So what are you reading? Part VI

[John Clark]

Just finished Halo:Cryptum by Greg Bear and am starting on 1636 by Eric Flint

 

[Lonemagpie]

Just finished Halo:Cryptum by Greg Bear and am starting on 1636 by Eric Flint

Greg Bear? Is it any good?

 

[JD]

For the past week or two I've been working my way through Spock's World, and while I am loving it I can't help but notice that it is certainly a little more of an idiosyncratic take on the Trekverse than I'm used to. We've got ship's computers with personality, crewmen who look like giant snowflakes, half dragon/half pythons, and meter tall glass spiders and even a ships BBS, all of which are very different from what we saw on screen over the years. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, in fact I'm loving those aspects of the novel, I just couldn't help but notice how different it is . But then again, that's why I love Trek Lit so much, it lets us explore things we never saw on screen. Oh, and I would love to see Diane Duane write a Titan novel, if she were to ever return to Trek Lit.

 

[Christopher]

^Yeah, Diane Duane was one of those authors who really brought her own distinctive vision and voice to ST, back in a time when the universe was still sufficiently lacking in detail that there was room for such extrapolations. You should also check out Duane's The Wounded Sky, My Enemy, My Ally, and The Romulan Way for more of that distinctive "Duaneverse." Her later books have those elements more toned down.

 

[Thrawn]

Finished : Resistance (J.M Dillard) - review below
Reading Now : Mile 81 (S. King)

Resistance

I'd rate this at about 2 1/2 stars...........

So, 2 parts "Best of Both Worlds", 2 parts "First Contact", 1 so-so story = been there, done that, but moderately enjoyable at times, mostly early on in the story before it deteriorates into a bit of a mess. This book started out relatively decently despite the overuse of the Borg in modern day trek and in fact, up until the very middle of the book seemed liked it was going to overcome those obstacles and serve up a relatively interesting story, However, then some pretty mind-boggling decisions in the story were made and for the most part it just fell apart into fairly nonsensical and illogical or predictable story telling that left me unimpressed and wondering why revisit almost the same story lines that have already been done so many times before?

That's not's to say that there aren't some redeeming parts of the book.....it did start out well until about chapter 8 and I did like the new Vulcan counselor as well as dealing with Worfs' past with Jadzia and I liked how this sets up Picard's new crew after Riker/Troi leave to take the Titan on. Still, there wasn't enough of substance that I enjoyed and that didn't feel like rehash to make the story a quality addition to Trek lore.

So, all in all, a sub-par effort largely undercut by implausible choices, predictable outcomes and a mediocre narrative made worse by rehashing one of Trek's most overused villains to date.

I am so excited for you to get to Destiny. I know you're not there yet, but I'm just saying.

 

[label]

I am so excited for you to get to Destiny. I know you're not there yet, but I'm just saying.

Yeah, I'm getting pretty pysched about getting there myself. The following is the reading list I'm using, so I still have a ways to get there before I reach Destiny.......

Death in Winter - Read
Titan: Taking Wing - Read
Titan: The Red King - Read
Resistance - Read

Titan: Orion’s Hounds
Q and A
Titan: Sword of Damocles
Before Dishonour
Articles of the Federation
Greater Than the Sum
Destiny: Gods of Night
Destiny: Mere Mortals
Destiny: Lost Souls
A Singular Destiny
Losing the Peace
Voyager: Full Circle
Titan: Over a Torrent Sea
Voyager: Unworthy
Titan: Synthesis
Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions
Voyager: Children of the Storm
Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire
DTI: Watching the Clock
Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game
Typhon Pact: Seize the Fire
Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony

Indistinguishable From Magic - Read

 

[Thrawn]

^ Oh yeah, you do. I think most people usually throw Articles and then Orion's Hounds before Resistance, but it looks like you're going for alternating back and forth between different things, which I get.

Either way, it's been fun so far reading your reviews of the books as you come to them; keep it up.

 

[JD]

^Yeah, Diane Duane was one of those authors who really brought her own distinctive vision and voice to ST, back in a time when the universe was still sufficiently lacking in detail that there was room for such extrapolations. You should also check out Duane's The Wounded Sky, My Enemy, My Ally, and The Romulan Way for more of that distinctive "Duaneverse." Her later books have those elements more toned down.

Yeah, I plan on checking out TWS and the Rihansuu books. I have The Bloodwing Voyages Trade, and TWS and The Empty Chair are on my Nook wishlist. As for her writting more Trek, apparently she's done some stuff for the Tokyopop mangas in '07 and '09, so I guess it's not totally impossible.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I just finally (FINALLY!) finished my re-read of Best Destiny. The first third is great, it falls off a cliff and then the ending is good.

 

[C. Cole-Chakotay]

I'm sure Amazon loves me when I look at threads like this. I see books that I think will be interesting and go their and order.

 

[DimesDan]

So I've finished Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast which was ok, after reading the reviews for Omen and never gotten through one of Christie Goldens' Trek novels, I'm loath to read it and may just skip right to Abyss.

Anyway, after looking high and low for my own copy of Reap the Whirlwind, I ordered it from the library, picked it up over the weekend and started reading it yesterday. I'm only about thirty pages in, but so far so good.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Right now I'm:
- re-reading Foundation and Empire, with which I'm almost done. I forgot that the Mule's downfall doesn't occur until Second Foundation.
- reading The Age of Renaissance, by Will Durant. It's the most narrowly focused of his works. So far it's just Italian politics and a history of art.
- reading a translation/interpretation of The Illiad, which is quite odd because it isn't done in verse.

 

[Rulius]

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

 

[Relayer1]

never gotten through one of Christie Goldens' Trek novels

I've heard good things from other reviewers (i.e. on Amazon) but I have found her ST stuff ranges from poor to awful - particularly Spirit Walk.

Can't speak for her SW novels, but it doesn't bode well.

 

[label]

Finished : Mile 81 (S. King short story)
Reading : A Storm of Swords

Review for Mile 81 ---- 3.25/5 stars

Mile 81 was pretty much a typical King short story, though this one was perhaps a little to short. While the book had some of King's trademark humor, horror and intensity, I felt like the story was perhaps a bit too rushed to really allow the story to breath. I did enjoy the story we got and it certainly some interesting aspects that I would have enjoyed reading more of, but for what it was, I think it worked pretty well.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I'm still working on re-reads of Chris's The Buried Age and Cornwell's The Body Farm and working my way through Greg's Shock Treatment but I seem to be writing more than reading lately. Shock Treatment is really good, but every time I sit down to read more I get interrupted and it's getting tedious, so I've just cut back on reading until my wife's RL troubles stop (since she's the one that interrupts me all the time).

Check out a finished crime short story on my blog.

EDIT: Just finished reading Greg's CSI: Shock Treatment. Review here.

 

[TenLubak]

I am so excited for you to get to Destiny. I know you're not there yet, but I'm just saying.

Yeah, I'm getting pretty pysched about getting there myself. The following is the reading list I'm using, so I still have a ways to get there before I reach Destiny.......

Death in Winter - Read
Titan: Taking Wing - Read
Titan: The Red King - Read
Resistance - Read

Titan: Orion’s Hounds
Q and A
Titan: Sword of Damocles
Before Dishonour
Articles of the Federation
Greater Than the Sum
Destiny: Gods of Night
Destiny: Mere Mortals
Destiny: Lost Souls
A Singular Destiny
Losing the Peace
Voyager: Full Circle
Titan: Over a Torrent Sea
Voyager: Unworthy
Titan: Synthesis
Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions
Voyager: Children of the Storm
Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire
DTI: Watching the Clock
Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game
Typhon Pact: Seize the Fire
Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony

Indistinguishable From Magic - Read

I read only the TNG books as they were released a couple years ago, and even lost Q+A and understood everything in destiny fine. U dont really have to read any of the TNG books in order but i think BEFORE DISHONER ruins everything GREATER THAN THE SUM fixes some things, the i think the big borg attack happens. I mean if u have time to read all them ok. But i cant read that much star trek at once ill be burned out on it. So i think if u only read BF DISHonOR, and greater THAN the SUM you would be ok!

 

[Greg Cox]

Still catching up with my comic book reading. Read six months worth of BIRDS OF PREY and SIRENS OF GOTHAM. (When the heck did Green Arrow and Black Canary get divorced?)

 

[John Clark]

A W40k novel, Faith and Fire by James Swallow. I haven't seen any spoilers/comments relating to it and I won't be the first to notice, but there are a couple of references to Firefly in it

 

[Sakrysta]

I finished The Red King on Tuesday and am now about halfway through Orion's Hounds.