Shatnerverse

[foxmulder710]

So, I've followed the Shatner/Reeves-Stevenses (mostly the latter, lol) series since The Return. It was my way of revolting against the...erm...MISTAKE made by certain writers of...KILLING Kirk in Generations.

I was wondering what others thought of the series. It gets better and better, I think, until Captain's Blood, when Spock dies. Again. Oh...and at the end of the book...Yet. Again.

Oh, and then Kirk has a kid. Which is interesting but kind of strange and un-Kirk...

Thoughts?

 

[BryanSorensen]

Well, Jump back a book before The Return and read Ashes of Eden. It takes place right before the "mistake" happened in Star Trek Generations. Yeah i thought they got better from The Return. Although i liked AoA better than the other 2 in that original 3. I liked his mirror universe trilogy, but i wasnt too fond of the Captain's... trilogy. I havent read the new one so i cant comment on that one.

 

[Saga]

i liked all the Shatner books till the Captain's trilogy as well. they were decent, just not as good as the earlier books.

 

[Broccoli]

I love them. They are fun reads. I think the trilogies got weaker as they went on though. The final book, while others didn't like, I quite enjoyed.

 

[Mike Farley]

Both Ashes of Eden and The Return were excellent. After those two the books were enjoyable but forgettable. I can't remember even the broad strokes of plot from most of the later books. I didn't read the Academy book.

 

[foxmulder710]

Both Ashes of Eden and The Return were excellent. After those two the books were enjoyable but forgettable. I can't remember even the broad strokes of plot from most of the later books. I didn't read the Academy book.

While I can't imagine the Academy book not sucking, the Mirror Universe trilogy was beyond awesome.

 

[BryanSorensen]

ya the mirror trilogy was great too, gave a different(and from what I know of, the first) insight into what happened after Mirror, Mirror

 

[Christopher]

^^Hardly the first. The Shatner Mirror Universe trilogy built on what had already been established in multiple DS9 episodes about the 24th-century Mirror Universe. And we'd seen other Mirror-Universe sequels in DC Comics' Mirror Universe Saga, Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, and Marvel's Mirror, Mirror one-shot comic, as well as a 2-part Mirror Universe backup story in two issues of Malibu's DS9 comic.

 

[foxmulder710]

^^Hardly the first. The Shatner Mirror Universe trilogy built on what had already been established in multiple DS9 episodes about the 24th-century Mirror Universe. And we'd seen other Mirror-Universe sequels in DC Comics' Mirror Universe Saga, Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, and Marvel's Mirror, Mirror one-shot comic, as well as a 2-part Mirror Universe backup story in two issues of Malibu's DS9 comic.

I recall spending most of aftercare in 5th grade reading through Dark Mirror. Wonderful stuff.

Alas that TNG and VGR never had real "mirror" eps like TOS/DS9/ENT did.

Hmmm...or TAS, either.

 

[Gagarin]

Just finished the Captain's trilogy.

I admit I like AoE the best out of all of them - and there's lots of great passages in each of the books where the 'legend' of Kirk just bleads through and would have been great on the big screen (the gravesite scenes, etc).

The hardest thing for me, the whole time, was how Starfleet (Picard, Janeway) is portrayed and how they treat Kirk. It's always half or non-truths - they're never just upfront with him, so in doing, they waste a lot of time and lots of people die inbetween.

I'm not sure why Shatner, Judy and Gar did this, maybe to create conflict and tension... but it was down right infuriating in the novels. It got me mad at Starfleet and most of the TNG characters, haha.

I'm like "come on! He saved Earth... like... 8 times... just tell him what's going on..." but it's always the "well, you know how Kirk is with rules". And for the life of me I can't think of many rulebreaking moments. Sure, he stole a starship - but guess what, he brought back the Federation's most esteemed Vulcan ambassador since Sarek...and then he only stopped a conspiracy to bring more war between the Federation and the Klingons.

Overall everyone is very dissmissive of Kirk despite his accomplishments and how he's proved himself, which brings out the worst in him.

Maybe that's how Shat feels the Trek producers treated HIM...

 

[ClayinCA]

It gets better and better, I think, until Captain's Blood, when Spock dies. Again. Oh...and at the end of the book...Yet. Again.

I haven't read this far along in the Shatner books, so I didn't know about this. Would anyone mind posting (in Spoiler code) whether or not Spock dies and stays dead? If so, I've no interest in reading that far.

 

[DarKush]

I liked the first three books, but after reading Spectre I lost interest. However, Ashes of Eden remains one of my favorite Trek books and the best Kirk story in print IMO.

 

[Trent Roman]

Would anyone mind posting (in Spoiler code) whether or not Spock dies and stays dead?

Of course not. Nothing kills these characters, particularly in the Shatnerverse.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Therin of Andor]

If so, I've no interest in reading that far.

Scaredy cat!

There are some Janeway fans over in another thread who'd sympathise!

Don't forget, Spock has work to do next May - for JJ Abrams. Shatner might be cranky about that, but he didn't kill off Spock in an attempt to prevent Nimoy being able to take the role in ST XI.

 

[ELURIA]

Thoughts?

I quite enjoyed the multi-part "Return Of Kirk Saga".

One exception though.

Dark Victory.

Oh sure, I enjoyed it but something wasn't right.

It didn't feel or read as the 2nd novel. It had no identity of its own.

Instead it was like the ending/epilogue of Spectre and the beginning/prologue of Preserver.

 

[Supervisor 194]

The Shatnerverse books generally have a sense of fun that can carry you through to the end, if you're of the right mindset.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

I liked them for the most part. Setting them in their own universe was a good move though. They aren't as thought provoking as the best Trek books are. I see them more as just fun big budget action movies. I can understand why a lot of people are turned off by them. I just find them entertaining.

My biggest WTF moment in them was when Kirk beats Worf in batleth combat.....That made absolutely no sense. The whole "Kirk's mutant son" thing was just AWFUL. It is also kind of strange how the Federation is almost portrayed as evil in these books.

Kirk is sort of like superman, James Bond and Batman rolled into one in these books. Kind of cool if you are a big Kirk fan though it gets a bit ridiculous at times. I find it humorous that Picard is allowed to do cool things in the Shatnerverse, but never anything QUITE as cool as Kirk is allowed to do!

 

[William Leisner]

My biggest WTF moment in them was when Kirk beats Worf in batleth combat.....That made absolutely no sense.

Come on, Undead Ninja Kirk totally ROCKED!!

 

[Dayton Ward]

It was the bionic nanites infesting his system that gave him Undead Ninja Powers.




("Nahnahnahnahnahnah.....bopbopbopbopbopbop")

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Older Undead Ninja Kirk,
Older Undead Ninja Kirk,
Older Undead Ninja Kirk,

A Hero in a Hairweave!