Thank you for the link.
What are you least favorite Star Trek novels?
- Thread starter mattburgess
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Thank you for the link.
I laughed my head off at the mind rape scene. Every novel i've read since with a scene in the Enterprise's botanical gardens cracks me up now. In Trek to Madworld, Kirk gives some guy's daughter a tour, and you know he's thinking "...and here's where Spock held me down and..." Unintentionally hilarious.
But you're right: The novel was terrible. I liked the idea of Kirk turned into a beaten loser drug-addict but the execution (not to mention the Kirk/Spock gayness) killed it dead.
I also wasn't that impressed with Destiny. All the scenes involving The Columbia, it's captain, or the Caelier (sp?) were just not that interesting for me. I kept slogging through those bits, waiting for the next Titan chapter (which I love).
So I was tempted to be worried about not enjoying A Stitch In Time, just as you didn't enjoy it, because I've finally picked up a copy of it, and I'm looking forward to reading it...
But then I saw that you put Battle for Betazed on your list, and I actually quite liked that book, so I'm not so worried anymore
That's fascinating--the only parts of Destiny that I thought were very interesting involved Hernandez, the Caeliar, and preferably both. Indeed, those parts were rather good, and if the series were 200 pages of that, I'd have been quite pleased.
And I'll let the parts with Bacco slide as entertaining. The parade of alien stereotypes that served as ambassadors, not to the same extent, but Bacco and her staff were all right.
The rest was kinda facile, sorry to say.
Sure, some of the scenes of destruction with random characters were worth reading, but nothing really heartbreaking. Tuvok's kid came the closest. And the Titan, Enterprise, and Aventine people who populated the majority of the story? They seemed perfunctory, with the possible exception of Picard, who spent much time, perhaps understandably, sulking, but when he finally presented a rational course of action, got yelled at by Geordi for it, and it was kinda clear whose side the book's deity took. Now, Dr. Ree, he gets a free pass. He was all right. Because he chomped on Troi when she was being hysterical, and that was awesome.
And I'll let the parts with Bacco slide as entertaining. The parade of alien stereotypes that served as ambassadors, not to the same extent, but Bacco and her staff were all right.
The rest was kinda facile, sorry to say.
Sure, some of the scenes of destruction with random characters were worth reading, but nothing really heartbreaking. Tuvok's kid came the closest. And the Titan, Enterprise, and Aventine people who populated the majority of the story? They seemed perfunctory, with the possible exception of Picard, who spent much time, perhaps understandably, sulking, but when he finally presented a rational course of action, got yelled at by Geordi for it, and it was kinda clear whose side the book's deity took. Now, Dr. Ree, he gets a free pass. He was all right. Because he chomped on Troi when she was being hysterical, and that was awesome.
Those were my favorite parts of Destiny, too. It's funny, but as I read Mere Mortals, I initially skipped the chapters with Hernandez and the Caeliar, preferring to stick with the more traditional Star Trek characters. Then I went back and read the chapters I had skipped all at once, and I enjoyed them a lot more than the other parts. I found them very moving, and images from those chapters lingered in my head for a long time.
With Destiny, I skimmed a lot of the 24th century parts enough to understand the plotline (knowing the two plots had to merge at some point), but really concentrated on the Hernandez plotline and the battle scenes. Had nothing to do with the writing (which was good) and more to do with my not caring about Troi/Riker and Picard/Crusher generally.
I really enjoyed Gods of Night - but I have to admit that Mere Mortals especially didn't have much more to offer than the background story of Hernandez... That part was quite amazing, to be sure, but couldn't quite hide the fact that the rest of book 2 and some parts of book 3 felt more like a filler before the big (and, due to the buildup with the Caeliar, predictable) end of the Borg (and also to Troi's plight - did anyone really think she'd lose that baby after the Caeliar were introduced?!?)...
However, I find myself not caring much anymore for 24th century Trek in general, perhaps that's the reason for my not quite so enthusiastic reaction to this highly praised trilogy. It was an exciting reading experience for me, granted, but it didn't leave me yearning for more. (So I'm really happy for next year's schedule. *g*)
But I digress. So back on topic: I didn't care much for Maximum Warp - mainly because it felt like one mini-story dragged out over 2 novels. I felt a bit cheated because I thought it would have easily fit into one book. And I was a bit disappointed that "The Buried Age" didn't manage to pull me in - I stopped at around page 100. The same goes for "Sword of Damocles", unfortunately. And back in my Trek-fanatic days when I read anything with the name Star Trek on it I was seriously underwhelmed by the Genesis Wave books.
And I have to admit that I'm very disappointed at the direction the NF took after "Restoration" - up to the point where I no longer even bother to buy the books.
However, I find myself not caring much anymore for 24th century Trek in general, perhaps that's the reason for my not quite so enthusiastic reaction to this highly praised trilogy. It was an exciting reading experience for me, granted, but it didn't leave me yearning for more. (So I'm really happy for next year's schedule. *g*)
But I digress. So back on topic: I didn't care much for Maximum Warp - mainly because it felt like one mini-story dragged out over 2 novels. I felt a bit cheated because I thought it would have easily fit into one book. And I was a bit disappointed that "The Buried Age" didn't manage to pull me in - I stopped at around page 100. The same goes for "Sword of Damocles", unfortunately. And back in my Trek-fanatic days when I read anything with the name Star Trek on it I was seriously underwhelmed by the Genesis Wave books.
And I have to admit that I'm very disappointed at the direction the NF took after "Restoration" - up to the point where I no longer even bother to buy the books.
For what it's worth, I structured The Buried Age as sort of a "tetralogy." It's in four parts which have an overall arc (particularly the latter three parts), but each segment tells a different story with mostly different characters, locations, and situations. Since I was telling a story spread over 9 years, I figured it needed to be more of an arc than a single sequence of events. So if parts 1 & 2 didn't grab you, maybe parts 3 & 4 might. Maybe not, of course, but just so you know.
I just finished PSD's Strike Zone. (The Kreel have meen mentioned here and there, but little said about what they were; this novel is where they were introduced, and I had the chance to pick it up cheap. Thought I'd find out a bit more.)
If I may quote Howard the Duck: "Wauuughh!"
Was he trying to write a novel, a parody, or a rant? Whatever he was trying to do, he wound up with all three -- poorly.
If I may quote Howard the Duck: "Wauuughh!"
Was he trying to write a novel, a parody, or a rant? Whatever he was trying to do, he wound up with all three -- poorly.
Definitely go back and try again.
Yep.
It was his first Trek novel though, and by his second (A Rock And A Hard Place) there had already been immense improvement.
^Really? I found the worldbuilding for the Jarada in that book to be fascinating, one of the best works of in-depth alien creation in all of Trek literature.
The Devil's Heart by Carmen Carter. There were too many scenes without the main crew.
Death in winter by Michael Jan Friedman
Even though I liked that Beverly and Jean-luc got together, I didn't like the Romulan Politics.
I didn't even finish Strangers from the Sky and Spock's world.
Death in winter by Michael Jan Friedman
Even though I liked that Beverly and Jean-luc got together, I didn't like the Romulan Politics.
I didn't even finish Strangers from the Sky and Spock's world.
Taste is a funny thing. Those are two of my favorites.
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