Name the first ST novel you read

[T'Ressa Dax]

I got Shell Game and Emissary together, not long after Deep Space 9 premiered, so early 1993. I happened to see them in the bookstore's new books display, and I recognized Kirk's crew from The Undiscovered Country, which was about all I knew of TOS at the time. I think I read Shell Game first because I thought I knew what would be in Emissary.
Still have both. I don't know if I really have a favorite series, but it's probably Titan.

 

[D Man]

I'm pretty sure mine was TOS Home is the Hunter, which I believe is #52. I couldn't have been much older than 8 or 9 because I barely remember it, so I'm not sure how I got my hands on it or if I really got what was going on in it. The first one I remember reading that I also still remember the plot to is definitely PAD's Q-Squared, and after that I think I jumped to The Return.

 

[William Leisner]

My mom actually read the YA books to me before I was able to read.

Get off my lawn.

 

[Rush Limborg]

My first? It would have to be Reunion, by Michael Jan Friedman.

 

[tmclough]

First round: My first ST novel, and the book that made me realize that there were ST novels out there, was a 1987 Christmas present: Encounter at Farpoint. When the two-hour episode was originally on the air, I got to watch it twice (7pm & 11pm, same day, same channel). When they replayed it in December as two, separate, one-hour shows, I got to watch the first half, twice again; but when the second half aired, campus was closed, and my parents didn't receive any channel that had it on the air.

So, after I started to read the novelization, I realized, Hey! This is the first episode in book form! So the first half of the book was very familiar--I could still picture many of the scenes and lines, because I had recently rewatched the first hour. However, during the second half I was totally lost. It had been too long since it had first broadcast for me to remember it.

Because of this intro to Trek lit, I thought that all ST novels were based on episodes. Because I had seen almost all of the TNG episodes when they originally aired, but wasn't sure if I had seen all of the TOS episodes yet, I only bought TNG novels back then. Yet, I could never recognize the episodes they were based on. I figured that that was probably because they weren't fresh on my mind. It wasn't until many years later that I realized that Encounter at Farpoint was the exception and not the rule.

Second (current) round: My first novel after getting back into ST and ST lit was Spock's World, which I hope to reread again some day soon. Around the time I read it the first time, I had read something online (possibly at TrekBBS, possibly not) that Diane Duane had been told to not make it consistent with previous novels. In part because of this, I thought, as I read it, that she was making all sorts of things up about Vulcans, such as how they are really highly emotional, and have to learn how to control their emotions. Having watched a lot of other sources, I realize now that much of those "illogical" statements were really canon "facts". Also, some of the charcters in the novel I'm now more familiar with, such as Sarek and Amanda, for instance. By rereading it, I hope to gain a new appreciation for it that was missing the first time through.

 

[Sci]

My mom actually read the YA books to me before I was able to read.

Get off my lawn.

I wasn't considering the YA books when I posted my first response, but, now that I think about it, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Starfleet Academy #1: Worf's First Adventure by Peter David was actually the very first non-picture-book I ever read, when I was about 8 or 9.

 

[Steve Roby]

Damn, you kids all make me feel old.

Like Ian, my first Star Trek novel was Mack Reynolds's Mission to Horatius. (Yes, it counts. It was a novel, it was officially licensed, and it was by a then-popular and well-respected science fiction writer.) Would have been 1971-72. The next Trek book was Blish's Star Trek 3, in 1973 or so, and Spock Must Die was my first Bantam novel, not much later.

Death's Angel - Sometime back in the mid 70's.

Hell, I'm old enough to know that's not possible, because Death's Angel came out in 1981. I was 18 at the time.

 

[Dayton Ward]

I've got scars older than some of the people wandering around here.

 

[Rush Limborg]

^Allow me to make you feel even older:

I was born between the two parts of "Best Of Both Worlds", first run. How's that for younger than your scars?

 

[Steve Roby]

It does explain a lot.

 

[Sci]

^Allow me to make you feel even older:

I was born between the two parts of "Best Of Both Worlds", first run. How's that for younger than your scars?

You're only 20?

Sheesh! Now I feel old!

 

[Rush Limborg]

^Ah...it's not quite the 20th anniversery of the interim yet....

 

[Sci]

I'm joining William Leisner: Get off my lawn!

 

[OverlordSpock]

The first Star Trek novel I ever read was Uhura's Song. I know that there are those who don't like the novel, for various reasons, but it always holds a special place for me as the book that got me into TrekLit.

I still have that first copy of the book. It has been read dozens of times and is very well worn.

 

[seigezunt]

Star Trek 8, by James Blish, when it first came out.

Full novel? Spock Messiah, ditto.

 

[Red Ranger]

Reading through a few of the posts, it jogged my memory of my actual first ST novel. I think it was one of those early YA books. As I recall, it had illustrations, and one of the stories dealt with a Native American planet. One of the youths wants to go to Enterprise, so I recalled an illustration of Kirk with his young charge, both wearing wraparound v-necks.

The other story had to do with chasing a rat through the ship who had a rare form of botulism, but the rat kept evading them. That's all I can recall.

After that, Spock Must Die was the next ST novel I read, followed by Spock: Messiah, which was intriguing.

 

[Nardpuncher]

^Allow me to make you feel even older:

I was born between the two parts of "Best Of Both Worlds", first run. How's that for younger than your scars?

So how excited were you for the conclusion of that cliffhanger?

 

[TheAlmanac]

Memory Prime, because my junior high's library had a copy of it.

The first Star Trek novel I ever owned (and still own) was Timetrap. It's one of those post-TMP-set novels that doesn't get talked about much now, although its conceit really only worked best at the time it was published.

 

[SRFX]

First book for me was the All Good Things... novelisation. I actually read it before I watched the episode, so I was disappointed when things were missing from the episode.

 

[Mike Farley]

My first Trek book would be The Monsters of Star Trek ordered from one of those elementary school book order forms.

First actual novel: the TWOK adaptation.