Read Any Good TV Shows Lately?
Thanks in large part to the popularity of the various STAR TREK books, many publishers are finally recognizing the profitability of publishing novels based on popular television series. Some of these books will be reviewed later in this article.
With regards to the STAR TREK books, my favorites are still the adaptations of episodes from the original series by the late, great author James Blish. His stories not only retained the flavor of the original episodes but they fleshed out the characters and plot a little bit more too. Best of all, each of his books contained adaptions of several episodes at once so you got more than one story in each book.
These works are very important to me because they helped turn me into an avid science fiction reader. For anyone interested in reading the STAR TREK adaptations by James Blish I suggest you visit your local library or your favorite used bookstore. You won¹t be disappointed. On to other adaptations now...
ARMAGEDDON by Richard Hatch and Christopher Golden.
This ARMAGEDDON is not a novelization of the summer blockbuster film. Instead, it is the continuation of the story begun on the old ABC-TV series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Series star Richard Hatch (who played Captain Apollo) and Christopher Green (author of X-Men: The Mutant Empire) have collaborated on the first new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA novel in several years.
The storyline is set some 18 years after the cancellation of the original series. (Thankfully for Galactica fans, it ignores the terrible series GALACTICA: 1980.)
As the book opens, Commander Adama lies near death. The main thrust of the storyline is the chaos that ensues among the fleet , and between fellow crew members, as they try and choose and new leader to succeed Adama.
Slowly but surely readers are reintroduced to all of the characters from the original show. Boxey, the adopted son of Apollo, is now a full fledged warrior. Other popular characters, such as the renegade Captain Starbuck, Athena etc. are here as well. The authors did a good job in giving readers updates on all of the characters, even those who had minor roles. Their arch-enemies, the Cylons, are back as well.
One of the biggest complaints about BATTLESTAR GALACTICA was that is so obviously resembled STAR WARS. This novel does nothing to dispel those similarities. In fact, it actually increases them by introducing a concept that many will no doubt feel is all too similar to ³The Force² and Jedi Knights.
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