# Recommend a good Star Wars or Star Trek book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686 "2007-05-11T14:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/21 "2007-05-11T21:13:54Z")
And rendered non-canon by subsequent movies. It stands as proof that Lucas is lying when he says he had it all mapped out from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/22 "2007-05-11T21:18:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Very early novel set in the Star Wars universe. Very Early is right – it came out within a year of the film’s release. It predates the original plots in the Marvel Star Wars comics. And bolsters the argument that ADF, not Lucas, really wrote the novel “Star Wars” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/23 "2007-05-11T21:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=chrisk] - Dark Mirror by Diane Duane, definitely! Who cares if it doesn’t fit with the DS9 mirror universe episodes. [/QUOTE] Just think of it as an alternate alternate universe. Of the ones mentioned, I’ll second the recommendations for the Thrawn books, \*\* Q-Squared, Uhura’s Song, The Final Reflection; Vendetta; Imzadi; My Enemy, My All; The Wounded Sky; \*\* ( and Peter David and Diane Duane in general ); **Yesterday’s Son; Metamorphosis; Spartacus; The Romulan Way**. **Q-in-Law** : Q gives the power of the Q to Troi’s mother like he did for Riker. Things don’t go quite like he planned . . . **Chain of Attack** and **The Final Nexus** : In the first, Kirk’s Enterprise is catapulted into another galaxy, where the majority of planets have been rendered lifeless by a wide variety of weapons over tens of thousands of years; they have to find their way back. The second is the sequel. **Shadows of the Empire** by Steve Perry; set beween _The Empire Strikes Back_ and _Return of the Jedi_. The crime lord Xizor plots against Darth Vader and tries to seduce Leia, among other things. **Windows on a Lost World** : Kirk and company discover the remnants of an ancient, dead civilization, and poke about where they shouldn’t have. **Debtor’s Planet** : Picard is sent with the new Ambassador Offenhouse ( the modern businessman raised from cryogenic sleep in one of the TV episodes ) to discover why a planet has suddenly gone from preinductrial times to warp level technology, and why the Ferengi blew up the probe that found this. **Doctor’s Orders** : Irritated at Dr McCoy, Kirk puts him in charge of the ship as acting commander to teach him a lesson. Then Kirk vanishes, and the doctor can’t be relieved. Then Klingons show up . . . ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/24 "2007-05-11T22:24:25Z")
Oooh, yes, _Doctor’s Orders_ is excellent. Wonderful interplay between McCoy and Spock when the good doctor is left in command. One of the more intriguing portrayals of a genuinely alien race, too. I’d also like to recommend _Star Trek: The New Voyages_, ed. by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath (Bantam 1976), now unfortunately out of print, IIRC. It has some outstanding fan-written TOS short stories, esp. “The Enchanted Pool,” “The Face on the Barroom Floor,” and “Mind-Sifter.” Good, good stuff. But I’ll bet you’re gonna like _Imzadi_, my dear **SHAKES**. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/25 "2007-05-11T22:56:58Z")
“enterprise: the first adventure” was very amusing. the enterprise crew gets together for the first time and has a shake down cruise of the enterprise. all sorts of things ensue. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/26 "2007-05-11T23:56:08Z")
Oh, and I’ll third “Q-squared”. Great adventure in alternate timeline universes, with a really fun mash-up of them at the end, and I really love the climax. ---
**Author:** ![Strain\_of\_Thought](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Strain\_of\_Thought](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strain_of_Thought)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/27 "2007-05-12T03:16:23Z")
Another strong vote For _Dark Mirror_, _Vendetta_ and the _Heir To The Empire_ trilogy. I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned already, but the ST:TOS nove _Memory Prime_ stands out as one of the few trek novels that’s just good science fiction, trek or not- it deals admirably with the quirks of Synthetic Consciousnesses. The ST:TNG novel _Strike Zone_ has an unremarkable plot, but it’s very funny, making general fun of the Star Trek Universe and Popular Science Fiction in general. If you like space battles for space battles’ sake, I also recommend the TOS novel _Dreadnought!_ On the other hand, there are some Trek novels that you MUST NOT READ unless you want BLEEDING EYES. Oh, God, my eyes. Why can I not stop remembering? Chief among these, in my opinion, is the TNG novel _Immortal Coil_- please, for the love of all that is good, do not even consider reading this book. If you find it in your hand, scream, throw it to the ground, and run away as if your life depends upon it. Also, I wish I hadn’t read the TNG novel _Doomsday World_. The VOY novel _Cyber Song_’s only saving grace is that the writer seems to realize how stupid Voyager was; he/she includes a number of subtle, hopefully intentional meta-jokes- it reads like a bad parody. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/28 "2007-05-12T03:31:18Z")
_Star Wars_-the X-Wing Series. Especially the books by Aaron Allston. Best. SW. Books. EVAR. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/29 "2007-05-12T03:31:37Z")
Some of the authors who have written Star Trek/Star Wars novels have also published other SF novels which weren’t movie/TV tie-ins (Kevin Anderson, James Blish, Octavia Butler, Peter David, Joe Haldeman, Alan Dean Foster, Timothy Zahn, etc). I find that the writing in these books is usually better than the writing in books by authors who only produce tie-ins. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/30 "2007-05-12T04:46:57Z")
I haven’t read a large number of such books, but I’ve enjoyed a few. _The Romulan Way_ was mentioned. Does a good job telling how the culture on Romulus leads to the kind of Romulans encountered by Enterprise. I like the half-hearted sort-of-religion described, which is based on the notion that “Things–notice.” It’s got the first Horta to join Star Fleet (naturally, he’s used in covert ops, since he can survive being dropped in from high orbit and is able to masquerade as a rock). It has Dr. McCoy drafted into the role of a spy, as well. Romulans also get a great treatment in _Enterprise–The First Adventure_. The Romulan in that is quite as good as the commander from the original series episode “Balance of Terror.” Though the book really twists canon to fit Kirk’s backstory into something that happened when he was a kid in Iowa, which bothered me some. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/31 "2007-05-12T06:52:46Z")
[QUOTE=Saltire] _The Romulan Way_ was mentioned. Does a good job telling how the culture on Romulus leads to the kind of Romulans encountered by Enterprise. I like the half-hearted sort-of-religion described, which is based on the notion that “Things–notice.” It’s got the first Horta to join Star Fleet (naturally, he’s used in covert ops, since he can survive being dropped in from high orbit and is able to masquerade as a rock). [/QUOTE] A Horta - possibly the same one - is also seen in _My Enemy, My Ally_, along with various other characters. He eats through a neutronium door and gets indigestion ( "It’s just so . . _rich_. " ) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/32 "2007-05-12T07:30:02Z")
[QUOTE=Strain of Thought] The ST:TNG novel _Strike Zone_ has an unremarkable plot, but it’s very funny, making general fun of the Star Trek Universe and Popular Science Fiction in general. [/QUOTE] Heh, heh, heh. “Incredibly stupid weapon. Do not use” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/33 "2007-05-12T12:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] Some of the authors who have written Star Trek/Star Wars novels have also published other SF novels which weren’t movie/TV tie-ins (Kevin Anderson, James Blish, Octavia Butler, Peter David, Joe Haldeman, Alan Dean Foster, Timothy Zahn, etc). I find that the writing in these books is usually better than the writing in books by authors who only produce tie-ins. [/QUOTE] I didn’t know Octavia Butler wrote any Trek novels. What are their titles? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/34 "2007-05-12T14:49:23Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] _Star Wars_-the X-Wing Series. Especially the books by Aaron Allston. Best. SW. Books. EVAR. [/QUOTE] What she said. Also, avoid the New Jedi Order books; they’re set a good many years after the films and you’ll miss a lot of backstory, plus (IMHO) they suck mightily. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/35 "2007-05-12T14:53:16Z")
Any Trek book by Diane Duane is worth reading. If you like history and back-story over plot, “The Romulan Way” and “Vulcan” are for you. Her others are entertaining, too, with lots of continuity from one book to the next and tons of character development that makes the whole Trek world more believable. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/36 "2007-05-12T14:55:55Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] What she said. Also, avoid the New Jedi Order books; they’re set a good many years after the films and you’ll miss a lot of backstory, plus (IMHO) they suck mightily. [/QUOTE] EXCEPT for the “Enemy Lines” books, since Allston wrote them, and the Wraiths come back! Yub Yub Commander! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/37 "2007-05-12T14:56:45Z")
[QUOTE=Clark K] Any Trek book by Diane Duane is worth reading… Her others are entertaining, too, with lots of continuity from one book to the next… [/QUOTE] Yep. She even manages to carry over some references from her wizard books into ‘Dark mirror’, like ocean mammals singing ‘the song of the twelve’, and maybe a bit of her fascination with string theory too. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/38 "2007-05-12T15:16:16Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] EXCEPT for the “Enemy Lines” books, since Allston wrote them, and the Wraiths come back! Yub Yub Commander! 😛 [/QUOTE] They do? Well, I have more books on my pull list, then. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/39 "2007-05-12T17:09:40Z")
[QUOTE=Clark K] Any Trek book by Diane Duane is worth reading. If you like history and back-story over plot, “The Romulan Way” and “Vulcan” are for you. Her others are entertaining, too, with lots of continuity from one book to the next and tons of character development that makes the whole Trek world more believable. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I said “Vulcan” when I meant to say “Spock’s World.” ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686/40 "2007-05-12T17:22:00Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] _Star Wars_-the X-Wing Series. Especially the books by Aaron Allston. Best. SW. Books. EVAR. [/QUOTE] Seconded vehemently! (Shockingly, I, too, prefer the Allston books to the Stackpole ones. Wraith Squad ftw!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-star-wars-or-star-trek-book/403686.md?page=3)