Is Trek Lit Enough?

[RookieBatman]

This is one of those situation where the topical question is kind of rhetorical, since I think I already know the answer, but I think it might still make an interesting discussion.
I'm a sci-fi fan, but when I say that, I mean mostly TV (Star Trek, Stargate, and Firefly, to be specific). I've only recently been even so much as trying to read sci-fi books, and that because I of late aspire to be a sci-fi writer. I've been working through the long list of Trek books for a couple years, and I've enjoyed that, but a few months ago, I made a long list of other fiction I'd like to read to get a broader spectrum of the great (and good) authors of today and yesterday. Included on this list were classics like the Three Musketeers (and sequels) and the Horatio Hornblower books (which I started reading when I was about 11, but only got halfway through); the works of Louis L'amour (my grandfather's a big fan, and he recently gave me all 75 of his L'amour paperbacks!); as well as the SF tales by H.G. Wells and C.S. Lewis, the combined SF universe of Asimov, and the Ringworld series by Niven (as well as much more).
The problem is, even though I've been at this pretty heavy Trek fanaticism for a couple years, I'm still what I'd consider a new Trekkie, and as pathetic as it might sound to some, I'm hungry for more Trek, pretty much all the time (especially with the increased fervor caused by thoughts of the new movie). I'm hungry enough that the desire to dive into Trek literature overrides the fact that, since maybe when I was 17, reading has become something that's very tiring and taxing for me. When I was younger, I was a voracious reader, of anything, but these days I get restless reading for more than twenty or thirty minutes at a time. The problem is that even when I enjoy what I'm reading, the physical discomfort of the reading process itself is enough that it overrides my interest in the content of the book (except for Trek books, it seems).
So, cognitively, I understand that if I really want to make it as a sci-fi (or SF, if you will) writer, I need to read a lot of sci-fi, good sci-fi (as well as other genres, certainly), and Trek really isn't enough of a broad spectrum to give me that depth of foundation in the artform of writing sci-fi.
So, technically, the question here was, "Is it enough to just read Star Trek books and not other types of books?" But I guess the real question is, how do I make reading fun again? It's just not as enjoyable as it used to be, and like I said, that's even when I do really enjoy the content of the book. Twenty Years After the first sequel to The Three Musketeers, is FANTASTIC, and I'm surprised it doesn't get as much publicity as The Man in the Iron Mask (for many years, I thought the latter was the only sequel to The Three Musketeers; come to find out, it's the last of five volumes which technically comprise a trilogy). But despite that, reading it is still too much of a chore for me to want to sit down and do it. So should I just force myself to read? As a writer, reading is somewhat analogous to an athlete working out, and working out isn't always fun, either. So should I apply that doctrine and just make myself do it even though it won't really be fun, or what? Does anyone have any ideas on how to make it less taxing and more enjoyable?

 

[Christopher]

Is Trek Lit Enough?

Yes, I find there's generally enough light for me to see Trek.

But seriously... I don't think limiting your reading to one genre or franchise is ever enough. Especially if you want to write SF. The thing is, Trek and other mass-media franchises are just one branch of the immense range of literature that falls under the SF rubric. For all the variety and quality you'll find in Trek novels, they still don't give you a taste of everything that's out there as part of the literary science fiction vocabulary.

Frankly, if you only read Trek fiction, then any original SF you try to write is liable to end up feeling like Trek with the names changed, and science-fiction editors' slush piles are overflowing with fiction like that already, so it's not going to help your work stand out or win the editors over.

As for how to make reading fun again, I can't answer that, because I don't quite understand what you find difficult or uncomfortable about it.

 

[Kegek]

If reading is difficult, why read? I read voraciously, continuously and obsessively, but that's because, ahem, it absorbs me so much. If I didn't enjoy it I probably wouldn't do it.

But then, if you have difficulty reading, why write? Any writer would need to reread his or her own work for rewrites and corrections.

Should you read more widely? Sure, give that a try. I myself haven't read a Trek novel since around 2001, and I read a peculiarly eclectic variety of literature. I seek out whatever seems to match my tastes, then I read it. Try the same. If you don't like it, resume what you're currently reading.

 

[RookieBatman]

Christopher said:
Is Trek Lit Enough?

Yes, I find there's generally enough light for me to see Trek.

But seriously... I don't think limiting your reading to one genre or franchise is ever enough. Especially if you want to write SF. The thing is, Trek and other mass-media franchises are just one branch of the immense range of literature that falls under the SF rubric. For all the variety and quality you'll find in Trek novels, they still don't give you a taste of everything that's out there as part of the literary science fiction vocabulary.

Well, like I said, I cognitively understand that, which is why that question was really just rhetorical and the sort of ice-breaker for the thread.

Frankly, if you only read Trek fiction, then any original SF you try to write is liable to end up feeling like Trek with the names changed, and science-fiction editors' slush piles are overflowing with fiction like that already, so it's not going to help your work stand out or win the editors over.

Actually, I did use to have that problem, but I think that's more due to the fact that writers who are very inexperienced in writing original material often just tend to regurgitate their favorite concepts, even having a wide knowledge base of reading material. Even so, most of the ideas I'm generating now don't have a remote resemblance to anything regarding Trek.
Actually, I'm more worried that I might starting to emulate the writing style, rather than the plot and setting concepts, of Trek authors. I kinda think that I have a sort of unique style (in a good way, I certainly hope), and I don't want that to just be assimilated, if I may, into someone else's.

As for how to make reading fun again, I can't answer that, because I don't quite understand what you find difficult or uncomfortable about it.

Well, it's just physically tiring, mainly, and I get restless, sort of both at the same time. I start to read and I get tired, my mind wanders, I can't concentrate, I get fidgity. Mentally, it's usually quite stimulating, but phsyically, it's just taxing, and I often end up glancing constantly at the page numbers to see how much progress I've made.

 

[Vic Sixx]

I think 20 or 30 minutes a day is fine. That's about all the time I have to read also. Read whatever you can, then come back to it later whenever you can or get curious about it again.

 

[RookieBatman]

Kegek said:
But then, if you have difficulty reading, why write?

Why write? Because it's something that I'm passionate about. To put it in Trek cliche, me not writing would be like Jim Kirk not commanding a starship. And yet, that passion still hasn't been enough to make me force myself to endure a little discomfort (well, probably a couple hours worth a day, optimally--I guess that's not really a little) to study the great artists of my craft. Maybe I should just quit being so lazy and except that this is part of "paying my dues." I'd prefer it to be fun, because as you say, reading should be fun. But if I really want to write, maybe I just don't get that luxury.

 

[RookieBatman]

Vic Sixx said:
I think 20 or 30 minutes a day is fine. That's about all the time I have to read also. Read whatever you can, then come back to it later whenever you can or get curious about it again.

The problem is, I'm not a very fast reader. I'd probably get about twenty pages finished at that rate, and with some thicker books, it'd take a few weeks just to finish one book. It'd probably take me a whole year to finish the Three Musketeers series, at the exclusion of any other books.
And the thing is, to bring it back full circle, I don't want to give up my Trek Lit. If I read 20-30 minutes a day, that'd mean that I'd have to choose between a Trek and a non-Trek book. Given that choice, I'll always choose Trek at this point, but then we're back to the fact that doing so excludes a lot of other good (and great) works of fiction.

 

[captcalhoun]

dude, you got ADD or what?

i can't comprehend how anyone can sit there and read and then get bored!

i usually read in between doing other stuff and usually don't want to put a book down. getting bored of reading is an alien concept to me, like...Altairian mating rituals

 

[GreenBlood]

When compared to a visual story, the good thing about reading is that the writer clues you in to what's going on in the mind of the characters. So, reading is a necessity in order to get a feel for how authors do this.

An option, however, is books on tape or CD. With unabridged versions, you get everything reading a book gives you (and sometimes sound effects) without having to read page after page yourself.

 

[Kegek]

RookieBatman said:
And yet, that passion still hasn't been enough to make me force myself to endure a little discomfort (well, probably a couple hours worth a day, optimally--I guess that's not really a little) to study the great artists of my craft. Maybe I should just quit being so lazy and except that this is part of "paying my dues." I'd prefer it to be fun, because as you say, reading should be fun. But if I really want to write, maybe I just don't get that luxury.

If it makes you feel any better, James Hogg was a Scottish author who was virtually illiterate, at least by the standards of his highly erudite contemporaries. But his Confessions of a Justified Sinner is considered a classic.

I have to admit I find the writing/reading dichotomy to be odd, but then that's because I've always loved writing basically as an extension of loving reading. Maybe you aren't reading books that you find particularly engrossing? That can happen. One of the last books I gave a stab of reading was Mary Shelley's The Last Man, but I've put that on hold for a moment because the novel has all the flaws I felt were in her Frankenstein - especially shallow, bland caricatures defined by their adherence to English virtue and nobility. That novel was saved by the alternatingly tragic and revolting figure of the Monster, but The Last Man doesn't have a character even approaching that calibre. And thus, it's a difficult read.

 

[DanTheGrey]

I've found lately that the spirit and quality of Trek can be found within the books, and not so much in the TV/movie side of things. When I think of New Frontier and SCE stories I have memories that at least are as fond as some of my favourite episodes along with Federation which should have been made canon with First Contact.

 

[Trent Roman]

Reading shouldn't be a chore, unless you're doing it for class or for research for a writing project. If you've become tired with one of your passtimes, give it a break. I've never had that happen with reading, but sometimes I get sick of painting one particular thing and move on to another; or, I'll get sick of RPGs and switch over to strategy games for a month. After a while, I find you get over the over-familiarity that made you sick of the thing in the first place, then you start thinking about it idly, then you start getting excited about it once more.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Christopher]

RookieBatman said:

As for how to make reading fun again, I can't answer that, because I don't quite understand what you find difficult or uncomfortable about it.

Well, it's just physically tiring, mainly, and I get restless, sort of both at the same time.

I still don't understand how reading would be physically tiring for you, since it's a sedentary activity. Is it tiring to your eyes? In that case, you probably just need reading glasses, or a new prescription for your existing ones. If you have some more serious visual impairment, there are magnifying lenses designed to help people with poor vision read more easily.

 

[RookieBatman]

Christopher said:
I still don't understand how reading would be physically tiring for you, since it's a sedentary activity. Is it tiring to your eyes? In that case, you probably just need reading glasses, or a new prescription for your existing ones. If you have some more serious visual impairment, there are magnifying lenses designed to help people with poor vision read more easily.

Well, maybe it's more that reading is so relaxing, that I have to struggle to stay awake, and then that becomes physically taxing. Fact is, I'm tired all the time now, and so whenever I settle down and start reading, I get the urge to just close my eyes and take a nap.

captcalhoun said:
i usually read in between doing other stuff and usually don't want to put a book down. getting bored of reading is an alien concept to me, like...Altairian mating rituals

It's pretty foreign to me, too. Like I said, when I was younger, I was a voracious reader, but somewhere around high school or college, that just stopped. I really wish I knew why, because it's very annoying.

Kegek said:
Maybe you aren't reading books that you find particularly engrossing?

I'm not sure. I think that my problem is that aspects of the books are engrossing, but other aspects aren't. Like Twenty Years After has characters and circumstances that are almost always compelling, but it also has a whole lot of background info to the period (in parts, it's written as if it were an historical chronicle of actual events, so there's a lot of "reporting" mixed in with the swashbuckling). The political intrigue is interesting to me, so even these parts can be quite enjoyable sometimes, but they can also be quite dry, depending on my mood, I guess.
So the trouble, I think, is that parts of the book are, in fact, not particularly engrossing, but enough of the book is that I don't want to just give it up entirely and try another book. Even though I'm not reading that book at all right now, I know that if I just start into another book that's more fast-paced, it'll probably be years before I read this again, and I don't want that to be the case, so I'm not "putting this book down," but I'm not actually reading it either, which means I'm pretty much just not reading anything (besides Trek).

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

If you are indeed tired all the time, maybe there is physically something wrong with you if the cause is not work and stress. Maybe it is a good idea to visit a doctor.

Otherwise, try to get as comfortable as possible. I like stretching out on the couch or reading in bed. Maybe some background music helps, too. I like listening to music while reading. I select the kind of music that fits to the story I am expecting in the book. Music certainly enhances a movie or episode for me, it is the same with books.

I used to read much more, too. I also used to write more. I regret it sometimes that I can`t keep up. On the other hand, Star Trek is not the most important part of my life but I would never give up Star Trek books completely. Even if it is often just for half an hour in the evenings after my daughter is asleep and I did my round on the Internet, I enjoy it.

My daughter will start school in two weeks which gives me much more time for reading and also writing reviews. Maybe I will even dig out my SF novel again I started ages ago.

 

[Christopher]

RookieBatman said:
Well, maybe it's more that reading is so relaxing, that I have to struggle to stay awake, and then that becomes physically taxing. Fact is, I'm tired all the time now, and so whenever I settle down and start reading, I get the urge to just close my eyes and take a nap.

Then that sounds like an issue of general fitness or sleep deprivation that you need to address. Constant fatigue is something you should talk to your doctor about. Maybe you're just out of shape; I have similar symptoms sometimes when I haven't been exercising enough. That causes the metabolism to slow down and lethargy comes more easily.

 

[Csalem]

I read as long as I feel comfortable. Sometimes its five minutes, other times it could be an hour. It shouldn't feel like a chore if it's a hobby.
As for variety, I mix my reading. I read a lot of Trek but also Agatha Christie, Clive Cussler, Robert Harris, have started on Robert Ludlum and the Harry Potter books and I also read some history books for pleasure. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[Kegek]

RookieBatman said:
I'm not sure. I think that my problem is that aspects of the books are engrossing, but other aspects aren't. Like Twenty Years After has characters and circumstances that are almost always compelling, but it also has a whole lot of background info to the period (in parts, it's written as if it were an historical chronicle of actual events, so there's a lot of "reporting" mixed in with the swashbuckling). The political intrigue is interesting to me, so even these parts can be quite enjoyable sometimes, but they can also be quite dry, depending on my mood, I guess.
So the trouble, I think, is that parts of the book are, in fact, not particularly engrossing, but enough of the book is that I don't want to just give it up entirely and try another book. Even though I'm not reading that book at all right now, I know that if I just start into another book that's more fast-paced, it'll probably be years before I read this again, and I don't want that to be the case, so I'm not "putting this book down," but I'm not actually reading it either, which means I'm pretty much just not reading anything (besides Trek).

Hmm. Then maybe it is the books you're reading is the problem - that you're reading exclusively Star Trek literature. You can have too much of even a good thing, you know.

If you're looking for a science fiction political drama you wouldn't go wrong with Frank Herbert's Dune, in my view. I found it a thoroughly captivating read with many fascinating concepts, interesting characters and a labrynthine plot. The sequels are also pretty good, except for the last two, which have some interesting elements but also some weak ones.

I'm afraid I don't know any particularly fast-paced sci-fi novels off-hand, though. I guess I don't read a lot of books like that...

 

[Smiley]

If RookieBatman is looking for something that he can finish quickly and that will keep him awake, the Dune series would not be my first recommendation. It is one of the great works of the genre, but the writing is very dense and deliberate. I am in the middle of rereading the series myself in preparation for the final chronological novel, and there are some sections where I have to force myself to keep going.

 

[Kegek]

I wouldn't recommend the series, particularly the post-Frank Herbert work. Just the original novel. I guess in terms of lighter, quicker sci-fi... uh... I, Robot by Isaac Asimov? It's basically a series of intriguing puzzles based on his three laws of robotics.