Spoilers TNG: Collateral Damage by David Mack Review Thread

Well this only affects the post nemesis books. The TOS and Enterprise novels should be fine.

 

The Enterprise continuity is tied into Destiny and the fall of Section 31. Although I'd hazard the connections are so slight they be able to just breeze on without ever referencing them ever again. Ditto New Frontier, should that ever come back.

 

But didn't you guys said something on twitter that there was a plan?

 

They said there was a plan, but that doesn't mean it was that specific plan that people speculated about, or that it would begin in this particular novel.

 

Ok, please forgive me my curiosity but what is the plan? Will we keep the Novelverse continuity we know and love with additional books in the continuity of the Picard show?

I'd love it, if something like that would be the case.

 

I don't know yet, and if I did, I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to tell you yet.

 

I'm eager to see what it is.

 

Collateral Damage was written before we had any sort of specific knowledge about the new show. Same with Available Light. I knew the show was coming long before the announcement last year, but was told to keep doing what I was doing because there was no way to know how things would shake out. Dave received similar instructions. That said, even as far back as summer 2018, we started talking about “the Future” after this book, which Dave was still plotting. There was no way to know what would happen, when it would happen, and so on. So, our editors told us to keep on as normal until otherwise directed, because that’s what you do when you’re working as part of a larger publishing plan that involves multiple books across multiple series, etc.

Only after we were given specific info about the new show could we start any sort of real planning. That process continues. It’s complicated and will take time to realize, and everybody involved wants to do it right.

Stay tuned....

 

I'm certainly missing the days of TNG, Titan, DS9, Voy, etc books all sharing 1 continuity coming out every couple months.

As good as Picard may end up being (and I honestly don't have high hopes), I don't need new books set in that universe, there's already grand storytelling being told and I'd love nothing more for it to continue (especially as post Control we're still waiting for lots of dominos to drop!)

 

Who knows, though? The new backstory about to be revealed in Picard could inspire a whole legion of new spinoff/tie-in stories just as good as the current novelverse, just on fresh topics. The great thing about fiction is that things don't have to happen only one way. Exploring alternative possibilities is always appealing, which is why "Mirror, Mirror" is such a popular episode.

 

Sure it could but the current novelverse story arc hasn't been "finished" so if you guys just full on stop releasing books for it "out of the blue" it would really suck

 

Spoiler

so I just finished Collateral Damage. As I said earlier it could’ve used more finessing and the first-person parts really slowed the flow of the book, and were really confusing at points trying to figure out whether it was Okona or the Nausicaan talking.

Otherwise, the Picard and Section 31 plot really deserved to be in its own book and worked up as its own story, akin to Articles Of The Federation, and I would’ve loved to have seen more dealing with Nechayev, L’Haan and the other Admirals, as it was never mentioned what their judgements and fates are; Picard’s preliminary inquiry seemed to be the first part of the legal drama. In the end, Picard’s status is the same as at the end of Hearts and Minds, in that he’ll always be a Captain, but now he’s permanently barred from becoming a flag officer.

Oh and the novel Rogue and the movie Star Trek Insurrection were brought up as prior Section 31 encounters that Picard had. In CD it is said that the news article about Section 31 revealed that Admiral Daugherty was in cahoots with Section 31 in regards to the Baku operation.

As for Worf and his mission, which tied into Okona, it seemed to be the launching point for a thread dealing with Starfleet Intelligence, Admiral Martina Batanides, Commander Sam Lavelle and Lieutenant Naomi Wildman.

Also at the end it’s hinted that Worf had been put on the short list for promotion to Captain, and that he would probably take Smrhova as his first officer when he was promoted.

The last chapter felt like a mix of the endings of Star Trek VI, and Nemesis but this doesn’t feel like the end of the relaunch. Just the end of Picard’s storyline wit Section 31, but it still feels like there’s more to the Section 31 story and also a new story with Starfleet Intelligence.

 

That was established back in Section 31: Abyss.

 

Destiny in a way with the Columbia disappearing. It now just vanished differently

 

The easy answer is to have two continuities. Comic books do it all the time.

 

Even if the specific story in the Enterprise books isn't contradicted, they still share a ton of worldbuilding stuff that could easily be contradicted.

Even if they do just completely erase the Novelverse, we're then going to have over 20 years of history to fill in.

 

Guys, I'm bummed. I want Collateral Damage and was waiting for the ebook. Im a little confused. I wonder if @Christopher or @David Mack or @Dayton Ward too can clarify this. Without spoiling anything or saying anything that you cant say contractually. I'm not wanting that. Should Collateral Damage be seen and treated as bridge novel to something that is upcoming as a bigger picture a bigger event?

If so that is understandable. No offense to the authors or Tswift but I'm not sure if I should purchase this now or wait until Picard comes out?

I'm not saying anything about prices, but I have noticed since the price increase on Trek books and ebooks there are less reviews and it seems like to me that Star Trek readers and fans have been kind of unfairly harsh and unforgiving to the Trek writers and really the books are under heavy scrutiny. Is this just me feeling this way?

I'm just trying to enjoy each book as they are released and wonder whats going to happen in the future.


As it stands. I'm grateful for the Trek books and I'm grateful to the Trek writers for their opinions and insights too.

Thanks,
-Koric

 

For what it's worth, I'm not too wrapped up in what ties into the Picard series. Or if this book is canon, or that book isn't canon, etc.. I've been reading TNG: Collateral Damage and just enjoying a good story. It's been really nice, to just have a great star trek story to sit down and enjoy.

 

Downloaded and excited to start. Loved the opening chapter though; first person is always welcome

 

Slightly frustrating, Amazon UK doesn't appear to want to download it!