General / Off-Topic Favourite 'Original Crew' Star Trek Film (1-6) <Spoilers!>

[Cmdr Andy B]

nerdage over? i think you picked the wrong thread for that

SFS is very good for back-story, Sarak & Savik both contribute heavily to the vulcan mysticism plus we get a second bite at David Marcus/Kirk.

Scotty's 'the more they over-think the plumbing' line is a classic piece of Trek and stealing the enterprise from star-base one they way they did was almost slapstick comedy at times.

as a great fan of the books (I must of read over 200 of them) it slotted right in with the crew i'd both read about and watched.

if you fancy a good read from the original series i can recommend 'yesterdays son.' its not a massive novel but holds the distinction of being the first Trek book to make number 1 in the best seller charts.

if you are re-watching the original series keep an eye out for Zarabeth, marooned in the ice-age of her planets past - the book follows on from that story.

 

[DrBaggy]

*don't admit Picard was my original commander choice*

Yes, no need to apologise for geekiness here....

"You are, and always will be, my friend" still makes me weep.

But although TOS was great, for me TNG was even better, and First Contact has to be the best of the oevre (with Generations for us softies out there).

I have a feeling you may have unleashed a torrent here!

Best Captain we have had already. Best doctor? Best Alien? Best female needlessly in Lycra? (EMH, Borg and 7 of 9 IMHO btw)

This could get violent!

Best opening credits? TOS or Voyager! Best episode? All good Things or anything with Tribbles in. Best character played by Majel Barrett...we could go on and on, and probably will

 

[Selezen]

Oh, please no, let's not get into a "TOS vs TNG" topic!!

Best TOS film. Only. Please.

And did anyone else know that the reason Saavik stayed behind on Vulcan in Voyage Home was that she was pregnant with Spock's son after their Ponn Farr in Search For Spock?

Loads of little things that the official fiction fills in that was dropped from the films.

 

[Giskard]

So Andy/Selezen, if you could recommend just a couple of Star Trek books to me, what would you go for? I ask because personally I have only read the film tie-in books (1-6). Oh! I did read a couple of 'Shatner's' books. I say 'Shatner's' because I'm not entirely sure who actually wrote them. But one was really good!
-I've just googled and I think it was 'The Ashes of Eden'. Yes it was that one. That was good.

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

So Andy/Selezen, if you could recommend just a couple of Star Trek books to me, what would you go for? I ask because personally I have only read the film tie-in books (1-6). Oh! I did read a couple of 'Shatner's' books. I say 'Shatner's' because I'm not entirely sure who actually wrote them. But one was really good!
-I've just googled and I think it was 'The Ashes of Eden'. Yes it was that one. That was good.

yup, i think Diane Carey helped write the shatner books, another good one in that series is 'The Return'

'Uhura's song' by Janet Kagan is great, if quite long.

'Prime Directive' is also a fav of mine as it separates most of the command crew from the ship for a lot of the story and 'Federation' takes up the Zefram Cochrane/Companion story from the original series and expands it into TNG time.

Sarek by A. C. Crispin is a must read book, if you only read one ST:TOS book make it that one.


I'm sticking to original series books here as too much TNG in this thread would be sacrilegious but if you want more suggestions the best thing you could do would be to name a character and i'll try and remember a book that centers on them.

EDit:

A.C.Crispen also wrote Yesterday's Son and it's sequal

 

[Giskard]

Great, thanks. I'll order a couple of those you mentioned. I've just got to finish Foundation and Earth (75% done) and then I've promised myself a re-read of 'Forward the Foundation' and then I'll be ready!

 

[Captain B Hawkeye]

I love all the films they all have something special for me but....
The wraith of Khan is my Favorate
I'm one of them Trekkies Love most all startrek films and series

 

[Selezen]

Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens co-wrote the Shatnerverse stories. They're OK, but not great - the concept of "Kirk" after the first book is stretched so thin to be almost beyond believable (and that's something for a sci-fi franchise).

They also wrote Prime Directive (without Shatner) which, I agree, is one of the absolute best Trek stories I have read. Federation is OK, but I found it to be a relatively poor attempt to join the two generations together at some stage without letting the other know what has happened. It was strained.

Enterprise: The First Adventure by Vonda N. McIntyre is good.

The Eugenics Wars trilogy (Greg Cox) is very good, covering Khan's rise and fall in the 90s (The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien SIngh Vol 1 and 2), featuring Gary Seven , and the third volume (To Reign In Hell) covers Khan's exile on Ceti Alpha 5.

The Lost Years series is a good filler set for between the end of TOS and the start of TMP. Lost Years (J.M. Dillard), Flag Full Of Stars (Brad Ferguson),

Kobayashi Maru (Julia Ecklar) was the first Trek novel I read and it was a very good introduction, providing insight into the other command crew members' experience of the no win scenario.

Doctor's Orders (Diane Duane) was good, showing McCoy in the command chair for the first (and only) time. The cover picture was awesome - caught McCoy's sardonic expression perfectly.

The Rift (Peter David) is over and above all else by favourite TOS novel. Peter David is a GOD amongst writers (and a close friend of B5's JMS to boot) and The Rift is a sample of that godhood - funny, well written and showing so much character from all of the main cast (including the pilot's main cast) that you just won't put it down til its done.

Probe (Margaret Wander Bonnano) is an entertaining sequel to ST4.

Best Destiny (Diane Carey) is a good story about early Kirk (and was one of the reference works for those responsible for the 2009 ST reboot)

The Mere Anarchy web series, release in paperback as a compilation, was enjoyable but varied in its consistency as it involved contributions from a lot of authors. Damn good overall plot though.

Outside TOS, check out Peter David's work, though. My two out and out favourite Trek novels of all time are Vendetta and Q-Squared. Well worth a read, even if you're not a big fan of TNG.

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

My favourite all-rounder has to be Star Trek 2. I just think Ricardo Montalban is superb. So many great quotes too!

"With my last breath; I spit at thee!"

Of the 6 you mentioned by far ST2:Wrath of Khan is my favourite too.

"Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels .. his was the most .. " <funny mouth wiggle> "human"

 

[Aewarin Jameson]

But although TOS was great, for me TNG was even better, and First Contact has to be the best of the oevre (with Generations for us softies out there).

<snip>

Best Captain we have had already. Best doctor? Best Alien? Best female needlessly in Lycra? (EMH, Borg and 7 of 9 IMHO btw)

This could get violent!

Indeed it could .. if you open the floor to all the versions:

- Best crew: TNG
- Best captain: Piccard
- Best female in lycra: Jadzir Dax (wibble )
- Best male actor: Piccard, though Worf in DS9 deserves a mention
- Best doctor: Voyager's version
- Best Alien: Q
- Best episode of them all: All good things (Final episode TNG)
- Best story arc: DS9

I could go on ...

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

Kobayashi Maru (Julia Ecklar) was the first Trek novel I read and it was a very good introduction, providing insight into the other command crew members' experience of the no win scenario.

Doctor's Orders (Diane Duane) was good, showing McCoy in the command chair for the first (and only) time. The cover picture was awesome - caught McCoy's sardonic expression perfectly.

funny you should mention TKM, i had it next to me ready for a reread

I remember DO, it's one that stands out, McCoy diagnoses a Klingon's health problems over the viewer while Kirk is on planet talking to a rock, they tried talking to the tree's to find out where he was but they insisted he hadn't gone anywhere.

it all came down to knowing where he was At:

 

[Giskard]

Blimey Selezen! - Thanks very much for all the suggestions. I will look some of them up for sure!

 

[Selezen]

My pleasure. No prizes for guessing what I do when I'm not playing Elite or writing RPGs...

@Liqua: I think another thread is needed for comparing different series - that would be a whole other conversation. TNG I can get on with, DS9 was a ripoff of Babylon 5, and Voyager was Lost In Space. Discuss.

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

My pleasure. No prizes for guessing what I do when I'm not playing Elite or writing RPGs...

@Liqua: I think another thread is needed for comparing different series - that would be a whole other conversation. TNG I can get on with, DS9 was a ripoff of Babylon 5, and Voyager was Lost In Space. Discuss.

ooo yea, that's a whole other can of worms, then you have the fiction wars running in the background, my preference is TOS fiction and with more books per show than episodes that argument can last a lifetime, especially if you get into the nity gritty of canon issues.

all that before you even mention the final series, Enterprise

 

[Selezen]

all that before you even mention the final series, Enterprise

Don't. Just...don't.

Although if you take Enterprise as an "alternative universe" story based on the fact that their universe branches off because of the events of First Contact (the film) then it's at least bearable.

 

[Cmdr M.G.Dangerous]

...TNG I can get on with, DS9 was a ripoff of Babylon 5, and Voyager was Lost In Space. Discuss.

I loved DS9, was totally psyched when Emissary aired, at least up until the Dominion war took over the whole thing. But then I loved Babylon 5 as well. I enjoyed series 1 of Enterprise. It was bold enough to have it's own flavour and try to reflect it's much more simplistic era. To be honest we need another regular Sci-fi series to fill the gaps between Dr who, Torchwood, Primeval, Red Dwarf, etc. They keep starting interesting ones in the US then cancelling them after just 1 or 2 series. They could at least write a definitive ending to them instead of just leaving us hanging.

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

I loved DS9, was totally psyched when Emissary aired, at least up until the Dominion war took over the whole thing. But then I loved Babylon 5 as well. I enjoyed series 1 of Enterprise. It was bold enough to have it's own flavour and try to reflect it's much more simplistic era. To be honest we need another regular Sci-fi series to fill the gaps between Dr who, Torchwood, Primeval, Red Dwarf, etc. They keep starting interesting ones in the US then cancelling them after just 1 or 2 series. They could at least write a definitive ending to them instead of just leaving us hanging.

Primeval leaving a gap? I take it you haven't seen Primeval New World then? a Canadian-British science fiction television programme, set in Vancouver, British Columbia, stars the bloke who Played Zane in Eureka.

the Trek fans among us will be pleased to hear it's created by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

Wiki Here

 

[Selezen]

TOS films, people...I asked not to derail the topic!! New topic, please!

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

TOS films, people...I asked not to derail the topic!! New topic, please!

to be fair my last post did include Judith and Garfield, there wasn't even an orange cat involved

 

[Cmdr M.G.Dangerous]

TOS films, people...I asked not to derail the topic!! New topic, please!

to be fair my last post did include live in hope of a DS9 Movie