Please help me put together a Klingon reading list

[bfollowell]

I'm trying to put together a Klingon reading list. The titles don't necassarily have to all be related or anything. I'm just trying to come up with a fairly comprehensive list of "Klingon" stories.

I think I have a pretty good handle on all the books that makeup the I.K.S. Gorkon/Klingon Empire series. There's DS9's The Left Hand of Destiny duology and the older TOS era Errand of Vengeance and Errand of Fury trilogies. Am I missing anything major?

Thanks.

- Byron

 

[Idran]

John M. Ford's "The Final Reflection" to be sure. It's an amazing book, and even though some of the stuff in it's been contradicted since, a lot of it inspired elements of Klingon culture in TNG and beyond, both the TV series and the books.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Here's an attempt at a Klingon reading list, with the entries in bold being the ones focused fully on Klingons, and so probably the most important:

Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru (the Klingons' political dealings with the Coalition and the Romulans)

Errand of Vengeance Trilogy (Buildup to war between Klingons and UFP in Kirk's time)

Errand of Fury Trilogy (Continues the buildup and ends with a story that's partly a novelization of "Errand of Mercy")

Vanguard series (The Klingons compete with the UFP and Tholians to control the Taurus Reach region and its powerful alien technologies)

Seven Deadly Sins: The Unhappy Ones (ridge-heads Vs smooth-heads. The Three Ks show up)

Mere Anarchy series, books 2, 5 and 6 in particular (the Klingons meddle in the reconstruction of damaged planet Mestiko. The Three Ks show up.)

In the Name of Honor (Koloth and Kirk go on a mission to free Federation POWs)

Forged In Fire (The Albino attacks the Empire, Sulu and the Three Ks go after him)

The Last Roundup, possibly (Azetbur has her people follow Kirk and provide assistance)

Serpents Among the Ruins (Azetbur's death, political shakeup, though main focus is on UFP and Romulans)

The Art of the Impossible (Klingons vs Cardassians, the fate of General Worf)

The Left Hand of Destiny, books one and two (Martok is King Arthur)

Diplomatic Implausibility (Worf's first mission as ambassador, the Gorkon's first outing)

The Brave and the Bold, book two (Klag and the Gorkon team up with some of our Federation heroes)

IKS Gorkon/Klingon Empire series (Obviously)

Voyager: Full Circle (Klingon prophecy and the bat'leth-wielding fun this entails)

A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal (Klingons clash with UFP over Tezwa)

A Time for War/A Time for Peace (Internal Klingon politics makes Worf miserable)

A Singular Destiny, possibly (The Kinshaya take advantage of post-Destiny chaos to attack the Klingons)

 

[F. King Daniel]

John M. Ford's "The Final Reflection" to be sure. It's an amazing book, and even though some of the stuff in it's been contradicted since, a lot of it inspired elements of Klingon culture in TNG and beyond, both the TV series and the books.

This.
Also Pawns and Symbols for another fascinating version of the Klingon Empire and people.

 

[Christopher]

Sarek by A. C. Crispin prominently features the Klingons, notably Azetbur and Ambassador Kamarag. Although it also involves the Romulans and explores Sarek's history with Amanda. It's a big book.

 

[timothy]

there is all so the novel klingon based on the video game and there is the four part day of honor crossover.

 

[JD]

What about the Kahless novel?

 

[sulfur]

There are also some good (recent) comics that are worth putting on the list, including:

Klingons: Blood Will Tell (5 issues telling TOS episodes from the Klingon POV)
Alien Spotlight: Klingons (by KRAD, collected in TPB vol 2)
Star Trek: Romulans (by John Byrne -- story of the Klingon/Romulan alliance)

For older stuff, the first four issues of the first volume of DC's TOS series and then issues 31 and 32 were very Klingon heavy. There's also a 3-4 part one where Q turned the TNG crew into Klingons, but I don't recall those issue numbers offhand.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Dafydd ab Hugh's Vengeance is all about Klingons. (DS9 #22)

 

[timothy]

tos novel # 40 TIME TRAP fantastic klingon story all so involves time travel of sorts.

 

[bfollowell]

tos novel # 40 TIME TRAP fantastic klingon story all so involves time travel of sorts.

I think I may've read that one twenty some odd years or so ago. Isn't that the one where...

Spoiler

Kirk beams over to a Klingon ship in distress and finds himself, supposedly, 100 years in the future? The Klingons are all peaceful now and call themselves the New Klingons. Basically they're just trying to get information out of him. It's really similar to a 60s James Garner WWII movie called 36 Hours.

Thanks for reminding me of that one. If I remember correctly, I really enjoyed that one.

- Byron

 

[Christopher]

^Yep, that's the one, and it's actually a one-word title, Timetrap (not to be confused with the TAS episode "The Time Trap"). It came out not long after TNG debuted, and it was no doubt playing on readers' knowledge that the Klingons actually would be Federation allies 100 years after Kirk's time.

 

[Mysterion]

Peter Morwood's Rules of Engagement has some good klingon stuff in it (psychology, how the military works). One of my favorite Trek books, and very under-rated, IMO. It's kind The Hunt for Red October, but with klingons.

 

[timothy]

^Yep, that's the one, and it's actually a one-word title, Timetrap (not to be confused with the TAS episode "The Time Trap"). It came out not long after TNG debuted, and it was no doubt playing on readers' knowledge that the Klingons actually would be Federation allies 100 years after Kirk's time.

my bad, still a great book.

 

[Stevil2001]

^Yep, that's the one, and it's actually a one-word title, Timetrap (not to be confused with the TAS episode "The Time Trap"). It came out not long after TNG debuted, and it was no doubt playing on readers' knowledge that the Klingons actually would be Federation allies 100 years after Kirk's time.

Yeah, there's a sly little reference to a Klingon serving on the Enterprise.

Anyway, I just want to second the vote for Pawns and Symbols. That book is rad!