The New Editors of the Star Trek Book Series

[Fer]

I respectfully disagree with all the authors. I remember there was a time when you you didn't have to wait six months to a year for the second part of a story (I.E. Romulan War) it was such a good book and I would have liked to have seen them released right after the first volume. The Typhon Pact series was released on a monthly basis. Why isn't this true of all the multi part stories?



As a long time follower of the Trek novels this is a deal breaker for me. I don't like buying a story where I have to wait a long period of time for part two. I am sure the authors are going to disagree with me. However in today's economic times, I'd like to finish a great story when I start it.

That hasn't really been consistent though; for example, we got all three Destiny books in a row, but in between Errand of Fury books 2 & 3, which were published a year apart.

I used to do what Therin suggested and just wait until the series was done and read them all back to back, mostly because I have a bad memory. (And I sometimes still do-- I'm doing that with Romulan War, in fact.) But with sources like wikipedia and Memory Beta now available, I usually just read the new books when they come out, and review the plot summary online before reading the next book to refresh my memory.

 

[Starbreaker]

Sorry to dredge this shit up again, but my only problem with the editors --and it's a big one, dating from two years ago when a different editor was in charge anyway-- is that there are still no nuTrek novels and probably won't be until Bad Robot are through with the franchise. Other than that, they're doing a great job.
.

Why do you have a problem with the editors? They have no control over this.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Sorry to dredge this shit up again, but my only problem with the editors --and it's a big one, dating from two years ago when a different editor was in charge anyway-- is that there are still no nuTrek novels and probably won't be until Bad Robot are through with the franchise. Other than that, they're doing a great job.
.

Why do you have a problem with the editors? They have no control over this.

That they haven't rectified it by any means necessary. Although, correct, whatever happened in 2009 isn't their fault.

 

[Christopher]

Yup. And as part of the same exchange, I asked Greg not to alter something in his book, because it let me improve a minor thread running through my book. So there was some useful synergy there.

Was this book Forgotten History or something else you can't talk about?

It was FH, yes.

Sorry to dredge this shit up again, but my only problem with the editors --and it's a big one, dating from two years ago when a different editor was in charge anyway-- is that there are still no nuTrek novels and probably won't be until Bad Robot are through with the franchise. Other than that, they're doing a great job.
.

Why do you have a problem with the editors? They have no control over this.

That they haven't rectified it by any means necessary. Although, correct, whatever happened in 2009 isn't their fault.

If you understand that wasn't the editors' fault, then why do you think they have any power to "rectify" the situation now? What do you mean, "by any means necessary?" Do you think the Pocket editorial staff should storm the Bad Robot offices at gunpoint or something? Maybe the situation is just as much out of the editors' hands now as it was then.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Sorry to dredge this shit up again, but my only problem with the editors --and it's a big one, dating from two years ago when a different editor was in charge anyway-- is that there are still no nuTrek novels and probably won't be until Bad Robot are through with the franchise. Other than that, they're doing a great job.

Huh? It's the editors at Pocket's fault that the ST 2009 movie tie-in novels were placed on hiatus? Since when?

The matter was taken out of Pocket's hands by CBS Licensing and Bad Robot, after JJ's people said they'd prefer that their next movie to come out first.

Place blame where it belongs, if you must lay blame.

That they haven't rectified it by any means necessary.

Well, I guess they could have tried to get the four authors to rewrite their novels for the original timeline, but since they were taking pride in coming up with unique stories, that could only be told in the new timeline, that would lose the point. Seems we have to wait for one, perhaps two, canonical JJ features before these tie-in novels can be revised (if necessary) and published.

That hasn't really been consistent though; for example, we got all three Destiny books in a row, but in between Errand of Fury books 2 & 3, which were published a year apart.

If I recall, Kevin Ryan's writing on this trilogy was interrupted by a family tragedy.

 

[Christopher]

The matter was taken out of Pocket's hands by CBS Licensing and Bad Robot, after JJ's people said they'd prefer that their next movie to come out first.

Actually we don't know for sure whether that's the reason. That's a lot of people's best guess as to the reason, but it's not a proven fact.

 

[tmclough]

Do you think the Pocket editorial staff should storm the Bad Robot offices at gunpoint or something?

That's an idea!

 

[JD]

I respectfully disagree with all the authors. I remember there was a time when you you didn't have to wait six months to a year for the second part of a story (I.E. Romulan War) it was such a good book and I would have liked to have seen them released right after the first volume. The Typhon Pact series was released on a monthly basis. Why isn't this true of all the multi part stories?



As a long time follower of the Trek novels this is a deal breaker for me. I don't like buying a story where I have to wait a long period of time for part two. I am sure the authors are going to disagree with me. However in today's economic times, I'd like to finish a great story when I start it.

You obviously don't read alot of ongoing series. Look at the A Song of Ice and Fire series, there were 2 years between the first, second, and third books, 5 between the third, and fourth, and 6 years between the fourth and fifth books, and the there are still at least two books left in the series. I've never read the series, but from what I've read there were 12 years between 2 of the entries, and 8 years between another pair of books in Jean M. Aul's Earth's Children series. So as far as I'm concerned, if we can get at least a year between entries in the different Trek series, I'm happy.

 

[Greg Cox]

There was a huge gap between Anne Rice's first two vampire novels as I recall, during which time she wrote various other books.

 

[Fer]

That hasn't really been consistent though; for example, we got all three Destiny books in a row, but in between Errand of Fury books 2 & 3, which were published a year apart.

If I recall, Kevin Ryan's writing on this trilogy was interrupted by a family tragedy.

Oh. My apologies.

 

[Nick M]

Jolan Tru,

I honestly don't mind the wait between books, in fact, because of the release dates between the Vanguard series I would go back and reread the prior book and catch things I missed the first time, and get even more enjoyment out of it. Also, it gives me a chance to read older Trek novels (like Greg Cox's Khan books) or more stand-alone books like Watching the Clock by Christoper L. Bennett (very good) the wonderful Cast No Shadow by James Swallow.

I guess I just don't get the argument.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Do you think the Pocket editorial staff should storm the Bad Robot offices at gunpoint or something? Maybe the situation is just as much out of the editors' hands now as it was then.

It probably is. I'm just being a frustrated nuTrek fan.

Seems we have to wait for one, perhaps two, canonical JJ features before these tie-in novels can be revised (if necessary) and published.

If this was the case, there'd be no IDW comic series nor EA videogame coming next year. Bob Orci can vet the stories for those, yet he can't "okay" a novel outline or four?

 

[sojourner]

If this was the case, there'd be no IDW comic series nor EA videogame coming next year. Bob Orci can vet the stories for those, yet he can't "okay" a novel outline or four?

the answer to that is simple really. You can simulate lense flare in a comic book and video game. Not possible in a novel.

 

[Relayer1]

If this was the case, there'd be no IDW comic series nor EA videogame coming next year. Bob Orci can vet the stories for those, yet he can't "okay" a novel outline or four?

the answer to that is simple really. You can simulate lense flare in a comic book and video game. Not possible in a novel.

Really ?

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[Daddy Todd]

You obviously don't read alot of ongoing series. Look at the A Song of Ice and Fire series, there were 2 years between the first, second, and third books, 5 between the third, and fourth, and 6 years between the fourth and fifth books, and the there are still at least two books left in the series. I've never read the series, but from what I've read there were 12 years between 2 of the entries, and 8 years between another pair of books in Jean M. Aul's Earth's Children series. So as far as I'm concerned, if we can get at least a year between entries in the different Trek series, I'm happy.

Huh. Those are nothing. In about a month, it will be 19 years since the fourth of David Gerrold's War Against the Chtorr books was published. We've been promised the fifth book so many times -- only to have it disappear from various publisher's schedules -- that, frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll live long enough to read the conclusion of the series.

 

[Christopher]

^And I'm wondering if Diane Duane is ever going to do the promised fourth and concluding volume in The Tale of the Five.

 

[Greg Cox]

At one point, Stephen King was talking about doing a sequel to 'Salem's Lot, but apparently that has fallen by the wayside . . ..

(I remember him talking about it in an issue of Fangoria I read back in college . . . ..)

 

[Reanok]

When it came to waiting for Diane Duane to finish writing her Romulan book series it took her a very long time for her finish writing the last novel.There were extremely long delays and due to health problems she mentioned in the inteview she did for the novel.I was so glad she was able wrap up her series of books.I really liked the The empty throne novel.

 

[Sci]

At one point, Stephen King was talking about doing a sequel to 'Salem's Lot, but apparently that has fallen by the wayside . . ..

(I remember him talking about it in an issue of Fangoria I read back in college . . . ..)

Well, arguably he did write a sequel to 'Salem's Lot in the form of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla.

ETA:

The Dark Tower is another good example of long years between release dates:

I: The Gunslinger (1982)
II: The Drawing of the Three (1987 - 5 years)
III: The Waste Lands (1991- 4 years)
IV: Wizard and Glass (1997 - 6 years)
V: Wolves of the Calla (2003 - 6 years)
VI: Song of Susannah (2004 - 1 year)
VII: The Dark Tower (2004 - 0 years)
The Wind Through the Keyhole: A Dark Tower Novel (upcoming mid-quel, 2012 - 8 years)

V, VI, and VII came out in short succession only because King's brush with death after being hit by a van made him fear he would die before completing the series if he didn't make finishing it his priority.

Meanwhile, another famous series, A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin, has the following release dates:

A Game of Thrones (1996)
A Clash of Kings (1998 - 2 years)
A Storm of Swords (2000 - 2 years)
A Feast for Crows (2005 - 5 years)
A Dance with Dragons (2011 - 6 years)
The Winds of Winter (upcoming)
A Dream of Spring (upcoming)

And then there's His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman:

Northern Lights (1995)
The Subtle Knife (1997 -2 years)
The Amber Spyglass (2000 - 3 years)
Lyra's Oxford (2003 - 3 years)
Once Upon A Time in the North (2008 - 5 years)
The Book of Dust (upcoming)

So, all in all, I gotta say, a two-year wait between Beneath the Raptor's Wing and To Brave the Storm doesn't sound that bad to me.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Huh. Those are nothing. In about a month, it will be 19 years since the fourth of David Gerrold's War Against the Chtorr books was published. We've been promised the fifth book so many times -- only to have it disappear from various publisher's schedules -- that, frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll live long enough to read the conclusion of the series.

But even that pales when compared to Harlan Ellison's The Last Dangerous Visions, which was originally scheduled for publication in 1979.