I have been accepted by Amazon.com, so I'll be listing books here to
recommend for purchase in association with Amazon.com.
Mostly, I'll be recommending Star Trek books that I've read for sale in association with Amazon.com. Click on the pictures if you'd like to
order the books.
I haven't read any of the TOS books, so I can't really recommend any of them. I did, however, collect the TNG books until I got hooked on DS9. These were my favorites:
For now, let me just tell you about some of my favorite Star Trek novels. I used to collect and read the TNG novels, and I thought a few of them were really good. I can't tell you much about them really since it's been several years since I've read them. But these were my favorites.
Metamorphosis is a really good Data novel. Order Metamorphosis Today!
And Survivors is a wonderful novel featuring Data and Lieutenant Yar. Order Survivors Today!
More recently (as in, since DS9 began), I've been collecting Deep Space Nine novels. I've read all that have come out thus far. While there are some that aren't up to par, some have been excellent. I would definitely recommend the following books:
Invasion: Time's Enemy--My favorite so far.
This was one of the Invasion series books that spanned all four series. It's heart-rending, adventurous, edge-of-your-seat,
bring-a-hanky stuff. Very good. The characterizations are wonderful, the plot is moving and fast-paced. A wonderful story.
What's it about? you ask. Well, for starters, Sisko, Dax, and Bashir are summoned to a starbase to view an artifact
recently discovered to have been buried in an asteroid for 5000 years: The Defiant. How's that for engaging? Why those
three? Well, they're still on board. But you'll have to get the book and read it if you want to know more.
Armageddon Sky--By the same authors as
Time's Enemy, and another winner. These writers seem to like Bashir. They are the best, so far, at writing him. The story
is good, if a bit heavy on the Klingon side of things. This was part of the Day of Honor series after all. Definitely
worth a read.
I've started reading the Star Trek: New Frontiers books, too. I bought the first one as an experiment, and I admit,
it was the captain's purple eyes that first intrigued me. But I read on and was anxious to find out what happened next.
Thus, I had to buy the second book. I've read all the New Frontiers books out now, two of which are full-sized novels. I'd
recommend them. They're interesting and have a lot of action in them.
Update. I've since stopped reading the New Frontiers books. I don't think I read beyond the 7th. There was, for one thing, too much sex. I'm not one who likes to read sex and it seemed like everyone on the ship was involved with someone else or discussing it. Too much for me. And when I heard the Excelsior would get blown up... Well,
I left the series. No, thank you. Others still read it though. Proceed at your own risk.
Ghost Ship is an interesting story, and one of the earlier TNG novels. Souls of people
long dead appear on the Enterprise and seek release.
Fallen Heroes was a lot of fun. It was so fun, I wished I'd thought of it and written it myself. Very good.
Warchild--If you like Dr. Bashir, you'll like this one. It
features him and the characterization is good. (This hasn't always been the case, unfortunately.)
The Deep Space Nine Technical Manual is out and it's
great. It has loads of information about the station. The graphics are really nice, and there are even picks of enemy
ships. The maps in the back are my favorite. This book is a must-have for any DS9 fan, especially one who writes.
The 34th Rule is also out. It's twice as long as the other DS9
novels and so far, twice as good as most of them. The writing is superb and the characters don't feel cartoonish at all.
Arman Shimmerman helped to write this, and he lends Quark a dignity we rarely see in other novels. Give it a try.
A Stitch in Time is Andrew Robinson's (Garak) novel. It's
incredible! And so canon-compatible. Nearly Garak's whole life is laid out in the story. Andy Robinson masterfully
switches between three time periods, the Garak before DS9, the Garak during DS9, and the Garak after DS9. Written as
a journal and letter to Doctor Bashir, the story is enlightening and fascinating and so imaginative. Andrew Robinson
does Star Trek proud with this one. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Avatar, Book One is the first book set after the end of the television series.
It's a good story, but since it's a two parter, it's really only half
a story. Book One gives you the setup and introduces you to the new characters in a fairly new way. They're already there. They've been
there a few weeks or even months. SD Perry, the author, writes like
we already know them, but unfolds them bit by bit so we come to know
them through the story. Shar, in particular, is quite likeable.
As the setup, it is kind of slow at times, particularly aboard the
Enterprise (Yeah, it's a DS9 novel, don't worry.) However, it certainly starts with a bang and will keep you turning pages until you
run out of them and have to get...
Avatar, Book Two, is shorter than the first book, but it moves along faster
and gives a lot of aftermath. I like a book with aftermath. There's
more action in this one and we're left with a bit of a cliff-hanger.
It's a fun ride and I can say I like the new crew. There's still
some mystery there (Shar, for one) and some animosity (What's Tenmei
got against Vaughn?). There's tragedy too. Kira makes a decision, and
though it was the right one, it has lasting and devastating effects for her. It will be interesting to see how the stories continue to unfold.
DS9 lives on, if only on the printed page.
While I'm not a big fan of William Shatner, the actor, I've decided I like William
Shatner, the writer. In The Return, he puts a little too much emphasis on the TOS characters (Yeah, we know they're legends. You don't have to
hit us over the head with it.), but he also gives good stuff to the new guys. He respects the new guys. Even Bashir. It's hard
to find an author of Star Trek books (outside of LA Graf) who does that. Bashir really the only DS9 crew member in this and he's
done well. There's TNG crew all through it and it's a good read.
William Shatner again. And this one I like even better. Spectre brings back the Mirror Universe
in almost all its incarnations. There's nothing from Dark Mirror here (a TNG novel that was contradicted by DS9's forays into the MU),
but there's Mirror, Mirror; Crossover; and Shattered Mirror. There's also characters from all the Trek's: two Spocks, Scotty, Bones, all
the TNG guys, Voyager people. Oh, DS9 is used as a setting and Kira, Sisko, and Bashir are mentioned. (But I hear Bashir's got
a good part in the sequel, Dark Victory. Garak, too.) This one was really very exciting and there wasn't quite as much TOS worship
going on. Kirk isn't infallible. I like that.