One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Frontier

[JD]

I was looking around on Tor.com a couple minutes ago, and I stumbled across a review for Diane Carey's Trek novel The Final Frontier. Why they are putting up a review for a 24 year old Star Trek no, I have no idea. But I thought you guys/girls on here might be interested in this. They are definitely not a fan of the book.

 

[ronny]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

More like not a fan of Ayn Rand. And I too was wondering about why the review in the first place. But a good Rand rant always works for me.

 

[rfmcdpei]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I was looking around on Tor.com a couple minutes ago, and I stumbled across a review for Diane Carey's Trek novel The Final Frontier. Why they are putting up a review for a 24 year old Star Trek no, I have no idea. But I thought you guys/girls on here might be interested in this. They are definitely not a fan of the book.

I've never been a fan of her writing. The books have always been so, well, they've felt distorted, as if real people don't act the way her characters do.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I've actually liked her Trek books, with the exception of Ghost Ship. Final Frontier struck me as quite an enjoyable read, along with its loose sequal, Best Destiny--the quintissential "young Kirk" book.

And of course, in Dreadnought Ms. Carey established the much-deserved fate of the insubordinate Mr. Boma--busted out of the fleet. Piper was quite likeable, too.

So...to be frank, I see her as severely underrated by today's TrekLit audience--though, again, I'll be the first to admit that her attempts to write for TNG (Ghost Ship, and possibly Ship of the Line) weren't her best....

 

[F. King Daniel]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Final Frontier is one of my all-time favourite Trek novels. I couldn't give a shit about Carey's political leanings, I just loved the characters, story and atmosphere.

I've enjoyed most of Carey's novels. The much-maligned Red Sector is another high-ranking favourite of mine. The only one of hers I hated was The Great Starship Race, which bored me half to death.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I actually kinda liked Starship Race--but then, I've been partial to NASCAR for years.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Does anybody do book reviews in a podcast form?

I just discovered some people doing that for comics.


http://www.stcomicbookreview.com/podcasts/

I've never been a fan of her writing. The books have always been so, well, they've felt distorted, as if real people don't act the way her characters do.

Despite agreeing with Rand on a lot of things i never liked her books.

 

[timothy]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I enjoyed final frontier thougjt it was better than best destiny.

 

[tomswift2002]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I read "Final Frontier" about 6 years ago and I found that it offered an interesting beginning too the Enterprise's life.

As for the reason why Tor was reviewing this book, maybe it's because Abrams and company have said that this was one of the books that they used too get background on Kirk's family for the 2009 movie.

 

[Daddy Todd]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer has done a number of reviews of classic Star Trek novels for Tor.com. She's apparently re-reading and reviewing Trek novels initially read during her personal "golden age" (aka, middle school).

I'm enjoying her viewpoint, and will try and remember to go back and read future reviews, which she's been doing irregularly since early 2012 (she's done 9 since March.)

 

[DEWLine]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Have to admit that for all her political tics, she does have her moments. And I'd love to have The Great Starship Race adapted to live-action somehow.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

From the Ishmael review:

Barbara Hambly’s 1985 novel, Ishmael, is a study in contrasts. It’s deeply weird, and deeply serious.

Her SW books are like that too.

 

[Thrawn]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Indeed.

 

[TheAlmanac]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

It seems like she's been going through the more well-known of the novels from the Seventies and Eighties for the site...

I remember liking Final Frontier when I first read it, but that was a long time ago, and Carey's politics didn't stick out for me at the time (though her fixation on sailing did). This really harsh review makes me think I might also be a lot less kind if I went back to it now.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

FWIW, I don't recall her politics "sticking out" in her books, either--and I'm frankly on her side of the aisle!

I'm of the impression, to be frank, that this reviewer is, conciously or subconciously, working her own political slant/biases into the review, thereby blowing whatever she might be seeing, that might be indicative of a certain worldview (and indeed, if an artist's creation did not come from their authentic "sense of life", if you will--said work woudn't be authentic)--out of proportion.

 

[Stevil2001]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

From the Ishmael review:

Barbara Hambly’s 1985 novel, Ishmael, is a study in contrasts. It’s deeply weird, and deeply serious.

Her SW books are like that too.

That's what I like about Hambly! Ghost-Walker takes what could be goofy (a disembodied Kirk) and treats it with utter seriousness.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I just the Vonda McIntyre’s Enterprise: The First Adventure review.

Does she do a lot of weird stuff in Trek too? I mean the Crystal star was one of the weirdest things by SW standards.

Crispin did a great Han Trilogy on the other hand.

 

[bbailey861]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

Have to admit that for all her political tics, she does have her moments. And I'd love to have The Great Starship Race adapted to live-action somehow.

Yup, this was a very good book and would loved to have seen this as a film. Can't believe it's almost 20 years old.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

I just the Vonda McIntyre’s Enterprise: The First Adventure review.

Does she do a lot of weird stuff in Trek too? I mean the Crystal star was one of the weirdest things by SW standards.

Crispin did a great Han Trilogy on the other hand.

E: TFA had genetically-engineered pegasus getting to fly for the first time and Spock's cousin Stephen, an emotional Vulcan juggler, as the Enterprise ferried a carnival between Starbases. Oh, and Spock mind-melds with a big bird and ends up thinking he's one too. Weird enough?

 

[Rush Limborg]

Re: One of Tor.com's writers did a review of Diane Carey's Final Front

^Her story arc for Janice Rand was absolutely first-rate, though, In My Admittedly Not So Humble Opinion....