With the exception of the follow up to In History's Shadow I have quite frankly not enjoyed any of the TOS books in quite some time. The last one I can remember really liking was the one where Seven Of Nine, gets thrust back to the 23rd century. The most recent book the first entry in the Legacies trilogy held my interest for the first few chapters but I was quickly scanning and skimming to just get through it. Finally I had to admit that I just really don't enjoy the TOS novels any more. So I wanted to figure out why. After some thought I realized the reason why. Generally to me the TOS novels have come to feel very claustrophobic. With a few notable exceptions, they all seem to focus almost exclusively on Kirk and Spock with little bits of McCoy and small dashes of Sulu etc. I have grown used to both the Enterprise era novels and the post Nemesis TNG, DS9, VOY novels which have fairly large casts and feel much more expansive. I understand that a lot of the people who buy the TOS novels enjoy the focus on the two characters who are considered the heart and soul of that era of Trek. But for me it just isn't working any more. I will of course continue to keep my eye on info about upcoming novels, and if something sounds like it fits with what I am looking for these days in a Trek novel I will certainly give it a try. But for right now I think TOS novels are going to be off my auto buy list.
With certain exceptions, the majority of the TOS 5YM novels have to adhere to certain storytelling "milestones" (knowing that the crew starts out this way at the beginning, and has to get to this place over here by the time ST:TMP rolls around, for example), so that can theoretically be limiting, but I've been pretty impressed with how a number of authors (Greg Cox, James Swallow, Dayton Ward, etc.) have still managed to keep things feeling fresh and surprising in their storytelling, even despite these enforced canon-benchmarks. Of course, your other historical periods (ENT, TNG/DS9/VOY, the Lost Era) are more or less open-ended in terms of their chronology, and authors can do what they want in them to a certain extent without worrying about violating canon and where those characters end up, which might be more appealing to some fans. (Though, to a degree, the TOS movie era has one advantage that the 5YM era doesn't: a lack of a ticking clock, where you can only reasonably fit so many tales into a five-year timeframe. With the movie era, it's more like 20 years of freedom to work with, though there are "milestones" present there, too.)
Also, to the OP's earlier point, if it's something new and engaging during the TOS timeframe he's interested in, he should definitely check out the Vanguard/Seekers books -- lots of new characters, most of whom aren't protected by "canon armor," with lots of room for storytelling-suspense, and new planets/starships/etc. that open up the previously "claustrophobic" 5YM-era timeframe in some very cool ways. Basically, almost anything can happen, and usually does.
I'm increasingly drawn to the "claustrophobic," stand alone TOS novels myself. I know I am missing out on tons of good stuff (and I do like what I've read of the Seekers series), but the continuing 24th century storylines don't appeal to me as much. I guess, as McCoy once warned Kirk, I really am growing old. IDIC in all things!
Quoted for truth. For myself, the latter period (The Final Frontier to The Undiscovered Country) in particular, though starting after The Voyage Home in 2286 is also desirable. Looks like we might be getting something along these lines soon, with John Jackson Miller's Prey trilogy (spanning both the TOS movie and TNG eras).
I'm amazed how few books are set between TFF and TUC. With it being such a wide open era, I was expecting there to be a lot more books there than there are. I know the 2nd DC Comics series covers that periods, but I still would have expected more novels.
^ I know, right? What's rather fascinating is how few authors actually want to write in that particular setting (or even the broader post-TMP era in general), often being more interested in the 5YM timeframe instead. You'd think there'd be at least some greater interest in tackling the slightly-older-and-wiser versions of these characters out there, but it is what it is, I guess. At least Greg, Dayton, and JJM are down with it (and Christopher, too), though I wish even more authors were as well.
I saw the movies long before I saw TOS, so those tend to be my preferred versions of the characters. I do like the series, and 5YM era stories too now, but not quite as much as the movies.
The DTI would blame Kirk for breaking it. Unfortunately, the 5 year mission era sells the best by far. Or else Pocket is too afraid to step outside it more often. I dunno which would be the cause and effect.
Pocket tends to view "TOS" as being anything with Kirk and the gang, regardless of whether it's TV or movie era. I've never been told by Pocket, "No, don't do that story as movie era, do TV series instead." Writers pitch a novel with Kirk and company, and decide on their own where along the TOS "timeline" the story is best told. As for "How many stories can fit in that five-year span," speaking only for myself, I gave up being concerned about that sort of thing years ago. I view TOS stories similar to other types of pulp fiction (and I don't mean that in a negative way). The five-year mission era is merely a setting or starting point. The characters never age; they're always in their prime, etc. the same way other pulp heroes with decades of stories behind them are still at it long after they would've aged out and/or died in the real world. I certainly enjoy mixing things up every so often with a movie era tale, but I can always find new stories to tell with them at that point in their lives, because it's just fun to do.
Exactly. That's just a convention of series fiction. How many mysteries could Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys have actually squeezed into their high school years? How many high-profile murder cases, featuring innocent people falsely accused of homicide, could Perry Mason really take part in over the course of his career? How many elaborate "perfect murders" could Columbo really run into year and year? And don't get me started on Carl Kolchak or Jessica Fletcher . ... And, yes, I know many of my examples are decades old. So is TOS, damn it.
And don't get me started on M*A*S*H. The Korean War only lasted 3 years but they performed enough operations to cover over 10 years.
That's odd -- I've been told more than once that Pocket had no interest in more post-TMP stories. And I was asked to put my upcoming The Face of the Unknown in the 5-year mission rather than the movie era in order to tie into the 50th anniversary.
I imagine the 50th anniversary was a special case, but I set Elusive Salvation between TMP and TWOK (though admittedly closer to the latter) and no one batted an eye.
I noted that, Dayon. I also noted (or think I did) that you avoided any explicit reference the V'Ger crisis (I haven't finished the book quite yet, though... I know, shame, shame!) Admiral Nogura is the only TMP-specific element I can find. (I do think there is a line somewhere about Kirk having found himself in command a handful of times after promotion.) I am not complaining, truly, just being a pushing-the-glasses-up-the-bridge-of-my-nose fan: Was that by design, or simply because an explicit reference to V'Ger wouldn't have added anything? Or did I blink and miss it?
Adjust your glasses. I didn't avoid anything. I simply had no reason to make an explicit V'Ger reference.