Tales of the Slayers (graphic novel)

Tales of the Slayers (graphic novel)

As previously mentioned, I don't usually read graphic novels, but the library had a bunch of them and I had time during the summer. I picked up a few of them.

There were a few Buffy, the Vampire Slayer comics, almost all featuring the characters from the show. Casually flipping through them, I wasn't interested. However, Tales of the Slayers was different. It was a bunch of short stories featuring Slayers from the past and the future, filling in more of the mythos rather than simply supplementing the series. I enjoyed it.

Vulcan! (Sky)

Vulcan!, Kathleen Sky, 1978

One of the original Star Trek novels, and an early edition of it (with the original artwork, not the updated cover). Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it other than the blurbs I found online.

I don't think that this is the only Trek book I've read by Kathleen Sky.

X-Files: Whirlwind

X-Files: Whirlwind, (does it matter who it's by?)

Another novel based on the show, but not an adaptation of any particular episode.
I don't remember anything about it in particular, but I would remember if I ever liked an X-Files novel.

So far, I haven't. What works for a one-hour television episode doesn't seem to work for a couple hundred pages.

Star Trek TNG: Dyson Sphere (Pellegrino, Zebrowski)

Star Trek TNG: Dyson Sphere, Charles Pellegrino, George Zebrowski

Liked the use of the Horta, didn't like the story or the ending. Lots of possibilities wiped out quickly.

Thought it would be good, but I didn't particularly care for it. Like the use of Hortas, hated the story and the ending.

The story also ended long before I thought it was going to because there was a science essay at the end about Dyson spheres. Ringworld is wasn't.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Prime Evil (Gallagher)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Prime Evil, Diana G. Gallagher

I don't even remember it.

I debated leaving this one out because there isn't a review of it.
Then I realized that for some people, those five words are a very powerful review.
In fairness to Ms. Gallagher, the review obviously wasn't written as promptly as most of the others, but I should've remembered something a few weeks later.

Unnatural Selection (Golden, Holder)

Unnatural Selection, Christopher Golden, Nancy Holder

Another Buffy book that had to do with faeries and Anya before she started dating Xander, by the author of Ghost Roads. They even referenced it. Not half bad.

some "Buffy" book about Faeries by the author of Ghost Roads (another Buffy book I read a couple of years back). Actually, it was a good thing that I had read Ghost Roads because the author makes a lot of Buffy references, most of which I think I caught, from the show. When she tossed in a Ghost Roads character reference, I was thrown at first. (hey, that's non-canon stuff!)

The second entry came from a file on an old hard drive, not from my log.

Another brief entry. So brief that I forgot to write down the title. I had to look it up from the description, but I recognized it when I saw it.

Edit: found a second review that I had written. I still hadn't written the title of the book.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Halloween Rain (Golden, Holder)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Halloween Rain, Golden, Holder, 1997

An episode of the show which I hadn't seen. Killer scarecrow that comes alive during the rains on Halloween. Samhain can see through the eyes of any pumpkin and move if it's on a scarecrow. Quick read. Should've been quicker. Mind candy.

There's a line that I left out that says, "Cute line about coupe....", except that I can't read my own handwriting, nor remember what the cute line was actually about.

I'm also not sure if this was actually an episode, or if it was my belief at the time that it was based on one particular episode and not based on the characters from the series. Ultimately, it was forgettable.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ghost Roads (Golden, Holder)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ghost Roads, book two of the Gatekeeper Trilogy, Christopher Golden, Nancy Holder, 1999

I didn't realize that it was book two when I picked it up, but that just meant that the action started that much sooner (although I had to figure out who everyone was). Oz, Angel and Buffy are touched by the paranormal, so they can travel the Ghost Roads, where spirits pass on their way to their final destinations. Many ghosts wander the roads because they are afraid of what that destination is. Breaches are opening and the villain (Il Maestro, not to be confused with The Master, whom I did confuse him with) wants to open the Gates of Hell through the Ghost Roads. The Flying Dutchman makes an appearance and takes Giles on board. The ending was a downer, and not because [edited] dies, but suddenly there's a way for humans to travel them.

I edited who dies, but let's face it, you know that that person has to come back to life in the next book. The series was still on the air at the time!

Star Trek: The Great Starship Race (Carey)

Star Trek: The Great Starship Race, Diane Carey, 1993

Not bad. Romulans are "attacked" by a strange race that can project their emotions. Everyone dies except one "coward" who blows the ship and escapes in a pod. 74 years lates, the USS Hood discovers the aliens' homeworld beyond the edges of Federation space. Happy that they aren't alone in the universe, they try to quickly join the Federation and ten years later try to organize a big race. Then a Romulan ship shows up, commanded by the "coward" who has spent his life looking for the Rey, knowing that some day they will be a great weapon to use against the Empire. Vulcans are sensitive to their projects. The Romulans attempt a suicide mission. It fails.

I don't believe that I gave away the ending. If I did, I apologize. This is what I wrote nearly a decade ago. I used to have a lot of the Timescape Star Trek books -- more than I read. I couldn't keep up with them and stopped collecting before the 50th book came out. Nowadays, there are hundreds of them. Had I read faster, I might've bought those instead of comics. Just as well that I didn't. Too many aren't good -- even ones by good authors get messed up before they hit the shelves.

Independence Day: Silent Zone (Molstead)

Independence Day: Silent Zone, Stephen Molstead, 1997

Starts with a day-after "Prologues", jumps into a 1970s timeframe and ends without really refering back to the prologue and without an epilogue to close what's left hanging. Explores the Area 51 story, centering on Brackish Okun and introducing Dr. Isaccs along the way. Nimziki, a major player in the beginning, fades away fast, though he pops up occasionally. Good read as long as you didn't hate the movie, but it contradicts some of what the author wrote (and what the characters would seem to know) in ID4. (Stupid acronym, by the way.)

Not much to add, except the two Independence Day books were worth the spare change that I spent on each of them. I wouldn't have paid full price though.

The X-Files: Ruins (Anderson)

The X-Files: Ruins, Kevin J. Anderson

Better than Goblins (whatever it was called -- read it years ago), but that doesn't say much. Real like a complicated episode, which never would have had this kind of budget to be made. As good as the average Trek novel. (Hmmmm, that doesn't say much either.)