what star trek book do you like?

darth kendo apprentice · Post by **darth kendo apprentice** » 2005-04-15 07:28pm

I put some thing almost like this in the star wars forums . I have seen star trek books at B&B but never bought one.I wish to know whats a good one and not.
Just to let you know these posts are not just to tell me whats good and whats not. Like the star wars one that I put up it's also for you to talk about them to each other who have read them.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-04-15 07:37pm

"The Final Reflection" is my favorite Star Trek book.

Darkdrium · Post by **Darkdrium** » 2005-04-15 08:14pm

I've only read a few, but I consider Q Squared to be a good read. Deals about Trelane, different timelines and Q in some way or another. Been too long since I read it.

Dark Mirror has an interesting story too, but there's just so much technobabble... arghh. Anyway, the Enterprise somehow ends up in a parallel universe, a (you guessed it!) dark version of it's own universe. The federation is an empire, and everyone is just basically evil. It was very interesting, but again, the technobabble...

Then there's The Last Outpost. Not bad I guess, about a primitive race in war against the Klingons finding a storage full of extremely powerful weapons. But the thing that struck me is how the book portrays Picard's attitude toward kids. Now I know from TNG that he is (or was) uncomfortable with them, but you'd think he want nothing more than to throw the lot of them out the nearest airlock or something.

darth kendo apprentice · Post by **darth kendo apprentice** » 2005-04-15 08:22pm

those sound cool I look in to them when I get to B&B next.
What is The final Reflection about the one that Imperial Overlord was talking about.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-04-15 09:56pm

The Final Reflection was written by John M. Ford in the early 80s (first published in 83). It is a book within a book, everything but the first and last chapter being a novel read by Kirk. It is the story of the life of a Klingon captain who is involved in the first exchange of ambassadors between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. It is told from a Klingon point of view and presents a far superior version of their culture than the TNG space vikings.

Link for earlier discussion thread on it: http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic.php?t=56980

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2005-04-16 01:09am

It all depends on your personal taste. Here are a couple of favorites:

I, Q
Great look into Trek's most famous entity, especiaslly considering that Q himself (John de Lancie) co-wrote (and narrarated the audio-book. If you like John deLancie doing his Q, download the audio-book; it'll make the experience all the more enjoyable).

The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins
A little introduction -- the Lost Era novels were menat to act as a bridge between the end of the TOS era and the start of the TNG era, answering questions and showing us how we got from here to there. Serpents was the most anticipated of these six (inital order; two more are in the early writing stages) since it answers one of Trek's greatest questions: What was the Tomed Incident?

The Art of the Impossible
Ironically, I was looking more forward to Serpents more than Art due to aforementioned revelations regarding the Tomed Incident. However, if you like political thrillers, you'll love this. It examines the Betreka Nebula Incident (first mentioned in DS9's Way of the Warrior and then goes one step further by tying into all those seemingly unrelated events that have been dropped in 30-years worth of Trek dialogue, ultimately culminating in the Romulan attack on Khitomer Attack. The novel also garunteed Keith R.A. deCandido to hold the post of my favorite Trek novelist.

Captain's Blood
Alkthough he died in Generations, Kirk lives on in novel-form. Blood is the eighth book in the Shatner-verse, the ongoing novel series co-authored by Kirk himself. Though the Shatner-verse novels follow their own timeline, it does offer insights and answers to some of many inconsistencies and questions that arose from Nemesis. I recommend, however, that you start with the first novel in the series, Ashes of Eden, or you'll be lost in what has occured up to this point.

A Stitch in Time
If you like Garak, you'll love this (since the plain, simple tailor is the author).

The Left Hand of Destiny
J.G. Hertzler goes where Shatner, deLancie, Robison, and Shimmerman have gone before him in telling a tale of General Martok shortly after the DS9 finale. Continues the evolution of the Klingon culture that Worf envisoned in the Final Arc.

Tales of the Dominion War.
An anthology containing twelve stories related to the conflict that dominated the last two seasons of DS9. My most anticipated Trek book of 2004.

In addition, many of the ongoing series are good (I.K.S. Gorkon, DS9 Relaunch, Stargazer, and New Frontier). The new Titan series also shows promise (Riker haters avoid).

Edit -- Forgot Ex Machina. Essentially picks up right after TMP and does a good job of setting up the paths that the senior crew will follow by the end of the TOS-era.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2005-04-16 07:28am

The Dominion War Books 2 and 4.

They're basically a novelisation of the Dominion War arc in DS9. Make the actual arc much better if you take these into account.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2005-04-16 08:50am

Only read one ST:TNG Blaze of Glory by Simon Hawke, it was fairly decent, albeit too short and has a somewhat disappointing ending.

Crazedwraith · Post by **Crazedwraith** » 2005-04-16 09:24am

Gandalf wrote:The Dominion War Books 2 and 4.

They're basically a novelisation of the Dominion War arc in DS9. Make the actual arc much better if you take these into account.

Yep, has sections from the Centaurs point of view. Very good. Very side when the Centuar gets vaped.

Also New Frontier series by Peter David is very good.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-04-16 11:28am

Sarek has always been a favorite book of mine. Klingons aren't space vikings at all.

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2005-04-16 12:06pm

Generally the TOS books are pretty good; so are those authored by actual people from the show (Armin Shimerman, John De Lancie, Shatner, et al).

Avoid any cheap paperbacks with a number on the cover and titles like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation; 'Menace of the <alien of the week>'", though; those are more or less churned out for the Trekkie market.

However, 'miniseries' like the Genesis Wave books tend to be better on general, as they're not really churned out tripe like the abovementioned books.

TimothyC · Post by **TimothyC** » 2005-04-16 08:59pm

New Frontier Series by Peter David

Ex Machina by Bennett. I picked this book up about 2 hours ago and really like it.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2005-04-18 08:44pm

I have to mention the New Frontier series and pretty much anything by Peter David. Vendetta is as good a Borg novel as you can find.

Ship of the Line by Diane Carey is also pretty good. I liked the Bozeman's captain a lot.

As for The Final Reflection, I think that the story is a bit weak. While the Klingon society from the book is far preferable to the space vikings, the story and characters just weren't that exciting on their own.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-04-18 08:58pm

You know I'm going to have to kill you for that Bob.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2005-04-18 10:57pm

Q in law was funny
A society that lives entirely in space of honest traders doing romeo and juliet without the tragedy.
Then Lwaxxan Troi shows up for the week long party on the Enterprise to host the wedding
Then Q shows up
Q and Troi date.
Q dumps Troi after giving her Q powers
Troi beats the living tar out of him

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-04-19 02:54am

First Janeway, then Lwaxana?

Christ, Q sure knows how to pick 'em.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2005-04-19 04:52am

I recently enjoyed a ST book called Probe. It was insteresting, though the Borg were a wee bit wanked in it.

NeoGoomba · Post by **NeoGoomba** » 2005-04-19 06:29pm

NecronLord wrote:I recently enjoyed a ST book called Probe. It was insteresting, though the Borg were a wee bit wanked in it.

I remember reading that, actually. Didnt they blow up a star or something to take out the Probe's builders?

Anyways, I thought the novelization of "Relics" was great. I also read the four part "Invasion" and thought that was okay. Other than that though, ST books were never all that appealing to me.

I'm definately going to have to check out "A Stitch in Time" however. I friggen love Garak

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-04-19 08:18pm

As cheesy as it was, I enjoyed reading the book where McCoy was briefly given command of the Enterprise.

Elheru Aran · Post by **Elheru Aran** » 2005-04-19 08:31pm

There was a recent book about Data-- I forgot the author, but on the cover it shows him in the pose of the Vitruvian Man, atop that famous illustration. He goes and tries to find out why the scientist working behind efforts to develop an android for widespread Starfleet use has vanished, discovers that he was working with Noonien Soong back in the day, and so forth. Was pretty good.... an excellent portrayal of Data's mental processes and interaction with characters.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2005-04-19 09:10pm

Elheru Aran wrote:There was a recent book about Data-- I forgot the author, but on the cover it shows him in the pose of the Vitruvian Man, atop that famous illustration. He goes and tries to find out why the scientist working behind efforts to develop an android for widespread Starfleet use has vanished, discovers that he was working with Noonien Soong back in the day, and so forth. Was pretty good.... an excellent portrayal of Data's mental processes and interaction with characters.

Immortal Coil, I believe.

charben · Post by **charben** » 2005-04-19 09:19pm

Been a while since I read a Trek novel, but I really enjoyed:

Vendetta
Q in Law
My Enemy, My Ally
How Much for Just the Planet?
First Federation (I think this is the title-it's the classic Trek novel with time travel/dinosaurs, with input from the Dinosaur Society)

Q in Law would have made a great 2- part TNG episode, btw.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2005-04-20 01:27pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:You know I'm going to have to kill you for that Bob.

You can try.

But just remember that while you're working out your 20-year-long Ultimate Klin Zha trap, I'll be contacting everyone's favorite Xenexian to phaser your ass from orbit.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2005-04-20 01:28pm

NecronLord wrote:I recently enjoyed a ST book called Probe. It was insteresting, though the Borg were a wee bit wanked in it.

Was this a book about the Whale Probe builders?

*raises eyebrow* Fascinating.

NeoGoomba · Post by **NeoGoomba** » 2005-04-20 05:53pm

Bob the Gunslinger wrote: Was this a book about the Whale Probe builders?

*raises eyebrow* Fascinating.

It takes place between Star Trek V and VI, with the Enterprise looking into the mystery of the Probe and its creators. Turns out the Probe had been heavily damaged eons ago by the Borg, who had wiped out its creators.