![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
List of Best Star Trek TOS Novels
Mar. 11th, 2021 10:27 pmWhen I was a teenager, some of my favorite books were the Star Trek: The Original Series novels of the 80s and early 90s. They varied wildly in quality, but many of them were really good and all of them were written out of love for the source material. Unlike most tie-in novels, authors (both pro and fan) vied for coveted Star Trek contracts because they'd been fans of the series for two decades and wanted to be a part of it. Some of them were amazingly good. Some of them were, uh, not. Some of them were cracktastic. All of them were fun. It was a golden age.
None of these novels were canon. It was official franchise policy at the time that only things which appeared on screen were canon, so the TV writers didn't have to worry about keeping up with what was in the books. The bad thing about it was that some of the amazing stuff in the books never made it to screen, or was contradicted by later on-screen stuff. (Duane's take on 'Romulans' is way cooler than anything they managed on screen, as just one example.) The good thing about it was that the authors were not constrained away from anything, and had a lot more freedom to worldbuild and dream and plot to their hearts' content than most franchise tie-in authors.
Over the years, I have been asked for rec lists for these books and have made them several places. None of those places, alas, were in my own journal, and alas I cannot find them. So! Here it is. Please feel free to quibble in the comments, and let me know if I've missed anything major. The links are to Kobo ebook store, I'm not making anything off of them.
Amazing, Incredible Books
My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way by Diane Duane. Romulans, honor, and espionage, with Duane's characteristically excellent worldbuilding, compelling original characters, and fun action plots (You may find it easier to search for the anthology The Bloodwing Voyages which have these two books plus three later sequels all together in one volume.)
Spock's World by Diane Duane. Vulcan is thinking of seceding from the Federation, and Enterprise goes to bear witness and represent the Federation. Also, lots of really fascinating Vulcan history interludes. A primary inspiration for Vulcan culture in the Reboot movies.
Best Destiny by Diane Carey. Post-movies Kirk reflecting on an adventure he had in space as a youth; much of the characterization was used as an inspiration for Kirk in the reboot movies.
The Final Reflection by John Ford. These are not the Klingons as TNG imagined them, but it's a fascinating take.
Good and Entertaining Books
Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday by A.C. Crispin. Spock accidentally got Zarabeth pregnant in the episode "All Our Yesterdays," so he goes back to retrieve her and the kid using the Guardian of Forever, and mistimes his arrival--the kid's already an adult. Adventures ensue.
Vulcan's Glory by D.C. Fontana. Fontana was one of the writers on the original show, and here's her take on Spock's early years in Starfleet.
Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan. Uhura's musical knowledge holds the key to finding the cure to a plague, and launches the Enterprise on a quest to find the people who wrote the song.
The Vulcan Academy Murders and The IDIC Epidemic by Jean Lorrah. Vulcans, murder, and Enterprise caught up in it. Lots of fun, and I love the OCs.
The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes. Saavik's backstory
The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane. Look, it's Diane Duane, of course you have to read it. Featuring wacky physics and metaphysics and deeply thoughtful worldbuilding.
Dreadnought! and Battlestations! by Diane Carey. Plucky lieutenant and her friends foil treason against the Federation, with help from Kirk & Co. You will note many similarities between the plot of Dreadnought! and Star Trek Into Darkness. I always enjoyed them, but a lot of people didn't like the books--I'm pretty sure it's snobbishness and thinking that Lieutenant Piper is a Mary Sue.
Final Frontier by Diane Carey. Early adventure of the Enterprise under her first captain, Robert April, with James Kirk's dad aboard.
The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Eklar. The stories of young Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov in Starfleet Academy as they take the iconic test.
Dreams of the Raven by Carmen Carter. McCoy has amnesia, but his memory has the key to Saving The Ship!
Death Count by L.A. Graf. Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov have an adventure while on leave. Don't judge a book by its title, I have no idea where they got it, it doesn't have anything to do with the story.
Strangers from the Sky by Margaret Wander Bonano. Kirk and Spock go back in time to make sure history's first contact with Vulcans goes right
Prime Directive by Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens
Sarek by A.C. Crispin. A story about Sarek and Spock's tumultuous relationship.
Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane. Kirk leaves McCoy in command of the Enterprise as a joke while he's on a simple, easy away mission ... and then disappears, leaving McCoy in charge of the ship!
Dwellers in the Crucible by Barbara Hambly. Romulans and Klingons kidnap the kids of high-status Federation officials and hold them hostage, and it's mostly about two of the hostages (one human, one Vulcan). Warnings for 80s misogyny-masquerading-as-feminism, which I didn't notice when I was a teenager in the 90s reading it.
Cracktastic Books
How Much For Just The Planet? by John M Ford. This book is AMAZING, and HILARIOUS, and features musical numbers, a game of golf through a minefield, and a climactic pie fight. Basically, a group of anarchist theater people settled a planet and found out too late it had resources everyone would want. When Starfleet and the Klingons show up at the same time to claim the planet, they know they can't possibly maintain their independence through fighting, so they try Plan C: Comedy.
Black Fireby Sonni Cooper, featuring Spock as a space pirate
Ishmael by Barbra Hambly. Amnesiac Spock in the Old West, featuring lots of stealth crossovers the publisher never caught! Including the fact that the entire setting and most of the non-Trek characters are taken from a 60s TV Western called "Here Come The Brides" in which Mark Lenard (as in, the ORIGINAL SAREK) played a starring role.
Killing Time by Della van Hise. Time-travel and alternate universe shenanigans, VERY slashy, and the first print run mistakenly left in some extra-slashy stuff the publisher had wanted cut out. (But those are hard to find.) Featuring Jim Kirk as a twink and Spock as captain.
The Price of the Phoenix and The Fate of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Really 70s, really slashtastic, really psychedelic, must be read to be believed.
This list is rebloggable on tumblr
None of these novels were canon. It was official franchise policy at the time that only things which appeared on screen were canon, so the TV writers didn't have to worry about keeping up with what was in the books. The bad thing about it was that some of the amazing stuff in the books never made it to screen, or was contradicted by later on-screen stuff. (Duane's take on 'Romulans' is way cooler than anything they managed on screen, as just one example.) The good thing about it was that the authors were not constrained away from anything, and had a lot more freedom to worldbuild and dream and plot to their hearts' content than most franchise tie-in authors.
Over the years, I have been asked for rec lists for these books and have made them several places. None of those places, alas, were in my own journal, and alas I cannot find them. So! Here it is. Please feel free to quibble in the comments, and let me know if I've missed anything major. The links are to Kobo ebook store, I'm not making anything off of them.
Amazing, Incredible Books
My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way by Diane Duane. Romulans, honor, and espionage, with Duane's characteristically excellent worldbuilding, compelling original characters, and fun action plots (You may find it easier to search for the anthology The Bloodwing Voyages which have these two books plus three later sequels all together in one volume.)
Spock's World by Diane Duane. Vulcan is thinking of seceding from the Federation, and Enterprise goes to bear witness and represent the Federation. Also, lots of really fascinating Vulcan history interludes. A primary inspiration for Vulcan culture in the Reboot movies.
Best Destiny by Diane Carey. Post-movies Kirk reflecting on an adventure he had in space as a youth; much of the characterization was used as an inspiration for Kirk in the reboot movies.
The Final Reflection by John Ford. These are not the Klingons as TNG imagined them, but it's a fascinating take.
Good and Entertaining Books
Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday by A.C. Crispin. Spock accidentally got Zarabeth pregnant in the episode "All Our Yesterdays," so he goes back to retrieve her and the kid using the Guardian of Forever, and mistimes his arrival--the kid's already an adult. Adventures ensue.
Vulcan's Glory by D.C. Fontana. Fontana was one of the writers on the original show, and here's her take on Spock's early years in Starfleet.
Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan. Uhura's musical knowledge holds the key to finding the cure to a plague, and launches the Enterprise on a quest to find the people who wrote the song.
The Vulcan Academy Murders and The IDIC Epidemic by Jean Lorrah. Vulcans, murder, and Enterprise caught up in it. Lots of fun, and I love the OCs.
The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes. Saavik's backstory
The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane. Look, it's Diane Duane, of course you have to read it. Featuring wacky physics and metaphysics and deeply thoughtful worldbuilding.
Dreadnought! and Battlestations! by Diane Carey. Plucky lieutenant and her friends foil treason against the Federation, with help from Kirk & Co. You will note many similarities between the plot of Dreadnought! and Star Trek Into Darkness. I always enjoyed them, but a lot of people didn't like the books--I'm pretty sure it's snobbishness and thinking that Lieutenant Piper is a Mary Sue.
Final Frontier by Diane Carey. Early adventure of the Enterprise under her first captain, Robert April, with James Kirk's dad aboard.
The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Eklar. The stories of young Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov in Starfleet Academy as they take the iconic test.
Dreams of the Raven by Carmen Carter. McCoy has amnesia, but his memory has the key to Saving The Ship!
Death Count by L.A. Graf. Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov have an adventure while on leave. Don't judge a book by its title, I have no idea where they got it, it doesn't have anything to do with the story.
Strangers from the Sky by Margaret Wander Bonano. Kirk and Spock go back in time to make sure history's first contact with Vulcans goes right
Prime Directive by Judith and Garfield Reeves Stevens
Sarek by A.C. Crispin. A story about Sarek and Spock's tumultuous relationship.
Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane. Kirk leaves McCoy in command of the Enterprise as a joke while he's on a simple, easy away mission ... and then disappears, leaving McCoy in charge of the ship!
Dwellers in the Crucible by Barbara Hambly. Romulans and Klingons kidnap the kids of high-status Federation officials and hold them hostage, and it's mostly about two of the hostages (one human, one Vulcan). Warnings for 80s misogyny-masquerading-as-feminism, which I didn't notice when I was a teenager in the 90s reading it.
Cracktastic Books
How Much For Just The Planet? by John M Ford. This book is AMAZING, and HILARIOUS, and features musical numbers, a game of golf through a minefield, and a climactic pie fight. Basically, a group of anarchist theater people settled a planet and found out too late it had resources everyone would want. When Starfleet and the Klingons show up at the same time to claim the planet, they know they can't possibly maintain their independence through fighting, so they try Plan C: Comedy.
Black Fireby Sonni Cooper, featuring Spock as a space pirate
Ishmael by Barbra Hambly. Amnesiac Spock in the Old West, featuring lots of stealth crossovers the publisher never caught! Including the fact that the entire setting and most of the non-Trek characters are taken from a 60s TV Western called "Here Come The Brides" in which Mark Lenard (as in, the ORIGINAL SAREK) played a starring role.
Killing Time by Della van Hise. Time-travel and alternate universe shenanigans, VERY slashy, and the first print run mistakenly left in some extra-slashy stuff the publisher had wanted cut out. (But those are hard to find.) Featuring Jim Kirk as a twink and Spock as captain.
The Price of the Phoenix and The Fate of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Really 70s, really slashtastic, really psychedelic, must be read to be believed.
This list is rebloggable on tumblr
