Questions for Bring Back Janeway Panel

[Gates]

Any word on if/when a recording from the panel will be available?

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

I have a question: Do you think Voyager and the rest of Treklit are moving too far from the series and films they're based on? Voyager is missing it's main character. In her place is someone new. While interesting for the most die-hard Treklit fans, do you really expect casual fans to buy novels bearing less and less resemblence to the shows they enjoyed?

[BillJ]

KingDaniel wrote:

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I have a question: Do you think Voyager and the rest of Treklit are moving too far from the series and films they're based on? Voyager is missing it's main character. In her place is someone new. While interesting for the most die-hard Treklit fans, do you really expect casual fans to buy novels bearing less and less resemblence to the shows they enjoyed?

Might be a little late... but I find this to be an excellent question.

[Guy Gardener]

I don't care if it's too late.

I have an excellent question?

How "old" is Janeway's Body going to be?

It could be a new body completely pulled out of gods ass, since her original body is rotting wormfood or been fired into a sun or demolecularized by a transporter, hells the only way to truly honour this woman is to put her into a torpedo and and fire it at the Delta Quadrant, lo it take two thousand years years to get there through real space.

Unless everyone assumed that she was coming back that they put her real body into stasis, no matter what they publicly did for ceremony with a corpse clone.

Maybe her actual body is reanimated without being rejuvenated or revivisized so that she's a half dead rotting Zombie copse that has to be medically maintained because bits keep trying to fall off?

How sad.

Or Kathy might come back "healthy" and exactly the same age she left, which would make her a few years younger comparatively since time didn't stand still for all her contemporaries who kept living during her death. 2 years? 3 years? Chakotay is suddenly older than she is. Which should surely make him less unacceptable as a lover?

People suggest that you live in heaven as a manifestation of what you deem to be your perfect ideal self, so in her mind how does Janeway see herself that she returns as the woman she lived as during her death that she is suddenly 35 or 25? Making her now perhaps physically the same age as Tom or B'Elanna.

Then of course Janeway could come back as a baby who maturates at a ridiculous speed which hopefully levels off before she's a crone and then dust, but Kathryn could stop at 16 years making her now a contemporary of Naomi and Icheb. Although what if the baby aged normally but still had her mind and personality of a 40 year old queen bitch, and baby Janeway insists that she won't let this handicap of being "newborn" stand in her way of Captaining a starship.

Resurrection can be quite tricky.

[teacake]

The money I would pay to hear Kirsten read out Guy's question at the panel.

Ah well.

[Nick M]

Gates wrote:

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Any word on if/when a recording from the panel will be available?

I recorded the panel and we are in the process of cleaning the audio and will be posting it sometime this week. I will post the address when we have it up.

[Kirsten Beyer]

Good evening, everybody.

The weekend is done and another Shoreleave has come and gone for me. The family is back at home, safe and sound, and we had a truly fantastic weekend, connecting with friends and meeting lots of new people.

Now that I have a little time, I wanted to post some thought I have about the Bring Back Janeway panel. Nick, who recorded the event, has already indicated that it will be up shortly and he’ll provide a link for any who are interested to hear the actual event. I’d like to thank him again for being there and making this happen for me. It was above and beyond the call and very much appreciated. I’d also like to thank Marco Palmieri for providing some valuable insight in to the publishing perspective on some of these issues, despite the fact that as he said, he is no longer in a position to speak for Pocket.

In some ways, the actual panel is kind of a blur to me. I had a few ideas going in about how it might go but it definitely took on a life of its own. It was a very interesting discussion for me. I heard from several people in the audience. No one seemed shy about sharing their feelings on the topic. It was a larger group than I’m used to seeing at an event like this and that was a little intimidating. All in all, it felt like the beginning of a conversation, but was frustratingly short to really cover all of the ground I would have liked to explore on the topic at hand.

I think, on balance, it’s far to say that most of the people present in the room, apart from a very nice lady who seemed to think we were there to discuss bringing Janeway back in the TV/Film universe of Star Trek, rather than the novels, (and seemed quite put out that I don't have that kind of power) have been pleased with the direction the new books have taken, though few were totally opposed to the idea of Janeway returning at some point. The consensus seemed to be that whatever serves a good story takes precedence over any individual character, though I know that feeling is not shared by many who took the time to send me questions for the panel.

I studied those questions very carefully before the event and knew going in that depending upon the level of audience participation, which was surprisingly high, there was no way I would be able to read all of them, let alone respond in a single hour. For my own purposes, I grouped the questions in several larger categories and tried to steer the conversation when I could toward those topics without necessarily reading the questions that had spawned them verbatim. There were a few times when I was able to read directly from the questions to continue the discussion. A few examples included…sexism in Trek and Trek fiction and whether or not the choice to kill Janeway is an example of sexism…the effect Janeway’s promotion to the position of Admiral had and would have had on her ongoing development in the stories…what bringing Janeway back would do to the character growth that has gone on in her absence…what the Q’s involvement might mean…and whether or not the novels in general are developing a darker direction or tendency to overlap that is unsatisfying.

I was able to report that it is quite likely, though not at this point a done deal, that I will be continuing the Voyager saga in another book. I stated at the beginning of the panel that the basic story for that novel has already been established and would not be revealed during the panel. This discussion was not meant to “take a vote” on whether or not Janeway would return. It was meant to explore more deeply the fact of her fate in the novels, some of the thinking of the creators of the stories as we went through the process, and to explore as many of the issues as we could that have developed since those creative choices were made.

It was my hope, though I’m still not sure at this point, that I could effectively communicate the idea that even when authors or editors disagree with the readers (or boycotters) of our work, we respect their opinions. The creative process is complex and while it is informed by the fans in us, it is not dictated by the general readership. It can’t be because that readership is so diverse. Every major decision is going to have its fair share of supporters and detractors. Both should know that their reactions are valid, but do not form the basis of creative decisions going forward.

I want to thank everyone here, and those who submitted their questions via email, for taking the time to share their thoughts. Many of the questions were excellent and forced me to think in new ways about the work at hand.

I think it only fair, out of respect to all of those who took the time to post questions, and the limitations of the event, that I take some time in the coming days and weeks to answer those questions more directly than I could at the panel. I hope the moderators here will be patient with me. I’d like to answer each question in an individual post. For those who sent questions via email, I’d like to post and answer them here and I hope that those in the Bring Back Janeway Community will give everyone a heads up to check in here from time to time as I get around to responding. I won’t lie to you. The bulk of my time right now needs to be spent working on the upcoming story and I feel like this may be opening up a larger discussion that will take too much time away from that. But I think it’s important to make the effort and hope you can all respect that I’ll do the best I can here to answer your questions as time permits.

Thanks again and best,
Kirsten Beyer

[Kestrel]

Just wanted to say: thanks Kirsten for all your dedication and willingness to engage the fans so much!

[Gates]

Nick M wrote:

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I recorded the panel and we are in the process of cleaning the audio and will be posting it sometime this week. I will post the address when we have it up.

Thank you, Nick!
And thank you, Kirsten!

[Kirsten Beyer]

teacake wrote:

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Trying to keep it brief, though not as brief as "when's she coming back", LOL!

This is what I would say if in the audience and given the microphone.

"Kirsten, a few questions.. Janeway was arguably the strongest female character in Star Trek. I know I am not alone in introducing my daughters to Voyager with an eye to presenting them with a positive female role model in what is a male dominated genre. Years later they have seen all the Star Trek series and they still revere and love Captain Janeway and credit her as a positive female role model. I would like to see this continue on in Star Trek fiction. I know there are other female characters in Treklit but because of her 7 years on television as the captain Janeway is the female role model celebre of Star Trek. I feel that her absence from Treklit is a loss on Treklit's part as far as female role models go and I'm wondering how you feel about this?"

I think the greater loss is that of a complex and dynamic character who is a pleasure to write. I don't believe that Janeway's death in the line of duty and in an attempt to save her crew another trip to the Delta Quadrant in any way diminishes her status as a strong female role model. Janeway's death does not erase her life. Who she was and what she did still stands for people to admire.

And, though Seven, B'Elanna, and now Eden, Farkas, Sal, Glenn, Conlon and Gwynn may not have captured the same status in the imaginations of Voyager fans, they are incredibly strong women struggling daily with issues that sometimes result from and sometimes transcend their gender. I believe that to limit a character's ability to inspire others to the number of pips on their collar, or the fact that they were the first televised example of a strong female captain diminishes the potential of all Trek storytelling to a much greater extent than portraying Janeway's death ever could.

teacake wrote:

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"Many fans seem very excited by the multiple possibilities her eventual return could bring to Treklit and the characters. Do you see her return as opening doors as far as the characters stories go?"

Absolutely. Every choice presents us with new and different opportunities. But before we settle finally upon any of them, we look at how that choice affects the big picture and future storytelling opportunities beyond any single story.

KB

[Kirsten Beyer]

JanewayRulz! wrote:

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Wrestling the microphone away from the lady down-under... (Gee, that sounds kinkier than I planned )

Along those same lines, Ms Beyer, do you find it strange that the way "Before Dishonor" ended, we even have to have this panel?

Admiral Janeway dies "before dishonor", but is "rescued" by the omnipotent force that's monitored her since the beginning. A force that is in some ways beholding to her for Janeway's positive interactions with Q junior during his rebellious "teen" years. That final scene between Miss Q and Admiral Janeway suggested some day, somewhere, Karthryn would be returned to us; and yet here we are, four years later still debating whether she will return.

I grant you, four years seems like a long time in our lives, but in the creation of a few novels, it's a blink. The involvement of Q in the events of Before Dishonor certainly leaves one of many doors open for continued exploration of Janeway's character. What you seem to be implying is that it is unacceptable that a story of what occured beyond Before Dishonor has not been written in the 2 1/2 novels that have been created since BD that do not already feature Janeway as a living character. You would like to have seen that issue addressed immediately. That would certainly have been one valid choice. But I also believe it is a valid choice to leave it be until such time, if ever, that the bigger picture for Voyager demands it be told.

The purpose of the panel was not to debate the issue of whether or not Janeway should return. It was to exchange feelings and thoughts on both sides of an issue that has been incredibly difficult for a number of readers. Given all that has been said on the topic in the last few years, no, I don't think it strange to suggest that such a panel discussion would be an appropriate forum in which to delve more deeply into the issue. Had the creative suggestion you seem to favor have been pursued...had Janeway returned in Full Circle, for example, we might, instead, have created a panel to discuss why major characters in the Star Trek Universe die, but never seem to stay dead for long, and whether or not we are missing something in the possibility of exploring the impact of major character death on those they leave behind.

KB

[JanewayRulz!]

^^Thanks for answering my question, and for answering a question I didn't realize I posed; that there is no "arc" in the publisher's mentality when handing out a new writing assignment (i.e. "The Death of Janeway".)


In the interest of giving you time to respond to everyone who posted above, let me just say thank-you for letting us vent, both the pro & anti "Janeway Returns" fans.

[Kirsten Beyer]

BillJ wrote:

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These are about the Voyager relaunch and Janeway...

1. Do you have a definite story-arc in mind for Afsarah Eden and will the character be "moved on" like Admiral Batiste at the end of the arc? I haven't finished Children of the Storm yet.

Yes, I already know all of Eden's backstory, and a few pieces of it are contained in Children of the Storm. But do you honestly think I can share any of that with you right now?

BillJ wrote:

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2. If alive, was there a way to naturally integrate Janeway into the Voyager relaunch at the start?

Sure. Had Before Dishonor never happened, and the choice to pursue Janeway's death never been made, she would obviously have been a large part of the continuing stories. She would likely have led the fleet back to the DQ, but I honestly haven't given that particular road not traveled too much thought, so I can't say exactly how it would all have worked.

BillJ wrote:

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3. Do you think think the stories would have evolved the same way with Janeway at the center of the Voyager relaunch?

Some of them...I'm thinking mainly about Tom, B'Elanna, Seven, Harry and the Doctor here. The biggest difference would have involved Chakotay, and that would really have been the challenge. He was made Captain of Voyager in Golden's novels but there was serious work that needed to be done to deepen and strengthen his character. The death of the woman he loved and planned to spend the rest of his life with gave us unprecedented opportunties to go deeper with him than ever before. In the absense of that catalyst, I would have had to find another way to achieve similar results.

BillJ wrote:

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4. Do you think having Janeway at the center would've changed the work you've done to rehabilitate the background characters from the TV series?

Yes and no. All of the characters needes some serious obstacles placed in their paths to overcome. It is in rising to face new challenges that character is revealed, both in life and in stories. But Janeway's presence is not in and of itself an obstacle. If Janeway is there, the content changes, but if I'd done my job right, not the quality in terms of deep and meaningful exploration of all of the characters, which was always the goal.

BillJ wrote:

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5. If brought back, do you see a way to organically integrate Janeway into the current relaunch storyline?

Absolutely. The issue has never been can she return, but should she. Were she to return, integrating her organically without sacrificing some of the newer, more complicated dynamics between everyone else would be the task at hand.

BillJ wrote:

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Thanks again for breathing new life into a dead series. While I'm opposed to the concept, I would at least sample any book that brings back Janeway that has your name on the cover. Time to settle into my chair and read some more Children of the Storm.

Well, for me it was never dead. (Maybe mostly dead.) I kid...I kid...but thanks for the vote of confidence in any case.

KB

[Kirsten Beyer]

JanewayRulz! wrote:

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^^Thanks for answering my question, and for answering a question I didn't realize I posed; that there is no "arc" in the publisher's mentality when handing out a new writing assignment (i.e. "The Death of Janeway".)

Honestly, sometimes there is and sometimes there isn't. It's very much a case by case basis. Janeway's death was established by one editor, Martha Clark, and the task of fleshing out the arc beyond that was then given to Marco Palmieri and myself.

KB

[Kirsten Beyer]

froot wrote:

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*shoots blow darts tipped with sedative into everyone; picks microphone up off floor*

My question would be:

Could there possibly be a way for Janeway to be brought back without undoing some of the angst and growth the other characters have gone through? A lot of people have brought that up as a sticking point, and, I have to admit, even as someone who would love to have her back in the relaunch novels, it's something that worries me as well.

Thanks!

There's nothing to worry about in that regard. Janeway's return would not of necessity alter the events in the lives of the characters that have already been portrayed. It's just new information that has to be integrated. It's not like her return would suddenly make everyone's life really simple. And if it did, well that would be a pretty boring story, wouldn't it? Her death was a major complication. Her return would be equally major. Such complications are fertile ground for stories.

KB