Spoilers Star Trek: Prey Trilogy - general discussion thread

[JJMiller]

Thanks for the heads-up that this was posted -- I was traveling and didn't know the cover had been released.

First, yes, it's definitely NOT a time-travel story, so we're seeing a montage there. And you beat me to the tweet: yes, all three STAR TREK: PREY covers are by Doug Drexler.

And while I don't yet want to reveal some of the characters from TV, film, and lit who get major roles, I can say that list DOES include someone from each of the 24th-century series. It's a big story: I wrote it as if it were a long TV arc, spanning maybe half a season (or, in the modern era when streaming tends to result in short seasons, a full season).

 

[Markonian]

Thanks! I thought it might be Drexler but I didn't recognise his style to be sure.

 

[JJMiller]

And the official Star Trek site has released the cover for STAR TREK: PREY Book 2: THE JACKAL'S TRICK. Also by Doug Drexler. Book 3's cover cannot be far behind!

http://www.startrek.com/article/the-prey-saga-to-continue-with-the-jackals-prey

Repeating the spoiler warnings: the publicity copy for Book 2 was vetted by me and should be generally safe, but if you wish to avoid knowing anything about the directions books two and three take beforehand, consider a light spoiler warning attached.

[NOTE: I spotted an error in the last paragraph which they added later: it should read that it spans from Star Trek III through the Next Generation. I'll see about getting that fixed (as well as the name in the headline). The books are also actually 400 pages, but 352 seems to be the boilerplate number that's on the Pocket site.]

 

[The Wormhole]

So, Klingons have a devil after all?

 

[JJMiller]

They have this charming gentleman who sometimes stands in for that role, Fek'lhr:

The devil imagery Doug chose does have a connection to the events of the book, but... spoilers!

 

[Christopher]

...Martok makes a deal with Mephisto to erase his marriage to Sirella?

 

[The Wormhole]

They have this charming gentleman who sometimes stands in for that role, Fek'lhr:

I was going to make a reference to Fek'lhr but couldn't remember how to spell it. And I was too lazy to look it up.

 

[Enterprise1701]

Hey JJMiller, I don't know if this applies to the Historian's Notes in Prey or not, but please remember that Star Trek Nemesis takes place in November 2379, close to the end of the year. As a detail-oriented person, I find it irksome when the Shinzon incident is referenced as though it were early on in 2379 with a whole year yet to pass.

I was going to make a reference to Fek'lhr but couldn't remember how to spell it. And I was too lazy to look it up.

Even after all the time I have known of Fek'lhr, I am often confused as to whether it is a lowercase "l" or capital "i" in the name. Danged Times New Roman font.

 

[JJMiller]

I'm aware of the date issue -- and just saw it on a proofreading pass. I think the practice is not to pinpoint months when it would result in a round number that does not equal the current year minus the earlier one, so the year is the "significant digit" we're carrying to: 2386-2379=7. I agree that the correct term is more like, say, "six years and four months", but if they're not going to mention the months than they don't want to say six years and have people thinking that Shinzon was 2380 by mistake. But I can always ask.

I've worked with a variety of franchises where the practices differed. Star Wars was a bear because many of the dates were negative ones -- Before the Battle of Yavin -- and we tended to avoid referring to months at all, but then there were things like birthdays and you wondered where they went. My own Overdraft story universe is rigidly timed to the day, but that's because distances in my interstellar travel system imposed very specific and unchanging travel times.

Trek seems to inhabit a bit more of a middle ground in that the Chronology book was by the year, but then later on the literature started adding more specific dates. So there's a mix (and I certainly found this) of things we know months for, and other things we only know years for.

 

[JJMiller]

PREY in particular has fairly complicated Historian's Notes because not only are there multiple timeframes to refer to, but we are also doing a bit of summary in the later books -- as was the practice in some of THE FALL's notes. So I'm sure they're balancing how much detail they're looking to bring in. (That said, in the body copy, I tend to go into as much detail as is necessary to make the statement correct -- at least so far as the POV character is aware or wants to be specific. Someone like Data would know exactly how long ago something was, but a mere mortal might only think "six or seven years ago.")

 

[Enterprise1701]

What you have to say is interesting, JJMiller.

What came to my mind, though, was how TNG - Armageddon's Arrow itself said it was set in January 2386 but was "approximately seven years after" the Shinzon incident. That's plain wrong; just changing it to "approximately six years" would right it.

 

[JJMiller]

My guess is that the idea is that "approximately" absolves it from mathematical certainty: it could be six years, it could be eight. (I also wonder if there's any tension between wanting to stamp specific months on screen events or not.) But I can only speak based on my limited involvement. I'll look into it.

Even after all the time I have known of Fek'lhr, I am often confused as to whether it is a lowercase "l" or capital "i" in the name. Danged Times New Roman font.

Heh! This was me and many Klingon words. Okrand's books use serifs, thankfully, but if I ever saw a word online or in e-mail, I would have to run the I's through another font.

 

[JD]

The Jackal's Trick cover is awesome, and appropriate for the Oct. book.

 

[Christopher]

Even after all the time I have known of Fek'lhr, I am often confused as to whether it is a lowercase "l" or capital "i" in the name. Danged Times New Roman font.

It's a lowercase "L." The name is pronounced "feck-lar."

 

[Jinn]

It's a lowercase "L." The name is pronounced "feck-lar."

Wait, really? My whole life was a lie!

 

[Csalem]

That cover made me think for a moment it might be a Doctor Who/Star Trek cross-over.

 

[Christopher]

That cover made me think for a moment it might be a Doctor Who/Star Trek cross-over.

"Mr. Worf, chap with wings, five rounds rapid."

Or maybe a sequel to the Invasion! miniseries?

 

[Csalem]

Just getting this in first before everyone else:

Excuse me. Why does the Devil need a starship?

 

[The Wormhole]

That cover made me think for a moment it might be a Doctor Who/Star Trek cross-over.

The devil with an army of enslaved Ood and Exocomps?

Shit, that's a story idea, isn't it?

 

[DS9forever]

Is this Buxtus Cross?