Spoilers Discovery and the Novelverse - TV show discussion thread

From a canon ?

 

This must be some sort of canon violation.

 

This balanced view of approaching the 5 year mission concept seems like a good middle ground. An overemphasis on every ship under every captain going out on an endless rotation of 5YM over and over again feels stifling. It feels very constricting if I try to apply that rule to Robert April and Christopher Pike's era, and I'm not keen on it applied to the post-TMP/pre-WoK era. I like the idea of those eras being more flexible and open ended. At the same time, having the 5YM of TOS be The Sacred and Revered 5YM that no other ship ever comes back from is too much in the other direction (maybe for some stories, like The Wounded Sky, where legends are being made in another universe). Clever idea to suggest the idea that 5 years is a maximum range that a ship and crew can push to achieve.

Regarding squaring away the limits of visuals in earlier decades compared to modern TV, I do like the ideas of dramatization of "real" event, or "historical fiction". I've played with the idea that the TOS movie-era sets are closer to authentic because the earlier production team couldn't depict starship interiors because of military security reasons, or what have you. The Wrath of Khan uniforms are actually the dress uniforms, the classic primary color uniforms are standard duty uniforms. I've also liked seeing what some authors have done with some of the really crazy stuff, like the gods of Olympus, or Methuselah, reconciling TOS style with the TNG/DS9/VOY. All good fun.

 

Also, we know that Sulu's first mission as Captain of the Excelsior was a three year mission. I don't have a problem with the fanon idea of 5YM being the default exploratory type mission for a Constitution class vessel, but I agree it's not a good idea to think that is the only type of exploratory mission Starfleet sends its ships on in the 23rd century.

 

Do we know of any other tie ins related to Discovery?

 

There will be prequel comics, and there are likely going to be more novels after the first one (by other authors than myself). I have to be circumspect with what I divulge, however, because I don't recall what details have been released yet. We can't even share the back-cover copy of my novel yet.

 

I'm guessing that - from what David has said, that it's not a novelisation of the pilot, and it doesn't take place during the series per se, but that it's a 'side-story' - it might be a story set on the Shenzhou itself, perhaps ending with a segue into the events of the pilot (Admiral dispatching the ship to the desert planet they seem to be on, or something like that).

 

^I thought it had already been announced it was a prequel.
@David Mack, do you have any idea when we'll get more details about the book? I'm assuming they're waiting until more info on the show's plot has been released.

 

Ah, so it's got a back cover !

Interesting...

 

Normally, I would just think of it as a safe assumption that the tie-ins around Discovery's premiere would track with those we've seen when other Star Trek series have started--but with the different delivery platform(s) and the many evolutions in social media since the premiere of Enterprise, who knows how things might be approached?

 

Hey, no spoilers!

 

Sorry.

Front cover ?

No, never mind....

 

The only time you really run into a problem is when one of a plot's main points is that something cannot be done with the current technological level/scientific knowledge. You have to make sure that you have a valid reason why it was done before (Discovery era) but can't be anymore (Kirk's 5YM). (Someone else's tech, too dangerous, actually done in a dream rather than reality, or an alternate present/future.)

 

I'm definitely interested in the backstories of the new Characters in the Discovery series. After watching the previews last week it looks really intriguing. I definitely want to get David Mack's novel. I hope someday Mr. Mack will write another Star Trek novel in the future.

 

I don't see why they wouldn't contract him again. His latest released Trek novel is a hit, after all.

 

I guess Reanok's comment is because @David Mack has stated that he isn't contracted for another novel at the moment (beside the two he has already finished (Titan, Discovery)).

But he has already stated that he would be open to more Trek after the work on his Dark Arts trilogy of original novels is done, so unless he prices himself out of the ST line's budget by landing a major hit with film contract etc. (actually I kind of hope for him that this happens to be honest), he should be back by 2019 or so.



For reference:

 

Yeah, I think that's what they said too, one can never be too sure though.

 

Thanks Defcon for posting the information about David Mack and his plans for his new books. His new alternate history fantasy novels sound really interesting.. When was interviewed by Literary treks he talked a lot about these fantasy books. The Titan book is one I'll definitely get later this year.

 

According to Amazon Desperate Hours is coming out on September 26th.
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Di...062&sr=8-1&keywords=star+trek+desperate+hours

 

That is the plan. If it changes … we'll let you know.