You can skip the drivel and go straight to the bold type at the bottom. I was a bit more long winded than I expected. I have been a ST fan since watching an all day Trek-a-thon with my dad on a UHF channel back in the 80's. I was never an overt Trekkie; I've never have been to a convention, or dressed up in a uniform (not that I wouldn't!), but still I consider myself a fairly avid fan. I own all the movies on DVD, for example, and some seasons of various series. Due to a profession that demands long work hours and significant time out of the country, I've missed some seasons of ST shows over the years that I had to make up in other ways. I still haven't caught up on DS9, but bought the entire Voyager series on DVD. Subsequently Voyager has become my favorite series. I missed Enterprise completely! I literally caught only a couple episodes here and there when it was on, but was confused by dropping in mid-arc, and I just never had the time to get familiar with the show. I recently bought a Windows 7 computer, and found Enterprise episodes were available for watching directly in the media center. (I had watched several TOS episodes at CBS.com a long while back, and now realize that Enterprise is there, also.). After a slow start, I was hooked. I watched every episode with anticipation, and found myself needing to click to the next episode. (I used Wikipedia to tell me the sequential order, and Youtube to fill in the missing episodes). It was fun to watch Archer struggle with new species, learn from mistakes such as interference in cultures etc., and experiment with new technology. There were some compelling stories, with good sci-fi and suspense. The show let me imagine Earth's first venture into a galaxy of space-faring lifeforms. So, I understand I am 5 years too late, and a dollar short, but I want more Enterprise. I've learned that Enterprise novels exist, so I'm asking for assistance. Could someone tell me which Enterprise books I should read, and it what order? Thank you for reading the gushing of a new fan, and any help you can provide.
In the Post-ENT collection: 1. The Good That Men Do (presupposing you've seen These Are The Voyages (aka The Abomination). Otherwise it won't make any sense to you (not that TATV makes any sense, but at least you'll understand the DS9 crossover). 2. Kobayashi Maru 3. The Romulan War Those are the only ones I know of.
Welcome, Jay! It's never too late to become a fan of Enterprise. There are other Enterprise novels written during the run of the show that may interest you: Broken Bow (adaptation of the pilot) By the Book What Price Honor Shockwave (adaptation of "Shockwave I/II") Surak's Soul The Expanse (adaptation of "The Expanse"/"The Xindi") Daedalus (not the episode) Daedalus's Children Rosetta And then come the Enterprise Relaunch books listed by JiNX above. The next one is coming out in 2011. I enjoyed "The Expanse." I'm sure there are folks on the board who can offer opinions on the others.
Personally, I hate the direction that the post-finale Enterprise novels (The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru, The Romulan War) have gone in. Trip as an undercover superspy is bad fanfic, IMO. I recommend Daedalus and Daedalus' Children, set near the end of season 2. They're great fun. I love the idea that Enterprise was actually Earth's second attempt at a deep space ship. Here we find out what happened to the first. Sort of (I won't ruin the twist). What Price Honor? is a Malcolm book, about him dealing with the death of a female crew member he loved. It was alright. Last Full Measure is a season 3 story, about the Starfleeters and MACOs learning to work together. It's a bit pointless, but we do find out how Malcolm got his water-phobia. The framing story has an aged Trip meet George Kirk. By the Book was written before the show premiered. Thus things are a little off, and most of it's spent on a tabletop RPG played by below decks characters.
Surak's Soul had to be rewritten when the episode "The Seventh" came along. They're very similar. T'Pol takes a vow of extreme pacifism after killing someone. I thought the characterizations were off. I haven't read Rosetta yet, but it's supposed to be good. It's a Hoshi book, involving the development of the universal translator. All the books set before the end of the show are stand-alone. You can read them in whatever order you want and not miss anything. Since the writers of the TV show and films had nothing to do with the books, a few things here and there are contradicted episodes made after the books were published. Nothing major.
Thanks for the welcome and helpful replies, guys. I'll start tracking these down, right away. I'm looking forward to getting the fleshed out details of the story. Particularly, I'm interested in more about the development of the relationship between Vulcan and Earth. I'm really like T'Pol's character, even if it seemed they were having a tough time picking a direction for her. Regarding TATV, I guess I had the benefit of being late to the party, so I was prepped. After watching each episode, I read its Wikipedia write up. The "Terra Prime" article basically told me to interpret that episode as the true series finale, and TATV as more of a bonus episode. In that light, (and not discovering the true heights of the controversy until coming here) I was able to enjoy it. However, I can certainly understand how I would've viewed the episode with some disappointment, if I was a viewer during its original broadcast run. (I won't say anymore, as I'd prefer my first thread to stay above the fray. ) Thanks again for your help. I look forward to reading the book suggestions, and reading your threads at the forum.