Some Comments on "Troublesome Minds" (Possible Spoilers)

[KingstonTrekker]

Read the first 40 pages tonight...it feels like one of these "rush job" novels when Pocket was really churning them out in the late '80s/early '90s (like the dreadful "Three Minute Universe," "Great Starship Race", etc.) It is a shame that some non-Trek fans who enjoyed the new movie will likely pick up this book since it is current...and be sorely disappointed.

I will keep reading...I seldom give up on a Star Trek book...but at this point I am incredibly underwhelmed.

 

[Brendan Moody]

It is a shame that some non-Trek fans who enjoyed the new movie will likely pick up this book since it is current...and be sorely disappointed.

Yeah, it's a pity that everyone who picks up the book will inevitably share your opinion of it.

 

[KingstonTrekker]

Wow Brendan...a bit harsh.

 

[Brendan Moody]

I'm sorry if it offended you. But is that really any harsher than comparing a book to "dreadful" "rush job" novels that were "churned out," and regarding the fact that people might read it as a shame? It's one thing to dislike a book and say so; I've done more than my share of that here over the years. It's another to use language that suggests (intentionally or not) that the book wasn't an honest effort on the part of the author and the editorial team, and that your opinion will be so widespread that the book's very existence is a bad thing. These are pet peeves of mine when it comes to critical commentary, and cause me to become grouchier than the situation warrants. Again, if my reflexive sarcasm is hurtful or annoying, I apologize.

 

[Stevil2001]

I remember really liking The Three-Minute Universe and The Great Starship Race. The former was one of the first "adult" Trek novels I ever read, and I read it many times-- great aliens in that one. And the latter was just plain fun as I recall.

 

[DaveGalanter]

I didn't mean to suggest it wasn't over because there is a sequel. The ending is merely to leave you thinking about the same thing the main characters are.

Which is how many of the better Star Trek aka TOS episodes ended.

Are you planning on writing any more TOS episode-novels?

Maybe someday. I have a Star Trek: Phase II script I co-wrote with one of their producers that is being produced that you should see after David Gerrold's Blood and Fire, and then I'm going to take a little break to focus on a personal life.

 

[DaveGalanter]

Read the first 40 pages tonight...it feels like one of these "rush job" novels when Pocket was really churning them out in the late '80s/early '90s (like the dreadful "Three Minute Universe," "Great Starship Race", etc.) It is a shame that some non-Trek fans who enjoyed the new movie will likely pick up this book since it is current...and be sorely disappointed.

I will keep reading...I seldom give up on a Star Trek book...but at this point I am incredibly underwhelmed.

Sorry it doesn't do it for you. It wasn't a rush job, I assure you. But, one can't be everyone's cup of tea.

 

[DaveGalanter]

Brendan, I appreciate the defense. But I wasn't offended and no defense is really necessary (though still nice to see). I am a professional and I don't take these things personally. So long as the majority of people who read it enjoy it, I am pleased. It seems to be generally well-liked so far, so that's good. My goal was to write a book that was like an episode of the original series. I, and others--even those who don't like it that much--seem to say I did that. Mission accomplished.

 

[DaveGalanter]

I remember really liking The Three-Minute Universe and The Great Starship Race. The former was one of the first "adult" Trek novels I ever read, and I read it many times-- great aliens in that one. And the latter was just plain fun as I recall.

Sometimes we all forget that these things are subjective. I can cook the best dinner for myself, that someone else will taste and say "eww, you EAT that?" What I like in original Trek is a focus on the Big Three and more linear story telling with a more personal story. The universe is not at stake in this book. It is not an epic saga that will destroy the Federation if Kirk and the Enterprise do not save the day. Yes, lives hang in the balance, and planets will be forever changed--but so will people, including those you love and those you hopefully come to like. That's not everyone's story to tell or everyone's to enjoy. I hope those that like that kind of tale enjoy this book, and if not, I am sorry I didn't do my job well enough when allowed.

 

[LightningStorm]

Dave,

Triple+ posting in a row in a thread is frowned upon. Please use the Multi-Quote or Edit buttons for consolidation in the future.

Thanks

 

[KimMH]

thoroughly enjoyed Full Circle and some other, wordier newer TrekLit but greatly enjoyed the sparse prose of TM. I posted about enjoying the length of FC but can admire economy of words well chosen. I have yet to finish this but am offered further incentive to do so. I confess I've but rarely read published TrekLit that dissatified me so I am certainly not the most discriminating reader but having read some of the worlds great works - Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Donne, the sisters Bronte, I am certainly no neophyte.

 

[JD]

What I like in original Trek is a focus on the Big Three and more linear story telling with a more personal story. The universe is not at stake in this book. It is not an epic saga that will destroy the Federation if Kirk and the Enterprise do not save the day. Yes, lives hang in the balance, and planets will be forever changed--but so will people, including those you love and those you hopefully come to like. That's not everyone's story to tell or everyone's to enjoy. I hope those that like that kind of tale enjoy this book, and if not, I am sorry I didn't do my job well enough when allowed.

Cool. After all of the big epic stuff going on, I've been in the mood for this kind of Trek book.

 

[Brendan Moody]

Brendan, I appreciate the defense. But I wasn't offended and no defense is really necessary (though still nice to see).

My comments were more because I'm peeved by remarks like that (and because I'm a smartass who can hit 'quick reply' and offer a dose of the grumpy man's wit within mere seconds) than because I thought you or your novel needed defending. But, sad to say, this thread isn't about me, so I shall forgo further insight into my thought processes.

Actually, I had a question about the origins of the book: did you start with a character concept (putting Spock, and the Spock/Kirk relationship, through the wringer) or a story idea (telepaths and troublesome minds)? Or was the development more complicated than that?

 

[DaveGalanter]

Brendan, I appreciate the defense. But I wasn't offended and no defense is really necessary (though still nice to see).

My comments were more because I'm peeved by remarks like that (and because I'm a smartass who can hit 'quick reply' and offer a dose of the grumpy man's wit within mere seconds) than because I thought you or your novel needed defending. But, sad to say, this thread isn't about me, so I shall forgo further insight into my thought processes.

Actually this thread, to me, is about everyone who has read or wants to read the book. The thoughts, feelings, notions of the reader are actually MORE important than the writer's. You guys are the audience. If it ain't for you, who's it all for?

Actually, I had a question about the origins of the book: did you start with a character concept (putting Spock, and the Spock/Kirk relationship, through the wringer) or a story idea (telepaths and troublesome minds)? Or was the development more complicated than that?

A long time ago Greg Brodeur (the ugly, "different" smelling gentleman with whom I used to write) and I were thinking of ideas and he suggested he'd always wanted to tell a story where saving someone turned out to be the "wrong" thing to do. Years later I wanted to tell a story about this telepathic race who used a gestural language to communicate with non-telepaths (and among whom were many deaf because--really, what did hearing matter among such a race?). When it came time to propose such a novel, I put those two together. The Troublesome Mind was always the root of the telepath story and before it ever really got out of "idea seed" stage I was going to pitch it as a TNG book, were Data (rather than Spock) was the focus. In his case, because he was such a completely blank slate to the telepaths. (Or... was he?)

But I wanted to do a TOS novel as time went on, and so that's when Spock's very natural telepathic ability popped out. I had lunch with Greg to get his advice and he gave some awesome suggestions that I then built on (Greg is like a tuning fork in that way... you tell him an idea and he suggests a few things and it causes you to think of things and then he has more suggestions off those...) and as I wrote up the story, the character arcs were built. That's when the story becomes intertwined with the characters and when I realized "okay, gonna put some people through hell here--this should be interesting." That is LONG before the actual writing of the book. When it comes time to write the book, a lot of time has passed so I read the proposal again, and that gave me even more ideas. (A plot synopsis is just a guideline that for me is usually meandered around but never followed exactly.)

How's that for a longwinded answer?

 

[William Leisner]

You guys are the audience. If it ain't for you, who's it all for?

I thought it was for the hot babes...

 

[Steve Roby]

and among whom were many deaf because--really, what did hearing matter among such a race?

Hearing comes in handy when there's no other telepath nearby to telepathically tell you that there's an avalanche about to bury you, or a runaway truck to hit you, or a wild animal growling at you, or that the timer's gone off and your supper's ready, etc.

 

[Rosalind]

considering there are a few species on Earth that are deaf, a telepathic race should have other way to perceive their environment.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I've just started it, about 60 pages in thus far, and I'm loving it.

I liken TM to nuWho. Just like the original stories but new.

 

[Christopher]

considering there are a few species on Earth that are deaf, a telepathic race should have other way to perceive their environment.

But those are lower species of animals such as insects or mollusks that have the ability to sense vibrations in the surfaces they occupy, so they're still getting the equivalent of acoustical information. A humanoid, walking around with only a small surface area in contact with the ground, would not be able to rely on that.

On the other hand, maybe what you're suggesting is that a race with telepathic senses might have some sort of clairvoyance/remote viewing ability as well? Or maybe just the ability to use their psionic emanations as some sort of radar?

 

[Rosalind]

On the other hand, maybe what you're suggesting is that a race with telepathic senses might have some sort of clairvoyance/remote viewing ability as well? Or maybe just the ability to use their psionic emanations as some sort of radar?

I was thinking a telepathic race won't need hearing to know when a predator is near, since they would sense another being's emotion/thoughts long before it comes near them. slightly harder to explain would be cases like natural events, like volcano eruption, land slide, etc. but how often do those things happen? I don't think our hearings were evolved for those things. we don't have the senses like the animals do to feel the oncoming of an earthquake, for example. so it's not too hard to imagine that a telepathic race did not evolve hearing for natural disasters. they probably train themselves to tune to the natural world and sense the panic of the animals around and react accordingly.

as for the ping of a microwave oven, they probably developed technology to ping telepathically.