As with most other people, I'm quite fascinated by the hype that has been given to these "universe-changing" books. While I've been slowly progressing through the various novel series, I've still got a loooong way to go before I can say I'm completely caught up. So, I'm trying to decide whether I should just put these older novels on the back-burner for now and jump into Destiny as it comes out and then attempt to keep up with all the follow-up novels, or whether it would be better just to wait until I can read the dozen or so DS9 novels, two VOY books, and three Titan novels (which at my rate, will likely be a few years). Not to mention how many New Frontier, COE, and Gorkon/Klingon Empire stories I have to read. I guess I'm basicly asking whether Destiny would be a good "jump-in" point to kind of get caught up with all these series and then read the older ones as I have time. Another option I have is to read the brief sections for these novels in "Voyages of Imagination", however, it does feel like it might be spoiling the events of those books a bit for me. What do you think?
Yes, you can pretty much just jump in. The events of the DS9 books aren't really touched upon, nor are those of the New Frontier books, the Corps of Engineers tales, or the Klingon/Gorkon saga. Events from the Titan and TNG books form most of the foundation for the story, though if you read just Greater Than the Sum and Sword of Damocles you'll pretty much be caught up on all of the most immediately relevant backstory. Anything else you'd need to know is recapped/explained in the books themselves.
I'm expecting to get the books just about the time of my mini-fall break, so I think I'll read the Kobayahi Maru on the first day, and then work on Destiny that same day or the next. My only regret, is I read fairly fast, so usually finish a trek novel per day. If its good, which according to the magic eight ball (trademarked of course), it appears to be from the various extracts, I'll reread several times during the same month.
^ Well, the first book, Gods of Night, is officially an October title, which means it might start being available in a few weeks (mid- to late September). Mere Mortals should be on sale by late October, and Lost Souls by late November. All of these are approximate guesses, however. Depending on the location and many unknowable variables, it might take significantly longer for the books to reach certain retailers.
When to read Destiny? Plain and easy: The minute you get it, run home, turn of the bell and the phone, drop on your couch and start reading. And if you dare to drop it before it's finished: Looser!
Heh. By the time it comes out, I won't have the time to give though I want to read it straight away 'cos I'll be back to uni and into classroom practice so I'll be too busy planning and marking! But, depending on where my placement is, I'll have up to an hours bus travel every day.
Aw, hell, I don't even wait till I get home. Since I don't drive, I get to start the books while I'm my mother is driving home.
My one and only fear about reading Destiny is that the minute someone on here posts that they have it, I might have to stop reading this board for three months until I finish them all. Spoilers will abound -- and I mean they will be inadvertently given away in threads not marked as such due to the scope of what those novels are supposed to cover.
I'm the same, want to save them for the Christmas holidays so might have to avoid this place - perhaps some special rules could be established or something? But it might just be too complicated.
I was thinking maybe we can propose a sticky thread that is for all things Destiny and that be the only place spoilers are allowed for it and books after it and it be stickied say through February of 09 at least? Mods? What do you think? --It'd help cut down on the inevitable repetitive threads about it too.