I’ve fallen.
Yesterday, I stopped by Border’s and picked up (gasp…*sob*….I can barely bring myself to say it….)…
A Star Trek novel.
(Yes, let the ridicule begin.)
It’s called Star Trek Vanguard: Harbinger, and is the first in a new series. Here’s the cover:
Basically, it’s the story of a Star Base way the hell out on the frontier, during the Original Series. So, essentially, Deep Space Nine in the age of Kirk & Co. Which, bluntly, is what attracted me to it…I had considered running a Star Trek RPG campaign a while back, and my campaign idea was “DS9 in the Original Series”…because I thought it would be cool mix of characters. Some Starfleet personell, some merchants, maybe a spy, etc. This novel features Kirk and the Enterprise, but it’s primarily a way to introduce the cast of original characters who will feature in the series…which, according to the Appendix that details them, features Starfleet officers, merchants, a spy, etc.
So, yeah….it’s essentially professional fan fiction. But damn it, it looked cool. The paperback even comes with a centerfold, with schematics of the Vanguard station. I mean, that’s cool, right?
Right?
*sigh*
Never mind. I’ll be over here.
I’ll tell Dave you picked it up. He’ll be thrilled.
Curious to hear what you think of it, as well.
*chuckle* It’s alright…I’d have been irresistably tempted, too.
So you’re either in good company or irrevocably damned…take your pick.
After careful consideration, I’m convinced that it is, indeed, cool.
Myself, I like most of the idea. One of the problems with Star Trek novels is the fact that the writers can’t really evolve the series very much further, as any TV show can contradict the entire book in 15 minutes. Plus, it’s really hard for any writer to do an earth-shattering change to any of the characters, because it all has to be changed back to the way it was before the end of the book. For example, he can’t kill off major iconic characters like Spock or McCoy, when they’ve been shown to be around in TV episodes and movies that have been set in stone within the timeline.
By creating an entirely new crew of characters that haven’t appeared in the TV shows or in movies, it gives the writer free reign to set up situations that can have permanent, lasting effects in the desired story arc, without some of the expectation on behalf of the reader that everything will be fixed at the end.
Myself, I picked up the first few books by Peter David in his “New Frontier” storyline for Star Trek. I liked where he was going with it, but I didn’t keep buying the books (lack of $$ at the time). Mr. David took a small number of lesser known characters from ST:TNG, and put them on a different ship (the Excalibur) under a brand new captain of his own creation, Makenzie Calhoun. Basically, it sounds as if it were a precursor to the idea of what you’re currently holding. To me, it’s a move in the right direction for Star Trek novels. Use the Star Trek setting and continuity for background, but tell stories of other ships, space stations, traders, etc.
So, IMHO, don’t feel too embarrassed. :-P
If you like new characters and situations in the Star Trek universe, you might also check out the SCE series. SCE stands for Starfleet Corps of Engineers, and they’re the guys and gals who run around fixing things and examining things and taking things apart–basically they do the dirty work. It’s got some fun stories and some decent characters. And yes, I wrote several of them. :)
Unashamed plug, eh? :-) Sounds like a glowing recommendation. I might just check those out sometime soon. Thanks!
…if you start a star trek rpg, can i play? =0)
I’m fond of the ‘New Frontier’ books myself, although it’s been forever since I’ve read any of them – lack of time in my case.
But this sounds intersting. Do let me know what you think of it.
Not sure how unashamed it is–as Gareth can tell you, I’m usually too self-effacing to promote my own work. But the SCE is fun, and for exactly the same reason as New Frontiers, because we can play around a bit more. The books are available in e-book format, or in collections.
*giggle*
You’ll be over there with your schematic centerfold, ya mean?
Eh…geeks are great! Embrace your geekitude, dude :)
We all have our dork moments. The fact that you admit to yours makes it somewhat less …damning. =)