Spoilers DSC: Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward Review Thread

[JD]

A novelization wouldn't make sense, but not because of anything to do with CBS All Access. It wouldn't make sense for the reasons I've already offered: The show is serialized so you'd have to novelize the whole thing, and that would be hard to do in a format that would allow adding anything substantial to make it worth doing,

This would be my biggest issue with doing a novelization, they would have to do some many episodes at one time that there wouldn't be enough room to actually add new content to it, and for me that's the main appeal of novelizations.
The prequels novels are pretty much giving us exactly what I'd want from a novelizations, a more in depth exploration of the characters and their backstories.

 

[tomswift2002]

A novelization wouldn't make sense, but not because of anything to do with CBS All Access. It wouldn't make sense for the reasons I've already offered: The show is serialized so you'd have to novelize the whole thing, and that would be hard to do in a format that would allow adding anything substantial to make it worth doing, and it's pretty redundant when the show will probably be out on DVD in a few months anyway. Novelizations are much less of a thing these days than they used to be, because they don't serve as much purpose anymore.

I’d disagree with you on adding anything. The last Trek novelization to really add anything was “Flashback”. The novelizations for First Contact, “Nemesis”, Enterprise and the Abrams movies were really barebones.

 

[Christopher]

I’d disagree with you on adding anything. The last Trek novelization to really add anything was “Flashback”. The novelizations for First Contact, “Nemesis”, Enterprise and the Abrams movies were really barebones.

I don't see how you're disagreeing -- if anything, you prove my point. Flashback was able to add a ton because it was a novel-length adaptation of a 1-hour episode, whereas the others you mentioned were of 2-hour episodes. As I already mentioned yesterday, your suggestion of adapting 4 episodes per book would require cutting a whole lot out, making them far more bare-bones than the 2-hour episode or movie novelizations.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Nowadays, what novelizations there are don’t typically get to delve too deeply beyond what’s in the script. For movies, the people in charge want such a book to stay in step with the film. And they’re generally written on such heinous schedules and with such ridiculous “secrecy” surrounding them that there really isn’t the time to flesh out things the way you would with a regular novel.

As for TV, I can’t even recall offhand the last new novelization I saw.

 

[The Wormhole]

The novelizations for First Contact, “Nemesis”, Enterprise and the Abrams movies were really barebones.

I remember the novelization for The Expanse/The Xindi expanded on stuff from the show, like details about the MACOs. Of course, it was all contradicted by the show with the episode Harbinger, but it was something.

As for TV, I can’t even recall offhand the last new novelization I saw.

I think the last TV show novelization I saw was Stargate Universe's pilot episode back in 2009.

 

[James Swallow]

Nowadays, what novelizations here are don’t typically get to delve too deeply beyond what’s in the script. For movies, the people in charge want such a book to stay in step with the film. And they’re generally written on such heinous schedules and with such ridiculous “secrecy” surrounding then that there really isn’t the time to flesh out things the way you would with a regular novel.

I've had exactly this experience...

I think the last TV show novelization I saw was Stargate Universe's pilot episode back in 2009.

Hey! I wrote that! And I did get to add a lot of new stuff on that particular project...but that's the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Enterprise1701]

What's DIS? I thought it was DSC.

"DSC" is the official abbreviation used by the show's production crew. But naturally, "DIS" is commonly used by fans as well.

 

[David Weller]

"DSC" is the official abbreviation used by the show's production crew. But naturally, "DIS" is commonly used by fans as well.

I would use DIS.

After all VOY is commonly used for Voyager.

 

[Dayton Ward]

The “official” Voyager abbreviation is “VGR.”

 

[trampledamage]

For the record, the official Trek Lit Forum opinion on series abbreviations (i.e. mine) is "I don't give a damn"

So long as it's recognisable by more than just you, whatever works

 

[Dayton Ward]

Except for Discovery, for which we use "Disco."

 

[David cgc]

I'm going to knuckle down and finish the last few chapters of Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation in the next couple days. I want to be able to meet Good Lorca the minute I can.

 

[Markonian]

For the record, the official Trek Lit Forum opinion on series abbreviations (i.e. mine) is "I don't give a damn"

So long as it's recognisable by more than just you, whatever works

So, could we change the thread title to DSC, to stay inline with the Desperate Hours threads, please? After all, we don’t alternate between VOY and VGR either.

 

[thribs]

Can’t wait to read this. I’ve always wanted to know more about Kodos and Kirk’s life on Tarsus IV, plus I’m a fan of reading some of the Enterprise’s early adventures, even if it’s just a brief cameo at the end.
The Lorca stuff should be good as well considering. Plus hearing more about this “bucket of bolts” ship the author has mentioned.

 

[thribs]

Except for Discovery, for which we use "Disco."

Problem is that just sounds like you’re talking about a Land Rover. That’s what owners of that call them.
Discovery is just a terrible name for the ship. Too on the nose.

 

[thribs]

All this talk about novelisations makes me want a more era specific novel of the STD pilot. I wasn’t a fan of those episodes and perhaps the novel would improve on it.

 

[GaryH]

My copy arrived here in Ireland today.

 

[Stevil2001]

BBC Books is releasing novelizations of four Doctor Who episodes this year: Rose, The Christmas Invasion, The Day of the Doctor, and Twice Upon a Time. The novels of Rose and Day of the Doctor will actually be written by the original screenwriter.

 

[David Weller]

Just had notification that my copy has been dispatched.

Hopefully will be with me in a couple of days.

 

[thribs]

You lucky devils. I won’t get mine until the 8th.