This. If you like the new Trek movies, you'll probably like the Shatnerverse. It's loud, brash, silly and fun.
Shatnerverse novels: Are they worth the time?
- Thread starter AdmiralBruno
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Odd: I wrote an unpublished (outside of a writing class I was taking at the time) Borg origin short story (quite possibly BEFORE the release of The Return), that (as I recall) involved both V'GER and Nomad. It was called, "The Gray People." Of course, it involved both probes long before the "Gray People" evolved into the Borg.
I enjoyed most of the Shatner novels, in particluar Return, Avenger, and Spectre. I started reading them when I was getting into Trek novels and thought they were fun, especially with Spectre starting off with the mystery of how Voyager got back. I sort of read the rest as I hoped they would improve but felt they went downhill.
Ashes of Eden is probably the most interesting because it feels very much like Shatner conveying his own feelings on fame and being a part of Star Trek through Kirk.
It's not very subtle--pretty much the first scene with Kirk in it is him meeting a young guy who knows all his adventures better than he does that Kirk doesn't know quite what to say to make what is a very special meeting for this other person not a disappointment--but it does give you a lot of insight into his mindset (or at least at the time the book was put out).
The most telling bit of course is Kirk's falling out with the rest of the crew/other cast members, with his awkward lunch with Scotty (where, as is consistent with Shatner's claims in Star Trek Memories about him and Doohan, Kirk doesn't realise they never really got on all that well until it's pointed out) especially feeling more like a reworking of a meeting that happened in real life.
Of course, being Shatner, they all wind up admitting they're wrong and apologising for ever doubting him (for which Kirk is entirely magnanimous about), but that's not quite as bad as some of the "Kirk can beat Worf in a fight" stuff in the later books.
I only read up to the end of the Mirror Universe books, but from my memory after Eden, everything basically goes the way of insanely over the top pulp adventure that's very silly but quite fun if you're in the right mood.
It's not very subtle--pretty much the first scene with Kirk in it is him meeting a young guy who knows all his adventures better than he does that Kirk doesn't know quite what to say to make what is a very special meeting for this other person not a disappointment--but it does give you a lot of insight into his mindset (or at least at the time the book was put out).
The most telling bit of course is Kirk's falling out with the rest of the crew/other cast members, with his awkward lunch with Scotty (where, as is consistent with Shatner's claims in Star Trek Memories about him and Doohan, Kirk doesn't realise they never really got on all that well until it's pointed out) especially feeling more like a reworking of a meeting that happened in real life.
Of course, being Shatner, they all wind up admitting they're wrong and apologising for ever doubting him (for which Kirk is entirely magnanimous about), but that's not quite as bad as some of the "Kirk can beat Worf in a fight" stuff in the later books.
I only read up to the end of the Mirror Universe books, but from my memory after Eden, everything basically goes the way of insanely over the top pulp adventure that's very silly but quite fun if you're in the right mood.
I will always owe a debt to the Shatnerverse novels because they introduced me to TrekLit in general and I have now read like a zillion novels as a result of reading the first one, 'Ashes of Eden' (apologies, I didn't know when I read it that I wasn't supposed to like it).
After Ashes of Eden I quickly consumed The Return and Avenger and thought they were all great. I quite liked the operatic, movie-style bombast of them. I remember the second trilogy being weaker but still very interesting- especially as you could feel Shatner expunging some of the grief about his own lost wife into the character of Kirk.
I read the first book in the final trilogy, Captain's Peril, but I found it quite a slog and it didn't encourage me to read the next. I recommend the first two if you're not ultra-serious about your TrekLit.
After Ashes of Eden I quickly consumed The Return and Avenger and thought they were all great. I quite liked the operatic, movie-style bombast of them. I remember the second trilogy being weaker but still very interesting- especially as you could feel Shatner expunging some of the grief about his own lost wife into the character of Kirk.
I read the first book in the final trilogy, Captain's Peril, but I found it quite a slog and it didn't encourage me to read the next. I recommend the first two if you're not ultra-serious about your TrekLit.
Nowadays it's pretty common for fans to 'hate on' the Shatnerverse novels as being a bit crap. I wasn't plugged into the fandom at the time I read AoE so didn't know I wasn't allowed to enjoy it.
Not really here, though; that'd make more sense if it was, like...
...actually I'm not even sure where you'd get that harsh a reaction nowadays. /r/trekbooks is pretty chill, and that's the only other Trek book community I'm aware of around the internet. Maybe Tumblr? Is there even a Treklit fandom on Tumblr?
But yeah, don't worry, no one here would judge you for liking the Shatner novels.
...actually I'm not even sure where you'd get that harsh a reaction nowadays. /r/trekbooks is pretty chill, and that's the only other Trek book community I'm aware of around the internet. Maybe Tumblr? Is there even a Treklit fandom on Tumblr?
But yeah, don't worry, no one here would judge you for liking the Shatner novels.
"Ashes Of Eden" I still can not finish, as it is a snore-bore, but aside from the Totality trilogy (where the first two books were so-so), the Shatner books are some of the best Trek books to have been published over the past 25 years. His "Mirror Universe" books I still consider to be some of the best "Mirror Universe" stories ever, and it was because of his "Mirror Universe" books that I started reading more TNG and DS9 novels, as I was primarily a Voyager reader before, and it was "Spectre" that opened up the other series to me.
And I still hope that "Trial Run" will see a publication some day in the future.
And I still hope that "Trial Run" will see a publication some day in the future.
I really liked Ashes of Eden. I thought it was the best Kirk novel I had read. I also liked The Return. Avenger was alright. Spectre was where it started to lose me. I didn't finish that trilogy of books. I did listen to an audio book of Captain's Glory (I believe). But really the earlier books (Ashes of Eden and The Return) I enjoyed the most. I thought they were neat and I liked how Shatner, etc. pulled some many strands together from various Trek shows.
With me, I loved The Return the first time I read it when I was 12. Not so much when I re-read it at 18.
I'm doing a massive Trek re-watch/re-read immersive experience. I recently re-read the original Shatnervers trilogy and will be re-reading the Mirror Universe trilogy soon. I really enjoyed the first three books and I'm squarely in my mid-40s. They're not perfect - I do groan a bit at how Kirk is written a little too perfectly, but overall they're still big fun blockbuster movie style books.
You're already in there, so I guess it works. I'd recommend starting from the beginning, as there are relationships, subplots and developing new characters thru the series. Clearly it works ok in the middle, glad you're enjoying it. I'm going to re-read Spectre soon.
