just stinks. The other 4 books are just boring.
     
  19. Csalem

    Csalem Commodore Commodore

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    Only two I enjoyed were the NF and DS9 ones. The other were ok, except for Red Sector, which still sends shivers down my spine today. I may try rereading it some day to see of it improves with age.
     
  20. garoo1980

    garoo1980 Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Wow I didn't mind Red Sector. Not my favorite or anything but it was hardly a tough read.

    I'm on Quarantine now and this one is pretty tough. I'll finish it but if it was a stand alone book I'd have bailed by now.

    What about the last book? No one really commented on that one