old Trek novels - opinions appreciated...

[RonG]

As more and more Trek novels are accumulated through the years, space becomes an issue ( ), and as I was making room for new(er) novels on my shelves (thank you, Titan ), I came across many older novels.

As I thought it would be fun to reminisce together , I wanted to get your opinions on several of them (organized by series, just for us anal retentive folk ):

TOS
Yesterday's Son
Time for Yesterday
Invasion! #1 - First Strike
Memory Prime
Timetrap
Shadows on the Sun
Enterprise: The First Adventure
Final Frontier
Best Destiny

TNG
Ghost Ship
The Devil's Heart
Metamorphosis
Invasion! #2 - The Soldiers of Fear
Crossover
Foreign Foes
Chains of Command

DS9
Betrayal
Invasion! #3 - Time's Enemy

VGR
Echoes
Invasion! #4 - The Final Fury

Comments?

 

[LightningStorm]

RonG said:
TOS
Invasion! #1 - First Strike

TNG
Invasion! #2 - The Soldiers of Fear

DS9
Invasion! #3 - Time's Enemy

VGR
Echoes
Invasion! #4 - The Final Fury

Invasion Series: I only read the TOS one because I got the whole set on ebay, I didn't expect to like it, but I did, very much in fact. The TNG one was (and still is) the 2nd worst Trek book I've ever read - HORRIBLE. DS9's was excellent and the best of the four IMO. VOY's was quite good to me, although I could totally see how a lot of people might not have liked it. The only gripe I had is that the characters were a bit out of character and Harry Kim was in the wrong role altogether. I didn't check the pub date with the series but I chalked it up to perhaps having been written before the series was up and running so he might not have had much if anything to go on. One interesting thing though is that it (however coincidental) had Harry in the role of security (like the VOY-R has promoted him into). Oh and the Voyager one has a decent tie-in to the TNG one, but even that couldn't redeem the terrible Soldiers of Fear.

Echoes: Still one of my top 5 books, This was actually the very first Star Trek book I ever read and it is what got me to reading Trek books (hell, books of any kind) on a regular basis. And after all this time its greatness still hasn't been pushed off of the top of my list.

 

[Therin of Andor]

RonG said:
Yesterday's Son
Time for Yesterday

Brilliant, both of 'em. The first one didn't need a sequel, but the sequel was satisfying anyway.

Memory Prime
Loved it! I was thrilled when they gave us more in the gripping "Prime Direction", "Federation" and (w/Shatner) "The Ashes of Eden".

Timetrap
Very disappointing. Maybe it came out just a few months too early. It sounded like Kirk had ended up in the near-TNG time frame, but it seemed all wrong and (to me) gave away a big secret. And I was right (and I never guess whodunnits).

Shadows on the Sun
I did enjoy it, and it set up some nice factoids about McCoy's ex-wife that have returned in other novels.

Enterprise: The First Adventure
Very disappointing. If Vonda had admitted to having had it ghost written, I'd have believed it. I know she had some trouble getting the ST IV novelization through the approvals stage, but E:TFA doesn't have the charm of "The Entropy Effect" or the novelizations of ST II and III. I was also cranky that E:TFA, written at the same time as the excellent DC Comics' "All Those Years Ago" Annual #1, was not able to have any consultation with each other, even though DC and Pocket editors had done several thinktanks on earlier (and later) projects. Having said all that, the audio is a bare bones version, but still a fresh approach on a ST first contact story.

Final Frontier
Superb! I hung on every word, and I felt that Diane Carey captured Robert and Sarah April perfectly.

Best Destiny
I remember enjoying it at the time, but I know it's hated by many, which deeply puzzled me at first.

Ghost Ship
A great first effort for TNG fiction, despite the conditions under which it was written.

The Devil's Heart
It's quite epic in scope, but it didn't thrill me the way all the previous "giant" MMPB and hardcovers had until then.

Metamorphosis
Fantastic, but I'm a Data fan. I was devastated to learn that Lieutenant Thralen, the Theskian with blue skin, antennae and yellow fur-like hair, was originally written as an Andorian. Jean Lorrah was requested by the then-Star Trek Office at Paramount to make the change, since there were "no Andorians among the Enterprise-D crew". She was seemingly paying homage to some Andorian speculations (eg. references to Thralen's "the Great Mother" deity) from the old zine article, A Summary of the Physiological Roots of Andorian Culture (1976) by pro fan Leslie Fish, a friend from her fanfic days.

 

[trampledamage]

Final Frontier and Memory Prime are two of my favourite Trek novels of all time. Whenever I go back to the bookshelves to re-read Trek, it's those I pick out first.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Yesterday's Son & Time for Yesterday are excellent. I was skeptical when i first read the cover blurb for YS, but was completely blown away by it and the sequel.

Enterprise: The First Adventure - I remember enjoying this well enough when it came out, but it hasn't aged well at all.

Final Frontier & Best Destiny - Two of my favorites. Carey does a great job of introducing an utilizing what amounts to an entirely new crew. BD isn't up to the level of FF, but is still a great book. I enjoyed the look at young Kirk & welcome any chance to revisit Carey's Robert April and George Kirk.

 

[Therin of Andor]

EliyahuQeoni said:
Enterprise: The First Adventure - I remember enjoying this well enough when it came out, but it hasn't aged well at all.

It's quite a beautiful first contact story. I actually prefer the 90 min audio adaptation to the full novel. Maybe because it de-emphasises some of the set-ups that annoyed me.

As much as I like Janice Rand, I felt that Vonda got her backstory all wrong in the novel.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Therin of Andor said:

It's quite a beautiful first contact story. [/quote

I agree. The first contact scenario is the strongest aspect of the novel. I also thought she did very well at creating a new alien species whose outlook on the universe was totally different than what we're used to. Personally, where the novel lets me down is in the characterization of the crew, which I think was always a weak point in her novels. I always loved the novelizations of the movies that she did, but the characters often seemed like alternate universe versions of the characters seen on screen.

 

[Therin of Andor]

EliyahuQeoni said:
I think was always a weak point in her novels. I always loved the novelizations of the movies that she did, but the characters often seemed like alternate universe versions of the characters seen on screen.

Well, that only leaves "The Entropy Effect" and I must disagree! I thought she did a great job re characters in that novel. And I came to care for her original characters, in that, as much as the regulars.

Mind you, I read it when it first came out, and really only had Bantam ST novels and "Mission to Horatius" to compare it to.

I also felt she did a spot-on extrapolation on Saavik in the bonus stuff of STs II and III.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

You know, I haven't read the Entropy Effect in ages, but I don't seem to recall having a problem with the characterizations it in. I do remember enjoying it quite a bit. But I also enjoyed her film novelizations (and reread them several times) despite having issues with how some of the characters were portrayed. While I'm not sure it always came across well, I did like that she tried to expand on what was seen on screen & tried to give Kirk and the rest a little more depth.

 

[TheAlmanac]

RonG said:
As more and more Trek novels are accumulated through the years, space becomes an issue ( ), and as I was making room for new(er) novels on my shelves (thank you, Titan), I came across many older novels.

As I thought it would be fun to reminisce together , I wanted to get your opinions on several of them (organized by series, just for us anal retentive folk ):

Sure, I'll give this a shot...

Yesterday's Son
Time for Yesterday

I remember liking these when I first read them, especially since I like stories which incorporate the Guardian of Forever. I didn't know how I'd feel about creating a son for Spock this way (even one in the distant past), but I ended up feeling okay with it.

Memory Prime

One of my early favourites, which led to me following the Reeves-Stevens trajectory through Trek. I'm glad they got to contribute so much to the franchise, but I wish there'd been a more direct follow-up to this novel--some of the implications in it were profound.

Timetrap

The first Trek novel I ever bought, oddly enough. I kind of know where Therin is coming from here, but I think the author was trying to misdirect the audience by taking advantage of TNG's (then-)recent premiere.

Shadows on the Sun

I remember liking it, perhaps mainly because I was really into stories around the timeframe of Star Trek VI during that period. In retrospect, I think it would be a pain to try and timeline all of them together. I'm not sure what "factoids about McCoy's ex-wife" from here were mentioned in other novels...

Enterprise: The First Adventure

Interestingly, I also remember this audio adaptation better, and more fondly, than the actual novel. I don't know what approval issues Vonda McIntyre had with the ST IV novelisation, or how that might've impacted this novel. I remember trying to "smooth over" the incompatibilities between this book and the DC Annual by conjecturing a significant period for Kirk's captaincy before the FYM.

Final Frontier

Another "lost era" that isn't The Lost Era is Captain April's heyday, so I liked exploring that (the same way I like seeing stories from Pike's era). I don't remember many details, though I recall being annoyed at the workaround required to involve Romulans in the plot.

Best Destiny

The main memory I have of this book is that my copy of it was the focal point of someone else's temper tantrum, which had nothing to do with Star Trek. It was also around this time that I became really annoyed with Diane Carey's tendency to shoehorn references to sailing into every one of her novels.

Ghost Ship

Having said that, I liked this book. I still think of the Bill vs. Will discussion as "the" explanation for why Troi calls Riker "Bill" at first. IIRC, the real-life collapse of the Soviet Union made part of the setup for this novel impossible.

The Devil's Heart

I didn't get much of a thrill out of this one, either, though I liked the references to the ancient history of various Trek races, and seeing a Vulcan call Picard a "young man." Isn't there a connection to the Guardian in this one, too?

Metamorphosis

I remember liking this, but not that much else. It seems strange to learn that an Andorian was excised from this novel--didn't The Eyes of the Beholders by A.C. Crispin, later that same year, include an Andorian aboard the E-D anyway?

 

[Christopher]

TheAlmanac said:
Metamorphosis

I remember liking this, but not that much else. It seems strange to learn that an Andorian was excised from this novel--didn't The Eyes of the Beholders by A.C. Crispin, later that same year, include an Andorian aboard the E-D anyway?

Yes, but she was a civilian child and maybe a recent passenger, not a member of the crew.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Christopher said:
but she was a civilian child and maybe a recent passenger, not a member of the crew.

Yep!

TheAlmanac, Crispin's novel hit exactly the same problem as "Metamorphosis"! She created a whole alien aspect to Andorian religion, only to be told in a Star Trek Office memo,

"Paramount has developed no such culture or religion for the Andorians. Please delete all references to the Andorian culture or religion."

Little blind Thala was allowed to stay in the novel's manuscript by the author making her father, Thev, a visiting civilian diplomat passenger - who just happened to be one of the hapless people standing in that slice of starship the Borg excised in "Q Who"!

 

[Holytomato]

"It's quite a beautiful first contact story. I actually prefer the 90 min audio adaptation to the full novel. Maybe because it de-emphasises some of the set-ups that annoyed me."

My friend told me the audio turned the book into the Kirk and Spock Story tm.

The whole point of the book is that you had Bones, Nyota, Pavel, Hikaru, Scotty, Janice, etc.

It's not called, Kirk and Spock: The First Adventure.

"As much as I like Janice Rand, I felt that Vonda got her backstory all wrong in the novel."

See above.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Holytomato said:
My friend told me the audio turned the book into the Kirk and Spock Story tm.

Well, I've heard the audio many times. The problem for the first three "giant" novels turned into audios was that they were blazing new trails - and had to have the same 90 minutes-length script as the regular ST MMPBs that became audios.

By trimming the background material for the rest of the characters, Vonda McIntyre (she, herself, abridged the book, not George Truett) was able to give better focus on the first contact story which, in the book, was rather overshadowed by Spock's laughing blond cousin named Steven, Janice Rand's weirdly warp-speed affected age, the wacky circus troupe, and Kirk stressing over an old incident with Gary Mitchell.

The whole point of the book is that you had Bones, Nyota, Pavel, Hikaru, Scotty, Janice, etc.

No, the point of the book is the first mission of the Enterprise under James T Kirk. The audio couldn't do it all. Doesn't mean the audio is a bad script.

Later long novels, starting with "Spock's World", were able to go to 180 minutes scripts.

It's not called, Kirk and Spock: The First Adventure.

So don't listen to the audio.

I've heard it and it's good. Your friend heard it and didn't like it. I'm not expecting you to change your mind, but you can't really judge until you have heard it.

 

[Christopher]

Therin of Andor said:
... Janice Rand's weirdly warp-speed affected age...

Wasn't it actually the result of the lack of warp speed? She was relativistically time-dilated for a few years so that her biological age was lower than her calendar age? That's not weird -- it's actually a lot more normal (from a real-physics perspective) than warp drive. And it's a touch of real science that's rarely acknowledged in the Trekverse.

The problem with Rand's alleged age in E:TFA was that it would've required Janice to be only 18 at most during the first season of TOS. There's no way she was anywhere near that young.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Christopher said:
The problem with Rand's alleged age in E:TFA was that it would've required Janice to be only 18 at most during the first season of TOS. There's no way she was anywhere near that young.

Yep. I liked the use of some time-dilation theory, but maybe Janice was the wrong character to do it with?

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Spock's laughing blond cousin named Steven

ugh.. I had forgotten about him (or suppressed the memory). That was definitely not a high point in the book.

 

[TheAlmanac]

Therin of Andor said:
TheAlmanac, Crispin's novel hit exactly the same problem as "Metamorphosis"! She created a whole alien aspect to Andorian religion, only to be told in a Star Trek Office memo,

"Paramount has developed no such culture or religion for the Andorians. Please delete all references to the Andorian culture or religion."

Little blind Thala was allowed to stay in the novel's manuscript by the author making her father, Thev, a visiting civilian diplomat passenger - who just happened to be one of the hapless people standing in that slice of starship the Borg excised in "Q Who"!

I remembered the "Q Who" connection, but couldn't recall whether her father was supposed to be a crewmember or not--and I don't own a copy of this novel to be able to check this myself.

Oh, those arbitrary restrictions of yore...

 

[Broccoli]

Final Frontier

Loved it as I am a fan of the Capt. April myth.

Best Destiny

Was looking forward to it when I discovered it was a sequel and would involve a young Kirk. Read it. Was disappointed by it. I still liked it, but the story wasn't epic enough. At least not when compared to Final Frontier. And I thought the ending was stretching credibility a bit. I guess I would have preferred if the entire book was a flashback, with only a smaller plot for the bookends (like Final Frontier).