What was the 1st Trek novel you ever read?
- Thread starter Procutus
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Mine was Enterprise:The First Adventure. I got it for a christmas present. I loved it at the time but after a recent re-read I came to the conclusion that it was pants.
Good question. Mine was the "Encounter At Farpoint" novel adaptation. It was the UK edition, with the photo cover (season 1 cast) and the splash "Now a major BBC Television series!" on it.
Talk about nostalgia. I might even pick it up again just to take me back to simplier days (for Trek and myself!!)
Talk about nostalgia. I might even pick it up again just to take me back to simplier days (for Trek and myself!!)
Nice! Still a big fav of mine, out of the numbered novels.
And the timeframe sounds right--I read it in 1996/97.
I think my first book was Michael Jan Friedman's The Mystery of the Missing Crew.
Spock Must Die! was the first ST novel I read, too. I remember where it was purchased, and my poor Grade 9 Literature teacher was bewildered when I chose it for my book report assignment.This should cover a lot of ground. The very first one I read was in fact, the first one ever published, a short novel by James Blish entitled Spock Must Die! Certainly not the greatest thing ever, but it did start a publishing trend that exists to this day.
The other day when I was sorting through our books, I came across the second Trek novel, Spock, Messiah! by Theodore R. Cogswell and Charles A. Spano, Jr. (Bantam Books, 1976). This one I remember a bit more fondly and since it's been over thirty years since I've read it, I decided to see how it strikes me now. I do remember liking it far more than the Blish book, and better than some of the other Bantam titles (and some early Pocket ones) that followed.
I'll be interested to see how many really old titles are recalled.
I recall buying Spock, Messiah! while shopping with my mother on a Thursday night... it cost $1.75 CDN, which was pretty pricey in those days for a new paperback. I paid all in quarters, and my mother was appalled: "Do you REALLY want that?"
My mother has never understood science fiction.
I finally got a hardcover copy. The story isn't much to write home about, but it's still better than Diane Carey's books or the Marshak/Culbreath porn!Damn, I forgot about that one! That was by Mack Reynolds, right? I've heard about it, but never have gotten my hands on a copy.Actually the first book ever published was a children's novel in 1968 called Mission to Horatius and that was the first Star Trek book I read. I was only 12 then and I don't really remember the story even though I read it several times as a kid. One day I may just read it again to see if I'm missing anything!
Kevin
Pawns and Symbols was a good story. Interesting how the author developed the Klingon culture -- and the notion that Klingon women wore the 23rd century equivalent of a burka!
Spock's World is one of my favorite of all the Trek novels ever written.
The IDIC Epidemic and The Vulcan Academy Murders are basically professional fanfic. They're soapy, like fanfic, and I remember thinking how stupid Kirk was; I had the murderer figured out about two pages after that character was introduced!
I remember how funny the storyline was that Alan Dean Foster added where there is a transporter accident... Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Sulu all get their consciousnesses and bodies mixed up. Uhura is very adamant in reminding Spock not to get her body pregnant!The "ST Log" books are written like novels. Even the three-eps-to-a-book examples are interconnected with bonus scenes and a continuing narrative, in ways that TAS could never hope to do on Saturday morning TV.Ok, guys, the question was "What was the 1st Trek novel you ever read?" Are you telling me that, as published authors, you don't differentiate between novels and short story collections?
"The Code of the Abode"... that's what I recall mostly. It was a kind of "do we violate the Prime Directive or not?" story, and quite forgettable.
I recall buying Spock, Messiah! while shopping with my mother on a Thursday night... it cost $1.75 CDN, which was pretty pricey in those days for a new paperback. I paid all in quarters, and my mother was appalled: "Do you REALLY want that?"
My mother has never understood science fiction.
If her exposure came from stuff like Spock, Messiah!, then I'm not surprised...
Pawns and Symbols was a good story. Interesting how the author developed the Klingon culture -- and the notion that Klingon women wore the 23rd century equivalent of a burka!
Valkris in ST III had a costume that included a heavy veil like that of a burqa. That was probably the inspiration for the reference in the book, although I don't specifically recall what was described there.
Vandetta was my first. The only thing I remember from it is there is like 4 chapters towards the end of the book; all were the same. I was like 7 when I read it. I was completely lost. I still might be...
My mother would have had the same reaction no matter what science fiction I wanted to buy. She disapproved of Laser Books, Tom Swift, and pretty much 99% of my book collection. I think the last time she ever actually approved of something in my collection was when I was still reading teen mysteries (Trixie Belden, The Three Investigators) and children's stuff like The Bobbsey Twins. Oh, and dog stories. Definitely.If her exposure came from stuff like Spock, Messiah!, then I'm not surprised...I recall buying Spock, Messiah! while shopping with my mother on a Thursday night... it cost $1.75 CDN, which was pretty pricey in those days for a new paperback. I paid all in quarters, and my mother was appalled: "Do you REALLY want that?"
My mother has never understood science fiction.
But science fiction? My mother thinks that's "kids' stuff" and I should have "grown out of it" decades ago.
^
Funny you should mention the original cover price on Spock, Messiah! I noticed on my copy a Hills sticker (a store now long defunct) and I paid $1.40 for it. A far cry from the $7.99 which is an average price for mass-market paperbacks, these days.
I was also struck by the similarity between Ensign George and a girl I work with, both the physical description and her personality. Kinda scary, really.
Funny you should mention the original cover price on Spock, Messiah! I noticed on my copy a Hills sticker (a store now long defunct) and I paid $1.40 for it. A far cry from the $7.99 which is an average price for mass-market paperbacks, these days.
I was also struck by the similarity between Ensign George and a girl I work with, both the physical description and her personality. Kinda scary, really.
It's been YEARS since a new paperback was $7.99 here (Canada). I just looked at a random book, and its price was $11.99. 
Oh damn! I used to get a package every month with the new titles -- was it 4 or only 2 a month they published? I remember one summer during high school when I set myself the task of reading 1 Laser a DAY until I caught up. I did it.
I got rid of all of them back in the '70's. That was really stupid; some are now insanely valuable, as they include early books by Dean Koontz, Tim Powers, and perhaps other later superstars. I spent years in the '90's searching for Powers two Laser Books titles, after I became a HUGE fan of his.
I'm still hunting for three or four of them that I don't have (over 30 years now!). I stumbled over one I hadn't even known existed, a year or two ago, at one of the local second-hand stores. And I am absolutely kicking myself from here to Andromeda for not getting them when they were brand-new -- they were only $1.25, forpetessake!
But when I was babysitting for a whopping 50 cents an hour and not getting an allowance, $1.25 took quite awhile to save up for discretionary spending on new books.
^
Funny you should mention the original cover price on Spock, Messiah! I noticed on my copy a Hills sticker (a store now long defunct) and I paid $1.40 for it.
I think copy was only like 50 or 60 cents.
Kevin
^
Funny you should mention the original cover price on Spock, Messiah! I noticed on my copy a Hills sticker (a store now long defunct) and I paid $1.40 for it.
I think copy was only like 50 or 60 cents.
Kevin
The first edition/first printing I have of Spock, Messiah! (1976) has a cover price of $1.75 (US). No Canadian price is listed.
Spock Must Die! was 60¢ (1970). So paperback prices almost tripled between 1970 & 1976. Ouch!
Ack! You're right! I was mixing the two up! I just checked my copy of Spock Messiah and it is a $1.75.
Kevin
I just paid $6 and $7 for a couple of K.W. Jeters. I'm guessing the Koonts and Powers would be more.
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