Coming July 2013: STAR TREK ENTERPRISE — RISE OF THE FEDERATION

[rfmcdpei]

Hando wrote:

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Yes both the United Earth Foreign ministry and the Starfleet Intelligence were not doing their job yet. Perhaps this is why Section 31 had to go into the high gear in the 2150s.

They were doing their job. The two big existential challenges faced by Earth in that decade came from the Xindi and the Romulans, two species that were not only unknown to the humans but were also mostly unknown to the galactic neighbourhood. (The Vulcans kept knowledge of the Romulans very limited within their own civilization.) They can't be blamed for not knowing that two unknown out-of-area civilizations had it in for Earth.

(It's also not evident that Section 31's meanderings were actually that useful. Wouldn't Trip's original mission have seen him providing support to a Romulan faction that would have been even more anti-Earth than the incumbents?)

As to the peaceful nature of humans. We know that it took till 2130s that United Earth was formed, by the 2070s the people were still barbaric. So I don't see humans defending themselves against 4 fleets (= 4 "wars") in the very early decades of the 22nd century that implausible, after all it would be several generations before the unification is done and humans become such as we see them.

Earth was a Vulcan protectorate during this time period. It's implausible that the Vulcans would have let the Kzin, or any aliens, go after their protectorate. Also, given the nature of the Vulcans' technological lead over the galactic neighbourhood at the time, it's implausible to me that the Kzin would have been more than a nuisance.

[Relayer1]

I think we will (more than with the other novel series) need a full visual guide. Pretty much everything is going to be different. Uniforms, hairstyles, ships, interiors, the works. Sketches of uniforms and character designs are only part of it...pretty much every other Trek period has a TV show or movie as a point of reference.

I'm all for using your imagination, but in a shared universe like this we should all be imagining something consistent !

[Christopher]

We have seen two glimpses of possible looks for the ENT cast in the early 2160s: "Twilight" and "These Are the Voyages." Although one was an alternate timeline and the other was an apparently very inaccurate holosimulation.

[Middleman]

Christopher wrote:

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We have seen two glimpses of possible looks for the ENT cast in the early 2160s: "Twilight" and "These Are the Voyages." Although one was an alternate timeline and the other was an apparently very inaccurate holosimulation.

[Sho]

Twilight - the only Enterprise episode up to the standards of TNG/DS9s peak days ...

[Christopher]

Sho wrote:

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Twilight - the only Enterprise episode up to the standards of TNG/DS9s peak days ...

I think there were more than one that came close. And some that did a good job of capturing a TOS flavor ("Observer Effect" in particular stands out there).

[BillJ]

Sho wrote:

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Twilight - the only Enterprise episode up to the standards of TNG/DS9s peak days ...

I think there were a shitload of episodes better than Twilight.

[Sho]

I agree that Enterprise was good fun plenty of times, and I was actually quite impressed by the ambitious season 3 arc. But I don't know, the only time I really felt those people, sat up straight and had a pang in my heart for what they faced and and what they felt for each other, that was during Twilight. A great hour of television, that one.

[BillJ]

Sho wrote:

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I agree that Enterprise was good fun plenty of times, and I was actually quite impressed by the ambitious season 3 arc. But I don't know, the only time I really felt those people, sat up straight and had a pang in my heart for what they faced and and what they felt for each other, that was during Twilight. A great hour of television, that one.

Honestly, and this isn't meant to demean your view in any way, I found Twilight dull and contrived. One of the least entertaining episodes of the series. An episode that really didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things with the massive reset button being pushed at the end.

[Sho]

^ That's totally OK, and I can even see where you're coming from. It's probably also a question of mood-in-life at the time of viewing, etc. I agree that the script wasn't terribly original for example, but I guess in concert with the actors' performances it just hit me in the right way and moved me.

There's a bunch of other moments like that in Trek, some of which have the added benefit of being also intellectually pretty stimulating. Picard in Chain of Command, Garak interrogating Odo ... powerful stuff.

[Therin of Andor]

Hando wrote:

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why are you creating a new uniform...?

Uniforms are symbolic. New era, new uniform! And novels don't have to worry about a wardrobe budget!

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

For whatever it's worth, I've always had a fondness for FASA's idea of a post-Romulan War uniform (from 1986):

[King Daniel Into Darkness]

Hando wrote:

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Can you tell me where you are getting this? According to Picard in the Captain's Honor, there was one war in the past and he feared starting a second.

I'm probably misremembering.

[Captain59]

Wow...I can't believe I just found out about this, but...WHOO HOO!!! I'm so looking forward to this. I can't wait to pre-order! I was worried Enterprise novels were dead. Full speed ahead!

[KimM]

Also glad to hear this news. CB, I'm glad the franchise will be in good hands.