So What Are you Reading?: Generations

[Cap'n Crunch]

I finished Star Trek: The Next Generation: Takedown by John Jackson Miller. I noticed a few minor mistakes, but overall it was really good. I wasn't too impressed with the author's first Trek story, Titan: Absent Enemies, but based on Takedown I can't wait for his next.

Spoiler: Takedown

I figured the Cytherians were involved fairly early on, but couldn't figure their motive until it was spelled out.

I then read the first volume of the Fables graphic novels, Legends in Exile.

After that I reread Star Trek: SCE: Cold Fusion by KRAD.

I'm now reading Fringe: Sins of the Father by Christa Faust.

 

[Leto_II]

My intention was to go through the Diane Duane books in publication order, which I think would place Spock's World after The Romulan Way. With books by other authors slotted in between Duane's. It's a pain to put Spock's World off, but the I want to get a good lead in for it, to appreciate the full experience. I think it was spotting that the Spider-Engineer character K't'l'k is in Spock's World that made me decide to go through Diane Duane's books in publication order. That's the rough outline of my reading order so far. Thank you for looking in on it and providing guidance.

Another part of the "Duane-verse" that isn't really remembered all that much today by some of Trek fandom is the PC game The Kobayashi Alternative (written by Diane), which dovetailed quite nicely with her TOS novels, using many of her original characters (Lia Burke, Harb Tanzer) and planets (Flyspeck) as the books from that era.

The game had a lovely, very insane, "Duane-ish" feel at times, which fit the tone of the novels quite nicely, and I seem to remember the game being set in approximately the same time period as the Rihannsu stories, etc. I mostly consider it to be as much a part of that whole sub-continuity as any of her books.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

I just started "The Apprentice" by Tess Gerritsen. I like "Rizzoli and Isles" TV series, so I decided to try the books.

 

[Christopher]

The game had a lovely, very insane, "Duane-ish" feel at times, which fit the tone of the novels quite nicely, and I seem to remember the game being set in approximately the same time period as the Rihannsu stories, etc. I mostly consider it to be as much a part of that whole sub-continuity as any of her books.

I don't think it quite works that way, though, since Duane reused some of the aliens from The Kobayashi Alternative in her novel Doctor's Orders, and presented them in what I believe was a slightly incompatible way.

I also never quite bought the premise of TKA -- the idea that Starfleet had finally decided they needed a second simulation besides the Kobayashi Maru because that one was too limited in what it tested. Huh? Why assume the KM was ever the only simulation Starfleet had? How does that make sense?

I played TKA back in the day, but was never able to get very far in it, even with cheat notes from the Internet. And then computer technology moved on and I no longer had a floppy drive that could play the disks. It had a copy protection system that would only run the game from drive A:, so you couldn't save it to hard disk or play it on a computer whose A: drive was for 3 1/2-inch floppies instead of the big ones. So I still have my copy of the game, but it's totally useless.

 

[Greg Cox]

Just started Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire, which is told from the POV of a ghostly hitchhiker.

 

[Reanok]

I'm rereading Star Trek Enterprise Tower of Babel by Christopher Bennett and Seekers by Jack McDevitt.

 

[PKS8304]

I just finished DS9's Unity, it was really good though I feel like I missed something at the end....

 

[Kilana2]

I just finished DS9's Unity, it was really good though I feel like I missed something at the end....

I know how you feel. That´s the problem with the Lit-verse. The missing piece might be in one of the still unread novels .

 

[PKS8304]

Starting Michael A Martin's "Seasons of Light & Darkness"

 

[borgboy]

I'm halfway thru re-reading Q Squared, an old favorite. Even knowing the outcome it's still a gripping read, with great characterizations. PAD really brings the alternate timeline to life so that it feels like it really matters as much as the "real" reality.

 

[borgboy]

I thought "Takedown" was a pretty decent novel, episode-like but set in the relaunch time frame....no complaints here!

About to start "Rock and a Hard Place" by Peter David. I'm not encouraged by the synopsis but Amazon "recommended it for me" and I like Peter David's writing. I'll give it a shot, the worst that can happen is that I get entertained for a few days.

I re-read that one a few months ago. I'm a big fan of Peter David, and that's a good solid read.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

I'm halfway thru re-reading Q Squared, an old favorite. Even knowing the outcome it's still a gripping read, with great characterizations. PAD really brings the alternate timeline to life so that it feels like it really matters as much as the "real" reality.

I read it only recently, and I had the same feeling I usually have when reading PAD books - too fan-fictiony, probability too much stretched even for such a sci-fi as ST; however, which is not that usual, I liked this book nevertheless, and this time those "problems" didn't bother me that much, as the story was catchy and interesting.

 

[PKS8304]

Finished Martin's "Seasons of Light & Darkness" got me in a TOS mood so Martok's Left Hand of Destiny will have to wait a bit longer lol up next: Howard Weinstein's "Covenant of the Crown"

 

[JD5000]

, I'm really enjoying "Rock and a Hard Place". Peter David certainly has a way with characters and situations. I have a lot of contradictory opinions about this novel. I'll try to express them without giving away too much of the plot for those that haven't read, even though it's an older book.

Dialogue seems forced, but it's effective. It drives the scenes.

Riker's situation with Stephy - kinda creepy, but at the same time effectively conveys something real that happens to people.

Stone - seemingly transparent, it's not hard to figure out how he is, but the story makes one want to know why he is.

Only issue I have so far is with Troi's insistence that she never uses her empathic abilities "invasively", there are numerous examples on screen and in literature of her use of her abilities without her subject's permission. This seems like a weird plot device so far, because it just ain't true.

 

[Idran]

Only issue I have so far is with Troi's insistence that she never uses her empathic abilities "invasively", there are numerous examples on screen and in literature of her use of her abilities without her subject's permission. This seems like a weird plot device so far, because it just ain't true.

That makes even less sense because it's always seemed to me like a passive sense, like hearing. Sometimes she might have to strain to sense something weak or far off, but I didn't think it was even something she could turn on or off. Unless I'm forgetting an example, at least.

 

[Defcon]

Finished These are the Voyages, Season 1.

Boring, formulaic and IMO one-sided book.

Being the masochist that I am, I finished the Season Two book today. Even more boring and formulaic. Read it "for free" via the Kindle Lending Library and still think I overpaid ...

Now I've downloaded New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics as this months Lending Library book. I hope (and expect) to enjoy this one more than Cushman's dreck.

 

[Kilana2]

I have just finished "The Worst of both Worlds". No I´m diving head first into "Foul deeds will rise". It is by no means a Greg Cox overkill. I like how his stories play out in my mind and stir my imagination.

 

[borgboy]

Having enjoyed a quiet snow day at home, I finished Q-Squared and am halfway thru re-reading Federation, another brilliant but very different book.

 

[John Clark]

Currently, Agent to the stars by John Scalzi.

It's a pretty fun read

 

[Reanok]

I Finished reading Enterprise Tower of Babel. I'm looking forward to getting Uncertain Logic in a few weeks. Right now I'm reading Star Trek SCE No Surrender.