There is an excellent collection of anthologies among the Trek novels, as we all know: Tales from the Captain's Table, Tales of the Dominion War, the anniversary anthologies for all of the series. I was thinking earlier today how excellent a "Tales from the Borg Invasion" anthology would be. Despite the excellent work done by all of the post "A Time To..." authors in threading together the narrative of the Borg assault and eventual absorption by the Caeliar, there are still a lot of our favorite characters whose roles and experiences during the invasion are either incomplete or unknown, and it would be fun to hear some more about them. We know what the Titan and Aventine crews were doing, we know what Sisko and Vaughn were doing, we know where Voyager was. We know what the Enterprise was doing, and even know some of the fates of less central characters, such as the tragic death of Owen Paris and the deaths of Charivretha zh'Thane, former counselor T'Lana, and Captain George Sanders of the Malinche (By the way, a billion kudos to Keith R.A. DeCandido for all of the closure in ASD, from Sanders and Tezwa, to the single line of text that finally killed off Thomas Chafin, because man was that guy just a jerk. Glad Myers and Boyajian are still safe though, presumably?). However, there is a lot of stuff to work with that would make for a great TDW-type anthology. How exactly DID the SCE team on the da Vinci make Troyius disappear? What was happening on DS9 during the assault? Did Ishka and Zek make it off of Risa before the planet was destroyed? Where was Admiral McCoy? Perhaps stuck with a broken ship along with Scotty again? What was the retired Admiral Ross up to? Obviously, there are too many characters we know and love, both from on-screen and from the novels, to ever answer all of these questions, even in an anthology. And just as obviously, I know that this will probably never happen, certainly not based on my personal suggestion. (If getting the authors together is the biggest hurdle, can we just have Christopher L. Bennett and David Mack write everything? I could totally live with that. Authors don't need to sleep or eat, right?). I'd love to read about the battles the IKS Gorkon fought against the Borg, or read about whatever Lwaxana Troi did during the invasion. (I assume she simply glared at several Borg cubes until they sheepishly set course away from Betazed and deliberately flew themselves into a star.) Anyways, that's my two cents on this subject. I'd like to add again for the record that the quality and enjoyment factor of Trek novels in the last decade and a half has been phenomenal. David Mack in particular has yet to write anything that I haven't absolutely loved and reread a hundred times, even if I did have to chastise him on ST.com several years ago about Zero Sum Game. Which brings me to my comments for you, David Mack, and for CLB. This may sound ridiculous...but I am not a happy person. I have spent the bulk of the last several years in and out of the hospital for various psychiatric issues and suicide attempts. I don't say this to elicit sympathy or get attention, I just never before realized that either of you posted regularly on this website (or any fan site) because I only recently joined. So I now have the opportunity to thank you both personally for your novels. So many times over the last few years, I have read and reread your novels as a way of relaxing myself. On the bus to work, on the bus home, on my break at work, at home...whenever I am in a place where I don't want to be alone with my own thoughts, I reread the books that I carry everywhere in my backpack, and I never fail to enjoy them despite knowing them almost by heart. For almost a year now, I have gone almost nowhere without my copies of Persistence of Memory, Silent Weapons, Watching the Clock, and Forgotten History, and, since they were released, David George's Plagues of Night and Raise the Dawn. Many times, especially recently, I have staved off panic attacks and bouts of self-harm by opening up one of David Mack or CLB's books and losing myself in them. I know that all of this sounds crazy, but quite literally the only thing in my life that I enjoy is Star Trek novels, and the only time I am happy is when I read the ones I love. So thank you, DM and CLB, for spending your time and your effort on writing for Star Trek fans. I truly don't know what I would do without all of you, from Peter David and David George, to James Swallow and Kieth DeCandido. Oh, and Una McCormick. And Kirsten Beyer. And Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. And...well, you get the point.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL Wow. You're very welcome. Glad our work has had meaning for you beyond mere entertainment. It's always gratifying to be reminded of that from time to time.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL There is something I've been meaning to ask about The Fall series. Is Ishan Anjar (the real one, I mean, not the impostor) meant to be related to Ishan Chaye, one of the three Bajorans executed in "Things Past"? Or is the family name a coincidence, perhaps just a common name among Bajorans?
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL Oh man, I don't mean to be annoying, but I never thought I'd actually have a chance to ask you any of these questions for real, this is so cool. So, feel free to ignore me, but there are couple things that I have wondered for a while. Did you and David R. George III ask Keith DeCandido for permission to kill off Esperanza Piniero or Nanietta Bacco? I mean, I know that once they're published it becomes Paramount's decision, but did you ask him nicely if he minded you strangling his character to death in a seedy Orion basement? Are we ever going to read about what happened to Cervantes Quinn...er, I mean, Mr. Sanza, after Storming Heaven? I'm so excited! Holy crap.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL No relation was intended between Ishan Anjar and Ishan Chaye. The matching family name was a coincidence. We didn't need to ask Keith for permission, but we did give him a polite heads-up, as a professional courtesy, once the story was set in motion after a conference with the editor. It would be my preference never to revisit the story of Cervantes Quinn. He, like so many other people whose lives were affected by Operation Vanguard, has slipped away into the dustbin of history, unsung for his sacrifices and excused of his errors.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL I love PicardAnyCard's suggestion of a "Tales of Destiny" anthology, and I would line up to buy it!
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL I've been saying for years that I would love a Tales of Destiny anthology. I doubt we'll ever see but I for one would buy a copy.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL Wow, that's amazing to hear. And not ridiculous at all. I have personal and family history with depression, so I understand what you're dealing with, and I'm very pleased that I've been able to help give you something positive to focus on. I've always tried to write in the optimistic spirit of Star Trek, even in my original work -- to stress that, even in the darkest times, there is reason for hope, and that things can get better if we don't give up, if we keep working and striving to make them better. To know that that message is reaching people, and helping them, is the fulfillment of my most important goal as a writer. (Although a Hugo nomination, a movie deal, and some big royalty checks wouldn't hurt either... )
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL You know something, PicardAnyCard - your idea of a "Tales from the Borg Invasion" anthology is friggin' brilliant! There are so many small stories that could be told - probably enough for a couple of issues. I'd line up to buy it.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL Glad to know I'm not the only one who has thought about it! But seriously, how did they make Troyius disappear!?
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL ^ Some mysteries are never meant to be solved.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL It's not something new either, it's been suggested a few times, including from myself a few years ago.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL I would be up for the Destiny anthology too.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL "Ishan" could be the Bajoran counterpart to "Jones" or "Smith". Me, I'd love to see a WW III anthology, if we can't get a major miniseries about the war itself we might as well get a collection of stories about it!
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL The mystery is revealed in a VOY novel, The Eternal Tide IIRC. Nancy explains it to Harry. She was still aboard the da Vinci back then. It was tragic however.
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL I forgot about that. Do you remember the pages that this conversation takes place on?
Re: Suggestion for an anthology? Also, comments for David Mack and CL It's on pp. 269-70, but it doesn't actually explain how Troyius was "disappeared," just what happened as a result.