Which one is the best Trek audiobook?

[MatthiasRussell]

This isn't trek related, but my favorite audiobook reader is Scott Brick who seems to read all of Clive Cussler's novels. He has an excellent voice and does a superb job changing his speech pattern for characters and situations.

If I had to propose someone to read future Trek audio, it would be him.

 

[Therin of Andor]

If the single-tape adaptation had been turned completely into a First Officers Log, I suspect that would have worked better.

Have you ever listened to "Strangers from the Sky?"

It's Simon & Schuster's second only ST audio, it runs only 90 mins, Margaret Wander Bonanno adapted her own manuscript, narrator Takei was nominated for an audio award, Nimoy is "the voice of Spock" in newly-arranged info presented as his science officer's log - and it somehow tells the whole story of garamet's complex "giant" novel beautifully!

I'm rather glad the whole thing wasn't converted to a Sulu or Spock log. I don't need it to read me every word.

I don't need my ST audios to replace my ST books, or to be "talking books", nor can I make the 8.5 hour commitment needed to hear one.

 

[GHS]

I didn't mean to say that Spock should read the entire book as his log; Cliff notes don't attempt to replicate chunks of dialogue, and the audio SFTS is essentially a Cliff Notes version.

Some of the dialogue scenes in Strangers from the Sky - such as Parneb explaining the time travel to Kirk - were sufficiently long to work effectively, but the scenes with the 21st century villains were just long enough for one character to say "I must have it" and would end there.

I think Strangers was too dense for a single-tape adaption to begin with, but the fatal error was that they attempted to keep the 'modern day' framing story. If you're compressing 400 pages to 90 minutes of reading out loud, the framing story should be the first thing to go!

And of course, the other glaring problem with the single-tape adaptations is that even though Leonard Nimoy is participating, most of the time you are listening to Spock, you have to settle for George's voice.

 

[GHS]

And the books on tape I'd most recommend:

Q-in-Law (though a single tape, this is the only one with two readers interacting)
Q Squared (De Lancie can capably perform the voices for Trelane, Picard and - obviously - Q) actually, any Peter David audio adaptations other than Restoration is a safe bet
Sarek and 34th Rule (the main character is read by the actor who played them)
Crossover
Spock's World and Lost Years (both structured towards a 'first officer's log' format)
Vulcan's Heart
Spectre, Dark Victory, Preserver (Wm. Shatner gets to play scenes with himself, playing both Kirk and Mirror-Kirk)

 

[Therin of Andor]

the audio SFTS is essentially a Cliff Notes version.

Cliff Notes aren't usually adapted by the original author. Most of the early ST ones were.

the fatal error was that they attempted to keep the 'modern day' framing story.

IIRC, the framing story of the novel was insisted upon by then-Paramount Licensing. garamet may correct me, but it had to follow a "book within a book" format, so I guess this was required for the audio adaptation.

If you're compressing 400 pages to 90 minutes of reading out loud, the framing story should be the first thing to go!

the other glaring problem with the single-tape adaptations is that even though Leonard Nimoy is participating, most of the time you are listening to Spock, you have to settle for George's voice.

And that was a contractual thing with Leonard Nimoy. He had very limited availability, and was expensive, so his contribution was simplified to just log entries. As soon as his agreement ran out: no more Nimoy.

I see no "fatal" errors or problems in the audio of SftS. It is excellent!

other than Restoration

Loved "NF: EXcalibur: Restoration"!

 

[Christopher]

Cliff Notes aren't usually adapted by the original author. Most of the early ST ones were.

Also they're actually called Cliff's Notes (though the official current spelling is CliffsNotes). Everyone always seems to overlook the possessive for some reason, maybe because it's easier to pronounce without it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Everyone always seems to overlook the possessive for some reason, maybe because it's easier to pronounce without it.

Never actually used one, or even held one. Australia had its own brand in the 1970s.

 

[GHS]

One benefit of the abridgement is that some of the more ambitious novels contained information which was later contradicted by episodes or movies. In cutting out some of the detail, some of the audio versions avoid contradicting anything canonical.

Federation, for example, if you chalk up Cochrane's behavioral differences to sobriety, doesn't violate anything in canon as an audio book, since it leaves out details about global armed conflicts.

I think the stardates still need adjusting for it to jibe with canon, but stardate contradictions are so common that I pretend that whatever the Timeliners give as the stardate supersedes whatever date was in the book.

The Best Destiny audio doesn't declare April's ship is the initial starship, so avoids contradicting the Enterprise series.

In losing all of the Vulcan backstory, the audio version of Spock's World remains kosher. I don't think the Klingon backstory for Kahless violated anything in canon, but it's possible the same applies to that audio, as well.

And my impresion is that both the Imzadi and Mosaic books on tape, in cutting down the amount of detail, limit or eliminate items that conflicted with later Voyager episodes or the TNG episode "Second Chances"

 

[JD]

I can't believe they cut out the historical stuff in Spock's World, IMO that was the best stuff in the book.

 

[Christopher]

I can't believe they cut out the historical stuff in Spock's World, IMO that was the best stuff in the book.

But it stood apart from the actual plot of the book, so if your goal is to create an abridged version, naturally that's the first thing to go.

 

[JD]

I guess I can see that. But if it were me, I would have rather seen them cut out the modern stuff, and leave it as a purely historical story, but then I guess that would have gotten rid of Kirk and Co. and that is what the generally public (or at least what the decision makers thing the general public) would probably be after.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I can't believe they cut out the historical stuff in Spock's World, IMO that was the best stuff in the book.

"Spock's World" was the first 180 min. adaptation, double the length of previous audios. For Pocket's first original hardcover, Diane Duane got to abridge her own manuscript. I guess by dropping the ancient Vulcan stuff, she preserved a lot more of her 23rd century story than usually possible with 90 mins.

 

[Destructor]

I think I listened to a Jeri Taylor Janeway audiobook, it must have been Mosaic, that was voiced acted by Kate Mulgrew. Since the entire story followed Janeway exclusively, it was very appropriate that Mulgrew should voice the entire thing- almost like I was listening to Janeway's personal log. That was a great experience.

By the by, I was told on this forum by one of the authors of The 34th Rule that both himself and Armin Shimerman were both unhappy with the abridgements made to the novel for the audio version- this is, unfortunately, the only version of the story I've consumed.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I think I listened to a Jeri Taylor Janeway audiobook, it must have been Mosaic, that was voiced acted by Kate Mulgrew.

Yep: Picardo did "Caretaker" and "Pathways".

"Mosaic" by Jeri Taylor, read by Kate Mulgrew, 1996, 180 min. Abridged by George Truett.

I was told on this forum by one of the authors of The 34th Rule that both himself and Armin Shimerman were both unhappy with the abridgements made to the novel for the audio version

"The 34th Rule" by Armin Shimerman and David R. George III, read by Armin Shimerman, 1999, 180 min. Abridged by George Truett.

That's the problem with the latter Truett ones: as time went on, ST authors were not given the option to adapt their own work, although a few fought for it, and won. And even later, ST actor participation - my main reason for buying the audios - dwindled, too.

 

[GHS]

Right, same here, Therin. That's why one earlier post about the end of audio books being linked to the end of hardbacks surprised me. The lack of big-name actor participation in the audio books was obviously going to affect their popularity. At a time when the audio line was no longer new or unique, telling the customers that they need to settle for *none* of the main characters being voiced by an actor playing them was a receipe for disaster.

I do think the high percentage of hardbacks that were movie/episode adaptations hurt both lines (since hardback treatment usually brought an audio version along with it). The adaptations were churned out in a matter of days, and it generally showed, with the result that readers were safer choosing a $6 soft cover book over a $15 hardback book if they wanted a good read. And for the audio line....well, their may or may not have been a demand for prose versions of what you could just watch on TV, but I don't think there was ever a true demand to listen to Tim Russ read "Khannnn!" or "It was.....fun (urk)" as a substitute for William Shatner's voice

 

[CaptainMatt]

The only Trek audiobook I can remember listening to -and this was quite a few years ago now-is William Shatner's Avenger. It was quite extraordinary hearing the Shat do the roles of Kirk, Spock, Picard etc. It was just like a proper sequel to Generations of sorts. I would not read the book the actual book until sometime later. I forget when.

 

[Killandra]

I think I listened to a Jeri Taylor Janeway audiobook, it must have been Mosaic, that was voiced acted by Kate Mulgrew. Since the entire story followed Janeway exclusively, it was very appropriate that Mulgrew should voice the entire thing- almost like I was listening to Janeway's personal log. That was a great experience.

By the by, I was told on this forum by one of the authors of The 34th Rule that both himself and Armin Shimerman were both unhappy with the abridgements made to the novel for the audio version- this is, unfortunately, the only version of the story I've consumed.

I agree. I think if it wasn't read by Miss Mulgrew, the experience of the Mosaic audio book wouldn't be as great. It's definitely on my top Trek audio book list.

I borrowed my friend's copy of the audio version of the 34th Rule and I haven't read the regular novel yet. I was curious if it was any good.

 

[Yevetha]

How wll does Cacophony fit Trek canon?

 

[jla1987]

Federation, both in audio and novel form, is fantastic! Mark Lenard does a fantastic job with the various characters in the book. If you come across it, do pick it up!

 

[JD]

For anyone who's interested, I think most (possibly all, I'm not sure) of the Trek audio books are available for download on ITunes.