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June Book Discussion: The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane

Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
in Heaven
James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are chosen to test a new intergalactic drive that will take them far from Federation space. Unknown to them, the drive causes tears in reality, which have surprising effects on the crew’s psychology and physiology, increasing the further they go. In the end they come to face to face with something that appears to be a g/God, and how they deal with this encounter will affect the safety and welfare of two universes—including their own.

(My apologies for the delay--we're dealing with a funeral, a birthday, and travel all at once.)

Comments

  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    My wife owns years worth of Star Trek novels. The only science fiction she owns. We have bins and bins oof books in our basement. Fortunately, being an archivist, she new where to find her copy of the book. I look forward to reading it.
  • Celtic KnotweedCeltic Knotweed Shipmate
    No problem about the delay @Lamb Chopped , I hope you're ok, given everything happening at once.

    Finished re-reading it yesterday, and now happily working my way through her Star Trek 'Romulan' books. Last night I got to my favourite speech in The Wounded Sky, the one about games (you'll know it when you reach it).

    Must pass the book over to @Sandemaniac to read!
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    That’s a fascinating idea, and we’ll get to it in the questions. (The “game” idea)

    We’re doing okay—Mr Lamb is pulling weeds out here in California while apparently another tornado is tearing through St Louis, or so says my phone alert. Hope our people and our house will be okay.
  • MiliMili Shipmate
    I am listening to the audio book as it's hard to find a copy of the book where I am. If only I could transport myself to my 1980s primary school library as I remember they had a large collection of Star Trek books.

    I wasn't a big fan so never read any of the books, but my parents' best friends were fans so I remember watching the TV show at their place sometimes. I don't consciously remember much, except that Spock was my favourite character, but my subconscious must have absorbed some information as the universe is fairly familiar to me.

    I have just got to the part where the crew have started to have odd psychological experiences and think I must have watched the episode related to the book as it seems really familiar. Unless they had a similar event in Red Dwarf, which I did watch a lot of in the 1990s and early 2000s.
  • NicoleMRNicoleMR Shipmate
    There is no episode related to the book, it's an original story.
  • MiliMili Shipmate
    It's an original story, but going by the internet, the 1987 TV episode Where Noone Has Gone Before was an adaptation of the novel. I don't remember much detail about the series and haven't read a plot summary in case it spoils the novel but Star Trek fans may know more. I may have watched or read some other Sci Fi that had a similar event and that's why the plot point seems familiar.
  • Celtic KnotweedCeltic Knotweed Shipmate
    I just had a quick look on Memory Alpha, and yes that Next Gen episode was loosely based on this book. Diane Duane was one of the original scriptwriters, but it got a lot of changes before filming. Thanks @Mili I'd completely forgotten about the episode, and never knew about the link!
  • EigonEigon Shipmate
    I finished rereading the book this morning, while the BT engineer connected my broadband! (I am once more One with the Collective Consciousness). There was a lot I had forgotten, and I think I can see where later scriptwriters for different ST series had definitely read Diane's book and incorporated some ideas.
  • TrudyTrudy Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Caissa wrote: »
    My wife owns years worth of Star Trek novels. The only science fiction she owns. We have bins and bins oof books in our basement. Fortunately, being an archivist, she new where to find her copy of the book. I look forward to reading it.

    I'm envious. I was CONVINCED this book was in our house, but we did re-organize shelves recently and my husband put all the Star Trek books on the same shelf and it's NOT THERE. Will try to obtain it otherwise, but I still can't believe we don't have it.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    I have it off Barnes and Noble (bn.com) in ebook form.
  • TrudyTrudy Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Lamb Chopped wrote: »
    I have it off Barnes and Noble (bn.com) in ebook form.

    Yes, I can get it as an ebook from Kobo and will probably buy it as soon as I get over the "But surely it's somewhere on these shelves!" reaction.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    I had decades of Star Trek books in my little book closet, but donated all but one to Goodwill a number of years ago. So, it's now ready to re-read on my Nook.

    Thinking of you and your family, @Lamb Chopped.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    Thank you!
  • MiliMili Shipmate
    I finished listening to the audiobook/podcast of the novel from 2020 and really enjoyed it. Apparently Diane Duane retweeted links to the project at the time, so I assume it doesn't break copyright. I will post a link here if anyone is interested in listening. It includes music and sound effects that I found added to the listening experience.

    I haven't listened to the entire conversation the podcasters have at the end of the book, but was interested to find out that Diane Duane was also a C.S. Lewis fan and had read his science fiction/fantasy trilogy that I mentioned in our Orbital discussion.

    Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/@letsescape7743
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Finished it this morning. Looking forward to the discussion.
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