Voyages of Imagination: your thoughts?

[USS Lancelot]

I'm thinking about picking up a copy of the Trek novel companion, Voyages of Imagination, by Jeff Ayers, and I'd like some opinions from people who have either seen a copy, or own one. It seems like it's pretty cool. What do you think?
Thanks.

 

[Ood Sigma]

I absolutely loved it. It was great getting extra information on some books and reading the authors' thoughts. If anything, I wish it could have been expanded, but then it would've been the size of two phone books. You won't be getting information on any books released in the last 3 years or so, but it's a great resource for everything before that.

 

[USS Lancelot]

I absolutely loved it. It was great getting extra information on some books and reading the authors' thoughts. If anything, I wish it could have been expanded, but then it would've been the size of two phone books. You won't be getting information on any books released in the last 3 years or so, but it's a great resource for everything before that.

I'm totally ok with not having information on the past three or four years of Treklit. I still have numbered novels sitting on my shelf that I haven't cracked yet.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I love it. Every time I finish one of the older novels I look it up and see what's said about it. There are entertaining and bewildering stories about Gene Rodenberry, Chekov and stardates, Richard Arnold, authors who never really were fans of the show and did it for the money, Majel Rodenberry storming Paramount's offices to get a book published, Writers churning out novelizations in days, Majel furious they killed Mrs. Troi in a novel, stories about authors writing books for TNG, DS9, ENT and VOY before the shows premiered, lifelong Trekkies thrilled to be a part of it all...it's great.

Annoyingly, some authors I would have loved to hear from (Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens) aren't in it, and Marshak and Culbreath aren't quizzed about the obvious homoerotic K/S undertones in their works. There's also an epic timeline at the back, intergrating all the episodes and novels.

I love it. If you're serious about your Trek reading, get it right this minute. If you're a casual reader, maybe not.

 

[JohnChod]

Actually got it at a bargain price and it's terrific. The background info is truly interesting stuff. I do wish that a brief synopsis of each book was included. I realize that this may have made the length of the volume unmanageable, but I would love to be able to pick up this book and get a good, concise capsule review of a story that I may have forgotten. The setting and major plot focus is described, but that's all.

 

[Greg Cox]

Jeff Ayers went to amazing lengths to track down nearly every living Trek author, and managed to get hold of all but a few. As a result, he got lots of good behind-the-scenes stuff.

 

[Lucky Charms]

I agree with everyone else's comments. It is a great reference book to have. Like KingDaniel I also like looking up a book after I read it to get a bit more info.

 

[JD]

I'm another one who loves it, and I use it constantly. And now that I have a bunch of the older books on my Nook I'll be using it alot more.

 

[captcalhoun]

love it.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

authors who never really were fans of the show and did it for the money, Majel Rodenberry storming Paramount's offices to get a book published,

It's been a few years since I cover-to-covered it (though I still get it out, particularly when reading an SCE omnibus).

Could somebody refer me to the above references (I have no doubt of their existence, but don't want to wade through the whole book again, looking for them).

 

[USS Lancelot]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I ordered a new copy on Amazon today for seven bucks. Not too shabby, I say. I'm looking forward to diving into it, although I'm slightly disappointed the Reeves-Stevens' aren't in it. I was looking forward to hearing more about Federation and their Millennium trilogy, but it sounds like there's loads of other goodies to enjoy.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

I believe the 'Majel-storming-the-offices' was for Q-In-Law, where, after difficulties with getting it approved, Peter David approached Majel at a convention asking for her endorsement for a Lwaxanna-vs-Q showdown book, and she asked to read it first, then went into the Pocket offices gushing about the story, pretty much making sure it got published.

I'm not sure off the top of my head about the other one, though.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Cleavage shot featuring chocolate

authors who never really were fans of the show and did it for the money, Majel Rodenberry storming Paramount's offices to get a book published,

It's been a few years since I cover-to-covered it (though I still get it out, particularly when reading an SCE omnibus).

Could somebody refer me to the above references (I have no doubt of their existence, but don't want to wade through the whole book again, looking for them).

The Majel one was Q In Law. I'm afraid I can't remember which books or authors the others were.

 

[USS Lancelot]

I believe the 'Majel-storming-the-offices' was for Q-In-Law, where, after difficulties with getting it approved, Peter David approached Majel at a convention asking for her endorsement for a Lwaxanna-vs-Q showdown book, and she asked to read it first, then went into the Pocket offices gushing about the story, pretty much making sure it got published.

I'm not sure off the top of my head about the other one, though.

I really enjoyed Q-In-Law. Go, Majel!!! I always knew she was awesome!

 

[Corran Horn]

I really enjoyed it. I wish more authors would have given background info on their books--but plenty of them did so I'm happy just for that.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Annoyingly, some authors I would have loved to hear from (Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens) aren't in it,

While it's unfortunate they're not represented in Voyages of Imagination, they do give a comprehensive interview about their Star Trek work in Worlds in Collision, the omnibus edition of Memory Prime and Prime Directive.

 

[Man of Steel]

Wonder if he plans on updating it at some point.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

If Pocket can't make the numbers work to justify updating other non-fiction reference books like the Encyclopedia or the Chronology, I find it unlikely that they could make the numbers work on an updated and expanded Voyages.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I was suprised VoI happened at all. A book aimed at a hardcore niche of a niche market? When they didn't even do Compendiums for Voyager or Enterprise? There's got to be a Trek reader or two high up in the chain to approve something like that.

Very much appreciated, though!

 

[KLauderdale]

It's THE oral history of Trek fiction. Jeff is our Studs Terkel.