Burning Dreams

[JD]

Congrats Margaret! I almsot got BD earlier this week, but I ended up getting Strangers from the Sky instead. But at least it was still one of you books , in fact it is the first time I've read one of your books, and if I like it I might end up picking up BD and Catlyst of Sorrows.

 

[garamet]

^The more the merrier.

 

[letmehelp]

Just want to add my voice to the chorus of congrats! I'm not at all surprised; the book is terrific.

 

[Warped9]

garamet said:

Warped9 said:

Emh said:
I still need to get my copy.

If you were anywhere near you could have mine.

Tell ya what. PM me your PayPal account number and I'll donate the postage so you can find a new hobby-horse.

Some very unkind words come to mind regarding the navel focused nature of some in this particular forum.

 

[garamet]

Warped9 said:
Some very unkind words come to mind regarding the navel focused nature of some in this particular forum.

There are plenty of resources that can help with that.

 

[Therin of Andor]

letmehelp said:
Just want to add my voice to the chorus of congrats! I'm not at all surprised; the book is terrific.

I'm a quarter of the way through "Burning Dreams" and so far the pace, style, characterizations and content are pleasing me very much. I guessed the whole thing would be framed by Pike and Vina sharing the many stories of Pike's life - and so far that's precisely what's unfolding.

I don't understand why some people have gone out off their way to be so insulting to MWB, just because they assumed the book would provide a different kind of reading experience.

I mean, I hated "Warped" and "The Laertian Gamble" with a passion, but I didn't state publicly that I'd be throwing them into the trash rather than donating them to a library or charity shop, or giving them away to a friend. (Although I did talk a friend out of buying a $3 "Warped" in a hardcover remander bin. Ditto the paperback version at $1.)

 

[RookieBatman]

Man, there are very few Trek books that I would pass up for $1. Although, I did just recently go to a used book shop, and they had four different Marshak & Culbreath books, each for a dollar, that I did pass on. I guess we all have our limits.

 

[Captain Dago]

Congratulations, garamet . A very entertaining read.

Now if only Warped9 would get a life...

 

[RookieBatman]

Captain Dago said:
Now if only Warped9 would get a life...

That was like two pages ago. Wouldn't it have just been better to let sleeping dogs lie?

 

[Rosalind]

^ definitely. Captain Dago, please don't do it again.

 

[Warped9]

That BD is a biographical type of story is not what turns me off the book. I have read biographical type stories that have entertained me before, both real and fictional. I dislike the book because I found it offered nothing new or engaging in terms of ideas. And as far as subject matter it left me with nothing thought provoking to reflect upon.

 

[garamet]

Warped9 said:
That BD is a biographical type of story is not what turns me off the book. I have read biographical type stories that have entertained me before, both real and fictional. I dislike the book because I found it offered nothing new or engaging in terms of ideas. And as far as subject matter it left me with nothing thought provoking to reflect upon.

However, it seems to have provided you with a plenitude of ways to say how much you disliked it. Don't dismiss that lightly.

 

[Rosalind]

Okay, Warped9, garamet, this started 5 days 147 posts ago if we don't count all your sceptic posts before that Warped9. I think everything on this subject has been said more than once by the various people in here, so let's drop it. Let other people say what they think of the book.

 

[garamet]

With all due respect, Rosalind, a quick search of Warped9's posts indicates that every single one of them so far is in this thread.

I have a challenge for him.

Warped9, if you're so unhappy with my treatment of Pike in Burning Dreams, let's see what you can do.

Write your own Pike story. Submit it to Strange New Worlds. Let's see what you've got.

Now here's your chance to either say "Oh, I'm not a writer" or to accept the challenge. In either case, we can all move on.

Whattaya say?

 

[Rosalind]

garamet said:
With all due respect, Rosalind, a quick search of Warped9's posts indicates that every single one of them so far is in this thread.

I know, garamet, I know. I counted them all, and I read every single post in this forum. As the chinese like to say "try peaceful means before resorting to force", or do I need to spell out why I have a rose as an avatar? There is a reason why the chinese scholars never wax lyrics about the rose in the thousands of years since writing began in China.

I'd rather this thread be back on topic of the book and what everyone else think about it then what simply Warped9 think of it. thank you.

 

[JAG]

Garamet Have not read the thread yet cause I am only half way through the book but HOT DAMN! so far so awesome. To be honest, I was not sure about this book, but it got me in a headlock and won't let go. Great job.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

By the way, Margaret, I mentioned this in the Spoiler thread but it bears repeating: I enjoyed the clever way you fudged having to give pre-TOS era stardates. :thumbsup:

 

[garamet]

^

 

[Captain Dago]

Sorry, guys. I forgot there's a reason I usually limit my posts and rarely comment on others.

My bad.

 

[Harmon Bokai]

First off, I enjoyed the book and thought MBW did a fine job with character development on Pike and really captured the tortured spirit we see in The Cage.

But I have to agree with those who have brought out the Crimson Tide issue. It was immediately apparent to me, that inadvertently, it lined up almost perfectly, as both characters thought they were in the right, through the hearing and post hearing (I'm vague so as not to spoil).

I don't blame the writer, here, though. This should have been picked up in editing and massaged (I can think of about 10 ways to change it up so the basic outcome is the same, but the details vary, and possibly, make the emotional impact bigger). I'm also a little disappointed that this issue (having been brought up now three times in this thread) seems to be being ignored.

God knows, fiction is not easy (I'm in research right now on my first novel, a non-sci-fi, uh, historical piece centering on a slightly famous central character) and when you get into the bubble of writing, something like this would not be obvious to the writer (and in no way would I suggest that this is intentional or anything unethical by the writer) which is where line editing comes into play.

A few tweaks could have resolved an otherwise excellent novel.

And yes, for those who wonder, I don't just play an editor (non-fiction) on TV, I am one in real life. So please don't dare me to line edit Trek fiction — it'd be an awesome part-time gig for me.