From: luther@i5160e.nrl.navy.mil (Luther)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: "Probe" and "Imzadi"
Date: 1 Oct 92 15:03:47 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: US Naval Research Laboratory, Acoustics Division


>So let's see.  That's two who don't buy hardcovers (and never go to libraries
>apparently) and one who doesn't read Trek novels at all.
>
>It's so heartening to work hard for an appreciative audience.
>
>PAD

Okay, let's all bow down before the great Peter David and all the other
deific Star Trek authors who lower themselves to bestow all
their wisdom upon us stupid peons. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you
thank you, thank you!!! Is that better? Shall we kiss some feet as long as
we're prostrating ourselves before these magnanimous individuals?
Is that enough? Should we flagellate ourselves because we're not worthy
to be in the presence of the great ones?

Get a grip here. Do you seriously believe that everyone who enjoys
Star Trek is required to like or read each and every damn Star Trek
novel that gets tossed out? Lets see, my grandmother doesn't read
Star Trek novels. Should I put her on the Star Trek Blacklist because
she's not appreciative? There has not been a single author in the
history of the human race who has appealed to everyone without exception.
Even Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have their detractors. 

If someone decides not to read Star Trek novels or dish out up to 
twenty bucks for 300 pages of mindless drivel, then who are you to
say that's wrong? I've said it before and I'll say it again - Star
Trek novels are to literature what Big Macs are to food. The only
difference is that while Big Macs always taste the same, when you're
digesting Star Trek novels, you have to weed through 90 percent of 
the crap that's not worth the paper it's printed on to find the very
few that are good. This situation has just been getting worse and
worse lately, too. 

Star Trek novelists seem to have it relatively easy. They are writing 
books dealing with characters and a universe which have already been 
created.  Half of their job has already been done for them. All they 
need to do is come up with a unique and interesting situation to put 
these characters in and present the result in a somewhat entertaining
fashion. Most of the people churning these things out can't even do
that much. If most of these stories that we're being fed were taken out
of the Star Trek setting and presented for publication on their own
merits, the authors would be laughed out of the publishers' offices.
A book is not made good merely by having the Star Trek label slapped
on it. If you want appreciative audiences, then get Pocket to start
taking a little more care with their product. It's unfortunate for
the good authors (present company included) that they get lumped
in the same basket as the bad ones.

Instead of sitting back, monitoring this group for whatever purposes
you have, and only posting something when you feel the need to lash out
at someone who has posted negative comments about your works or the
Trek novels in general, why don't you post something telling us what
it's like on the publishing end of the business? Maybe Pocket has a 
reason why they're not discriminating between the good and the bad when
they decide what to put out. I, for one, would love to know what they're
thinking. You're in a position to help out here. We'd be lucky to have
someone on this group who is in a position to keep us informed and
correct our misconceptions. Unfortunately, all we have is someone who
posts quick demeaning jabs when he gets his dander up.


-----------------------------------------------------------
" 'Eureka' is Greek for 'This bath is too hot'. "
               Tom Baker / Doctor Who
Ken Luther, Mathematician Extraordinaire
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