Star Trek Pocketbook Recs/Review
...omg, I'm a nerd, OKAY? And a shipper. Definitely a shipper.
Here are the Star Trek Original Series pocketbooks I've read so far. Some I've found to be really good for sake of plot, characterization and also the gay ship-tastic moments between Spock and Kirk while others are, sadly, missing the good plot/characterization but have an insane amount of slash. ._.;
First Frontier
-Diane Carey & James I. Kirkland
(Kirk and co. get thrown into a universe where humans don't exist and now it's up to them to figure out the "how" and "why" and attempt to undo it.) Official Summary
Notes: I honestly really liked this one, it's a good mission based book that has the blessing of being IC so it was practically like just another episode. It also has the added benefit of some really good subtext-y moments due to the fact that, as mentioned, they are IC and also because Kirk is injured due to a scorpion bite. So Spock is constantly trailing after him because Jim refuses to sit down and McCoy at one point tries to force-feed him. xD
One downside is his injury feels like it never goes anywhere, he doesn't get better and he doesn't get worse, he just stays in the same condition. It starts feeling like it was just an excuse to make people worry and begins losing realism about 3/4ths into the book. Then again, that's how I interpreted it and I could always have missed something.
The other downside is that Carey isn't very creative with her synonyms yet she insists on using them so some of the writing comes across as really weird (like a character will "bolt" out a phrase without moving, etc). But that's not really much of a reason to not read it. :)
The Entropy Effect
-Vonda N. McIntyre
(While transporting a dangerous prisoner, physicist Georges Mordreaux, Spock is forced to race against time to try and stop the universe from collapsing while trying to work around an increasingly suspicious crew.) Official Summary LINK CONTAINS SPOILERS
Notes: I'm listing the downsides to this book first because... You'll see.
Anyway, I'll be completely honest with you, I really wasn't impressed with Kirk's characterization in parts of this book. They introduce a love interest for him and apparently 80% of the Pocketbook writers out there didn't know how to write Kirk as a plausible captain, a good friend AND a guy fawning over a girl. So, his personality fluctuates from when he's alone (normal), to when he's around/thinking of his love interest (giant woobie). On top of that, there's a side plot where they give Sulu a love interest as well (and, strangely enough, a mustache. IDEK why the mustache) and it would've worked if they bothered to flesh out this other unknown woman a bit more, but they don't. Sulu's love interest is as perfect and tragic and Mary-Sue-ish as they come. Kirk's might have been frustrating, but at least she had the decency to be interesting. Sulu's is just ~tragic~.
Sadly, as you may have come to realize, all the original female characters that play big roles have the tendency to go flat like 16th century Earth. Then they just point blank say THESE WOMEN HAVE TRAGIC PASTS, YO and then expect you to care. So yeah, this book does have its problem spots...
That aside, if I haven't scared you away yet, this book does have it's upsides. For one, Kirk kinda-sorta has a plot device happen to him that puts him out of the picture for the majority of the book and everything after that was just awesome. On top of that, the story behind the dangerous physicist doctor was actually pretty interesting, so he also makes up for the lapse. Secondly, the Sulu/Original Female Characters stuff are all second fiddle to the main storyline so they don't show up too much.
What the book IS about is Spock. And Spock is absolutely fucking fantastic here. He was really the only character who remained constantly in character all throughout the book and it really was enough to make me overlook the other shortcomings of the novel.
The whole story is like a twisted, nightmare-ish Groundhog Day for him and he's forced to watch the plot-device happen to Kirk no matter how hard he tries to stop it. Spock seriously broke my heart in this book, you can start to feel his desperation after a while and it hurts. He keeps saying he's trying to save the universe, but every time he fails to save Kirk it starts becoming somewhat questionable as to whether Spock wants to save the universe for the sake of the universe or if he wants to save Kirk and that's the only way to get it done.
Which made this book so goddamn slashy it wasn't even funny. xD ♥ ...I would flail about it but it's spoilers. So, yeah. I don't mind them, but I know others do, so I'll be good. xD
But yeah, besides that, I really loved the mystery that was presented in the first half of the book. You really have no idea what's going on at all and they keep teasing you with little hints until WHAM. WHAT NOW. And oh god, Bones broke my heart, too, but I can't talk about him without ruining anything. So, yeah, despite the few potholes here and there, it's definitely worth reading.
Killing Time
-Della Van Hise
(Due to a time-tampering device, the Enterprise is thrown into an alternate dimension where Spock is captain and Kirk is an embittered ensign. There, the crew must race against time to find their way home before memories of both dimensions drive them all mad.) Official Summary
Notes: Okay, honesty time - I'm not reccing this book because it has a spectacular plot or even awesome characterizations. It didn't have either. The novel's plot was convoluted beyond all measure with some time-tampering thing and then some other thing and then Kirk is a drug addict and Spock is in Pon Farr and then... Romulans. Out of nowhere.
So yeah, the plot still confuses me.
The characterizations also, sadly, suffer as well, but that at least can be explained away by the fact that everyone has two sets of memories of two different lives jumbled up in their heads and they're all going insane. Slowly. So, yeah, that's not too much of a hardship. It's just the fact that the entire novel feels like fanfiction badly in need of an editor and I only rec it because it's a very guilty pleasure.
Let's just say the slash is through the roof in so many goddamn ways. I honestly only kept the book because I love going back and reading those lovely moments - beyond that, this book wasn't really that great.
It's just disappointing because there are some moments in the novel that promise to be interesting (like Kirk's drug addiction, or why he got addicted in the first place) only to be completely abandoned the second the two halves of the slash-paring whole latch eyes on one another. By then it becomes obvious that any interesting backstory that might have been had was really just an excuse for angst.
Still, it could be worse and, again, the characterizations at least can be explained away. You've been warned! xD
Shadows On The Sun
-Michael Jan Friedman
(On their way to be decommissioned, the crew of the Enterprise are called in for one last mission as escorts to a pair of diplomats to a dangerous planet of assassins.) Official Summary
Notes: This was actually another book I really liked, to my surprise. The story is about McCoy, how he became a doctor and why he chose to leave Earth in the first place. When I read the description and realized McCoy would be confronted with his ex-wife during the escort mission, I immediately groaned, thought "forget that," and quietly shelved the book.
Needless to say, I'm glad I finally read it. Yeah, the moments where McCoy is with and/or thinking of Jocelyn (ex-wife) he turns into something of a woobie, when he's been known to instinctively react with anger when he's been hurt, but those moments thankfully do not last long. And yes, the ex-wife pisses me off, but that has more to do with who she is and the choices she willingly makes rather than terrible writing.
BEYOND THAT, the writing was pretty good, solid characterizations all around, and the plot was actually really interesting. About halfway through the book it flashes back to when McCoy first joined Starfleet and you get a bunch of interesting chapters of McCoy as a trainee during a civil war on the assassin planet of Ssan and we see the events that shape who McCoy later becomes.
As for Kirk/Spock slashability, there's some cute subtexty moments, but for the most part the book is about McCoy and his past.
Prime Directive
-Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
(After the tragic destruction of Talin IV, Kirk has resigned and disappeared into the vast reaches of space as he tries to understand how, and why, such devastation could have happened. After him are the rest of the former crew of the Enterprise seeking to know the very same thing.) Official Summary LINK CONTAINS SPOILERS
Notes: ...You know, I'm sure there's something bad to be said about this novel, something nitpicky, but I just can't think of it. I just absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The beginning starts after Kirk's resignation (and consequently, the resignation of a few others who worked closely with Kirk) and, as the novel progresses, it feeds you bits and pieces of what happened before and after the destruction of Talin IV.
What I really loved about this book was that it felt just like another episode from the series itself. The characters were all spot on, from Scotty's indignation at the treatment Kirk and the others received to McCoy and Spock arguing from just about beginning to end over this thing or that thing or because you're breathing and I don't like it, stop it.
There were so many moments where I had to put the book down and just laugh. In other cases, I had to put the book down so I could have a quiet moment of fangirl excitement before I could read on.
I couldn't recommend this book enough. Spock is manipulative and cunning in his desperation to get into space and back to Talin IV to clear all their names. McCoy pretends to be a pirate and Uhura is with him. Scotty tries to resign but keeps getting red-taped so he gets passive aggressive (and may or may not keep blowing up necessary equipment.) Sulu and Chekov join a completely different pirate crew and Kirk is sneaky and somehow thinks a beard will disguise him. It doesn't, but bless his special little soul anyway. Have a cookie, Kirk, you tried.
Needless to say, AWESOME BOOK. ♥
As for the slashiness, there's nothing overt, but there's still a lot of subtexty moments that could be interpreted either way. :)
Star Trek: The New Voyages
-Various Authors
(Anthology of novellas written by fans with introductions from the cast and crew of Star Trek.) Official Summary
Notes: TBA last updated 7/15/12
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2
-Various Authors
(Anthology of novellas written by the fans with a special novella written by Nichelle Nichols.) Official Summary
Notes: TBA last updated 7/15/12
Here are the Star Trek Original Series pocketbooks I've read so far. Some I've found to be really good for sake of plot, characterization and also the gay ship-tastic moments between Spock and Kirk while others are, sadly, missing the good plot/characterization but have an insane amount of slash. ._.;
First Frontier
-Diane Carey & James I. Kirkland
(Kirk and co. get thrown into a universe where humans don't exist and now it's up to them to figure out the "how" and "why" and attempt to undo it.) Official Summary
Notes: I honestly really liked this one, it's a good mission based book that has the blessing of being IC so it was practically like just another episode. It also has the added benefit of some really good subtext-y moments due to the fact that, as mentioned, they are IC and also because Kirk is injured due to a scorpion bite. So Spock is constantly trailing after him because Jim refuses to sit down and McCoy at one point tries to force-feed him. xD
One downside is his injury feels like it never goes anywhere, he doesn't get better and he doesn't get worse, he just stays in the same condition. It starts feeling like it was just an excuse to make people worry and begins losing realism about 3/4ths into the book. Then again, that's how I interpreted it and I could always have missed something.
The other downside is that Carey isn't very creative with her synonyms yet she insists on using them so some of the writing comes across as really weird (like a character will "bolt" out a phrase without moving, etc). But that's not really much of a reason to not read it. :)
The Entropy Effect
-Vonda N. McIntyre
(While transporting a dangerous prisoner, physicist Georges Mordreaux, Spock is forced to race against time to try and stop the universe from collapsing while trying to work around an increasingly suspicious crew.) Official Summary LINK CONTAINS SPOILERS
Notes: I'm listing the downsides to this book first because... You'll see.
Anyway, I'll be completely honest with you, I really wasn't impressed with Kirk's characterization in parts of this book. They introduce a love interest for him and apparently 80% of the Pocketbook writers out there didn't know how to write Kirk as a plausible captain, a good friend AND a guy fawning over a girl. So, his personality fluctuates from when he's alone (normal), to when he's around/thinking of his love interest (giant woobie). On top of that, there's a side plot where they give Sulu a love interest as well (and, strangely enough, a mustache. IDEK why the mustache) and it would've worked if they bothered to flesh out this other unknown woman a bit more, but they don't. Sulu's love interest is as perfect and tragic and Mary-Sue-ish as they come. Kirk's might have been frustrating, but at least she had the decency to be interesting. Sulu's is just ~tragic~.
Sadly, as you may have come to realize, all the original female characters that play big roles have the tendency to go flat like 16th century Earth. Then they just point blank say THESE WOMEN HAVE TRAGIC PASTS, YO and then expect you to care. So yeah, this book does have its problem spots...
That aside, if I haven't scared you away yet, this book does have it's upsides. For one, Kirk kinda-sorta has a plot device happen to him that puts him out of the picture for the majority of the book and everything after that was just awesome. On top of that, the story behind the dangerous physicist doctor was actually pretty interesting, so he also makes up for the lapse. Secondly, the Sulu/Original Female Characters stuff are all second fiddle to the main storyline so they don't show up too much.
What the book IS about is Spock. And Spock is absolutely fucking fantastic here. He was really the only character who remained constantly in character all throughout the book and it really was enough to make me overlook the other shortcomings of the novel.
The whole story is like a twisted, nightmare-ish Groundhog Day for him and he's forced to watch the plot-device happen to Kirk no matter how hard he tries to stop it. Spock seriously broke my heart in this book, you can start to feel his desperation after a while and it hurts. He keeps saying he's trying to save the universe, but every time he fails to save Kirk it starts becoming somewhat questionable as to whether Spock wants to save the universe for the sake of the universe or if he wants to save Kirk and that's the only way to get it done.
Which made this book so goddamn slashy it wasn't even funny. xD ♥ ...I would flail about it but it's spoilers. So, yeah. I don't mind them, but I know others do, so I'll be good. xD
But yeah, besides that, I really loved the mystery that was presented in the first half of the book. You really have no idea what's going on at all and they keep teasing you with little hints until WHAM. WHAT NOW. And oh god, Bones broke my heart, too, but I can't talk about him without ruining anything. So, yeah, despite the few potholes here and there, it's definitely worth reading.
Killing Time
-Della Van Hise
(Due to a time-tampering device, the Enterprise is thrown into an alternate dimension where Spock is captain and Kirk is an embittered ensign. There, the crew must race against time to find their way home before memories of both dimensions drive them all mad.) Official Summary
Notes: Okay, honesty time - I'm not reccing this book because it has a spectacular plot or even awesome characterizations. It didn't have either. The novel's plot was convoluted beyond all measure with some time-tampering thing and then some other thing and then Kirk is a drug addict and Spock is in Pon Farr and then... Romulans. Out of nowhere.
So yeah, the plot still confuses me.
The characterizations also, sadly, suffer as well, but that at least can be explained away by the fact that everyone has two sets of memories of two different lives jumbled up in their heads and they're all going insane. Slowly. So, yeah, that's not too much of a hardship. It's just the fact that the entire novel feels like fanfiction badly in need of an editor and I only rec it because it's a very guilty pleasure.
Let's just say the slash is through the roof in so many goddamn ways. I honestly only kept the book because I love going back and reading those lovely moments - beyond that, this book wasn't really that great.
It's just disappointing because there are some moments in the novel that promise to be interesting (like Kirk's drug addiction, or why he got addicted in the first place) only to be completely abandoned the second the two halves of the slash-paring whole latch eyes on one another. By then it becomes obvious that any interesting backstory that might have been had was really just an excuse for angst.
Still, it could be worse and, again, the characterizations at least can be explained away. You've been warned! xD
Shadows On The Sun
-Michael Jan Friedman
(On their way to be decommissioned, the crew of the Enterprise are called in for one last mission as escorts to a pair of diplomats to a dangerous planet of assassins.) Official Summary
Notes: This was actually another book I really liked, to my surprise. The story is about McCoy, how he became a doctor and why he chose to leave Earth in the first place. When I read the description and realized McCoy would be confronted with his ex-wife during the escort mission, I immediately groaned, thought "forget that," and quietly shelved the book.
Needless to say, I'm glad I finally read it. Yeah, the moments where McCoy is with and/or thinking of Jocelyn (ex-wife) he turns into something of a woobie, when he's been known to instinctively react with anger when he's been hurt, but those moments thankfully do not last long. And yes, the ex-wife pisses me off, but that has more to do with who she is and the choices she willingly makes rather than terrible writing.
BEYOND THAT, the writing was pretty good, solid characterizations all around, and the plot was actually really interesting. About halfway through the book it flashes back to when McCoy first joined Starfleet and you get a bunch of interesting chapters of McCoy as a trainee during a civil war on the assassin planet of Ssan and we see the events that shape who McCoy later becomes.
As for Kirk/Spock slashability, there's some cute subtexty moments, but for the most part the book is about McCoy and his past.
Prime Directive
-Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
(After the tragic destruction of Talin IV, Kirk has resigned and disappeared into the vast reaches of space as he tries to understand how, and why, such devastation could have happened. After him are the rest of the former crew of the Enterprise seeking to know the very same thing.) Official Summary LINK CONTAINS SPOILERS
Notes: ...You know, I'm sure there's something bad to be said about this novel, something nitpicky, but I just can't think of it. I just absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The beginning starts after Kirk's resignation (and consequently, the resignation of a few others who worked closely with Kirk) and, as the novel progresses, it feeds you bits and pieces of what happened before and after the destruction of Talin IV.
What I really loved about this book was that it felt just like another episode from the series itself. The characters were all spot on, from Scotty's indignation at the treatment Kirk and the others received to McCoy and Spock arguing from just about beginning to end over this thing or that thing or because you're breathing and I don't like it, stop it.
There were so many moments where I had to put the book down and just laugh. In other cases, I had to put the book down so I could have a quiet moment of fangirl excitement before I could read on.
I couldn't recommend this book enough. Spock is manipulative and cunning in his desperation to get into space and back to Talin IV to clear all their names. McCoy pretends to be a pirate and Uhura is with him. Scotty tries to resign but keeps getting red-taped so he gets passive aggressive (and may or may not keep blowing up necessary equipment.) Sulu and Chekov join a completely different pirate crew and Kirk is sneaky and somehow thinks a beard will disguise him. It doesn't, but bless his special little soul anyway. Have a cookie, Kirk, you tried.
Needless to say, AWESOME BOOK. ♥
As for the slashiness, there's nothing overt, but there's still a lot of subtexty moments that could be interpreted either way. :)
Star Trek: The New Voyages
-Various Authors
(Anthology of novellas written by fans with introductions from the cast and crew of Star Trek.) Official Summary
Notes: TBA last updated 7/15/12
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2
-Various Authors
(Anthology of novellas written by the fans with a special novella written by Nichelle Nichols.) Official Summary
Notes: TBA last updated 7/15/12