Enterprise Novels

[F. King Daniel]

Except, of course, the Enterprise from TOS looks the way it does because it's a television show from the 1960's. Is the Gorn a bipedal lizard monster or a guy in a rubber suit that wouldn't fool a 4-year-old? It's the former. Same thing with the USS Enterprise.

Also, "In a Mirror, Darkly" clearly showed the USS Defiant was leagues ahead of anything in the 22nd century.

 

[garoo1980]

I liked the Romulan story in the show if that counts for anything I'm for any book that explores that.... well almost any book

 

[Idran]

Except, of course, the Enterprise from TOS looks the way it does because it's a television show from the 1960's. Is the Gorn a bipedal lizard monster or a guy in a rubber suit that wouldn't fool a 4-year-old? It's the former. Same thing with the USS Enterprise.

That explanation hasn't worked since "we don't like to talk about it", unfortunately.

Also, "In a Mirror, Darkly" clearly showed the USS Defiant was leagues ahead of anything in the 22nd century.

(except UI design )

 

[F. King Daniel]

That explanation hasn't worked since "we don't like to talk about it", unfortuanately.

Sure it does. The DS9 writers made a cute joke about the differing Klingon make-up, they weren't telling fans to take every sight and sound in all of Star Trek literally.

 

[Relayer1]

I was really entertained by Beneath the Raptors Wing when I read it. I've been waiting almost a year for the next book in the series, which FINALLY releases this month. Already have it pre-ordered for my Kindle.

Surprised to see all the hate towards the Romulan War storyline. I rather like it, including the little plot point explaining why Enterprise looked more modern than TOS. It was a nice touch.

^ This ! Well, except for the bit about the Kindle. I'm a tree killer...

 

[ex Zane Gray]

I was really entertained by Beneath the Raptors Wing when I read it. I've been waiting almost a year for the next book in the series, which FINALLY releases this month. Already have it pre-ordered for my Kindle.

Surprised to see all the hate towards the Romulan War storyline. I rather like it, including the little plot point explaining why Enterprise looked more modern than TOS. It was a nice touch.

^ This ! Well, except for the bit about the Kindle. I'm a tree killer...

Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it as well. The "hate" towards the Romulan War storyline (I suspect) is more hatred of Enterprise period. Star Trek fans are a very factionous bunch these days. Each has their favorite shows and incarnations. As for me, I really liked Enterprise, especially in those last two seasons. The first two were a mess, but I loved the series' premise and most of the characters. The thing about the show I enjoyed most was that the characters weren't perfect. They didn't have all the answers. They sometimes ran headlong into a brick wall despite the best of intentions. They were a bit naive, and needed to get their nose bloodied a bit to wise up - and yet they didn't lose the spirit of why they were out there in space to begin with. in short, they were more like people actually are, as opposed to later Trek series where everyone tends to get preachy and moralistic, and all problems can be solved if you just apply enough technical gobbeldygook. "Captain, if I can just retune the main deflector to filter out kel particles, I think we can break free!" (etc)

 

[ChristopherPike]

Zane, that's it exactly. Better expressed than my tired old brain can manage right now. Crying shame there wasn't much love for Enterprise while it was in production, and things haven't changed all that much six years on. Regardless, I'll always be right here fixated on knowing what followed on from what I regard to be one of the best years of Star Trek ever made.

Meh. If you ask me (and you didn't) I've been living in some god-awful parallel universe since the cancellation news broke back in February 2nd, 2005. A much poorer place, occasionally made tolerable once in a while, with an Enterprise book of some sort. Disappointed there wasn't an anthology to celebrate its 10th Anniversary, in the way past iterations of Trek no doubt got. Or a comic book. Or any kind of spun-off media you care to think of.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I loved Enterprise when it was on. I loved Dave Stern's novels.

I think the post-series novels (including that even-worse retcon of an awful finale episode) are terrible. I could go on for days. I was so disappointed!

And no, I'm not senslessly bashing Mangels and Martin, I've very much enjoyed some of their other Trek works. But I do dislike what they did to Enterprise.

 

[Idran]

as opposed to later Trek series where everyone tends to get preachy and moralistic, and all problems can be solved if you just apply enough technical gobbeldygook. "Captain, if I can just retune the main deflector to filter out kel particles, I think we can break free!" (etc)

Awwwwww, here it goes!

 

[Reanok]

I enjoyed the Enterprise tv series I like the characters. and I liked reading the earlier Enterprise books too. I also like the Enterprise relaunch novels better than Dave sterns novels they're okay but I Like the Romulan war novels storylines better.

 

[chrinFinity]

EDIT - I am sorry I necromanced by accident without being careful. Please accept my humble apologies.

I just read Rosetta recently (Dave Stern if I'm not mistaken), and while the story was enjoyable enough, definitely on par with standalone trek novels in general, there were all sorts of little details I found jarring.

For one thing, Enterprise's main weapons are referred to as "laser cannons," even though I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Also, "D3" Klingon cruisers are featured, explicitly described as "new." Did we not see "D5" cruisers in the television series?? Also, the Klingon ships in the 22nd century have cloaking devices in this book... That was a "WTF" moment for me.

Someone named "Admiral McCormick" is a big player at Starfleet hassling Tucker over subspace... when it felt to me like Admiral Black would have been a much better fit.

Points in the novel's favour are some well needed development for Hoshi, and Travis not only has lines to speak, but his own entire subplot. Eyeing the blurb, I had hoped to feast on the origin story of the Universal Translator in glorious techno-babble detail. While this is touched on, the majority of the story is spent watching the characters solve mysteries that are already moot to the omniscient reader, punctuated by action scenes.

 

[Christopher]

For one thing, Enterprise's main weapons are referred to as "laser cannons," even though I'm pretty sure that's wrong.

They were called phase cannons in the show.

Someone named "Admiral McCormick" is a big player at Starfleet hassling Tucker over subspace... when it felt to me like Admiral Black would have been a much better fit.

In season 4 after Forrest died, the superior that Archer routinely reported to was Admiral Gardner. (Who was presumably the same Gardner that Archer beat out for command of NX-01 over Soval's protest.)

Another glitch I recall in Rosetta is a series of references to "Nurse Cutler." Assuming that's a reference to Kellie Waymire's Elizabeth Cutler, she was an entomologist with medic training, and her title was Crewman (First Class).

 

[Therin of Andor]

Another glitch I recall in Rosetta is a series of references to "Nurse Cutler." Assuming that's a reference to Kellie Waymire's Elizabeth Cutler, she was an entomologist with medic training, and her title was Crewman (First Class).

Am I remembering correctly that Waymire had recently passed away when the book was being written, but that it had been intended to give her more appearances in episodes, working as Phlox's nurse?

I really enjoyed "Rosetta"!

 

[Christopher]

Am I remembering correctly that Waymire had recently passed away when the book was being written, but that it had been intended to give her more appearances in episodes, working as Phlox's nurse?

Memory Alpha says "It is not known whether the character of Crewman Cutler was to have appeared in later episodes."

And a medic is not a nurse. "Nurse" is a specific profession that has its own distinct job parameters and training requirements. To become a nurse, you have to spend anywhere from 2-4 years in a college program to earn a degree. We know that Cutler was aboard the ship in the third season (she was mentioned in "Rajiin" as having broken her arm), so there was no window within the series' timeframe in which she could've left the ship for 2 years and returned with a nursing degree.

 

[Therin of Andor]

And a medic is not a nurse. "Nurse" is a specific profession that has its own distinct job parameters and training requirements.

Sure, I said "as a nurse", not necessarily already a retrained nurse. Current-day trainee nurses are called nurses from their very first day of on-the-job training, although most do lots of university study before getting their hands on patients, IIRC.

Anyway, I'm fairly sure I recall there was an intention to expand her role - she and Phlox were developing a closeness in her last onscreen appearance, IIRC.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's hard to say. Enterprise's first season did have a few "lower decks" crew members who seemed to be setting up to be recurring roles who were subsequently forgotten in later seasons.

 

[Jarvisimo]

It's hard to say. Enterprise's first season did have a few "lower decks" crew members who seemed to be setting up to be recurring roles who were subsequently forgotten in later seasons.

Hey didn't those folks go by the names of Gaeta, Dee, Jammer, Socinus, Aaron Kelly, Racetrack, Cally, Crashdown and even Galen Tyrol ... Wondered what happened to them?

 

[Christopher]

It's hard to say. Enterprise's first season did have a few "lower decks" crew members who seemed to be setting up to be recurring roles who were subsequently forgotten in later seasons.

Maybe not forgotten so much as tried out without success. It's not uncommon in the early days of a show to try out various things -- guest characters, potential romances, etc. -- to see whether they work out well or appeal to the audiences, and then either develop them if they work or drop them if they don't. Cutler was the early guest character who worked out best, so she was the one who got brought back -- but then, sadly, she died.

Or it could simply be that the actors in question got other jobs and weren't available to return. The future availability of actors who aren't under contract to you is something of a crapshoot.

 

[BritishSeaPower]

I still maintain Enterprise's biggest mistake was not making Dean Stockwell's General Grat a recurring nemesis who would appear in episode with kitschy titles.

I read Good That Men Do a while back and liked it, if the frame story felt a bit unnecessary, but couldn't get into Kobayashi Maru. Since there's only a handful of them, I do plan on giving the Enterprise novels another shot one day.

 

[tomswift2002]

Hey guys,

What's the concencus on the Enterprise novels? I wasn't a huge fan of the series but I thought it had some good potential. Are the novels awesome, lame, or hit and miss? Should I read them all in order or does it matter? Thanks everyone

For the most part the novels have been far superior to the TV series (aside from 'What Price Honor' (which I found extremely confusing), 'Last Full Measure' and 'Beneath The Raptor's Wings').

I actually read upto 'Surak's Soul' before I had even seen an episode of the TV series, and when I did I was shocked at how sub-par the episodes were compared to the novels.

I think my favorite Enterprise novels are 'By The Book' and the Daedalus duology.