Next Titan novel announced
- Thread starter Defcon
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It seems to me that any continuity in the various series has been destroyed from within. I almost bought a titan book - synthesis - because I like the story blurb but when I read the front conversation with Minuet, it just didn't ring true and seemed trite and forced and strained. These are the little things that make the biggest difference for me. Of course they take a bit of creativity and development and collaboration and guidance etc. in realizing the concept, strengthening it crystillizing it, ironong it out and bringing it home, not unlike an air traffic controller or a mid wife.
These are large canvases for anybody. If a t.v. script goes through so much rigorous examination it would seem a novel would go through at least as much if not much more. The health of the Franchise is important as it is a fictional universe so universe building is neccesary but it should be somewhat contained.
Ed looks like a nice guy who knows a good story and is a Trekkie though. but the process should be more creatively entailed. Who reads CSI books anyway?
These are large canvases for anybody. If a t.v. script goes through so much rigorous examination it would seem a novel would go through at least as much if not much more. The health of the Franchise is important as it is a fictional universe so universe building is neccesary but it should be somewhat contained.
Ed looks like a nice guy who knows a good story and is a Trekkie though. but the process should be more creatively entailed. Who reads CSI books anyway?
Although I am happy to have a new Titan novel in the works, Seize the Fire was by far the weakest "Typhon Pact" novel. It was very sloppy, and had ginormous plot holes.
I am a bit concerned that the next novel in one of my favorite series will be written by Mr. Martin. It will be interesting to see if he has improved any since Seize the Fire.
I am a bit concerned that the next novel in one of my favorite series will be written by Mr. Martin. It will be interesting to see if he has improved any since Seize the Fire.
I've been wondering if/when we would get the next Titan novel. I am happy to see that the line is continuing. However, I am concerned that the next book is being written by Martin, since I was bored to tears by Seize the Fire. I really think Titan has a great crew and a great concept, but it's had some crazy inconsistency in terms of the quality of the novels. The last few entries - Over a Torrent Sea, Synthesis, and Seize the Fire really didn't engage me as much as I would have liked.
As for the opinion that there's trouble in the Treklit universe, I do agree that the massive layoffs, restructuring, and editor revolving door at Pocket has led to a decline in quality. It takes a long time to commission, write, produce and release these books. I feel like we're still feeling the ripple effect from all of the behind-the-scenes upheaval that happened a while ago. Things seemed to have calmed down, and hopefully this means that a return to form is on its way. I've been disappointed in some things, like the glaring lack of DS9 and the overall weak Typhon Pact series. But when we've gotten some amazing things like Kirsten Beyer's VOY relaunch. So it's a mixed bag right now but hopefully things will be getting better.
As for the opinion that there's trouble in the Treklit universe, I do agree that the massive layoffs, restructuring, and editor revolving door at Pocket has led to a decline in quality. It takes a long time to commission, write, produce and release these books. I feel like we're still feeling the ripple effect from all of the behind-the-scenes upheaval that happened a while ago. Things seemed to have calmed down, and hopefully this means that a return to form is on its way. I've been disappointed in some things, like the glaring lack of DS9 and the overall weak Typhon Pact series. But when we've gotten some amazing things like Kirsten Beyer's VOY relaunch. So it's a mixed bag right now but hopefully things will be getting better.
I made it through the first and last pages of the thread but didn't want to pan through the rest. When did Andor join the Pact? It was my understanding that they wanted to stand alone, not trusting ANY outsiders. Did I miss something?
Just because the Tholians provided valuable info to the Andorians doesn't make them allies. Surely the untrusting Andorians aren't leaving one political alliance for another.
I will also agree that I don't enjoy reading MM's books. But I do enjoy watching the franchise unfold so I buy them.
Just because the Tholians provided valuable info to the Andorians doesn't make them allies. Surely the untrusting Andorians aren't leaving one political alliance for another.
I will also agree that I don't enjoy reading MM's books. But I do enjoy watching the franchise unfold so I buy them.
I'm with Sci on this one. I've actually been really happy with how unique the authors have been able to make the individual series. I know the Marco was able to bring out the best in the writers, but I still think you guys are not giving enough credit to the writers. They've said before that the most their given, if they're given anything is just a vague idea of what might happen, but the rest is all them. It's not like they're given an outline and told to write this story. So while Marco did play a big role in making sure that we got great stuff, and his loss is definitely a big minus for the books, I still think the majority of the credit should be going to the authors, they're the ones who have doing most of the work.
As for a unifing vision, I don't know what you want. Sure the books now take place in a shared universe, but the actual stories have stayed fairly independent, other than Destiny. And honestly, I think that works well, we have a whole bunch of different series after all, not one big one.
Honestly, I really don't see where things are going to be that different with new editors, as long as we still have the same authors I doubt things will change that much.
For the record:
2000: 4 novels. Millennium: The Fall of Terok Nor; Millennium: The War of the Prophets; Millennium: Inferno; A Stitch in Time.
2001: 4 novels, 1 short story. Avatar, Book One; Avatar, Book Two; Section 31: Abyss; Gateways: Demons of Air and Darkness; Gateways: What Lay Beyond: "Horn and Ivory"
2002: 4 novels. Mission: Gamma series: Twilight, This Gray Spirit, Cathedral, Lesser Evil.
2003: 4 novels, 1 anthology. DS9's Tenth Anniversary. Rising Son; The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One; The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two; Unity; Prophecy and Change.
2004: 2 novels in Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume One: Cardassia: The Lotus Flower; Andor: Paradigm.
2005: 5 novels. Trill: Unjoined; Bajor: Fragments and Omens (Worlds Vol. II); Ferenginar: Satisfaction is not Guaranteed; The Dominion: Olympus Descending (Worlds Vol. III); Hollow Men.
2006: 1 novel. Warpath.
2007: 0 novels.
2008: 4 novels. Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers; Terok Nor: Night of the Wolves; Terok Nor: Dawn of the Eagles; Fearful Symmetry.
2009: 2 novels. The Soul Key; The Never-Ending Sacrifice.
2010: 3 novels, 1 short story. Mirror Universe: The Sorrows of Empire; Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game; Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire; Reservoir Ferengi (in Seven Deadly Sins). First is debatable but sets up a DS9 storyline; second is a DS9 novel in all but name; third is arguable but heavily features DS9 characters and plots.
2011: 3 novels. Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony; Cast No Shadow; Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions. Arguable, but all heavily feature DS9 characters, and the first carries on a DS9 plot.
So I while I think we all agree that it's a shame Marco was laid off before his DS9 plans could come to fruition, and that Margaret was then laid off before her plans could come to fruition, I don't know that it's fair to say we've been utterly lacking in DS9 lately, either.
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Fair enough -- going back to fix that!
Despite what I've been trying to point to in regards to individual line direction and an eye towards catching inconsistencies early and better meshing each individual outing on the whole... It was clear in my first post that I thought the only thing holding Trek Lit above water at this point were the authors themselves.
I'm loathe to think if not for their efforts where we would be right now.
BUT
Something is different. It's like something is missing, and the only think I can really point to is the editorial shuffle, since (like everyone has said), the authors themselves haven't changed.
I'm loathe to think if not for their efforts where we would be right now.
BUT
Something is different. It's like something is missing, and the only think I can really point to is the editorial shuffle, since (like everyone has said), the authors themselves haven't changed.
To each his own but I found Torrent Sea and Synthesis to be the best of the series. They were original science fiction with Torrent Sea based upon an interesting astrobiological theory. Both were scientifically and morally thought-provoking. Trek at its best to me, and the reason I find Titan to be the best series. Seize the Fire definitely wasn't as well laid out but the cliff-hanger did leave me wanting more. Martin does an excellent job with the cliff-hanger ending, I'll give him that. It is also nice that he doesn't leave a story open without planning to finish it.
Just to add my $0.02.
I enjoyed both Titan: Over A Torrent Sea & Titan: Synthesis quite a bit.
I also thought White-Blue was a great addition to the crew,
I will admit though that I'm starting to lose the ability to specifically remember the myriad of crewpersons on Titan the farther you get from the Command/Bridge Crew.
I enjoyed both Titan: Over A Torrent Sea & Titan: Synthesis quite a bit.
I also thought White-Blue was a great addition to the crew,
I will admit though that I'm starting to lose the ability to specifically remember the myriad of crewpersons on Titan the farther you get from the Command/Bridge Crew.
You know what? I was tracking (on paper) the human security guys in the six Kevin Ryan TOS books (Errand of Vengeance trilogy and Errand of Fury trilogy), and it was crazy trying to recall which ones were blond caucasians, who was flirting with whom, who'd been killed in the last hand-phaser battle, who had survived in a previous book, and which characters were canonical - and so on.
The Titan authors usually give us all the information we need to reacquaint us with each alien (and its unique attributes) when they are appearing in a new book. Is it really that different to crews of lesser-known or original human characters?
Maybe, if we're lucky, the next book will be published with a small encyclopedia as they often do as a series gets long. Picture entries would also be welcome.
That's fine but when you're reading the book it's nice to pop to the back just to refresh your memory about what Ensign So and so looks like or what's unusual about a particular species.
Yes. Internet encyclopedias are good but sometimes you need an official reference.
The SOTL calendar and Drexler himself have been invaluable in helping to visualize the literature ships. Similar pictorials for characters and aliens would be equally appreciated and valuable to the experience. Books 5 and 6 of NF had a picture of the crew on the cover. Even something like that on a Titan cover would make a difference.
The SOTL calendar and Drexler himself have been invaluable in helping to visualize the literature ships. Similar pictorials for characters and aliens would be equally appreciated and valuable to the experience. Books 5 and 6 of NF had a picture of the crew on the cover. Even something like that on a Titan cover would make a difference.
So do a quick cut 'n' paste into Word, print it out, fold it up and use it as a bookmark. Any hardcopy version is going to be out of date with each new book anyway.
But some people - and some authors - prefer that you use the words to paint a picture in your own mind.
As we've discovered, the recent tendency is towards less-expensive-to-commission Photoshopped covers, using existing ST stills. It's been a long time between drinks for painted covers featuring all-new aliens.
Was it Geoff Thorne who was doing all the toon character sketches of the "Titan" aliens?
Ah yes:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=94498
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Yep, they and others are all up on my site's Titan page:
http://www.andymangels.com/startrektitan.html
That's all well and good. But I see no reason why not to put such info in the book other than it is online. Why publish books at all with that reasoning? Just tell readers to buy e readers if they want more literature? Also, there may be readers who are unaware of memory beta or these other reference sites. If you don't like such published references, don't use them, but some of us do and such references also seem MORE official.
