When was six I loved star trek and I still do (im 17 now) When I was six I went into a charity shop, and I saw a Star Trek book, which then I bought. About 6 months ago, I decided after 10 year procrastination to read the Star Trek book, after I read it I fell in love with star trek lit. Over one month, I treated my self to about about 70 Star Trek book from amazon, and I have been engrosed in them ever since. That star trek book that I had put off reading for 10 years, that I bought when I was six was John Peels here there be dragons. Before I read that Star Trek book, I never read books, but now thanks to all the Star Trek lit auther that are out there, I now really enjoy reading. Thank you :-)
What was your first Star Trek book?
- Thread starter PKS8304
- Start date
I think that was mine too.. My Mom ordered a set of Blish's Trek books for me from her mail order Book Club.
I don't know why they'd say that. It would make sense if said about, say, The Price of the Phoenix or Vulcan! or Death's Angel, which are laden with fanfic tropes. But Joe Haldeman was and is an accomplished SF novelist in his own right, and his Trek novels (Planet of Judgment and World Without End) feature his own distinctive authorial voice and some big science-fiction ideas, and their interpretation of the Trek universe and characters is a bit unusual (though interesting). His books don't strike me as the sort of thing that would be described as "fan fiction."
The first one I read and owned was a very fanficcy short story collection. I think it was called The New Voyages (am too lazy to stroll to the bookcase and check) and it was edited by Marshak & Culbreath. A friend brought it to me from the US and I was awed. I had no idea there were Trek books.
I'm pretty sure it was either "The Making of Star Trek", or one of the earliest James Blish episode adaptation books.
Thanks Christopher. My guess is that whoever formed that thought was coming from a place of "an author who has previously established his name with original fiction would write a franchise novel only due to being a fan" or some such. In any case, I added a "citation needed" tag to that weird statement.
I came across my first Star Trek book when I was in grade school. I was checking out comic books (remember when they actually sold comic books everywhere 
and not just in comic book stores?) and finding nothing interesting to buy after I turned that ol' creaky metal comic rack around for the tenth time, I happened to notice a Star Trek Quiz Book sitting on a nearby paperback rack. I watched the TOS reruns and thought it might make an interesting read. My next book was my first fiction, Star Trek 12 by James Blish. Planet of Judgment by Joe Haldeman and Star Trek Fotonovel #3 ("Trouble with Tribbles") soon followed. My family encouraged my voracious reading appetite and I was soon getting all sorts of books and comic books as presents during the following years in addition to what I would buy myself.
and not just in comic book stores?) and finding nothing interesting to buy after I turned that ol' creaky metal comic rack around for the tenth time, I happened to notice a Star Trek Quiz Book sitting on a nearby paperback rack. I watched the TOS reruns and thought it might make an interesting read. My next book was my first fiction, Star Trek 12 by James Blish. Planet of Judgment by Joe Haldeman and Star Trek Fotonovel #3 ("Trouble with Tribbles") soon followed. My family encouraged my voracious reading appetite and I was soon getting all sorts of books and comic books as presents during the following years in addition to what I would buy myself.
You all make me feel like a baby. 
Mine was "the Battle of Betazed", way back in distant 2002...
I had watched a few TNG episodes, as re-runs, and most of season seven of Voyager. I found the book and was immediately interested because I knew of Betazed from TNG. While it's of course a TNG story, the book was also my introduction to DS9, which I hadn't seen yet.
Mine was "the Battle of Betazed", way back in distant 2002...I had watched a few TNG episodes, as re-runs, and most of season seven of Voyager. I found the book and was immediately interested because I knew of Betazed from TNG. While it's of course a TNG story, the book was also my introduction to DS9, which I hadn't seen yet.
Star Trek 4, a collection of TOS episode adaptations by James Blish, a few months after it was published. It was a birthday gift from a friend; I had no idea there were Star Trek books. My first novel was Blish's Spock Must Die! I got The Making of Star Trek around that time, too. Brings back many fond memories of biking to the town book store and strolling through the racks...
Hey, not all of us are old fogies! My first Trek book was in '98.You all make me feel like a baby.
I had watched a few TNG episodes, as re-runs, and most of season seven of Voyager. I found the book and was immediately interested because I knew of Betazed from TNG. While it's of course a TNG story, the book was also my introduction to DS9, which I hadn't seen yet.
I can relate to that. My first ST purchase was the novelization of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" from a spinning rack near the checkout of my local supermarket. I'd just turned 21 and the movie had just had its gala premiere, but had not yet opened to the general public. In frustration, and while trying to get a brother, cousin or school friend to go with me, I ended up reading the whole book in a weekend, then went off to the cinema on my own. And several more times over the next few weeks.
After finding about ten random ST novels and Blish & ADF novelizations, I noticed the Whitman "Mission to Horatius" on a special shelf in a second hand bookshop. It wasn't mint condition, but they were asking about $55 for it. I suddenly realised my younger brother owned a copy. (I had received the Whitman "I Spy" from the same relative; probably Christmas 1968.)
A few pages in, I realised I'd already read "Mission to Horatius" - way back in 1970, while in bed with a severe bout of 'flu. I never told my brother I'd "adopted" it, nor that it was worth $$$$.(I also didn't tell him I was "adopting" his abandoned Kooky Spooky, either.)
Probably.
I ended up getting US editions of TMP and ST II (and kept my Aussie TMP because it has a colour plates section, and some additional text explaining who Lori Ciani is!) and had to replace Corgi UK editions of a few Bantam and Ballantine editions of earlier books, just to make everything "neat".
Ooooh. Embarrassing happy dance with that one. Way back in the early 80s, there was no definitive list of every ST novel, unless you knew to write to the Star Trek Welcommittee and send a SSAE.
Each Bantam ST novel had a message asking "Have you read...?" and suggesting two or three other titles. "World Without End" I found on the MMPB shelves of a newsagent (Australian drug store that sells newspapers/magazines and not always drugs) in a suburb I rarely visited. I'd never heard reference to that one before! Made that day's trip to the doctor quite a highlight!
From memory, it's little "Have you read...?" message reminded me that I still needed to find "Trek to Madworld". (Which also comes with a good luck story of its own.)
We are so spoiled having a whole year of titles in advance and a new ST novel almost every month!
It was the ST:TPM novelization. Sadly I lost it during a move four years ago along with a big box of other Trek novels. Total bummer.
Similar threads
- Poll
