Top 10 Star Trek Novels?

[GHS]

Stitch in Time
Serpents Among the Ruins
Art of the Impossible
Federation
Q Squared
Destiny Trilogy
Immortal Coil
Eugenics Wars book I
Burning Dreams
Spock Must Die

 

[Thrawn]

^ That's a really solid list, though it's funny seeing Spock Must Die at the bottom.

Are you referring to the storytelling quality, or just because it's interesting how much things have changed since then?

 

[Snaploud]

1. Q Squared by Peter David
2. Vendetta by Peter David
3. Imzadi by Peter David
4. Metamorphosis by Jean Lorrah
5. The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack
6. Dark Mirror by Diane Duane
7. Millenium trilogy by Judith and Gar Reeves-Stevens
8. The Joy Machine by Theodore Sturgeon & James Gunn
9. The 34th Rule by Armin Shimerman and David R. George III
10. The Buried Age (Lost Tales) by Christopher Bennett

Honorable Mentions:

11. Capture the Flag (Starfleet Academy) by John Vornholt
12. A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson
13. Once Burned by Peter David
14. A Good Day to Die/Honor Bound (Gorkon, parts 1 and 2) by Keith R.A. DeCandido
15. Articles of the Federation by Keith R. A. DeCandido
16. Federation by Judith and Gar Reeves-Steven
17. Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang

 

[UncleRogi]

Ya know, The Kahn series by Greg Cox is another very good read, especially with "Flint" running through it...cool stuff. You can almost hear the events happenning on Ceti Alpha as Khan fought for survival and leadership.
"Spock Must Die"... Isn't that the ultimate 1st Trek novel? Another good read!!
This all makes me feel old...lol

 

[teacherkarl]

I've only recently gotten back into ST Lit in the last few months. I constantly read TOS and TNG monthly novels in high school and the first part of college (late 80's early 90's), but gave them up - just didn't like them anymore. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if my recollections from almost 20 years ago are still valid.

I've LOVED reading through peoples' lists. I just started Crucible - McCoy, after finishing the Destiny trilogy. I'm going to come back to this thread for future reading ideas - I'm on summer vacation, so I'm burning through books pretty quick.

 

[Thrawn]

^ It's amazing how good they are these days. Welcome back

 

[GHS]

^ That's a really solid list, though it's funny seeing Spock Must Die at the bottom.

Are you referring to the storytelling quality, or just because it's interesting how much things have changed since then?

Thanks! I couldn't in good conscience ignore the first 20 years of Trek books, so I picked Spock Must Die as a novel I can still remember (fondly) and also because it stands out from many Trek books, both in the short length and the way it focuses only on the Trek regulars. I think Spock Must Die usually gets a bad rap when it comes up.

It might have picked Final Reflection instead, but I'm just reading that right now

 

[GHS]

One thing that always puzzed me was that in Amazon's collective readers' rankings of Trek books, some seldom-mentioned books, like KRAD's early Klingon novels (not Art of the Impossible) and Kevin Ryan's Errand of Fury books come up as the very best. But I haven't seen them get a mention on this thread so far.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

One thing that always puzzed me was that in Amazon's collective readers' rankings of Trek books, some seldom-mentioned books, like KRAD's early Klingon novels (not Art of the Impossible) and Kevin Ryan's Errand of Fury books come up as the very best. But I haven't seen them get a mention on this thread so far.

For what it's worth, my views on that: I don't see the attraction to Ryan's books, myself. As for KRAD, his books are ALWAYS good, but never quite make the top 10 in my eyes. If I had included an "honourable mentions" list after my 10, as others have, you would have seen plenty of KRAD- including a Klingon book or two- on it.

 

[8of5]

There are Several KRAD books in my top ten, though I suppose they're more recent ones: A Singular Destiny, Articles of the Federation and Q & A.

Though Christopher L. Bennett is quickly becoming my favourite Trek author, I love the science and world building, I'd put Greater Than the Sum, Orion's Hounds and Over a Torrent Sea in my top ten too.

Which leave fours slots that I'll give to... Day of the Vipers (I wasn't really looking forward to Terok Nor, but I thought that opener was truly outstanding), Avatar, Before Dishonor and... maybe Brave New World.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Well, given our discussion of sorts above, and in order to avoid the no-doubt terrible retribution of KRAD, ()I will reproduce my top 10 list but add the "honourable mention" bit!

My Top 5 (more or less in order from favourite on down):

"A Stitch in Time"
"Well of Souls"
"Day of the Vipers"
"The Buried Age"
"Orion's Hounds"

Posts 6-10 in my top 10 (not necessarily in order):

"Over a Torrent Sea"
"Catalyst of Sorrows"
"Unity"
"Millennium" (omnibus, so I can count it as one, but it's technically three )
"Epiphany"(book three of the "Vulcan's Soul" trilogy).

Honourable mention:

"Destiny" trilogy
"The Left Hand of Destiny" duology
"Worlds of DS9"- all six stories!!
"The Art of the Impossible"
"A Good Day to Die"
"Places of Exile" in "Infinity's Prism"
"Full Circle"
"Articles of the Federation"
"Sword of Damocles".

Damn, these 21st century Trek books have been good!

 

[F. King Daniel]

Crossroad
Dreadnought!
Final Frontier (not the STV one)
The 34th Rule
Destiny x3 (yes, a cheat)
Prime Directive
Vendetta
Timetrap
Titan #1
Spock Must Die!

In about 5 minutes i'll think of at least another 10 I loved...

 

[Starbreaker]

One thing that always puzzed me was that in Amazon's collective readers' rankings of Trek books, some seldom-mentioned books, like KRAD's early Klingon novels (not Art of the Impossible) and Kevin Ryan's Errand of Fury books come up as the very best. But I haven't seen them get a mention on this thread so far.

For what it's worth, my views on that: I don't see the attraction to Ryan's books, myself. As for KRAD, his books are ALWAYS good, but never quite make the top 10 in my eyes. If I had included an "honourable mentions" list after my 10, as others have, you would have seen plenty of KRAD- including a Klingon book or two- on it.

I really liked Diplomatic Implausibility... but I'll be darned if I don't remember the plot, at all. No offense.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

I've been reading a ton of Treklit over the past year and a half, and writing little mini-reviews of them for myself. I started up again after not reading any Treklit for a good 4 or 5 years, so I'm sure there were other books I loved a lot before that (which I plan on getting around to eventually again) but I read so much that it's hard to remember clearly. These are the books I've rated at a 10/10 or 9.5/10 from my last year and a half:

1) Destiny trilogy. (Yes, it really is my favorite, honestly and without any hyperbole. I love big stories with huge casts with surprising creative choices...I love epics. This is the most epic thing Trek has ever done, and it is most certainly my favorite. I've already read it twice. You'll notice a lot of other books on this list are pretty epic too.)
2) TNG: Vendetta
3) Articles Of The Federation
4) NF: Once Burned
5) VGD: Reap The Whirlwind
6) TNG: The Buried Age
7) TTN: Over A Torrent Sea
8) TOS: Ex Machina
9) NF: Opening arc (first four books feel like one story to me)
10) TTN: Sword Of Damocles (when is Geoff going to write his second book? I keep waiting...)

So, um, it would appear I'm a pretty big fan of David Mack, PAD, and Christopher L. Bennett.

first of all, thanks again.

second, due to the upheaval in the editorial offices, and what must surely be a mountain of book pitches, I wouldn't hold my breath for any new novels from me in the Trek-verse (though I promise to keep pitching) in the near future. I've got something fun cooking but I'm not sure how it will fit (or IF) and I'm fairly certain Margaret has her hands full with the big guys.

In the meantime check out FULL-THROTTLE SPACE TALES #3: SPACE GRUNTS.

Chock full of Trek writers and some damned fine stories.

And Ward is the editor which sort of explains how I managed to sneak in. He's just a big softie.

 

[Claudia]

1. Crucible: McCoy

Rounding up my top 10 (and changing ranks all the time):

The Art of the Impossible
Yesterday Saga
Vulcan's Forge
Entropy Effect
Crucible: Spock
Once Burned
Q Squared
Chainmail
Imzadi

 

[Therin of Andor]

One thing that always puzzed me was that in Amazon's collective readers' rankings of Trek books, some seldom-mentioned books, like KRAD's early Klingon novels (not Art of the Impossible) and Kevin Ryan's Errand of Fury books come up as the very best. But I haven't seen them get a mention on this thread so far.

Maybe because earlier books haven't been reviewed as often? The pre-Amazon books?

 

[Chrisisall]

Spock Must Die!
Holy wormhole digesting crap, Batman, I haven't thought about that for decades!!
I must re-read it.
Now.

 

[RonG]

Destiny Trilogy (sorry, I consider it one long novel )
Millennium Trilogy (ditto)
Articles of the Federation
Lost Era: The Art of the Impossible
Vanguard: Harbinger
Crucible: McCoy
Spock's World
Unity
A Stitch in Time
New Frontier books 1-4

Honorable Mentions:
Ex Machina
Vanguard: Summon the Thunder
Vanguard: reap the Whirlwind
A Time To Kill/Heal
Federation

 

[Anika Hanson]

Not in order:

Imzadi part 1
Imzadi Part 2
The genesis wave part 1
The genesis wave part 2
The genesis wave part 3
Q squared
Star Trek Q continuim part 1
Star Trek Q continuim part 2
Star Trek Q continuim part 3
The 34th Rule

Honourable Mentions:

Dark mirror
Nemesis novalisation
All good things
Fallen heroes
Pathways

 

[Paris]

^Even Genesis Wave book 3? I wasn't really a fan. What about Genesis Force?