What to Read: The Challenge

[The Trekster]

I'm trying to find a good Star Trek book. I've never read any of them before but I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written. I mean, really bad. I've tried googling things like 'best tng books' and all I get are lists which I don't find really helpful since no one ever goes into why they are the best, or describes how they are written or what they are about.

So I put it to you, my fellow Treksters, which book should I read? Which books are well written and how and why?

Challenge Parameters:

• Let's stick with Next Gen or Voyager;
• My Favorite Authors include Robert Heinlein, Tom Robbins, Terry Pratchett;
• Favorite books include: Stranger in a Strange Land, Jitterbug Perfume, Thief of Time, Time Enough for Love, the Harry Potter series.

If anyone can solve this, I know it's you guys! Thanks!

 

[JD]

Could you give us some examples of the excerpts you didn't like? That way we know which ones to avoid.
As for recommendations, my top ones would be the DS9 Relaunch, Vanguard, and Titan. They are the three most consistantly well written series, with interesting plots, great characterizations, and they do a really good job of building their own unique identities, while still using elements from the Trek shows.

 

[ryan123450]

If you like Voyager you should read Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer. It takes place after Voyager is home for about a year and goes on for several years afterward. I wont spoil you what its about but I will say it is very emotional and really puts the characters in situations that provides them with alot of growth. It also sets up stoylines and characters that will allow Voyager to continue for many years to come. Its really the best written Voyager novel as far as the quality of liturature is concerned.

For TNG I'd say Imzadi. Again very emotionally involving and written on par with real liturature, not just tie-in fiction. Involves time travel too.

 

[BillJ]

Gulliver's Fugitives.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written.

Perhaps you have transcended Star Trek?

Really, since the hundreds of ST books are written by hundreds(?) of professional authors, all with varying styles and tastes, saying "extremely poorly written" seems to be a very sweeping, if inaccurate, statement/judgement. The marketing people do put some thought into presenting each "hook" excerpt, and if these all seem to be "extremely poorly written" to you, I'm not sure why you'd still even be curious to read a whole ST novel.

 

[JWolf]

The marketing people do put some thought into presenting each "hook" excerpt, and if these all seem to be "extremely poorly written" to you, I'm not sure why you'd still even be curious to read a whole ST novel.

The blurbs (in a lot of cases) have nothing to do with how good or not a given Trek book is. If the marketing people put in some thought to the blurbs, why is it that the blurbs can be awful when the book itself is good?

I'm trying to find a good Star Trek book. I've never read any of them before but I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written. I mean, really bad. I've tried googling things like 'best tng books' and all I get are lists which I don't find really helpful since no one ever goes into why they are the best, or describes how they are written or what they are about.

So I put it to you, my fellow Treksters, which book should I read? Which books are well written and how and why?

Challenge Parameters:

• Let's stick with Next Gen or Voyager;

If you like Voyager, go for all the books written after the series ended. Read them in published order. Yes, some are not good, but they do lead into the really good ones written by Kirsten Beyer.

Those are all the ones written by Christie Golden and are not so good but should be read so you better understand the books that follow from when Christie stopped writing Voyager.

01. Homecoming
02. The Farther Shore
03. Spirit Walk: Old Wounds
04. Spirit Walk: Enemy of My Enemy

These next books are by Kirsten Beyer and are very good.

05. Full Circle
06. Unworthy
07. Children of the Storm

There is another due out September 2012.

08. The Eternal Tide

So there you go for a recommendation.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The blurbs (in a lot of cases) have nothing to do with how good or not a given Trek book is. If the marketing people put in some thought to the blurbs, why is it that the blurbs can be awful when the book itself is good?

The original poster didn't say "blurbs", VulcanLoveSlave said "excerpts". Generally these are several pages long, appearing in places such as Amazon, "ST Magazine" and various BBSs, and are intended to provide enough of a hook to send the person to locate the whole book.

"Blurbs" are intended to make a reader curious enough to open the book and read an excerpt.

Those are all the ones written by Christie Golden and are not so good but should be read ...

And now you're confirming all of VulcanLoveSlave's fears. Read four sub-par books before they can read a good one? Huh?

 

[JWolf]

The original poster didn't say "blurbs", VulcanLoveSlave said "excerpts". Generally these are several pages long, appearing in places such as Amazon, "ST Magazine" and various BBSs, and are intended to provide enough of a hook to send the person to locate the whole book.

My mistake. But it's not always easy to pick out an excerpt that is both interesting, not a spoiler and understandable to what is going on. A lot of books start off slow and build to were they get to be quite good.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Most Trek books I tried I didn't like and did not finish.

I finished this one and have no regrets.

Section 31: Shadow Bk. 4 (Star Trek: Voyager)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Section-31-Shadow-Star-Voyager/dp/0671774786

It is not great by sci-fi standards but better than most Trek books.

Bujold is better.
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/24-CryoburnCD/CryoburnCD/index.htm

psik

 

[Therin of Andor]

But it's not always easy to pick out an excerpt that is both interesting, not a spoiler and understandable to what is going on.

I seem to recall an overall positive response to the regular excerpts chosen for previewing in the "ST Magazine". And much testiness if an issue failed to carry an excerpt. That response does not correlate to VulcanLoveSlave's comment of "I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written", hence my curiosity.

"Extremely poorly written" is downright insulting to TrekLit in general. Even I, a Completist Extraordinare, wouldn't bother with ST novels if they were all "extremely poorly written".

 

[Cybersnark]

Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock is not just a great Star Trek book, but a great science fiction book full-stop.

Articles of the Federation is basically Star Trek's take on The West Wing --whether you like it or not will largely depend on how you feel about political potboilers. Some people love it, but I've heard people say it turned them off Treklit forever.

And if you're a fan of Terry Pratchett, you might want to look into Peter David's Star Trek oeuvre, especially the New Frontiers series (an original novel-only saga that he built from the ground up). It can be a bit cartoony, but it's sarcastic and wry like the best of Pratchett.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Articles of the Federation: I've heard people say it turned them off Treklit forever.

Really? People let one book do that? Then they were never going to have any staying power. We can't save them from themselves.

Tie-in books, and even episodes of the shows, are written (and edited) by a such a huge variety of people with varying styles. If one can't rise over the occasional "Warped", "The Laertian Gamble", "Into the Nebula", "The Prometheus Design", "Spock's Brain", "Plato's Stepchildren", "Shades of Gray", "Move Along Home", "Threshold", "A Night in Sickbay", or "ST V: The Final Frontier"...

And every ST item out, even those listed above, there still has its fans. I recall rather liking "A Night in Sickbay", for example, and that episode of ENT got an unusual ratings spike in Australia and garnered some great TV critic reviews at the time.

 

[F. King Daniel]

FWIW, I've never been gripped by an excerpt from any book. Books are big huge epic things. A little slice doesn't do it justice.

Try "Metamorphosis", where godlike aliens grant Data his wish to become human. Also, "The Devil's Heart", where an ancient artifact begins to affect Picard. The characterizations were excellent in that one. They'll be available for barely anything more than the cost of shipping on Amazon or eBay.

 

[Relayer1]

Articles of the Federation

A Singular Destiny

Watching the Clock

The Buried Age

Imzadi

Full Circle

Unworthy

Vanguard (series)

Unspoken Truth


To name but a few...

 

[Yevetha]

vnievu

 

[The Trekster]

Could you give us some examples of the excerpts you didn't like? That way we know which ones to avoid.
As for recommendations, my top ones would be the DS9 Relaunch, Vanguard, and Titan. They are the three most consistantly well written series, with interesting plots, great characterizations, and they do a really good job of building their own unique identities, while still using elements from the Trek shows.

I've been looking on Amazon, off the top of my head I remember not liking the excerpt from Homecoming and some TNG book with Worf and Crusher on the cover?

Thanks for the suggestions!

If you like Voyager you should read Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer. It takes place after Voyager is home for about a year and goes on for several years afterward. I wont spoil you what its about but I will say it is very emotional and really puts the characters in situations that provides them with alot of growth. It also sets up stoylines and characters that will allow Voyager to continue for many years to come. Its really the best written Voyager novel as far as the quality of liturature is concerned.

For TNG I'd say Imzadi. Again very emotionally involving and written on par with real liturature, not just tie-in fiction. Involves time travel too.

Thanks!

I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written.

Perhaps you have transcended Star Trek?

Really, since the hundreds of ST books are written by hundreds(?) of professional authors, all with varying styles and tastes, saying "extremely poorly written" seems to be a very sweeping, if inaccurate, statement/judgement. The marketing people do put some thought into presenting each "hook" excerpt, and if these all seem to be "extremely poorly written" to you, I'm not sure why you'd still even be curious to read a whole ST novel.

But that's exactly why I'm asking for suggestions, because I'm sure there must be some good ones out of the hundreds that are out there. I was finding it quite daunting trying to wade through the 'crap.' :P

The blurbs (in a lot of cases) have nothing to do with how good or not a given Trek book is. If the marketing people put in some thought to the blurbs, why is it that the blurbs can be awful when the book itself is good?

The original poster didn't say "blurbs", VulcanLoveSlave said "excerpts". Generally these are several pages long, appearing in places such as Amazon, "ST Magazine" and various BBSs, and are intended to provide enough of a hook to send the person to locate the whole book.

"Blurbs" are intended to make a reader curious enough to open the book and read an excerpt.

Those are all the ones written by Christie Golden and are not so good but should be read ...

And now you're confirming all of VulcanLoveSlave's fears. Read four sub-par books before they can read a good one? Huh?

Yes. Exactly what I don't want to do. lol

Most Trek books I tried I didn't like and did not finish.

I finished this one and have no regrets.

Section 31: Shadow Bk. 4 (Star Trek: Voyager)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Section-31-Shadow-Star-Voyager/dp/0671774786

It is not great by sci-fi standards but better than most Trek books.

Bujold is better.
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/24-CryoburnCD/CryoburnCD/index.htm

psik

Thanks for the suggestions, Section 31 was pretty much the only thing I liked about DS9 so I'll check that out

But it's not always easy to pick out an excerpt that is both interesting, not a spoiler and understandable to what is going on.

I seem to recall an overall positive response to the regular excerpts chosen for previewing in the "ST Magazine". And much testiness if an issue failed to carry an excerpt. That response does not correlate to VulcanLoveSlave's comment of "I've read some excerpts and so far they all seem extremely poorly written", hence my curiosity.

"Extremely poorly written" is downright insulting to TrekLit in general. Even I, a Completist Extraordinare, wouldn't bother with ST novels if they were all "extremely poorly written".

I wasn't trying to speak in absolutes and I don't mean to offend anyone. It was just my reaction to a random sampling of books on Amazon. I apologize if anyone took offense.

Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock is not just a great Star Trek book, but a great science fiction book full-stop.

Articles of the Federation is basically Star Trek's take on The West Wing --whether you like it or not will largely depend on how you feel about political potboilers. Some people love it, but I've heard people say it turned them off Treklit forever.

And if you're a fan of Terry Pratchett, you might want to look into Peter David's Star Trek oeuvre, especially the New Frontiers series (an original novel-only saga that he built from the ground up). It can be a bit cartoony, but it's sarcastic and wry like the best of Pratchett.

Exactly the kind of recommendation I was looking for! Thankyou!


And thanks again everyone Feel free to keep 'em coming.

 

[Christopher]

I've been looking on Amazon, off the top of my head I remember not liking the excerpt from Homecoming and some TNG book with Worf and Crusher on the cover?

Hmm, that would pretty much have to be my e-novella Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within. Sorry the excerpt didn't work for you.

Interesting that TSW is the first work of ST prose fiction ever to feature Worf and Crusher together on the cover. The only other cover they both appear on is the novelization of "All Good Things...", but that's along with the rest of the regular cast plus Guinan. A number of covers have both Worf and Deanna, but only the two with Worf and Beverly, and only the one with just them.

And because I'm that obsessive, I checked to see how many comic-book covers have both Worf and Beverly on them. About a half-dozen feature them in full-cast group shots or montages, and five more (all DC: miniseries #5 and regular series #21, 26, 27, and 79) feature them in group shots with at least two other regulars. The only comic cover that actually features the two of them specifically is issue 3 of DC's Ill Wind miniseries, and even that cover has two guest characters included (though not as prominently featured as Worf and Crusher).

 

[David Mack]

Considering that the poster asked for TNG- and VGR-related suggestions, I'm surprised that someone would recommend Vanguard, but that no one thought to suggest the Destiny trilogy. (Unless, of course, the trilogy was one of the works that put VulcanLoveSlave off Star Trek fiction, but that's not stated anywhere in the thread.)

 

[Therin of Andor]

no one thought to suggest the Destiny trilogy. (Unless, of course, the trilogy was one of the works that put VulcanLoveSlave off Star Trek fiction, but that's not stated anywhere in the thread.)

I'm afraid I just haven't been game enough to suggest anything, since I can't honestly say I've seen any hand-selected online excerpts that fitted my interpretation of "extremely poorly written".

Random openings of pages in a bookshop, sure. Back cover blurbs, sure - sometimes they are wildly inaccurate. Unusual, unfamiliar or unconventional writing styles, sure (but even the advance info on "Warped!" and "The Laertian Gamble" intrigued me, at least until I bought the books.) But online excerpts deliberately selected to intrigue a reader enough to seek out the book to read more? If the OP sees those as "extremely poorly written" I remain at a loss.

I've seen some "extremely poorly written" fan stories in my day, but those are sometimes unedited first drafts from earnest amateurs with more love for ST than knowledge of grammar and style.

I could suggest lots of favourite licensed ST books, series, themes and authors, but I can't guarantee the prose will fit such nebulous(?) expectations.

I wasn't trying to speak in absolutes and I don't mean to offend anyone. It was just my reaction to a random sampling of books on Amazon.

Good to know, but it still gave me an ongoing mental block.

 

[JD]

Could you give us some examples of the excerpts you didn't like? That way we know which ones to avoid.
As for recommendations, my top ones would be the DS9 Relaunch, Vanguard, and Titan. They are the three most consistantly well written series, with interesting plots, great characterizations, and they do a really good job of building their own unique identities, while still using elements from the Trek shows.

I've been looking on Amazon, off the top of my head I remember not liking the excerpt from Homecoming and some TNG book with Worf and Crusher on the cover?

Thanks for the suggestions!

Hmm, since like Christopher said, that would pretty much have to be The Struggle Within, and I read and loved the excerpt that does make me wonder if perhaps you might want to disregard my recommendations. I'm honestly kind of shocked to here somebody describe a part of one of his books as badly written, his stuff tends to be very well liked around here, and I consider him one of my favorite authors. But I guess that would just be another example of how different peoples tastes are.