DS9 - Where to start?

[theblitz]

Since the reading-order thread is out of date I was wondering where I should start with DS9 books.

TBH - originally I did not like DS9 but I have now watched it through 4 times. Really does grow on you.

I notice there is the Typhon Pact series but that seems to follow Destiny which follows on from Titan.
So, what should I start with.
I should add that I am not a massive fan of TNG.

I need to know soon cos I have to order the books on Amazon in order to get them in time.

I am also a fan of Voy so books in that direction would be good.

 

[Sci]

If you're interested in the post-series DS9 novels (commonly called the DS9 Relaunch), it's generally recommended that you read them in publishing order.

After the launch of the Typhon Pact series, the exact definition of what is and is not a DS9 Relaunch novel gets a bit muddled, since "Typhon Pact" is the series header they're using for several DS9 and TNG novels. But I'm included TYP novels that seem relevant to the DS9 storyline to me. I'm also including novels that heavily feature major DS9 characters, such as the Destiny trilogy.

• A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (2000)
• Avatar, Book One by S.D. Perry (2001)
• Avatar, Book Two by S.D. Perry (2001)
• Section 31: Abyss by Jeffrey Lang and David Weddle (2001)
• Gateways: Demons of Air and Darkness by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2001)
• Gateways: What Lay Beyond: "Horn and Ivory" by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2001)
• Mission: Gamma, Books One through Four:
  - Twilight by David R. George III (2002)
  - This Grey Spirit by Heather Jarman (2002)
  - Cathedral by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin (2002)
  - Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson (2002)
• The Lives of Dax ed. Marco Palmieri (1999; 2002 reprint)
• Rising Son by S.D. Perry (2003)
• The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One by J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang (2003)
• The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two by J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang (2003)
• Unity by S.D. Perry (2003)
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Vol. I (2004)
  - Cardassia: The Lotus Flower by Una McCormack
  - Andor: Paradigm by Heather Jarman
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Vol. II (2005)
  - Trill: Unjoined by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
  - Bajor: Fragments and Omens by J. Noah Kym
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Vol. III (2005)
  -Ferenginar: Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed by Keith R.A. DeCandido
  - The Dominion: Olympus Descending by David R. George III
• Warpath by David Mack (2006)
• Fearful Symmetry by Olivia Woods (2008)
• The Soul Key by Olivia Woods (2009)
• Destiny Trilogy (Multi-Series Crossover)
  - Gods of Night by David Mack (2008)
  - Mere Mortals by David Mack (2008)
  - Lost Souls by David Mack (2008)
• A Singular Destiny by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2009) (heavily features DS9 supporting characters)
• The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack (2009)
• Typhon Pact Banner:
  - Zero Sum Game by David Mack (2010) (DS9 characters)
  - Rough Beasts of Empire by David R. George III (2011) (DS9/TOS/TNG characters)
  - Paths of Disharmony by Dayton Ward (2011) (TNG/DS9 characters)
  - Plagues of Night by David R. George III (2012) (DS9/TOS/TNG characters)
  - Raise the Dawn by David R. George III (2012) (DS9/TOS/TNG characters)
  - Brinksmanship by Una McCormack (2012, upcoming) (TNG/DS9 characters)

More information here.

 

[theblitz]

Many thanks.
Should keep me busy for a week or two.

 

[theblitz]

I was wondering in A Stitch in Time is made of gold!
For some reason it is priced at 92 POUNDS (!) for a new copy.
Even old ones are not that cheap considering how old they are.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I was wondering in A Stitch in Time is made of gold!
For some reason it is priced at 92 POUNDS (!) for a new copy.
Even old ones are not that cheap considering how old they are.

A Stitch in Time was written by Andrew "Garak" Robinson and is utterly fantastic. Unfortuantely, it was burdened with the worst cover art in human or Cardassian history and thus sold very poorly.

I got mine in a charity shop a few years ago for pennies

 

[Sci]

I was wondering in A Stitch in Time is made of gold!
For some reason it is priced at 92 POUNDS (!) for a new copy.
Even old ones are not that cheap considering how old they are.

There is a high demand but a low supply. Ergo, the price increases a lot.

If you can't find an affordable used copy, I would suggest purchasing an eBook copy if you wish to keep the price at a reasonable level.

 

[theblitz]

Yeah. Might do that.
Makes it easier to read on the bus.

 

[Christopher]

I notice there is the Typhon Pact series but that seems to follow Destiny which follows on from Titan.

Not really. Titan is an ongoing series that runs in parallel with other 24th-century series like TNG and VGR. Their adventures are usually independent of each other. Destiny was a crossover event that brought together TNG, Titan, and a few spinoff characters from DS9 (Ezri Dax and the crew of the starship Aventine) as well as influencing VGR and everything thereafter. Typhon Pact is a looser crossover event -- initially a series of four books and one e-novella that spanned several separate series (TNG, TTN, and DS9, plus the ongoing Spock-on-Romulus thread), telling separate, self-contained stories with a common theme (in the vein of earlier loose crossovers like Invasion! or Section 31), and now apparently a more unified multiseries crossover (books 6-7 merge DS9, TNG, and Spock, and there's an 8th book coming which crosses TNG and the Aventine). But Titan is still continuing as an independent series (and its Pact installment was really more of a TTN novel that had a loose connection to the Pact narrative).

 

[F. King Daniel]

FWIW, I read the first two Titan novels to be properly introduced to the characters before I read Destiny. Then I went back and filled in the gaps. It wasn't essential, but I felt it helped.

 

[theblitz]

Well, I have ordered the first 4. Including "Stitch in Time" on Kindle.

Should keep me busy for a few days.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

Yeah, Stitch in Time is a real rarity. I bought my copy back in 2004 when I first planned to do the DS9-R and paid $25 at the time. Many of the DS9-R books are quite expensive, as well.

 

[theblitz]

So, just finished reading "Stitch in Time" on my Kindle.
Really enjoyed the book - just a pity about all the errors in the Kindle version.
Loads of spelling mistakes and there seem to be some paragraphes missing in various places.

 

[timothy]

That is why I love my nook.

 

[theblitz]

Nook?

 

[Sci]

Nook?

Yes, the Barnes & Noble Nook.

 

[theblitz]

Won't let me install Nook cos I am in Israel.
How stupid.

Maybe I when I am in the UK next week it will allow me.

If so, is it better to buy there than on Kindle?
Price seems to be the same.

 

[theblitz]

Found a place to download the apk directly and installed it.

 

[Sci]

Won't let me install Nook cos I am in Israel.
How stupid.

Maybe I when I am in the UK next week it will allow me.

If so, is it better to buy there than on Kindle?
Price seems to be the same.

I can't speak to whether the Kindle editions are better formatted technically or not; all I can tell you is that the Nook editions I've bought of the two most recent Trek books have been formatted properly, and that I'm very pleased with my Nook (not the least because it helps prop up a book-selling business that isn't named Amazon.com).

 

[theblitz]

Since I have a gift certificate on Amazon I will stick to there for the moment.

 

[Turtletrekker]

If you're interested in the post-series DS9 novels (commonly called the DS9 Relaunch), it's generally recommended that you read them in publishing order.

However, there is one place where there is a major exception to that rule. IMHO, it's much better to read Unity immediately after Rising Son and then read The Left Hand of Destiny 1 & 2.

Again IMHO, there is a certain narrative momentum achieved throughout the Mission Gamma books and Rising Son that lead directly to a climax in Unity. The Left Hand of Destiny, as good as it is, is a two-novel digression that has nothing whatsoever to do with the main narrative that grinds that momentum to a halt.

Thematically, the The Left Hand of Destiny duology, with its focus on Worf, Martok and the Klingon Empire, works better leading into the The Worlds of Deep Space Nine trilogy, as they both focus on the worlds and species and cultures of the characters rather than on the station.

Also, realize that this was the originally intended publishing order. When unexpected Real Life Events delayed the release of Unity, TLHoD was pushed up to fill in the gap in the schedule. So, in an ideal world, this is the publishing/reading order that we would've gotten anyway.

Therefore, I feel that this is the best reading order for that segment of the DS9R...

• Rising Son by S.D. Perry (2003)
• Unity by S.D. Perry (2003)
• The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One by J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang (2003)
• The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two by J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang (2003)
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Vol. I (2004)

YMMV, of course. Happy reading!