# Suggestions for StarWars and Star Trek books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547 "2002-06-12T00:24:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/1 "2002-06-12T00:24:35Z")
So I was at the bookstore with a renewed interest in starwars and star trek. Ive read (along time ago) the thrawn trilogy and the bakura book I have not read any star trek books. The problem is there is so much there, and I know from my experience with the dragonlance series that many of these books can suck. So whats good in these series? Help me! I saw a book called “Hard Rain” that plays off the dixon hill thing. Ive always found the Noir-Star Trek mix interesting (mix of oposites). Is Hard Rain any good? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/2 "2002-06-12T04:17:06Z")
I’ve read a couple of the Star Trek novels. The ones I liked best are _Ishmael_ and _Strangers in the Sky_. Both stories involve time travel. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/3 "2002-06-12T04:56:26Z")
Aside from the Zahn novels, I’ve always found the X-wing series to be (more or less) excellent (it shifts in terms of quality from book to book). But be warned… there’s like nine of 'em. On top of that, the novel _I, Jedi_ is downright superb (and manages to intertwine itself into Kevin J. Anderson’s series pretty well). Further, I was a big fan of _The Black Fleet Crisis_, in that it added a lot of new aspects and facets to the Star Wars universe, moreso than any other book series, I believe. And lastly, I enjoyed the Corellian Trilogy, although for some people it’s not their cup of tea. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/4 "2002-06-12T10:12:46Z")
Is the new Thrawn trilogy (or is it only 2 books this time?) any good? ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/5 "2002-06-12T11:26:09Z")
I agree with Spoofe. Get the X-wing books, they are all quite good. I did not like the Corellian trilogy though. The Thrawn uology is quite good too. The New Jedi Order books are also mostly good. ---
**Author:** ![KXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KXL)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/6 "2002-06-12T12:19:27Z")
Oh boy, where to begin…. STAR TREK “Hard Rain” doesn’t really do enough with the concept and is, over all, un-satisfying. Below are generally considered to be the best… TOS Yesterday’s Son (A.C. Crispin) The 1st Trek book to be a NY Times best-seller. Spock had a son with Zarabeth (“All Our Yesterdays”). He has to rescue him from the past. The Vulcan Academy Murders (Jean Lorrah) Great mystery set at the Vulcan Science Academy. Strangers From the Sky (Margaret Wander Bonanno). Tells the story of the first contact between Earth and Vulcan. Later, completely invalidated by the move “First Contact” but a lot of fun. How Much for Just the Planet? (John Ford) The only TOS comedy novel. Takes place on a planet where people burst into a song a lot (STAR TREK: THE MUSICAL) Time For Yesterday (A.C. Crispin) Sequel to Yesterday’s Son. Just as good. Spock’s World (Diane Duane). First TOS hardcover. Is Vulcan going to withdraw from the Federation? Political machinations and history collide. Vulcan’s Glory (D.C. Fontana) Another great mystery set aboard the Enterprise, by the woman who wrote a lot of the Vulcan-centered episodes. Federation (Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens) Recently voted “Favorite Trek Novel” by a Trek BBS, Kirk, Picard, and the inventor of warp drive, Zephram Cochran (again, written before “First Contact” so different from the one we see in the film), don’t exactly meet, but their destinies collide. Full of history and cross-references between shows. It’s one of my favorites. Sarek (A.C. Crispin). Tells three separate stories, all intersecting. If you like Sarek, and you like Vulcan, this is a must. Prime Directive (Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens) After Kirk appears to have destroyed a planet, the crew is disbanded and go their own ways. But then they rejoin to prove his innocence. I’m not doing it justice. It’s a good read. The Return (William Shatner, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens). There are also a lot of books by Shatner (and Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens). These take place in a universe where Kirk was brought back to life after “Generations.” This is the best of them. Kirk and Picard interacting in a meaningful way to fight the Borg and the Romulans. Assigment Eternity (Greg Cox). If you liked Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln (Teri Garr), you’ll love this. Chocked full of amusing 60s references and references to other TV spy shows. FUN! TNG Q-in-Law (Peter David). Like Q? Like Lwaxana Troi? Very amusing novel. Peter David is one of the best of the Trek novelists. Reunion (Michael Jan Friedman) Someone is killing Picard’s old crewmates from his days commanding the Stargazer as they attend a reunion. The most emotionally-packed and best-written of all Trek novels. If you like Picard and Crusher, this is the novel for you. The only Trek novel ever to make me cry. Dark Mirror (Diane Duane) Picard and Co. must fight their evil twins in the Mirror Universe. Written before the folks in DS9 started going over there every other week, but of you dig “Mirror, Mirror,” this is for you. Imzadi (Peter David) The story of Riker and Troi’s relationship along with a dash of time travel. Very nice. Consistently a fan favorite. Q-Squared (Peter David). Remember Trelane, (“the Squire of Gothos”)? He was just a Q in training. He, Q, and others bedevil Picard. Great in that it has three alternate time lines (usual TNG, a TNG with Jack Crusher alive, and the “Yesterday’s Enterprise”) colliding head on. Rogue Saucer (John Vornholt) A prototype “just-saucer” starship is stolen by terrorists. Great adventure. Diplomatic Implausibility (Keith R.A. DeCandido). Worf’s first job as an ambassador, following the end of DS9. Like Worf? This is for you. DS9 Anything published in the year 2000 or after is great! If you are into alternate time lines, the “Millennium” trilogy by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens rocks! Then there are the “Avatar” books by S.D. Perry, which are the “re-launch” of the series after the last episode. The books being written now that the show is off the air are better than those while the show was on. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/7 "2002-06-12T12:55:13Z")
Thanks everyone! Just to make sure - the star trek and star wars books are part of their respective canons? ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/8 "2002-06-12T13:00:48Z")
Thanks everyone! Just to make sure - the star trek and star wars books are part of their respective canons? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/9 "2002-06-12T13:24:06Z")
Just to second **KXL** ’s suggestions… Imzadi and Q-Squared are great books. Part of the appeal for me is that they involve alternate realities. Basic plot details follow (not enough to give away the entire story). Q-Squared Three time lines. One is our “normal” time line. The second one is one where Will Riker was kidnapped and tortured by Cardassians for years. Jack Crusher is the captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard is the first officer and Wesley is DEAD!!. The third timeline is the one we saw in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” where the Federation and the Klingon Empire are at war. Imzadi The story of an alternate future where Deanna Troi died very young and an old, bitter Will Riker’s attempt to change the past. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/10 "2002-06-12T13:33:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagoras \* > \*\*Thanks everyone! > > Just to make sure - the star trek and star wars books are part of their respective canons? \*\* I’m not a big Star Wars fan, so I can’t speak for that milleu, but Star Trek books are most definitely NOT part of the official canon. Star Trek’s official canon includes: The live action TV shows (not the animated series) The nine Star Trek movies to date. The “official” books from Pocket Books (the Star Trek Chronology, the Star Trek Encyclopedia). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![KXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@KXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KXL)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/11 "2002-06-12T13:39:43Z")
“Trek” books are NOT canon. The de-facto official Trek books BBS is [http://www.psiphi.org/book-bbs/get/startrek.html](http://www.psiphi.org/book-bbs/get/startrek.html) The editors at Pocket Books post and read there all the time (as well as some writers), and they have explained over and again that the novels can not be canon (Kirk? Back from the dead?) becuase the lead time on a book is 6 months to a year, while new episodes of the show come out every week. So, for example, if you write a novel, a major point of which is how much Archer loves peanut butter, that could be countered in the middle of the writing by an episode all about how much he hates it. The TV show’s writers do not read the novels. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagoras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Pythagoras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagoras)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/12 "2002-06-12T15:08:39Z")
Reeeally… hmm I suppose thats for the best, star trek has the most trouble with consistancy of any sci-fi series Ive seen. Mostly because its episodic and not much depends on the past (unlike bab 5), except for maybe DS9. ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/13 "2002-06-12T15:09:37Z")
Vendetta by Peter David Picard versus the Borg ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/14 "2002-06-12T19:06:11Z")
For _Trek_ books, almost anything by Diane Duane or Peter David is a winner (I say “almost” only because PAD’s **Strike Zone** and Duane’s **Intellivore** left me unimpressed). Specific titles would include **Spock’s World,** **Q-In-Law** (laugh-out-loud from cover to cover!), and **DS9: The Siege.** Haven’t really gone for the _Star Wars_ stuff, but I do remember enjoying the **Heir to the Empire** trilogy. Then again, I also liked those early **Han Solo** novels ( **Han Solo at Star’s End,** etc.), so what do I know? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/15 "2002-06-12T19:34:17Z")
**Star Wars** novels: The Han Solo trilogy - not the old ones from the mid-'80s, the ones A.C. Crispin wrote: **The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit** and **Rebel Dawn**. Very good job of covering Han’s life from the time he was 17 until 10 minutes before Luke and Obi-Wan walk into the Mos Eisley Cantina. The X-Wing series - very cinematic, for the most part well-written, and full of enjoyable new characters. Michael Stackpole’s novels are the best of the series, but they’re all worth a read. Major characters show up only sporadiacally (Han Solo more than the others, but Leia and Luke show up, too.) allowing the writers to concentrate on less developed characters (especially Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson.) The authors also recognize that this is a series about a fighter squadron in combat, and losses happen. The only character you can be certain won’t get killed is Wedge, since he turns up in novels set decades later. I also enjoyed the Correllian Trilogy, although it had plenty of flaws. I thought the Black Fleet Crisis was particularly odious, however, and only slogged my way through the first book. The Star Wars novels have been declared “canon”, although somwhat selectively since some points have been invalidated by the movies. **Star Trek** novels: I’ll second **How Much for Just the Planet?** , **Q-Squared** , **Yesterday’s Son** and **Time for Yesterday** (the latter being a nice cross between _Star Trek_ and a mideival sword and shield action novel), and **Avatar** (two-book set). Also in _Trek_: **Enterprise: The First Adventure** - Captain Robert April’s first voyage on the Enterprise, before the ship even had a name. Of course, Kirk’s father is along for the trip, but that’s forgivable since he is written and developed as a distinct character, not a rehash of his son’s personality. ---
**Author:** ![Shortie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Shortie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shortie)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/16 "2002-06-12T20:05:33Z")
I liked the latest two Zahn books as well, I heard somewhere he’s writing another soon. All the Star Wars books and comics are official, in that they’re true so long as not contradicted by the films, scripts, novelisations or radio plays (I think that’s everything). There aren’t too many errors\contradictions, though a few like the 8km SSD are common. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/17 "2002-06-12T20:53:07Z")
**Star Wars Novels** : Aside from the excellent Thrawn Trilogy, the only ones I have found at all readable have been “Shadows of the Empire”, and Zahn’s follow-up to the Thrawn trilogy, a two volume set, “Spectre of the Past” and “Vision of the Future”. I found found all the other SW books I’ve tried to be crap, although I haven’t tried looking at a new one in a while, I practically became allergic to them after that hideous “Jedi Academy” book. **Star Trek Novels** : I _strongly_ recommend “My Enemy, My Ally” by Diane Duane, and her follow-up to it, “The Romulan Way”. “Ishmael” was also very good. Other than that, you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything written by Peter David. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/18 "2002-06-12T21:22:58Z")
Star Wars: I fully endorse the X-Wing books. And I love Stackpole, but Allston was even better, methinks. I LOVED the Wraiths! Face Loran is the sexiest character from the Expanded Universe! The Han Solo Trilogy is good, as is the Tales books-the short story anthologies. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/19 "2002-06-12T22:55:37Z")
It is out of print now, but if you can find James Blish’s novel “Spock Must Die” you’ll be happy. ---
**Author:** ![TheTailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@TheTailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTailor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547/20 "2002-06-13T05:03:49Z")
Backing up Weird Al Einstein, the “New Frontier” series (all written by Peter David) has me hooked… And a standalone called “The Best and the Brightest” dealing with cadets at the Academy during TNG era is also quite good… And anything from “Millenium” on with DS9 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-starwars-and-star-trek-books/113547.md?page=2)