So What Are you Reading?: Generations

[TalkaboutTrek]

Finished up the 5th New Frontiers book "Martyrs". I thought the main plot was interesting enough but I feel like he was laying down a lot of bits and bobs for future books. The Redeemers are being set up to be the next big problem for Calhoun and crew and I am hoping the next book will come to a satisfying conclusion. LLAP.

 

[youngtrek]

As November is about to give way to December as I start this post, here’s my November 2024 reading log…

“Star Wars: X-Wing: Wraith Squadron” by Aaron Allston (1998)

“Star Trek: Lost to Eternity” by Greg Cox (2024)

“Geiger” Deluxe Edition by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson (2024; reprints “Geiger” #1-6 (April 2021 to September 2021) and Geiger 80-Page Giant #1 (February 2022))

“Junkyard Joe” (trade paperback) by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson (2023; reprints “Junkyard Joe” #1-6 (October 2022 to May 2023))

“Superman ‘78: The Metal Curtain” (trade paperback) by Robert Venditti, Gavin Guidry, and Jordie Bellaire) (2024; reprints “Superman ‘78: The Metal Curtain” #1-6 (January 2024 to June 2024))

“Star Trek Vol. 3: Glass and Bone” (IDW Exclusive Hardcover Edition) by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Marcus To) (2024; reprints “Star Trek” #13-18 (October 2023 to March 2024))

Updated GoodReads 2024 Reading Challenge numbers: have read 57 out of 75 books (11 behind schedule)

— David Young

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I don't feel like reading anything very long, or very involved, so I'm now reading the SNW-9 anthology. That's the one that starts with a "Rojan of Kelva" sequel.

The reason why I don't feel like reading anything very long is that I'm also reviewing and revising my novel-in-progress (see this post in another thread). Managed to tie in the short story, but in the process, I realized that there's a continuity issue with another short story:

The short story in question ("Virtuosa Incognita") is based on the "But for me, it was Tuesday" trope (and written before I'd ever heard of the TVTropes web site, much less knew of that trope by name). It has my protagonist attending some sort of music trade show, and encountering somebody from whom she'd received an irate phone call, years earlier. But they'd never met face-to-face. He didn't recognize her, in spite of her being a famous (and former child prodigy) musician, while she recognized him immediately, in spite of his being relatively obscure.

I'd forgotten the short story even existed, and then initially thought the antagonist was from the climax of my novel, connected with my protagonist's Ph.D. project and dissertation. Turned out I was mistaken, and that the irate phone call (and the events leading up to it) happened shortly before my protagonist started graduate school. And that those events had ended up on the cutting room floor.

Which leaves me with four alternatives: (1) do nothing, and have a whole story based on an orphaned "For me, it was Tuesday" trope; (2) put the antecedent back in the novel (even though it doesn't really do much there, other than bump up the page count); (3) turn the antecedent into a separate short story (albeit a rather pointless one); or (4) insert it as a flashback in the short story for which it's the antecedent.

I think I'm going to do (4), in combination with a very minimal (2).

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

The reason why I don't feel like reading anything very long is that I'm also reviewing and revising my novel-in-progress (see this post in another thread). Managed to tie in the short story, but in the process, I realized that there's a continuity issue with another short story:

Yeah, I'm doing this (reviewing, revising) with my fanfic...
it's an annoying task, but on the other hand - who should do it?

 

[trentman359]

Finished A Rock and a hard Place. I’m going to start reading the Voyager numbered novels next. Up first #2 The Escape.

 

[Oz Trekkie]

I'm in the middle of re-reading the post-Nemesis litverse. I'm just about to start the Cold Equations Trilogy.

 

[Smiley]

I'm not too far from where you are, Oz Trekkie. I started a reread of Architects of Infinity.

I also am in the middle of the new Phyllida Bright book, Murder Takes the Stage.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Which leaves me with four alternatives: (1) do nothing, and have a whole story based on an orphaned "For me, it was Tuesday" trope; (2) put the antecedent back in the novel (even though it doesn't really do much there, other than bump up the page count); (3) turn the antecedent into a separate short story (albeit a rather pointless one); or (4) insert it as a flashback in the short story for which it's the antecedent.

I think I'm going to do (4), in combination with a very minimal (2).

The very minimal (2) still required over half a page worth of cuts, to avoid inflating the page-count of the already long chapter, but tighter is better.

(4) added four pages to a short story that was only 6 pages, and could use the additional pages anyway. And in reading it, I found that in those 6 pages, I'd actually done more than one variation on "But for me, it was Tuesday."

 

[Cyfa]

I've just finished ST Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference by Christopher L. Bennett (why isn't there a book six? And seven? And eight etc, etc.), and started All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders.
And I'm still not getting very far with Warp Your Own Way - but it's fun, and I still laugh at Mariner's reaction to the Spock Clock

 

[Commander Troi]

I started reading ST:TNG - Warped this weekend. It made me giggle.

 

[Greg Cox]

Oh, I did read a Wonder Woman / Conan Crossover-Comic, once. That was cool, too.

I once got to write a fight between Wonder Wonder and Frankenstein for DC. My inner twelve-year-old couldn't believe I was actually getting paid for that.

Current reading: HITCHCOCK'S BLONDES by Laurence Leamer. A non-fiction book on Hitchcock and his leading ladies.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

a fight between Wonder Wonder and Frankenstein for DC.

Who's "Wonder Wonder"? And are we talking Victor Frankenstein, Fredrick Frankenstein, or The Monster? Or maybe Casanova Frankenstein?

Meanwhile, I'm going through chapters 37 and 41-44 of my novel, and the short story I recently expanded, putting the former into some reference documents, and making sure the latter actually makes sense now. And remember: the only hardcopy that's ever been printed of my stuff is fully typeset (in good old fashioned Xerox Ventura Publisher, DOS/GEM Edition) and camera-ready. Not quite as crazy as sitting down and extemporizing on a Linotype (which I've also done, on more than one occasion) or a composing stick.

 

[Greg Cox]

Who's "Wonder Wonder"? And are we talking Victor Frankenstein, Fredrick Frankenstein, or The Monster? Or maybe Casanova Frankenstein?

Meanwhile, I'm going through chapters 37 and 41-44 of my novel, and the short story I recently expanded, putting the former into some reference documents, and making sure the latter actually makes sense now. And remember: the only hardcopy that's ever been printed of my stuff is fully typeset (in good old fashioned Xerox Ventura Publisher, DOS/GEM Edition) and camera-ready. Not quite as crazy as sitting down and extemporizing on a Linotype (which I've also done, on more than one occasion) or a composing stick.

Oops. I meant "Wonder Woman," of course. And Frankenstein was The Monster, who goes by his creator's name in the DC Comics.

(This was in my FINAL CRISIS novelization, based on the comic miniseries by Grant Morrison.)

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Pity. Wonder Woman vs. Casanova Frankenstein (the Mystery Men "big bad," not the cartoonist) would make for an interesting comic book indeed.

And the last time I saw The Monster, he was reading The Wall Street Journal in bed, waiting for Elizabeth (with her "Bride of Frankenstein" hairdo) to join him.

And on the read-through of the closing chapters of my novel, just this morning, I found an awkward transition that screamed for a "bridging" paragraph or two. Fortunately, it's in a chapter that ends only about a column-inch into its last page, so it has plenty of room.

 

[Christopher]

And Frankenstein was The Monster, who goes by his creator's name in the DC Comics.

Which makes perfect sense to me. If defined as Victor's son, then it stands to reason that he'd inherit his father's surname. If defined as Victor's creation, there's plenty of precedent for naming creations after their inventors (Braille, leotard, Theremin, etc.).

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

If defined as Victor's son

Or Frederick's!

 

[Greg Cox]

Or Frederick's!

Or Henry if you go by the original Karloff films, which changed "Victor" to "Henry" for some reason.

And the Mel Brooks movie is VERY heavily inspired by the third Karloff film, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, in which Dr. Frankenstein's son is named "Wolf Von Frankenstein.). A second son, "Ludwig," was introduced in the next film, GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. And a grand-daughter, "Elsa," who appears in two of the original films, played by Evelyn Ankers and Ilona Massey, respectively.

And, yes, I know all of this by heart.

Keith DeCandido was just reminding me the other day that we first met on a panel discussion of Mary Shelley's novel, thirty-four years ago. Before either of us starting writing Trek books, I think.

Frankenstein brought us together!

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm!

Püttin' onna rizzzhhhh! (And to think Mel Brooks wanted to cut that scene!)

(And yes, as a matter of fact, my novel does openly allude to Mel Brooks movies, and to Star Trek.)

 

[TalkaboutTrek]

Today I finished up book 6 of the New Frontiers books. "Fire on High" had a lot of great moments that kept me interested but I still feel like I am being set up for some future adventure. I feel like I am just reading a prequel of some crazy adventures to come.

Jumping into the Captain's Table books next. Look like fun. LLAP.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Jumping into the Captain's Table books next. Look like fun. LLAP.

They are.

I mentioned that my own work-in-progress alludes to Mel Brooks and to ST. It also has throwaway allusions to Dragnet and Adam-12, and (in the space of less than half a sentence) to Perry Mason, Matlock (the original, not the gender-flipped reboot, which I've never seen), and Night Court (again, the original).