Humour in the novels

[PaulSimpson]

Some point in the post-movie maelstrom, we'll be doing an issue of Star Trek Magazine that looks at the use of humour in Star Trek - and, as usual, I'll be incorporating the novels into that. However, to give it a bit of a spin, I'd thought I'd turn over nominating favourite comic scenes or characters to the board and see what people think...

Anything is eligible - from Mission to Horatius up to Vanguard: Open Secrets. How Much For Just the Planet? is a given - editor's perks - and should be a part of every Star Trek fan's collection!!

So: Who/What are the funniest bits of written Star Trek?

Paul

 

[JAG]

Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan. The line I will always remember is by Dr. Evan Wilson(I believe that is the name) Eyebrows on stun Mr. Spock. I still can laugh after all these years.

 

[Jim Johnson]

There were some pretty funny stories/moments sprinkled through the Strange New Worlds series. Assuming those are going to be considered along with the novels and other short Trek fiction (anthologies, SCE, ebooks, etc.).

 

[PaulSimpson]

There were some pretty funny stories/moments sprinkled through the Strange New Worlds series. Assuming those are going to be considered along with the novels and other short Trek fiction (anthologies, SCE, ebooks, etc.).

Yeah, for this purpose, anything officially published counts.

 

[Semah]

Q In Law needs a mention. Listening to the audiobook was one of the funniest experiences I've had. And the above-mentioned How Much For Just The Planet? The Dilithium public service message was a hoot, the Golf match/duel, and the musical numbers. Some don't like this book because of the over-the-top silliness, but they are wrong.

 

[William Leisner]

Q In Law needs a mention.

Q In Law needs far more than just a mention in any discussion of Trekian humor...

 

[Plecostomus]

Peter David used to throw out some good moments in his early novels. The bits in Imazadi with the portable phaser-cannon are amusing

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Bart Faulwell's artwork.

Anything involving Tev and apple ranchers, especially the briefing room scene.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'd thought I'd turn over nominating favourite comic scenes or characters to the board and see what people think...

There are many wonderful Zak Kebron moments, particularly in "Waiting for G'doh" in the "New Frontier: No Limits" anthology.

Still with NF, McHenry fainting when both Selar and Burgy are pronounced pregnant is also funny.

Lee Kelso and Gary Mitchell swap many quips, with Kelso eventually losing all composure and laughing out loud. MJF's "My Brother's Keeper: Constitution". (Ironically, he says to Gary, "You'll be the death of me.")

If it extends to comics, then Diane Duane's "Double Blind" - the Ajir vs the Grond - takes the cake:

"With your kind permission, Admiral Kirk... We will now be taking over your ship!"

Naraht the horta, watching the insectoid Ajir eating the metal furniture on the Excelsior's rec deck: "That looks gooood!"

And the enemy Grond turn out to be, not the huge tigers of the second issues cover art, but... cute little pussy cats. And suddenly the huge fearsome Ajir are hiding under whatever furniture is left.

Someone asks Kirk, "What are they gonna do, shed on us?"

Still with Duane, but back to the novels, "My Enemy, My Ally", has a cute Naraht scene where (paraphrasing from foggy memory) Duane mentions how bizarre it is to hear a chirpy "Yes, Captain Kirk" from a giant walking pizza with extra pepperoni, extra cheese.

"Doctor's Orders" has some more wonderful Duane moments, IIRC.

 

[Trent Roman]

Bart Faulwell's artwork.

That scene had me in stitches. On a related note, a lot of KRAD's books can be mined for nuggets of levity.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Section 31]

I really liked the scene in The Buried Age where Picard meets Data for the first time and is trying to evaluate him. I burst out laughing when Picard says "I want to know the man behind the machine", and Data pauses and then turns to look behind himself.

 

[Stephen!]

So: Who/What are the funniest bits of written Star Trek?

Destiny book 1, where that guy starts eating chocolate during one of the conference meetings. Ezri seems quite laid back, considering Picard would probably never allow that sort of thing

 

[Marie1]

DS9PF Abyss

What I find (in my morbid way) to be amusing is Taran'atar trying to figure out how Bashir could know so much about Jem'Hadar without vivi/dissections.

But mostly Ro + Taran'atar

Ro's "confidence in him had risen considerably. At least, until he decided to start throwing knives."
(And if what she says to him before that actually amused him, it must really be funny. )

Ironic because earlier:

Ro "What, no throwing knives?"
Taran'atar shows her he has a bag of them
Ro "Oh, good. Don't want to forget those."


Twilight- I'll echo section 31 and point out its the DRGIII one- was full of funny moments for me. Not just the Alligator incident, but the Taran'atar/Quark moments -"I am also here to keep an eye on you." And the description Odo gave Taran'atar of Quark. And Taran'atar trying to figure out how Kira could possibly not know calculus... I'll stop now...

 

[Christopher]

I really liked the scene in The Buried Age where Picard meets Data for the first time and is trying to evaluate him. I burst out laughing when Picard says "I want to know the man behind the machine", and Data pauses and then turns to look behind himself.

When I wrote that line, I got a mental image of Brent Spiner reacting that way, and it broke me up. I'm glad it came through in the text.

 

[Thrawn]

Not to detract at all from any of the other authors (and that Data moment in Buried Age made me lose it, too), but IMO PAD is absolutely the funniest Trek author.

Q-In-Law, Q-Squared, Imzadi, and just about every New Frontier book had at least one moment that made me giggle so hard I had to put the book down for a few minutes.

My favorite is this:

"Let's get their attention, shall we?" With that, s/he pointed hir phaser straight up and fired a single shot.

The shot struck the ceiling, blowing out a chunk. Some debris tumbled and, before anyone could move, struck Ensign Burton on the head. He went down, arms splayed, out cold.

The volume of the phaser shot startled everyone in the place. Everyone froze, gaping at the sight of Burgoyne standing there with hir arm still upraised while looking down in total chagrin at the unconscious security guard.

Calhoun didn't hesitate, shoving away someone who had been grabbing at his arm but was now just standing there in bewilderment. "And that," Calhoun called out loudly, "is what we're capable of doing to our *own* people. So just think about what we could do to *you* if we decided to."

 

[KLauderdale]

The New Frontier anthology No Limits has a couple humorous moments. Dilmore's story is a comedy with a one-liner ending. And in Ward's Calhoun and a Romulan have a great exchange about Starfleet officers disguising themselves as Romulans in order to sneak aboard their ships.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Since PAD's Q-in-Law, has already gotten a few mentions, I'm going to nominate PAD's Strike Zone as well, which I like to describe as Star Trek meets the HitchHikers Guide.

 

[William Leisner]

^ Actually, SCE: Sargasso Sector is where Star Trek really meets Hitchhikers Guide.

 

[Marie1]

My favorite is this:

"Let's get their attention, shall we?" With that, s/he pointed hir phaser straight up and fired a single shot.

The shot struck the ceiling, blowing out a chunk. Some debris tumbled and, before anyone could move, struck Ensign Burton on the head. He went down, arms splayed, out cold.

The volume of the phaser shot startled everyone in the place. Everyone froze, gaping at the sight of Burgoyne standing there with hir arm still upraised while looking down in total chagrin at the unconscious security guard.

Calhoun didn't hesitate, shoving away someone who had been grabbing at his arm but was now just standing there in bewilderment. "And that," Calhoun called out loudly, "is what we're capable of doing to our *own* people. So just think about what we could do to *you* if we decided to."

Which book is this???

 

[Therin of Andor]

Which book is this???

Memory Beta only mentions a Burton in the aptly-named "After the Fall".

"On New Thallon he suffered a head injury reminiscent of the fictional character Jack Burton."