I don't mind that so much, because it's not actually Europe, so they could well have different names for things in that sense
The State of Star Trek Literature
- Thread starter Sxottlan
- Start date
I don't mind that so much, because it's not actually Europe, so they could well have different names for things in that sense
Of course, but it is just a much more modern word than trousers and its antecedents. A quick search on the OED's historical thesaurus (which thro your local library you will be able to access):
breek1554
Now only in pl. breeks = breeches breech n. 1c, trousers.
strosser1598
= trouser v. at trousers n. Derivatives.
strouse1600
= trouse n. Cf. strosser n. Obs.
brogue1615
pl. Hose, trousers. Obs.
trouse1678
(pl.) = trousers n. 2. Obs.
trousers1681
Originally: a loose-fitting garment of cloth worn by men, covering the loins and legs to the ankles; sometimes said to have been…
inexpressible1790
pl. (colloq.) Breeches or trousers. (Orig. euphemistic: cf. ineffables (ineffable n. 1), inexplicables (inexplicable n. 2), unmentionables (unmentionable adj. n. b).)
et cetera1794
as substitute for a suppressed substantive, generally a coarse or indelicate one. spec. (pl.), trousers.
pantaloon1798
Tight trousers fastened with ribbons or buttons below the calf or (later) with straps passing under the boots, which superseded knee…
kickseys1819
With pl. concord. Breeches; trousers.
ineffable1823
pl. Trousers. (A humorous euphemism: cf. inexpressibles, see inexpressible n. 2, unmentionables, see unmentionable adj. n. b.)
unmentionable1823
n. pl. Trousers. (Cf. inexpressible n. 2) Also, underpants, and (chiefly joc.) underwear, esp. women's.
indispensablea1828
pl. (colloq. euphemism.) Trousers.
unimaginable1833
pl. = inexpressible n. 2.
pants1835
Originally (colloq.): pantaloons. Later: trousers of any kind (in early use applied to men's trousers, but in the 20th cent. extended to include those worn by both men and women).
inexplicable1836
pl. A vulgar euphemism for ‘trousers’: cf. inexpressibles, see inexpressible n. 2.
never-mention-'ems1836
trousers (cf. unmentionable adj. n. b).
unwhisperable1837
Trousers. slang.
indescribable1839
pl. Things of which no description can be given.
result1839
In pl. humorous. Trousers. Obs. rare.
sit-down-upons1840
sit-down-upons, trousers, breeches. colloq. (Cf. sit-upon n.)
sit-upon1841
In pl.: Trousers, breeches. (Cf. sit-down adj. 2.)
innominablea1843
‘Unmentionables’, trousers.
unutterable1843
pl. Trousers. (Cf. unmentionable adj. n. b.)
trews1847
Trousers in general (tartan or otherwise), including close-fitting trousers worn by women.
sine qua non1850
pl. Breeches. (Cf. indispensable n. c.)
round-the-houses1857
slang. Trousers. Cf. rounds n.
unprintable1860
pl. Trousers; = unmentionable adj. n. b.
round1862
Naut. In pl. Inspection.
stove-pipe1863
pl. Trousers. More recently, spec. = drain-pipe n. at drain n. 2 (fig.). Also attrib., as stove-pipe trousers.
termination1863
pl. Used for ‘trousers’ or ‘breeches’.
reach-me-down1877
In pl. Trousers. Now rare.
sit-in-'ems1886
With pl. concord. Trousers.
trousies1886
Dial. or colloq. var. of trousers n. 2a.
stride1889
pl. Trousers. Also occas. breeches; jeans. slang.
rammies1906
With pl. concord. Trousers.
long1928
Long trousers. colloq.
1. How do you feel the Trek book line has done in the last 12-15 months?
A) I'm extremely pleased with the line, not many of what I've read has me regretting the purchace.
2. More specifically, what have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? What were your three favorite Trek novels in that time and why?
A) Like the Pact series of books, there is this feeling of what's next that I get from the books that is kind of exciting to me. Like that Vanguard is going out on a high note being as popular as it is. Love the progression of Voyager.
My three favorites are:
DTI: Watching The Clock
The Rings of Time
Childern of the Storm
Honorable mention goes to Indistinguishable From Magic, had Rings of Time not been a great read IFM was in my top 3.
3. Now, what did you disliked regarding to the Trek book line of the last year or so? What were your three least favorite or disappointing books and why?
A) Rough Beasts of Empire - Sisko was a much darker/brooding character than I'm used to but still want to see what thefuture holds.
To Brave The Storm - like the aweful finale, this felt rushed. I really wish we had gotten the trillogy that was intended. I really loved Enterprise to the point that the more people bitched about the ship, Archer, etc. that I found myself looking at it more positive. I would like to see a post Romulan War book with some of the crew.
I don't have a #3 least favorite but the secret agent man Bashir story needs to have an end to it.
4. What new recurring trends or themes in the last 12-15 months have you picked up on?
A) That Tzenkethi are pulling the strings of the Pact.
5. What editorial decisions from the last 12-15 months have you like?
Disliked? Cutting The Romulan War to a two-book series.
6. What would you change in the Trek book line? Everything? Nothing? Be it production choices (artwork, type of book) or story editorial decisions?
I would like to see a three part Aventine series. Not too interrested in the covers anymore, unless I get a Kindle Fire to replace my 3G I won't see the covers in color anyway. Would love to see a regular universe story involving Captain Robau.
A) I'm extremely pleased with the line, not many of what I've read has me regretting the purchace.
2. More specifically, what have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? What were your three favorite Trek novels in that time and why?
A) Like the Pact series of books, there is this feeling of what's next that I get from the books that is kind of exciting to me. Like that Vanguard is going out on a high note being as popular as it is. Love the progression of Voyager.
My three favorites are:
DTI: Watching The Clock
The Rings of Time
Childern of the Storm
Honorable mention goes to Indistinguishable From Magic, had Rings of Time not been a great read IFM was in my top 3.
3. Now, what did you disliked regarding to the Trek book line of the last year or so? What were your three least favorite or disappointing books and why?
A) Rough Beasts of Empire - Sisko was a much darker/brooding character than I'm used to but still want to see what thefuture holds.
To Brave The Storm - like the aweful finale, this felt rushed. I really wish we had gotten the trillogy that was intended. I really loved Enterprise to the point that the more people bitched about the ship, Archer, etc. that I found myself looking at it more positive. I would like to see a post Romulan War book with some of the crew.
I don't have a #3 least favorite but the secret agent man Bashir story needs to have an end to it.
4. What new recurring trends or themes in the last 12-15 months have you picked up on?
A) That Tzenkethi are pulling the strings of the Pact.
5. What editorial decisions from the last 12-15 months have you like?
Disliked? Cutting The Romulan War to a two-book series.
6. What would you change in the Trek book line? Everything? Nothing? Be it production choices (artwork, type of book) or story editorial decisions?
I would like to see a three part Aventine series. Not too interrested in the covers anymore, unless I get a Kindle Fire to replace my 3G I won't see the covers in color anyway. Would love to see a regular universe story involving Captain Robau.
^An Aventine trilogy is a great idea. I enjoyed the inclusion of the Aventine in the Destiny books and Zero Sum Game.
1. How do you feel the Trek book line has done in the last 12-15 months?
I feel like the line has done well enough. There's been a lot of diversity over the past 15 months or so, so there has been something for everyone. We've gotten more of the Romulan War in ENT, further adventures set during the TOS era, more VGD, the continuation of the 24th century post-Destiny time frame, and even unique stand-alone stores like DTI: Watching the Clock.
2. More specifically, what have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? What were your three favorite Trek novels in that time and why?
Again, the diversity is good. It seems like there's been a lot of TOS-era stuff released lately but the rest of 2012 is going to balance things out with a lot of 24th-century stories. Favorite books over the past 15 months would be VOY's Children of the Storm, Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony and DTI: Watching the Clock.
3. Now, what did you disliked regarding to the Trek book line of the last year or so? What were your three least favorite or disappointing books and why?
While I haven't read all of the novels published during this time period, I would say that my biggest gripe is the dramatic fluctuation in quality. Some novels have really delivered the goods while others just didn't deliver on their premise or feel like they were rushed or just not properly thought through. I do not know if the fault lies with the authors or the editors (a combination of both, I assume). I was rather disappointed with TNG's Indistinguishable From Magic and some of the Typhon Pact entries (primarily Seize the Fire and Rough Beasts of Empire). All three of these could have been really engaging, but they just.... weren't.
4. What new recurring trends or themes in the last 12-15 months have you picked up on?
It feels like a lot of the post-Destiny 24th century stories are being grouped under the Typhon Pact banner. So far we have four novels and an eBook novella. Two more TP books will be released this year. It seems like we're not getting many proper titles released under the TNG and DS9 banners (DS9 remains severely neglected). VOY seems to be the only series that stands alone (which makes sense given its story). Casual readers who like to follow one particular series may have a difficult time keeping track given how things seem to be titled or grouped together these days. I know that a properly-identified Titan book will be planned this year. Do we have confirmation that David Mack's upcoming trilogy will be properly labeled under the TNG banner?
5. What editorial decisions from the last 12-15 months have you liked? Disliked?
I am still really enjoying the new direction with VOY. Kirsten Beyer keeps hitting them out of the park. After the mess with Christie Golden's initial VOY relaunch titles, I thought that sticking with one author for the entire series was a terrible decision. However, Beyer has proven herself worthy. If this series continues with her as the sole author, I'd be just fine with that.
VGD coming to an end is very sad, but I think that this is ultimately a smart move. The authors have carefully crafted an on-going story that they can end on their own terms. Fans won't be left waiting or disappointed.
DS9 continues to get no love. Rough Beasts of Empire did nothing to make me feel better. In fact, I am even more worried about the fate of the series and its characters. It definitely looks like DRGIII's upcoming duology will touch upon the DS9 canvas in some way. However, it seems like it will focus on the post-Destiny status quo. We will likely never get a proper story to fill in the gaps of that missing time between The Soul Key and Destiny. (Yeah, I know, it's an old argument, but I am still unhappy with how this series was handled by the editorial shuffles behind the scenes).
6. What would you change in the Trek book line? Everything? Nothing? Be it production choices (artwork, type of book) or story editorial decisions?
As mentioned above, I'd love to get DS9 get a little love. Take the time to fill in the gaps and then establish a new status quo. I worry that DS9 will no longer exist as a separate series and that we'll only see random crew members pop up in Typhon Pact series and crossover event books.
VOY is right on target. Keep it nice and steady.
ENT's future is uncertain after the conclusion of the Romulan War. VGD is wrapping up. There's been no word on future NF stories. It seems like the number of individual series may be shrinking. I'd give Peter David a chance to wrap up NF. Maybe it's time to try something new?
As far as the cover art is concerned, I know that photoshop is an important tool for today's artists, but I would love to see work that is a little more creative and original. There are still some beautiful covers being done, but some of the books (like, for instance, the first round of Typhon Pact stories) could use more interesting cover designs that rely less on actors' photoshopped heads.
I feel like the line has done well enough. There's been a lot of diversity over the past 15 months or so, so there has been something for everyone. We've gotten more of the Romulan War in ENT, further adventures set during the TOS era, more VGD, the continuation of the 24th century post-Destiny time frame, and even unique stand-alone stores like DTI: Watching the Clock.
2. More specifically, what have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? What were your three favorite Trek novels in that time and why?
Again, the diversity is good. It seems like there's been a lot of TOS-era stuff released lately but the rest of 2012 is going to balance things out with a lot of 24th-century stories. Favorite books over the past 15 months would be VOY's Children of the Storm, Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony and DTI: Watching the Clock.
3. Now, what did you disliked regarding to the Trek book line of the last year or so? What were your three least favorite or disappointing books and why?
While I haven't read all of the novels published during this time period, I would say that my biggest gripe is the dramatic fluctuation in quality. Some novels have really delivered the goods while others just didn't deliver on their premise or feel like they were rushed or just not properly thought through. I do not know if the fault lies with the authors or the editors (a combination of both, I assume). I was rather disappointed with TNG's Indistinguishable From Magic and some of the Typhon Pact entries (primarily Seize the Fire and Rough Beasts of Empire). All three of these could have been really engaging, but they just.... weren't.
4. What new recurring trends or themes in the last 12-15 months have you picked up on?
It feels like a lot of the post-Destiny 24th century stories are being grouped under the Typhon Pact banner. So far we have four novels and an eBook novella. Two more TP books will be released this year. It seems like we're not getting many proper titles released under the TNG and DS9 banners (DS9 remains severely neglected). VOY seems to be the only series that stands alone (which makes sense given its story). Casual readers who like to follow one particular series may have a difficult time keeping track given how things seem to be titled or grouped together these days. I know that a properly-identified Titan book will be planned this year. Do we have confirmation that David Mack's upcoming trilogy will be properly labeled under the TNG banner?
5. What editorial decisions from the last 12-15 months have you liked? Disliked?
I am still really enjoying the new direction with VOY. Kirsten Beyer keeps hitting them out of the park. After the mess with Christie Golden's initial VOY relaunch titles, I thought that sticking with one author for the entire series was a terrible decision. However, Beyer has proven herself worthy. If this series continues with her as the sole author, I'd be just fine with that.
VGD coming to an end is very sad, but I think that this is ultimately a smart move. The authors have carefully crafted an on-going story that they can end on their own terms. Fans won't be left waiting or disappointed.
DS9 continues to get no love. Rough Beasts of Empire did nothing to make me feel better. In fact, I am even more worried about the fate of the series and its characters. It definitely looks like DRGIII's upcoming duology will touch upon the DS9 canvas in some way. However, it seems like it will focus on the post-Destiny status quo. We will likely never get a proper story to fill in the gaps of that missing time between The Soul Key and Destiny. (Yeah, I know, it's an old argument, but I am still unhappy with how this series was handled by the editorial shuffles behind the scenes).
6. What would you change in the Trek book line? Everything? Nothing? Be it production choices (artwork, type of book) or story editorial decisions?
As mentioned above, I'd love to get DS9 get a little love. Take the time to fill in the gaps and then establish a new status quo. I worry that DS9 will no longer exist as a separate series and that we'll only see random crew members pop up in Typhon Pact series and crossover event books.
VOY is right on target. Keep it nice and steady.
ENT's future is uncertain after the conclusion of the Romulan War. VGD is wrapping up. There's been no word on future NF stories. It seems like the number of individual series may be shrinking. I'd give Peter David a chance to wrap up NF. Maybe it's time to try something new?
As far as the cover art is concerned, I know that photoshop is an important tool for today's artists, but I would love to see work that is a little more creative and original. There are still some beautiful covers being done, but some of the books (like, for instance, the first round of Typhon Pact stories) could use more interesting cover designs that rely less on actors' photoshopped heads.
Yes, from Dave himself in the thread "Star Trek Magazine 39 on sale soon" back in February:
Thought the thread was dead, but then activity picked up and now it's fading again and I have been unavailable to post lately, so here's a little bump.
Agreed!
I would love to see an ongoing TOS book series given the same treatment as the 24th century series. Lots of continuity from Enterprise, lots continuity from within the series and also with Vanguard's background too.
I feel that in many ways, whether intentional or not, we've had TOS books in the last year or so that are already doing this. That Which Divides has the kind of continuity that I like: an original story that creates a unique situation that reveals a connection with a previous episode. It also folds in M'Ress and Arex. A Choice of Catastrophes, I discovered afterwards, incorporated tons of background characters from the show.
What I have long wanted was a "Season 4" & "5" in book form. Sort of like how the DS9R was described as "Season 8" for that series. Now I've heard some people say TAS sort of does that, but I'd rather it not count. Mostly because I've never seen an episode!
Maybe a better idea would be a whole new 5 year mission? Now I've always been hazy on the time between TOS and its movies. I remember the Crucible trilogy offhandedly tossing in a whole new mission for the crew.
Either way, I'd think there is wiggle room.
Agreed!
I would love to see an ongoing TOS book series given the same treatment as the 24th century series. Lots of continuity from Enterprise, lots continuity from within the series and also with Vanguard's background too.
I feel that in many ways, whether intentional or not, we've had TOS books in the last year or so that are already doing this. That Which Divides has the kind of continuity that I like: an original story that creates a unique situation that reveals a connection with a previous episode. It also folds in M'Ress and Arex. A Choice of Catastrophes, I discovered afterwards, incorporated tons of background characters from the show.
What I have long wanted was a "Season 4" & "5" in book form. Sort of like how the DS9R was described as "Season 8" for that series. Now I've heard some people say TAS sort of does that, but I'd rather it not count. Mostly because I've never seen an episode!
Maybe a better idea would be a whole new 5 year mission? Now I've always been hazy on the time between TOS and its movies. I remember the Crucible trilogy offhandedly tossing in a whole new mission for the crew.
Either way, I'd think there is wiggle room.
As far as I'm concerned, the TOS/TOS movie era has already been mapped out extensively in novels as far back as the early 80's, complete with their recurring new characters. The idea of ignoring so many stone cold classics (which the current continuity already has plenty of links to) holds no appeal for me.
What I have long wanted was a "Season 4" & "5" in book form. Sort of like how the DS9R was described as "Season 8" for that series. Now I've heard some people say TAS sort of does that, but I'd rather it not count. Mostly because I've never seen an episode!
Maybe a better idea would be a whole new 5 year mission? Now I've always been hazy on the time between TOS and its movies. I remember the Crucible trilogy offhandedly tossing in a whole new mission for the crew.
Either way, I'd think there is wiggle room.
I'd rather not see a Season 4 or 5 set of books; I feel like there's already so much set during TOS to fill up more than five years already, and there will always be more stories told during that period.
Now your idea of a book series set during the second 5YM right after TMP I would be totally up for. Wasn't Christopher's Ex Machina being considered for that?
This was tried some years back with the books published under the label Star Trek: The Original Series, namely the Janus Gate and Errand of Vengeance trilogies. The idea was to tell stories that took place between and during the episodes of TOS and presented a more unified narrative, focusing on a recurring ensemble of supporting crewmembers and tying the episodes together into a larger continuity. For whatever reason, though, it didn't work out.
What I have long wanted was a "Season 4" & "5" in book form. Sort of like how the DS9R was described as "Season 8" for that series. Now I've heard some people say TAS sort of does that, but I'd rather it not count. Mostly because I've never seen an episode!
Well, what are you waiting for? The entire series is available for streaming on both StarTrek.com (for free) and Netflix (in much better quality, if you have an account). The whole series is only 8.7 hours of content, so it's not that difficult to get caught up.
That mission was set after TMP. There's no good way to insert a second tour of duty (of 5 years or whatever length, since there's absolutely no legitimate reason to assume that the single example of a 5-year mission we have is in any way standard or routine) before TMP, since in TMP, Kirk specifically references "my five years out there" as part of his qualifications for taking over from Decker.
Not "being considered." I presented it in such a way that it could be a "backdoor pilot" for a series if there were any interest, but apparently it didn't sell well enough to generate such interest. The one time I was invited to revisit that period was as part of the Mere Anarchy e-book miniseries which covered all the major periods of the Kirk/Enterprise era; and next month's Forgotten History also allowed me to revisit that era and pick up some threads from Ex Machina, but only because the book contains enough 5-year-mission content to make it marketable.
Personally I'd love to spearhead an ongoing series set between TMP and TWOK, but it's just not considered something that would sell well. Most readers, it seems, would rather see stories set during the 5-year mission, even if that means cramming it with 15 or 20 years' worth of stories.
^I read the Ex Machina description online as a result of this conversation. Sounds like an interesting read, so I downloaded it to my kindle. Was this as your first Trek novel Chris?
^Yes, Ex Machina was my first novel-length work of Trek fiction (though it was preceded by Aftermath and "...Lov'd I Not Honor More") and my first published novel in general.
That's very disappointing. Not that I don't love the TV series, but TMP came out when I was 10 years old, so that will always be "My" Star Trek. I love the new look of the Enterprise, the uniforms, the redesigned insignia, the alien crewmembers, the music, Spock's new balance between his Vulcan and human halves... it's just my favorite era. I'll buy any book set in that time period.
I'd rather get something set between The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country, or between TMP and The Wrath of Kahn. Those seem to be the most open, and relatively unexplored periods in the TOS crew's careers.What I have long wanted was a "Season 4" & "5" in book form. Sort of like how the DS9R was described as "Season 8" for that series. Now I've heard some people say TAS sort of does that, but I'd rather it not count. Mostly because I've never seen an episode!
Finally got around to finishing my response. I thought I'd have more time to work on this during my vacation earlier this month, but that ended up not being the case. Here we go!
I think the Trek book line is going well. Better than it was the year before. Please note I’m not really counting the January and February entries as I discussed one in last year’s thread and the other was just a reprint. Nearly every other book satisfied on some level. At the same time, none of the books were what I called excellent. They ranged from good to very good. Perhaps it was the stabilizing of an editorial vision for the line. Not remembering right now when the last change up was made at editor. Reliable series delivered the goods yet again. Shaky series continued to be shaky. A couple books were bad, but the good news there was that two of the three bad entries in 2011 I was expecting to not do so well. If that can be considered good news.
I enjoyed the creation of at least one possible ongoing new series (Department of Temporal Investigation) and a heavy focus on an outgoing series (Vanguard). The former because I’ve long thought it would work as a (semi-?) ongoing series and the latter because any series as well loved as Vanguard deserves a good build-up in a short amount of time for its finale.
As for three favorite novels? I’m going to cheat a little and include a novella from late 2010 as my top pick because I did not read it until April 2011:
1. "Honor in the Night" (from Shattered Light): Kind of a revelation. There isn’t much different in this particular universe from the prime universe and yet it opened up a world of possibilities that I had not previously considered. What it did was open my eyes to what must be a constant chess game between the Diplomatic Corp, Federation colony officials and the Klingons in the 23rd century in the wake of the Organian Treaty. As I’m currently reading Vanguard’s swan song, I found this novella worked as a great pilot for a new series in the same vein as Vanguard exploring the seldom seen “war” between the Klingons and the Federation and their efforts to expand under the watch of the Organians. I know Kevin Ryan’s books tackled this subject, but it’s been enough years that I think we could take another shot incorporating more of the recent continuity. That and I never actually read those books. I wish I had.
2. Children of the Storm: The Voyager Re-Relaunch (or Voy-Re-Re if you will) continues its winning streak with Kristen Beyer’s third installment. Another epic tale following up on Destiny continued exploration not only of an interesting alien species but also further development of the Voyager Fleet. I have loved how the books have focused on different ships, this time the Demeter. Shocking how we already lose one of the fleet vessels already. The book exemplified the Trek ideal while also providing adventure and a bit of mystery about future installments. Secret fighter craft? Cool. I hope we see the refit Voyager soon. I do forget that the ship is supposed to look different now. I am surprised that had not been addressed in time for Full Circle.
3. Watching the Clock: For years I’ve wanted to see this one. And it’s great through and through. I loved all of the little details about this book, from the DTI Headquarters in England (I thought an artificial island HQ straddling the International Date Line would have been appropriate, but timing inter-office meetings would probably be a pain in the neck) to the agents themselves (a Suliban!) to the fact that a Starfleet vessel is assigned to the department. I loved the continuation of the Temporal Cold War and its real conclusion with the revealing of the “Sponsor’s” identity. The central relationship between Dulmur and Lucsly is fun and a time-tested and enjoyable dynamic. The theory on time travel in the Trek universe put forth by Christopher Bennett is new and makes sense given what we’ve seen.
There was truly little for me to dislike in most of 2011. I think that is because there weren’t any new Typhon Pact books during the time period that I am counting. And Paths of Disharmony ended up being the best of the first batch of Typhon Pact books. I railed against aspects of the series that I don’t like in last year’s thread. I’m realizing that I just don’t care for most of the entire premise. There are days I honestly think I hate a lot of what the Typhon Pact books have done. Other days I’m indifferent and am willing to see where they go. I just don’t see a cold war as being very topical. I just read Storming Heaven right now and there’s a great line by Fisher to T’Prynn about a change for the better being traumatizing too. Wouldn’t that have been a more interesting idea to pursue in these post-Borg days.
My three choices for the worst and/or most disappointing books of 2011:
1. Indistinguishable from Magic: Easily the worst Trek book I’ve read in awhile. Bear with me, I haven’t unleashed my full fury on this until now. It actually starts remarkably well. I liked the idea behind the title. I was glad to see a Geordi-centric novel for a change. For the most part I liked the Challenger crew. However, the nitpicks just built and built until the book reached a tipping point and just poured over the edge.
I’m not sure where to begin. Probably with the small universe syndrome. Completely unnecessary. As soon as we meet Dr. Ogawa, I remembered a conversation on this forum years ago about how someone thought it lame that just because Ogawa was a nurse, she must therefore want to move up to be a doctor. I seem to recall even Ogawa clarifying her opinion on the matter. When even the characters don’t like what is being done with them, something is wrong. Reg transported from the Delta Quadrant? Ridiculous. Leah Brahms is back. In a book stuffed full with references to other shows and books, you’d think the one that actually tells us that she is single again would have been in there. Nope. I genuinely thought they were carrying on an extra-marital affair for awhile there.
Hey Scotty. You have the SCE to run, and you’d rather be an engineer than be in command of a starship (as evidenced in the TNG episode that brought you back), but for some reason you’re in command of this mission. I should have noticed it earlier, but it’s not until the end that I realize you’ve been set up for martyrdom the entire time. The one lousy TOS character whose presence in the late 24th century made the most sense of anyone and they get rid of him. He had a job that gave him purpose and befit a man of his experience. He was also technically the youngster of the surviving TOS crew. And they kill him off pulling some technobabble crap that I recall was a stretch to really need him to begin with. Seriously, f*ck you book. I read this book a year ago and promptly tried to forget it, but I’m amazed at how quickly I can summon my rage towards this novel.
Second, the plots. I say plots because this is two completely different books in one. At some point early in the process, you’d think someone would have flagged this as an extraordinarily bad idea. The last time I saw this was in Mystery Science Theater 3000. The plots themselves are contrived. More small universe as Bok and Rasmussen seemingly throw together a plot within days to seize an NX-class vessel.. for something. I don’t even remember now. The second solves the mystery of the Hera and it made me wish it had stayed a mystery. If Scotty was one minor injury away from his life being threatened, why the hell is he even cleared for duty to begin with? Then again, Scotty had to be hoisted onto the cross so that Geordi could take command, seemingly just because we saw it in some random alternate future that never happened. Otherwise, why would the SCE have a Galaxy-Class starship as a test bed vessel in this post-Destiny era? I noticed the 1701-E is off its reconstruction mission already. I guess everything is back to normal?
When the moss zombies appeared, I almost threw the book across the room.
Lastly, it’s been said before, but it needs to be said again. The copy editing was atrocious. One character completely changed names between three pages. Not just a different spelling, but a completely different name. I’ve never seen that. Confusing to say the least.
2. To Brave the Storm: A pretty disappointing finale to the Earth-Romulan War. I’m not sure why this trilogy was shrunk to a duology. Maybe because the first book was pretty bad too. To Brave the Storm was a truncated end to one of the most anticipated appearances in the Trek literature: The Earth-Romulan War. The book is so condensed that a Romulan attack on Earth that levels Madrid and Tunis is skipped over and recounted after the fact. This after a pretty decent build-up. Unbelievable. Again I’m not remembering much about this book at this point. All I remember are the gaps where the story should have been: the things we should have seen. Like the Enterprise’s decommissioning for one thing. The book is admittedly better than the first one, but Michael Martin is still struggling. Maybe he’s improving. At least the book ends on the right note.
3. Blind Man’s Bluff: Thankfully not as atrocious as Treason. But it also feels hopelessly half-formed. One of the villains of the book early on dissects Calhoun’s blind spots when it comes to loyalty. It’s a great perspective on the captain long made invincible by the character’s very loving author. I was jazzed after that chapter, thinking we were going to see Calhoun hit by a shocking betrayal that would actually leave him speechless and reeling. Nope. That really doesn’t happen. At least not in this book although it’s hinted that it could happen later. That villain that thought she had Calhoun’s number is taken down without much sweat from Mac. The book does end on a kind of tasteless genocidal cliffhanger though.
About the only consistency that I detected was a willingness to try new things. And it paid off well. From the DTI novel to a book of Vanguard novellas to another Lost Era installment. I’m hoping it’s reflective of a steadier editorial hand that is ready to put its stamp on the line.
It’s interesting to see the return of the ebooks. However I don’t really hold out hope that the SCE will return any time soon. My only concern is if and when we’ll get the new ebooks in paperback. Seeing as how we’re still waiting on Slings & Arrows not to mention actually finishing SCE in paperback. Is this current year the first time in awhile where we’re not getting any trade paperbacks?
I also praise the decision to end Vanguard. It’s a gutsy decision considering the adoration the Treklit crowd has afforded it. They could have milked it for all its worth, like New Frontier. That series is a shell of what it used to be and with the goofy “comic book” approach to Trek that is seemingly going on without end, it’s lost much of its meaning. With Vanguard, we’ll have eight great installments of what has been one of the most fascinating tales in all of Trekdom. That means people can revisit it easily whenever they want. It was surreal watching it all come to an end, but I’m glad the editors have learned that a story with a definitive end gives it more meaning and in my opinion focuses the writers and their stories on what’s important.
I think I would wrap up the Typhon Pact books and move on to something else. I know it won’t happen, but whatever. Put Slings & Arrows out in trade paperback before even I start to forget it existed, which I’m starting to. Same for the SCE.
I’d like to see another series fill the void left by Vanguard. Just so long as it’s not the Aventine. The artwork this last year has been interesting. I do wish the Valeris book had the old fashion Lost Era artwork design, but that’s getting to be so long ago now that I guess I understand why they don’t use it anymore. It’s just that those covers were just about perfect.
It’s interesting how we’re now getting well into the second decade of the “book continuity.” I’m forgetting a lot of details from those earlier books. It’s hard to believe that it’s been that long now since DS9R’s Avatar. I guess I won’t comment much on that series’ status until I’ve read the upcoming duology. My opinion on the state of the DS9R I think is well known, so we’ll just have to wait and see on that one.
Side note: with the Ships of the Lines calendar, can we permanently ban the shots of the Enterprise in drydock? Talk about overdone. At the same time, I greatly enjoy how outside artists have contributed so much to the look of the new book-only series like the Voyager Fleet. I can’t wait to see more of those!
I think the Trek book line is going well. Better than it was the year before. Please note I’m not really counting the January and February entries as I discussed one in last year’s thread and the other was just a reprint. Nearly every other book satisfied on some level. At the same time, none of the books were what I called excellent. They ranged from good to very good. Perhaps it was the stabilizing of an editorial vision for the line. Not remembering right now when the last change up was made at editor. Reliable series delivered the goods yet again. Shaky series continued to be shaky. A couple books were bad, but the good news there was that two of the three bad entries in 2011 I was expecting to not do so well. If that can be considered good news.
I enjoyed the creation of at least one possible ongoing new series (Department of Temporal Investigation) and a heavy focus on an outgoing series (Vanguard). The former because I’ve long thought it would work as a (semi-?) ongoing series and the latter because any series as well loved as Vanguard deserves a good build-up in a short amount of time for its finale.
As for three favorite novels? I’m going to cheat a little and include a novella from late 2010 as my top pick because I did not read it until April 2011:
1. "Honor in the Night" (from Shattered Light): Kind of a revelation. There isn’t much different in this particular universe from the prime universe and yet it opened up a world of possibilities that I had not previously considered. What it did was open my eyes to what must be a constant chess game between the Diplomatic Corp, Federation colony officials and the Klingons in the 23rd century in the wake of the Organian Treaty. As I’m currently reading Vanguard’s swan song, I found this novella worked as a great pilot for a new series in the same vein as Vanguard exploring the seldom seen “war” between the Klingons and the Federation and their efforts to expand under the watch of the Organians. I know Kevin Ryan’s books tackled this subject, but it’s been enough years that I think we could take another shot incorporating more of the recent continuity. That and I never actually read those books. I wish I had.
2. Children of the Storm: The Voyager Re-Relaunch (or Voy-Re-Re if you will) continues its winning streak with Kristen Beyer’s third installment. Another epic tale following up on Destiny continued exploration not only of an interesting alien species but also further development of the Voyager Fleet. I have loved how the books have focused on different ships, this time the Demeter. Shocking how we already lose one of the fleet vessels already. The book exemplified the Trek ideal while also providing adventure and a bit of mystery about future installments. Secret fighter craft? Cool. I hope we see the refit Voyager soon. I do forget that the ship is supposed to look different now. I am surprised that had not been addressed in time for Full Circle.
3. Watching the Clock: For years I’ve wanted to see this one. And it’s great through and through. I loved all of the little details about this book, from the DTI Headquarters in England (I thought an artificial island HQ straddling the International Date Line would have been appropriate, but timing inter-office meetings would probably be a pain in the neck) to the agents themselves (a Suliban!) to the fact that a Starfleet vessel is assigned to the department. I loved the continuation of the Temporal Cold War and its real conclusion with the revealing of the “Sponsor’s” identity. The central relationship between Dulmur and Lucsly is fun and a time-tested and enjoyable dynamic. The theory on time travel in the Trek universe put forth by Christopher Bennett is new and makes sense given what we’ve seen.
There was truly little for me to dislike in most of 2011. I think that is because there weren’t any new Typhon Pact books during the time period that I am counting. And Paths of Disharmony ended up being the best of the first batch of Typhon Pact books. I railed against aspects of the series that I don’t like in last year’s thread. I’m realizing that I just don’t care for most of the entire premise. There are days I honestly think I hate a lot of what the Typhon Pact books have done. Other days I’m indifferent and am willing to see where they go. I just don’t see a cold war as being very topical. I just read Storming Heaven right now and there’s a great line by Fisher to T’Prynn about a change for the better being traumatizing too. Wouldn’t that have been a more interesting idea to pursue in these post-Borg days.
My three choices for the worst and/or most disappointing books of 2011:
1. Indistinguishable from Magic: Easily the worst Trek book I’ve read in awhile. Bear with me, I haven’t unleashed my full fury on this until now. It actually starts remarkably well. I liked the idea behind the title. I was glad to see a Geordi-centric novel for a change. For the most part I liked the Challenger crew. However, the nitpicks just built and built until the book reached a tipping point and just poured over the edge.
I’m not sure where to begin. Probably with the small universe syndrome. Completely unnecessary. As soon as we meet Dr. Ogawa, I remembered a conversation on this forum years ago about how someone thought it lame that just because Ogawa was a nurse, she must therefore want to move up to be a doctor. I seem to recall even Ogawa clarifying her opinion on the matter. When even the characters don’t like what is being done with them, something is wrong. Reg transported from the Delta Quadrant? Ridiculous. Leah Brahms is back. In a book stuffed full with references to other shows and books, you’d think the one that actually tells us that she is single again would have been in there. Nope. I genuinely thought they were carrying on an extra-marital affair for awhile there.
Hey Scotty. You have the SCE to run, and you’d rather be an engineer than be in command of a starship (as evidenced in the TNG episode that brought you back), but for some reason you’re in command of this mission. I should have noticed it earlier, but it’s not until the end that I realize you’ve been set up for martyrdom the entire time. The one lousy TOS character whose presence in the late 24th century made the most sense of anyone and they get rid of him. He had a job that gave him purpose and befit a man of his experience. He was also technically the youngster of the surviving TOS crew. And they kill him off pulling some technobabble crap that I recall was a stretch to really need him to begin with. Seriously, f*ck you book. I read this book a year ago and promptly tried to forget it, but I’m amazed at how quickly I can summon my rage towards this novel.
Second, the plots. I say plots because this is two completely different books in one. At some point early in the process, you’d think someone would have flagged this as an extraordinarily bad idea. The last time I saw this was in Mystery Science Theater 3000. The plots themselves are contrived. More small universe as Bok and Rasmussen seemingly throw together a plot within days to seize an NX-class vessel.. for something. I don’t even remember now. The second solves the mystery of the Hera and it made me wish it had stayed a mystery. If Scotty was one minor injury away from his life being threatened, why the hell is he even cleared for duty to begin with? Then again, Scotty had to be hoisted onto the cross so that Geordi could take command, seemingly just because we saw it in some random alternate future that never happened. Otherwise, why would the SCE have a Galaxy-Class starship as a test bed vessel in this post-Destiny era? I noticed the 1701-E is off its reconstruction mission already. I guess everything is back to normal?
When the moss zombies appeared, I almost threw the book across the room.
Lastly, it’s been said before, but it needs to be said again. The copy editing was atrocious. One character completely changed names between three pages. Not just a different spelling, but a completely different name. I’ve never seen that. Confusing to say the least.
2. To Brave the Storm: A pretty disappointing finale to the Earth-Romulan War. I’m not sure why this trilogy was shrunk to a duology. Maybe because the first book was pretty bad too. To Brave the Storm was a truncated end to one of the most anticipated appearances in the Trek literature: The Earth-Romulan War. The book is so condensed that a Romulan attack on Earth that levels Madrid and Tunis is skipped over and recounted after the fact. This after a pretty decent build-up. Unbelievable. Again I’m not remembering much about this book at this point. All I remember are the gaps where the story should have been: the things we should have seen. Like the Enterprise’s decommissioning for one thing. The book is admittedly better than the first one, but Michael Martin is still struggling. Maybe he’s improving. At least the book ends on the right note.
3. Blind Man’s Bluff: Thankfully not as atrocious as Treason. But it also feels hopelessly half-formed. One of the villains of the book early on dissects Calhoun’s blind spots when it comes to loyalty. It’s a great perspective on the captain long made invincible by the character’s very loving author. I was jazzed after that chapter, thinking we were going to see Calhoun hit by a shocking betrayal that would actually leave him speechless and reeling. Nope. That really doesn’t happen. At least not in this book although it’s hinted that it could happen later. That villain that thought she had Calhoun’s number is taken down without much sweat from Mac. The book does end on a kind of tasteless genocidal cliffhanger though.
About the only consistency that I detected was a willingness to try new things. And it paid off well. From the DTI novel to a book of Vanguard novellas to another Lost Era installment. I’m hoping it’s reflective of a steadier editorial hand that is ready to put its stamp on the line.
It’s interesting to see the return of the ebooks. However I don’t really hold out hope that the SCE will return any time soon. My only concern is if and when we’ll get the new ebooks in paperback. Seeing as how we’re still waiting on Slings & Arrows not to mention actually finishing SCE in paperback. Is this current year the first time in awhile where we’re not getting any trade paperbacks?
I also praise the decision to end Vanguard. It’s a gutsy decision considering the adoration the Treklit crowd has afforded it. They could have milked it for all its worth, like New Frontier. That series is a shell of what it used to be and with the goofy “comic book” approach to Trek that is seemingly going on without end, it’s lost much of its meaning. With Vanguard, we’ll have eight great installments of what has been one of the most fascinating tales in all of Trekdom. That means people can revisit it easily whenever they want. It was surreal watching it all come to an end, but I’m glad the editors have learned that a story with a definitive end gives it more meaning and in my opinion focuses the writers and their stories on what’s important.
I think I would wrap up the Typhon Pact books and move on to something else. I know it won’t happen, but whatever. Put Slings & Arrows out in trade paperback before even I start to forget it existed, which I’m starting to. Same for the SCE.
I’d like to see another series fill the void left by Vanguard. Just so long as it’s not the Aventine. The artwork this last year has been interesting. I do wish the Valeris book had the old fashion Lost Era artwork design, but that’s getting to be so long ago now that I guess I understand why they don’t use it anymore. It’s just that those covers were just about perfect.
It’s interesting how we’re now getting well into the second decade of the “book continuity.” I’m forgetting a lot of details from those earlier books. It’s hard to believe that it’s been that long now since DS9R’s Avatar. I guess I won’t comment much on that series’ status until I’ve read the upcoming duology. My opinion on the state of the DS9R I think is well known, so we’ll just have to wait and see on that one.
Side note: with the Ships of the Lines calendar, can we permanently ban the shots of the Enterprise in drydock? Talk about overdone. At the same time, I greatly enjoy how outside artists have contributed so much to the look of the new book-only series like the Voyager Fleet. I can’t wait to see more of those!
I think that's a strange way of putting it. The Typhon Pact isn't a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end; the existence of the Pact and the Khitomer Alliance is simply the new status quo, the new backdrop against which stories will now be set. And the Typhon Pact series is really just a banner for letting the 24th Century series which are set in the Alpha Quadrant or nearabouts -- The Next Generation, Titan, and Deep Space Nine -- explore that new backdrop. (Let's face it, Typhon Pact banner aside, it's pretty clear that Zero Sum Game and Rough Beasts of Empire were DSN novels, that Paths of Disharmony and The Struggle Within were TNG novels, and that Seize the Fire was a TTN novel. And from the preview on the S&S website, Plague of Nights looks like it's a DSN novel.)
Saying you want the Typhon Pact in TrekLit to be "wrapped up" is a bit like saying you want the Soviet Union and the Cold War to be "wrapped up" in the le Carré George Smiley series, or that you want to "wrap up" the idea of the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords in Doctor Who. It's not a plot arc to be wrapped up, it's a status quo that informs plot arcs.
After reading Forgotten History, I'd really like to see more of Will Decker. His relationship with Scotty was great and Christopher managed to make him seem less like Riker 1.0. Sadly, the Adventures of Captain Decker are only possible in an AU novel, but he must've had a distinguished career before taking over the Enterprise.
^Well, Decker didn't earn his captaincy until he was assigned command of the Enterprise, so any exploration of his earlier career would have to be of Commander Decker (or a lower rank) rather than Captain Decker.
There's always the (slim) possibility of a return for Decker, Ilia and Voyager...
But do we really want them to return? I mean, God-like entity with claims to the Earth and a problematic past recorded history ...
