So we're undoing Indistinguishable from magic?

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Tom Riker, Oct 30, 2012.

  1. MatthiasRussell

    MatthiasRussell Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Right, I appreciate that. The point I was trying to make was that you seem to be leaving the NX-class Intrepid in its place of history as described in IFM. I got the sense from that comment that you were respecting those events as laid out in IFM. (Though I am not trying to put those words in your mouth, that was my understanding).
     
  2. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    Yeah. And since it's the same guy in charge of all their tie-ins, actually, I guess it's not just Trek bridges burning here - CSI, you name it.

    But the hell with it - I've got seven other books to finish for five other publishers, so it's time to get on with those...

    (Also, note that I'm only pointing the finger re the "fitting in" issues. Any problems any reader has with prose or characterisation, etc, well, that's just me not satisfying them. And the other authors have done perfectly fine by me)
     
  3. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    No, I was just being my usual online self and offering an encyclopedic answer to the question that was raised. As I said, it doesn't come up in the book at all.
     
  4. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    While IFM isn't my favorite Trek novel, I'd definitely buy another Trek novel written by you.
     
  5. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    As would I. And since others have reminded us of the elements of Trek that could peacefully resolve this whole thing to everyone's satisfaction, I may be inclined to chalk it up as a DTI misadventure as yet unwritten. Agents assigned to that particular case yet to be identified. :-)
     
  6. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Me too. I'm not even a hundred pages into IFM yet, but I have loved it so far. Geordi has always been one my favorite TNG characters, and the book has been doing a great job with him so far. Very disappointed to hear that it is no longer in continuity. I would definitely read more Lonemagpie written Trek books.
     
  7. shanejayell

    shanejayell Captain Captain

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    Msybe we can convince the Trek editors to do a ongoing 'out of continuity' Geordi series? I'd love to see more SCE style adventures....
     
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  8. JWolf

    JWolf Commodore Commodore

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    And these five other books would be? I am interested in knowing.
     
  9. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    If they'd said that at the time, I'd have made it an SCE relaunch...

    I don't mind so much the "you're screwed" (since I fulfilled the ambition already) - but it's the way of finding out that bugs me. I'd much rather be told straight "fuck off" than ignored for two years and the book wiped from continuity
     
  10. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    The War Of Horus And Set (Osprey, May 21st) (already up on Amazon etc as well as Osprey's site - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-War-Horus-Myths-Legends/dp/1780969023)

    We Will Destroy Your Planet - An Alien's Guide To Conquering The Earth (Osprey, October)

    Standard By Seven - retrospective of Blakes 7 (Classic TV Press, spring-ish)

    untitled nonfiction media book for Telos (Telos, TBC)

    OCLT- High Jump (Crossroads Press, spring)

    The Fall Of Grace (Manleigh Books, spring)

    The Last Poor Knight (Manleigh Books, autumn)

    Those last two being historical novels featuring ex-Templar knight Guy de Carnac from a previous book of mine
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2012
  11. NotLKH

    NotLKH Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    Oh oh! Sounds like something The Voltar Confederacy either used or wrote after their botched attempt in Hubbards "Mission Earth" dekalogy. lol, I loved that series. :techman:
     
  12. trash80

    trash80 Commander Red Shirt

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    War Of Horus And Set looks very interesting, its been added to my Amazon wish list
     
  13. Lonemagpie

    Lonemagpie Writer Admiral

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    I actually originally thought of it as a handbook given to Daleks...
     
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  14. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

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    I've been thinking about all this and it bothers me in a number of ways, and the issues are all editorial.

    The editor certainly has the right to request revisions in the plot and characters, but they are also acting as 'continuity cops' in a shared universe like Trek. Putting characters in that don't fit is a schoolboy error.

    Not catching the mistake during later stages of the process is worrying.

    On receipt of the finished novel, and realising that problems exist there are two serious options. Apologising to the author, requesting a rewrite and paying extra for the extra work probably wouldn't happen as margins are tight and the publishing date is probably locked in by then, which leaves option two. Address the issues in future novels and work around them / explain them away - retcon. At no point is the 'it didn't happen' option a good one.

    Not discussing any of this with the author is disrespectful.

    David A McIntee has a bunch of other work and it doesn't look like losing future Trek commissions will be career ending issue for him, but it has put him in a difficult situation and to some extent, it has done the same for David Mack.

    David Mack has written follow on works in good faith and I am enjoying them greatly. It would have been fairly easy to have addressed some of the issues but he was not given the option - I wish he had been. Also I would have very much liked to have had the opportunity to read the two novels that became Indistinguishable From Magic as they were originally planned by David A McIntee.

    Both authors have taken a practical and pragmatic approach that us continuity obsessed fanboy types probably don't. They do it for a living and treat it professionally. It's a shame I can't say that about the editors involved.

    So, Indistinguishable From Magic is no longer 'in continuity'. I presume Scotty is still alive then ? How about Geordi's mother ? And is Bobby Ewing still in the shower ?
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2012
  15. MatthiasRussell

    MatthiasRussell Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    There's a thought.


    Something that does worry me about this is does ignoring IFM open the door for future writers and editors to pick and choose what they want to ignore since the beginning of the "relaunch"? I've come to accept things like Ship of the Line didn't happen but Immortal Coil did and New Frontier is in continuity limbo (what's the deal with Nacheyev anyways).

    One of the things that got me reading trek again were the editorial controls that gives me the sense that what happens in a book is relevant to future happenings. I can accept that STO, the books, and the comics all have different continuity but I think those different branches of continuity should respect the history they have established within themselves as much as possible.

    So although this particular occurance doesn't bother me too much as a trek fan and consumer, I hope the door has not been openned to this to become a regular practice and trek books don't fall back into the state they were in during the 90s.
     
  16. shanejayell

    shanejayell Captain Captain

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  17. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Didn't Scotty beam off an exploding ship to parts unknown, then they had a memorial because they *thought* he was dead? Not quite a definitive demise.
    I don't think they'll regress back to the 90's, but if this is any indication, there won't be many new authors telling stories in the ongoing novelverse. There's a HUGE amount of continuity to keep track of (I personally didn't notice 99% of the "errors" from IFM and I've read most of those books it supposedly contradicted!), and if any new authors' make even a few deviations....
     
  18. shanejayell

    shanejayell Captain Captain

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    That's part of what a editor is supposed to do. Make sure the continuity lines up.

    It's part of why this so annoys me... instead of suggesting a simple fix in Mack's book they just decided "Eh, too much trouble, toss IFM out."
     
  19. tomswift2002

    tomswift2002 Commodore Commodore

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    Of course I guess the recent mass change of editors that the line has seen over the past couple of years since Margot and Marco left kind of messes that up. Sure the new editor might get some of the old editor's notes on different projects, but if they decide to do a 180, they do a 180 instead of heading straight.
     
  20. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    So let me clarify something: there's absolutely no mention of IFM's events in Cold Equations and Geordi is more or less where he was at the end of Paths of Disharmony?