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 Post subject: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 12:45pm 

So if I wanted to get into the trek EU and I am visiting a library what are SDN's suggestions? Or should I just skip it? (Really good fan-fiction can also get a mention, but in no way is that what I am looking for.)

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 01:24pm 

The Vanguard series is probably the most enjoyable series of Trek EU I've read that's not really tied to any show (save TOS). All the characters are new ones, Kirk and the Enterprise makes a cameo appearance in the first book and that's it. It's five books strong at the moment, a sixth will be added in a few months time. Written mainly by David Mack and Dayton Ward.

The Rihannsu series is also good, I found. Set in TOS, the books deal with the Romulans (called Rihannsu in their tongue) and fleshes them out pretty thoroughly. Written by Diane Duane. In addition, John Ford's 'The Final Reflection' is pretty awesome, and focuses on the Klingons. There's a second book he wrote which I have but haven't had a chance to read.

For TNG, 'Q-Squared' is probably the best book I ever read involving Picard and company. Written by Peter David. The 'Kirk returns' books is basically a combination of TOS and TNG, with more of a focus on Kirk vs Picard. It's fun, campy and so on, but sometimes the plots stretch credibility a hell of a lot. Of the TNG books I have, 'Intellivore' and 'Dark Mirror' by Diane Duane (there's that name again) are probably the best, with a cool Romulan story called 'The Romulan Prize' by a guy called Simon Hawke.

There's also New Frontier but I haven't read it yet. Others can provide you with more information on this series. That's all the ones I know of. I never got into the DS9 books and Voyager? Forget about it.

A lot of the books by the way, because they're not canon, sometimes diverge quite drastically from what the established continuity laid out. For example, 'Dark Mirror' (basically a TNG version of 'Mirror, Mirror') diverged from how DS9 depicted the mirror universe by having the Terran Empire alive and well. I actually like it because of that. (I disagree vehemently with the DS9 writers who changed the mirror verse in 'Crossover') Then you have books like 'Q-Squared' and the Vanguard series, which insert a lot of references to the shows and to the continuity and you kinda wish they actually were canon. (I just cannot understand how Peter David never got a script written for TNG; he would have been perfect for it)

You can also try the tech manuals and non-fiction stuff as well. The TNG tech manual is a fun read, full of asides from the writers (who worked on the show) about the hows and whys they came up with to justify the stuff we see on the tv screen, as well as background stories and so on. Also Herbert Solow's and Robert Justman's 'Inside Star Trek' is something that has been recommended to me, so I'll recommend it to you. The Haynes USS Enterprise Owners' Workshop Manual is also a nice book full of glossy pictures of all the Enterprises.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 03:22pm 

Non-fiction:

Inside Star Trek is an absolute must-read for anyone who enjoys TOS. It's a wonderful look behind the scenes of the production, and lets you appreciate the challenges and joy they experienced in pulling the series off.

The View From The Bridge is a really nice book by Nick Meyer wherein he goes into detail on his experiences in working on the Star Trek movies. It's also somewhat autobiographical so you get some fun insight into the man himself as well.


I'm not nearly so well-versed in Trek fiction books. I've read quite a few, but very few of them stood out to me enough to remember them, and therefore wouldn't necessarily recommend to anyone.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 03:52pm 

I second the Rihannsu novels. They're a damm good take on the Romulans.

Do you have any specific series you prefer? I make more recommendations based on personal preference.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 03:58pm 

The Final Reflection is the finest Trek EU novel bar none. Though It's old and you're not likely to find in a library.

Otherwise. Anything by Peter David is a good bet. The Greg Cox Khan novels were interesting enough the read through once and contain ridiculous amounts of continuity references. Try and find a time travel to the 20th century episode in TOS, TNG, DS9 or VGR not referenced.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 07:38pm 

A lot depends on personal preference. I loved 'the Q-Continuum' by Gregory Cox, since it gave us a lot of backstory on an interesting character, and tied together a lot of minutiae from the various series.

Similarly, Willaim Shatner wrote a series of books about the rebirth and continuing adventures of Kirk. Again, there's a lot of good stuff knitting together bits and pieces of the TOS fluff to make more sense. Though it's a matter of taste whether you find all the Kirk-wank funny or horrifying. Personally, I think it's hilarious.

I also loved a book called 'Metamorphosis' by Jean Lorrah. Sort of a 'what if' story. What if Data met someone who could actually make him human? Plus Contamination, a murder mystery set on the E-D's bio-labs, 'Dark Mirror', a TNG mirror universe story, and 'Crossover' where the Romulan authorities capture Spock and an aged Admiral McCoy is placed in charge of the Enterprise to negotiate for his release, while Scotty steals a Constitution class starship from a museum to try and bust him out.

For TOS-set books I'd try 'Home is the Hunter' and 'Sarek.'

There are also novelizations of a few episodes and most movies that are generally as good as the show. Better, in the case of TMP.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 08:01pm 

"I,Q" is also pretty good. Not as good as "Q-Squared", but still good. Peter David and John deLancie do an equally fun job of getting inside Q's head in the middle of a universal crisis.

The audiobook's even funnier with deLancie narrating.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-20 10:48pm 

Hit up amazon or bookdepository dot com and search for it there. The price isn't likely to be very high.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-05-21 09:27am 

It's out there in ebook format too if you know where to look. A quick Google would probably find it for you. The "sequel" by the same author, How Much For Just The Planet? is pure camp, but the Klingons are excellent in that one too.

Try "Spock's World" by Diane Duane if you like TOS.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-06-02 02:38am 

if you want something to watch
http://www.hiddenfrontier.com/

ST:Hidden Frontier follows starfleet in the Briar Patch (post st:insurrection)

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-06-02 09:39am 

I would also recommend Hidden Frontier, as long as you can set your expectations very low as its a fan production with almost no budget for the first 3 seasons. After that, its gets a lot better.

Chuck, at sfdebris.com has the two Unity trilogies, which is an epic crossover of the Star Wars and Star Trek universes.

As for actual Trek EU stuff, go with Articles of the Federation, its the West Wing in Star Trek, and takes place after Star Trek Nemesis.

There's the Mirror Universe books, which I love, as they take place solely in the Mirror Universe and flesh out how both the Terran Empire and Klingon-Cardassian Alliance work. Along that vein is the TOS mirror universe story which was expanded into a full novel called The Sorrows of Empire and is about Spock's rise from captain of the Enterprise to Emperor of the Terran Empire.

The TNG relaunch books are entertaining, until it became Borg dominated, unto which they became annoying.

The Typhon Pact books so far are enjoyable. It takes place after the Destiny trilogy, which is the Alpha Quadrant vs the Borg. The Typhon Pact is in aftermath of the Borg war, with the Romulans, the Breen, the Tholians, the Kzinti and the Gorn forming a defense pact against the Khitomer Accord powers(the Federation and the Klingon Empire).

The Trek Myriad Universes is hit or miss.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-06-02 02:16pm 

I was fortunate enough to find Final Reflection at Half-Price Books just last week, and quite enjoyed it.

Anything by Peter David in Star Trek is worthwhile, not just New Frontier. NF is a good thing to hop onto though, it's reasonably self-contained and character-driven. I love Diane Duane as well.

 Post subject: Re: Trek EU

Posted: 2011-06-04 09:15pm 

I just have to jump in here and say that I disagree. Instead of lol space vikings, the Final Reflection gave us Klingons as lol chess nerds playing Ender's Game. It wasn't bad, but it really didn't live up to the hype at all and the Klingons portrayed in the book don't even resemble TOS Klingons.