Rank the TNG relaunch novels (with respect)

[jhempel24]

Maybe I should clarify what I mean by that statement. I don't expect to be profoundly challenged or have some sort of epiphany about things when reading Star Trek.

I read Star Wars in the same way, in which I enjoy alot of the books that 99% of people hate because I take it for what it is.

These books are entertaining to me, and I keep them on my shelf. But I treat these as like I'm watching an episode. I don't expect great characterization in one book, but over a series of them, etc.

without coming off too harsh, I think you were perfectly clear in your first post. I do think that you should read any and all fiction (incl. sci-fi. media tie-ins etc) with the intent of learning something new, feel challenged, etc. The fact that these books are "just" Star Trek, does not (or rather should not) diminish your expectations of them, and we, as readers, should hold these works to a highr standard.

By the way, I believe that this has been occuring in the last few years, hence the overall quality of the Trek Lit franchise.

Not harsh at all, I think we can both say that we have different views on it, and that's okay. I don't think the books are just "Star Trek" but there is only so much you can do with a licensed product, and you really don't want to alienate the readers who aren't into the Hard Sci-Fi of Star Trek. While I don't believe that the books should all be light hearted and alienate the core star trek fans, I don't believe that every Star Trek book needs to be a big ordeal.

On a spearate note to the above post about Resistance not having good characterization, I was wondering why? I just finnished it and liked the book alot actually.

 

[RonG]

while I realize where you're coming from, and of course acknowledge the wish to read something "just to pass the time", I feel that automatically putting media tie-in in that category is belittling the thought and effort put into the novels' creation, which can be (AFAIK) as extensive and intensive as writing any literature.

Also, here are some recommendations for Trek novels that may make you look at Trek Lit as a whole a bit differently:

A Stitch in Time (DS9)
Federation (TNG/TOS)
Spock's World (TOS)
The Romulan Way (TOS)
The Final Reflection (TOS)
Imzadi (TNG)
Articles of the Federation
A Call to Darkness (TNG)
Once Burned (NF)
Orion's Hounds (TTN)
Millennium trilogy (DS9)
Destiny trilogy
The Art of the Impossible

 

[jhempel24]

A Stitch in Time (DS9) -- I really want to read this, I may agree with you on this one

Federation (TNG/TOS) -- I've heard good things, and will be picking this up

Spock's World (TOS) -- Great Book, I think it stands on it's own even with out the Star Trek tag

The Romulan Way (TOS) -- I haven't heard of this one, but I find Romulan stories fairly boring, but I'll look for it and give it a shot.

The Final Reflection (TOS) -- Haven't heard of this one either

Imzadi (TNG) -- Good book, nothing profound for me though

Articles of the Federation -- Tried 5 times, couldn't read it, may try again though, but I hated West Wing which it is compared to, not a big political intrigue fan.

A Call to Darkness (TNG) -- Haven't heard of it, but will look it up.

Once Burned (NF) -- Good book, love the NF series, have all the novels (except the gateways and No Limit)

Orion's Hounds (TTN) -- I really need to read this series

Millennium trilogy (DS9) -- Just ordered the omnibus, can't wait to read it

Destiny trilogy -- Can't wait to get to it, I like the sound of it, been avoiding spoilers like crazy.

The Art of the Impossible -- Haven't heard of this either.

Don't get me wrong, I love Star Trek books, own over 100 of them, and am not trying to slight the authors hard work either, but everyone takes away something different from the books that they read (enders game and series changed my life (well, way of thinking anyway) when I was reading them years ago, and others thought it stank), so I truly think in this case it's just matters of what each person expects out of the books.

 

[Christopher]

Why is everyone rating Resistance so low?

So that the current will flow more freely?

Ohm... ohm... ohm...

2. Greater Than the Sum. Again, good character work. Ranked behind Q&A because of the abovementioned recapping and the fact that the "family" theme didn't have as much impact on me as it did on some. (No fault of the author's - I'm just not a family person.)

Neither am I, really. And as I've said before, I wasn't really going for family. I was going for the theme explicitly stated in the title of the book: the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, the strength that comes from diversity in combination. I just intended family to be one example of that theme, which also extended to crew, society, group mind, etc.

 

[Turbo]

Why is everyone rating Resistance so low?

So that the current will flow more freely?

Ohm... ohm... ohm...

And that's when I threw him into the warp core, your honor.

 

[captcalhoun]

^

 

[ClayinCA]

Assuming I'm not allowed to cheat and make the first two books on the list a tie, it goes like this:

1. Q&A (by a tribble's hair)
2. Greater than the Sum
3. Death in Winter
4. Resistance
5. Before Dishonor

 

[jhempel24]

So that the current will flow more freely?

Ohm... ohm... ohm...

Oh, my That was....I'm speechless