What’s your favorite Star Trek book?

[Smiley]

It's a toss-up between The Art of the Impossible, Watching the Clock, A Stitch in Time, Sarek, and Federation.

I love it when the books explore mysteries, make connections, tell a big story about a character, or otherwise do something that would not work in an episode or two of the TV show.

 

[JWolf]

Over forty years old, and it’s still The Entropy Effect for me.

I read it for the first time a month or two before TWOK came out, and all these years later, they are my favorite Star Trek novel and movie.

It was a golden age.

Mine too is The Entropy Effect.

 

[KRAD]

My favorite is also The Entropy Effect, and has been for decades.

(And thanks to all y'all who listed one of my books among your favorites. Does my little heart proud, it does.)

 

[Obsidian_Phil]

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson is by far my favourite (and am eagerly awaiting the audiobook)

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

• THE MAKING OF STAR TREK by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry -- the book that made me want to write for TV
• INSIDE STAR TREK by Robert H. Justman and Herb Solow
• Harlan Ellison's CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER: The Original Teleplay That Became the Classic STAR TREK Episode
• THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES T. KIRK, as edited by David Goodman
• THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF KATHERYN JANEWAY, as edited by Una McCormick
• ENTERPRISE: The First Adventure by Vonda N. McIntyre

 

[StefanM]

Just one . . . ?

Erm, Prime Directive, I guess?

Prime Directive... The first novel, I read almost 30 years ago, and yes, it was really good.
Just one is impossible, but I have very good memories of "TOS: Dwellers in the Crucible" and "TNS: Balance of Power".

 

[Therin of Andor]

Over forty years old, and it’s still The Entropy Effect for me.

The experience of reading "The Entropy Effect" when it first came out has really stayed with me. It made me seek out McIntyre non-Trek stories, and the next few Pocket novels really fell short of my expectations.

But there have been so many great ones: the first three movie novelisations, plus "Strangers from the Sky", "Metamorphosis", "Andor: Paradigm", "Ex Machina", "Immortal Coil", "Crucible: McCoy"...

 

[Relayer1]

The Neverending Sacrifice by Una McCormack, Articles Of The Federation by KRAD, DTI Watching The Clock by Christopher and the Vanguard series.

I have fond memoties of Dreadnaught by Diane Carey and Imzadi by Peter David back in the day.

 

[Claudia]

"Crucible: McCoy" and "The Never-Ending Sacrifice", followed by "A Stitch in Time" and the Vanguard-series.
But I also remember the "Yesterday's Son" and "Time for Yesterday"-duology very fondly.

 

[Anduinel]

The Vulcan Academy Murders (my first Trek book, so I'm still very fond of it)
A Stitch In Time
The Never-Ending Sacrifice
Enigma Tales

Honorable mention: The early DS9 novels that I read to pieces - Fallen Heroes, Betrayal, War Child, etc.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

If adaptations count, then 'The Wrath of Khan,' 'The Search for Spock,' and 'The Voyage Home,' by Vonda N. McIntyre. They did a lot to flesh out Saavik, Carol and David Marcus and it's the first mention of Sulu being promoted to Captain and ST:III opening chapters regarding the fallout from Genesis and Uhura's disappearance from the movie after the Enterprise is stolen and her sudden reappearance on Vulcan is explained.

 

[OverlordSpock]

Oh, wow! This is a really tough question. I'm fairly certain there is no way I could give just one answer. There are so many that stand out above the rest for one reason or another:

• Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan - This is, I'm pretty sure, the first Star Trek novel I ever purchased (I was probably 12 years old). Yes, although I have fond memories of the first novel I purchased, I have re-read this book countless times. I'm on my second copy of the book (I lost the first one) and I'm surprised it's still in as good of condition as it is.
• Death's Angel by Kathleen Sky - There are a lot of problems with this book, but this book is involved with one of my favorite Star Trek book reading experiences. I lived in Germany at the time and it was a very cold winter's day. I bundled myself up in bed under the heavy comforter, listening to the radiator ping and read this book cover-to-cover. I truly can't remember a time I've ever been more relaxed.
• The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah - I loved the mystery in this book. I also loved the look at Vulcan (yes, Spock's World is a better book, but I enjoyed this one better) life.
• Dreadnought! and Battlestations! by Diane Carey - Again, there are plenty of problems with these books, but I loved the focus on a non-canon character. Piper and her "crew" always make me smile.
• Final Frontier by Diane Carey - So much now overruled by modern canon, but I've always so loved this story of the very first voyage the Starship Enterprise (even before she had a name!). The sweater-wearing Robert April and his wife Sarah were so different than what you'd expect from a highly ranked Starfleet officer. This look at the Romulans was truly intriguing. And, watching George Kirk work through everything by both solid reasoning and dumb luck always brings me a huge feeling of satisfaction.
• How Much for Just the Planet? by John M. Ford - Because...reasons. This book never ceases to make me laugh uproariously—for much more than just seeing Kirk and company in an epic pie fight against the Klingons.
• Time's Enemy by L.A. Graf - This was the first book that truly took DS9 seriously. Although it was but one part of the four book Invasion! series, this book dived deep into DS9 in a way that I had never felt in the previous DS9 entries in the book series.
• Star Trek Millennium by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens - I think this is the first truly epic Star Trek novel story, so much the better that it's set in my favorite corner of the Star Trek universe! I was enthralled by this series and could not wait for the next entry to be released. It really gave me the same feel as "Mr. Work...Fire!" at the end of "Best of Both Worlds, Part 1".
• Destiny by David Mack - I have serious doubts that there will ever be another Star Trek story that reaches the epic heights (and lows) of this trilogy. This might be the best series of Star Trek books I have ever read. And, not only did it wrap up so much of what came before it, it also set up so much of what came after.
• Articles of the Federation by Keith R.A. DeCandido - This book is so different from most Star Trek stories. I loved the political thriller feel of this book and the behind-the-scenes look at how governing the Federation works. Plus, who doesn't love Nan Bacco's administration?
• Serpents Among the Ruins by David R. George III - The book that redeems Captain Harriman. But, it is so much more than that. I loved all the twist and turns in this one. I loved the intrigue. I loved the look at Demora Sulu and, of course, I loved how it made John Harriman, not just competent, but really good at what he does.

But, if there was just one book that I could take with me when I was marooned on a desert island, it would be

• Provenance of Shadows by David R. George III - The other two books in the Crucible trilogy are mostly meh, but this book a spectacular love letter to "City on the Edge of Forever", The Original Series as a whole and McCoy specifically. This may be the longest Star Trek novel yet written (I honestly don't know, but it's got to be up there), but it reads much faster than that. And there is so much here. Both the look at the "prime" McCoy's and the "alternate" McCoy's lives are such a great examination of who McCoy is and what makes him tick. I felt every emotion, both despair and joy, that the various McCoys felt. And, I do not care if canon Trek ever examines this, the final scene between McCoy and Spock will forever be my head-canon. I have never bawled because of a book as much as I did reading that scene, both because of the grief and because of the overwhelming love shown by those two friends toward each other. I have read this book countless times as well and the whole thing continues to have just as much of an impact on me as the first time I read it. Can't get better than that.

I'm sure I'm leaving out other books that I'm just as enthusiastic about but am spacing off right now. But, as I said above, this is a very tough question. There is so much. How lucky are we that there is so much.

 

[publiusr]

• THE MAKING OF STAR TREK by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry --

Like Christopher, I got mine at a school book fair.

Feek was going to update it, but…legal…

 

[Johnny Luck]

Wow, so many good recommendations here so far on where to expand my Trek reading, thanks to all.

As for the OP, if you're talking about the Trek book which has had the most impact on myself as a reader then it's the Destiny trilogy by Mack. I don't drink and I don't smoke but man, I felt like I needed both after finishing this beast. The most layered, deep, intense Trek book I've read so far, absolutely amazing in breadth and scope.

Now if you're talking the Trek book I've re-read the most, Federation by Reeves-Stevens. The crossover that should've been on film but for me, it's the story of Zefram Cochrane. Forget First Contact, how the authors weaved various bits of Trek lore & mythos into Zefram's back story, for me, this is my head canon of his true past. Moreover, his characterization felt more in line with the character as presented in 'Metamorphsis' than what I saw on the silver screen.

Honorable mentions to another Reeves-Stevens trilogy, DS9's Millenium, another amazing romp and DTI novels Watching the Clock and Forgotten History. I love me some time travel and these two novels do a bang up job of tying up/tying with time travel incidents throughout Trek history. Incredible work indeed.

 

[DrBeverly]

For a long time it was the novelisation of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by Vonda N. McIntyre, but I read Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope recently, and that comes close. I've ordered the Never-Ending Sacrifice on the strength of it.

 

[Una McCormack]

For a long time it was the novelisation of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by Vonda N. McIntyre, but I read Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope recently, and that comes close. I've ordered the Never-Ending Sacrifice on the strength of it.

Even to appear in the same sentence as Vonda McIntyre is a huge compliment. Thank you. I love her books. I have an essay on her Star Trek novels coming out next year. I think every single one of her ST books has been listed somewhere in this thread.

Thank you to everyone who has mentioned one of my books!

 

[Reanok]

Star Trek Ds9 Unity by S.D. Perry. Star Trek Ds9 Revenant by Alex White Star Trek Ds9 Millenium By Garfield and Judith Reeves -Stevens

 

[Arpy]

A Stitch in Time
and
The Never-Ending Sacrifice

 

[Tuesday]

I'm gonna hafta day IMZADI and THE DEVILS HEART

 

[Starbreaker]

Q-Squared - Peter David
Destiny: Mere Mortals - David Mack