Pocket's '08 -'09 schedule - LOTS of new covers!

[Therin of Andor]

Not a fan of the trend towards TPBs, I must say. They're more difficult to hold, rarely actually contain more content, and used bookstores often don't accept them.

In the old days, though, we often got three hardcovers per year. Now there's a similar number of TPB novels instead, plus the collections of short stories/novella - and they're cheaper than hardcovers. Pocket seems to have phased out the first-release-in-hardcover strategy for the time being.

A few years ago, people were asking if Pocket would be switching their ST MMPB line to the new larger MMPB size, but so far that doesn't seem to be on the cards. (I was very annoyed recently when the new "Indiana Jones" novelization was available only as a hardcover or the new larger-size MMPB. It's the first time the switch has really affected me. And the new book doesn't match my first three.)

 

[JD]

I like the covers, except for the first Destiny one. What's up with the floating Ezri head? I thought the covers were shying away from these.

It's called variety.

Looks wonderful to me.

Floating heads is not "variety". I would swear you worked for Pocket Books.

I have to agree with Therin here, I think it's an absolutely beautiful. Besides it's not just a floating head like the older covers were. I wonder who will be on the third one, the woman on the first two (have we gotten any confirmation about whether or not it is

Spoiler: someone

Hernandez

yet?) or Riker.

 

[DeVario]

Is the third Destiny cover still being worked on, does anyone know? I'm anxious to see it myself.

 

[JD]

I'm thinking it's probably done by now, after all we do have all of the book covers for 5 months after it comes out. I'm think that perhaps there's just a spoiler on it or something else that they don't want us to see yet.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Not a fan of the trend towards TPBs, I must say. They're more difficult to hold, rarely actually contain more content, and used bookstores often don't accept them.

Really? I find them easier to hold than mass-market paperbacks (but then I hate cracking the spine).

 

[Quimby]

Here's a question:
Is the Myriad Universes scheduled for '09 a third book or has one of the two upcoming ones been postponed?

A postponded Myriad Universes will make me cry.

P.S. the covers for the upcoming Titan and Vanguard novels are excellent!

 

[historypeats]

It's third - you may save your tears.

 

[Trent Roman]

Really? I find them easier to hold than mass-market paperbacks (but then I hate cracking the spine).

Suppose it depends on how one holds the book. If you're the type to hold it open with two hands to either side, then TPBs might be easier. I'm a 'thumb in the middle' kind of guy, which has the added benefit of freeing the other hand. You can walk and read with an MMPB; you can't do that with a TPB (or at least, not well).

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I thought the Voyager cover was understated and elegant in a simple way.

And I also don't have a problem with the floating heads, since the heads (and the bodies attached to them!) play key roles in the Destiny trilogy, it's nice to identify them ahead (unintentional) of time.

Out of curiousity, has it been mentioned which starship Ezri commands, since in Warpath she had expressed a desire to serve and/or command a Luna-class starship.

 

[tenmei]

Didn't an early blurb say she commanded the Aventine?

 

[Rat Boy]

Ooo, ooo! If VAN's fourth book is "Open Secrets," does that mean that book five is "Closed Minds?"...
.
.
.
.
.
.
...What? You can't blame a guy for trying.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Didn't an early blurb say she commanded the Aventine?

The Memory Alpha entry for Lost Souls mentions the Aventine, and since for the Enterprise and Titan we know who their commanding officers are, logic suggests that yes, Ezri Dax is the commanding officer of the U.S.S Aventine

 

[Trent Roman]

"Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Aventine..."

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[David cgc]

Yes, but it could do so without having a grey starship on a mostly grey background. I love dynamic ship shots, but this just looks like somebody phtographed a model from above. After all, wouldn't colour or other dynamic effects around the ship catch the eye even more?

Personally, my less than enthusiastic reaction has to do more with the fact that it's a reuse of a Ships of the Line image, just like the cover of "Greater Than The Sum." I realize that it's cost-effective, and that most people won't recognize them as being from five year old calendars (including people who bought those calendars), but it still seems a bit... off. Like a few years ago when they experimented with just using a TOS publicity photo as the novel's cover, with no effects, borders, or alterations beyond a Photoshop filter.

It's a good picture. It's just the quickest of the quick jobs to just pull something out of the archive for a new novel's cover.

 

[FatherRob]

Here's a question:
Is the Myriad Universes scheduled for '09 a third book or has one of the two upcoming ones been postponed?

A postponded Myriad Universes will make me cry.

Nope, it's a third book... either that, or, after next week, my following three columns are going to be running substantially early.

Rob+

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

My, my. These covers are even better than last year's. We've come along way from the old TrekLit book cover formula of 2-3 characters, a starship, and a planet. These are pieces of art.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Not a fan of the trend towards TPBs, I must say. They're more difficult to hold, rarely actually contain more content, and used bookstores often don't accept them.

so don't get rid of them

 

[Therin of Andor]

it still seems a bit... off. ...
It's a good picture. It's just the quickest of the quick jobs to just pull something out of the archive for a new novel's cover.

You don't like "bottle show" episodes of Trek, either? Sometimes savings have to be made, to enable a splurge elsewhere.

 

[Kirks_Flying_Wig]

I like the Full Circle cover. It seems quiet and elegant. The A Singular Destiny cover is incredibly bold, and I assume it's full of all sorts of symbolism about how pieces are falling into place.

From the new list, Open Secrets, VAN5, Mere Anarchy, Troublesome Minds and The Millennium Bloom are on my definite-to-buy list.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Does Fearful Symmetry conclude the current ongoing Illiana storyline?

No.

Fearful Symmetry ends on a cliffhanger much like Warpath did. There's some plot movement, but a lot of people complain it wasn't enough.

I think it'll make the most sense if you read Warpath - Fearful Symmetry - The Soul Key all in a row.

Spankin'. Thanks guys.

Didn't an early blurb say she commanded the Aventine?

The Memory Alpha entry for Lost Souls mentions the Aventine, and since for the Enterprise and Titan we know who their commanding officers are, logic suggests that yes, Ezri Dax is the commanding officer of the U.S.S Aventine

Maybe I've not been keeping up with my astrology, but aren't all Luna-class ships supposed to be named after Sol-system moons? I've never heard of a moon called Aventine. Sounds like the girl out of that Scouse family in Bread. And all twelve have already been named in the Titan blurb, haven't they? I is confuzzled.