What do you think about these series?
- Thread starter BrentMc
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New Earth - begins and ends well, but three of the middle four books are actually exactly the same book and it's pretty lame to begin with.
Double Helix - the New Frontier entry is amusingly New-Frontier-tastic; the rest are pretty weak.
Captain's Table - surprisingly good, considering how gimmicky the concept is. Both TOS entries, Voyager, and New Frontier are all outstanding, and I liked the other two too (though opinions vary on those).
Mere Anarchy - B+. Worth a read; not lifechanging.
Crucible - The best thing on your list by far, probably, at least McCoy's book.
Millennium - Very popular, but I found them full of technobabble convenience and nonsense. Certainly EPIC, but not really like... logical. Plot driven by what the writers decide sounds cool; characters have very little agency.
Gateways - Ugh. As a concept: terrible. As individual entries - the Challenger book follows the end of New Earth and is pretty great; the DS9 relaunch entry is of course fantastic; the New Frontier entry is New-Frontier-tastic if that's your thing. Avoid the rest.
Genesis Wave - never read it.
Double Helix - the New Frontier entry is amusingly New-Frontier-tastic; the rest are pretty weak.
Captain's Table - surprisingly good, considering how gimmicky the concept is. Both TOS entries, Voyager, and New Frontier are all outstanding, and I liked the other two too (though opinions vary on those).
Mere Anarchy - B+. Worth a read; not lifechanging.
Crucible - The best thing on your list by far, probably, at least McCoy's book.
Millennium - Very popular, but I found them full of technobabble convenience and nonsense. Certainly EPIC, but not really like... logical. Plot driven by what the writers decide sounds cool; characters have very little agency.
Gateways - Ugh. As a concept: terrible. As individual entries - the Challenger book follows the end of New Earth and is pretty great; the DS9 relaunch entry is of course fantastic; the New Frontier entry is New-Frontier-tastic if that's your thing. Avoid the rest.
Genesis Wave - never read it.
A lot of what's on your list I've either never read or don't remember, but here's what I do remember:
Captain's Table - I only read the Pike novel, but remember enjoying it
Mere Anarchy - I really enjoyed, partly for the fun of reading connected stories set at various points in the TOS timeline
Crucible - I thought both the McCoy and Spock books were great; the Kirk book slightly less great but still very good
Gateways - I read the TOS, TNG, and DS9 books; I remember almost nothing about TOS and TNG, but the DS9 book was great, just like the rest of the early DS9 relaunch
Captain's Table - I only read the Pike novel, but remember enjoying it
Mere Anarchy - I really enjoyed, partly for the fun of reading connected stories set at various points in the TOS timeline
Crucible - I thought both the McCoy and Spock books were great; the Kirk book slightly less great but still very good
Gateways - I read the TOS, TNG, and DS9 books; I remember almost nothing about TOS and TNG, but the DS9 book was great, just like the rest of the early DS9 relaunch
The Voyager entry is the best of the series. It's also the best Janeway-centric book out there. Highly recommended even if you don't read the rest.
Double Helix: I loved Red Sector (others here hate it with a passion) and enjoyed NF: Double or Nothing. The others were either bad or completely forgettable, and are totally skippable. Inter-book continuity is absolutely awful - when finally revealed in the final book, the villain is a standard mustache-twirling baddie, completely unlike the mysterious figure described in the preceding volumes. Red Sector introduces a fearsome supership on the baddie side, but when all is revealed the baddie's fleet consists of beaten up, worn out, obsolete vessels.
The only book with any effect on the greater novelverse is the NF entry, which is later offhandedly referenced, explaining a rather explodey NF plot point.
Gateways: Each book ends on a cliffhanger, and they expected fans to buy the hardback final part, which was all the final chapters. Pocket have luckily not attempted something so blatantly greedy since. I read the NF entry, which was is a pretty important part of NF. When the cliffhanger came up, I told myself "It all works out somehow" and went to the next NF novel.
Captain's Table: Again, I read the NF one, which is a big part of Calhoun's backstory. The others wait on my shelf. I'm not crazy about the magical pub concept, which is kinda like a Trek version of The Super Cafe, where famous captains meet and hang out irrespective of continuity.
Millennium: From the ghostwriters of William Shatner's Trek novels. Imagine if JJ Abrams did a big budget DS9 action movie. I loved it. It's a twisted alternate future where the Dominion War was rendered moot when a second wormhole opens and something a lot worse comes out.
New Earth: I read them all many years ago, I don't remember a thing about them now so it was probably an unremarkable ride.
So in summary, if you're reading through New Frontier, don't miss any of their entries but no need to worry about reading all the other Helix and Gateways novels to make sense of them.
The only book with any effect on the greater novelverse is the NF entry, which is later offhandedly referenced, explaining a rather explodey NF plot point.
Gateways: Each book ends on a cliffhanger, and they expected fans to buy the hardback final part, which was all the final chapters. Pocket have luckily not attempted something so blatantly greedy since. I read the NF entry, which was is a pretty important part of NF. When the cliffhanger came up, I told myself "It all works out somehow" and went to the next NF novel.
Captain's Table: Again, I read the NF one, which is a big part of Calhoun's backstory. The others wait on my shelf. I'm not crazy about the magical pub concept, which is kinda like a Trek version of The Super Cafe, where famous captains meet and hang out irrespective of continuity.
Millennium: From the ghostwriters of William Shatner's Trek novels. Imagine if JJ Abrams did a big budget DS9 action movie. I loved it. It's a twisted alternate future where the Dominion War was rendered moot when a second wormhole opens and something a lot worse comes out.
New Earth: I read them all many years ago, I don't remember a thing about them now so it was probably an unremarkable ride.
So in summary, if you're reading through New Frontier, don't miss any of their entries but no need to worry about reading all the other Helix and Gateways novels to make sense of them.
"New Earth" I own but haven't read yet.
"Double Helix", I have the omnibus and I've read over half the book, and while the first three books were interesting, I remember setting the book down to get a "breather" from having read all three back-to-back-to-back.
"Captain's Table" I've only read the Janeway and Pike stories (along with the anthology) and they were pretty good.
"Mere Anarchy", own the omnibus, but haven't read it yet.
"Crucible", I started the McCoy story, but I lost interest pretty quickly and I haven't finished the rest of the series.
"Millennium" Highly recommended, probably the best of the pre-Season 8 DS9 books. This series was also used as the basis for the PC game "The Forgotten", although both stories go in very different directions.
"Gateways" the only story I didn't finish was the Challenger story, otherwise the Voyager story with Q and Q Jr. Was probably the best.
"Genesis Wave" I've read the first three, haven't read Force, but they were, from what I remember, pretty good.
New Earth: This was one of my first mini-series, and I have good memories of it. Book 1 and 2 serve as a good introduction to the series, and Wagon Train especially has remained in my top 10 ever favorites list since I first read it. Book 3-5 are somewhat repetitive in their continued rehashing of threats against Belle Terre, but at least nr 3 was fresh in its use of the minor TOS crew and planet-based events as the driving force. Book 6, Challenger, was my first book using primarily original characters, and like Wagon Train, I have very fond memories of it.
Double Helix: I've read about half of these. Vectors, the Pulaski story, was a quick but very entertaining read that also gives some glimpses into early DS9. Double or Nothing, the Calhoun story, is the only other I can recall. It's nice if not one of New Frontier's best, and can be read even if you're unfamiliar with the NFR series.
Captain's Table: Once Burned was very good, and as my first NFR book, I can recommend it as a starting point to the series. The only other one I recall is the Sisko story, which was a real struggle to get through. The later anthology has a few nice stories as well, those vary a lot so there´s bound to be some to please everyone.
Mere Anarchy, Crucible: Not read these.
DS9 Millennium: Decidedly different kind of narative. Epic story setting, but takes some getting used to. My only real problem with it is how Kira is written, which doesn't mesh well with the part of DS9 in which the series is set.
Gateways: (not read TOS and VGR entries). The TNG, DS9 and NFR entries are somewhat connected, which I liked a lot. The TNG entry is a light and quick, but entertaining read. The DS9 entry remains one of the highlights of the early relaunch novels for me, and is a must in the relaunch continuity. The NFR entry was met with mixed reviews here, but for me was nice enough - it's classic NFR style and I enjoyed what M´Ress and Arex brought to it. The Challenger entry is quite a unique story, I'd say must read if and only if, you've read New Earth first.
Genesis Wave: At the time a nice read, but I'd say the quality of later novels has not been kind to Genesis Wave. The size of the crisis in these really falls flat a bit given its lack of long-lasting consequences.
Double Helix: I've read about half of these. Vectors, the Pulaski story, was a quick but very entertaining read that also gives some glimpses into early DS9. Double or Nothing, the Calhoun story, is the only other I can recall. It's nice if not one of New Frontier's best, and can be read even if you're unfamiliar with the NFR series.
Captain's Table: Once Burned was very good, and as my first NFR book, I can recommend it as a starting point to the series. The only other one I recall is the Sisko story, which was a real struggle to get through. The later anthology has a few nice stories as well, those vary a lot so there´s bound to be some to please everyone.
Mere Anarchy, Crucible: Not read these.
DS9 Millennium: Decidedly different kind of narative. Epic story setting, but takes some getting used to. My only real problem with it is how Kira is written, which doesn't mesh well with the part of DS9 in which the series is set.
Gateways: (not read TOS and VGR entries). The TNG, DS9 and NFR entries are somewhat connected, which I liked a lot. The TNG entry is a light and quick, but entertaining read. The DS9 entry remains one of the highlights of the early relaunch novels for me, and is a must in the relaunch continuity. The NFR entry was met with mixed reviews here, but for me was nice enough - it's classic NFR style and I enjoyed what M´Ress and Arex brought to it. The Challenger entry is quite a unique story, I'd say must read if and only if, you've read New Earth first.
Genesis Wave: At the time a nice read, but I'd say the quality of later novels has not been kind to Genesis Wave. The size of the crisis in these really falls flat a bit given its lack of long-lasting consequences.
This is an incorrect description. For one thing, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens were not Shatner's ghostwriters, but his credited collaborators (except on The Ashes of Eden, though they did get credited on its comics adaptation). For another, they'd already established themselves as well-regarded Trek novelists in their own right with the novels Memory Prime, Prime Directive, and Federation (as well as The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The Art of Star Trek, the first Alien Nation novel, and several original novels and short stories) before they started collaborating with Shatner, and they've also had an active career as television writers and producers on several series including Enterprise. They have their own career that predates and transcends their work with Shatner, and they deserve to be acknowledged by their own names.
Understood on the distinction between collaborator and ghost writer. The point wasn't to disparage their work, merely to identify them in a way that someone only casually familiar with Trek lit might recognize.
Double Helix: I read the first one and the NF one. I don't remember much of the first one, other than the fact that I enjoyed it. The fifth book is an NF/TNG crossover, and is a big part of the NF arc, so I'm not sure how much of an impact it would have if you aren't familiar with NF.
Captain's Table: The only novel I've read is the NF one, and it is a great. One of the series best. I also own the TNG one, but I've never read it.
I also read most of the stories in the Tales from the Captains' Table anthology, and enjoyed them. Like most anthologies the quality varies, but I don't remember disliking any of the stories.
Captain's Table: The only novel I've read is the NF one, and it is a great. One of the series best. I also own the TNG one, but I've never read it.
I also read most of the stories in the Tales from the Captains' Table anthology, and enjoyed them. Like most anthologies the quality varies, but I don't remember disliking any of the stories.
New Earth. I read the first book, got maybe about halfway in before tapping out because it was pretty boring.
Captain's Table. I read the book of short stories which were a pretty mixed bag. Of the novels, I've only attempted to read the Picard book. It was pretty terrible and Picard seemed painfully out of character. That sort of burned me on the lot of them.
Millennium is a favorite of mine. My friend suggested it as the starting point of the DS9-R and I'm glad I did read it before plowing into the rest of the books head long.
Gateways as others have said, the only standout is the DS9 chapter and the NF story is important for it's line. I did rather enjoy the Voyager story, it does trend a little too closely to "The Void" but it has that "This is what Voyager should have been like in terms of survival" feel. The TNG and TOS installments are terrible. I chose not to read the Challenger book.
Genesis Wave. A big reference point for the TNG Post-Nemesis/A Time To... novels. Ultimately, they're fun with an interesting core concept but the execution can be wonky at times. Should have been two books, the third kind of ruins the whole thing. I remember liking Genesis Force a bit.
Captain's Table. I read the book of short stories which were a pretty mixed bag. Of the novels, I've only attempted to read the Picard book. It was pretty terrible and Picard seemed painfully out of character. That sort of burned me on the lot of them.
Millennium is a favorite of mine. My friend suggested it as the starting point of the DS9-R and I'm glad I did read it before plowing into the rest of the books head long.
Gateways as others have said, the only standout is the DS9 chapter and the NF story is important for it's line. I did rather enjoy the Voyager story, it does trend a little too closely to "The Void" but it has that "This is what Voyager should have been like in terms of survival" feel. The TNG and TOS installments are terrible. I chose not to read the Challenger book.
Genesis Wave. A big reference point for the TNG Post-Nemesis/A Time To... novels. Ultimately, they're fun with an interesting core concept but the execution can be wonky at times. Should have been two books, the third kind of ruins the whole thing. I remember liking Genesis Force a bit.
New Earth I read them years ago they're okay but not really my favorite Star Trek mini series.Captain's Table I really liked the variety of stories about the different captains. Double Helix I've only read them once but I liked them. Ds9 Milleniumm is really one of the best ds9 season 8 stories. Gateways also were interesting.I also liked Mere Anarchy it gives all the tos chaarcters achance to have their own stories during the Tos movie era .Genesis force stories were okay but it's been years since I read the book series I borrowed from the library.
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I forgot about Mere Anarchy in my last post. Overall I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a really cool idea to revisit the same planet at each major point in the TOS timeline. Some of the stories are obviously better than others, but I don't remember disliking any of them.
1. I have no clue.
2. DH: even released in Germany - unnecessary. Only NF is important.
3. I have read Once burned and Tales of the CT, planning to buy the CT Ominibus, it´s good
4. I don´t know.
5. Crucible: great
6. Millenium: great, especially for DS9 fans, despite the fact that Jake Sisko sucked.
7. Gatesways: haven´t read each book. NF not bad, I consider each of the novels as stand-alone, haven´t read the final
8. The Genesis Wave: alright, but I finished with book 3 and eschewed genesis force
New Earth: I liked the concept. A colony out nowhere, neighbours at war etc. Some great characters there (...Shucorion...), but it's true that especially books 2 and 5 are very similar... one might even say identical in their premises. Which is a bit tiresome. Book 3 was rather lengthy and boring, as I recall, as was book 1 until they finally arrived at the planet and got caught in the conflict raging in that region of space. My favourite was book 6, hands down, though. I loved the Challenger crew.
Double Helix: Only read the NF-entry Double or Nothing. That was quite fun.
Captain's Table: Adored Once Burned, the NF-entry. Written in 1st person PoV, which I usually abhor, this is one of the most intense Trek-books I've read so far. I think I read the TNG-entry as well (was that about a prince?), but I might be confusing that one with something else.
Mere Anarchy - only read the first story and wasn't really drawn in by it.
Crucible: McCoy is still my favourite Trek-book so far. So, if you read anything out of your list, pick up this one. Spock's great as well, the Kirk-part is a bit lacking IMO.
Millennium: Read them, thought they were pretty mediocre, especially the concluding part.
Gateways: I read all parts, but only the DS9-entry, the NF-one (because both are part of the continuing narrative of the respective series, so they shouldn't be missed) and the Challenger one made an impression... especially the latter which I also count among my favourite Trek-books overall (gets a bit repetitive here *g*) but it of course makes only sense if you've read at least Challenger and the premise of the New Earth-colony.
Genesis Wave: I liked the first part, but the rest was pretty forgettable IMO.
Double Helix: Only read the NF-entry Double or Nothing. That was quite fun.
Captain's Table: Adored Once Burned, the NF-entry. Written in 1st person PoV, which I usually abhor, this is one of the most intense Trek-books I've read so far. I think I read the TNG-entry as well (was that about a prince?), but I might be confusing that one with something else.
Mere Anarchy - only read the first story and wasn't really drawn in by it.
Crucible: McCoy is still my favourite Trek-book so far. So, if you read anything out of your list, pick up this one. Spock's great as well, the Kirk-part is a bit lacking IMO.
Millennium: Read them, thought they were pretty mediocre, especially the concluding part.
Gateways: I read all parts, but only the DS9-entry, the NF-one (because both are part of the continuing narrative of the respective series, so they shouldn't be missed) and the Challenger one made an impression... especially the latter which I also count among my favourite Trek-books overall (gets a bit repetitive here *g*) but it of course makes only sense if you've read at least Challenger and the premise of the New Earth-colony.
Genesis Wave: I liked the first part, but the rest was pretty forgettable IMO.
New Earth - had it years but still not read it.
Double Helix - pretty bad across the board.
Captain's Table - haven't read it all, but hit and miss.
Mere Anarchy - haven't read yet.
Crucible - haven't read yet.
DS9 Millennium- not great.
Gateways -patchy.
Genesis Wave - average. Very average.
Double Helix - pretty bad across the board.
Captain's Table - haven't read it all, but hit and miss.
Mere Anarchy - haven't read yet.
Crucible - haven't read yet.
DS9 Millennium- not great.
Gateways -patchy.
Genesis Wave - average. Very average.
So this is a list of mini series with some odd concept. I found most of these pretty so so at best.
New Earth - It's pretty freaking repetitive. And not good. And the concept is laughable. "Yeah, were colonists who don't need anybody else." Only the Federation keeps saving their ass...
Double Helix - It sounded like an interesting concept but the execution was pretty weak. The Diane Carey book is one of my least favorite Trek books of all time.
Captains Table - Who cares about the concept, it's just an excuse to get stories written in a different way, first person point of view which is interesting sometimes. And the shocker for me is one of the better ones is a non TOS book by Diane Carey that's pretty good. The stories don't interconnect except for the irrelevant bits in the bar itself so read the series you like if you need to ready any of them.
Mere Anarchy - OK I guess, don't really remember it.
Crucible - The McCoy book is just fantastic. One of my favorite Trek Books. Like in the top 3. There two are good too but the first one is great.
Millennium - I really like the first one. By the time I got to the third book I was setting the number of pages a day I had to read so I could finish.
Gateways - The DS9 book is the stand out. They really don't connect to each other, just read the series you like here.
Genesis Wave - Not much to say here. The Genesis Wave machine from the first Kahn movie comes back in the TNG era, blah, blah, blah. What ever.
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