• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Which character do you think the relaunch novels rehabilitated the most?

Yes, I'm just reading the Voyager relaunch novels (Eternal Tide, at the moment), and as Chakotay finally has a meaning.
Especially in the second half of the TV series, Chakotay became more and more meaningless. There never was such an uninteresting first officer on any Star Trek series. The novels finally found a way, to use him.

But my favorite characters are Chekov and especially Sulu. On TV, they never where more than some small background characters with a few lines. In the novels, they were almost equal main characters. I really would have liked more Sulu/Excelsior-stories.
 
But my favorite characters are Chekov and especially Sulu. On TV, they never where more than some small background characters with a few lines.

On live-action TV, yes. But Sulu and Uhura were more equal members of the ensemble in The Animated Series.
 
Yes, I'm just reading the Voyager relaunch novels (Eternal Tide, at the moment), and as Chakotay finally has a meaning.
Especially in the second half of the TV series, Chakotay became more and more meaningless. There never was such an uninteresting first officer on any Star Trek series. The novels finally found a way, to use him.

But my favorite characters are Chekov and especially Sulu. On TV, they never where more than some small background characters with a few lines. In the novels, they were almost equal main characters. I really would have liked more Sulu/Excelsior-stories.

Do you know Excelsior - Forged in Fire. It's really good. Unfortunately it is unlikely to be translated into German. But Sulu as Captain of the Excelsior is the main character and how he came to the command. And Kor, Kang, Koloth and the Albino if I'm not mistaken.
 
On live-action TV, yes. But Sulu and Uhura were more equal members of the ensemble in The Animated Series.
Yes, you are right about TAS. With my daughter, I just watched the episode, where Uhura took command, after all the men were under the influence of these women, who took their life-energy. And also Sulu has some nice moments on TAS. But the novels really gave them personality and a life.
 
Do you know Excelsior - Forged in Fire. It's really good. Unfortunately it is unlikely to be translated into German. But Sulu as Captain of the Excelsior is the main character and how he came to the command. And Kor, Kang, Koloth and the Albino if I'm not mistaken.
Heard about it, but never read ist :(
Although I'm not really such a big fan of most of Peter David's novels, I really liked The Captain's Daughter about Sulu and Demora.
 
Do you know Excelsior - Forged in Fire. It's really good. Unfortunately it is unlikely to be translated into German. But Sulu as Captain of the Excelsior is the main character and how he came to the command. And Kor, Kang, Koloth and the Albino if I'm not mistaken.
And Curzon Dax. It covers the backstory of Blood Oath, and ties it into Sulu's early days as captain of the Excelsior.
 
And Curzon Dax. It covers the backstory of Blood Oath, and ties it into Sulu's early days as captain of the Excelsior.

You even get a cameo from Gertude, that frisky plant of Sulu's from The Man Trap.
 
I can't think of a character that the relaunch novels "rehabilitated." I can think of good characters that the novels continued to do good things with (Kira, Quark, Ro) and good characters that the novels took in bizarre/poor directions (Kira, Sisko, Bashir, Picard), but not poor characters that somehow became good characters.
 
I can't think of a character that the relaunch novels "rehabilitated." I can think of good characters that the novels continued to do good things with (Kira, Quark, Ro) and good characters that the novels took in bizarre/poor directions (Kira, Sisko, Bashir, Picard), but not poor characters that somehow became good characters.

What about Nilz Baris in Honor in the Night?
 
Ok ok I was grasping at straws, I admit it.

Edit: How about Jake Sisko?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maybe Troi? Was not a fan of her in the TV series, but on the USS Titan she does more than say "he's/she's/they're hiding something" and forget her powers when they would come in useful.
 
Deanna Troi got alot of character Developement in Imazai by Peter David an Battle of Betazed. Also in the Titan books.
 
Peter David and David R. George III did a great job of redeeming the character of Captain Harriman in the novels The Captain's Daughter and Serpents Among the Ruins.
Watching Generations, they did not need to write Harriman as incompetent to make Kirk the hero, so glad he was redeemed.
 
Last edited:
Peter David and David R. George III did a great job of redeeming the character of Captain Harriman in the novels The Captain's Daughter and Serpents Among the Ruins.


Yeah, me too. They made him look like such a buffoon in the movie I was embarrassed for him. Even the novelization in the movie at least explains some of that away. There's no way someone like they depicted in the show would have been given command of the Enterprise. The novels fixed that glaring issue.

The only thing in the movie that I liked about Harriman is when he turned and asked Kirk for ideas. For some it may feed into the buffoon narrative, but at least IMO it takes a big man to ask for help in a situation like that. To know you have a legendary resource at your disposal and not be pigheaded and not use that resource.

But the novels gave Harriman the right background and personality for his place as captain of the Enterprise, a worthy successor thankfully.
 
Janeway.

I wasn't a big fan of Voyager and disliked both Mulgrew and Janeway - a perfect storm of actress and the written character for me.

Kirsten Beyer's writing has made me like Voyager, and softened my dislike of Janeway immensely.

To be honest, my mental picture of Janeway has edged a bit towards the real Kirsten Beyer and away from Mulgrew.

Which helps.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top