TP: Seize the Fire by Michael A. Martin Review Thread (Spoilers!) - Page 5

kkozoriz1 · December 1 2010, 05:22 AM

It's starting to look like they should bring back Andy and either have him co-write with Martin or on his own. Martin as a solo act doesn't seem to be cutting it.

Man of Steel · December 1 2010, 05:26 AM

RonG wrote:

I'm sorry to say that I agree with most of the criticism.

I think the book had some wonderful ideas and concepts, but didn't utilize them to their fullest potential (at least IMO).

All in all, I have to say that the series so far has left me a bit underwhelmed..

Hey Ron,

You get that pic from me?

Thrawn · December 1 2010, 05:26 AM

kkozoriz1 wrote:

It's starting to look like they should bring back Andy and either have him co-write with Martin or on his own. Martin as a solo act doesn't seem to be cutting it.

Well, being totally honest though, aside from David Mack, I haven't been especially impressed with ANY author's output since Marco was laid off. And even Zero Sum Game was pretty lame.

I think we might be missing a bigger picture thing here.

RonG · December 1 2010, 07:27 AM

Man of Steel wrote:

Hey Ron,

You get that pic from me?

You kidding? I thought you got it from me

just saw it after seeng Wall-E a while back and loved it

RonG · December 1 2010, 07:51 AM

Thrawn wrote:

kkozoriz1 wrote:

It's starting to look like they should bring back Andy and either have him co-write with Martin or on his own. Martin as a solo act doesn't seem to be cutting it.

Well, being totally honest though, aside from David Mack, I haven't been especially impressed with ANY author's output since Marco was laid off. And even Zero Sum Game was pretty lame.

I think we might be missing a bigger picture thing here.

I agree with your overall point, i.e. Marco's final Trek novels (the post-Destiny VOY duology IIRC) have been the last truly amazing novels in the last couple of years (excluding Mack's Sorrows of Empires and the Vanguard series).

It's not that there weren't any good novels, but not anything special, at least IMO.

As for your last point, are you referring to the Trek universe or real-world editorial and publishing issues?

JWolf · December 1 2010, 08:43 AM

I can say that the eBook quality has gone downhill since Marco left. We have eBpooks with broken fonts, words with dashes in them that do not belong and * * * as section separators that are only there for the print version because the section ends near the end of the page. So really, bring back Marco so the quality of the eBooks can be better again.

T'deD'Edkeid'Ende'Dejdid · December 1 2010, 10:49 AM

I was really looking forward to this book since I've enjoyed the series so far. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed this this book. Hopefully Rough Beasts of the Empire will be better.

JoeZhang · December 1 2010, 02:30 PM

Maybe they need to start rotating out the current writers and bring in some people with some fresh ideas.

Almost Unique · December 1 2010, 02:59 PM

Some of the writers, sure, but certainly not all of them.

JoeZhang · December 1 2010, 03:07 PM

Almost Unique wrote:

Some of the writers, sure, but certainly not all of them.

I think pretty much all of the material over the last couple of years has been average to mediocre. I'd have no problem with them getting in entirely new teams.

Thrawn · December 1 2010, 04:03 PM

RonG wrote:

I agree with your overall point, i.e. Marco's final Trek novels (the post-Destiny VOY duology IIRC) have been the last truly amazing novels in the last couple of years (excluding Mack's Sorrows of Empires and the Vanguard series).

It's not that there weren't any good novels, but not anything special, at least IMO.

As for your last point, are you referring to the Trek universe or real-world editorial and publishing issues?

Sorry that wasn't clearer; I just meant that people were complaining about the authors, and it seemed to me like it might be the editorial leadership as a whole rather than the authors individually.

I've read a little over 200 Trek books in the past couple years (what can I say? When I obsess I obsess...) and just for fun I averaged all the ones Marco edited and all the ones he didn't, and his books averaged about 20% better ratings from me. And that's with me reading ALL of his editorial output, and only reading the best of everyone else's.

Don't get me wrong, there were PLENTY of GREAT books without him and I'm sure there will continue to be in the future. I'm hugely looking forward to most of the books coming this year, I think a lot of them have a ton of potential. But what's the phrase, a rising tide lifts all ships? Marco was a hell of a rising tide.

JD · December 1 2010, 07:38 PM

^I think I've got to agree with you. I'm liking ZSG quite a bit so far, but it definitely is missing something that the books used to have.

Man of Steel · December 1 2010, 11:56 PM

RonG wrote:

Man of Steel wrote:

Hey Ron,

You get that pic from me?

You kidding? I thought you got it from me

just saw it after seeng Wall-E a while back and loved it

Nope. I actually got it from Flikie to use as my Facebook pic sometimes.

Enterprise1981 · December 5 2010, 12:24 AM

Got my copy today. Last one at the Barnes & Noble I was at.

So far from reading the couple paragraphs of prologue and the first chapter: Snoozers!!!

Man of Steel · December 5 2010, 05:41 AM

Enterprise1981 wrote:

Got my copy today. Last one at the Barnes & Noble I was at.

So far from reading the couple paragraphs of prologue and the first chapter: Snoozers!!!

I read the first 4 chapters. I think it's one of those books that just takes time to get into.

View Poll Results: Rate Seize The Fire.
Outstanding	4	3.81%
Above Average	22	20.95%
Average	31	29.52%
Below Average	30	28.57%
Poor	18	17.14%
Voters: 105. You may not vote on this poll

December 1 2010, 05:22 AM	#61
kkozoriz1 Fleet Captain Location: Centrelea, Nova Scotia	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread It's starting to look like they should bring back Andy and either have him co-write with Martin or on his own. Martin as a solo act doesn't seem to be cutting it.

December 1 2010, 08:43 AM	#66
JWolf Commodore Location: Massachusetts, USA	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread I can say that the eBook quality has gone downhill since Marco left. We have eBpooks with broken fonts, words with dashes in them that do not belong and * * * as section separators that are only there for the print version because the section ends near the end of the page. So really, bring back Marco so the quality of the eBooks can be better again. __________________ Jon

December 1 2010, 10:49 AM	#67
T'deD'Edkeid'Ende'Dejdid Lieutenant Commander	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread I was really looking forward to this book since I've enjoyed the series so far. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed this this book. Hopefully Rough Beasts of the Empire will be better.

December 1 2010, 02:30 PM	#68
JoeZhang Rear Admiral	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread Maybe they need to start rotating out the current writers and bring in some people with some fresh ideas.

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December 1 2010, 02:59 PM	#69
Almost Unique Lieutenant Location: Marquette, MI	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread Some of the writers, sure, but certainly not all of them. __________________ "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." -JC

December 1 2010, 07:38 PM	#72
JD Admiral Location: Arizona, USA	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread ^I think I've got to agree with you. I'm liking ZSG quite a bit so far, but it definitely is missing something that the books used to have. __________________ Over the course of many encounters and many years, I have successfully developed a standard operating procedure for dealing with big, nasty monsters. Run away. Me and Monty Python. Harry Dresden - Blood Rites (The Dresden Files #6)

December 5 2010, 12:24 AM	#74
Enterprise1981 Rear Admiral Location: A factory in Taiwan	Re: Typhon Pact: Seize The Fire review thread Got my copy today. Last one at the Barnes & Noble I was at. So far from reading the couple paragraphs of prologue and the first chapter: Snoozers!!! __________________ Star Trek: War Aftermath -- "Omega" Star Trek: Lambda Paz -- "To the Bitter End" I look forward to your letters...