Favorite line or phrase from a Trek book
- Thread starter Fedaykin
- Start date
"Don't worry, we won't report you to the Vulcan Perfectionists' Association."
"With all due respect, Dr. McCoy, were there such an entity, it need only be called the Vulcan Association, to avoid redundancy."
The bit above is from Catalyst of Sorrows, between Selar and McCoy. It's always been one of my favorite lines.
Another exchange I enjoyed was in A Time for War, A Time for Peace, near the beginning when Picard is debriefing the senior staff, and Riker teases Crusher about her being the "Dancing Doctor". Here it is:
"With all due respect, Dr. McCoy, were there such an entity, it need only be called the Vulcan Association, to avoid redundancy."
The bit above is from Catalyst of Sorrows, between Selar and McCoy. It's always been one of my favorite lines.
Another exchange I enjoyed was in A Time for War, A Time for Peace, near the beginning when Picard is debriefing the senior staff, and Riker teases Crusher about her being the "Dancing Doctor". Here it is:
From The Lotus Flower by Una McCormack:
"You, Miles," Garak murmured, "are just an engineer in exactly the same way that I am a tailor."
"You, Miles," Garak murmured, "are just an engineer in exactly the same way that I am a tailor."
Thanks for this, Vixen, but the way you entered it, it was unformatted and tough to follow. In the interests of making it easy to read, and despite the self-aggrandizement....
Oh, wow, that really looks a lot better. Thanks for formatting it properly, KRAD.
Another bit from a Trek book I liked was Bacco's eulogy of Jaresh-Inyo, her speech to the Academy graduates, and the end of Articles of the Federation. They all were upbeat and optimistic, and perfectly represented what Trek is all about.
Another bit from a Trek book I liked was Bacco's eulogy of Jaresh-Inyo, her speech to the Academy graduates, and the end of Articles of the Federation. They all were upbeat and optimistic, and perfectly represented what Trek is all about.
"...I also have a broad latitude when it comes to deciding upon a sentence. So I sentence them to a photon torpedo barrage."
"There's no such sentence in Federation law."
"True, but that's the 'broad latitude' part."
"There's no such sentence in Federation law."
"True, but that's the 'broad latitude' part."
From Q-in-Law (quoting from memory since I don't have the book handy):
Riker: "She's really beating the stuffing out of him. What do you think we should do?"
Worf: "Sell tickets."
And I must admit that I have a soft spot for the "she obviously wants me" line from Dave Mack's S.C.E. novella, Small World
Riker: "She's really beating the stuffing out of him. What do you think we should do?"
Worf: "Sell tickets."
And I must admit that I have a soft spot for the "she obviously wants me" line from Dave Mack's S.C.E. novella, Small World
Not surprising, since it was your line, you magnificent bastard.And I must admit that I have a soft spot for the "she obviously wants me" line from Dave Mack's S.C.E. novella, Small World
Since Worf's "sell tickets" line from Q-In-Law was already mentioned, I'll give another, also from Peter David.
It's from Before Dishonor ... When someone mentions the "no female Borg" theory, he rips them a new one, and it's totally about Ricky Arnold ... That whole passage is a personal favorite.
It's from Before Dishonor ... When someone mentions the "no female Borg" theory, he rips them a new one, and it's totally about Ricky Arnold ... That whole passage is a personal favorite.
Not surprising, since it was your line, you magnificent bastard.
I only made an off-the-cuff joke. You're the one who made it sing
Well, if Keith's going to open this up to self-aggrandizement...
I take great care in crafting my work (as I'm sure the other writers do), and I pay particular attention to first and last lines. But while I've penned a number of opening and closing lines with which I have been satisfied, this throwaway line from The 34th Rule has always stayed with me for some reason:
"The frayed blanket slipped to the floor as though gravity had taken only a passing interest in it."
Not sure why, but it has. Of course, your mileage may vary.
I take great care in crafting my work (as I'm sure the other writers do), and I pay particular attention to first and last lines. But while I've penned a number of opening and closing lines with which I have been satisfied, this throwaway line from The 34th Rule has always stayed with me for some reason:
"The frayed blanket slipped to the floor as though gravity had taken only a passing interest in it."
Not sure why, but it has. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Excerpt from Failsafe by David Mack: (S.C.E. Novella)
Hawkins looked his interrogator in the eye, sizing him up from the moment he sat down and felt the handcuffs click shut around his wrists. The interrogator's face looked gaunt and his eyes drooped with exhaustion, as if he hadn't had a meal or a decent night's sleep in weeks. He wore the manner of a man trying to be intimidating, but his body language was that of a man who would much rather leave this job to someone--anyone--else.
The interrogator rubbed his wyes and sighed. "I don't suppose you'll cooperate, either?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Hawkins said casually. "We're on the same side." The interrogator blinked and actually did a double take.
"We're what?"
Hawkins looked around, as if he were genuinely shocked by the man's response. "What? You mean they didn't tell you?"
"Huh? Who didn't--? Tell me what?"
"I'm a Venekan agent," Hawkins said. "I'm undercover."
"Come again?" The interrogator was starting to sound upset.
"I'm infiltrating the X'Mari Resistance."
"What?" The interrogator sounded incredulous. "All three of you?" Hawkins rolled his eyes and shock his head.
"No, just me," he said. "I'm only using them to enhance my credibility. They're part of my cover."
The interrogator's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"What agency are you with?"
Hawkins snorted derisively, as if the officer had just made the stupidest request in the world. "I can't tell you that."
"Why not?" the interrogator said.
Hawkins shrugged. "You obviously don't have the clearance for that information."
"The hell I don't!" The interrogator pointed furiously at the rank insignia on his collar. "See there stars?"
Hawkins tuned out the rest of the away team's laughter, which came in bursts over his subaural transceiver.
"If you had the clearance," he said, "you'd have been briefed already. But you obviously don't know who I am, so you can't have been cleared. Sorry, nothing personal."
The interrogator inhaled sharply, then held his breath, apparently concentrating on calming himself. He exhaled.
"I suppose you think you can trick me into letting you go."
"And blow my cover? Are you crazy? It took forever to win the X'Maris' trust. Pull me out now and the whole op's a wash. No, no way. Not unless you have specific orders for me to abort--which you don't, because you didn't even know I was here."
The interrogator covered his face with his hands and breathed in and out in a slow, measured rhythm. He massaged his temples with his thumbs. He stopped and looked wearily at Hawkins, who started back at the man like he owned him.
"Do you have any evidence," the interrogator said, "anything at all, that proves you're telling me the truth?"
Hawkins arched one eyebrow and smirked at him.
"Do you have any that proves I'm not?"
The interrogator stared at Hawkins for a very long moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. He plodded to the tent's flap, pushed it aside, and walked outside as he issued one final order to the soldiers standing guard outside the tent.
"I'm done," he said. "Put 'em on a jumper and get 'em outta here."
*END*
>>Still cracks me up just thinking about it.
Hawkins looked his interrogator in the eye, sizing him up from the moment he sat down and felt the handcuffs click shut around his wrists. The interrogator's face looked gaunt and his eyes drooped with exhaustion, as if he hadn't had a meal or a decent night's sleep in weeks. He wore the manner of a man trying to be intimidating, but his body language was that of a man who would much rather leave this job to someone--anyone--else.
The interrogator rubbed his wyes and sighed. "I don't suppose you'll cooperate, either?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Hawkins said casually. "We're on the same side." The interrogator blinked and actually did a double take.
"We're what?"
Hawkins looked around, as if he were genuinely shocked by the man's response. "What? You mean they didn't tell you?"
"Huh? Who didn't--? Tell me what?"
"I'm a Venekan agent," Hawkins said. "I'm undercover."
"Come again?" The interrogator was starting to sound upset.
"I'm infiltrating the X'Mari Resistance."
"What?" The interrogator sounded incredulous. "All three of you?" Hawkins rolled his eyes and shock his head.
"No, just me," he said. "I'm only using them to enhance my credibility. They're part of my cover."
The interrogator's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"What agency are you with?"
Hawkins snorted derisively, as if the officer had just made the stupidest request in the world. "I can't tell you that."
"Why not?" the interrogator said.
Hawkins shrugged. "You obviously don't have the clearance for that information."
"The hell I don't!" The interrogator pointed furiously at the rank insignia on his collar. "See there stars?"
Hawkins tuned out the rest of the away team's laughter, which came in bursts over his subaural transceiver.
"If you had the clearance," he said, "you'd have been briefed already. But you obviously don't know who I am, so you can't have been cleared. Sorry, nothing personal."
The interrogator inhaled sharply, then held his breath, apparently concentrating on calming himself. He exhaled.
"I suppose you think you can trick me into letting you go."
"And blow my cover? Are you crazy? It took forever to win the X'Maris' trust. Pull me out now and the whole op's a wash. No, no way. Not unless you have specific orders for me to abort--which you don't, because you didn't even know I was here."
The interrogator covered his face with his hands and breathed in and out in a slow, measured rhythm. He massaged his temples with his thumbs. He stopped and looked wearily at Hawkins, who started back at the man like he owned him.
"Do you have any evidence," the interrogator said, "anything at all, that proves you're telling me the truth?"
Hawkins arched one eyebrow and smirked at him.
"Do you have any that proves I'm not?"
The interrogator stared at Hawkins for a very long moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. He plodded to the tent's flap, pushed it aside, and walked outside as he issued one final order to the soldiers standing guard outside the tent.
"I'm done," he said. "Put 'em on a jumper and get 'em outta here."
*END*
>>Still cracks me up just thinking about it.
Last edited:
That had me cracking up on the bus and I got some real strange looks. ut I have to tell you I did not care. I kept going back to read that little bit and laughed every time.
The last time this kind of thread popped up, I misquoted a line from Mack's Harbinger. Lieutenant Oriana D'Amato's last line as she takes the USS Bombay down fighting. I won't mangle it this time because I'm not gonna quote it. But it's a great line.
Favourite line or phrase is all well and good, but I could fill this thread up with lines from Articles of the Federation. It just has so many. Almost every line from President Bacco is worthy.
The last time this kind of thread popped up, I misquoted a line from Mack's Harbinger. Lieutenant Oriana D'Amato's last line as she takes the USS Bombay down fighting. I won't mangle it this time because I'm not gonna quote it. But it's a great line.
Favourite line or phrase is all well and good, but I could fill this thread up with lines from Articles of the Federation. It just has so many. Almost every line from President Bacco is worthy.
They make these damn things too small.
"This room is too damn big."
Someday I'll understand the human need to make everything bigger.
"Eleven years as governor, been through DMZ refugees, a major galactic war and a Gorn invasion, and I sleep like a rock. I decide to run for president, and now I'm dreaming I'm sitting on the Gorn throne with a Metron glowing in front of me while two Vorta ask me if they can invade my planet. This is what happens when you move from the kiddie table, I guess."
"...'cause God forbid I should tell the truth."
In War/Peace, I think the part where Dr. Toby Russell comes aboard and Beverly reacts to it is one of my favorites, simply because part of me wanted her to haul back and let Russell have it.
"This room is too damn big."
Someday I'll understand the human need to make everything bigger.
"Eleven years as governor, been through DMZ refugees, a major galactic war and a Gorn invasion, and I sleep like a rock. I decide to run for president, and now I'm dreaming I'm sitting on the Gorn throne with a Metron glowing in front of me while two Vorta ask me if they can invade my planet. This is what happens when you move from the kiddie table, I guess."
"...'cause God forbid I should tell the truth."
In War/Peace, I think the part where Dr. Toby Russell comes aboard and Beverly reacts to it is one of my favorites, simply because part of me wanted her to haul back and let Russell have it.
"I'm an Iotian dick."
Yes, it's one of mine, but it still makes me laugh. It was almost the title of the story.
--Ted
Yes, it's one of mine, but it still makes me laugh. It was almost the title of the story.
--Ted
My favourite line from a Trek Novel is from Q-Squared when Worf is reporting about a Trelane disturbance inside of one of the classrooms and says
"The bear, for no discerable reason seems to be performing mild calisthetics and muttering to himself." Then later "I suspect Captain, that he hasn't got a brain." I can't remember the exact quotes but I was laughing for a good fifteen to twenty minutes after reading as I've been a big Winnie The Pooh fan since I was very small.
"The bear, for no discerable reason seems to be performing mild calisthetics and muttering to himself." Then later "I suspect Captain, that he hasn't got a brain." I can't remember the exact quotes but I was laughing for a good fifteen to twenty minutes after reading as I've been a big Winnie The Pooh fan since I was very small.
Last edited:
Similar threads
