You're least favorite Trek book

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well of Souls also. That one really left me scratching my head.

The Enterprise-C bits in Vulcan's Heart (which is my favorite Trek novel of all time) are far, far, far, FAR superior to that dreck.

 

[Therin of Andor]

See, I'm reading the explanation right now, and I've read it several times prior. And garamet got permission to use the characters from Dweller in Probe AKA Music of the Spheres.

The novels that seemed to cause considerable heartache for the authors and editors in that period were the ones where the proposal passed through GR's Star Trek Office, the author addressed the concerns of GR's staff and proceeded to manuscript - only to find that previously OK elements of the approved proposal were now being challenged. Meaning that between submitting the proposal and the final manuscript the rules had changed. Again.

 

[Amaris]

I actually read "Dwellers In the Crucible" for the first time ever this past week. Fantastic.
Garamet, you made me cry. I just want you to know.

Moving on.

My least favorite Trek book has to be "Imbalance" by V.E. Mitchell. I just did not find the book appealing on both a personal level (I've got a phobia about bugs...of any kind) and as a matter of taste. The book became a little convoluted for my liking, and the overall story just wasn't something that I found enjoyable. Nothing against the author. In fact, V.E. Mitchell wrote "Windows on a Lost World", one of my absolute favorite books, and the main storyline involves chitinous creatures there as well. I believe resembling crabs. I think.

J.

 

[Therin of Andor]

My least favorite Trek book has to be "Imbalance" by V.E. Mitchell. I just did not find the book appealing on both a personal level (I've got a phobia about bugs...of any kind) and as a matter of taste.

The Big Goodbye's Jerada revealed! "Imbalance" is one of my "I remember exactly where I was" novels. Friends and I ended up being pawns/plebs/redshirts/committee members at a preposterous, poorly executed ST convention, and I recall having my nose in the newly-released "Imbalance" every time I wanted an escape from the con runners and the bewildered and angry attendees.

I had no bad feelings towards the novel itself. But "Windows on a Lost World" was more imaginative and original.

 

[Christopher]

My least favorite Trek book has to be "Imbalance" by V.E. Mitchell. I just did not find the book appealing on both a personal level (I've got a phobia about bugs...of any kind) and as a matter of taste.

Oh, I really liked that one. I have a phobia about insects too, but that doesn't make me afraid of reading about them. And the worldbuilding in Imbalance was superb, one of the best-realized, truly alien species ever depicted in Trek fiction. My only quibble with the book was that the O'Briens were somewhat out of character, their marital tensions way too exaggerated.

 

[Rabid Trekkie]

The only Trek book I really haven't liked so far has been Resistance of the TNG relaunch. Picard's whole idea to stop the Borg seemed rather insane, and the fact that the rest of the crew didn't strap him to a bed in sickbay but instead supported his decision left me scratching my head. That and the angry Vulcan chick seemed more like she should have been from the Enterprise era instead of TNG.

 

[Christopher]

That and the angry Vulcan chick seemed more like she should have been from the Enterprise era instead of TNG.

So all Vulcans from a given century should have exactly the same personality or values? What about Captain Solok from "Take Me Out to the Holosuite"? He was as bad as any ENT-era Vulcan. Not to mention Sakona from "The Maquis," the militant Vulcan separatists from "Gambit," the Vulcan serial killer from "Field of Fire," etc. We've seen our share of TNG-era Vulcans who were much more disagreeable than T'Lana.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Gah...just thinking about her sets my teeth on edge...

 

[Rabid Trekkie]

That and the angry Vulcan chick seemed more like she should have been from the Enterprise era instead of TNG.

So all Vulcans from a given century should have exactly the same personality or values? What about Captain Solok from "Take Me Out to the Holosuite"? He was as bad as any ENT-era Vulcan. Not to mention Sakona from "The Maquis," the militant Vulcan separatists from "Gambit," the Vulcan serial killer from "Field of Fire," etc. We've seen our share of TNG-era Vulcans who were much more disagreeable than T'Lana.

She seemed emotional and haughty in a way that reminded me of Enterprise. And going in with the idea that Worf and Picard didn't know what they were doing seemed rather like the reactions the Vulcans had to Archer and crew.

Sakona didn't seem emotional to me, just that logic led her to a different conclusion than most of the others, and the Vulcan from DS9 was insane from trauma. It's been a while since I've seen Gambit and Take Me Out to the Holosuite (don't even own Holosuite yet) so I can't really comment on those two.

 

[Christopher]

^^The point is, it's bizarre to suggest that Vulcans in a given century are somehow forbidden to act outside a certain narrow range. It's stereotyping. Why shouldn't Vulcan characters be just as free to be individuals as human characters?

 

[Dancing Doctor]

One thing that bothered me about Worf and T'Lana was the fact that the writing seemed to set them up to be a couple (which I didn't really like) and then "Oops, well she's decided to leave."

I guess my complaint goes back to the way the characters were portrayed, and the inconsistencies.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Orion's Hounds

Gasp!!! Nooooooooo.

I knew this IDIC stuff wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Yeah. I think this is amazing. CB's work is consistently up there with my favorite Trek authors and ORION'S HOUNDS in particular.

 

[BrotherBenny]

As I have mentioned upthread (May 7), Ship of the Line is my least favourite for several reason which I didn't go into before.

First is Carey's naval slang for Bateson et al that seems totally out of place. I honestly couldn't read any further than that, it's the only book of the hundred which I have that I could not finish.

A couple of bits I picked up on by flicking through the book also make me heave, namely that Picard feels the need to go to a Kirk recreation on the holodeck to decide whether he wants to take command again?? Both captains had a good chat during Generations and Kirk told Picard what it was really like to command the Enterprise. Namely, don't let them take you away from that chair, it's where you belong. I know Carey has this delusional god-worship for Kirk and should really be sectioned for it, but it doesn't belong in a Trek book and I'm amazed that said book got through the final approvals before going to print.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Plus the fact that the Bozeman's crew was all-male in the book, and didn't follow what was depicted in Cause and Effect...

 

[BrotherBenny]

Plus the fact that the Bozeman's crew was all-male in the book, and didn't follow what was depicted in Cause and Effect...

Yeah, that too.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I just remember thinking Meh... when reading Ship of the Line. The plot was okay, but not super. And it took me awhile to really figure stuff out about the author and her background.

She didn't write Broken Bow, did she?

 

[Therin of Andor]

One thing that bothered me about Worf and T'Lana was the fact that the writing seemed to set them up to be a couple (which I didn't really like) and then "Oops, well she's decided to leave."

You've never seen "Cheers"? Why assume she's gone for good?

 

[Dancing Doctor]

One thing that bothered me about Worf and T'Lana was the fact that the writing seemed to set them up to be a couple (which I didn't really like) and then "Oops, well she's decided to leave."

You've never seen "Cheers"? Why assume she's gone for good?

That's a good point, I suppose. Although I still think that they wouldn't be a good couple. I might be letting my dislike of T'Lana seeping through a little, but I don't see another W/T couple anytime soon.

 

[Christopher]

Plus the fact that the Bozeman's crew was all-male in the book, and didn't follow what was depicted in Cause and Effect...

Also "Cause and Effect" depicted the Typhon Expanse to be uncharted territory in the 24th century while Ship of the Line reinterpreted it to be a well-patrolled portion of the UFP/Klingon border in the 23rd.

 

[Therin of Andor]

That's a good point, I suppose. Although I still think that they wouldn't be a good couple.

The same could be said of Sam and Diane, and Sam and Rebecca.