Anyone ever read the Wounded Sky?

[Nerdius Maximus]

Started reading it yesterday before bed, got to about page 50. So far it's kind of annoying, and I'm not sure I'll finish it. Everybody's so out-of-character. I can't picture any of the TOS characters speaking some of the dialogue in this book. And it's lame for Kirk to be getting all excited about that new warp drive test. Then sulu, "sitting at his post like some smiling Asian god" (Lol), does some kind of "victory loop" when they're approaching the Starbase. Maybe the "asian god" thing was from the Klingon Gambit, which I've also been reading. Can't remember. Anyway, I like all of the other Diane Duane books I've read, so I think I'll probably ride it out and see if I end up loving it after all.

 

[DEWLine]

I had tonnes of fun reading that sucker. Still dragging it out to re-read every few months, in fact.

 

[Christopher]

The Wounded Sky is a well-loved book, but you have to be open to its particular idiom. It's basically Star Trek interpreted as epic myth, with a rather idealized take on the characters and their world. But as a myth, as a science-fictional quest narrative, as a suggestion of what the Star Trek universe could be like with no budgetary or conceptual limits, it's a stunningly imaginative and beautiful tale.

 

[DEWLine]

What you said. 'Cause you said it better than I did.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

The Wounded Sky is a well-loved book, but you have to be open to its particular idiom. It's basically Star Trek interpreted as epic myth, with a rather idealized take on the characters and their world. But as a myth, as a science-fictional quest narrative, as a suggestion of what the Star Trek universe could be like with no budgetary or conceptual limits, it's a stunningly imaginative and beautiful tale.

Hmmm. I'll be sure to finish it with an open mind, then.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I can definitely recommend reading it as in-flight material on a many-legged trip around the US. I excitedly bought my pristine copy in Hawaii and it traveled all over the US mainland (Dec 1983 - Jan 84) with me - and the number of times an Enterprise warp test coincided with a nerve-wracking plane take-off was uncanny!

And Harb Tanzer was just such a fun character!

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Started reading it yesterday before bed, got to about page 50. So far it's kind of annoying, and I'm not sure I'll finish it. Everybody's so out-of-character. I can't picture any of the TOS characters speaking some of the dialogue in this book. And it's lame for Kirk to be getting all excited about that new warp drive test. Then sulu, "sitting at his post like some smiling Asian god" (Lol), does some kind of "victory loop" when they're approaching the Starbase. Maybe the "asian god" thing was from the Klingon Gambit, which I've also been reading. Can't remember. Anyway, I like all of the other Diane Duane books I've read, so I think I'll probably ride it out and see if I end up loving it after all.

It is rather idealized (which means I like her Kirk better than the real thing ) and very mytic, but VERY good reading that I still consider the highest example of Treklit to this point.

I would recommend reading her Young Wizards series (I know, they may be YA books, but it's REALLY good and the writing is at an adult level) if you do want to see further context as to what she's working with in The Wounded Sky.

 

[Reanok]

Wounded Sky is one of my favorite books Diane Duane wrote. I remember buying it and couldn't wait to get home and read it.I liked Harb Tanzer and Ks'Talk.And Naraht as well.

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

I remember enjoying that book very much. Haven't had time to read it in ages and extracting it now would mean unshelving several books, but I do still remember a bit from it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

And Naraht as well.

Naraht the horta doesn't turn up till the next book, "My Enemy, My Ally".

Above: Naraht the horta; Harb Tanzer, Chief of Recreation; Nurse Lia Burke; linguist Janice Kerasus; and Doctor Tom Krejci (DC Comics' TOS Series I: the "Double Blind" two-parter, #24-25, and "The Last Word", #28).

 

[seigezunt]

I loved this book. You have to take it in the spirit of when it was written. There was no latter-day Trek, and the characters did get a little more idealize in some of the fiction, which was in some ways still making the leap from fan fiction.

But Duane is a great writer who produces beautiful prose, as opposed to other writers who may simple get down to the plot. Some of the earlier TOS books feel more epic to me that way, more like they'd be another movie.

Stick it out. The ending is a little mind-blowing, though.

 

[Turtletrekker]

And after you finish, watch/re-watch TNG's Where No One Has Gone Before.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

And after you finish, watch/re-watch TNG's Where No One Has Gone Before.

Not so sure about that...that episode paled SO much compared to the book that it would ruin it. My opinion, anyway.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Not so sure about that...that episode paled SO much compared to the book that it would ruin it. My opinion, anyway.

It permanently ruined "The Wounded Sky" for you?

The OP might enjoy the comparison. I certainly did. I recall seeing Diane Duane's name turn up in the opening credit sequence of that TNG episode, and then being thrilled to realise that this was an attempt to put some of the TOS novel's ideas onscreen.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Other way around. The Wounded Sky utterly ruined that episode...it made it look like an absolute pile of dreck in comparison.

 

[Reanok]

I forgot that Naraht didn't show up until My Enemy ally. But I still enjoyed reading all of Diane Duane's StarTrek books.It's been awhile since I read all of her Tos books.I'm trying to catch up and finish reading several books right now . So I can start reading a new Mystery series of books I got for Christmas & Astronomy books too.

 

[Stevil2001]

Other way around. The Wounded Sky utterly ruined that episode...it made it look like an absolute pile of dreck in comparison.

To be fair, that doesn't take much help.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Other way around. The Wounded Sky utterly ruined that episode...it made it look like an absolute pile of dreck in comparison.

And that comes down to the budgetary and conceptual limits that Christopher referred to upthread. The TNG episode had those restrictions where the book did not.

Anyway, I will always love where No Man Has Gone Before, because it is as close as we are ever likely ever get to a Trek book-to-episode adaptation. (Hmmm? Day of Honor, you say? Not so much an adaptation as a borrowed concept. Rejected, but still cool.)