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After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
I wish I understood why the novels have descended so deeply into their own continuity. As much as I love the Deep Space Nine Relaunch and Vanguard, I have to admit that there was a very large degree to which Richard Arnold was right.
After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
I wish I understood why the novels have descended so deeply into their own continuity. As much as I love the Deep Space Nine Relaunch and Vanguard, I have to admit that there was a very large degree to which Richard Arnold was right.
After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
I wish I understood why the novels have descended so deeply into their own continuity. As much as I love the Deep Space Nine Relaunch and Vanguard, I have to admit that there was a very large degree to which Richard Arnold was right.
I go backwards and forward on this issue, to an extent I think the books are as well-written as they have ever been and that a lot of people are really enjoying what's happening. The only shame is I'm not not one of them and they do absolutely nothing for me. I think beyond stand-alone TOS novels I see nothing I want in the next year.
After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
As for Children of the Storm, I don't know about the timing of it, but if it picks up from where Unworthy left off -- or takes place anytime less than a year after Unworthy -- then it would be set before Typhon Pact. (And so is DTI: Watching the Clock, for what it's worth.)
And it (CotS) probably takes place mostly the Delta Quadrant.
As for the new direction of the books, I'm really glad they're doing their own thing now, and I've really liked most of the things they've done. Luckily we've gotten talented writers and editors who seem to know what they're doing.
After hearing about the notable spoiler (if one cares) in Paths of Disharmony, I'm almost certain to skip Indistinguishable From Magic, Children of the Storm, and Rise Like Lions.
As for Children of the Storm, I don't know about the timing of it, but if it picks up from where Unworthy left off -- or takes place anytime less than a year after Unworthy -- then it would be set before Typhon Pact. (And so is DTI: Watching the Clock, for what it's worth.)
It's not really fair to the authors of those three books (four, including Watching the Clock), but, aside from Vanguard, I have no interest in reading any stories in the current continuity. While Indistinguishable From Magic may not mention the post-Nemesis novels directly, I don't expect it to be completely separate from them, either. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)
My disinterest in Rise Like Lions similarly suffers not because of my dislike of David Mack's writing (I've liked everything of his I've read except Destiny and The Sorrows of Empire), but because I'm not interested in the ongoing story it's part of; the only Mirror Universe novel I've liked was Dark Mirror. I realized that I was considering a book don't otherwise want to read merely because I liked the author, even though his most similar novel was one of the few books of his I didn't like. Ultimately, I'm not very interested in reading about the culmination of Spock's plan.
I admire what Kirsten Beyer has done to revitalize Voyager, but I, frankly, don't want to read any more Voyager novels without Janeway. The series's concept is interesting, and Beyer's execution is solid, but I'm constantly reminded of the things I don't like about the current 24th Century continuity (e.g. Janeway's death and the Borg holocaust).
Prior to the release of the later Typhon Pact books, I was interested in essentially five things in the ongoing novels:
Miranda Kadohata, who has been absented from the TNG series.
Ezri Dax as captain of the Aventine (I still am interested in this).
Donatra and the "good" romulans of the Imperial Romulan State, who represented one of the novel series's few optimistic elements.
Prynn and Shar's relationship, which I don't expect to be meaningfully (to me) addressed; Paradigm was a very important story to me personally.
Kira's continuing Starfleet career and personal growth to become a moral person before a religious person.
I was also somewhat interested in Vaughn and Taran'atar, but it doesn't seem likely that meaningful exploration or development of either character is in the cards over the next several years.
I know this sounds stranger than it should, but I want to read novels that are similar to the shows they are based on. Deep Space Nine was serialized, so serialization worked well for its novels (particularly when the stories took place in quick succession and continued to move forward). The Next Generation was confident and took prosperity for granted (absent unrealized disaster averted on an episodic basis). Voyager was fun, melodramatic, and ultimately about Captain Janeway and her crew of essentially good people who were surprisingly happy given their circumstances. I could go on.
I want to read novels like those. I would also like to read stories that are daringly creative - are something we haven't seen before. I have no interest in filling in gaps or exploring obscure corners of the universe. (Vanguard to my mind is excepted by virtue of being more of a spinoff in its own right than an exploration of obscurity; possibly, this is due to its conception and the subsequent invention of its continuing architects.)
I've posted at some length about this before, with somewhat more specificity. Ultimately, I'm just not interested in these books, despite my continuing high level of interest in Star Trek books (why I re-read Paradigm and Federation this week).
Well that's the real trick, isn't it? The same but not too much the same.
I'm sorry you're not enjoying the books and I understand your reasons, but those two things you put up there are statements I think most people would agree with, it's just a matter of degree. For instance, I think the Voyager books are very similar to the show in all the ways I want them to be, but also something we haven't seen before. I think they fit both your criteria. I can see why you don't, but I'm just saying, neither of those statements up there really means anything.
DS9: A Stitch In Time
DS9: Avatar, Book One
DS9: Avatar, Book Two
DS9: Section 31: Abyss
DS9: Gateways, Book Four: Demons of Air and Darkness
DS9: Gateways, Book Seven: What Lay Beyond: Horn and Ivory
and I'm just now starting the Mission Gamma tetralogy. These are going a lot faster than I'd thought and, while I doubt I'll get completely caught up with the whole Trek reluanch this year, it's very possible I'll make it through the whole DS9 relaunch. Heck, I may even be through it by early fall and be ready to start the Voyager/TNG relaunch series. This is turning out to be a very Trekkie New Year and I'm loving it.
Looking back at what I've missed over the years, I really have no idea why I took a ten-year TrekLit break. Never again!
I am a voracious reader, and read many subjects (sci-fi, history and alternate history being among my favorites), and I have an extensive "to read" pile going at present, so I can only answer this question with one simple word:
"What do I plan to read in 2011?"
Books.
But, to expand on that answer, I have allowed the DS9 relaunch and the Star Trek Vanguard series to build up while I read other stuff, so I could enjoy two or three of each in a row, so I'll most likely catch up on those sometime during the year.
I think this is my reading list so far for 2011 (tentative), in no particular order after Team of Rivals:
- Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward (I keep setting this down and coming back to it; it's time to finish it)
- ST: Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony by Dayton Ward
- A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- ST: Mere Anarchy (anthology)
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- ST: DTI: Watching the Clock by Christopher L. Bennett
- Foundation and Empire by Issac Asimov
- ST: TNG: Indistinguishable From Magic by David McIntee
- Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez (I keep picking this up and putting it down; it's time to finish it)
- ST: Voyager: Children of the Storm by Kirsten Beyer
- The War Against the Poor by Herbert J. Gaans
- ST: Vanguard: Declassified (anthology)
- The Mendacity of Hope: Barack Obama and the Betrayal of American Liberalism by Roger D. Hodge
- ST: A Choice of Catastrophes by Steve Mollmann & Michael Schuster
- Starplex by Robert J. Sawyer
- ST: Cast No Shadow by James Swallow
- ST: ENT: The Romulan War: In Shariel's Jaws by Michael A. Martin
- ST: Vanguard: (Title TBA) by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
- ST: Rihannsu by Diane Duane
- No Logo: Taking Aim at Brand Bullies by Naomi Klein
- ST: Vanguard: Open Secrets by Dayton Ward
- ST: Vanguard: Precipice by David Mack
- The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer
- The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria
- The Calling by David Mack
I'm also considering re-reading the Harry Potter series.
And of course I need to renew my subscription to Foreign Affairs.
I've been working my way through Mere Anarchy slowly story by story for a few months, and next up is The Darkness Drops Again, but before I started I just wanted to ask if the events of Ex Machina play any kind of role in it? I have Ex Machina in my ebook wishlist and I will gladly read it first if it would be helpful.
^There are some brief allusions to a couple of things established in Ex Machina, but nothing major. I knew this story had to be a part of Mere Anarchy first and a followup to ExM second, so I made sure it didn't draw too heavily on ExM continuity. As long as you're familiar with the TOS movies, that should be enough.
