What percent of Trek Lit is Crap?

[Nathan]

I think all of us on the Trek BBS must be a little jaded since we post in this forum and overall like the Trek books. Cuz if not, I suppose the BBS member would just silently drift away cuz Trek Books aren't his/her cup o' tea.

Got me to thinking since there are well over 300 books written (thinking of the numbered books and non-numbered books), I wonder how much people think that some of the books are just sh*t.

Not looking to call out any books really, but I've been reading these since I've been about 16 years old (I'm 45 now), so I've read close to 90% that have come out. Of course some is when I was a teen/early 20s.

I have a favorite used book store that has lots of Trek books (oldies and new ones)....there are some I think, "How could I have ever read this piece of shit, these pages ain't worthy to wipe my fat @$$ with!

I say it has to be at least 20% that is just garbage..well ok, I would rate the 20% as below average to just garbage.

say you just take the Voyager line of books starting with Book #1 to the current stuff that Beyer is writing. I would just say overall again 20% of the Voyager line ranges from, "gee, I wish I bought this book used cuz it was only so-so and I wasted $$ buying this full price" to "I wish I could get those hours of my life back."

I've read so many books where I don't even recognize the character and it is as if the author has some story idea and changed the character / ship name to Kirk, Enterprise from what the author originally had so it could fit tidy in the Trek Universe.

The other thing is that I think some of the books I liked when I was 16 reading them, but looking back (meaning when I am flipping through some old book -- and by old book I mean numbered book -- at the used book store), I think I barely remember the plot of this book so let me skim it quick for perhaps a re-read and just scanning it, I think, "Damn, I wish I could have warned my younger self not to read this shit and find something else to read.

Wonder if anyone else had similar experience?

 

[Dukhat]

Well, this is going to be totally subjective. One person's "crap" is another person's treasure.

I can relate to this because I narrate audiobooks for a living (although I've never narrated any Trek novels.) Professionalism keeps me from naming names, but there are certain best-selling authors out there whose books I consider to be good for behind-wiping material.

However, also once being an avid Trek novel reader (I only say "once" because I've lost the ability to read books for pleasure thanks to my job), I can say that Trek books I've read have ranged from "okay" to "fantastic." I can't say that I've ever read one that I'd describe as "crap," although I do believe that the only book written by Peter Morwood was published only because he was Diane Duane's husband. Take that how you will.

 

[Nathan]

I think everyone is going to have their own list of Trek books that are crap, and I wonder of the trek books he/she read, how much they consider it garbage.

So, not really going for "hey, I think <insert book here> sucked" but more for, "yeah, I've read about <insert of number books> and of those I think <insert number here> were horrible or I could have made a better choice and read something else.

 

[Kilana2]

My personal sh** list is:

1. Red Sector - Diane Carey
2. How much for just the Planet - John M. Ford
3. Ragnarök - Voyager

And there are some rather bland and boring TOS novels. Some of them are loved by other people. It's like Dukhat has already said subjective.

Diane Carey has already been much discussed. It's not that I dislike all her novels, only some of them.

I really can't name a percentage of ST novels that are really bad. Some of them are great and some are meh.....

 

[stardream]

Interesting question.

I read a lot of the earlier TOS books with a smattering of TNG and DS9 and am just now catching up with Voyager including the Relaunch. I'll get around to the rest of the rest of the re-launch books eventually. Only so many hours in a day.

I would say that of what I have read so far that yes, maybe about 20% is crap. Yes sometimes I've had the thought about having read better fanfiction.

And this thread reminds me that I am behind with my Trek Lit reviews on Goodreads.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I wonder how much people think that some of the books are just sh*t.

As you proved with your "Seekers" #1 thread, one person's crap is another person's treasure.

I have actually meet Trek fans who have loved "Warped!", "The Laertian Gamble", the "Dark Matters" trilogy, "No Man's Land", the "Rebels" trilogy, "Into the Nebula" and "Genesis Wave 3".

I recall the first time I found the old Psi Phi books bbs and realised that not everyone loved "Red Sector".

 

[Nathan]

I totally agree with you Therin. Everyone has got to have their own list of "This Trek Book is Friggin Awful" list. I just curious as to how long it is.

Also, the book with Frasier on the front (Ships of the Line, I think), Engines of Destiny, Battlestations, and Pawns & Symbols, I actually like even tho' I know most people don't.

Don't really want to discuss what is on everyone's respective "shit list", I just want to know how long the list is.

Wondering if people are saying, "Yep, only have 4 or 5 books of the 300+ Trek books out there sucked, but the remained 295 books I read are simply good to outstanding!

 

[Idran]

And from that perspective, I think around 10-20% would be about right for most people, even if no two people would have the same 10-20%. That figure sounds about right for me; about 1-2 books a year, that's about how many I just don't care for on average.

Though I do still think that the worst Trek book is better than the worst Trek episode.

 

[Relayer1]

Well, this is going to be totally subjective. One person's "crap" is another person's treasure.

True !

Personally, I'd say the old numbered noves were about 25% awful, 25% below par, 25% good and the same great !

The relaunch is much improved, only about 10% poor and around 70% good or better.

 

[Nathan]

Idran, just curious, do you buy the entire line of Trek books? Say for 2014, did you buy/read book that came out. Since they come out basically 1x a month, that was 1-2 books you thought sucked.

If you don't get every book that came out in 2014, the ones you didn't purchase, I wonder if you consider that in the below average pile.

Yeah, I have books in my own "personal queue", but I usually start with the ones that I think will be great and the ones I don't get to, I don't really have high hopes, (of course I have been surprised, thinkin' "Why didn't I read this one sooner, it was awesome!"

I just think there are bunch of shitty Trek books out there (and of course some great ones).

I just re-read a old Nelson DeMille book and thought how the book was kick ass, loved the indepth characters etc, I was reading it along with a DTI book (which I didn't care for), and thought, "Man, I need to expand to my list of reading books other than Trek more. Even tho' I love Trek Lit (been reading them for the last 30 years, a bunch really disappoint!)

 

[Nathan]

Relayer, you probably right about the old numbered books about half of them being below par to awful.

Agreed with the re-launch, I loved the Vanguard, DS9 relaunch, Voyager (except the dreaded Sprit Walk duology), and even the TNG I would describe as above average.

In regards to the recent books, I'm about for every 10 books, 4 are gonna suck or be below average for the non-numbered.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think all of us on the Trek BBS must be a little jaded since we post in this forum and overall like the Trek books. Cuz if not, I suppose the BBS member would just silently drift away cuz Trek Books aren't his/her cup o' tea.

Got me to thinking since there are well over 300 books written (thinking of the numbered books and non-numbered books), I wonder how much people think that some of the books are just sh*t.

Only 300? I would've thought we were up in the 600s by now.

 

[Idran]

Idran, just curious, do you buy the entire line of Trek books? Say for 2014, did you buy/read book that came out. Since they come out basically 1x a month, that was 1-2 books you thought sucked.

If you don't get every book that came out in 2014, the ones you didn't purchase, I wonder if you consider that in the below average pile.

I try to, yeah, and have for a few years now; in part completionism, in part I enjoy them far more often than I don't and I'm willing to spend the money on a 90% chance of a great time.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

For me, crap is what I just can't finish, and there is only one Trek book that I put away without reaching the last page. There were quite a few poor, especially some numbered books, but I always found something in them to want to read until the end.

Except for that one.

Which I'll leave nameless.

 

[TheUsualSuspect]

As far as the old numbered novels go, the odd-numbered ones always sucked, and the even-numbered ones were good or great!

Now that they've stopped numbering them, it's more of a crapshoot.

 

[bfollowell]

I think all of us on the Trek BBS must be a little jaded since we post in this forum and overall like the Trek books. Cuz if not, I suppose the BBS member would just silently drift away cuz Trek Books aren't his/her cup o' tea.

Got me to thinking since there are well over 300 books written (thinking of the numbered books and non-numbered books), I wonder how much people think that some of the books are just sh*t.

Only 300? I would've thought we were up in the 600s by now.

I agree, we're well above 300 novels. I'm not certain we've topped 600 yet but if not, I'm pretty sure we're closer to 600 than 500.

 

[ryan123450]

Having just read this thread, I was going to correct the OP's claim that there have been 300 novels. Glad the conversation worked it's way back to that. Just counting the original adult novels, the novelizations, and the ebook reprints, there have been 591 books.

FYI if you count every individual published story (novels, comics, short stories, etc) there have been 2127 tales. I keep track of it every month. http://startreklitverse.yolasite.com/story-count.php


ETA: Odd I can't get rid of this weird bullet that keeps appearing out of nowhere.

 

[Greg Cox]

Having just read this thread, I was going to correct the OP's claim that there have been 300 novels. Glad the conversation worked it's way back to that. Just counting the original adult novels, the novelizations, and the ebook reprints, there have been 591 books.

FYI if you count every individual published story (novels, comics, short stories, etc) there have been 2127 tales. I keep track of it every month. http://startreklitverse.yolasite.com/story-count.php

591, eh? Fascinating!

 

[Nathan]

I guess I lowballed it a little too much.

For easy math, say there are 600 books. I wonder how many of the 600 readers would find as subpar. There are quite a few out there I bet, even tho' everyone's list is different.

 

[JD]

I've read about 100 adult Trek novels, and really only a couple stand out as being totally crap. They weren't all absolutely amazing, but I at least enjoyed pretty much all the rest.