New Star Trek Movie and the Novels.

[samurainoir]

I'm not really that well versed in Star Trek TOS lore, and I recently pulled a bunch of hardback novels out of the dollar bin to get a sense of the source material for the new Star Trek "prequel" movie. Which ones should I start with? Which ones do you recommend?

I've got Spocks' World, Best Destiny, and a big pile of the TOS/TNG Crossover novels, including the ones that take place after the "death" of Kirk in the seventh movie.

[Captain]

Spocks world isnt bad.

Ashes of Eden is fantastic...Best Shatner book ever, and I still think should have been the seventh Trek film!! (which it was first pitched as)

The Return was pretty good, but to be honest, I quickly lost interest in the so called "Shatnerverse" after that.

John Fords - The Final Reflection was really good too. Pretty much all Klingon (with some brief guest appearances). I still prefer his take on the Empire than the TNG version that seems to have become the standard now.

The first two books in the Lost Years saga were pretty good too. This series filled in the events between the end of the 5 year mission and TMP. I never did read the third one, which would have led directly into the first motion picture.

Never read Best Destiny, but have heard good things about it.

DC Fontana wrote a Pike era novel called Vulcans Glory, which was fantastic as well. Lots of background info on Boyce, Number One, et al.
I think she wrote a sequel as well..anybody know for sure?

I wouldnt worry too much about reading them for research into the new film. The events of the new movie pretty much white wash over the original continuity anyways. If you know the difference between kirk and spock you'll be fine.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Best Destiny is a great novel to read. I also loved Prime Directive. Those are great no mater your Trek preference.

[johnmiic]

There is no real research you can do for the new film. Reading the novels won't help. None of them are cannon-and never will be. I read some of the Lost Years books which took place between the end of the series and ST-TMP and they were bad. (I particularlky object to Tarot card readings being integral to the plot).

If you want to read some good Classic Trek I remeber reading a series of novels called The Captain's Table. The Christopher Pike story was pretty good. Also there was a multi-part series of novels called Invasion. I recall reading the first one and it was pretty good.

[fallensaviour]

Spocks world isnt bad.

Ashes of Eden is fantastic...Best Shatner book ever, and I still think should have been the seventh Trek film!! (which it was first pitched as)

The Return was pretty good, but to be honest, I quickly lost interest in the so called "Shatnerverse" after that.

John Fords - The Final Reflection was really good too. Pretty much all Klingon (with some brief guest appearances). I still prefer his take on the Empire than the TNG version that seems to have become the standard now.

The first two books in the Lost Years saga were pretty good too. This series filled in the events between the end of the 5 year mission and TMP. I never did read the third one, which would have led directly into the first motion picture.

Never read Best Destiny, but have heard good things about it.

DC Fontana wrote a Pike era novel called Vulcans Glory, which was fantastic as well. Lots of background info on Boyce, Number One, et al.
I think she wrote a sequel as well..anybody know for sure?

I wouldnt worry too much about reading them for research into the new film. The events of the new movie pretty much white wash over the original continuity anyways. If you know the difference between kirk and spock you'll be fine.

Any and all of these suggestions are fantastic.I would also add in Prime directive I'll list a few more tomorrow that are great reads as well.

Best destiny is for sure a must.
The third book in the lost years saga is amazing the second book in the series I found very dry but still an interesting read.

There are well over 100 st;tos books and about 55% of them are utter crap.As you read some you will ask yourself if the author even watched the show.
But there are an awful lot of truly great ones,that make you feel as if you are reading an actual episode.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

(I particularly object to Tarot card readings being integral to the plot).

Excellent! I disliked that, too. Glad to finally find someone else who agrees with me after all of these years.

[samurainoir]

Prime Directive was one of the ones I left in the bin, I'll have to go back and pick it up.

Anyone reading the currend IDW Prequel to the New Star Trek "Prequel"? I noticed Old Spock and the Next Generation crew (Picard, Data) in it when I flipped through it in the comic store yesterday.

(How did Data come back after he died in the last movie?)

[fallensaviour]

A few other books I would suggest are;
Enterprise the first adventure
Final frontier
The last round up
yesterdays son + sequel
Ishmael
The rise and fall of Khan noonian sing,a two parter excellent read takes place in the nineties and then details their expulsion into space and the second part chronicles his time after space seed on ceti alpha five.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Anyone reading the currend IDW Prequel to the New Star Trek "Prequel"? I noticed Old Spock and the Next Generation crew (Picard, Data) in it when I flipped through it in the comic store yesterday.

We had a thread on this going in comics. I'm really enjoying it. I think for a comic book lead in it has some great movie like elements in it. With Data, just think B4

[Captain]

There is no real research you can do for the new film. Reading the novels won't help. None of them are cannon-and never will be. I read some of the Lost Years books which took place between the end of the series and ST-TMP and they were bad. (I particularlky object to Tarot card readings being integral to the plot).

If you want to read some good Classic Trek I remeber reading a series of novels called The Captain's Table. The Christopher Pike story was pretty good. Also there was a multi-part series of novels called Invasion. I recall reading the first one and it was pretty good.

Hmm...dont remember the tarot card stuff at all? Its been awhile. I'll have to reread the books I have and see whats up. I dont go for tarot ,astrology, etc either...especially in a Trek story.

[Captain]

A few other books I would suggest are;
Enterprise the first adventure
Final frontier
The last round up
yesterdays son + sequel
Ishmael
The rise and fall of Khan noonian sing,a two parter excellent read takes place in the nineties and then details their expulsion into space and the second part chronicles his time after space seed on ceti alpha five.

I liked First Adventure and Final Frontier as well. I only read the sequel to Yesterdays son, and thought it was pretty good, but it always alluded to events from the first book, which made it sound like the first book was far superior!?

I keep hoping to find the Khan books in a collected set....By now, I imagine they are readily available in most used book stores.

[fallensaviour]

I agree with you yesterdays son was a good read and did allude to the prequel just as the prequel eluded to the Spock and Bones Tos episode...LOL
I felt the writing was some of the best in The tos novels that have been done.

If you haven't read the Khan novels I would get them from the library as they are for sure a great read and very insightful to the khan character.
They also involve Garry seven and Roberta...(that's not giving away anything as they show up pretty quickly)

[samurainoir]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I just started reading Best Destiny. I hadn't really read any TOS novels before, and only Next Gen Novels that Peter David wrote (only because I'm a fan of PAD).

Not having been familiar with TOS back in the day, I thought it was really neat that they found an old Trek character that they ret-conned into a Q in Q-Squared.