QUINT@RED.RUTGERS.EDU (10/18/85)
From: Anne Marie Quint {/amqueue} <quint@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: 11 Oct 1985 10:28:32 GMT (Friday)
From: Keith Dale <kdale@minet-vhn-em.arpa>
Subject: Matter transmission
One of the Star Trek novels, Price of the Phoenix by [two women
authors whose names escape me], deals with the problem of identical
copies of a person coexisting ("Will the real James Kirk please
stand up."). The story is done very well and shows (to me, at
least) that the authors must have had discussions similar to that
raging on the net lately. It does get involved, even (gasp!) makes
you think (:-), and should be a good way to gather more fuel for
this debate.
Also, I thought it was a good read, but then I like most everything
that I read. How about some criticisms? Am I wrong to like it?
(:-)
Keith
I sit here blithely replying, and find that I can only remember one of
the author's names: Jacqueline Lichtenberg, currently of Sime/Gen fame. The
other author wrote a Star Trek fact book in the mid-70's I think, in which
case it would be Joan Winston, but I havent been able to find these books
in my library for a couple of years; I think I loaned them to someone and
forgot who. (as usual) There is another book in the series, Fate of the
Phoenix, but I cant remember if it came first or second... I will have to
find these books! I was always under the impression that yet another book
was going to come out, but it never has. I guess Lichtenberg is too busy
with her Sime/Gen universe to write StarTrek anymore... pity.
I liked it too, but then I am a rabid Trekkie (and proud of it!), so
my opinion is not necessarily worthwhile, and certainly not objective!!!
Ready to Energize
/amqueue
ps: a good test to see if you are a confirmed trekkie: do you walk into
elevators and shout "Bridge" as the doors close?
Do you answer the telephone "Enterprise, Spock here"?
Can you recite all the lines of all the characters from the original tag
scene from "Trouble With Tribbles"?
Can you sing along with the opening music?
-------boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (10/19/85)
From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (JERRY BOYAJIAN) > From: Anne Marie Quint {/amqueue} <quint@RED.RUTGERS.EDU> > I sit here blithely replying, and find that I can only remember one of > the author's names: Jacqueline Lichtenberg, currently of Sime/Gen fame. The > other author wrote a Star Trek fact book in the mid-70's I think, in which > case it would be Joan Winston, but I havent been able to find these books > in my library for a couple of years;... They say memory is the first to go... :-) The writers of PRICE OF THE PHOENIX and FATE OF THE PHOENIX (as well as at least one other Trek novel, the title of which I forget and am too lazy to look up, and editting the two NEW VOYAGES anthologies) are Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Lichtenberg never wrote a Star Trek novel (unless it was fan published), but her sometime Sime/Gen collaborator, Jean Lorrah, wrote THE VULCAN ACADEMY MURDERS. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA <"Bibliography is my business">
brown@utflis.UUCP (Susan Brown) (10/22/85)
In article <4067@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> QUINT@RED.RUTGERS.EDU writes: >From: Anne Marie Quint {/amqueue} <quint@RED.RUTGERS.EDU> > One of the Star Trek novels, Price of the Phoenix by [two women > authors whose names escape me], deals with the problem of identical > Keith > I sit here blithely replying, and find that I can only remember one of >the author's names: Jacqueline Lichtenberg, currently of Sime/Gen fame. The >other author wrote a Star Trek fact book in the mid-70's I think, in which >case it would be Joan Winston, but I havent been able to find these books >/amqueue Actually you have hit upon 2/3 of the authors of "Star Trek Lives!", but the authors of these Phoenix books (and some others) are Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath.
ecl@mtgzz.UUCP (e.c.leeper) (10/23/85)
> From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (JERRY BOYAJIAN) > [Replying to Anne Marie Quint {/amqueue} <quint@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>] > They say memory is the first to go... :-) > > The writers of PRICE OF THE PHOENIX and FATE OF THE PHOENIX (as well as at > least one other Trek novel, the title of which I forget and am too lazy to > look up, and editting the two NEW VOYAGES anthologies) are Sondra Marshak > and Myrna Culbreath. Lichtenberg never wrote a Star Trek novel (unless it > was fan published), but her sometime Sime/Gen collaborator, Jean Lorrah, > wrote THE VULCAN ACADEMY MURDERS. > Lichtenberg did, however, write STAR TREK LIVES! (I believe she actually co-authored it with Marshak). It is non-fiction. Marshak also wrote THE PROMETHEUS DESIGN. Evelyn C. Leeper ...ihnp4!mtgzz!ecl <"Filmography is my husband's hobby"> ****************************************************************************** * Get a Usenetter on the ballot at Confederation! * * Nominate MARK R. LEEPER for Hugo for Best Fan Writer in 1986! * ******************************************************************************
gt3403b@gitpyr.UUCP (Ray Chen) (10/24/85)
Marshak & Culbreath also wrote TRIANGLE, a novel involving the "New Humans"
that were mentioned in the novelization of Star Trek: TMP.
I thought the PHOENIX series was very good. They did a nice job of
exploring the problems and paradoxes of body duplication, morality and
the Prime (Non-interference) Directive. I thought the characters were
handled rather well, as well.
In the Star Trek series & novels, you rarely get to see exactly what
makes a Starship Captain special. People are aware of the fact that
due to the communications lag between a starship and it's base, a
starship Captain has to be able and is *required* to be handle tricky
situations (often involving possible war) on his own as the only
representative of the Federation on hand. However, this is rarely
brought out in either the novels, series, or movies.
You can see why they don't put just anybody in command of starship because
if he screws up, the Federation may find itself out an ally, port, treaty,
or in a war.
In the PHOENIX series, you get to see the characters (heroes and "villains"
alike) functioning at their limits in near-impossible circumstances. The
glitter gets torn off, so to speak, and you get to see what kind of people
they really are. So, it's a very tense and intense book and atmosphere,
but given the story, it's definitely justified. It's also noteworthy
that the "villain", Omne, turns out to be someone you can admire.
Even considering the fact Morshak and Culbreath shatter the Star Trek
universe (bend would definitely be an understatement here), I'd
consider the PHOENIX series (along with Diane Duane's books)
the best ST novels out there.
Ray Chen
gitpyr!chen
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!gitpyr!chenLubkin@caip.RUTGERS.EDU (10/25/85)
From: "Lubkin David"@LLL-MFE.ARPA Sigh. Price of the Phoenix was written by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Anne Quint probably thought that Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Joan Winston wrote the book because Lichtenberg, Winston and Marshak wrote Star Trek Lives!, published in 1974? Jacqueline has never written a professional trek novel. Before doing the gen/sime books, she created an elaborate offshoot of Star Trek called Kraith, which thirty or so authors have written subsidiary stories for over the years. Apart from the literary merits of Price of the Phoenix, Marshak and Culbreath were not highly thought of in trek circles, although they may have redeemed themselves by now. They edited two collections of fan fiction, Star Trek: The New Voyages, I and II. I do not know the truth of the matter, but at least three of the authors of stories they printed report that (1) their stories were altered for publication, without their permission, and/or (2) they were not paid (and remember that ST:NV sold a lot of copies). -- Lubkin
Wahl.ES@Xerox.ARPA (10/25/85)
From: Wahl.ES@Xerox.ARPA amqueue: Please, No! If I were Jacqueline Lichtenberg or Joan Winston, I would sue! You're probably thinking about Star Trek Lives! a non-fiction book about the ST phenomenon. Jacqueline is best noted in ST fiction for her Kraith fanzine series. Joan also wrote The Making of ST Conventions. The Phoenix books (Price of and Fate of) were written by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. They also wrote The Prometheus Design, and perhaps a few another ST novel or two. Fandom is remarkably divided on the subject of whether these books are great literature or trash, but my vote is strongly for the latter. They also edited two pro books of ST short stories, New Voyages I and II, which caused a lot of flack from the authors whose stories were edited. --Lisa Wahl Star Trek Welcommittee (note, the information on the authors was derived from the Welcommittee's Directory of ST Organizations and Publications. The opinions reguarding the above-mentioned authors are just my own.)
Piersol.PASA@Xerox.ARPA (10/27/85)
From: Kurt <Piersol.pasa@Xerox.ARPA> The other book that comes to mind by Marshak and Culbreath is 'The Prometheus Design'. Interesting book, by the way, dealing with questions of whether self-destruction can ever be avoided by any sentient race. The question is based on the so-called 'Hell's Kitchen' experiments (overcrowding rats), which showed that aberrant behavior may in some way be related to population density. I didn't find it to be anywhere near the caliber of the Phoenix books, but enjoyable nonetheless. Kurt