Need recommendation re: anthologies

[Lee]

Inspired by Voyages of Imagination (great book!), I'm vacillating between buying either Constellations or Strange New Worlds I for my Kindle. (The subsequent SNW books all cost almost twice as much as the first one, so I'm limiting it to the first one.) If you had to buy one of those two books, which would it be? I like all of Trek but particularly TOS, so I'd tend to lean towards Constellations, however I see that that book has had some unenthusiastic reviews at Amazon.

 

[KRAD]

Fiction reviews on Amazon tend to be mostly useless, so I wouldn't go by that.

If you're a fan of TOS, I think you'll enjoy Constellations very much, as the anthology really captures the tone of the original series. Also, honestly, I'd recommend Constellations over SNW simply because SNW doesn't have Allyn Gibson's "Make-Believe," which is, quite simply, one of the best Star Trek stories ever written.

 

[Lee]

Thanks KRAD, I appreciate the feedback. It turns out this is no longer a dilemma for me. I can buy both! After posting, the mail came and it turns out I received two $25 Amazon/Visa credit card reward certificates. Whoopee! I suppose I should have not spent it all immediately, but I decided I've worked pretty hard over the last few months, so I deserve a reward. So I just blew all $50 at one go. And boy, it felt good!

If anyone's interested, here's what I bought. The Trek choices listed were all inspired by the aforementioned Voyages.

Constellations
SNW I
Rogue: Section 31 by Martin & Mangels
Crossroad by Barbara Hambly (I'm a fan of Hambly's novel Ishmael)
Mirror Universe I: Glass Empires

And two non-Trek books:
Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley
Novelties & Souvenirs by John Crowley (contains one of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi works, "Great Work of Time")

 

[William Leisner]

And two non-Trek books:
Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley

That's not a Trek book?


(Oh, come on, somebody had to say it....)

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

I've been on a Trek anthology kick lately, and Constellations and Distant Shores do a great job in capturing their respective series. "Make-Believe" really is one absolutely amazing story, period. Though I haven't finished Distant Shores yet (I'm halfway through), it is a solid piece of work, with "Command Code" and "Letting Go" being my personal favorites thus far.

 

[Thrawn]

And two non-Trek books:
Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley

That's not a Trek book?


(Oh, come on, somebody had to say it....)

Ok, I gotta admit, I actually burst out laughing. That doesn't happen to me often online.

 

[Ktrek]

I've said it before and I'll say it again....Of all the trek stories I have read (and that would be hundreds) MAKE BELIEVE is one of the very best stories ever! I could only wish that more Trek lit reached the depth of feeling and creativity that MAKE BELIEVE achieves. I am very seldom ever moved to tears by a story but MAKE BELIEVE caused a torrent!

Kevin

 

[Lee]

And two non-Trek books:
Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley

That's not a Trek book?


(Oh, come on, somebody had to say it....)

Ok, I gotta admit, I actually burst out laughing. That doesn't happen to me often online.

Me too. Very good!

I'm new to Trek short fiction, so I'm really looking forward to them.

 

[Lee]

I finished Constellations and I'm very glad that KRAD recommended it, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. "Make-Believe" was a great story but honestly, I enjoyed the others just as much.

I felt the stories did a great job in maintaining the tone of the original series, while at the same time opening themselves up to wider literary vistas and encompassing some more modern considerations and implications, due I'm sure to the skill of the authors and of Marco.

 

[Marco Palmieri]

^All the credit belongs with the authors.

 

[Mistral]

Lee,

You made a terrible mistake. You only bought the first MU book. Now you will have to work harder to get the $ for the next one. And God knows what you will have to do to get the 3rd....

 

[Lee]

^^ True! But then there's also Infinity's Prism and Echoes and Refractions. What a problem -- too many good things to read!