Wow, Kirsten Beyer made VOY not suck!

[DeafPoet]

Hey guys, I don't post here too often since my Trek reading often comes in fits and starts. Anyway, I was at the book store the other day and grabbed "Full Circle" and "Unworthy" on a whim. I finished them both in the last two days.

And wow! Look, I've never been much of a Voyager fan. In fact, I have a healthy disdain for the show as televised. Not because I wanted it to fall short but rather the reverse: stories about these people didn't have to be horrible. They just usually were. Man was I ever pleased that Ms. Beyer found something cool to do with these guys.

I read "Before Dishonor" a couple years ago and honestly didn't care when Janeway bought it. Now I'm glad she did. She's way more interesting as a catalyst for everyone's grief than whe ever was in life, in my opinion.

My main joy in reading these books was that everyone was given more character development in their pages than they were in 7 years of the show. I'm eagerly anticipating the next novel this year.

 

[ryan123450]

I like Voyager, dispite it's flaws and it's many many failed oppurtunities. But Kirstin's books are a vast improvment, especially over the previous 4 relaunch novels. I too am looking forward to the continuation.

 

[label]

Wow. I may actually have to give these books a shot........I didn't care much for Voyager either. Quit watching altogether after a couple years, but these books sound interesting.

 

[vegaslover62]

I agree. The ending of Enemy of My Enemy was really dodgy, and I was hoping Golden wouldn't write other endings like it.

 

[flemm]

It is quite an astonishing feat. I never cared even the slightest little bit about any character on Voyager, yet I thoroughly enjoyed these novels.

In fact, I have actually come to see them as the model for what should be done to revitalize the DS9-R. I can't believe I just said that about something with the Voyager name on it. How the mighty have fallen.

Kirsten Beyer did a great job with these books, and anyone interested in Trek Lit should check them out.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I enjoyed Voyager. It wasn't perfect (no Star Trek is), but I liked it for what it was.

First of all, not doing a Trial of Captain Janeway upon Voyager's return was a huge missed oppertunity.

I enjoyed the Homecoming duology, but skipped Spirit Walk owing to my hatred of that inanimate lump of wood Chakotay.

I really liked much of Full Circle and Unworthy, although my favourite plotline (Seven losing her marbles) disappointingly fizzled out and I *really* don't buy Tom not telling Harry about Miral and B'Elanna.

I also think it's a mistake not having Janeway in command of the Voyager fleet. Without her there it doesn't feel like a continuation of Voyager, but some spin-off series (like how the last two seasons of Stargate SG-1 were essentially a new show despite familiar faces). I don't know how well the books surrounding her death did, but I do know she's got a fanatical fanbase that would probably eat up the novels of she were in them and given something worthwhile to do.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I do know she's got a fanatical fanbase that would probably eat up the novels of she were in them and given something worthwhile to do.

Yeah, we're aware of them as they weren't happy about her death and the fact that it wasn't automatically undone, despite Data and Kirk still being dead in the main stream novels and many books passing before Sisko came back. Plus she's still alive in the STO novels, well novel at this point.

 

[JD]

I'm a big VOY fan, and even I will admit that these books were the some of the best VOY stories ever.

 

[Thrawn]

Who'd have predicted 6 years ago that DS9 would be the most bungled ongoing story in TrekLit, and a TOS-era series and goddamn Voyager (Voyager!) would be the line's highlights?

 

[Snaploud]

I agree. Voyager was a disaster, but Beyer has done a great job.

 

[David cgc]

Who'd have predicted 6 years ago that DS9 would be the most bungled ongoing story in TrekLit, and a TOS-era series and goddamn Voyager (Voyager!) would be the line's highlights?

Well, I probably would've believed the Voyager thing. Back in season 3 of Enterprise, when the false cancelation story came down, I was actually relieved, because I thought the books would actually do right by the show's premise and cast.

Then season 4 came along, proving the show was more than capable of that one it's own, and the novels weren't quite what I was hoping.

The point is, back then, TrekLit walked on air, and could do no wrong. Nowadays, it's only walking on water.

 

[Nathan]

I agree with Thrawn...he right on the money. Also, I did like KB's work...I can't believe she is the same KB that wrote the String Theory book...i thought that sucked to high heaven. The last two VOY book she wrote absoluted rocked. I read them in matter of days. I recall saying 3/4 way through....i got to savor this book, cuz I'm almost done.

 

[flemm]

Who'd have predicted 6 years ago that DS9 would be the most bungled ongoing story in TrekLit, and a TOS-era series and goddamn Voyager (Voyager!) would be the line's highlights?

Truly, it boggles the mind. Succinctly put

 

[JD]

^I'm with you guys here too. I'm one of the few people who liked the last few DS9 books, but even I'll admit they were nowhere near as good as they used to be, or VOY or Vanguard are.

 

[Kirsten Beyer]

Wow.

Thanks everybody. I never expect to check the boards and see a thread like this. Makes all the hard work seem easier.

Sorry Fusion didn't work for you, Nathan. As to the startling difference you saw between it and the others...Fusion was the first novel I ever wrote. And I have learned a few things since then. That said, I remain proud of it. I looked back at it a few years ago and while there were some things I wish I could do differently now, on the whole I felt it did what it was supposed to do as part of the trilogy and there are still sections of which I am inordinantly fond. But as always, you are of course entitled to your extreme dislike of it. I'm glad you gave FC and Unworthy a chance.

Only a few months now until the Children come out and play. I'm eagerly awaiting everyone's thoughts, good and bad.

As always,
Kirsten

 

[DeafPoet]

Oh hey, Kirsten. Didn't realize you were a member.

Anyway, thanks again for the great books. It's rare that a Trek book pleasantly surprises me the way yours did. So, you and Pocket have my ten bucks for sure when "Children of the Storm" hits the shelves.

Now don't screw it up. No pressure

 

[indianatrekker26]

yeah, i was also never the biggest voyager fan. I had passed on the first 4 post-series voyager books. Then years later, destiny comes out. Voyager was in just a little bit of that series, but i was interested in what had happened with voyager in the series. So i went ahead and picked up Full Circle. which was such a wise decision. The book was amazing, i probably read it in about half a day.
I have Unworthy, but just haven't gotten to it yet, have a big pile of books im reading through, and its at the bottom of the list.

 

[SicOne]

This would probably be a good time to ask when "Children Of The Storm" is due to hit the shelves. Kirsten?

 

[Defcon]

This would probably be a good time to ask when "Children Of The Storm" is due to hit the shelves. Kirsten?

It's a June release, so it will probably be out sometime in the last weeks of May.

 

[Bishop76]

Yeah, I think Voyager was pretty bland and the characters even more bland. I may have to give these novels a shot though after all this positivity.