I had been thinking about reading The Tale of Genji, just because I was curious to read some classic Japanese literature, but that just put an end to that.
Late to it but TOS: The Higher Frontier, only half way through but I've been really enjoying lots of the thought provoking stuff in the conflict with the difference of abilities with New Humans and the kind of superiority complex some of the crew believe is there, I'm sure there's a link to be made to some relevant issues today.
I am almost exactly halfway through The Janus Gate trilogy by L.A. Graf. I have been curious about these books since their initial release. Even though the reading experience is hovering at 3 stars right now, it is worth it to finally know what is in these stories, especially since i like time travel and the supporting characters.
Just started "Unsettling Stars" by Alan Dean Foster. It's interesting to read a contemporary novel by someone other that the usual writers (not that I have any issues with the current writers mind you). I read the first 2 chapters and it's interesting that Foster immediately addressed the rapid fire promotions from the get-go. He didn't just poo-poo that away but hit it head on.
The only bodice-ripper I've ever had anything to do with was Infocom's "interactive bodice-ripper," Plundered Hearts, by Amy Briggs. And it's strictly G-rated; no actual bodices were ripped.
Now almost halfway through Foundation. It rather amazes me how thoroughly steeped it is in tobacco smoke, given that Asimov, according to all I've read about him, was (like me) a lifelong nonsmoker. (see Treasury of Humor, the two paragraphs of commentary following joke #282 [bottom of page 191 in the edition posted to The Internet Archive's Open Library]) Also remarkable that a future hundreds of millennia from now, with some sort of unspecified FTL drive, would still be using fission for power. I will note that I find his brand of neo-medievalism somewhat more palatable than Frank Herbert's.
I finished Destiny Book 2: Mere Mortals by David Mack last night. Damn, what a book, especially the last 20 or so pages. I cant wait to start Destiny Book 3: Lost Souls tonight, after work.
BAD ASS MOMS, an anthology edited by Mary Fan, and featuring (among others) Trek writers such as Peter David, Keith DeCandido, Michael Jan Friedman, Derek Tyler Attico, Robert Greenburger, Aaron Rosenberg, etc.
I am 40% done with Past Prologue in the Janus Gate trilogy. It has its moments, and when I am not liking a scene, it is usually just not my area of interest. This duo loves Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov, so if you do, too, you will probably love this trilogy. One unexpected delight was getting to see a Metron in Future Imperfect. I recommend Queen’s Peril for anyone who loves The Phantom Menace, Amidala, or Naboo.
Earlier today I finished reading the massive “Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 & 1701-A Illustrated Handbook" (2019) published by Hero Collector Books, a division of Eaglemoss, Ltd.*, Ben Robinson (General Editor). (* The same company that puts out the Star Trek: The Official Starship models collection that I’ve been a subscriber to since it started back in 2012.) This is the second in the “Illustrated Handbook” series. The first was the U.S.S. Enterprise-D (from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”). A third just came out this past month focusing on the U.S.S. Voyager, and fourth, Deep Space Nine and the U.S.S. Defiant, is scheduled to come out in early 2021. The illustrations, diagrams, floor plans, schematics, etc. that the "Illustrated Handbooks" are full of were originally released in "The Official Star Trek Fact Files", a "partwork" magazine series that ran in the U.K. from 1997 to 2002 and that was published by GE Fabbri (of which the current Eaglemoss company is the successor to). A large amount of the same material was also reprinted in the U.S. based "Star Trek: The Magazine" that ran from 1999 to 2003 (published by Fabbri Publishing (U.S.)). The copious and highly detailed illustrations, floor plans, etc. are extensive in this collected volume, one that took me quite awhile to get through (my copy being one I checked out from the public library; I've been sure to recommend for purchase by the library all of the Eaglemoss books). Partially this is because the book is clearly designed to be more of a reference book to be picked up from time to time, the reader jumping from one section to another more so than as a book to be read cover to cover. This "Illustrated Handbook" (which has the tagline, "Captain Kirk's original Starship Enterprise") after an introductory chapter, "History of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 & 1701-A: Operational History", breaks the material down into five subsequent chapters: "U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 [year] 2254" (covering the ship's exterior and interiors as seen in the 1964 first Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage"), "U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 [year] 2257" (covering the version of the ship just recently seen in the second season of "Star Trek: Discovery"; this material obviously had to be newly created specifically for this handbook), "U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 [years] 2265-2268" (the version seen on the original "Star Trek" television series (1966-1969)), "U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Refit [years] 2271-2285 (the heavily redesigned Enterprise from the first three Star Trek films (1979-1984)), and "U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A [years] 2286-2293" (the second Enterprise seen in Star Trek movies four, five, and six (1986-1991)). For those who like me who are drawn to Star Trek largely due to the various cool looking starships, this is a must have book. For those who aren't as "into" the ships as they are the characters, stories, etc., they probably would find this book rather pretty to look at but hardly an essential purchase. One slightly negative aspect of collecting all of this previously separately released Star Trek Fact Files material together in one book is that it does get pretty repetitive. Details that are described in the text on a page will then get repeated word-for-word in the captions accompanying the illustrations on the very same two page spread, and text on a particular subject from one chapter will be much like the text on the same subject in a previous chapter (example, the pages describing the handheld "phaser" weapons, communicators, or "tricorders" used aboard the ship during 2254/"The Cage" are very similar to those later in the book of the 2265-2268 tv series version, etc.). At times the accompanying text is a bit of a chore to get through but the diagrammed illustrations of the pieces of technology do an excellent job of distinguishing between the various props used on Star Trek over its various iterations. Besides the floor plans of the various interiors aboard the ship like the bridge, sickbay, engineering, crew quarters, transporter rooms, shuttle bay, etc, another real treat is the pages dedicated to the various uniform designed worn by the characters at different times, everything from the standard duty uniforms to the optional green "tunic" style top Captain Kirk occasionally wore, to the various medical outfits Dr. McCoy wore, on down to the no name security, engineering, and other medical staff uniforms, and the uniforms worn in the later movies. It does strain the required format here of a seemingly chronological "in universe" handbook their having to place the newer "Star Trek: Discovery" version of the Enterprise in between that of "The Cage" and the rest of the original 1960s series because it's very difficult imagining why they (Starfleet) would redesign the interiors so drastically between the events of "The Cage" and those seen on "Discovery" (including the addition of a corridor behind the curved wall of rear duty stations on the main bridge and a second turbolift/elevator) only to decide to change it all back again a few years later. It's a minor quibble but another thing worth mentioning. (In another book they probably would have added the "Discovery" material at the end.) Again, highly recommended for Star Trek fans that are big into the starships aspect of Trek. And, if you can find it at your own local public library, probably a fun book just to browse through for fans who have followed Star Trek from the beginning. I give this book four out of five stars on GoodReads.
Last night, I began Mary Trump's opus. I'd read a fair amount on Donald Trump's pathologically-dysfunctional upbringing before. Dr. Trump's opus does nothing to contradict it, but it provides a lot more detail, as one might expect from somebody who has both a Ph.D. in psychology and direct experience of the Trump family.
The latest episode of Literary Treks is now available! In my and Bruce Gibson's final episode of the show, we discuss Christopher L. Bennett's Titan: Over a Torrent Sea in Literary Treks 308: Maybe Stop Biting and Kidnapping Counselors. We've had a ton of fun doing Literary Treks over the years, and the show will continue with new hosts. However, Bruce and I will also continue to discuss Trek books and comics in our new podcast Positively Trek. Our first special "book club" episode will drop on Friday, August 7th, in which we will be discussing the classic Strangers From the Sky with special guest Margaret Wander Bonanno!
I'm Reading Riding Rockets by Astronaut Mike Mullen It's interesting to read the stories about the space shuttle program and how risky and dangerous spaceflight can be.And getting stories about Judy Resnick, Ron McNair and Ellison Onizuka.And Christa McCauliffe
just started a re-read of @Christopher 's ex machina last night. i purchased the new print-on-demand trade edition to replace my dogeared paperback from 2005. i must say i like the new form factor; it matches the reissue of roddenberry's TMP novelization close enough and they will look the part next to each other on the shelf in a "godfather I and II" sort of way. and, like the new novelization, the book was re-typeset as opposed to just scanned and enlarged. my getting-older-all-the-time eyes appreciate the beefed up font size! as for the story itself, i'm through chapter five. and i must have read it at a fairly brisk pace when it first came out, because i'm appreciating all of the canon connections with TMP which i had since forgotten about. the first five chapters are full of all these nice little conversational moments that resolve odd things in the movie, or simply cause us to remember the film and allow us to visualize certain scenes and set pieces. there are also cool (and more obscure) novelverse nods, like the decker story from captains logs that takes place during the refit. i think what put me off about the novel the first go-around was the amount of worldbuilding going on. from a critical perspective, this is difficult (and admirable) for a writer to pull off. but for this reader, i enjoy all the "non-fiction" didactic voice—as i'm an academic writer—but i do tend to forget character's names and descriptions as soon as i first see them on the page. as you can imagine, this is even harder in the fantasy/sci-fi genre with all the wacky language that has to be established. "the Vo-Tarr was the Qu'igileeSe way of saying KamiNarR was First Vloctok of the Second Wrappinent Order, which is to say, a mere functionary of the state" etc etc etc. but i realize you can't go where no one has gone before and just meet another alien called "tom." i can't remember if this is the book where @Christopher explains away the rec deck enterprise picture sequence lacking archer's enterprise, and noting that a vulcan ship or some such thing was hastily put on display by mistake. or maybe that was a novel by @Greg Cox ? i can't recall. anyways i look forward to posting back with some thoughts when i finish it later this week.
Just started #3, The Klingon Gambit. I'm a few chapters in and it reminds me of the Enterprise episode where they all start obsessing over their specific jobs (well, I guess it's the other way around since the Enterprise episode came out much later). Scotty is obsessed with increasing engine efficiency, Dr. McCoy actually stitches someone up because he doesn't trust the machines. I forget the name of the Enterprise episode but it had similar circumstances with Dr. Phlox obsessing over Travis after he is injured to the point he was ready to do risky, unnecessary surgery. I wonder if that episode was inspired by the book at all--or is it just another coincidence.
Coincidences happen all the time, as there are only so many ways to tell a story. Any given plot will be independently used many, many different times, and in a franchise as huge as ST, recurring patterns are inevitable, so there's zero reason to assume direct influence unless an author explicitly acknowledges one. And I profoundly doubt anyone found The Klingon Gambit impressive enough to pay homage to.