Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
I haven't been reading Trek like I used to... I have a few dozen books, but I think I got burned out on it... the last one I read just didn't really hit me.
Of course, all the Trek I have is TOS, and I've never ventured into any of the other series (I hit burnout before then). The TOS books have largely been too 2-dimensional to me, which is funny considering the amount of background and detail there is in those characters by now. (Best exception IMO: Prime Directive.)
Not to mention the fact that the last book I read fell into that hole of writing as if it is in a competition to make as many arcane references to the original episodes as humanly possible. After awhile, that gets mighty tiring.
Actually, I didn't say all that to beat on Trek... it was to ask for recommendations on Trek e-books that do not fit the issues mentioned above. And I'm not particularly interested in action in terms of battles and space warfare, but in discovery and personal challenge. Suggestions?
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Steve, if you're an original series guy I'd recommend the following titles.
Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. They wrote Prime Directive, which you mention. The book is actually contradicted by later stuff shown on screen, namely Star Trek: First Contact, but is still an excellent read.
Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonnano. The life story of Captain Pike, the guy before Kirk.
Strangers From The Sky by Margaret Wander Bonnano. Same contradiction problems as Federation, but still a good book.
The Vanguard series.
0.5 Distant Early Warning (SCE # 64) by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. A prequel story but not absolutely necessary.
1. Harbinger by David Mack
2. Summon the Thunder by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
3. Reap the Whirlwind by David Mack
Set aboard a space station in the time of the original series. Kirk an co. guest star in book 1. The third book really drives home the idea that books have no special effects budget to hold them back. Some spectacular sequences.
The Crucible series by David R. George III.
1. Crucible: McCoy: Provenance of Shadows
2. Crucible: Spock: The Fire and the Rose
3. Crucible: Kirk: The Star to Every Wandering
These were designed to be more accessible than some of the other books and exist in a seperate continuity from the main Trek book continuity. The idea is that you only need to be familiar with the original TV series to read them. They do reference events from the show a bit, but not in a crippling way. It would help, though, if you're familiar with City on the Edge of Forever, the episode with time travel, The Guardian of Forever, and Joan Collins guest starring.That episode is the "crucible" in question.
Edit. Forgot to mention - Constellations edited by Marco Palmieri. Original series short story collection. The paper version actually has extra content - a story from Star Trek: The Manga, published by Tokypop. Believe me, you won't miss it.