I just got done reading Avatar and wan't to continue on reading but I don't think I'm interested yet to read all the one off stories. I was think of reading Rising Son and Unity next and if Im still interested after that, then reading some of the others. So will I be missing too much by just reading Avatar, Rising Son and Unity?
Trimmed DS9 relaunch reading
- Thread starter Divine
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Yes, you will. Abyss, Gateways, Mission: Gamma, and The Left Hand of Destiny are great stories, and all of them advance the overall storyline. Of course, you can understand Rising Son and Unity without reading the others, but the experience will not be nearly as satisfying.
I'm not following what you mean by "one-off" stories. Granted, there are some books that "tie-in" to the DS9 relaunch but aren't integral to the ongoing narrative. But if you only read the three stories you mention, you'll be skipping six books in the direct sequence that are critical to bridging the storyline from Avatar to Unity.
I suppose you could read Rising Son immediately after Avatar if you really wanted to, since that book covers events that had been occurring simultaneously with the other books you've skipped. But once you tried to tackle Unity, you'd be at a pretty severe disadvantage in your understanding of the events.
To be clear, the only Gateways book that is essential to the sequence is Demons of Air and Darkness. And Left Hand of Destiny, while a great story, is ancillary to the overall narrative and can be read pretty much at any time.
Aside from missing a lot of good books I think Rising Son is an odd choice if you're only going to read 4 books. It's basically what's happening to Jake on the other side of the worm hole while everything else is going on. Unless you're a Jake Sisko fanatic it just seems to me to be one of the less consequential books in the series as far as moving the story along.
These two statements are mutually exclusive. Abyss, Demons of Air and Darkness, Horn and Ivory, and the four Mission: Gamma books are not "one off stories," they're continuing parts of the narrative.
I mean, you can skip ahead to Rising Son if you wish, but don't mistake the fact that S.D. Perry wrote those three books with the notion that they're the only important ones.
^ That said, you could probably manage to skip 'Abyss,' 'Demons of Air and Darkness,' (these two I'd recommend anyway, especially 'Abyss') 'Horn & Ivory' (I've still not finished it), 'Cathedral,' and 'Lesser Evil' (I couldn't find either of these books before I read 'Rising Son' and 'Unity,' and was caught up quickly by 'Unity;' I've since read them and am sure you could skip them).
'Twilight' and 'This Gray Spirit' are great books, and should not be skipped unless really necessary. All told, I'd recommend the following as an abbreviated relaunch:
A Stitch In Time (can be read at any time)
Avatar I
Avatar II
Twilight
This Gray Spirit
Rising Son
Unity
Cardassia: The Lotus Flower
Andor: Paradigm
The Dominion: Olympus Descending
Warpath
'Twilight' and 'This Gray Spirit' are great books, and should not be skipped unless really necessary. All told, I'd recommend the following as an abbreviated relaunch:
A Stitch In Time (can be read at any time)
Avatar I
Avatar II
Twilight
This Gray Spirit
Rising Son
Unity
Cardassia: The Lotus Flower
Andor: Paradigm
The Dominion: Olympus Descending
Warpath
I never really liked Jake, but Rising Son is one of my favorite books, and provides a lot of important context to the apparent future direction of the relaunch.
Interesting...
This is subjective, of course, but if I were to pick just three of the six Worlds of Deep Space Nine stories as being critical to the overall narrative, I'd select Unjoined and Fragments and Omens before The Lotus Flower or Paradigm.
But really, you need to read them all.
Just get Twist of Faith for faith for now: http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Faith-S...bs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207866925&sr=8-2
It's starting at like $1.19 and shipping, Read it and then when These Haunted Seas comes out:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Spa...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207866953&sr=8-1
Read that. See, only two so far, the rest to follow. Your question is like asking "Hey, can I see the first mini of BSG and then skip to the season 1 finale?"
It's starting at like $1.19 and shipping, Read it and then when These Haunted Seas comes out:
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Spa...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207866953&sr=8-1
Read that. See, only two so far, the rest to follow. Your question is like asking "Hey, can I see the first mini of BSG and then skip to the season 1 finale?"
I would think you could skip Abyss and Demons of Air & Darkness if you absoultely have too. But I would highly recommend the Mission Gamma books, Rising Son (yes the only series regular in the book is Jake, but it sets up one of the major plotlines for the rest of the series) and the Bajor, Trill, and Dominion stories in WoDS9. Abyss and DA&D do continue the story, and even introduce some important characters, but overall they don't contribute a ton to the main plot. As for the other three WoDS9 stories, they pretty much focus on a a specific group of characters, and finish up a plotline that groups plotline from all of the earlier books, so they are very important for those characters, but not neccissarily the whole series.
Is anyone else enjoying the heck out of this thread given that normally the argument runs in entirely the opposite direction and discusses how you don't need to read any previous books in order to enjoy others.
(yeah, yeah, I know it's a question with a difference purpose, but it's still fun!)
(yeah, yeah, I know it's a question with a difference purpose, but it's still fun!)
Demons of Air & Darkness and Horn and Ivory I'd have to say are not terribly "skippable" in the scope of things at all. As stated above, Kira's definitely on a large character arc and I'd think those stories are clearly large parts of it. Not to mention the interesting questions it raises in regards to the Iconian/Prophet relationship. On top of that, great stories with good character moments and development. Rising Son is important for a variety of reasons for the continuing story and the direction the Relaunch seems to be heading, and is an excellent piece of literature.
In the end, this whole conversation is slightly absurd. Bored by stories about the Bajorans? Why are you reading Ds9 fiction?
Geez.
And then the idea of liking the story but wanting to know the bare minimum you can read of it. What? I can't see how any of the Relaunch books could be considered "one off" considering their impact on subsequent books, the characters, etc.
If you're skipping forward to every 5th chapter in a book, yeah. You're gonna miss the point, and likely most of the good stuff.
In the end, this whole conversation is slightly absurd. Bored by stories about the Bajorans? Why are you reading Ds9 fiction?
Geez. And then the idea of liking the story but wanting to know the bare minimum you can read of it. What? I can't see how any of the Relaunch books could be considered "one off" considering their impact on subsequent books, the characters, etc.
If you're skipping forward to every 5th chapter in a book, yeah. You're gonna miss the point, and likely most of the good stuff.
I apologize, I simply meant that while they do move the story forward they don't deal with specifically the
Parasites, Ascendants/Eav'oq, or the current Mirror Universe plot
^I woudln't say that. We don't know how 'important' "Horn and Ivory" are since the whole story, even some of the elements in your spoiler code, are not yet complete.
I'm inclined to recommend reading all the books, I think you would do yourself a disservice skipping over some of the stories.
But thats just me.
ncc71877
I'm inclined to recommend reading all the books, I think you would do yourself a disservice skipping over some of the stories.
But thats just me.
ncc71877
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