The State of Star Trek Literature

[Nerys Ghemor]

BI = Borg Invasion, I think.

As for me...I have largely stayed away from the Trek novel line--not because of Destiny, but because of how boring the TNG novels were, because of how the DS9-R lost its way (introducing the Mirror Universe--DS9 at its weakest--was a HUGE mistake), and because of a couple of other plot decisions that would take a whole other thread to discuss and be highly controversial at that.

That said, there HAVE been some good books this year.

Contrary to what some have said, The Neverending Sacrifice is one of the standouts. It says something about Una McCormack that I can completely disagree with her take on the relationship between Rugal and Proka, disagree on a number of details of Cardassia, and STILL find her book so compelling I couldn't put it down. Although I was surprised to find she hadn't read Les Miserables, that was really the feeling I got from the book. (Mind you, I have seen the play but never read the book, so it's the play I'm comparing to.)

The Titan series is one that I have followed loyally ever since it started--but the beginning of this year almost had me ready to give up. Torrent Sea was just...ugh. Thank goodness for James Swallow--who can't write a bad story, it seems--who came along with Synthesis. I don't care what others said about the way the characters acted. It would have been FAR more unrealistic to try and act as though the events of Destiny had left no scars, had no impact. And that was always the thing about TNG and VOY that bothered me...the reset button, the fact that we never saw the long-term impact of anything, and that everything managed to be hunky-dory again at the start of the next episode.

Troublesome Minds by Dave Galanter was also an excellent piece of worldbuilding, and really felt like one of the old-style TOS novels I loved when I was younger.

The most recent thing I really ended up enjoying, though, was the Seven Deadly Sins anthology. James Swallow's Cardassian story was fantastic! But who would've thought the second most compelling story would deal with the Pakleds? Very impressive on Greg Cox' part.

Most of the rest of the Treklit, though, I could do without.

 

[RonG]

post-BI?

Borg Invasion

.. crap - a second too long

 

[BillJ]

You keep making it sound all of the books have been nothing death and destruction all the time, but they really really haven't.

I posted exactly once in this thread about what I think of the current line. Might want to chose better wording.

Like it or not, the ramifications of the Destiny trilogy permeate all of the 24th century lines. Whether they're dealing directly with the aftermath or not.

About the only line that I'm keeping an eye on now (24th century) is Voyager, which is funny considering it was the show I liked least (which is a huge compliment to the work of Kirsten Beyer). As far as Titan goes... I haven't been able to make it through one since 'The Red King'. It just doesn't click for me.

 

[Cicero]

You keep making it sound all of the books have been nothing death and destruction all the time, but they really really haven't.

I posted exactly once in this thread about what I think of the current line. Might want to chose better wording.

Like it or not, the ramifications of the Destiny trilogy permeate all of the 24th century lines. Whether they're dealing directly with the aftermath or not.

About the only line that I'm keeping an eye on now (24th century) is Voyager, which is funny considering it was the show I liked least (which is a huge compliment to the work of Kirsten Beyer). As far as Titan goes... I haven't been able to make it through one since 'The Red King'. It just doesn't click for me.

I like what Ms. Beyer has done with Voyager. My only problem is that the resulting situation lacks Janeway (which makes them not really feel like Voyager to me), and that's not at all her fault.

 

[Warp Coil]

I have to say that Destiny has been a tough act to follow. The 24th century has been shaken up, and while it's a very interesting change, the results thus far have been mixed. We've had one fairly good TNG entry with Losing the Peace. TTN has tried to get back to its mission of exploration, but I wasn't terribly impressed with either of the novels released in the past year (Over a Torrent Sea and Synthesis). And I'm still really bummed about DS9. My favorite series. The relaunch had been so strong for so long. Then things really started to get derailed with Fearful Symmetry and continued down the wrong path with The Soul Key. Didn't even both reading Never-Ending Sacrifice. And I'm terrified of the misguided, poorly timed five year time jump that is on the horizon.

VOY, surprisingly, is the bright spot here. It's hard to imagine but it's true. Kirsten Beyer has resurrected the Voyager series with her two novels, Full Circle and Unworthy. I wouldn't have given a damn what happened to VOY before, but these novels have established a new status quo and have really turned things around.

I think that Marco Palmieri's loss has been felt tremendously. The novels that he was associated with seemed to be very strong. Margaret Clark was clearly overworked and had too many projects to carry once he was let go, and I think the quality of the Trek line may have suffered a bit. Not entirely her fault, of course. And now she's gone and we've got a new editorial staff in place. There's no way to know if the quality is going to be maintained. I'm sure the individual authors will try their hardest. The behind-the-scenes shakeups at Pocket Books seems to have thrown the entire Trek line through a loop. The 2010 release schedule has been a mess. I, personally, haven't been interested in any of the most recent novels. I won't be picking up anything new until the Typhon Pact novels are released towards the end of the year.

I can only hope that 2011 will prove to be a bit more stable, and a little more enjoyable.

 

[JWolf]

>5. What editorial decisions and changes from the last 12-15 months have you like or disliked?

I dislike the new agency pricing model for eBooks. It's making the prices higher and the availability is worse. If you have to go to S&S to get the ePub and there is a problem, you may not be able to contact anyone to help you with the problem.

 

[JD]

Yeah, BI is the Borg Invasion, like the others said.

You keep making it sound all of the books have been nothing death and destruction all the time, but they really really haven't.

I posted exactly once in this thread about what I think of the current line. Might want to chose better wording.

Like it or not, the ramifications of the Destiny trilogy permeate all of the 24th century lines. Whether they're dealing directly with the aftermath or not.

I'm not denying that, but I still don't see where they've been as dark and depressing as you guys were saying they are. The only ones that I really feel could maybe be characterized that way are ASD, and LtP and I felt that they still managed to be positive, and that they still kept things fairly optimistic. I just thought you guys were making it sound like all we were getting was the people wandering around all depressed, and baisically going "Woe is me, billions of people died, I'm so sad", and I just really felt that that was not the case. I felt that instead of that, they were actually focused more on the people trying to help rebuild their old lives, and were looking towards the future instead of wallowing in the past. I guess maybe I shouldn't have stated things so matter of factly when perhaps it is more opinion. I just bothered me to read, that and I wanted to add my opinion to the mix. I apologize if I upset or offended you in anyway, that was not my intent. I was simply trying to say why I disagreed with the way you guys were talking about the books.

 

[pookha]

^Which it actually is doing right now in the Titan books, and Voyager. Those two series actually deal very little with the Federation wide impact of Destiny, although we do see the personal impact it has on their characters. So fart the only books to really deal with the Federation wide effects are A Singular Destiny, and Losing the Peace. In fact, in (I think it's) ASD Bacco gives a whole speech about how important it is to get back out there exploring new worlds, and meeting new civilizations. I'm sorry, but this IMO mischaracterization of the whole line. You keep making it sound all of the books have been nothing death and destruction all the time, but they really really haven't. Like said up thread, of the six books that have taken place after Destiny only two have actually dealt with the death and destruction post-BI, but even they still managed keep a positive, and IMO still very Trek out look on the whole thing.

uh the next titan is going to be a typhon pact novel. not a deep space exploration novel.

 

[JD]

I know, but I was talking about the books that have come out in the past year, and the two Titan books that came out then were exploration stories.

And besides, Seize the Fire is about

Spoiler: info from Michael A. Martin interview on Unreality

the Gorn trying to create a new hatchery world, and I doubt very much that that will be happening in the Federation

.

EDIT: Wow, I just read the quote, and I just want to apologize for how badly written that was.I tend to think faster than I write, so sometimes when I get going on a roll like that I'll miss words without realizing it.

 

[C.E. Evans]

1. How do you feel the Trek book line has done in the last 12-15 months?
There's been some ups and downs. I thought Destiny was a badly-needed kick in the pants to shake things up and to make the 24th-Century a more interesting place. On the other hand, other book series have kind of gotten the short-end of the stick as a result.

2. What specifically have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? Any favorite novels?
Aside from Destiny, I liked the TNG books that led up to it as well as Vanguard. The re-relaunch of Voyager was also a good thing for me.

3. And what specifically have you disliked in regards to the Trek book line of the last year or so? Any bad or disappointing novels?
Overall, there wasn't much that I didn't like about the books. Because of the publishing schedule and the large number of individual book series, there will always be some series that will be short-changed and that's kind of a constant thing. The only books that I probably had problems with (but actually didn't dislike) were Voyager's "Full Circle" and The Next Generation's "Losing The Peace," and only because they were stories that dialed back the clock a bit or ran parallel to events in "A Singular Destiny." I was more eager to see what happened after the final Borg showdown and the unveiling of the Typhon Pact and that was only alluded to in the final chapters of both books...

4. Any new recurring trends or themes in the last 12 months have you noticed? Anything you've liked or disliked about them?
I think one theme I've liked is simply "really bad stuff can happen to anyone." Another is that "things change." During Destiny, the Federation faced its darkest hour--but was still standing when it was over. Things have changed. The Federation was taken down a peg and may now have competition as the dominant superpower in the region. That's the kind of stuff that I think will make the 24th-Century more interesting.

5. What editorial decisions and changes from the last 12-15 months have you like or disliked?
Definitely losing Marco. 'Nuff said.

6. What changes would you like to see in the Trek book line? Be it production choices or story editorial decisions?
I think one of the things I wanted to see in the past was more cohesiveness between the 24th-Century books. They don't have to be so heavily dependent on one another in the sense that (for example) you got to read Titan to understand a major plot point in Voyager, but it's good that the events in Destiny haven't been swept under the rug and will have a lasting impact for awhile.

 

[Trent Roman]

In fact, in (I think it's) ASD Bacco gives a whole speech about how important it is to get back out there exploring new worlds, and meeting new civilizations.

That was at the end of Destiny (unless there is also a similar speech in A Singular Destiny). And I didn't believe of a word of it. Bloody ludicrous to send ships out into the unknown when your civilization is devastated, you've got a massive refugee crisis on your hands, and all resources need be directed towards humanitarian relief and rebuilding. Which is the central dilemna going forward after destruction at such a scale. You can cleave to verisimilitude, but then the aftermath must be dark and depressing. Or you claim that the future is bright and do things like such exploratory fleets, but then you lose the verisimilitude. You can have one or the other, but not both. Anybody who claims be optimistic about the future after such a crippling disaster is lying or insane--to say nothing of damnably insulting towards the untold billions who have died, to suggest that the universe is somehow not worse off without them. I've no interest in false cheer and whistling past the graveyard.

I'm sorry, but this IMO mischaracterization of the whole line. You keep making it sound all of the books have been nothing death and destruction all the time, but they really really haven't. Like said up thread, of the six books that have taken place after Destiny only two have actually dealt with the death and destruction post-BI,

Say you so? Flame and ruin, despair and dementia--these are the hallmarks of genocide-chic. A Singular Destiny seems rather flame-and-ruin-ish (also, jigsaw-esque). My back cover copy of Over a Torrent Sea speaks of the scars of the cataclysm that remains with them, and apparently characters lose control and go nuts (yay). Full Circle covers the same time period as Janeway's death and Destiny, so don't tell me there's no genocide-chic there. Losing the Peace, more flame and ruins (and extras from "Thriller"). Synthesis is 'steeped in post-Destiny paranoia'. Unworthy has Seven of Nine going crazy as a result of Destiny (boy, they're just handing out psychoses at the door, aren't they), plus Janeway's still dead, with is a present, gaping hole left by the genocide-chic trend--of which I'm having a hard time seeing why these novels should be exempted from. I'll wait to see whether the Typhon Pact novels are equally as obsessed with death and devastation; if so, I guess I'll just have to wait some more for the darkness fixation to go away.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

I have been an active Star Trek books fan for so many years but now that I think about it I haven`t even touched one for months now.

There was a time when I couldn`t wait for the next DS9 Relaunch book. But with the multiple Kiras and Illyanas storyline I found out that I didn`t even care how this mess ends and Rugel is a character I have no interest in. It seems all of this will be dropped now and DS9 will be placed among the other "present day" series. It certainly has its advantages but the time is past when I would say, wow, I can`t wait to start reading this!

The latest TNG and Titan books were ok but nothing exciting either. I lost interest in Vanguard. I still haven`t read the new Enterprise novel in spite this is the only new book I have got I am somewhat curious about.

Looking at the list, there is a lot of TOS again. I am not buying these books.

At the moment I don`t feel motivated to return to reading Star Trek. I will wait and see when I find more information about the Typhon Pact novels and at the very least I will read the coming New Frontier book.

 

[William Leisner]

Losing the Peace, more flame and ruins (and extras from "Thriller").

Yeah, that's a fair criticism...

 

[Therin of Andor]

I guess I'll just have to wait some more for the darkness fixation to go away.

Or stop judging the novels by the back cover blurbs alone.

 

[William Leisner]

I guess I'll just have to wait some more for the darkness fixation to go away.

Or stop judging the novels by the back cover blurbs alone.

That's not fair; he also judges them based on the front covers!

 

[BillJ]

I guess I'll just have to wait some more for the darkness fixation to go away.

Or stop judging the novels by the back cover blurbs alone.

Or maybe Pocket needs to do a better job of selling Trek novels, which includes back-cover blurbs.

It may be time that Pocket realizes that Trek books aren't just competing against Trek books in the marketplace. There are literally thousands of sci-fi books sitting on the shelves at my local Barnes and Noble and most times the back-cover blurb is the only exposure a reader has to a book.

And with soooo many series it may be time to end the multi-book crossover events. With the Typhon Pact, me as a buyer, I am sitting out essentially four straight months of ST books. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Would the cancellation/delay of the post-STXI line count as an editorial decision and answer to 5? I know it went above Pocket, but it was someone's "editorial decision". A bad one.

Although steeped in death and destruction, I'd like to say I don't think Trek has become a Boringstar rip-off. The universe is grim now, but the characters are not.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It's may be time that Pocket realizes that Trek books aren't just competing against Trek books in the marketplace. There are literally thousands of sci-fi books sitting on the shelves at my local Barnes and Noble and most times the back-cover blurb is the only exposure a reader has to a book.

Since I only really read ST novels for my chosen recreational reading (other genres only for my part time reviewing job), and I barely get all the ST novels read these days, what other SF novels say on their blurb doesn't really matter to me. In fact, since I'm a ST collector, what's written in the blurb of ST novels is really just a curiosity, since I buy and read all the books anyway, and the blurbs are seemingly (and rightly) aimed at very casual readers. Why aim a blurb at me, since I'm buying anyway?

And with soooo many series it may be time to end the multi-book crossover events. With the Typhon Pact, me as a buyer, I am sitting out essentially four straight months of ST books. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Pocket keeps doing multi-book crossovers because they sell well and they are also somewhat easier to market. A batch of interrelated novels looks great on book shelves, with their matching covers, and can be discussed by marketers as a group, especially in the absence of a current ST series on the air to cross pollinate the promotion.

If the sales for multi-book crossovers plunged, I'm sure you'd see a return to standalones only.

Would the cancellation/delay of the post-STXI line count as an editorial decision and answer to 5? I know it went above Pocket, but it was someone's "editorial decision". A bad one.

You know that there'd be an outcry if the next ST movie dared to deviate even slightly over the events depicted in the four currently-shelved tie-in sequel novels.

IDW's numerous movie prequel tie-ins and adaptations, and the two upcoming "Starfleet Academy" prequel tie-in "young adult" novels, will fill the gap quite nicely in the meantime.

 

[DarKush]

1. How do you feel the Trek book line has done in the last 12-15 months?

I thought its done fairly well. I think the VOY-R has been excellent, Destiny pushed the ball forward and opened up some interesting storyline possibilities, and I'm looking forward to reading about the Typhon Pact in the coming year. Only read the first two VAN books so far, but that series seems firmly established. Not as much into Titan. It's just too many alien characters on the ship and it seems the writers can sometimes spend too much time describing them in detail. But I did like what David Mack did with Riker and Troi in Destiny.

2. What specifically have you liked in regards to the entire Trek book line in that time? Any favorite novels? I liked the Destiny trilogy. I wasn't gaga over it, but I enjoyed it. Also liked Resistance, Greater than the Sum from the TNG-R. Loved both recent VOY-R books, particularly K. Beyer's first novel. I didn't like VOY as a show, in part because I never really got most of the characters, but KB's work helped me understand those characters and actually care for them. The second book wasn't quite as good, but still very enjoyable. I liked the characters of Captain Eden and Counselor Campbell, though only in small doses.

Still enjoying New Frontier. Treason was better than I thought it would be. Didn't care for PAD shoehorning the NF crew into Before Dishonor and Calhoun's brief inclusion in Destiny didn't quite feel right to me.

3. And what specifically have you disliked in regards to the Trek book line of the last year or so? Any bad or disappointing novels?

I haven't cared much for the TNG-R characters, except for T'Lana who provided some at least created some organic dissension among the crew. I thought the rest of the characters were boring or cardboard following Resistance. Sara Nave was a bit of a Mary Sue but I wound up liking her and Lio in that book. I've only read up to Losing the Peace and I haven't got a real take on Jasminder or the other new TNG characters just yet. Also don't know if LtP addresses the woeful, continued underdevelopment of Geordi, which started on the show and continued in large parts in the books.

Not digging the current direction of the DS9-R either. But its been that way ever since they brought back the parasites. I thought that belonged in the TNG books. And the Mirror Universe stuff is played out. I thought the DS9-R was heading in interesting territory with the Ascendants, but I wonder now if they will let that storyline play out organically or speed up the relaunch to fit with TNG and VOY? I liked Warpath quite a bit, but have had no interest in reading Fearful Symmetry which I bought and Soul Key, which I just couldn't bring myself to buy. I don't like the idea of Vaughn punching Sisko and not getting his block knocked off, nor the idea of the center of the DS9-R shifting from Sisko to Kira.

Most disappointing novels I've read recently were PAD's Before Dishonor and M & M's Kobayashi Maru. I generally love PAD's books, but BD was PAD at his worst, and I really liked M & M's first two ENT books, but I wasn't feeling KM. I didn't like the Coalition starting the war, didn't care for some of the language and the adult situations in the book. I'm somewhat reading the Romulan War, but as another poster said its proven to be a difficult read even though I was eagerly anticipating the book. I've been wanting to read about the Romulan War for a long, long time, but I haven't been able to muster up the interest to keep reading.

4. Any new recurring trends or themes in the last 12 months have you noticed? Anything you've liked or disliked about them?

Can't say that I have. I guess there is a more pronounced darkness in the books, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Conflict is an essential part of drama, and I do like how the growing interconnectedness of the Trek lit. universe can give the writers more opportunities to do crossovers and galaxy-wide stories, approaching them from different angles.

5. What editorial decisions and changes from the last 12-15 months have you like or disliked?

I disliked the shelving of the Sisko-Tzenkethi War book. I had really been looking forward to that. I wished they had pushed forward on the Robert April book too. I also thought it was a mistake not to release the Abramsverse Trek books. Why not capitalize on the success of the movie and prime the pump for the sequel? I think CBS-Paramount are idiots for not using their multimedia power with Trek like Lucasfilm does with Star Wars. At the very least there should be novels to whet Trekkie/Trekker appetites.

6. What changes would you like to see in the Trek book line? Be it production choices or story editorial decisions?

Bring back the Tzenkethi War book. Get more writers on the Romulan War books. Bring back the nuTrek books. Bring the DS9-R up to the present, perhaps by doing an anthology series, but I would still like the Ascendant story to play itself out.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Bring back the Tzenkethi War book.

The authors aren't banned from pitching this. No author was ever assigned, AFAIK; it was an idea Marco floated.