Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath

Ahhh.

Still, it had the same "creepy" vibe to it that M&C's stuff did...

 

I tried one of the Phoenix novels once. It was so bad I couldn't even finish it. I couldn't understand what the hell was going on.

 

I actually liked Black Fire... and I also spent three months in a mental hospital at one point in my life so take that as you will.

 

I did enjoy Black Fire quite a bit (although the Tomarii were very stereotypical villains). I found it much easier to follow than the Phoenix novels.

 

I never read the Pheonix novels, but I've tried my hand at 'Prometheus Design' twice and have yet to be able to understand just what in God's name is happening.

 

So, could someone who has the Voyages book explain for us poor people who don't have access to a copy let us in on the secret? I'd rather like to know.

 

I don't know what OmahaStar's on about, because Voyages doesn't shed any light on the issue at all as far as I can tell. It merely states that the duo went on to create a phonics game, but not why Triangle was the last they published.

 

I have the two Phoenix books, two of the New Voyages anthologies and Star Trek Lives! sitting on my shelf.

I've not actually read any of them, and this thread is not exactly threatening to change that.

 

Yes, an amazon search of the book's content and their names didn't produce any answers.

Oh, and for the record, I didn't take his response as snotty, just not providing an answer. I don't want anyone to think I was ignoring anyone. Just trying to get an answer.

 

There's some good stuff in the New Voyages anthologies. Star Trek Lives has some interesting stuff as well, particularly the two chapters by Joan Winston and the chapter on fanfic.

 

First, I didn't know I could resurrect a thread this old. Second, I just started reading Star Trek Lives. I do find it interesting considering when it was written, and what has happened to Trek since the 1970s. I read Prometheus Design, and hated it, but so far, this is much better. Perhaps the influence of the other two authors is really helping.
The impression I got is ROddenberry really liked Myrna Culbreath, so maybe that's part of the reason why she had Trek books published in the past, but not recently?

 

i'm glad this thread was resurrected, as this is something I've wondered about too.

I liked "prometheus design" and "triangle," but the phoenix novels not so much. Maybe Pocket books made them take it down a notch more than Bantam did.

 

I remember reading "Price" about 7 years ago, but I had a hard time telling head from tail with that story. And I remember that I did read both "New Voyages" and I really enjoyed the "Procrustean Pretard", but I don't remember either of Marshak/Culbreath' short-stories.

 

As weird as this sounds, I've wanted to read a third Phoenix novel for years. I'd love to see Picard throw down with Omne.

And, even weirder, I keep getting an Omne vibe from Benedict Cumberbatch in the Star Trek Into Darkness trailers.

 

Will Ben Cumberbatch be able to beat the jungle out of Chris Pine?

 

Those books were bizarre. Even by 70's fanfic standards.

 

I've re-read all 4 Marshak and Culbreath novels within the past 12 months after originally reading them in the 1980s - there were some interesting basic ideas in them, but man were they buried under a mountain of bad writing. I personally just loathe the K/S stuff to begin with, and there were just pages after pages after pages of boring conversations that were just mind-numbing to read. Plus, Omne was such a ridiculously cartoonish overpowered villain - I kept expecting to find that he needed to consume the life energies of various planets for sustenance. There has only been one Treklit novel that I just couldn't make myself finish (Pawns and Symbols), but those books came close.

I do maintain, though, that there were the kernels of good stories in their basic concept - A better writer could probably do quite a bit with them.