Indeed. Just because I sincerely wish I could un-read Last Best Hope doesn't mean I don't love most of Una McCormack's stuff (especially her entries into the "autobiography" series).
Worst Trek book?
- Thread starter Xploda
- Start date
A friend of mine found herself cast as a dead prostitute in an ex-boyfriend's novel. Really.
Better that than in real life, I suppose. There are a few moments of unpleasantness in my past that I've transmogrified in fiction, too.
But was the book at least good?
Fallen Heroes was really good - and oddly either helped semi+predict a lot of TV DS9 from a certain point of view, or was borrowed from in much the way AGT borrowed from Imzadi.
Though it gave me a ‘takes you out of the book’ double take at the time, because I am British and at the time had no idea Americans used the word Fanny for something else. Especially considering the line was about Molly, I was properly ‘WTF’ ing and considering burying the book until I found out about the nuances of English vs American English.
Self publishing and reviews can get oddly territorial — so many times grudge matches (and the inverse, where writers support each other with reviews) play out across Amazon/GoodReads. I can’t speak for anyone else, but an honest ‘negative’ review where the reader at least *read* the thing properly (and had a decent grasp of lit) would be a welcome thing —though atm theres all sorts of drama in that community around reviews, who reviews are for (I don’t hold purely with ‘they’re just for readers’ because everyone knows people of all creative fields are desperate to see the reviews… not to mention, writers are also readers, and it’s a two way street.) and how to handle such things. (I don’t think people should go full Anne Rice, but I imagine sometimes it’s necessary to perhaps answer in some fashion. Especially if a review could be seen as objectively incorrect and/or reputation damaging. Most online reviews of everything these days allow that ‘right to reply’ after all.)
"Word of warning then. Out there they call them 'fanny-packs'. Cos fanny means your arse over there... not your minge"
bites scotch egg
well, I know that *now*
I have a vague memory of it. Not exactly family fare. I seem to recall that Spock: Messiah and the "Phoenix" books were more chaste.
I found Dark Passions a lot less racy than its reputation. Yes, a lot of characters are sleeping together, but it's mostly "offscreen."
S:M and the "Phoenix" books aren't exactly the sex scene from When HARLIE Was One (which shocked me when I read it in high school -- NO, it wasn't assigned, but I did write a book report).
For the most part, while I can think of some as mediocre, I can usually find something to like about most Trek novels. When I think of *the worst trek novels I've ever read*, the books have very few (if any) positive points IMO, and there are only a few "select" choices:
- The Marshak / Culbreath books (all 4) - Triangle was the least incomprehensible of these, and I tried to look at them as "so bad they're good" - didn't work.. not the plot, not the prose, not the characterization..
- The above-mentioned Dark Passions duology - I liked some of Susan Wright's Trek novles, with Best and the Brightest is a sort-of guilty pleasure for me, but this duology? trying too much to be dark and racy while being actually very cringy (not the sex parts, but rather the 'Bad Grrl' vibe..)
- DS9 Rebels trilogy - the idea had some potential IMO, but wasted it for a cross between boring and (too) silly - not a single plot here worked.
- TOS Inception - still cant believe S.D. Perry had a hand in this... for me, this was more of a bad YA romance novel than an exploration of early relationships for Kirk and Spock
My only memory of that is Mirror Seven being led around Terok Nor naked on a leash.
I wouldn't call it objectively bad. Just such a total downer that it remains the only ST novel I actually wish I could un-read.
Wow is it that disappointing?
Before Dishonour by Peter David was just nonsense. Pluto. That's all I'm saying. And the Calhoun-Picard interaction.... Really?
Basically anything written Michael A. Martin as a solo author. It was clear to me that the actual writer of the duo was Andy Mangels. I am willing to believe Michael had great ideas. But Mangels was the actual writer.
I am also struggling with the last Coda novel.... Now, don't get me wrong. I loved the first two, and am deeply enjoying the third one as I write this. But I keep on thinking.... There were ways to keep the novelverse alive AND write novels that connected with current (I really fucking hate this word and the religion it has amongst some fans) canon. Have it established as a alternate reality or something.
Basically anything written Michael A. Martin as a solo author. It was clear to me that the actual writer of the duo was Andy Mangels. I am willing to believe Michael had great ideas. But Mangels was the actual writer.
I am also struggling with the last Coda novel.... Now, don't get me wrong. I loved the first two, and am deeply enjoying the third one as I write this. But I keep on thinking.... There were ways to keep the novelverse alive AND write novels that connected with current (I really fucking hate this word and the religion it has amongst some fans) canon. Have it established as a alternate reality or something.
"Disappointing" is not the word. It's not the quality of the writing; rather, it's the subject. It is essentially a civilization-wide Kobayashi Maru that's not a simulation. And unmitigated, hopeless tragedy is about as far as a work of fiction can get from my proverbial "cup of tea."
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