Novelisations of the movies...

[tomswift2002]

I read the TMP novelizations in the 90's. it was alright and it helped tie the movie together better.

Star Trek V's novelization really does an outstanding job on again telling the movie's story.

Generations, First Contact, Insurrection--- I've read John Vornholt's versions all the way through. There's not a lot of expansion on the story, as these were novelizations for kids and were aimed at the same kids who were reading the TNG/Voyager Starfleet Academy (such as myself, and aside from Generations, I actually read Vornholt's First Contact and Insurrection before I saw the movies). Generations also included a photo from both the skydiving and Dr. Crusher checks Data scenes and both scenes are in the novel (just like they are in the adult novels by Dillard)

First Contact --- I read it in college and found that it was a good action/adventure, but clearly Dillard didn't have as much freedom as she did on Trek V.

Nemesis --- same as First Contact, although I read it when the movie came out. Again Dillard didn't add as much background as she did in V.

Trek'09 --- pretty good, but again. It a lot of expansion.

 

[DonIago]

Nice thing about the GEN novel, if you got an earlier copy at least, was...for better or worse, you got the original version of Kirk's death as well.

But yes, 2-4 are the best novelizations, in my experience.

 

[Therin of Andor]

What authority did Arnold have a year before TNG? Roddenberry had no authority on TVH, so why would Arnold?

The Star Trek Office (ie. Roddenberry) always had a power of veto over the content of the licensed tie-ins. Susan Sackett was his official scrutineer for the Bantam novels, but with the movies, she was too busy. Richard Arnold was volunteering as a Paramount tour guide throughout the 70s and 80s and was an unofficial archivist for the Office, and GR's helper at conventions. With the money that flowed in from ST IV, and with TNG getting a greenlight to move into pre-production, the job of overseeing the tie-ins fell into Richard's lap. He would read them and make notes, and so would the head of Paramount Licensing, later becoming Viacom (then CBS Consumer Products - usually Paula Block).

With TNG, RA was officially employed as "Star Trek Archivist" on the payroll. RA's first manuscript to oversee was the ST IV novelization. (It seems by the blurb notes that Gene R. himself had read "Enterprise: The First Adventure".) By the hiatus after Season One of TNG, RA was vetting the comic manuscripts, too, hence the STO memo that eliminated Arex. M'Ress, Konom, Bryce and Bearclaw from DC's comics, and the often-bizarre battles he fought with Peter David (see David's book, "But I Digress...").

Nice thing about the GEN novel, if you got an earlier copy at least, was...for better or worse, you got the original version of Kirk's death as well.

The hardcover has the scene as originally filmed, but unused. The paperback reprint has the scene that made it to the screen.

In the TWoK novelization, I also recall several halfhearted stabs at continuity from TMP - an offhand mention of a crew member being a Deltan, that sort of thing. Wasn't worth the minimal effort to have done so.

Vonda was following the script. Genesis scientist Jedda (John Vargas), later killed by the eel-affected Terrell, was scripted as Deltan. A line in the script specifies that Jedda deliver a line with "Deltan cool". Because Nick Meyer was distancing ST II from TMP, there was no need to force Vargas to shave his head for the role. By ST IV, Vonda explains Jedda's hair in ST II by having another male Deltan with long rose-coloured hair. Suddenly, only female Deltans are bald.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Holy crap, I didn't know that even existed. So now we know Shatner didn't throw the line.

So contrary to a bitter cast member's claims, Shatner did not throw or screw up the line.

It's my understanding that Shatner pulled a face, helping to make the superfluous scene even more unusable. (Several female guests on TOS used to say the same. By going cross-eyed in love scenes, he could manipulate which take was usable.)

 

[DonIago]

^I don't think I'm the one who said that, FWIW.

 

[Tallguy]

It's my understanding that Shatner pulled a face, helping to make the superfluous scene even more unusable. (Several female guests on TOS used to say the same. By going cross-eyed in love scenes, he could manipulate which take was usable.)

While I'm sure that's true (if not here then elsewhere), just going by the audio Takei's delivery here isn't good. It's also a terrible line.

OTOH, it's no worse that "SURELY NOT!" from TUC.

 

[Tenacity]

Suddenly, only female Deltans are bald.

Nothing in onscreen canon says that Deltans (male of female) are naturally bald. Ilia's baldness could have been simply a fashion choice on her part. We've seen people sporting different hair styles through the years.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Nothing in onscreen canon says that Deltans (male of female) are naturally bald.

Obviously, if you're into canon being "live-action, onscreen" only. But all the production notes for TMP that mentioned Deltan baldness (except for eyelashes and eyebrows) described it as being a trait. The pheromones were mentioned onscreen either, but they were an important part of the novelization, as a further indication as to how accurate the Ilia Probe was.

And yes, fans wrote to Vonda McIntyre, fanzines and electronic bulletin boards complaining about her "making Jedda a Deltan" in her novelization of ST II when he wasn't even bald onscreen. My point is, it was scripted that he was Deltan, and previous production notes stated that Deltans were bald.

I don't think I'm the one who said that, FWIW.

Ooops sorry. I must have truncated the wrong bit. Fixed.

While I'm sure that's true (if not here then elsewhere), just going by the audio Takei's delivery here isn't good.

But the audio can be edited and easily looped (and was). The actual footage of the performance not so.

 

[Green]

Shatner did not make a face during that scene.

 

[gottacook]

Vonda was following the script. Genesis scientist Jedda (John Vargas), later killed by the eel-affected Terrell, was scripted as Deltan. A line in the script specifies that Jedda deliver a line with "Deltan cool". Because Nick Meyer was distancing ST II from TMP, there was no need to force Vargas to shave his head for the role. By ST IV, Vonda explains Jedda's hair in ST II by having another male Deltan with long rose-coloured hair. Suddenly, only female Deltans are bald.

...Oh.

 

[Sybok Was Wrong]

I'm reading THE WRATH OF KHAN novelization right now-

I have to say: Vonda N. McIntyre put her OWN characters from "THE ENTROPY EFFECT" into TWOK, in a conversation between Kirk & Sulu! Say What !?!?

I assume the scene is the lamented moment where Sulu is now a Captain. Kirk and Sulu discuss it. This must be the scene George Takei accuses William Shatner of deliberately having cut.

Anyhow, Kirk mentions "Hunter" giving Sulu a recommendation for Captaincy, and Kirk further mentions Sulu's girlfriend "Flynn" getting a Captaincy of her own!

Maybe this was Pocket Books wanting to put a legitimate stamp on their new line of novels. Maybe this was an author thinking she was being cute. Maybe this was an author full of herself and being arrogant and delusional- putting her non canon paperback creations into a Movie Novelization!

That would never happen today. Astonishing.

 

[Therin of Andor]

That would never happen today. Astonishing.

Even today, authors of novelizations often add whole new characters, perspectives and scenes, simply because novelizing only what's in the scripted pages makes for a very thin book.

"The Entropy Effect" was hugely successful. Vonda got the job novelizing ST II (and III and IV) on the strength of TEE's popularity. If she had to add characters, why not her own original characters? (Pocket was very happy and let her do even more in ST III.)

It worked for Larry Niven on TAS (the kzin and the Slavers). It worked for Alan Dean Foster, who added a double-episode original Klingon script he wrote for a potential fourth season of TOS to pad out one 22-minute episode of TAS (in "Star Trek Log Seven") to novel length. It worked for James Blish (putting the Vegan Tyranny in the TOS novelizations). It worked for David Gerrold, adding a never-aired family to the lower deck scenes of his novelization of "Encounter at Farpoint".

And yes, the Sulu promotion to captain of Excelsior was scripted.

If you feel Vonda was being "cute" with ST II, just wait till you see how much she adds to ST III. The first third of that book is original material. And was very well received at the time.

 

[DonIago]

I still think some of the finest material of TSFS never appears on screen. :/

 

[Tallguy]

IIRC VM made reference to her books at least once in all three of her novelizations. I don't remember the one in STIII (other than referencing a lot of her own material from STII) but in IV she clarifies Sulu's history of growing up in space (per The Entropy Effect) vs. being born in San Fransisco. She also references Kirk's first command from Enterprise: The First Adventure and the blonde Vulcan from the same novel.

...Maybe this was an author full of herself and being arrogant and delusional- putting her non canon paperback creations into a Movie Novelization!

That would never happen today. Astonishing.

You know what? Back then it was ALLLLLL "canon", When you had 78 episodes, an animated series, a movie or three, and a handful of novels, you weren't so picky.

 

[2takesfrakes]

The only STAR TREK movie novelisation that's ever interested me enough to own it is TMP, as it was scribed by The Great Bird of the Galaxy, himself ... and his style's all up in it. A great read, unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced my copy of it, somehow, during my recent move to California. But that's alright ... as the blown up Enterprise in TSFS reminds: Things can be replaced!

 

[Therin of Andor]

IIRC VM made reference to her books at least once in all three of her novelizations. I don't remember the one in STIII (other than referencing a lot of her own material from STII)

Farrendahl, another member of Vonda's felinoid race (from TEE and ST II), was added as one of the crew of Valkris's doomed spy ship in ST III. Mandala Flynn is namedropped. Vonda also answered the big question of "Where was Amanda during Spock's Fal Tor Pan?"

The only STAR TREK movie novelisation that's ever interested me enough to own it is TMP, as it was scribed by The Great Bird of the Galaxy, himself ... and his style's all up in it. A great read, unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced my copy of it, somehow, during my recent move to California.

Hunt down the Futura UK or Australasian edition. We got a great photo insert section of colourplates, plus a bit of additional text explanation about Vice Admiral Lori Ciana during the transporter accident scene!

 

[DonIago]

I remember finding the bits with Farrendahl somewhat interesting and being disappointed that the character never showed up in the film. I imagine it (he? it's been awhile...) doesn't really show up anywhere else either.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Hunt down the Futura UK or Australasian edition. We got a great photo insert section of colourplates, plus a bit of additional text explanation about Vice Admiral Lori Ciana during the transporter accident scene!

This is a very excellent suggestion and I will be investing this, presently! Thank you, so much ...

 

[F. King Daniel]

Just had a random novelization flashback and wanted to share. In the YA adaptation of First Contact, the Borg Queen had long black hair! IIRC the book came with some colour photos in the middle, showing she was bald.

 

[DonIago]

Is female baldness a subject not suitable for young adults?