Sell me on... Voyager novels

[RonG]

First - a confession: The last time I enjoyed a Voyager novel was over a decade ago.

The novel was Echoes and it was a nice little sci-fi tale with a plot device which I liked at the time and found it to be both innovative and evoking the feel of All Good Things...(Alternate Realities converge).

From that point on, I don't remember reading a VOY novel and liking it. I'd bought VOY novels as part of crossovers and themed mini series (Day of Honor, Invasion!, Gateways, Section 31), but almost always found them to be the weakest of the bunch.

I gave the Relaunch a try back in 2003 IIRC. I never made it past The Farther Shore. I found Golden's writing to be immature and inspired by pulpy romance novels - that duology (along with Homecoming which was a little bit better) made me physically groan at a book...


However, the last few weeks, reading the (still ongoing) debate over Janeway's death and the arrival of quite a few Janeway (and Voyager) fans, I've begun to feel curious regarding the appeal of VOY novels.
Could my earlier disdain be influenced by age? Should I give VOY a try after a decade?

So I kinda want your opinions - specifically recommendations - of VOY novels (along with why you think they're good)...I also think it wouldn't hurt (in the context of the last few weeks) to start a conversation focused on the strenghts and merits of the VOY line

Comments?

 

[donners22]

Echoes is terrific and is the last Voyager novel I really enjoyed (no interest in any relaunches bar Enterprise).

However, I was recommended the String Theory trilogy, and I must say, I'm quite impressed. It has a terrific sense of the characters and is set within the show's run despite being a recent novel, which is something more books should do. The dialogue is a real stand-out, and it feels very, very much like a Voyager tale.

Apparently some people have issues with the third book, which I haven't got to yet, but it's certainly impressive so far.

 

[JustKate]

I'd like to see some of this, too. I've only read a couple, and...they were OK. At best. I will be upfront, though: I don't want to read any book that kills off a regular character, no matter how good it is. I know, I know...I'm limiting myself, etc., etc., etc. But to use a word invented by another BBSer, I am a total canonista, and I'm not likely to change at this late date.

I don't want to hijack RonG's thread, so if you can't answer both of our requirements, concentrate on his. I'm sure I'll pick up some interesting recommendations.

 

[donners22]

I must mention Mosaic and Pathways, both written by staff writer Jeri Taylor. They provide quite a lot of interesting background to the characters, if you can forgive the very awkward framing. Some of the information in them was later incorporated into canon, IIRC.

As an aside, one thing that really bugs me about Trek novels is the framing used to set stories in different time periods. Just give us a historian's note and get into the damned thing.

 

[Trent Roman]

If you've read Echoes, then you've already read the best that the Voyager line has to offer, as far as I'm concerned. That said, donners22 is correct that Jeri Taylor's books provide fascinating backstory for the characters; the first two String Theory books are also good, though I can't in good conscience recommend the third (and the idea of reading only two of three of a trilogy would annoy me). To that, I would add that the Voyager-themed short story anthology Distant Shores also had a number of good stories.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Infern0]

From what I have seen the relaunch has been So-So, but then there doesn't seem to be many books in the relaunch.

 

[Daddy Todd]

I'd like to see some of this, too. I've only read a couple, and...they were OK. At best. I will be upfront, though: I don't want to read any book that kills off a regular character, no matter how good it is. I know, I know...I'm limiting myself, etc., etc., etc. But to use a word invented by another BBSer, I am a total canonista, and I'm not likely to change at this late date.

I don't want to hijack RonG's thread, so if you can't answer both of our requirements, concentrate on his. I'm sure I'll pick up some interesting recommendations.

Not a single VOYAGER book has EVER killed off a major (TV) character. So, with your red herring out of the way, would you care to talk about any Voyager books you liked, and tell us why?

Or, because you've only read a couple, maybe you could tell us about the ones you have read, and why you weren't inspired to read any more...

I've also only read a handful of Voyager novels, and also wasn't inspired to read further. I lost interest in Voyager (the TV series) somewhere in the second season, but forced myself to continue watching out of misplaced loyalty. I think it was the tired, rehashed plots that turned me off -- perhaps if I weren't so familiar with all the Star Trek that had gone before, Voyager might have seemed fresh.

Once I was in the position of having to force myself to watch new episodes, the prospect of spending my limited available reading time curled up with that crew was less than appealing. I know it's unfair to the writers of those books, but I just couldn't read them.

However, now that Voyager has been gone for nearly a decade, and now that some intriguing things have happened with the Voyager crew, I honestly find myself looking forward to seeing where Kirsten Beyer takes them in Full Circle. I NEVER thought I would be in a position of looking forward to a Voyager book, but there it is.

 

[Gorf]

I think Echoes was one of the first Voyager books that I read and I was really pleasantly surprised that a franchise book could be that good. As a result I dug up the rest online - some I found good, many not so good, and since the show ended it went downhill, eventually I stopped altogether. I think that downhill slide is what ticks off some of us.

 

[Tachyon]

I think Echoes was one of the first Voyager books that I read and I was really pleasantly surprised that a franchise book could be that good. As a result I dug up the rest online - some I found good, many not so good, and since the show ended it went downhill, eventually I stopped altogether. I think that downhill slide is what ticks off some of us.

I have not read it. I think I need to jump to the Amazon now...


EDIT// Echoes bought.

 

[ronny]

I will be upfront, though: I don't want to read any book that kills off a regular character, no matter how good it is.

That means you need to avoid Before Dishonor and I think there will be people here who say that's a good one to skip no matter what your reason is.

I'm not too big on Voyager so it's the series I've read the least of but what I thought of what I have read that's Voyager related. It's been a couple years since I've read most of this so my comments are pretty vague other than if I liked it or not.

My favorite Voyager author is KRAD and by coincidence he's written 3 stories that take place in the Alpha Quadrant.

- Book 2 of Brave and the Bold. - Takes place in the Alpha Quadrant right before the series starts. Janeway and company are looking for Maquis.

- The Mirror-Scaled Serpent in Mirror Universe Volume 2: Obsidian Alliances - There's no Federation in the Mirror Universe so how do you do a Voyager MU story? How about starting with having Neelix and Kes getting sucked into a wormhole and ending up in the Alpha Quadrant. Good stuff.

- "Letting Go" in Distant Shores - Focuses on friends and relatives left behind the AQ after Voyager ended in the DQ.

And speaking of Distant Shores...

A lot of the stories in this book just don't speak to me. They concern wrapping up relationships or are relationship type stories between characters I'm not into so I'll say I'm not the target audience and leave it at that. Besides KRAD's though, another story that stood out for me was Chrisopher L. Bennet's "Brief Candle", a direct sequal to one of my favorite VOY episodes, Survival Instinct. I'm totally guessing if you're a Voyager fan you'll gt into this book a lot more than I did. I've read positive comments here on "Isabo's Shirt" by Kirsten Beyer.

Invasion #4 The Final Fury by Dafydd ab Hugh - Not as good as Fallen Heroes, a great DS9 book, but a good end to that series.

Dark Matters trilogy - A sequal, another Voyager episode I liked, hey, there weren't that many so when book came out that followed them up I read them. Totally didn't get into it. Some parts I needed to force my way through. I just don't get into stories where the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake. And I never figured out all that happaned with out screwing up the time lines...

The 4 relaunch books - Man, there's some stuff I didn't get into here. The hologram revolt was pretty lame. I read them because they are part of the larger story going on. I'm really hoping the new Beyer book is an improvement.

Sitting on my shelf unread so far are the Captains Table and Gateway VOY books, I got them because I'm planning on reading the whole series. I've also got The Black Shore by Greg Cox. I got it because it's a Greg Cox book, 'nuff said, and plan on reading it.

 

[Lynx]

First - a confession: The last time I enjoyed a Voyager novel was over a decade ago.

The novel was Echoes and it was a nice little sci-fi tale with a plot device which I liked at the time and found it to be both innovative and evoking the feel of All Good Things...(Alternate Realities converge).

From that point on, I don't remember reading a VOY novel and liking it. I'd bought VOY novels as part of crossovers and themed mini series (Day of Honor, Invasion!, Gateways, Section 31), but almost always found them to be the weakest of the bunch.

I gave the Relaunch a try back in 2003 IIRC. I never made it past The Farther Shore. I found Golden's writing to be immature and inspired by pulpy romance novels - that duology (along with Homecoming which was a little bit better) made me physically groan at a book...


However, the last few weeks, reading the (still ongoing) debate over Janeway's death and the arrival of quite a few Janeway (and Voyager) fans, I've begun to feel curious regarding the appeal of VOY novels.
Could my earlier disdain be influenced by age? Should I give VOY a try after a decade?

So I kinda want your opinions - specifically recommendations - of VOY novels (along with why you think they're good)...I also think it wouldn't hurt (in the context of the last few weeks) to start a conversation focused on the strenghts and merits of the VOY line

Comments?

Well, big-headed as I somtimes am, I'll provide a link to my Voyager book reviews which contains reviews over the seasons 1-3 Voyager books.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Park/1964/bookreviews.html

As you can see, I do give the books high ratings because I still think they are terrific.

I've also mentioned the possible contradictions which may occur in the books and also bothered to place the events in the books in an ongoing timeline.

Unfortunately, I was never that found of the relaunch.

OK, I like Christie Golden as a writer and I think that the books "Marooned" and "The Murdered Sun" are excellent. Besides that, I also know that Golden really liked the different Voyager characters. it's the "after-Endgame" scenario which I didn't really like.

However, I did buy some of the books because I thought it worthwile to support the relaunch because as I saw it, it was after all the continuing story of our favorites.

But I never grew too fond of them and now, with the recent events..........

But the books written when the series was still on air, now that's something different!

As for "Echoes", it's a good and well-written book but not my favorite. The different parrallell universes gives me a headache.

The favorite is "The Black Shore" by Greg Cox! So incredible good!

 

[Gorf]

"Marooned" and "The Murdered Sun" are excellent.

Uhh I loved those two as well. Not to mention Mosaic, which is the first one I ever got. The others came after I'd enjoyed that one. Have to admit though that Mosaic is the only one I still remember in any details as it's been 10 years.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I'm very happy to recommend "Mosaic" and "The Captain's Table: Fire Ship". Christie Golden's novels set in the TV series are quite strong. Until the rather tedious "Dark Matters" trilogy and the awful "Gateways" instalment.

I really enjoyed Golden's teaser for "Homecoming" in the "Endgame" novelization. The actual duology botched the hologram revolt. Ick. Haven't read the sequel duology or "String Theory" trilogy yet.

I'm getting good vibes for "Full Circle".

 

[Tachyon]

"Marooned" and "The Murdered Sun" are excellent.

Uhh I loved those two as well. Not to mention Mosaic, which is the first one I ever got. The others came after I'd enjoyed that one. Have to admit though that Mosaic is the only one I still remember in any details as it's been 10 years.

Mosaic is good, but I prefer Pathways.

 

[Hardin]

I will add my rec for Echoes and the Murdered Sun, String Theory (with a very big BUT I can't go into without spoilering. The first book is my favorite) and the anthology Distant Shores.

 

[Tachyon]

I quite liked String Theory, too. At least the first two books.

 

[donners22]

Geez, I'm really dreading getting to this third book.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

I'd just like to point out that Ms. Taylor was not a staff writer but an executive producer and co-creator of the VOYAGER TV series.

 

[JustKate]

Not a single VOYAGER book has EVER killed off a major (TV) character. So, with your red herring out of the way, would you care to talk about any Voyager books you liked, and tell us why?

Or, because you've only read a couple, maybe you could tell us about the ones you have read, and why you weren't inspired to read any more...

Excuse me, but MY red herring? There are, I don't know, 3 or 4 threads in this forum talking about a book in which Janeway dies, or maybe doesn't, and I haven't participated in any of them, so it sure the heck ain't mine.

But there was a red herring that I did start, though I did so accidentally. When I said that I had read a couple of Voyager books and they were "OK," I did not intend that to be a ringing endorsement. They were...OK. Nothing more.

The first one was several years ago, and it's been pretty much erased from my memory banks. I dimly remember reading it, and I didn't dislike it, but that's about all I can say.

The second one I read only a year or so ago, and it is called Chrysalis. It's not bad, exactly, but the premise is another of those "Those poor deluded religious fools" ones, which are often kind of tiresome. The big problem is that it's in many places quite dull. The writer, David Niall Wilson, or maybe his editors, seem to think that in order to get something through readers' thick heads, the same atmosphereic stuff has to be repeated, and then repeated, and then repeated. I kept finding myself skipping through pages - a thing I hate to do with books - in an effort to find out when something actually happens or to find a character actually saying something.

So my impression: Better than a kick in the head, and better than no book at all (I bought it because I was on a business trip and had run out of reading material and you can always find Trek books in airport bookstores), but not really recommended.

As for why I haven't been inspired to try another...well, I want to be diplomatic here, but I actually don't read very much Trek literature at all. I've had some really poor reading experiences with Trek, starting with some of the early TOS novels and continuing in fits and starts throughout much of my adult life. But in the past five years or so, I have read some TNG novels that I quite like (same deal - business trip, ran out of reading material, airport bookshop, etc.), so a year or so ago, I decided to give Chrysalis a try. Eh. Could have been worse.

Thanks for the suggestions, everybody. And thanks for that warning, Ronny!

 

[Christopher]

I must mention Mosaic and Pathways, both written by staff writer Jeri Taylor. They provide quite a lot of interesting background to the characters, if you can forgive the very awkward framing. Some of the information in them was later incorporated into canon, IIRC.

Not exactly. As RedJack says, Jeri Taylor co-created Voyager and was its showrunner in its first four seasons. While she was showrunner, she considered the events of her biography novels to be canonical, and elements of Mosaic were referenced in various episodes she oversaw, notably "Coda," which she wrote. However, once she left the show, her successors no longer treated her books as canonical and contradicted them in various ways.