About 8 or 9 years ago I started reading New Frontier books while on various vacations. I would take a NF book with me and read them and I finished up the series a little over a year ago with "The Return" (I do continue to hope someday they will continue, even if that seems unlikely at this point).
Since I'm done I decided for my vacation last week to start over. I thought it would be interesting to go back to the beginning of NF now that I know the entire saga to date to see it from the beginning again (much like watching a favorite TV series from the beginning again). I read the first 2 books (which roughly equals an average size single novel of a little over 300 pages) and figured I'd post a few observations (though I decided not to do my usual review threads).
First, they were first published in 1997. In a way it was the first continuing novel series. The current relaunches are the same idea, but New Frontier was really the first attempt at a continuing Star Trek novel series (other than the occasional novel sequels, and the occasional re-use of a character or storyline from a previous novel).
There is something about the beginning of the NF series, when all the crew is together aboard the original Excalibur. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is definitely a maverick. While there have been debates about Kirk being a maverick and a rule breaker, there is no doubt Calhoun is a maverick and enjoys being one. However he gets away with it because he does have a deep seated sense of honor and right and wrong, and his decisions usually happen to be the right decisions. He also has a sixth sense for danger. Commander Shelby helps balance him out and provides him with a strength. She is more by the book and she serves as a counterpoint to Calhoun, keeping him from going to far astray. Selar, Soleta and Lefler would become more interesting as the series progressed and of course he creates some interesting characters with Kebron and Burgoyne. I also liked Si Cwan in those early days, trying to relearn his place now that the Thallonian Empire has collapsed.
Peter David also obviously has a sense of humor which he uses quite a bit in his novels. I liked his portrayal of Calhoun and the other characters. And the stories he created were usually pretty good. I do admit I enjoyed the earlier stories a bit more. Not to say the later NF novels weren't good, but there's something about the earlier novels when all the crew was together.
Since I'm done I decided for my vacation last week to start over. I thought it would be interesting to go back to the beginning of NF now that I know the entire saga to date to see it from the beginning again (much like watching a favorite TV series from the beginning again). I read the first 2 books (which roughly equals an average size single novel of a little over 300 pages) and figured I'd post a few observations (though I decided not to do my usual review threads).
First, they were first published in 1997. In a way it was the first continuing novel series. The current relaunches are the same idea, but New Frontier was really the first attempt at a continuing Star Trek novel series (other than the occasional novel sequels, and the occasional re-use of a character or storyline from a previous novel).
There is something about the beginning of the NF series, when all the crew is together aboard the original Excalibur. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is definitely a maverick. While there have been debates about Kirk being a maverick and a rule breaker, there is no doubt Calhoun is a maverick and enjoys being one. However he gets away with it because he does have a deep seated sense of honor and right and wrong, and his decisions usually happen to be the right decisions. He also has a sixth sense for danger. Commander Shelby helps balance him out and provides him with a strength. She is more by the book and she serves as a counterpoint to Calhoun, keeping him from going to far astray. Selar, Soleta and Lefler would become more interesting as the series progressed and of course he creates some interesting characters with Kebron and Burgoyne. I also liked Si Cwan in those early days, trying to relearn his place now that the Thallonian Empire has collapsed.
Peter David also obviously has a sense of humor which he uses quite a bit in his novels. I liked his portrayal of Calhoun and the other characters. And the stories he created were usually pretty good. I do admit I enjoyed the earlier stories a bit more. Not to say the later NF novels weren't good, but there's something about the earlier novels when all the crew was together.
