Star Trek: Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within (ebook) review thread

[Nick M]

elaithin wrote:

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I rather enjoyed it - and despite comments to the contrary, I think the short form suited this particular story well. It was very nice to see how the Typhon Pact is changing it's own members, and the character progression for Jasminder and T'Ryssa both was excellently done.

Back to the length - this story felt more like a single episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation than anything I've read in a long time. And that's not a minus.

I agree. I was telling a friend that the novels are such a large canvas, and the stories are, well, a lot of them epic in scope. I said I really enjoyed this because it had the feel of a single episode in a series, and in the best possible way. Well done Mr. Bennett.

[Nick M]

Christopher wrote:

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That's the editor's job to keep track of. But as far as I know, the next person writing Picard/TNG is Dave Mack, and he and I tend to compare notes on our Trek projects pretty regularly. In fact, I daresay I was pretty much following his lead from Destiny when it came to exploring how parenthood has changed Picard.

I am going to be discussing "The Struggle Within" this week (Jan. 22) on The G and T Show, in case you want to listen in. It airs at 9 a.m. EST/6 a.m. PST. at http://www.livestream.com/cerberusfilms

I'll be talking about it's place in the Typhon Pact series, some views on the characterizations and some other thoughts.

All the best,
Nick
@Gettysburg7
http://www.gandtshow.com

[Fer]

Really enjoyed it! The shorter format and the A& B plots focusing on different characters made it feel very much like a modern day TV episode of Next Gen. Great job! I'd love to see more ebooks like this one.

[BrentMc]

I would read this, but I do not want to pay $6 for such a short eBook. My local library doesn't have it either. I was hoping they would print it at the end of one of the next Typhon pact paperbacks. Maybe if an ebook seller has a coupon one of these days I will get it. Did anyone find a discount on this short story?

[BrentMc]

I sometimes get Barnes and noble coupons in email. Has anyone here used a coupon on an ebook?

[JD]

It's 100p so that makes it a novella, not a short story. I don't know any of the word counts though, so I don't know how far over the short story count it is.

[ATimson]

BrentMc wrote:

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Maybe if an ebook seller has a coupon one of these days I will get it. Did anyone find a discount on this short story?

Simon and Schuster forbids retailers from allowing discounts on their ebook titles.

[BrentMc]

ATimson wrote:

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Simon and Schuster forbids retailers from allowing discounts on their ebook titles.

Wow, as if I needed another reason to not like eBooks. I am already upset at my inability to buy them used, or sell my read eBooks like you can with hard copy. Now I can't use a coupon? I thought maybe one of the coupons Barnes and Noble emails me might work with eBooks. I just bought 4 Star Trek novels on amazon with the 4 for 3 promotion, so they came out to be about $6 a piece for a full, paperback novel. I do not want to pay $6 for a novella length eBook.

This is not an attack on CLB. I like talking to him here and I enjoy his work. I just don't think the pricing is reasonable.

I own a nook mostly for free ebooks and library e-lending. I like it OK, but I don't see much incentive for me to buy eBooks.

[Christopher]

JD wrote:

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It's 100p so that makes it a novella, not a short story. I don't know any of the word counts though, so I don't know how far over the short story count it is.

The Struggle Within is about 25,000 words. Short stories are up to 7500 words, novelettes 7500-17,500, novellas 17,500-40,000, novels 40K-up.

[BrentMc]

Christopher wrote:

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The Struggle Within is about 25,000 words. Short stories are up to 7500 words, novelettes 7500-17,500, novellas 17,500-40,000, novels 40K-up.

I meant nothing buy calling it a short story. I referred to it as a novella in subsequent posts. Again my comments have not been an attack on you. I would not be upset if I did not want to read it.

[Christopher]

When did I say I felt attacked? I was just answering JD's question about word counts.

[BrentMc]

Christopher wrote:

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When did I say I felt attacked? I was just answering JD's question about word counts.

Were cool. I just wanted to make it clear that while stating my frustration about eBooks I was not trying to diminish your novella by calling it a short story.

[Christopher]

Nothing wrong with short stories. It's a common misunderstanding, but there's no reason to see it as a value judgment.

[Warp Coil]

I've heard that this title is quite good, but I don't have an eReader and have yet to make the switch to the electronic format. I still enjoy reading in dead tree format. I'd love for Pocket to maybe do a couple of other Typhon Pact novellas, and then release an omnibus in paperback.

[Christopher]

^If you have a computer, then you have an e-book reader. Reader software/"apps" can be downloaded for free wherever e-books are sold.

And it doesn't have to be a "switch" -- it's not like you have to give up paper books when you get an e-book reader. Heck, I have half the Strange New Worlds series in trade paperback and the other half as e-books on my computer.