Favorite Stand Alone?

[Saratoga NX-3842]

With the exception of the Peter David novels. what are you favorite stand alone tng and ds9 books? Not part of a series, a crossover or a relaunch, just a simple self-contained story, what is your favorite?

 

[KRAD]

It's the same as my answer to favorite novel: The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The same as my favorite overall: A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson.

Yes, it's retroactively part of the "Relaunch," but it was published a year prior to the "Relaunch's" first entry.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Easy! The Wounded Sky, by Diane Duane. I'm convinced that were it not Trek, it would've been up for a Nebula or Hugo. It's just an all-around beautifully-written, vibrant, imaginative book the likes of which we've never seen again.

Now for TNG: I choose The Dark Mirror, also by Diane Duane.

For DS9: A Stitch in Time or The 34th Rule. Honorable mention (partly on sentimental grounds) to Betrayal.

For VOY: Probably The Murdered Sun, which did well for drawing me in, considering I don't even like the Voyager series that much.

ENT: Haven't really read them; can't say.

Young adult novels: It's a tie between Capture the Flag and Prisoners of Peace.

 

[Mike Farley]

My answer would also be The Wounded Sky, one of my favorite books overall.

My question is why are we excluding Peter David's books?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I would guess because he kinda has his own niche in the Trekiverse like Shatner does.

(BTW, if you love that book, check out the thread I just posted.)

 

[Mysterion]

Another vote for Diane Duane's The Wounded Sky.

I agree with Nerys Dukat that this book would've gotten an award if it had been a non-ST book.

TWS is a story that is fun, interesting, imaginative, and exciting. Duane captures perfectly the "voices" of the TOS characters.

 

[Enterpriserules]

Ex Machina was my favorite.

 

[captcalhoun]

Prime Dirrective still

 

[Cicero]

It's the same as my answer to favorite novel: The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre.

Really? If you don't mind my asking, what did you like about it? I bought the reissued version of it two years ago and was appalled. I thought it was the strangest, least Star Trek-like Star Trek story I'd ever read, including a good deal of fan fiction and the bizarre Spock romance story (which treated the Andorians as a hostile people) in The New Voyages.

The same as my favorite overall: A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson.

I concur. A Stitch in Time is one of my favorite books of any stripe.

 

[JD]

Another vote for AST, it is just an amazing book overall, Trek or otherwise.

 

[Christopher]

It's the same as my answer to favorite novel: The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre.

Really? If you don't mind my asking, what did you like about it? I bought the reissued version of it two years ago and was appalled. I thought it was the strangest, least Star Trek-like Star Trek story I'd ever read, including a good deal of fan fiction and the bizarre Spock romance story (which treated the Andorians as a hostile people) in The New Voyages.

Well, it was written at a time when the Trek universe wasn't as clearly delineated as it is today, so there was more room for authors to inject their own worldbuilding concepts and distinctive voices. The Entropy Effect was Vonda McIntyre-style Trek, just as Planet of Judgment was Joe Haldeman-style Trek and The Wounded Sky was Diane Duane-style Trek. Back then, there was less consistency but a lot of individuality to the books.

 

[backstept]

I liked Do Comets Dream? by S.P. Somtow
it had a big epic feel to it, and the cover art was fantastic

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I liked Do Comets Dream? by S.P. Somtow
it had a big epic feel to it, and the cover art was fantastic

It was interesting--but the editing on it was terrible. I've never seen so many spellings for the same name in one book in my life.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Ds9-Fallen Heroes. I would have liked to see it on the small (or big) screen.

 

[Ferd Burfel]

Still gotta go with Art of the Impossible. I know it was a "Lost Era" book, but it still stands alone. Great story.

 

[Saga]

Burning Dreams. i've always wanted to know the details about Trek's 'forgotten' Captain. a great little book.

 

[Osquevel]

Another vote for Fallen Heroes and A Stitch In Time. I also particularly enjoyed Reunion and War Drums from TNG. Nothing coming to mind in TOS or VOY at the moment, but my reading in those series is less than in the others... I'd also add Q-Squared to the list except for the no PAD rule (though this novel is fairly standalone).

 

[Christopher]

^^I don't understand the logic behind excluding Peter David. Sure, I can understand excluding New Frontier specifically because of its serial nature, but it doesn't follow that his abundant non-NF work should be excluded. He wrote plenty of standalone novels that are fair game.

Besides, it was just a suggestion. If you want to name a PAD novel, go right ahead.

 

[Cicero]

Well, it was written at a time when the Trek universe wasn't as clearly delineated as it is today, so there was more room for authors to inject their own worldbuilding concepts and distinctive voices. The Entropy Effect was Vonda McIntyre-style Trek, just as Planet of Judgment was Joe Haldeman-style Trek and The Wounded Sky was Diane Duane-style Trek. Back then, there was less consistency but a lot of individuality to the books.

It seemed unlike Star Trek to me not because it conflicted with what came after, but because it was such a tremendous departure from what had been seen before. The world presented in The Entropy Effect was shockingly unlike that seen in TOS.