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Path: utzoo!watmath!water!watdcsu!herbie
From: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: The Novels are Great !!
Message-ID: <1527@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 21:22:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1527
Posted: Thu Jul 11 21:22:42 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 12-Jul-85 02:51:06 EDT
References: <623@panda.UUCP>
Reply-To: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Waterloo
Lines: 34
Summary: 

In article <623@panda.UUCP> plw@genrad.UUCP (Pete Williamson) writes:
>Some people have recently mentioned that most of the
>Star Trek novels are either bad or "simply not Star Trek".
>I'm wondering if I'm alone ... for the most part I think
>the novels, especially the Timescape Series [1..22], are
>very good. Compared to the TV episodes, I think the ratio of
>good to bad is higher. The depictions of Alien cultures and
>customs are more detailed in the novels. The Star Trek
>characters are generally more vivid, especially characters
>like Uhura, Sulu, and Scotty. Any comments ??

there can be really different ones.  the "Phoenix" books by Marshak and
Lichtenberg portray a "different" view of the Startrek universe than
many people are used to.  a lot of scientific accuracy went by the
wayside to make a better emotional view of Kirk/Spock.  the books that
i feel represent both good SF and adhering to the known ST universe
were "The Final Reflection" and "The Galactic Whirlpool".  there are
others that missed the very important feature of a realistic
situation.  "Spock, Messiah" has Kirk running all over a very dangerous
planet with no advanced arms to speak of when redshirts should have
been doing it.  "World Without End" does a little better.  as with any
writing, 90% of ST novels are garbage.  the problem this time is that
the publishers think that they have a targeted audience that will accept
anything provided that it says Star Trek somewhere on it.  and you know,
they probably are right.

Herb Chong...

I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....

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