Best Star Trek author?

[Paris]

^I'll have to try it again. Maybe I'll go back after I'm done with KRAD's "A Gutted World" and give it another 50-100 pages . Depends on my mood. I guess I was just looking for some trek action, and this particular McCoy story just wasn't providing it. But I have faith in DRG3, so I won't give up completely...

 

[Rosalind]

^ if you're looking for Trek action, then this really isn't the book for you. I guess the reason this book worked so well for me is I know from the very start that this is not a book about strange new world in the traditional Trek sense*, so I didn't get bored throughout the alternative timeline sections. Put yourself in the mindset of watching DS9's The Visitor or TNG's The Inner Light.

* I'd argue, that in a way, this alternative timeline story is a "strange new world" story, it might not have aliens, but the way of life and the way people behave in those time is as alien to McCoy as a new planet, at least when he visits new planets, the people there understand what a "computer" is.

 

[Paris]

I never really thought of the whole "other mindset" idea, but I understand where you're coming from. I consider both TNG's "The Inner Light", and DS9's "The Visitor" to be two of my all time favorite trek episodes, but when I wip out the DVD's, they aren't usually the ones I go for first. They are the kind of episodes that I build up to, as they really celebrate character moments more over action, and trek action is always what pulls me in again, time after time. The classic character moments are what I look for as soon as i'm back in. Tapestry comes to mind as another episode like TIL and TV...

Thanks for the suggestion .

Now that I think of it, I'm going to check out the Inner Light again after I get my TNG DVD's back from my dad...

 

[Myasishchev]

Gene Roddenberry.

 

[Paris]

^He only wrote the one book, right? The adaptation of TMP. Were there any others?

 

[Myasishchev]

I don't believe so. For some reason, I was under the strong impression that Roddenberry had written two, and Burning Dreams was his second novel--I have no idea why. Still seems pretty neat, and I might pick it up anyway.

I'm being slightly tongue in cheek when I say Roddenberry's my favorite, of course--but I really did like the TMP novelization a lot. It's a truly bizarre take on the Star Trek universe. Not all of it works, but it presents an Earth and future culture that is probably better realized than the Earth culture we actually got, which is very poorly developed, and what is developed not particularly imaginative.

 

[Paris]

^Yeah...Burning Dreams was by Margaret Wander Bonanno. You should pick it up. I really enjoyed it. It's a great Christopher Pike story and even has parts within two of trek's big lost era's (the 2200's, as well as a small part in the 2320's with Sulu and Spock). It's my favorite book that MWB has written .

 

[Sci]

I don't believe so. For some reason, I was under the strong impression that Roddenberry had written two, and Burning Dreams was his second novel--I have no idea why.

That would be pretty impressive, what with Burning Dreams not having been published until 2006 -- 15 years after Gene Roddenberry's death!

 

[Dayton Ward]

^ Tell that to Don Pendleton

 

[Therin of Andor]

I was under the strong impression that Roddenberry had written two.

The other Roddenberry novel was to have been "The God-Thing", based on an earlier premise for what might have become TMP, the idea was shunted aside - and pilfered for some of the story points in TMP. (Plus, Shatner's ST V would later also mine the "Enterprise searches for God" aspect.)

The fan club I belonged in the 80s and 90s used to receive regular updates on Gene - and Susan Sackett would often report, between TMP and TNG, that GR was "off in his home office, busily turning 'The God-Thing' into a novel". Several other authors supposedly had a go at helping him with it, at various stages, including Walter Koenig.

After GR's death, Pocket approached Majel Barrett with the idea of Michael Jan Friedman expanding the numerous fragments GR had written, and completing the novel. The book catalogues even carried display ads for both the hardcover and the audio production! However, Majel was disappointed with the result - she felt as if MJF had added too much new material and brand new characters, IIRC - and the novel was never published.

At a convention here in Australia in the mid 90s, Majel told me (via an audience question asked by me) that she had turned over the original work to David Alexander, the guy who did GR's authorized biography. Alexander was a former editor of "The Humanist" magazine and had never written a novel before. Alexander had no contract with Pocket Books, no agreements with the editor, and Majel knew that there was no guarantee that Pocket would take it on - and that no other publisher would be able to, due to licensing - and that's probably where the story ends.

Steve Roby dedicates a whole webpage to the saga:
http://www.well.com/user/sjroby/godthing.html

 

[Myasishchev]

^Must have been what I was thinking of. Although how I confused that with Burning Dreams is anyone's guess.

That would be pretty impressive, what with Burning Dreams not having been published until 2006 -- 15 years after Gene Roddenberry's death!

What Sci said. I have no idea how the wires got crossed there.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'm embarrassed to say that while I was reading Crucible: McCoy I had to put it down just after 200+ pages as it felt like I wasn't really getting into it. I enjoy DRG3, but all the story that takes place in the 1930's South was just boring me. McCoy arguing with a local doctor. McCoy checking out the church. McCoy checking out the old mill. McCoy noticing the street names.

This kind of book often depends on what's going on in your life when you're reading it. I was on vacation at the time, unwinding from a busy time at work, and staying with people who left for work very early (and/or slept in till late), so I was curled up in a ball and totally immersed in McCoy's other life.

If you're looking for starship battles, you won't find them here.

 

[Paris]

^It's not that I was expecting battles or anything. I already had an idea what the book was about before I picked it up. I guess I was just not in the right frame of mind.

 

[sfroth]

I guess I was just not in the right frame of mind.

FWIW, there's no such thing as the right frame of mind for me with DRG books. I've read 34th Rule, Twilight, and Olympus Descending, and I find his writing virtually unreadable. So he's not as universally enjoyed as this thread seems to indicate, and I don't think you should feel bad about not being able to get into his books.

For me, I'll add votes for Christopher, Keith, and especially David Mack. Few Trek stories (that's stories, not just books) have touched me as much as Wildfire.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

While I despised "Olympus Descending," I thought The 34th Rule was pretty good.

 

[Paris]

Have you guys (sfroth & Nerys Ghemor) read DRG3's Lost Era Enterprise-B book, Serpents Among the Ruins or his short story Iron & Sacrifice (featuring Demora Sulu of the E-B)? Both of these stories are fantastic. They are why I thought I'd love the Crucible: MCCoy book.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I think I read Serpents Among the Ruins, but it was a LONG time ago and I don't remember it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I've read 34th Rule, Twilight, and Olympus Descending, and I find his writing virtually unreadable. So he's not as universally enjoyed as this thread seems to indicate, and I don't think you should feel bad about not being able to get into his books.

I found "Twilight" hard going and slow moving, but it was also extremely tiny font.

The "Crucible" trilogy, "The 34th Rule" and "Olympus Descending" were all perfectly fine. Very readable and imaginative.

I enjoyed many aspects of "Serpents Among the Ruins" but read it much later than many others and, considering the high praise people heaped upon it, I guess I found myself a bit detached, waiting for something extremely dramatic to happen. It seemed to me everyone was preparing for this big disaster that was surprisingly averted, with less fuss than everyone had assumed would be needed. But the characterisations were excellent!

 

[sfroth]

Have you guys read DRG3's Lost Era Enterprise-B book, Serpents Among the Ruins or his short story Iron & Sacrifice (featuring Demora Sulu of the E-B)?

Nope. I'm a DS9 fan, so I read Twilight only because it was part of the Mission: Gamma series. After reading that, I swore I wouldn't read another DRG unless it was DS9. After Olympus Descending, I'm seriously considering skipping even his DS9 entries. And that stinks - when the next one comes out, I'm going to have to fight with myself over whether I care more about the continuing story of my favorite characters, or my sanity.

 

[Paris]

^I'm excited for Rough Beasts of Empire. Since this book will be advancing the DS9 timeline to 2382, I think DRG3 is probably the best person to tackle it. It will probably be really long, but will in turn please DS9-R fans as they will have a thick tome to ease their minds about the 4-5 year jump. Don't get it if you don't want to, but I will definietly be getting it. Despite my stopping Crucible: McCoy where I did, I'm still a DRG3 fan. I plan on returning to it at some point.