What are we reading?

[bbmike]

Kind of the same as you mirth. A few of my favorites were Yesterday's Son, Black Fire, Dreadnought and Ishmael.

[BanzaiCat]

The TNG Q books were pretty good too.

[mirth]

Kind of the same as you mirth. A few of my favorites were Yesterday's Son, Black Fire, Dreadnought and Ishmael.

Black Fire was one of my favs too. I can still remember reading it as kid in '84.

Enterprise: The First Adventure, with Kirk taking command of the Enterprise, was another good one.

Could be time to hit the used book store :P

[mirth]

The TNG Q books were pretty good too.

I'd have to get past my hatred of Q as a character.

[BanzaiCat]

Well, Encounter at Farpoint was a terrible, terrible pilot episode. I despised the Q character (and wasn't even sure I could get hooked by TNG at the time, but it was ST so I stuck with it). The later writers did a much better job with the character, IMO.

[mirth]

John de Lancie made that character far more likable and enjoyable than it should have been. Love de Lancie as an actor, still hate Q.

[JasonPratt]

The Peter David Q novels happen to be the only times I haven't winced at Q's presence in a story. And one of those is Q-In-Law, featuring Lwaxana Troi! {shudder}

That one was tolerably good, all things considered. Q-Squared (with the Squire of Gothos) on the other hand is quite epic: Peter David does his usual continuity trawl to connect Q with many (most? all?) of the godlike energy beings from TOS, going all the way back to "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

Having said that, I haven't read enough Trek novels to have any opinion about better or worse ones. The only other one I've ever read, also by Peter David, was Vendetta (which has the advantage of synching the Borg to a key TOS story, namely the Doomsday Machine -- and which again managed the miracle of keeping me from wincing at Whoopi Goldberg's character whose name I can't recall at the moment.)

[mirth]

and which again managed the miracle of keeping me from wincing at Whoopi Goldberg's character whose name I can't recall at the moment.)

Guinan. Another character, I could barely stomach.

Don't get me started on Wesley Crusher.

[Barthheart]

and which again managed the miracle of keeping me from wincing at Whoopi Goldberg's character whose name I can't recall at the moment.)

Guinan. Another character, I could barely stomach.

Don't get me started on Wesley Crusher.

[BanzaiCat]

[mirth]

^excellent.

[BanzaiCat]

I was one of the Wesley haters. But I thoroughly enjoy Wil Wheaton as a boardgaming geek.

[mirth]

I was one of the Wesley haters. But I thoroughly enjoy Wil Wheaton as a boardgaming geek.

Wheaton's great. Table Top is fantastic show and a real boon to gaming.

I have thoroughly enjoyed his appearances on Big Bang Theory and his work on other shows, like Eureka.

Gawd how I hated Wesley though.

[Martok]

One of my favorite books ever is The Great Bridge by McCollough...you can probably get it for free somewhere at this point.

Thanks Gus.  Bridges have long been an interesting subject for me as well, so that's probably one I would also enjoy. 

Martok, question out of the blue: what's your favorite Star Trek novel?

Oh boy.  You would ask me that one.  ::)  That truly is a tough question... 



Gun to my head, though (and after having given it some thought), I'd probably have to say Dark Mirror by Diane Duane.  (Like mirth, she's my single favorite Trek author -- Keith R. A. DeCandido and Peter David rounding out my top three.)  To fully appreciate/enjoy the book, you need to be a TNG fan, as well as having seen TOS episode "Mirror, Mirror"; if you qualify in both respects, however, then it's a novel I cannot recommend enough. 

Duane is also responsible for my favorite Star Trek series, the Rihannsu (also sometimes known as the Bloodwing series).  It's four (technically five) books -- My Enemy, My Ally, The Romulan Way, Swordhunt/Honor Blade, and The Empty Chair -- that take a close look at the Romulans, going back to their initial split from the Vulcans almost 2000 years ago.  It's unusual/remarkable that I enjoy the series so much, because it's set in the TOS era; I'm normally more of a TNG/DS9 fan.  It's extremely well-written, however, and I'm one of the many fans that wish Roddenberry would've/could've seen his way to accepting the books as canon. 


Despite the love story angle (which you say you'd rather avoid), I also strongly second Banzai_Cat's recommendation of Peter David's Imzadi.  Without wanting to spoil too much, I will only say it was very well done. 

I also concur with mirth's recommendation of Spock's World by Diane Duane.  It refers to events in the Rihannsu series, although that's not why you should read it.  You should read it because Dr. McCoy gives one of the most epic speeches I've ever read in a modern literary work...to an entire planetful of Vulcans about why they're wrong (remember his constant arguments with Spock)...and then gets a standing ovation from said Vulcans when he's finished.  Just epic. 

One other Trek novel I feel compelled to mention is Kahless, written by Michael Jan Friedman.  (If the book had come out ten years later than it did, it would've been written by DeCandido; he's all about the Klingons! :) )  You do want to have seen the TNG episode of the same name before you read the book, but it's a fine piece of writing IMHO; I like how it contrasts between how legendary/mythical characters are commonly viewed/portrayed and how they actually *were*. 

Gawd how I hated Wesley though.

Just about everyone did.  >:D 

Heck, from what I understand, Wheaton himself didn't like the character.  It's one of the reasons he eventually left the show. 

[mirth]

Gun to my head, though (and after having given it some thought), I'd probably have to say Dark Mirror by Diane Duane.  (Like mirth, she's my single favorite Trek author --

Whoa, a Diane Duane Trek novel I haven't read!  :o