Your Top Five Trek Authors

[By-Product]

I started thinking about this in the "Moments that made you cheer.." thread.

Who are your top five authors and why? it can be for a particular novel, series of novels, or even a single moment that made you happy that you read that particular book.

Mine are (in no particular order)

David Mack for Wildfire
Keith R.A. DeCandio for Articles of the Federation
Michael Jan Friedman for the Stargazer series (and Planet X )
Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore for the S.C.E. series
Josepha Sherman & and Susan Shwartz for the Vulcan Soul series

S.D. Perry comes a damn close sixth for Section 31:Cloak


I hope this takes you as long to think about as it did for me.

Enjoy,

 

[Mysterion]

In no order:

Diane Duane - for The Wounded Sky, and for giving us the Rihannsu
David Gerrold - Galactic Whirlpool, and two of the ST non-fic books
KRAD - Where to start? Well, Star Trek: The West Wing...um...Articles of the Federation

Peter Morwood - Rules of Engagement - uunderrated, and overlooked, IMO

The Reeves-Stevens' - Prime directive is one of the best.

 

[Trent Roman]

Oy. These lists are always difficult, and sometimes I worry changeable based on what I've read last, but since there's five... I suppose for most consistent kick-assitude, and in no particular order:

DRG3 (For 34th Rule, Twilight)
David Mack (Too many to list)
Christopher L. Bennett (Orion's Hounds, The Buried Age)
KRAD (Way too many to list)
Una McCormack (Hollow Men, WoDS9: Cardassia).

Which isn't to say that I haven't enjoyed a lot of what the M&M team, or Heather Jarman, or Greg Cox, or any number of others have put out, just not as consistently. Peter David would have made the list a few months back, but the sour impression of Before Dishonour is still too fresh in my mind.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[JD]

My top 5, who aren't neccissarily the only authors I enjoy, along with my two absolute favorite book they've written.
KRAD - The Art of the Impossible, AoTF,
David Mack - Warpath, Reap the Whirlwind
Wardimore - Summon the Thunder, Age of the Empress
DRG III - Twilight, Serpents Among the Ruins / MAM & AM - Taking Wing, Forged In Fire
I know this is supposed to be 5 but I just really can't end this without

 

[JAG]

KRAD
David Mack
DRGIII
James Swallow
Dayton Ward

Andy Mangels and Mike Martin

I will read any books these authors write and know I will get a good tale.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Off the top of my head I would say (In no particular order)

1. KRAD
2. Christopher
3. Margaret Wander Bonanno
4. David R. George III
5. Diane Duane

These are all Trek Authors whose past work has been good enough that I would pretty much read anything by them because I know it'll be good.

 

[ronny]

i don't have a top five. i'm not even sure i have a top ten.

there are a number of authors, who if i see have written a new trek book, i buy it. just to name a couple who post here, david mack and keith de candido. i'll buy a trek book by these guys, no matter what series of trek we're talking about, so comparing one to the other doesn't really matter.

 

[Sci]

In no particular order....

Keith R.A. DeCandido
David Mack
Diane Duane
Peter David
Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels

To extend the lista little further, still in no particular order...

S.D. Perry
Andrew J. Robinson
Armin Shimmerman
David R. George III
Margaret Wander Bonanno
Christopher L. Bennett
Steve Barnes
Vonda N. McIntyre
Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Jeffrey Lang
Una McCormack
Heather Jarman

 

[Ktrek]

Yikes! How do you sift it down to just five? I could do ten a lot easier than five. And my five would likely change with what I have recently read and is still fresh in my mind.

So, I will have to restrict my list to authors that have consistently entertained and impressed me (not easy to do if you knew me).

1. Keith R.A. DeCandido
2. David Mack
3. David R. George III
4. S.D. Perry
5. Mangles and Martin

Honorable mention must go to James Swallow for his worthy effort of DAY OF VIPERS. I genuinely hope that Pocket will contract more books from this excellent author!

Also, to Jeffrey Lang, Christopher Bennett, Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Dayton Ward and Kevin Dillmore.

Thanks to everyone for giving me a little joy in this world, which is often so dark and confusing. You have all stimulated me and refreshed me more than you will ever know. I hope that every one of you will write more Star Trek books for our enjoyment!

Kevin

 

[donners22]

I buy pretty much everything Peter David writes, but aside from that I'd really struggle. I liked the only Mangles and Martin book I've read, though I did have an issue with something I came across while glancing at another of their books.

I take more notice of individual stories than writers, and really would be hard pressed to tell who had written a particular book without the name on the cover.

My preference is for novels pre-2000, so I suppose the regular authors of that time would be higher among my favourites rather than the new breed.

 

[greenmystik]

No order...

KRAD
Peter David
Greg Cox
Reeves-Stevens
Dayton Ward

 

[captcalhoun]

PAD
KRAD
Mack
Wardilmore
Reeve-Stevens

honorable mentions to CLB, M&M and MWB

all the cool authors have three initials...

 

[Cicero]

In descending order:

Andrew J. Robinson
David Mack
Heather Jarman
S.D. Perry
David R. George III

Honorable mentions:
Julia Ecklar
William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
Jeffrey Lang
Una McCormack
Diane Duane

(I've not read anything by Greg Cox or Armin Shimerman, among post-2000 authors.)

 

[BrotherBenny]

In alphabetical order

Christopher L. Bennett for Orion's Hounds and all the great science.
Keith R. A. DeCandido for Articles of the Federation et al.
Diane Duane for Rihannsu
David R George III for The Crucible Trilogy et al.
David Mack for Wildfire et al.

But to be honest, I like the work of most of the current crop of geniuses.

It is interesting to see that the same few names keep cropping up.

 

[elaithin]

I tried to narrow it down... and found that I really can't. Peter David, KRAD, David Mack, Ward & Dilmore, Martin & Mangels, Christopher Bennett, S.D. Perry, Una McCormack, Michael Jan Friedman, Greg Cox, Sherman & Shwartz, David R. George III - and these are just the ones that immediately come to mind. They're all great in their own particular way.

 

[RookieBatman]

I've only got three, not because I hate everyone, but because I'm just not that well-read yet, especially with the new authors. So if your favorite isn't on my list, just assume that I haven't read any of their books yet.

1. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevenses (For the Shatnerverse and Federation--I haven't read Prime Directive yet--being everything a Star Trek book should be. Federation left me speechless. I've raved about them before; I really can't say enough. Fantastic.)
2. Jean Lorrah (For The IDIC Epidemic, my introduction to Trek Lit, and for the fascinating look at Vulcan marriage in The Vulcan Academy murders.)
3. Dave Stern (For Daedalus's Children. I was rather unimpressed with most of the first book, but at the conclusion of the second, I remember thinking, "Yeah, this is pretty much what I hope for when I pick up a Star Trek book.")

 

[Rabid Trekkie]

In no particular order:

Peter David for the New Frontier series
KRAD for the Gorkon/Klingon Empire series
Diane Duane for Spock's World and Rihannsu
David Mack for Vanguard and his short story in Tales of the Dominion Wars
Martin and Mangles for Taking Wing, Red King, and Forged in Fire

Others are great also, but these are the ones I've read the most. There are a lot of others on the bookshelves just waiting to be read so the list could change.

 

[ClayinCA]

I couldn't limit it to to five, but my top writers are those who have literally never written a Trek book I didn't like. So, in no particular order apart from that:

Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Christopher L. Bennett
Keith R. A. DeCandido
David R George III
Greg Cox
David Mack
Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore

Just bubbling under are those writers where I've enjoyed all but maybe one or two books:

Peter David
Jeanne Dillard
Howard Weinstein
Michael Jan Friedman
Margaret Wander Bonanno
Vonda N. McIntyre
Diane Duane
Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels

 

[bennyrex]

I had to put some thought into this before getting it down. Even then, I'm not 100% sure of it. I feel like writing about why I've got these writers on the list, but that would make the entry much longer then anything anyone else has put down, so I'm going to spoiler tag my reasoning. If you wanna read it, you can. If not, keep on skimming.
In no particular order:

David Mack -

Spoiler: reasoning. (With some wildfire spoilers)

I'm trying to think of anything I've read by this guy that's disappointed me, and nothing's coming. My first read by him was his 'A Time to...' duology, and I remember being blown away by the tight action, and his deft handling of a huge number of minor characters. Next up was Warpath, which kept me spellbound under its serpentine twists and prophetic coma sequences. Enough so that I'm still eagerly awaiting the next book even with the wait that we've had. His entries in Vanguard were the point of no return for me. I can't *not* have him on my favourites list after reading those. More amazing action, wonderfully rounded characters, more ethical quandaries, and... to me what's most amazing is how it managed to balance perfectly the epic with the personal. It had some of the most epic Star Trek moments ever, (in my mind anyway,) yet it was also deeply personal, and could tightly focus in on those wonderful charactesr. His Mirror Universe entry took a concept I've always had trouble taking seriously, (I've enjoyed it, but always as a silly romp) and crafted a tale that I *had* to take seriously, posing many ethical qustions that aren't easily answered. Finally, most recently I've gone back to his earliest books, reading Invincible and Wildfire. I don't think I've ever read a book that I found as nailbiting as Wildfire. I knew a certain character was going to die from discussions on these boards and the cover of Breakdowns. I had no idea that the angel of death would be as sated as he was by the end of the book. Wow. After going through these books, I'm even more eager for Destiny, especially seeing how he handles the epic with the character focus. I've got high expectations for this one.

David R. George III

Spoiler: reasoning

Twilight was the first Star Trek book I read that made it onto my favourite overall book list. Since then, I've read other Star Trek books that I consider favourites overall, but Twilight was the first. I loved the huge amout of rich detailing, and a verbose prose that I know some found irritating, but I found very refreshing and stimulating. It's been a while since I last read it now, but it left a very lasting impression on me. Outside of the fiction itself, I wrote a very long letter to the writer in reaction to the book, and he wrote an even longer letter back, commenting on what I wrote point for point. I felt hugely honored by the effort he put into corresponding with me. I've enjoyed everything else I've read by him so far, (Crucible McCoy, and the Worlds of DS9 Dominion) but neither had the same impact that Twilight had. After going through why DRG is on my list, I definitely want to read Serpent in the Ruins and his Ferengi book. Especially with my coming back to reading and buying Star Trek books hardcore, I'm not sure why I haven't picked these up yet. I'll definitely correct that error soon.

Una McCormack

Spoiler: reasoning

Hollow men. Wow. This book made me think SO much about my own personal choices. I'm a peace activist. I don't do protesting all that much. I'm more of a 'go to the place itself' kind of activist then a protest marcher, but I do protesting as well, and I read this book fairly early on in my evolution towards devoting my life to peace activism, and it really made me stop and think. Think hard. It's been long enough since I've read it, that I feel I should read it again to refresh my memory, and interact intellectually with how she presented the ideas again. I felt this book was another shining example of using Star Trek to explore contemporary issues. I love most forms of Star Trek, but this is always my favourite way type of Star Trek story. I also loved her Worlds of DS9 story. The stories of hers that I've read always have a literary feel to them, of using 'literary devices' more so than other Star Trek writers. I'm definitely hoping that we'll see more of her work in the future. I don't think there's anything in the official pipeline. Can any of the powers that be say whether there's any possibility we'll see something from her at some point in the near future?

Keith R.A. Decandido

Spoiler: reasoning

Keith is my workhorse writer. I know he's always churning something out, and even though I know he keeps churning and grinding them out, they always end up being enjoyable reads. I don't think I've read one by KRAD that I'd put in my favourites list above all books, or have felt like they had a tangible....whooomp. Hang on. Let's put on the brakes. The whole reason I'm in a period of a relationship possibly starting is because of a KRAD/Mack s.c.e. story. (Following up on that by the way... she likes me, but it would be very long distance, and... yeah... long distance sucks.) So, now that I remember what a tangible impact Invincible had, let me say that I always have a cracking good read with KRAD, and I can point to a book he co-wrote and say 'My life is different because I read this.'

Crap. Who do I put in the last slot? I really enjoy M and M... and Wardilmore as well. Holy crap, I'm sure it's been done to death on this board, but that sounds uncannily similar to Voldemort if you say it loud in a mumbly way.

Anyway, both Christopher and James Swallow, who I've read less books by, (only one in Swallow's case) both had more impactful books for me. I think I will give Christopher the last slot.

Christopher Bennett

Spoiler: reasoning

I'm giving Christopher the last slot, because on an emotional level, Day of the Vipers was the most dramatic, impactful Star Trek book I've ever read. But Orion's Hound's, and Ex Machina grabbed hold of me intellectually and ethically, and just didn't let go, and when balancing emotional vs. intellectual impact, I think I'll give my rational side the prize.

I feel, from reading both Ex Machina and Orion's Hounds, that at least when it comes to social issues, the things that matter to me are the things that matter to Christopher. So often, reading these books, I just wanted to pump my fist in the air and say YES!!! Not because of any great action sequence, or cathartic emotional moment, but because of some quote relating to diversity, or peace, or reconciliation.

I went into Orion's Hounds thinking it would be some grand epic science adventure, that would be enjoyable, but enjoyable solely on a grand epic space creature level, causing me to marvel in wonder at the idea of what grand forms of life could be out there. And y'know what? It did. But much more importantly to me, it showed me concrete examples of diversity at play. It showed me the nitty gritty of people very different from each other living together, and finding ways to compromise, and find their similarities and... I'm getting the shivers that I get when writing about things that really matter to me... and reading Orion's Hounds gave me those shivers too. From the diversity in Titan's crew trying to work together, to the seemingly unsurmountable task that Deanna and Riker et al had with bringing peace and reconciliation between the jellies and the hunters. I found it so moving. I kept reading quotes from it to my friends and teachers (I was visiting my old college while reading it,) and they couldn't believe it was a Star Trek book. Parts of it sounded like it came from lectures and textbooks from my Peace and Justice class that I took last year. I plan on giving the book to my peacemaking buddies to see what they have to think about it. I brought 'The Buried Age' with me on the trip, but it got "borrowed" by the landlord of someone I was staying with (long story) so now I have to wait for it to be mailed back to me. I'm really curious now what I'll get from it. (Please don't tell me). I was so surprised by how relevant the diversity and peacemaking stuff was. I wasn't going to expect it from The Buried Age... (I'm expecting epic ancient civilisation, exploring the distant path of Star Trek stuff) but after Orion's Hounds... I'm really not sure what to expect. I'm sure I won't be disappointed, whatever there is.

 

[By-Product]

... and Wardilmore as well. Holy crap, I'm sure it's been done to death on this board, but that sounds uncannily similar to Voldemort if you say it loud in a mumbly way.

It doesn't matter because its great, well I think so anyway.