What do you think about the transition book, "The Lost Years"?

[JonnyQuest037]

I remember disliking The Lost Years when I first read it back in college. I found it a depressing read as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were all so rudderless without the Enterprise. I liked it a lot more when I reread it years later, though. It has a pretty good plot.

Has anyone here read Traitor Winds or Recovery? What are your thoughts (spoiler free please)?

I liked Traitor Winds. It's one of my favorites of the Lost Years books. I enjoyed that it focused on Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura, and threw in a number of the other more minor TOS characters like M'Benga and Dr. Piper. Certain things from it are still in my head canon, like Sulu being a Starfleet test pilot between TOS and TMP and Chekov undergoing security training at the Academy.

Recovery I bought back in the mid 90s and while I still have it in my collection, I don't think I've ever read it cover to cover. There was so much behind the scenes turmoil with the Lost Years series that the final book came out years after it should have and I think I'd lost interest in the series by then.

 

[EnriqueH]

Yeah I was super excited for the Lost Years Trilogy and the originally planned third book was never released. I never got to Recovery because I had made up my mind to get through Traitor Winds first. That was like 25 years ago.

 

[tomswift2002]

Yeah, so it's even less time than I envisioned it. I sometimes wonder did Michael Jan Friedman have plans on continuing the series beyond the first couple of books or was that all he planned to do at the time?

But there is over 20 years largely untouched by the novels, including that pivotal time when his best friend was aboard, Jack Crusher.

I don't imagine Picard would have much effect on the crew complement already explored so someone could conceivably fill in the gaps between the last Stargazer novel and "The Buried Age" using the existing crew and stories as a framework to start from.

I think your forgetting as well that Friedman’s first “Stargazer” novel that introduced a bunch of the crew was Reunion, which was set in like TNG’s 4th season. Of course by the end of the book his old CMO from the Stargazer was sent off to a penal colony and most likely had his medical credentials rescinded.

As for the Lost Years mini-series, I read it back in the mi-2000’s, and aside from the actual “Lost Years” book, I remember very little of it, except that what you are reading in “A Flag Full of Stars” was written by J.m. Dillard, but Brad Ferguson’s name was left on.

 

[JD]

I liked Traitor Winds. It's one of my favorites of the Lost Era books.

There was so much behind the scenes turmoil with the Lost Era series that the final book came out years after it should have and I think I'd lost interest in the series by then.

I think you mean The Lost Years, the Lost Era is the series set between the Generations prologue and TNG.

 

[Mysterion]

I remember disliking The Lost Years when I first read it back in college. I found it a depressing read as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were all so rudderless without the Enterprise. I liked it a lot more when I reread it years later, though. It has a pretty good plot.

Always thought the Reeves-Steven book Prime Directive made a better capstone to TOS than The Lost Years. *shrug*

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I think you mean The Lost Years, the Lost Era is the series set between the Generations prologue and TNG.

Yeah. Brain fart.

Always thought the Reeves-Steven book Prime Directive made a better capstone to TOS than The Lost Years. *shrug*

I own a copy of Prime Directive, but I haven't read it cover to cover. My personal favorite "Final Mission" story is in DC's Star Trek Annual #2, where the five-year mission ends with the Enterprise going to Talos IV again.

 

[Spock .]

I've finished the book for the tenth time, so obviously I think it's a good book. I think it gives a realistic "filler" story to connect the dots. I have been disappointed that the book did not include a lot of the humour of the real star trek.

 

[Desert Kris]

Post quotes incorrect.

 

[Desert Kris]

I own a copy of Prime Directive, but I haven't read it cover to cover. My personal favorite "Final Mission" story is in DC's Star Trek Annual #2, where the five-year mission ends with the Enterprise going to Talos IV again.

Prime Directive is a phenomenal novel. Very well written, and very engagingly structued. It doesn't read like a final mission, though, because the Enterprise gets very thoroughly overhauled in such a way that implies it has renewed life for a year or more. I suppose it could be read that the crew will have a more tightly focused mission in the aftermath of the book for a couple of months, but it still read to me as if the Enterprise crew would eventually continue adventuring in the usual way.

 

[Sakonna]

Has anyone here read Traitor Winds or Recovery? What are your thoughts (spoiler free please)?

I remember LOVING Traitor Winds back in the day, but anything that provides a great Uhura showcase is irresistible for me. The Sulu & Chekov focus was much appreciated as well.

My personal favorite "Final Mission" story is in DC's Star Trek Annual #2, where the five-year mission ends with the Enterprise going to Talos IV again.

I have such a vague, fond recall of that story... I bet it's boxed up in my parents basement still. I'd be curious to revisit it now that we have a canonical return visit to Talos to compare it too.