Who is everyone's favorite Trek author and what is your favorite novel by that author?
Favorite Author
- Thread starter Detaith911
- Start date
Wow.... I don't have one particular favorite, because they all bring something different to the table. All unique ways of writing.
But on the list are:
David Mack
Christopher L. Bennett
James Swallow
Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore
Keith R.A. DeCandid
David George III
John Jackson Miller's Prey trilogy was something I enjoyed immensely.
Una McCormack's Never Ending Sacrifice is required reading for any DS9 fan.
The works of Jeffrey Lang and SD Perry in the DS9 Relaunch were really good I felt.
And ofcourse, Kirsten Beyer. I am not a big Voyager fan, but she made me care more for these characters than the show did. Now THAT is impressive writing.
But on the list are:
David Mack
Christopher L. Bennett
James Swallow
Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore
Keith R.A. DeCandid
David George III
John Jackson Miller's Prey trilogy was something I enjoyed immensely.
Una McCormack's Never Ending Sacrifice is required reading for any DS9 fan.
The works of Jeffrey Lang and SD Perry in the DS9 Relaunch were really good I felt.
And ofcourse, Kirsten Beyer. I am not a big Voyager fan, but she made me care more for these characters than the show did. Now THAT is impressive writing.
Peter David definitely and the author who wrote Lost Years.
All timers?
Probably Diane Duane and Barbara Hambly
Of the current crop of working authors?
Una McCormack, no contest
Probably Diane Duane and Barbara Hambly
Of the current crop of working authors?
Una McCormack, no contest
Hard to limit it to one.
David Mack
Christopher L. Bennett
Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore
David Mack
Christopher L. Bennett
Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore
Vonda McIntyre
Diane Duane
Margaret Wander Bonanno
And, like Stevil, of the current crop, Una McCormack. By a very wide margin.
Diane Duane
Margaret Wander Bonanno
And, like Stevil, of the current crop, Una McCormack. By a very wide margin.
Greg Cox because of gems like the Khan novels, Foul Deeds will Rise, Child of Two Worlds, Assigment Eternity, No Time like the Past..... I can't just pick one favorit novel because all of them are great. I love it how he portrays McCoy....
How did I forget aboout the Great Greg Cox?!?!?!
As for Peter David.... He did some amazing stuff. The bulk of New Frontier was great. But, Before Dishonour..... Whatever gave him the idea that THAT disaster was good writing.....
Q-in-Law was hilarious...
Kirsten Beyer for sure.
Christopher L. Bennett - who has the distinction of being one of the few authors whose non-Trek works I've sought out.
Diane Duane
Janet Kagan (actually read some of hers before I read Uhura's Song)
L.A. Graf
Christopher L. Bennett - who has the distinction of being one of the few authors whose non-Trek works I've sought out.
Diane Duane
Janet Kagan (actually read some of hers before I read Uhura's Song)
L.A. Graf
Very hard to restrict myself, but these were un-put-downable, in that the book demanded to be read, almost in one sitting:
Vonda McIntyre’s “The Entropy Effect”
Diane Duane’s “The Wounded Sky”
Janet Kagan’s “Uhura’s Song”
Peter David’s “Once Burned” and “Stone and Anvil”
Jeffrey Lang’s “Immortal Coil”
Heather Jarman’s “Paradigm”
Christopher L Bennett’s “Ex Machina”
Vonda McIntyre’s “The Entropy Effect”
Diane Duane’s “The Wounded Sky”
Janet Kagan’s “Uhura’s Song”
Peter David’s “Once Burned” and “Stone and Anvil”
Jeffrey Lang’s “Immortal Coil”
Heather Jarman’s “Paradigm”
Christopher L Bennett’s “Ex Machina”
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No comment.
Diane Duane. Favorite work of hers is "The Wounded Sky", which is the finest pure Star Trek story ever told in any medium.
That's one of the few books people shout out as classics that I've never gotten to. Should really pick that up one of these days.
Diane Duane, Greg Cox and Dayton Ward. Janet Kagan . Garfield and Judith Reeves Stevens. Jeffrey Lang And Vonda McIntyre & Michael Jan Fried man and KRAD .Diane Carey I really liked her Tos books Best Destiny and Final Frontier about Captain April and George Kirk.
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I tried a second read of "The Wounded Sky" many years later and it didn't thrill me as much, but that first time, most of the book was read on long air journeys. One of the actual take-offs coincided with the chapter where the new inversion drive is being tested, and it gave quite a 4D quality to the reading. I love all of Diane's original crew, who later populated her other books (and comics!)
Duane Trek characters by Ian McLean, on Flickr
Above: Naraht the horta (who first turns up in the "Rihannsu" saga; Harb Tanzer, Chief of Recreation; Nurse Lia Burke; linguist Janíce Kerasus; and Doctor Tom Krejci (as featured in DC Comics TOS Series I: the "Double Blind" two-parter, #24-25, and "The Last Word", #28).
All of these characters also appeared in Diane Duane text-based, computer game, "The Kobayashi Alternative". Harb's hair is miscoloured in the comic; it should be silver/white. Other Duane novel/game characters who get mentioned by name in "The Last Word" comic include the books' Athende (the tentacled Sulamid), and Avoca. In the omnibus of her first four "Rihannsu" novels, "The Bloodwing Voyages", Diane Duane revealed that the transporter technician, Theresa Renner, was named for her former housemate.
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Really awkward question at forum that the authors are known to visit! 
My first favorite author was Michael Jan Friedman, whose Stargazer series I loved as a teenager. They're still my most battered paperbacks to this day. Greg Cox was another Trek author I found early, and I think he handles TOS characters better than anyone. Currently, there are two authors whose new releases I almost always buy: David Mack and Christopher L Bennett. Bennett's are the only Star Trek books I tag with "science fiction" on my blog, because his books are often so based in genuine science questions -- it's not just technobabble. Mack is just superb at writing thrillers and character drama. Kirsten Beyer is also a short-list author, and I'm growing increasingly fond of JJM.
My first favorite author was Michael Jan Friedman, whose Stargazer series I loved as a teenager. They're still my most battered paperbacks to this day. Greg Cox was another Trek author I found early, and I think he handles TOS characters better than anyone. Currently, there are two authors whose new releases I almost always buy: David Mack and Christopher L Bennett. Bennett's are the only Star Trek books I tag with "science fiction" on my blog, because his books are often so based in genuine science questions -- it's not just technobabble. Mack is just superb at writing thrillers and character drama. Kirsten Beyer is also a short-list author, and I'm growing increasingly fond of JJM.
