Quick 'Destiny' question

[Destructor]

Hi I pretty much stopped reading Trek Lit a few years ago when I finished reading the Worlds of DS9 trilogy. I was thinking of getting back into it with the 'Destiny' trilogy but I just thought I'd quickly ask: How lost will I be? I've never read the Titan novels or the Voyager or TNG relaunch novels, would these be required reading to read and enjoy Destiny, or can you pick up and run with them?

 

[captcalhoun]

you can pick up and run with them but your enjoyment will be significantly enhanced by reading TTN and TNG 'Resistance', 'Q&A', 'Before Dishonour' and 'Greater Than the Sum' first.

 

[JWolf]

you can pick up and run with them but your enjoyment will be significantly enhanced by reading TTN and TNG 'Resistance', 'Q&A', 'Before Dishonour' and 'Greater Than the Sum' first.

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

 

[FatherRob]

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

I've been trying to forget Death in Winter since I first read it!

I think the Destiny trilogy is a fine place to get into things. There are elements from "Kobyashi Maru" (ENT) as well as the various TNG/DS9/TTN/VOY books that made their way into setting the foundation for Destiny, but you get enough background in the stories to really get a grasp for what is going on.

Failing that, Memory Beta can fill you in on storyline.

Rob+

 

[SicOne]

You can dive right into "Destiny" without any preamble, but they're right, you're enjoyment will be greatly enhanced if you read a few books beforehand.

"Titan:Taking Wing" is the first book in the Titan series, and will introduce you to the Titan crew, which factors heavily in the events of Destiny. You won't necessarily be lost if you don't read Titan, but you will have a few "what-the-frak?" moments. There are 4 Titan books that chronologically take place before the events of Destiny, but the first one will serve as a good introduction.

"Articles Of The Federation" is a stand-alone book that reads more like a political thriller than a Trek book (it is an oversimplification to call it "West Wing" in outer space), but also introuduces major characters in Destiny, such as Federation President Nanietta Bacco. Again, Bacco is introduced to you in Destiny, but you'll get a lot more out of it reading AotF first.

And you must read "Resistance", "Before Dishonor" and "Greater Than The Sum", in that order. These three books detail the Borg-related events immediately preceeding the Destiny trilogy and set the foundation for all that follows.

You will enjoy the Destiny trilogy and be able to follow it right along starting from scratch, but your reading pleasure will be greatly, greatly enhanced reading the above titles first.

Hope this helps.

 

[captcalhoun]

you can pick up and run with them but your enjoyment will be significantly enhanced by reading TTN and TNG 'Resistance', 'Q&A', 'Before Dishonour' and 'Greater Than the Sum' first.

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

i've not read DiW and i got on fine. i do agree about AOTF though

 

[JD]

"Articles Of The Federation" is a stand-alone book that reads more like a political thriller than a Trek book (it is an oversimplification to call it "West Wing" in outer space), but also introuduces major characters in Destiny, such as Federation President Nanietta Bacco. Again, Bacco is introduced to you in Destiny, but you'll get a lot more out of it reading AotF first.

IMHO Articles really isn't much of a political thriller, it's more just political. Not that that's a bad thing, in fact, it is one of my favorite books I've ever read.

 

[LaBarre]

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

I've been trying to forget Death in Winter since I first read it!

Interested to know what it was about DIW that didn't float your boat, FatherRob.

 

[FatherRob]

Interested to know what it was about DIW that didn't float your boat, FatherRob.

Short answer: pretty much everything.
Long answer: http://trekmovie.com/2007/08/04/review-death-in-winter/

Rob+

 

[Paris]

I agree with SicOne. Reading Resistance, Before Dishonor and Greater than the Sum prior to Destiny, will greatly enhance the reading of the trilogy. Q&A, though not needed to enjoy Destiny, I highly recommend reading as well. It was the best Q story ever told, IMHO, and fits in between Resistance and Before Dishonor. The Voyager relaunch doesn't really play into Destiny, with only a small Voyager cameo or two in the whole three book series. The Titan books, other than the first one as SicOne said, aren't really neccesary either. If and when you are finished with Destiny, the Voyager-R novel Full Circle as well as KRAD's trek-universe follow up to the trilogy, A Sinular Destiny, are both great reads, and both go a long way to further enhance Destiny. I hope you enjoy, and welcome back to the wonderful world of Trek-Lit

 

[The Evil Dead]

I hadn't read a Trek novel set in the post-Nemsis timeframe since the end of the "A Time To..." series, which gave me a familiarity with some of the new Titan crew members like Vale. I basically went into Destiny pretty blind and still greatly enjoyed them, the plot is fairly self contained, there's nothing major and crucial to the plot from the previous novels that is referenced and will leave you going "Huh?" It's the amount of new characters (4 starships means a lot of characters) that I found a bit overwhelming so I tended to just latch onto the familiar ones from the TV shows like Picard, Riker, Ezri, etc.

 

[wahwahkits]

I hadn't read a Trek novel set in the post-Nemsis timeframe since the end of the "A Time To..." series, which gave me a familiarity with some of the new Titan crew members like Vale. I basically went into Destiny pretty blind and still greatly enjoyed them, the plot is fairly self contained, there's nothing major and crucial to the plot from the previous novels that is referenced and will leave you going "Huh?" It's the amount of new characters (4 starships means a lot of characters) that I found a bit overwhelming so I tended to just latch onto the familiar ones from the TV shows like Picard, Riker, Ezri, etc.

I have to agree with you there on the sheer amount of characters. Although I loved the Destiny trilogy I thought that 4 starship crews was a little too much. I'm sure that the story could have coped without the Aventine. I didn't really care for the Aventine crew or their Captain and I wouldn't have cared in the slightest if they had been blown to pieces.

 

[Destructor]

Ouch. I'm getting the overall impression the answer to my question is 'No.' I've got a pretty hefty pile o' books on my bedside, I can add three, I'm not sure I can add eight.

 

[Rosalind]

the short answer to your question is 'yes', which is what everyone said. The long answer is 'you'll enjoy them more if you read...'. You really don't need to read the other books to read Destiny.

 

[LaBarre]

Interested to know what it was about DIW that didn't float your boat, FatherRob.

Short answer: pretty much everything.
Long answer: http://trekmovie.com/2007/08/04/review-death-in-winter/

Rob+

That was quite a demolition job on your part. You really, really, didn't like it.

I suppose I maintain a soft spot for DIW because it set up the Crusher-Picard relationship which - as a result - became established in the TNG novels.

I had been hanging out for this result for so long, that I think I would have been grateful for any scenario that produced it - i.e. happy to celebrate the ends being achieved while disregarding the means used to get me there.

Your roman collar-decked avatar got me remembering the RE classes that stressed the inherent fault with that approach.

Thanks

 

[JWolf]

you can pick up and run with them but your enjoyment will be significantly enhanced by reading TTN and TNG 'Resistance', 'Q&A', 'Before Dishonour' and 'Greater Than the Sum' first.

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

i've not read DiW and i got on fine. i do agree about AOTF though

Death in Winter gives incite into how

Spoiler: relationship

Picard and Crusher became a couple.

 

[BryanSorensen]

When you are done with the Destiny Trilogy and want to see what happened after all of that went on; there is A Singular Destiny, followed by Over a Torrent Sea(Titan) and the just recently Full Circle(VGR) If you enjoyed the Worlds of DS9 books there is a few that took place after that Warpath was the first followed by Fearful Symmetry.

 

[captcalhoun]

Do not forget Death in Winter as the first TNGR book and also Articles of the Federation before Titan and TNGR.

i've not read DiW and i got on fine. i do agree about AOTF though

Death in Winter gives incite into how

Spoiler: relationship

Picard and Crusher became a couple.

i know it gives insight in to how they became a couple. but i still read the other TNG novels, ASD and DES without it. and got on fine.

 

[SicOne]

The Voyager relaunch doesn't really play into Destiny, with only a small Voyager cameo or two in the whole three book series.

"Voyager:Full Circle" does a good job explaining why the guys who fought several engagements against the Borg in the Delta Quadrant only have a seemingly periphreral involvement in "Destiny".

 

[Fenric]

I hadn't read any trek books for 5 or 6 years before picking up the destiny trilogy and I handled it just fine, however since reading it has made me want to try and read some of the previous books such as Resistance, Before Dishonor and Greater than the Sum since then.