Star Trek Books Part 1; The Original Series

This is a short selection of mini reviews about novels which are part of the Star Trek franchise. There are a ship-load of books in this category, and it can be hard to tell where to start, or which books are worth reading or skipping.

Many of the books are bad. Objectively bad.

They were written by hacks, at the order of a media company, to cater to super-fans who wanted more of their favorite shows. Sometimes the writer didn't really know anything about the show or the world in which it was set. Often, they did a bad job of bringing the beloved characters to life.

But occasionally, even so, there are some stories which are readable and even enjoyable. I've spent a couple of months going through these books to pick out the better ones. But this list is aimed more at picking out those which don't lend on the "top 10 Star Trek books" list, but are still nice books none the less.

The first part is about books from the Original Series Era.

Who will want to read these books:

Any Star Trek fan will probably enjoy this selection. But some will like it better than others. I've tired to pick those with better writing and which offer more interesting questions than those which give the best fan service.

Who won't want to read these books:

In my 40s. The 1960s doesn't seem as far away to me as it does to some people. For me, it's easy to see that what we see as outdated and sexist now, was forward thinking and progressive in the past. No doubt future generations will feel the same about the present. If you're someone who considers the the current model of culture to be the only valid one, the writing of the last century probably seems hopelessly dated to you. Either too conservative, or ironically, not conservative enough. These books are all a product of their time, and even if you're a fan of Star Trek, you still might not enjoy some of them.

Star Trek Books Part 1; The Original Series

There are lots of books from the Original series, perhaps 200 in all. No doubt you'll find a different selection on any top ten list. But I'm more of a fan of the Next Generation, and this list leans more towards those that take place at the end of the TOS era. Kirk is old and being forced to retire. Some of the movies are taking place between books. It's the end of one story and the beginning of another.

Strangers from the sky.

An interesting story which reads almost like a "what if?" meditation on first contact. There's a split timeline, taking place at both the end and the beginning of the TOS period. Characterization is good. The crew are portrayed convincingly and the story is fun.

Probe.

An interesting look at the Romulans. It serves as a kind of sequel to the events of Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home and a prequel to TNG. If you ever felt confused by the way the events of the movies didn't have a wider impact on the Universe and everything went back to normal right afterwards, this will give some satisfaction.

Prime Directive.

Just a good story. Plays with some fun ideas that probably don't quite fit into the canon, but even so, it was an enjoyable read. Set at the end of TOS, just before the movies.

Kobayashi Maru.

The 2009 reboot already got into the question of how Kirk handled this famous test, but I think I like this version better. It also gives us some more layers to the other crew, from Sulu to Scotty. One thing I liked about these books it that they did give some more character development to those secondary characters, so they felt a bit more alive than in the show.

Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism.

This is the first of two books which I started reading. The first story from this book is really great. Lots of fun exploring alternative views of different characters from the TOS era. If you're enjoying Strange New Worlds, then this will also be enjoyable. The other stories in this book were not much fun. I'd give them a miss.