It's a shame there weren't more responses despite the apparent increase in forum traffic lately. Then again, there's also been a lot more threads about the books' future than normal too.
I've been working on my responses off and on for the past several weeks.
1. In general, how do you feel the Trek book line has done in the last 12-15 months?
I am filled with a great sense of unease about the Star Trek book line. Looking back, the successes were few and far between. There was plenty of disappointment to go around, from the early batch of TOS to the Typhon Pact. Even the substitute books that came out last summer were not very good.
I don’t particularly get the sense of wonder or awe anymore when I read the Trek books of the last year. Not even anything approaching a “neat” factor. Whether it’s the plot, setting or character work. I think the last time I felt that was
Synthesis.
While no one could have foreseen the indefinite postponement of the NuTrek books, it did make for a drawn out year. The books we did get were perplexing. The early year TOS books were entirely forgettable and the Typhon Pact series ended the year in frustration. Many books had kernels of good or interesting ideas. At the same time, many of those same books were executed in a way that I found confounding or exasperating.
While I’m not worried about the question of whether Trek books will cease to be published, I do find myself very anxious about the future of the story lines themselves. And I don’t mean ‘I can’t wait to see what happens next!’, but more ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’ What does the future hold for these stories? As it is, I am not optimistic about what will happen.
2. More specifically, what have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? Any favorite novels?
Specific books: Mulling it over, when it comes to original 2010 books, I actually think I liked
The Children of Kings the most. It could not sustain the worldbuilding and mystery of the early passages, but it was enough to keep me surprisingly riveted. It’s a shame the lead Orion female character kind of disappeared towards the end. She was an interesting character. At the same time, about a year after reading it, I can’t remember how the book ended (that is an increasing problem with Trek books).
In terms of previously published material, the expanded edition of
The Sorrows of Empire did not do any damage to the original text. It instead deepened the experience with the added Trill subplot. If there was anything else new, I honestly could not remember it from the first book.
The gluttony installment of the
Seven Deadly Sins trade paperback was incredibly effective at conveying a sense of dread and horror. It is not often that I get goosebumps reading Trek literature anymore, but this story did it for me. Very reminiscent of
Event Horizon. Very well done!
More generally speaking, I originally liked the idea of the Typhon Pact book series. I’ve long wanted to see another crossover series that pitted different crews at the same time against a common enemy concept. For the most part, the series did succeed in establishing that feeling.
3. And more specifically, what have you disliked in regards to the Trek book line of the last year or so? What were your least favorite books?
Specific books: It’s a tie between
Inception and
Seize the Fire. I don’t think there were any other books in 2010 with more WTF per square inch.
With
Inception, this just did not feel like a Star Trek novel. It felt like an original sci-fi novel with Trek elements crammed in. So it is not to say that I did not enjoy seeing a different kind of story about researchers trying to get funding for corporations while fending off fanatical environmentalists. The supporting character who was a more legitimate advocate was also interesting. However, his early conversation with the more extreme protester that sparked him to action was such an unbelievable contrivance and the book ultimately did not add up to anything. Not to mention that Carol’s reasoning for not telling Kirk about their son (“He’s destined to be a great starship captain!”), was really rather revolting.
Also, getting a book about young Kirk and Spock right after the new movie about a young Kirk and Spock in another universe was unnecessary.
Seize the Fire, some great ideas and some absolutely terrible execution. I kept reading, but I mentally threw in the towel about halfway through when the senior staff had their second meeting about what to do with the eco-sculptor and they still couldn’t decide. Yes, good work with the Gorn, but that was groundwork laid down by a different work years ago.
There was just so much that did not make sense: Why would the Hegemony literally put all their eggs in one basket? The political caste still fears the war-casters? That doesn’t mean they would put their only hatchery for the caste on one planet. Maybe the Hegemony doesn’t deserve to survive if they couldn’t figure out why the damn planet is the only one in existence capable of supporting the gestation, which in itself also makes no damn sense at all. Wouldn’t that mean that was their planet of origin? How the hell else has the caste been maintained?
Even more nonsensical: how were the Gorn going to program the eco-sculptor to reshape the threatened planet into something capable of sustaining the war-casters when they don’t even know what it is about the first planet that makes it capable of sustaining the war-casters! Remember when Frank Grimes lost his mind on
The Simpsons? That’s me right now just thinking about this book. How about the tech-caster hostage who had a ridiculously large number of chances when she could have gained the upper hand on her captors and never did anything because it would have meant the story would have just ended?
Dishonorable Mention:
The Needs of the Many. Was that supposed to be irony that a book about a war had absolutely no action in it?
It really is startling to see Michael Martin’s work decline so sharply since he and Andy Mangels parted ways (the reasons for which I still ponder). His character work is pretty terrible and his repeated stance of a number of issues is getting tiresome. I am pretty anti-military too, but the way he puts that out there just makes my skin crawl.
Most Disappointing Book:
Rough Beasts of Empire. You can put me firmly in the camp of those who absolutely hated what was done with Sisko here. I don’t remotely think this was the same as what he did at the beginning of season 7. Taking time away from the horror of war is one thing. And at least he was running towards his family, not away from them. Maybe it wouldn’t feel so glaring if his plot had really anything to do with the Romulan B-plot. With exception of one scene, it doesn’t. Seeing Sisko and Spock on the cover made me think that, you know, the two might team up. Alas no. The Romulan B-plot was better, although a little too pat. Hey at least someone in the Trek universe finally told Spock that his plan for re-unification makes absolutely no sense.
In general terms? Yikes! Where to begin? I don’t think I can articulate anymore every single grievance I have, but here are some:
The Deep Space Nine Relaunch is, to me anyway, basically dead. It’s not the time jump forward, but the characters scattered to the winds. I remember years ago, before Kristin Beyer rescued Voyager, I had posted the idea that the Voyager crew should be broken up between the other series. Some Voyager fans did not like the idea and now that I’m seeing it basically happen to DS9, I have to agree. The characters that I love are gone. I thought Sisko’s character was butchered in
Rough Beasts of Empire and Bashir to a lesser extent in
Zero Sum Game. Kira is irrelevant now. Long gone was that powerful moment when a dying Starfleet captain made a Bajoran colonel the commander of her vessel because that captain knew Kira could do it. Now we need never see her again because she’s a freaking vedek kicking around Bajor. Not very interesting material for a book.
The station itself is now mostly gutted of the characters we know and love. Literally all that’s left is Ro, Quark, Bashir and Prynn, who appears to be on FMLA. I don’t understand this idea of following all the characters as they disperse across the galaxy. It lacks focus and a common center and it’s a damn shame because I feel like everyone is forgetting that the DS9 station itself is a very important character that is being very much ignored.
As for the Next Generation Relaunch, I still can’t muster much enthusiasm for the “new” supporting characters. It’s kind of astonishing that they are not really new anymore are they? And yet they still don’t sit particularly well with me. Even when I thought everything was settled, Kadohata leaves. And while I was no fan of hers, it was again frustrating because it was another slot needing to be filled. And when
Paths of Disharmony could establish someone new and interesting, it didn’t. Just a fill-in.
Both of the previously mentioned relaunches are tied together by my one concern about the shifting sands regarding the crews. It has now gotten to the point where I miss the static old days where the crews did not change at all. Choudhury is the only new addition I’ve grown to like, but mostly because we have not had a major Indian character. I appreciated how the earlier series seemed to make conscious attempts to stake a claim in a long running species and really develop them, such as with Andorians on DS9R and then Tellarites on SCE. Where’s the Alpha Centaurian? The Xindi? Where’s the Aurelian? Etc. I know I’ve said it before. I’ll keep saying it. ;-)
And now
Paths of Disharmony had a running subplot about Picard and Beverly debating their future in Starfleet with their child. It felt like an attempt to get fans ready for the day when they leave. And it certainly came across like inevitability here.
4. What new recurring trends or themes in the last 12 months have you noticed? Do you like or dislike these trends?
I really wasn’t buying the argument that the line was wallowing in despair until this year.
Seriously, it did not feel like the Federation caught a single freaking break. Did the Federation gain anything in the Typhon Pact series? Besides maintaining a technological advantage with slipstream drive, not really. Maybe a slightly more sympathetic Praetor? Tuvok seems inexplicably unwilling to share his terraforming knowledge. And oh yeah, Andor left the Federation. Maybe if some good news or advancements were scattered throughout the series, it would have been more balanced, but there were none. The Typhon Pact series really depicted the pact as calm and collected and motivated and the Federation as just spiraling downwards.
After the good vibes given off by the end of
Losing the Peace, this felt like a step backwards.
5. What editorial decisions from the last 12-15 months have you like or disliked?
Maybe this isn’t even a fair question this year. The editorial shuffle was really felt in a number of books.
For example, the Typhon Pact series was a disappointment. I really cannot fathom some of the decisions made here. The chronological order being out of whack. Characterization is way off. Plot developments that, if at least they weren’t bad, were still kind of bizarre or did not make sense. Didn’t Andor keep the knowledge of their potential extinction secret from everyone? So why are they angry at the Federation for not doing enough when they didn’t even know? So there wasn’t much work down on the meta-genome after it was found and buried so deep not even the president knew about it? Even the most enjoyable books in the series still had a lot of head scratching moments.
Also, it’s disappointing that each member of the Typhon Pact did not get a separate book. At least the absence of the Kinshaya will be addressed later, even if there’s a very good chance I’ll never read it.
I do however love how the editors and writers are maintaining a consistent theme when it comes to the name of starships of certain classes.
The decision to try again with ebook exclusives, even if it’s just one for right now, brings a tiny sliver of hope for the return of the SCE. The only drawback is that this Kinshaya installment of the Typhon Pact, being the only one for now, will probably never see the light of day in dead tree form.
I'm a little confused as to why we did not see the major events in Picard and Crusher's new life together. We're told after the fact that they were married and then in another book, Rene is already here. Kind of odd.
6. What would you change in the Trek book line? Be it production choices or story editorial decisions?
Finish the Ascendant storyline properly. I actually think I would be okay with everyone scattering in the Post-Destiny era so long as we had closure with the Ascendants. Do whatever you want afterward, but it feels like we’re on hold until we get that closure. Not even so much that as not finishing the Ascendants storyline makes almost the entire DS9R feel like a waste.
Give every series a clear cut goal. This has helped Voyager immensely. TNG had the wandering samurai thing going for a little bit after Destiny, but it already sounds like they’re past that according to
Indistinguishable from Magic. New Frontier feels like it’s been making itself up as it goes. It was great when it was about one ship patrolling one sector and getting to know the local players. Then it just walked away from that. I think giving each series a goal, even for the short term of a couple years, will give the series much more focus.
Stick with one command crew for more than a book. There is no stability and therefore I don’t feel like rooting for the characters, especially new book-only ones, when there’s a very good chance that they’ll leave.
I'd like to see a continuity heavy TOS series detailing the last two years of the five year mission.
And it's kind of strange, but I'd really like to see us move forward to something like...
I for one vote for more StarTrek novels Tos and Ds9 and Enterrpise takes place during the tv series different seasons there's alot of untold stories fans would like to see in print.I enjoy the ds9 and Enterrpise relaunch novels but I'd like to see more books in the tv series timeframe too.There are characters stories I'd to see more of Malcolm,Hoshi Travis.Especially Phlox and his homeworld of Denobula.I'd also like to see anovel about T'Pol that that takes place before she served on the Enterprise I'd like to see more about her past on Vulcan Why she was so fascinated by alien worlds.
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