Pick an author
- Thread starter Mistral
- Start date
This is tough.
For the more complicated novels, I'll go with Christopher L Bennett because he's got the science background and makes all his pieces "feel" like real Trek. I feel that I'm really out there exploring all the really wonderful things that the universe has to offer. Ex Machina, Orion's Hounds, and Greater Than The Sum are three of his best works.
For pure action sequences and a great yarn, I have to admire the work of David Mack. His A Time To... duology was brilliant, as was Wildfire, Harbinger and Reap the Whirlwind. I'm looking forward to Destiny.
For the more complicated novels, I'll go with Christopher L Bennett because he's got the science background and makes all his pieces "feel" like real Trek. I feel that I'm really out there exploring all the really wonderful things that the universe has to offer. Ex Machina, Orion's Hounds, and Greater Than The Sum are three of his best works.
For pure action sequences and a great yarn, I have to admire the work of David Mack. His A Time To... duology was brilliant, as was Wildfire, Harbinger and Reap the Whirlwind. I'm looking forward to Destiny.
Wow, this is hard. There are so many great authors doing Trek right now, and they all seem to really get Trek. If we're allowed to pick multiple writers I'd have to go with KRAD, Wardimore, CLB, and David Mack. All of them are able to tell really good stories that fit in with th universe. They really are able to capture the feel of the universe and the characters in their work. I'm not saying those guys are the only who ones who do this stuff, but I really think they are the best at it.
Andrew J. Robinson, followed by Heather Jarman and S. D. Perry, whose DS9 work (I've still not read String Theory) is spot-on.
I love David Mack's books, but they've never felt entirely like Star Trek to me. Actually, his Vanguard work (and Ward's & Dilmore's) is very similar in spirit to what the new film looks to be (not really at all a spoiler; I don't appreciate being spoiled, myself).
I love David Mack's books, but they've never felt entirely like Star Trek to me. Actually, his Vanguard work (and Ward's & Dilmore's) is very similar in spirit to what the new film looks to be (not really at all a spoiler; I don't appreciate being spoiled, myself).
S.D. Perry, David R George III, David Mack- they do the best job while looking at all the perspectives- Federation, Dominion etc. without any prejudices, in my opinion. And KRAD naturally must be on this list, due to DoAaD etc- tho I'd like to read more of his work- I haven't read as much as I think I have, somehow... figure that out... :S
Judith and Garfield-Reeves Stevens stuff is real good. They make the Star Trek universe feel like a real place to me. I also like Diane Carey. Not for the TNG and DS9 stuff she's done but her Classic Trek. She understands that the original show was supposed to have the feel of a Horatio Hornblower novel and she goes all out on the nautical. I also think Carey is the author who makes Kirk feel like a living, breathing person.
KRAD. he coulda written the new movie without shitting the timeline up, because he's the fount of all Trek wisdom.
I think I go with KRAD too, but David Mack is snapping on his heels.
Why? When I read KRAD I can see the scene in my mind. He gets the characterisation spot on and I often sense where things are leading or what's gonna be said next because it all feels completely natural. He also seems to inject a very dry sarcasm (or at least that's my feeling). He tells a clever story
David writes Trek action scenes very well. Some authors lose all sense of pace when trying to write action scenes and David has a great sense of phraseology tightening the text as the adrenalin flows. He makes his stories 'nonputdownable' (if that's a word!). How many people read Destiny in one or two sittings?
All these things are the signs of a good storyteller IMO.
Why? When I read KRAD I can see the scene in my mind. He gets the characterisation spot on and I often sense where things are leading or what's gonna be said next because it all feels completely natural. He also seems to inject a very dry sarcasm (or at least that's my feeling). He tells a clever story
David writes Trek action scenes very well. Some authors lose all sense of pace when trying to write action scenes and David has a great sense of phraseology tightening the text as the adrenalin flows. He makes his stories 'nonputdownable' (if that's a word!). How many people read Destiny in one or two sittings?
All these things are the signs of a good storyteller IMO.
D.C. Fontana. Not only did she write some of the best episodes of the original series and animated, but Vulcan's Glory is a great book. She manages to draw a fully-realized Enterprise crew out of folks we only saw in one episode. Her style is a joy to read, too; clean and lovely, with a bit of poetry in it where it's needed.
A guilty pleasure is the team of L.A. Graf. There are some issues (the occasional Mary Sueing), but they do a brilliant job of tying today to the future of Trek. And they write action/adventure really well, too. Plus, it's nice to see a team that focuses on the bottom three of the main bridge crew, instead of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I love how they write atmosphere -- they make you feel the rain, the cold, the actual places you walk with them.
There are also a whole slew of fanficcers out there that I think really nail it, and well. Who spin brilliant yarns.
A guilty pleasure is the team of L.A. Graf. There are some issues (the occasional Mary Sueing), but they do a brilliant job of tying today to the future of Trek. And they write action/adventure really well, too. Plus, it's nice to see a team that focuses on the bottom three of the main bridge crew, instead of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I love how they write atmosphere -- they make you feel the rain, the cold, the actual places you walk with them.
There are also a whole slew of fanficcers out there that I think really nail it, and well. Who spin brilliant yarns.
I feel like Chris Bennett and David Mack have both found a way to combine the characterization necessary for a ST novel with the action to keep it exciting. Mack especially knows how to throw in references to different events throughout the ST universe without making it seem contrived.
I'm going to go for Diane Duane's TOS work (and Dark Mirror). It just has SO much meat on its bones, so much depth of characterization, passion, and spirit, not to mention unparalleled beauty of language. I firmly believe that her work goes far beyond the mere "tie-in"/"fanfic" level to something that were it not to have the Star Trek name on it, could be up for awards. The Wounded Sky, especially, could easily win a Nebula or Hugo; I firmly believe it.
Star Trek XI: DeCandido's List
Trying to pick one particular author who gets Star Trek is the wrong way to go about it, because Star Trek has different shades and tones in its different incarnations.
I suppose I would tend argue, though that the fundamental element that's universal to all aspects of Star Trek is that it is a comedy. Not in the modern sense of the term, where a comedy is defined as a work of art designed to produce much laughter and amusement. Rather, Star Trek is a comedy in the classical sense -- a work of art that's supposed to begin in darkness but end in light.
To that end, these are probably some of my favorite authors that get that Star Trek is supposed to be a comedy -- though each author creates his comedy with varying levels of light and darkness: David Mack, Christopher L. Bennett, Keith R.A. DeCandido, James Swallow, Una McCormack, Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels, David R. George III.
I suppose I would tend argue, though that the fundamental element that's universal to all aspects of Star Trek is that it is a comedy. Not in the modern sense of the term, where a comedy is defined as a work of art designed to produce much laughter and amusement. Rather, Star Trek is a comedy in the classical sense -- a work of art that's supposed to begin in darkness but end in light.
To that end, these are probably some of my favorite authors that get that Star Trek is supposed to be a comedy -- though each author creates his comedy with varying levels of light and darkness: David Mack, Christopher L. Bennett, Keith R.A. DeCandido, James Swallow, Una McCormack, Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels, David R. George III.
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It wouldn't be a list if it didn't cause some controversy
