Has interest in Trek Lit dried up where you live?

[Smellincoffee]

I live in a city of some 20,000 souls, so I haven't seen Trek books on supermarket shelves since the TNG-DS9 television heyday. The offerings at the Books-A-Million an hour's drive away are fairly skimpy, so I just buy on Amazon. No difference buying from one chain over another, I figure..

 

[rfmcdpei]

In the old days, many ST novels were sold in bulk as "sale or return", hence the warning about "stripped books" inside. Sometimes in a cardboard display stand. Many shops now are expected to buy their stock outright and, if the books get damaged or faded before being sold, they have to discount them, at less profit, rather than return the books for reimbursement.

Without naming my employer or going into specifics as to numbers, I can say that Trek novels are still stripcovers in Canada and that--judging by my particular store's experience--consistently quite well. The Vanguard series seems to be somewhat less popular than the books which connect directly to the television series, perhaps because Vanguard has its own unique settings and characters. The Typhon Pact line, you may be interested to know, does sell well.

Trek Lit is a niche, true, and there are fewer Trek novels on the shelves that Star Wars novels--two Trek shelves versus four Star Wars novels--but it does seem to be a stable niche. My impression is that it has been stable for some time, and that any decrease in shelf space is part of a general trend towards reduced shelf space for books in bookstores generally.

 

[Therin of Andor]

any decrease in shelf space is part of a general trend towards reduced shelf space for books in bookstores generally.

True. Here in Oz, some bookshops now have a large refrigerated cabinet with cans of Coca-Cola, a shelf of chocolates, lots of gift boxes (with a stuffed toy, action figure, cookie cutters or DVDs accompanying a book), or even things like world globes, jigsaw puzzles, greeting cards and party supplies. Lots less room for books with smaller profit margins.

 

[zarkon]

My local bookshops used to have one-two bookcases full of trek books.
Now I'm lucky if it's half a shelf. Forbidden Planet & Foyles in london still have a bookcase or two, but thats about it.

We kinda need a new series

 

[F. King Daniel]

We kinda need a new series

Or more than one measely novelization when the next movie comes along. Even if it's just reprints of books (with shiny new cover art) covering similar territory. "Best Destiny" and "Enterprise: The First Adventure" would probably have done fairly well in March '09.

 

[Therin of Andor]

"Best Destiny" and "Enterprise: The First Adventure" would probably have done fairly well in March '09.

With an action still of Chris Hemsworth on the cover.

 

[JD]

I'll be very curious to see what kind of tie-in stuff we get for the second Abramsverse movie. I think some people like Pocket might have been nervous about doing a lot of tie-ins for the first since no one was entirely sure what kind of reaction the first was going to get. This time we know the new movie will be a hit, so maybe we can get more tie-ins.

 

[bbailey861]

I am certainly hoping so. Somewhere down the line I'd even like to see the stories published that were commissioned and not used. I know, I know.....

 

[Therin of Andor]

I think some people like Pocket might have been nervous about doing a lot of tie-ins for the first since no one was entirely sure what kind of reaction the first was going to get.

Pocket knew exactly what sort of reaction the film was going to get, but the economy wasn't conducive to gambling on an excess of tie-ins.

The "Destiny" trilogy was planned as an event-style promotion, timed with the 2009 movie, but then the movie got delayed. Plans for a hardcover version of the "Crucible" trilogy, with three additional short stories, were dashed, and four sequel novels were put on hold at Bad Robot's request. But there were a novelization, an unabridged audio adaptation of the novelization, and ultimately three "Young Adult" prequel novels (so far) set at the Academy. And the beautiful hardcover "making of" book, "The Art of the Film" by Mark Cotta Vaz. And a 2010 Calendar tie-in.

In addition, a comic mini-series, "Countdown", from IDW, set after TNG (but acting as a prequel to the movie), and a comic strip feature in "Wired" magazine (with JJ guest editing the issue). These were followed by three more IDW tie-in mini-series: "Spock Reflections", "Nero", an official adaptation (all had reprint omnibus releases, too), and an ongoing comic adapting TOS episodes to the new timeline, plus one (so far) original two-parter.

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek_(film)#Merchandise_gallery

 

[JD]

Yeah, I knew about the comics. I was just hoping for more tie-in in other mediums. Although I actually didn't know Spock: Reflections was considered a tie-in to the movie.

 

[Christopher]

Spock: Reflections is more a thematic lead-in to the movie than a plot lead-in; it basically recaps or takes stock of Spock's life journey in the Prime timeline before we see him thrown into a new timeline, and foreshadows some of what the movie explores about Spock's formative years. So that if moviegoers who weren't TOS experts were curious to know more about this older Spock from the original universe and what his background was, the comic provided a summation of sorts.

 

[bfollowell]

I couldn't tell you because, not having any idea what the interest was ever like before, I have nothing to compare it to. I know of a couple of other people in my circle, both middle-aged white guys like me, that read some, but that's about it. I see quite a few Trek's on the shelves of the local B&N and they always seem to get at least a few copies of all the new books. There seems to be a decent selection in most of the local used book stores though I can't say that it seems to "move" a lot.

I do know I've seen more and more ereaders everywhere you look. That makes it much harder to judge what someone may or may not be reading or where they're getting them. About the only thing you can count on is that they're getting them online.

- Byron

 

[Relayer1]

a comic strip feature in "Wired" magazine (with JJ guest editing the issue).

Has this been reprinted in any of the collections ?

Any idea which issue it was ?

 

[flandry84]

I have never seen a trek book.

Yes they can be downloaded, bought on ebay, amazon etc but here in Ireland its not that common.
Maybe if i was into them I might find them but as an ordinary trek fan I have never seen one in person

Have you tried that "Hidden realms"shop upstairs in the Paul Street mall in Cork?I certainly have gotten some Treklit books there in the past.
O'Mahony's bookshop in Limerick or Dubray books in Galway.
If you see a slightly rumpled,slightly disreputable looking middle-aged guy perusing the Treklit selections in any of these shops,it's probably me.

 

[Therin of Andor]

a comic strip feature in "Wired" magazine (with JJ guest editing the issue).

Has this been reprinted in any of the collections ?

May 2009. No, it's never been reprinted but it has a very distinctive cover, featuring JJ's childhood fascination with the old mail order "Mystery box", which he's never opened:
http://therinofandor.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/wired-for-trek.html

But...

"Wired" did upload the six-page "Star Trek" comic for people who missed finding the hardcopy issue:
http://www.wired.com/special_multimedia/2009/whenWorldsCollide

 

[Captaindemotion]

I have never seen a trek book.

Yes they can be downloaded, bought on ebay, amazon etc but here in Ireland its not that common.
Maybe if i was into them I might find them but as an ordinary trek fan I have never seen one in person

I don't know Cork too well but you can get them in Forbidden Planet in Dublin and Belfast. Easons have the odd one, as do Waterstones and WH Smith, which are in the North (I think Waterstones operate down south too, don't they?)

I used to regularly get used Trek novels in the George's St Arcade in Dublin but they haven't had them there for years.

 

[Relayer1]

a comic strip feature in "Wired" magazine (with JJ guest editing the issue).

Has this been reprinted in any of the collections ?

May 2009. No, it's never been reprinted but it has a very distinctive cover, featuring JJ's childhood fascination with the old mail order "Mystery box", which he's never opened:
http://therinofandor.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/wired-for-trek.html

But...

"Wired" did upload the six-page "Star Trek" comic for people who missed finding the hardcopy issue:
http://www.wired.com/special_multimedia/2009/whenWorldsCollide

Thank you !

 

[JD]

Good choice, it's a truly amazing book.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Agreed

 

[flandry84]

May I humbly suggest "Hollow men"by Una McCormack.
Excellent story and more Garak-esque goodness.