Rate 2012 in Trek lit

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by F. King Daniel, Jan 3, 2013.

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Rate 2012 in Trek lit

  1. Outstanding

    11 vote(s)
    22.9%
  2. Above average

    30 vote(s)
    62.5%
  3. Average

    5 vote(s)
    10.4%
  4. Below average

    1 vote(s)
    2.1%
  5. Poor

    1 vote(s)
    2.1%
  1. Jarvisimo

    Jarvisimo Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2011
    How about some truly northern assessment, never afraid of putting an opinion out there?

    (i) Total belter
    (ii) Awrite
    (iii) Shite (or mince)
     
  2. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2011
    Location:
    The Black Country, England
    Or Black Country - from good to bad...

    Bostin
    Natty
    Codge
    Riffy
     
  3. Lee Son of Pete

    Lee Son of Pete Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2013
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
  4. Paper Moon

    Paper Moon Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2011
    Similar to what Hugh Cambridge suggested, I think simply replacing the phrase "above average" with "very good" would be sufficient and wouldn't really mess up Sho's system significantly.

    I think they do overlap, but the former sounds a bit like damnation with faint praise. And I think, for the most part, people do treat them like a five-star system, but often qualify their four-star rating as not intended to be a "diss."

    As for the OP's question, I had to go back and review what was released here:
    • The Rings of Time
    • That Which Divides
    • Destiny omnibus
    • Storming Heaven
    • Forgotten History
    • Plagues of Night
    • Raise the Dawn
    • The Assassination Game
    • Fallen Gods
    • The Eternal Tide
    • Brinkmanship
    • In Tempest's Wake
    • The Persistance of Memory
    • Silent Weapons
    • The Body Electric
    • Federation: The First 150 Years
    • 12 IDW Star Trek Ongoing comics (1 per month)

    I haven't read all of these, but I've read many, and, while there are indeed a couple that fall flat, there are many more that are great and a few that are among my favorite works of TrekLit yet. So I've voted outstanding/five-stars/A/wicked pissah.
     
  5. JWolf

    JWolf Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2005
    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    I do agree and I think it should have been better thought out. A novel can be better then above average yet not as good as outstanding. That's where the problem lies. Overall, 2012 was very good with some bumps along the way. But overall, better above average and not as good as above average. The following is what I propose we use.

    6. Outstanding
    5. Very Good
    4. Above Average
    3. Average
    2. Below Average
    1. Poor

    Because (IMHO)...

    Average = OK
    Above Average - Good
    Outstanding = Nearly Perfect

    There's nothing between Good and Nearly Perfect. It's a big gap.
     
  6. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    ^The point is, it's not the labels that are important. You're taking them too literally. Ultimately it's a 5-point rating system, regardless of what labels you use. Just think of it as "4 stars" or "B" or whatever you want. The important thing is the position, not the description.
     
  7. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2003
    Location:
    Canada
    I really want the next novel poll to use this one, just for the fun of all of us from the rest of the world trying to figure out what the hell they mean!! :lol:

    ("Riffy" sounds to my ear like it should be the best of the four, not the worst...)
     
  8. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2004
    Location:
    Lancaster, PA
    You know, those all sound like good names for redshirts!

    "Captain! The aliens . . . they killed Bostin and Natty and Codge!"
     
  9. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2004
    Location:
    Arizona, USA
    ^ I had the same thought about riffy. I think it might be because it seems close to nifty.
     
  10. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2011
    Location:
    The Black Country, England
    Greg, please, be my guest ! They're all in common usage and couldn't possibly be subject to any copyright issues.

    For reference -

    Bostin' - short for 'bosting' meaning brilliant, fantastic etc. For example,' 'Ar, t'was a bostin' pint'...yes, that was an excellent beer.
    Natty - good, nice, stylish.
    Codge - messed up but functional, such as a slapdash repair that won't last. Bodge is another version, I.e. a real bodge job.
    Riffy - poor, worn out, dirty, unkempt or unpleasant.

    As an aside (and from memory), Ian Edgington who lives not far from me, included a couple of nods to The Black Country in his SCE story Caveat Emptor.

    Edit - just checked ;

    The character names Ainoc and Aylai are taken (and thinly disguised) from black country folklore/humour, where if ever 'one man said to another' it is Aynuk said to Ayli'. The names are actually Enoch and Eli pronounced in the Black Country dialect.

    Also there is another character named Brumm, which is a shortened form of Brummagem, the Black Country name/pronunciation of neighbouring city Birmingham.

    I know, too much information...

    Anyway, I look forward to seeing Bostin, Natty and Codge at some point in the future ;)
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2013
  11. ialfan

    ialfan Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2006
    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    I have read the following novels this year:
    Plagues the Night
    Raise the Dawn
    The Eternal Tide
    The Persistence of Memory
    and am working on Silent Weapons

    I thought all of them were excellent but TOS novels just don't really interest me and Titan managed to lose me somewhere along the way also so I went with Above Average.