Orci & Kurtzman pick favorite Trek novels

[Christopher]

Blowing my own horn a bit:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/her...creenwriters-pick-their-fave-trek-novels.html

The LA Times asked Star Trek (2009) screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to name their favorite ST novels. They sent back a list of four:

"Best Destiny" by Diane Carey (Pocket Books, 1993). "A beautiful imagining of Kirk's childhood and how it shaped him to love the stars."

"Spock's World" by Diane Duane (Pocket Books, 1988). "If Mr. Spock is your favorite character, this is a must read. The relationship he forges with Dr. McCoy finally gets the nuanced treatment it deserves."

"Prime Directive" by Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens (Pocket Books, 1990). "One of the best incarnations of the original bridge crew, with every character given equal consideration and full development, against the backdrop of a real-deal science fiction story."

"Ex Machina" by Christopher L. Bennett (Pocket Books, 2004) "A great example of how a 'Trek' novel can fit within 'canon' while existing between the movies we love."

I am flattered and utterly gobsmacked to get a callout from the Trek Supreme Court itself, and to be included on the list along with such classic novels.

 

[LightningStorm]

Very nice. Congratulations.

So..... "Do I need to read these four books to understand the movie?"

 

[Dayton Ward]

I see Christopher's bribe money made it, and mine didn't. Nerts.

 

[Christopher]

Very nice. Congratulations.

So..... "Do I need to read these four books to understand the movie?"

You can skip the first three, but everyone who wants to see the movie absolutely must buy Ex Machina first or they won't understand a second of it. Go out and spread the word.

 

[rafterman1701]

Regardless of how the movie turns out, I'm glad they don't have automatic disdain for printed Trek. Excellent. Ex Machina is a great choice. They have good taste.

 

[OmahaStar]

Well, this lowers my excitement for the movie.

1 - Diane Carey can't write Trek. That's just my opinion. She seems to think the ships in space are the same ones that float along in the ocean, and can't separate them. Plus, she's just a bad writer.

2 - Spock's World. It took me a year to get through it. Granted, I was a kid when I read it, but damn it was just so awful. I've enjoyed other things the author has written, but that just wasn't one.

3 - Prime Directive ... Ok, that one I do remember enjoying. It was Gar and Judy back before their collaboration with Shatner, when they were just telling fun, enjoyable stories.

4 - Yeah. Right.

So ... one good book out of their top four? With all the great books that are out there? That's really sad. No love for Strangers From the Sky or Time For Yesterday?

 

[Thrawn]

That's fantastic, Christopher, and well deserved.

And I'm adding the other three to my list; haven't read any of them, actually.

 

[Paris]

Congrats Christopher . It's great that the guys who are guiding/writing the franchise have an appreciation for the trek-lit. There are so many ideas there to mine. I like how they said that Ex Machina is a good example of a story that works with canon and fits in between the movies. This sounds intriguing...I wonder what their future trek plans are and if they will fit it into their "new continuity" all the while keeping it consistent with the original continuity ?

 

[neogothboy74]

Congrats Christopher!

I've not read "Ex Machina" myself, but I've heard good things about it in the past, and friends have actually recommended it to me; it's just one of of those books that I've never gotten around to - but there's always been a positive buzz about it.

 

[Steve Roby]

That's not a bad list at all. Best Destiny isn't one of my favourite books, but as Carey's books go, I didn't find it that bad. It's also obviously relevant to the new movie. As for the other three, those are all really good picks.

 

[Christopher]

I think if there's one unifying thread between those four novels, it's their focus on the characters, their backgrounds, and their relationships. And that's what this movie is basically about: exploring the origins of these characters, where they came from, and how their relationships formed.

 

[Rat Boy]

Am I a bad person for not reading Spock's World yet (Best Destiny and Prime Directive were one of the first Trek novels I ever read).

 

[William Leisner]

Wowsers. Pretty sweet ego-boost there, Christopher.

On the other hand, this is coming from the guys who penned The Transformers Movie...

 

[Rat Boy]

Wowsers. Pretty sweet ego-boost there, Christopher.

On the other hand, this is coming from the guys who penned The Transformers Movie...

Do I detect a hint of jealousy, birthday boy?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

It's nice that the writers of the film keep giving Pocket Books' Star Trek novels free press. Best Destiny and Spock's World we knew about as influences on the film. Prime Directive and Ex Machina are new.

Now if only Pocket Books would capitalize on that free press. Rush reprints of the books with "Read the books that inspired the hit film!" emblazoned on the covers, perhaps?

 

[Rat Boy]

It's nice that the writers of the film keep giving Pocket Books' Star Trek novels free press. Best Destiny and Spock's World we knew about as influences on the film. Prime Directive and Ex Machina are new.

Now if only Pocket Books would capitalize on that free press. Rush reprints of the books with "Read the books that inspired the hit film!" emblazoned on the covers, perhaps?

Or at least have bookstores put what copies of them they have (if any) in their main Star Trek displays.

 

[Christopher]

It's nice that the writers of the film keep giving Pocket Books' Star Trek novels free press. Best Destiny and Spock's World we knew about as influences on the film. Prime Directive and Ex Machina are new.

I've heard mention before that PD was on their list of favorites, but it's a total surprise to see one of my books on their list.

Now if only Pocket Books would capitalize on that free press. Rush reprints of the books with "Read the books that inspired the hit film!" emblazoned on the covers, perhaps?

That would be nice.

 

[TerriO]

Wowsers. Pretty sweet ego-boost there, Christopher.

On the other hand, this is coming from the guys who penned The Transformers Movie...

Do I detect a hint of jealousy, birthday boy?

Not a bad readership there, Christopher. Not a bad readership.

 

[William Leisner]

Do I detect a hint of jealousy, birthday boy?

And I use that emoticon not because I'm laughing, but because that is the closest to my current shade of green.

 

[JD]

Wow, that's pretty cool Chris. It also means that they've actually been reading some more recent stuff with I find rather impressive. Huh, I wonder if they've read Vanguard? *Hopes there might be some hidden Vanguard references in the movie or the next one* (Yeah, I never gonna happen, but a guy can dream.)