Opinions on the Following McCoy Centered Books

[tomswift2002]

You should also check out Aftershock and Cadet Kirk, books 2 & 3 of the Academy trilogy from the 90's. Book 1 is solely about Spock, but then 2 (Aftershock) introduces McCoy and we see just how McCoy and Spock react without Kirk in the mix (although Kirk is still the catalyst for the plot of the story, but it's in a very brief cameo). Kirk doesn't play an important factor til book 3, at which point you can see the mix coming into place between the three characters.

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Aftershock

 

[Kinokima]

You should also check out Aftershock and Cadet Kirk, books 2 & 3 of the Academy trilogy from the 90's. Book 1 is solely about Spock, but then 2 (Aftershock) introduces McCoy and we see just how McCoy and Spock react without Kirk in the mix (although Kirk is still the catalyst for the plot of the story, but it's in a very brief cameo). Kirk doesn't play an important factor til book 3, at which point you can see the mix coming into place between the three characters.

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Aftershock

Thanks for the rec. I actually have them both on my possible to read list but it is good to hear positive feedback on them.

I kind of wish they were available on the kindle though.

 

[tomswift2002]

I kind of wish they were available on the kindle though.

I know that Simon & Schuster is working backwards from the last releases in 2005 and 2003, respectively, with the Original Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mystery stories that they had published (I see there up to #136 in the Hardy Boys which originally came out in 1996, plus they've released the first Clues Brothers book in e-book form, and that was from 1997), so maybe they'll reissue the Starfleet Academy/DS9 books soon in e-book form.

 

[OverlordSpock]

I liked all 4 of the choices, but I had to go with Dreams of the Raven as my favorite in the poll. If I had to pick my all-time favorite McCoy novel, though, I'd have to go with Provenance of Shadows.

This. Very much this.

I hate the Crucible series.

Really? You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but you would be one of the very few, I think. Why didn't you like it?

 

[Use of Time]

I loved Shadows of the Sun. All good books though.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'm put off "Doctor's Orders" by one review that said that Spock should have taken over at the first sign of trouble. I can't get over that.

I'd trust Diane Duane over a random reviewer any day.

I hate the Crucible series.

Can't agree with you there. The McCoy and Spock novels are must-reads.

 

[Stoek]

Although technically not McCoy centered I would also reccomend Spock's World as it gives McCoy some of his finest moments especially when he gives an impassioned speech which elicits a surprising response from a Vulcan science officer of his acquaintance.

 

[Kinokima]

^Although I had some issues with Doctor's Orders, it was still an enjoyable read overall. I have now read 4 of Diane's books (more than any other author so far) and have one more of her books on my kindle. So yeah I at least enjoy Duane's view of Star Trek and the characters.

I also have also already read McCoy Provenance of Shadow. Again I definitely enjoyed reading the book a lot but the ultimate conclusion of both McCoy's stories was a bit disappointing for me.


edit: And Spock's World is the Diane Duane book I have not read yet but have on my kindle so that will be a definite read for me.

I have read the above mentioned Doctor's Orders, Wounded Sky, My Enemy My Ally, and The Romulan Way already.

The two books on the Romulans were my favorites of hers so far. Wounded Sky took a long time for me to get into but there were some passages in that book that were so lovely I don't regret reading it all.

 

[tomswift2002]

I haven't read it yet, aside from the cover blurb, but didn't Crossover have McCoy hijacking a starship?

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ McCoy was in it, but IIRC, Scotty was the one doing the hijacking.

 

[Commishsleer]

I liked all 4 of the choices, but I had to go with Dreams of the Raven as my favorite in the poll. If I had to pick my all-time favorite McCoy novel, though, I'd have to go with Provenance of Shadows.

This. Very much this.

I hate the Crucible series.

Really? You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but you would be one of the very few, I think. Why didn't you like it?

I don't want to spoil them for anyone who hasn't read them.

And I've become aware that authors post here (finally). Still I've already said it.
I'll just say I think they are probably well-written and give great detail. I just don't like the general overall theme of all 3 books.
My opinion is that the characters particularly Kirk don't act as I expect them to. I think of it as a sort of an AU. Can't say more without giving it away.

Obviously other people think differently.

They are my 3rd most hated Star Trek novels (how pathetic to have a hated Star Trek book list )

 

[Kinokima]

I haven't read it yet, aside from the cover blurb, but didn't Crossover have McCoy hijacking a starship?

Thanks for the rec, it is one that I was not familiar with so I have added it to my possible to read list.

However reviews for it are mixed as well with a lot of reviewers saying they don't like how McCoy is written so that makes me a bit hesitant.

 

[Stoek]

I liked all 4 of the choices, but I had to go with Dreams of the Raven as my favorite in the poll. If I had to pick my all-time favorite McCoy novel, though, I'd have to go with Provenance of Shadows.

This. Very much this.

I hate the Crucible series.

Really? You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but you would be one of the very few, I think. Why didn't you like it?

I don't want to spoil them for anyone who hasn't read them.

And I've become aware that authors post here (finally). Still I've already said it.
I'll just say I think they are probably well-written and give great detail. I just don't like the general overall theme of all 3 books.
My opinion is that the characters particularly Kirk don't act as I expect them to. I think of it as a sort of an AU. Can't say more without giving it away.

Obviously other people think differently.

They are my 3rd most hated Star Trek novels (how pathetic to have a hated Star Trek book list )

I will confess that I am not precisely a fan of the Crucible series either. It's an interesting idea, and I did enjoy the McCoy entry. But I found them overall to be much darker than I cared for. I personally did not agree with the authors choices in the Spock entry (While not an invalid choice I personally feel that Kolinahr is something he long since put in his past). For the Kirk entry well frankly I chose not to even read it in part because of it's rather slim page count (especially compared to the others).

Frankly while it was an interesting idea I for one am exceptionally glad that they are a continuity unto themselves and therefore don't have to be considered in the novelverse continuity that predominates these days.

 

[Scout101]

Trek fiction is best enjoyed in general if you don't try to twist yourself into working it all into a single continuity. Can't be done, and trying to do so ruins the fun anyway. Hell, just the numbered TOS books would have taken about 100 years, give or take, to complete, and they only had 5, so instead of forcing it, just enjoy the stories.

The newer TNG/DS9/VOY era books work pretty tightly, but i'd bet you could even find issues there, and definitely don't always work with the old stuff.

It's ok, just have fun with the chracters. Continuity and canon just take the fun out of it

 

[Kinokima]

I have only read the McCoy part of the Crucible series. And like I said I did enjoy it overall, it had a lot of really great moments.

But I think the ultimate conclusion for both McCoy's was really disappointing. McCoy's "problem" didn't match with my own feelings for the character. Of course that is not the author's fault. After all McCoy is in many ways a blank slate that different interpretations of his character are entirely possible.

But let's just say I was hoping for something more with the book. However that is really only the ending. There to me is still a lot of great stuff in the book.

Now I can't speak for Spock and Kirk since I have not read those yet.

 

[DorkBoy [TM]]

The first two Crucible books were great.

But, it felt like the author was building toward some deep revelation about Kirk's character in the third novel. What was really going on inside his head as he stepped off the transporter platform after Edith's death? How did her death affect him so deeply, and why?

However, as DRG3 said in the intro to book 3: "I can't write that book" or something to that effect. Instead, it was a very surface level adventure story, very short, very little character insight. (Character insight is what had made the first two great.) On the whole, the trilogy is worth reading, at least for the first two entires.

But I felt like the third book punted on the whole premise of the series.

 

[JWolf]

My solution is to dump the poll. It's worthless anyway. Just read all four and enjoy them.

 

[Timewalker]

Wow! It's really hard to pick a favorite I also Like Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane and the Crucible Novel about McCoy is also really good.I really like A choice of Catastrophies & Dreams of the ravens. Also there's another McCoy novel about McCoy and his daughter Joanna Crisis on Centaurus.by Brad Ferguson

All I remember about Crisis on Centaurus is that everybody keeps putting on and taking off their sunglasses (seriously).

One of my favorite McCoy-centric novels is The Romulan Way by Diane Duane. McCoy is sent to make contact with an undercover agent feared to have "gone native". It's a very good adventure story.

I loved the Crucible novel about McCoy. It's by far the best of the three.

Although technically not McCoy centered I would also reccomend Spock's World as it gives McCoy some of his finest moments especially when he gives an impassioned speech which elicits a surprising response from a Vulcan science officer of his acquaintance.

Absolutely! This is one of my favorite Star Trek books, ever. And the speech referred to gave me insights that apply to RL politics going on in Canada - if you try to break up a political/cultural entity, who profits?

Heck, just read all of Diane Duane's books. She couldn't write a bad Star Trek novel if she tried.

 

[Kinokima]

My solution is to dump the poll. It's worthless anyway. Just read all four and enjoy them.

But it wasn't worthless for me. Just because people say they like all 4 the fact that there are clearly two books ahead of the others says a lot to me.

And besides the fact people can still vote for one but share their feelings for all 4 in the comments.

 

[jpv2000]

Heck, just read all of Diane Duane's books. She couldn't write a bad Star Trek novel if she tried.

Got to agree with that. She is great.