Recommend a good standalone novel

[Captaindemotion]

Over the last 2 - 3 years, I've fallen out of the way of regularly buying Trek novels. A combination of buying most of my books in second-hand stores (which didn't have many Trek novels) and getting lost in the continuity of the expanded Treklit universe. And just having so many of the buggers round the place.

Additionally, sad to say, I found that Trek novels seemed to represent poor value for money compared to many other paperbacks - they never are sold reduced or get included in multi-buy offers or the like in big stores (Waterstones, Eason's, WH Smith) and are often thinner and more quickly read than others.

I've recently gotten a Kindle and have a mind to reacquaint myself with Treklit but I don't really want to have to read a load of novels to establish backstory or figure out who certain key characters are. I'd prefer to stick to standalone novels or short series. The only one I've downloaded to date was The Buried Age, by Christopher L Bennett.

What recommendations would you have for someone in my position? The Destiny trilogy is one I often hear mentioned. I should clarify also that I'm probably most interested in TOS, DS9 and TNG. Thanks.

 

[zarkon]

Are you strictly looking for stuff from the last three or so years?

 

[UncleRogi]

I would recommend "Prime Directive" by the Reeves-Stephens--TOS
"Ex Machina" by Christopher Bennet, though trek familiaraty would be advised (if I could spell);
"The Eugenic Wars" by Greg Cox, as well as " The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh",
The "Millenium" trilogy, also by the Reeves-Stephens, DS9 (awesomeness)
and the "Crucible" trilogy by David R George III-- These center around the TOS episode "City on the Edge of Forever", and the McCoy installment is one of the better Trek novels out there, for those new to Trek lit.
Enjoy!!

 

[chris_masters5]

I've recently just got back into reading Star Trek novels after a few years as well. A great TOS mini series is "Vanguard" - I didn't really know much about the TOS era - but this series is great - there are 8 books in total, but definitely woth reading.

As for DS9 if you like Garak you need to read "A Stitch in Time". Also if you're interested in a prequel to DS9 the "Terok Nor" trilogy is pretty good too. Have to agree with UncleRogi - I enjoyed "Millenium" as well.

I haven't read any of the recent TNG books yet so can't comment - I'm reading the DS9 relaunch at the moment - I know you said you don't want to read all the backstory books but if you start at the begnning it will get you hooked. The first few books can be found collected in "Twist of Faith" going for £7.99 on Amazon in the UK (Kindle version).

 

[Captaindemotion]

Are you strictly looking for stuff from the last three or so years?

Probably so; I've read a lot of the earlier ones. I should have clarified that in the OP.

Thanks for the other recommendations folks - of those mentioned, I've already read A Stitch in Time, the Millennium Trilogy, Ex Machina and Greg's Khan novels.

 

[UncleRogi]

If you can handle it--The entire "Gateways" series is worthy of note!

And for a hardcore TOS fan, New Earth. Excellent series, the first being "Wagon Train to the Stars", and Jim Kirk as stategist at his best!

"Prime Directive" is my favorite Tos novel...It should have been an episode...

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ I've read the Gateway series, apart from the Challenger entry, which I found unreadable. I'm afraid I didn't care for the New Earth series at all. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the response.

 

[UncleRogi]

^ I've read the Gateway series, apart from the Challenger entry, which I found unreadable. I'm afraid I didn't care for the New Earth series at all. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the response.

I can understand; I had a bit of trouble too...

Challenger was a good concept, but way outside the Federation...oh well.

Read "Spock:Messiah!" a pre-TMP novel?

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Can't say I have. Thanks, I might check it out.

 

[bullethead]

Not technically a novel, but the Myriad Universes line is basically three standalone Trek alternate universe stories per book.

The Mirror Universe novel + anthology line is pretty self-contained, but one of the books contained within it is a crossover with the regular Trek novel line. It can be skipped though.

 

[zarkon]

Are you strictly looking for stuff from the last three or so years?

Probably so; I've read a lot of the earlier ones. I should have clarified that in the OP.

Thanks for the other recommendations folks - of those mentioned, I've already read A Stitch in Time, the Millennium Trilogy, Ex Machina and Greg's Khan novels.

Ah. Unfortunately, I haven't really read much recently that I've been overly enamoured of.

I'll list some of my old favourites here, on the off chance that you haven't read some of them:

The Final Reflection(TOS) by John M. Ford
- The best star trek book there is.

Where Sea Meets Sky(TOS) by Jerry Oltion
- A very enjoyable cap'n pike exploration tale with a nautical feel. Was part of the "captains table" series, but doesn't require reading any of them.

Federation(TOS,TNG), by Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens.
-It spans three eras and focuses on Zefram Cochrane(based on his TOS appearance, First Contact hadn't come out at this point). It feels like the kind of epic "The Motion Picture" tried and failed to be.

Yesterday's Son/Time for Yesterday(TOS) by Ann C Crispin
A couple of great books that focus on spock and a rather surprising relationship.

Spock's World(TOS) by Diane Duane
Deals with Vulcan -its past and what they think it's future should be. Includes an absolutely barnstorming McCoy speech.

Doctor's Orders(TOS) by Diane Duane
Kirk puts McCoy in the captains chair, and things spiral out of control from there. Some great aliens to boot.

The "Errand" series(TOS) by Kevin Ryan
-It's made up of two trilogies, Errand of Vengeance and Errand of Fury, which tell the story of the TOS era conflict between the federation and the klingons, split into basically four viewpoints - a starfleet command officer on earth, a security officer aboard the enterprise who is a klingon infiltrator, an officer aboard a klingon warship, and finally kirk.
One of the best flowing, and most satisfying trek stories I've read.
Book order if you're interested:
The Edge of the Sword
Killing Blow
River of Blood
Seeds of Rage
Demands of Honor
Sacrifices of War

Masks(TNG) by John Vornholt
Away mission on a human colony which eschewed modern technology and cut itself off from earth and ended up going back to a sort of feudal system - but with an interesting twist guided by some of the original colonists. The thing I like most about this book is how well the world and its people is put together. Characterisation(mostly Picard) can be a bit off since this was a very early novel.

Q-Squared(TNG) by Peter David
- An incredibly intelligently written book that weaves together alternate dimensions into a very interesting story.

Imzadi(TNG) by Peter David
- Tells us how Troi & Riker met. Don't really want to say much else other then that it's really, really good.

A Rock and a Hard Place(TNG) by Peter David
- Delves a bit into Riker's past as he goes on leave to help a friend. The other half of the story is his replacement, who is the star of this story. Don't want to go into him as that's the best part of the book.

Dark Mirror(TNG) by Diane Duane
- deals with the mirror universe, written before ds9 went back to it so expect gaping discontinuity - as with Federation, I enjoyed the authors version a lot more then what would later transpire.

Intellivore(TNG) by Diane Duane
- feels like a mystery where the crew are slowly trying to find a creeping horror. the tension in this book amps up very well through to the conclusion. A really good trek book that I feel sometimes gets a bit overlooked.

Possession(TNG) by J.M. Dillard and Kathleen O'malley
- a sequel to a pretty poor TOS book which thankfully isn't necessary reading(I read this one first and never even realised there was a prequel). Great tension as the pressure builds throughout.

Objective: Bajor(DS9) by John Peel
Really fun book, has aliens with a rather interesting fundamental problem.

The 32nd rule(DS9) by David R George & Armin Shimmerman
-Brilliant book focusing on quark and how Ferengi tick, with a superb payoff(har har).

 

[RPJOB]

Spock's World
Vendetta
The Final Reflection
Federation
A Stich in Time
Crucible McCoy - Provenance of Shadows

 

[Christopher]

Not technically a novel, but the Myriad Universes line is basically three standalone Trek alternate universe stories per book.

In fact, each Myriad Universes volume consists of three short novels per volume (c. 50-60,000 words each, which is comparable to the length of the Trek novels Bantam published in the '70s). And since each one is in a separate timeline, they're the very embodiment of "standalone" (except that it helps to be familiar with the screen canon, since each one diverges from a particular event in Trek history and part of the interest in the novels is in seeing how things went differently).

 

[DS9forever]

Objective: Bajor is a good and unusual read.

 

[Captaindemotion]

The Myriad Universes title is appealing to me. Again, thanks for all the responses and I welcome any others, particularly from the last few years.

 

[ryan123450]

The Never Ending Sacrifice is one of the newest DS9 novels. It's very good and it's a standalone.

 

[UncleRogi]

Not from the last few years, but another excellent pre-TMP novel is "Planet of Judgement". I collected it in the early '70s and is another novel that defines Star Trek before TMP.

You will look at Red-Shirts in a whole different manner!

 

[Yevetha]

The Buried Age.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

Star Trek: Cast No Shadow, by James Swallow

 

[Sci]

With the caveat that your mileage may vary on whether or not some of these are "standalone," because the word itself has no exact definition...

- Mirror Universe: The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack
- Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions by David Mack
- The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins by David R. George III
- The Lost Era: The Art of the Impossible by Keith R.A. DeCandido
- Crucible: Provenance of Shadows by David R. George III (part one of an interconnected trilogy, but you don't need to read the other two)
- Deep Space Nine: Hollow Men by Una McCormack
- Deep Space Nine: The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack
- Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers by James Swallow (part one of the Terok Nor trilogy, but you don't need to read the other two)
- Section 31: Cloak by S.D. Perry
- A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal duology by David Mack -- technically part of the larger A Time to... miniseries, but I never read any of the preceding entries and never felt any need to
- A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido - ditto; it comes after Kill/Heal
- Articles of the Federation by Keith R.A. DeCandido - a year in the life of the newly-elected Federation President; Star Trek meets The West Wing
- Titan: Orion's Hounds by Christopher L. Bennett - technically book 3 in the Star Trek: Titan series, but nothing about it requires you to read the other books in the series
- Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonano
- Strangers From the Sky by Margaret Wander Bonano
- Spock's World by Diane Duane
- The Next Generation: Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang
- S.C.E.: Wildfire by David Mack
- Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock by Christopher L. Bennett
- Star Trek: Destiny trilogy by David Mack - honestly, not the least bit standalone, but so brilliant I can't not recommend it, and well-written enough to be able to follow and enjoy even if you haven't read related books