Underrated / hidden gems

[Thrawn]

There are certain novels that I think most people would include on a list of Star Trek classics, books like A Stitch In Time, PAD's TNG hardcovers, Federation, Articles Of The Federation, Destiny, etc etc. Books that were big events, and everyone knew they were going to be. Big topics, big stories.

There are also novels that fly "under the radar", so to speak - books released as part of larger series, random numbered novels back when novels were numbered, not what you'd call big event stories - that are just as good. This is a thread for people to mention their favorites from this category.

I have two, both by PAD. New Frontier, it seems to me, is a huge sprawling creation full of characters and ongoing plots and I love almost all of it, but the one thing it is not is 'concise'. So, Once Burned and PAD's Mirror Universe story both really surprised me - as part of larger anthologies/series, both are tiny little concise stories that pack a huge emotional punch. Once Burned is a beautiful tragedy in barely 250 pages, self contained and flawlessly constructed, and Cutting Ties I found to be shockingly brutal and intense. I was expecting something much less ambitious from both of those, given their placements and sizes, and was surprised to discover they were so incredibly fantastic.

What are some books you had that experience with?

 

[Sci]

Hollow Men doesn't get the kind of love it deserves.

 

[Baerbel Haddrell]

For me it is "The Case of the Colonist`s Corpse". I was browsing in a book shop and it was an impulse buy I can`t explain, maybe it had something to do with the eye catching, interesting cover. I didn`t read it for a very long time but eventually I gave the book a try without expecting much - and to my surprise, I loved it!

I am still regretting it that it is the only book of its kind.

If "Once Burned" can be classified as a hidden gem, it is certainly a huge one! To me that book is still the best book I have ever read and I am not just talking about Star Trek.

I enjoyed "Cutting Ties" very much but wouldn`t put it on the same level as "Once Burned".

 

[DimesDan]

Hollow Men doesn't get the kind of love it deserves.

I prefer it over some of the more recent DS9 novels.

 

[BaloksPuppet]

I agree with Once Burned, probably my pick for the best of the NF series.

One I'd like to mention is The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar (not the ENT novel, the TOS novel from way back in 1989). Not an epic, not a "masterpiece" or event novel, but a surprisingly enjoyable little gem that I think hasn't gotten the notice it deserves.

I also like to mention Ishmael by Barbara Hambly, though I think that gets more notice. I also really liked Legacy by Michael Jan Friedman. Again, not a masterpiece but a little hidden gem with some very nice Chris Pike scenes. And one that I think is very underrated is the TNG novel Spartacus by T. L. Mancour. I can't say why I liked that one so much, but I really enjoyed it when I read it oh so many years ago.

 

[RonG]

My picks for "hidden gems" would be:
PAD's The Rift (TOS), The Captain's Daughter (TOS) and A Rock and a Hard Place (TNG), Diane Carey's First Fontier (TOS), David Dvorkin's Timetrap (TOS), Dafydd ab Hugh's Fallen Heroes (DS9), Losi Tilton's Betrayal (DS9) and Echoes (VGR) by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Nina Kiriki Hoffman

 

[Semah]

The Wounded Sky is made of awesomsauce, but I gather a lot of people here know that.

 

[Corran Horn]

One I'd like to mention is The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar (not the ENT novel, the TOS novel from way back in 1989). Not an epic, not a "masterpiece" or event novel, but a surprisingly enjoyable little gem that I think hasn't gotten the notice it deserves.

Absolutely agree. Some great characterization there and we were treated to some other Academy scenarios in the Sulu and Chekov stories.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It's hard to decide exactly what an event novel is, for some of them. I guess "giant" MMPBs, promoted as such, are out. (I loved "Strangers from the Sky", "Final Frontier" and "TNG: Metamorphosis").

But from the regular lines there's "The Entropy Effect", "Uhura's Song", and "Dreams of the Raven". And "In the Name of Honor". And "TNG: Immortal Coil". And so many others...

Another vote here for "NF: Once Burned". And I would add "VOY: Fire Ship" from that same "The Captain's Table" mini-series.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

My picks for "hidden gems" would be:
PAD's The Rift (TOS), The Captain's Daughter (TOS) and A Rock and a Hard Place (TNG), Diane Carey's First Fontier (TOS), David Dvorkin's Timetrap (TOS), Dafydd ab Hugh's Fallen Heroes (DS9), Losi Tilton's Betrayal (DS9) and Echoes (VGR) by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Nina Kiriki Hoffman

You have some VERY good picks on that list!

First Frontier--I admit, I thought it was going to be stupid but it turned out to be extraordinary.

Fallen Heroes is one I'd highly recommend to those who love the Milennium trilogy--kind of a nice foreshadowing to that type of approach.

Echoes--And this from a non-Voyager-fan...I loved that one!

Betrayal--Absolutely! I even had a thread going about this one lately. I get the feeling not a lot of people remember it, but especially for an early-season novel, it was very good. The character of Berat was one that really stuck with me, which considering how short the book is in comparison with a lot of what gets written these days, is pretty noteworthy.

To add to the list...

I also really liked The Murdered Sun (VOY). Again, this one really sticks out because I generally disliked Voyager, so any novel that managed to punch through that dislike is, needless to say, going to be very notable.

Another one I'd add would be TOS--The Three-Minute Universe. The descriptions in this book: WOW.

 

[Thrawn]

Nerys, I'm guessing you didn't mean to list "The Murdered Sun" as the TOS title too...

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Nerys, I'm guessing you didn't mean to list "The Murdered Sun" as the TOS title too...

Wow. A typing stutter.

Edited now!

 

[RonG]

First Frontier--I admit, I thought it was going to be stupid but it turned out to be extraordinary.

Exactly - I started reading this novel out of sheer boredom, and it exceeded my expectations by a long shot!

Echoes--And this from a non-Voyager-fan...I loved that one!

I found very few VGR novels that I liked but this one was at the top of the heap (at least until Full Circle comes out)

 

[BillJ]

Gulliver's Fugitives (TNG)

 

[Johnhead99]

Masks (#7 TNG)

 

[FordSVT]

I like a lot of the mindless novels, ones that feel like old episodes of TOS might have if they'd have a budget.

For some reason I read the TNG novel "Here There Be Dragons" once every year or two. It's quick and painless, has all kinds of Trek cliches and features Data fighting a dragon.

With a whip.

I wouldn't say it's underrated, more like "never rated".

Love "Q Squared" and "I, Q", but I don't think those are underrated, people seem to like them.

I'm not really sure what Star Trek books are under or overrated actually, I usually tend to agree with the majority opinion around here when it comes to Trek lit.

 

[foravalon]

Hollow Men doesn't get the kind of love it deserves.

Hollow Men doesn't get the kind of love it deserves.

I prefer it over some of the more recent DS9 novels.

No offense intended at all in this, but why? I was really looking forward to this book since In the Pale Moonlight is one of my all time favorite Trek episodes, but once I finally read it I was really underwhelmed.

So I'm not trying but bash, but I'm honestly curious, what was it exactly that appealed to you about this novel, especially when compared to other books in the generally excellent DS9 Relaunch?

and P.S.: Sarek by A.C. Crispen is definitely an underrated hidden gem.

 

[LightningStorm]

To me, the most underrated novel would be Voyager: The Nanotech War by Steven Piziks.

But if I were to just list a few of the (non relaunch, not-so-serialized) novels I'd say:

DS9: Fallen Heroes
VOY: Echoes
VOY: Fire Ship
Engines of Destiny

 

[Mysterion]

Rules of Engagement by Peter Morwood. A good, solid Tom Clancy-ish story. One I really enjoyed, but that no one seems to ever mention for some reason.

 

[William Leisner]

I would say the entire SCE line. There are a few, like Wildfire, that have risen above the rest to the attention of a wider audience, but as a whole, I think it deserves a lot more love.

(Except for that totally unnecessary sequel to "Up the Long Ladder", of course.)