Best Books for Each Series' Major Characters

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by JD, Jun 14, 2017.

  1. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I've started reading The Light Fantastic, which is focused pretty heavily on Data, over the last week, and it got me wondering what my fellow Trek Lit readers would say are the best books for each of the main characters from the series, and some of the major recurring characters who've made a lot of appearances in TrekLit. I'm listing the characters that come to mind for me, but feel free to include others.
    TOS:
    Kirk: The Autobiography of James T. Kirk (this is the only realy Kirk focused book I've read, but it's great so it would be up there even if I've read others)
    Spock: Troublesome Minds (I'll admit, I haven't read a lot of TOS)
    McCoy:?
    Sulu: The Sundered
    Checkov:?
    Urhura:?
    Chapel:?
    Rand:?
    Sarek:?
    Amanda:?

    TNG:
    Picard: The Buried Age
    Riker:?
    Data: The Immortal Coil
    LaForge: Indistinguishable From Magic
    Troi:?
    Worf: Diplomatic Implausability
    Crusher: ?
    Yar:?
    Pulaski:?
    Q: Q-Squared/ Q&A (tie)
    L. Troi:?

    DS9:
    Sisko:
    Kira: This one is hard, she was a big part of most of the early DS9R books, I don't think I can narrow it down to one
    J. Dax:?
    E. Dax: Same problem as Kira
    O'Brien:?
    Bashir: Zero Sum Game
    Quark:?
    Rom: ?
    Nog:?
    Dukat: Day of the Vipers

    Voy:
    Janeway: The Eternal Tide
    Chakotay: Full Circle
    Paris: Protectors
    Torres: Full Circle
    Seven of Nine:
    Kim:
    Neelix:
    Seska:
    Borg Queen: Destiny
    N. Wildman: Atonement
    Icheb: Atonement

    ENT:
    Archer:
    T'Pol:
    Tucker: The Good That Men Do
    Sato:
    Reed:
    Mayweather:
    Phlox:

    I'll leave it at the TV series for now, we can expand to the lit only series later.
     
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  2. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    This is an interesting and difficult question. TOS novels are pretty ensemble-y but not character-driven, which doesn't help. But I'd say:

    Kirk: Federation
    Spock: Vulcan's Forge
    McCoy: The Better Man
    Scotty: The Kobayashi Maru - this one was probably the hardest, not a lot of Scotty-focused books I can recall
    Sulu: The Sundered
    Uhura: Rough Trails
    Chekov: Traitor Winds

    I'll think about the other series later.
     
  3. VDCNI

    VDCNI Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Kira, maybe Unity. All the early relaunch are great for her but Unity sums it all up.

    Ezri, probably Destiny.

    Crusher, really tricky. Death In Winter isn't that great a book but it's a decent spotlight for her. Reunion has great character stuff. Resistance is another book which isn't great but Crusher gets to be the hero who saves the day for once.

    Yar, she's not in many! Can't remember the name but the 4th of the early books is a spotlight on her isn't it. Been years since I read it.

    Pulaski, again not many books. The Missing was good for her though.

    Troi, Imzadi probably as none of the Titan books really stands out.
     
  4. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Oh duh, Imzadi for Deann couldn't have been more obvious.
     
  5. DGCatAniSiri

    DGCatAniSiri Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    The Yar book was Survivors. And yeah, that's pretty much the only real Tasha focused story.

    I'd also cite the second Double Helix novel (Vectors, I believe) as a Pulaski focused story, involving her going to Terok Nor right after Doctor Crusher returns to the Enterprise.
     
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  6. Csalem

    Csalem Commodore Commodore

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    I really liked that book. One of the better ones in the Double Helix series.
     
  7. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    My picks for the bare ENT entry, keeping in mind I'm way behind on the Rise of the Federation series:

    Archer: ?
    T'Pol: ?
    Tucker: Daedalus
    Sato: Rosetta
    Reed: By the Book
    Mayweather: LOL who?
    Phlox: ?
     
  8. borgboy

    borgboy Commodore Commodore

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    For McCoy, the first book in the Crucible focuses on him and is excellent. It's not in continuity with the main TrekLit range, but it's still great.
    While not a main character, Lwaxana gets a great spotlight in Q in Law (and nice fun characterization in guest spots in Imzadi, Imzadi II and Q Squared, although two out of three of those are alternate timelines. All three written by Peter David who has a strong affinity for the character apparently)
    Also not a main character, but for Pike I recommend Burning Dreams. It's Pike's life story and I found it a great look at life in Federation outside of Starfleet for his childhood, and then his adulthood is a great story in Starfleet. It's just beautifully written. I've read it twice and anticipate I'll read it again someday.
     
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  9. Jinn

    Jinn Mistress of the Chaotic Energies Rear Admiral

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    While Pike is not a main character and my "best book pick" (next to Burning Dreams) is not a book the Early Voyage comic book series was great.
     
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  10. Thowra

    Thowra Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    I came on to say Crucible for McCoy. I loved it - I loved the way the author took it.
     
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  11. borgboy

    borgboy Commodore Commodore

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    Small correction - Imzadi features an alternate future Lwaxana, but also features a younger "real" Lwaxana.
     
  12. BRT

    BRT Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    For Uhura, "Uhura's Song." I haven't read it in decades, but I do remember enjoying it at the time.
     
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  13. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    Enterprise:
    Archer - By The Book
    T'Pol - Surak's Soul
    Sato - Rosetta
    Trip - Daedalus/Daedaluses's Children
    Mayweather -
    Reed -

    TOS:
    Kirk - Spectre
    Spock - Unification
    McCoy - Doctor's Orders
    Uhura -
    Chekov -
    Sulu - Kobayashi Maru

    TNG:
    Picard - Starfall
    Riker - Crossfire
    Data - Descent
    Troi - The Battle Of Betazed
    Wesley Crusher - Boogeyman
    Dr. Crusher - The Death Of Princes
    Yar - Survivors
    LaForge - Capture The Flag
     
  14. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Have the Rise of the Federation books managed to do anything interesting with Reed and Mayweather?
     
  15. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

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    Reed and Mayweather in Rise of the Federation:

    Reed: A Choice of Futures
    Mayweather: Uncertain Logic

    Imzadi
    is more about Riker. The Battle of Betazed is very Deanna-centric.
     
  16. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    Two books that are "must's" on any list about major characters (and for a while were considered by the Voyager producers to be 'canonical') are "Mosaic" that is a Janeway heavy book and "Pathways" that features individual chapters that detail the backstory of each major character from Seasons 1-3. Both were written by Voyager co-creator and co-producer Jeri Taylor.

    Special shout-out to "Flashback" as well as it delves into Janeway & Tuvok's past.

    Chakotay- Battlelines
    Paris - The Garden
    Torres -Violations
    Kes - Marooned
    The Doctor - Captains Glory
    Seven - Seven of Nine
    Tuvok - Chrysalis
    As for DS9:
    Sisko- Saratoga
    Kira -
    O'Brien - Trial by Terror
    Jadzia- Antimatter
    Ezri- A Ceremony of Losses
    Odo - Fallen Heroes
    Bash it - Warchild
    Quark- The 34th Rule
    Word- Heart of a Warrior
     
  17. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    What Price Honor? is an excellent Reed novel.
     
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  18. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    Hate to disagree with you, but that book is a mess and I still can't believe that it made it past editing.
     
  19. Markonian

    Markonian Fleet Admiral Moderator

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    Can't find that on Memory Alpha. But the title sounds fitting for a story about DS9's punching bag.
     
  20. Stevil2001

    Stevil2001 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Trial by Error is the correct title.
     
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