Lower Decks

I’ve been reading Star Trek novels published by Pocket Books since I was in the second grade. I’ve consumed hundreds of novels, a few anthologies and the occasional series companion. Lately, though, I’ve found myself less and less interested in the stories being put out by Pocket Books. The question I’m forced to ask is whether the problem is with the publisher and its authors or with me. Has the Star Trek novel line become stagnant or have I simply outgrown it?

After careful consideration and much thought, I’ve determined that the problems started in 1996 when the first crossover, “Invasion!,” was released. Ironically, I loved reading it and have since reread all four books at least once, perhaps twice. But its success laid the groundwork for 2002 and the end of the numbered novels. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t need my novels to have numbers on the spine (although it certainly looks nice on the shelf). Doing away with the numbering system, however, led to an increase in miniseries and crossovers.

For people who are only following one or two novel series — say, those based on Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation — crossovers meant buying three or four or five extra books just to get a complete story. Certainly, nobody had to buy all seven books in the “Gateways” miniseries or the six books in the “The Captain’s Table” series (none of which were connected). Not to mention the miniseries within a specific series: six books in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “Double Helix” miniseries, six in Star Trek‘s “New Earth” miniseries, an incredible nine in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “A Time to…” miniseries.

I miss the days when you could pick up a random novel and enjoy it as a standalone story. These days, with the big “Destiny”Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Titan, Star Trek: New Frontier (I think?). Having yet to read the event involving just about every series, just about all the novels are connected. “Destiny” miniseries, I suppose I’m not one to talk. But “Destiny” is only the culmination of something that has been happening for many years.

I’m also frustrated with the “Mirror Universe” and “Myriad Universe” novels, set in alternate universes, and the various “Lost Era” novels. There are plenty of stories to be told in the regular Star Trek universe; we don’t need all these novels and anthologies set elsewhere and elsewhen. And don’t get me started on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s Fearful Symmetry, half of which was set in the regular Star Trek universe, the other half in the Mirror Universe.

Thanks to a lengthy backlog, I still have a small stack of novels to read before I have to make a decision about diving into “Destiny” and beyond. And there will still be Star Trek and Star Trek: Vanguard novels to read that aren’t involved in “Destiny.” Not to mention a half dozen or so print compilations of the eBook Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers series that I’ve yet to buy (some of them are really hard to find). And I may have been wrong about Star Trek: New Frontier being part of “Destiny,” so perhaps I still have that series of books to look forward to.

Speaking of New Frontier, I was actually angry when I discovered that a mass market paperback version of Treason will be released in 2010, having spent the extra money to buy the larger trade paperback published earlier this year. It was one thing when some novels came out in hardcover and later mass market paperback format. Now there are two forms of paperback? Was it ever made known to readers that Treason would also be issued as a mass market paperback? Am I going to have to wait several months after every trade paperback to learn if a mass market version is coming?

Finally, there’s the problem of the authors. Having never written a Star Trek novel — or any novel for that matter — it somehow doesn’t feel quite right to be making this point. But I’m just going to throw it out there. I’m worried that Pocket Books is relying far too heavily on the same group of authors. Look at a list of Star Trek books and the same dozen or so names will pop up again and again. They do good work, I’m not disputing that. Still, there’s something to be said for mixing things up.

I’m sure there are going to be those reading this who don’t understand why I’m complaining about something I don’t have to pay for and read. And they have a point. I’m under no obligation to buy Star Trek novels. Nobody is forcing me. As someone who has been reading Star Trek novels for decades, though, and simply as a consumer I feel I have the right to express my disappointment with the way Pocket Books is handling its Star Trek line. If I feel the need to, I can make my dissatisfaction known with my wallet as well.

As I mentioned earlier, maybe the trouble isn’t with Pocket Books or the authors. Maybe its just time for me to move on from Star Trek novels. I’m certainly still a fan of the franchise, but if the direction many of the novel series are taking doesn’t interest me, there’s no reason to keep reading them.