VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) - Page 18

David Mack · July 16 2012, 06:07 PM

^ Cooper was not a researcher, he was the station's executive officer, Commander Jon Cooper, and he was established in book one, Harbinger.

Relayer1 · July 16 2012, 06:24 PM

David Mack wrote:

^ Cooper was not a researcher, he was the station's executive officer, Commander Jon Cooper, and he was established in book one, Harbinger.

Three down, one to go, unless there was a waitress I missed too...

MatthiasRussell · July 16 2012, 08:31 PM

^I'm pretty sure she was on the Omari-Ekon.

Hmmm, Penny should dress up as an Orion slave girl on BBT.

Relayer1 · July 16 2012, 10:13 PM

MatthiasRussell wrote:

^I'm pretty sure she was on the Omari-Ekon.

Hmmm, Penny should dress up as an Orion slave girl on BBT.

Pervert. Good idea though...

captcalhoun · July 18 2012, 07:31 AM

i'm not reading an 18-page thread, but i finished this last night and it was AWESOME. kudos the Mack and Wardilmore for this last pair of novels being so awesome.

the only complaint i have regarding Vanguard is that it skipped ahead a lot. i would've liked it to last longer by taking more time to cover the time period, but i guess if there wasn't much significant going on in the time periods that were skipped, this is not surprising. i just remember Mack saying in one interview at the beginning, that the plan then was that not every book would focus on the meta-genome mystery... plans change, i guess...

DEWLine · July 20 2012, 03:22 AM

I suspect that there was a lot going on "off-camera" in the characters' lives that we wouldn't mind reading about at some point. But for the moment, I'm personally disinclined to press the issue.

Psi'a Meese · October 1 2012, 09:22 PM

I finally sat down and read Storming Heaven over the weekend. I've owned the book for several months but tend to procrastinate over endings. I do this with television series and computer games as well. I don't want them to end. I've managed to stay away from this thread until now.

I've been enjoying the series since I first picked up in the middle. Then endeavored to collect the previous novels to get the full effect. And boy did I ever. Not that I haven't already been aware of how much I enjoy the cast of characters, but I hadn't realized how much Zeke meant to me until I read his fate. I almost threw the book across the room I was so angry. But I refrained.

Overall, I was satisfied with the series conclusion. I continue to be impressed with how seamless the Vanguard story retroactively fits within context to the original television series. Why hadn't we ever heard of Vanguard station before? Well, the books explain this pretty well.

Something that I had personally theorized for a few years - but wasn't touched upon by series conclusion - was that the alien described in J.M. Dillard's novelization of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, may have been a weakened Shedai. IMO, this still fits. That great barrier could well have been real enough to have cut it off/protect it from the fate of the other Shedai in the Vanguard novels.

ronny · October 2 2012, 05:32 AM

Just finished the last book today. Great stuff. I pre-ordered In Tempests Wake a few minutes ago. I thought it was going to come out in the middle of the month, not tomorrow. Guess I know what I'm reading next.

KimM · October 20 2012, 07:17 PM

Not reading entire thread as only halfway through but is it ever a corker! I've avoided the Vanguard books because I was trying to catch up on everything else.

i've also avoided because of the nostalgia factor. It's hard not to read the "Big Three" and their contemporaries in the TOS era w/out a little pang. Oddly enough, I consider the Typhon Pact books to be "current" and It's a little sad to feel like the TOS era days are "gone."

RPJOB · October 23 2012, 07:00 AM

Do yourself a favor and read Vanguard. It was, IMHO, the best Trek series that was never filmed. At times it did try a little too hard to tie things into TOS but when it was off doing it's own thing it was amazing. Great characters. Great stories. And some of the best covers by Doug Drexler. as a series I rate it 9/10. Pretty amazing for a run of novels written by more than one author.

Patrick O'Brien · October 25 2012, 10:49 AM

^Agreed, Vanguard is a must read for any fan of Trek literature

Jarvisimo · January 8 2013, 11:50 PM

The cover of Storming Heaven, by Doug Drexler, was mentioned in a review of the 'best' sci-fi & fantasy covers of the year. DD put it up on his Facebook wall:

http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.c...covers-of-2012

http://www.facebook.com/doug.drexler.7

View Poll Results: Rate Storming Heaven.
Outstanding	55	68.75%
Above Average	22	27.50%
Average	2	2.50%
Below Average	0	0%
Poor	1	1.25%
Voters: 80. You may not vote on this poll

July 16 2012, 06:07 PM	#256
David Mack Writer Location: New York, NY	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) ^ Cooper was not a researcher, he was the station's executive officer, Commander Jon Cooper, and he was established in book one, Harbinger. __________________ ~ David Mack \| "Where were you when the page was blank?" — Truman Capote Join me on Facebook & Twitter

July 16 2012, 08:31 PM	#258
MatthiasRussell Fleet Captain Location: Seattle	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) ^I'm pretty sure she was on the Omari-Ekon. Hmmm, Penny should dress up as an Orion slave girl on BBT. __________________ "Can anyone remember when we used to be explorers?"

July 18 2012, 07:31 AM	#260
captcalhoun Admiral Location: gone	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) i'm not reading an 18-page thread, but i finished this last night and it was AWESOME. kudos the Mack and Wardilmore for this last pair of novels being so awesome. the only complaint i have regarding Vanguard is that it skipped ahead a lot. i would've liked it to last longer by taking more time to cover the time period, but i guess if there wasn't much significant going on in the time periods that were skipped, this is not surprising. i just remember Mack saying in one interview at the beginning, that the plan then was that not every book would focus on the meta-genome mystery... plans change, i guess...

July 20 2012, 03:22 AM	#261
DEWLine Captain Location: Ottawa, Canada	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) I suspect that there was a lot going on "off-camera" in the characters' lives that we wouldn't mind reading about at some point. But for the moment, I'm personally disinclined to press the issue. __________________ Yours, Dwight Williams Illustrator/Writer

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

October 1 2012, 09:22 PM	#262
Psi'a Meese Lieutenant Commander Location: Cait, Lynx Constellation	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) I finally sat down and read Storming Heaven over the weekend. I've owned the book for several months but tend to procrastinate over endings. I do this with television series and computer games as well. I don't want them to end. I've managed to stay away from this thread until now. I've been enjoying the series since I first picked up in the middle. Then endeavored to collect the previous novels to get the full effect. And boy did I ever. Not that I haven't already been aware of how much I enjoy the cast of characters, but I hadn't realized how much Zeke meant to me until I read his fate. I almost threw the book across the room I was so angry. But I refrained. Overall, I was satisfied with the series conclusion. I continue to be impressed with how seamless the Vanguard story retroactively fits within context to the original television series. Why hadn't we ever heard of Vanguard station before? Well, the books explain this pretty well. Something that I had personally theorized for a few years - but wasn't touched upon by series conclusion - was that the alien described in J.M. Dillard's novelization of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, may have been a weakened Shedai. IMO, this still fits. That great barrier could well have been real enough to have cut it off/protect it from the fate of the other Shedai in the Vanguard novels. __________________ Dr. Miranda Jones to Spock: I understand the symbology now, Mr. Spock. The marvel is in the infinite diversity of life. And in the way our differences combine to create meaning and beauty. Spock's reply, _Is There in Truth No Beauty?_

October 2 2012, 05:32 AM	#263
ronny Fleet Captain Location: San Francisco, CA	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) Just finished the last book today. Great stuff. I pre-ordered In Tempests Wake a few minutes ago. I thought it was going to come out in the middle of the month, not tomorrow. Guess I know what I'm reading next. __________________ If you want people to respect your ideas, get better ideas. - John Scalzi

October 20 2012, 07:17 PM	#264
KimM Rear Admiral Location: The poster formerly known as ORSE	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) Not reading entire thread as only halfway through but is it ever a corker! I've avoided the Vanguard books because I was trying to catch up on everything else. i've also avoided because of the nostalgia factor. It's hard not to read the "Big Three" and their contemporaries in the TOS era w/out a little pang. Oddly enough, I consider the Typhon Pact books to be "current" and It's a little sad to feel like the TOS era days are "gone." __________________ Just one woman; doing what I can, with what I've got, where I'm at!

October 23 2012, 07:00 AM	#265
RPJOB Commander	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) Do yourself a favor and read Vanguard. It was, IMHO, the best Trek series that was never filmed. At times it did try a little too hard to tie things into TOS but when it was off doing it's own thing it was amazing. Great characters. Great stories. And some of the best covers by Doug Drexler. as a series I rate it 9/10. Pretty amazing for a run of novels written by more than one author. __________________ We can admit that we're killers ... but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes! Knowing that we're not going to kill - today! - Kirk - A Taste of Armageddon

October 25 2012, 10:49 AM	#266
Patrick O'Brien Captain Location: Brooklyn NY	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) ^Agreed, Vanguard is a must read for any fan of Trek literature __________________ The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. -Dr. McCoy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

January 8 2013, 11:50 PM	#267
Jarvisimo Lieutenant Commander Location: Edinburgh	Re: VAN: Storming Heaven by David Mack Review Thread (Spoilers!) The cover of Storming Heaven, by Doug Drexler, was mentioned in a review of the 'best' sci-fi & fantasy covers of the year. DD put it up on his Facebook wall: http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.c...covers-of-2012 http://www.facebook.com/doug.drexler.7