Stargazer books

[JoeZhang]

Someone lent me the Stargazer books and I read the first one (gauntlet) last night...and it wasn't very good. Leaving aside the fact that it had the awful plot device of "those are some new characters who have character defect X", I thought large elements were just plain odd or poorly explained.


Caber, for example, seems to be a psycho for no reason that I could grasp - he seems to be more of a plot device for the other characters to learn a lesson from than an actual character in his own right...

Do the rest get any better or shall I toss them back?

 

[Dancing Doctor]

They get a lot better. Enigma is reall good, as is Oblivion

 

[BaloksPuppet]

I read all seven books, including Valiant, over about a week and overall found it to be a very enjoyable series. No, not brilliant, but worth reading. Of course, one or two were better than others and if I remember correctly Gauntlet wasn't the best entry.

 

[Sxottlan]

It's very rough going early on. The two books after Valiant are just terrible. Lame stories told in a bland, nearly passionless way. Speaking of characters who just mean and vindictive for little reason includes Admiral McAteer. All he's missing is mustache to twirl.

It doesn't pick up until Oblivion and then of course the book series then ends.

 

[JoeZhang]

I started reading "The yiddish policeman's union" instead

 

[Trent Roman]

It doesn't pick up until Oblivion and then of course the book series then ends.

For my money, the really interesting part of Stargazer are the characters, which are diverse in terms of rank, species and temperament, and who have evolving character arcs throughout. In terms of plots, most--particularly Three and Oblivion, are quite tepid and by rote, and it doesn't really pick up until Enigma, with a climatic blow-out in Maker which I quite enjoyed. I'd read more, if more were writ.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Turtletrekker]

IIRC, there was certain repetitiveness to the Stargazer books. Picard trusts Person A and then Person A betrays him to Person B. Or am I misremembering?

Overall, I remember enjoying them for what they were, an entertaining distraction, but they are far from MJF's best work. I really enjoyed the Simenon story in that took place on Gnala. It was interesting look at Simenon's species.

The characters really are the key to these books, which is fortunate since I really like the Stargazer crew. I know that there were some objections to MJF including some 'Gazer characters in Death in Winter, but for me that was a highlight.

 

[BryanSorensen]

I thought it was a good look into the characters of the era and to the crew that was introduced in Reunion. However, i have to agree with those who said it didnt get interesting until almost the end of the run; or the run of books up until now. Three was great, as was Oblivion and Enigma. Valiant was ok as were the first 2 after that. I had hoped that they would have kept going so we got to see some Jack Crusher stories, which i thought was part of the reason for the book series to begin with. Some of the side stories were ok.......................SPOILER..............................................(McAteer trying to get Rachel Garrett to replace Picard was dumb, seemed out of character for her) All in all, I'd say somewhat dissapointing and if he decides to revive the series, they should explor Jack Crushers character more(who has yet to be really covered anywhere)

 

[ronny]

i read them all when i wanted to get all the stargazer material done with before buried age came out. didn't need it but that's just how i was making my reading choices while i was catching up.

i don't remember any of them being earth shattering but i don't remember any of them being particularly bad either. someone mentioned they thought three was great and i remember like that one, at least that's one i remember the plot the most which means something to me...

 

[Turtletrekker]

they should explor Jack Crushers character more(who has yet to be really covered anywhere)

Double Helix: The First Virtue, TNG #56.

 

[ClayinCA]

Anywhere else, then...