Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watdcsu.UUCP 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.... UUCP: {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!water!watdcsu!herbie CSNET: herbie%watdcsu@waterloo.csnet ARPA: herbie%watdcsu%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa NETNORTH, BITNET, EARN: herbie@watdcs, herbie@watdcsu