IYO, what do you think should be made canon from Star Trek novels or short stories, and why?

[FederationHistorian]

Okay, I’ve been thinking of how sometimes written work tend to have good or great ideas that for one reason or another, don't make it to tv and the films. So, I would like to see what ideas you have seen over the years that should be canon in you opinion. If possible, it would my nice if you could explain why you think it should be canon. Feel free to add if you want to expand on your list too.

For me, the list would be as follows

-The disastrous launch of the Daedalus in 2140 (Pocket ENT: Daedalus)

It would shed a bit of light on the early warp program, and would also show that Enterprise might not be out of place in terms of design as long thought. Basically, show that there was an era appropriate primitive looking ship actually in existence. And the early origins of Trip as well. It's something that would fit well as a Short Trek.

- The Sato dynasty (Glass Mirror: Age of the Empress & Sorrows of the Empire)

Explains what happens in the mirror universe after IAMD (events in DIS notwithstanding), and would highlight how important the Sato Dynasty was to the stability of the Terran Empire.

- The Typhon Pact

It would help explain as to why the relations between the Federation and the Romulans did not blossom after NEM in the years before the supernova. And can shed a bit of light as to what happened to the Borg too.

- Orion history and philosophy in general

It’s a surprisingly deep and fleshed out culture, as my research for an uncompleted fanfic of mine has revealed. Far more fleshed out than what’s ever been on tv.

- Captain Harriman’s role in the Tomed Incident

Redeems Harriman after GEN, and shows his importance in Starfleet history instead of treating him as just another Starfleet captain. Plus, it can shed a bit of light on the Harriman lineage and the Lost Era in general.

- Romulan history (The Romulan Way)

I do like what Chabon has written about Romulan culture, but The Romulan Way is a very thoroughly thought out writing of the Romulans, from their exodus from Vulcan to the Treaty of Charon.

 

[1001001]

This seems more about Trek Lit than anything else.

Moving.

 

[Kilana2]

The Destiny Novels.

And Vanguard. Especially certain characters like T'Prynn (I don't have a certain actress in mind to play her, though). Vanguard should be put on screen.....

 

[David cgc]

And Vanguard. Especially certain characters like T'Prynn (I don't have a certain actress in mind to play her, though). Vanguard should be put on screen.....

I still think the best all-around choice for bringing back Trek on the small screen would've been an adaptation of Vanguard set in the Kelvin Timeline.

 

[David Mack]

I still think the best all-around choice for bringing back Trek on the small screen would've been an adaptation of Vanguard set in the Kelvin Timeline.

No. No no no. Vanguard wouldn't work in the Kelvin timeline. It was expressly conceived and written to mesh with The Original Series. In that sense it would make an excellent companion/sequel to the upcoming Strange New Worlds series.

 

[Dayton Ward]

The Gold Key comics.

WHAT?

 

[Bornin1980something]

That Fury wasn't the last of Kes!

 

[Kor]

John M. Ford type Klingons.

Kor

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

The Andorian genders. I know that they’re based on a line about mating in fours, but that could be taken as polygamy being the dominant cultural attitude as much as a species outside of the old fashioned idea of “male or female,” which already is ignoring the spectrum of gender in favor of a strict binary. I’d like to see more acknowledgment that, especially given how many Earth species don’t conform to that binary, non-terrestrial life doesn’t have to conform to traditional (and outmoded) concepts and distinctions of gender.

Captain Demora Sulu of the USS Enterprise-B. Way back when we didn’t know anything about what Discovery would be, centering a series on Demora and her run as the captain of the Enterprise was at the top of my list of ideas (and is still there, tbh).

 

[F. King Daniel]

Surak rising to fame as an internet blogger from Spock's World/The Romulan Way.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The Andorian genders. I know that they’re based on a line about mating in fours, but that could be taken as polygamy being the dominant cultural attitude as much as a species outside of the old fashioned idea of “male or female,” which already is ignoring the spectrum of gender in favor of a strict binary...

You know, I still feel that the "Enterprise" Andorian episodes work well enough with a four-gendered theory. Shran's right hand man, Tholos, is quite androgynous, and he seems to be flirty with both T'Pol and Trip. And then we have Tarah and Talas, two very different females.

 

[dupersuper]

New Frontier books
Imzadi
Return of Kirk novels (Shatnerverse)
I'm sure there are many more...

 

[Christopher]

You know, I still feel that the "Enterprise" Andorian episodes work well enough with a four-gendered theory. Shran's right hand man, Tholos, is quite androgynous, and he seems to be flirty with both T'Pol and Trip. And then we have Tarah and Talas, two very different females.

Yes. It's built into the books' 4-gender model that two of the genders are effectively male in human terms and two are effectively female. Shar is called "he/him" in English, Rhenas Sherev is "she/her," etc. The writers who came up with the model knew perfectly well that the shows depicted Andorians as male and female, so they came up with a version of a 4-gender scheme that was consistent with the appearance of a male/female duality so it would fit what was already onscreen. Thus, there is naturally no conflict with later productions that portray a male/female duality. The understood implication is that it's how humans perceive and simplify the 4-gendered reality, and that the Andorians go along with it as a convenience.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yes. It's built into the books' 4-gender model that two of the genders are effectively male in human terms and two are effectively female.

Yep. It was the safest way to play it, and my first viewing of "The Enterprise Incident", having read all the pro lit, was probably very different to the casual viewers' exposure to that episode. Tholos, in particular, was a fascinating character, even if we only saw him onscreen twice.

Lesley Fish had done an exploration of Andorians in 1976, "A Summary of the Physiological Roots of Andorian Culture" ("Sehlat's Roar" issue #2), which extrapolated male, female and neuter genders. Pocket Books was careful to step around it when developing the four-gendered pro fiction take.

Fish's article had previously informed a lot of fannish thinking ("fanon") and fanfic about the Andorians, predating even Ballantine's "Medical Reference Manual". Richard Arnold, on behalf of Roddenberry's Star Trek Office at Paramount, had quashed attempts by other novelists from referencing Fish's work in 1990, eg. Jean Lorrah (her Andorians became Theskians in the novel, "Metamorphosis") and AC Crispin (all references to Andorian religion were removed from "The Eyes of the Beholders"), although a few Fish elements remained, such as Lorrah's mention of "the Great Mother" deity.

 

[DWMarch]

I loved the explanation for the Starfleet delta in "Federation" - the star is the speed of light, the top of the symbol represents the infinite power needed to get to light speed and the bottom curve is how warp drive cheats the power consumption requirement, allowing a ship to pass the speed of light.
As I recall the novels resurrected Trip Tucker and I'm fully okay with that. "These Are The Voyages" was a holo-program in the 24th century so it's entirely possible it was nowhere near accurate.

 

[Christopher]

As I recall the novels resurrected Trip Tucker and I'm fully okay with that. "These Are The Voyages" was a holo-program in the 24th century so it's entirely possible it was nowhere near accurate.

Yup, that's the only way the novels were able to get away with it. We can't contradict what canon says, but strictly speaking, canon only says that history records Trip as having died that way. The fact that it was a simulation leaves that open to interpretation. Indeed, even in the simulation we never actually see the moment of Trip's death; we see him rolled into the treatment chamber and then we see a scene of Archer and T'Pol talking about how he died. It seemed to me that the producers intentionally left themselves wiggle room to bring him back if they got the opportunity, say, if the cancellation had been reversed at the last minute.

 

[FederationHistorian]

Yup, that's the only way the novels were able to get away with it. We can't contradict what canon says, but strictly speaking, canon only says that history records Trip as having died that way. The fact that it was a simulation leaves that open to interpretation. Indeed, even in the simulation we never actually see the moment of Trip's death; we see him rolled into the treatment chamber and then we see a scene of Archer and T'Pol talking about how he died. It seemed to me that the producers intentionally left themselves wiggle room to bring him back if they got the opportunity, say, if the cancellation had been reversed at the last minute.

Due to LD, the only things confirmed are:

- The missions of the NX-01 are a holoprogram in the 24th century from at least 2370 and into the 2380s
- Riker frequents this program and discusses them with Troi

With Trip, its only written into the program that he died. Plus the line of Trip not making it back was said by Troi, who admitted to getting the museum ships mixed up and that she’s never run the program before (even though she recommended it), and therefore might not be as familiar with the final days of Enterprise's mission. The line was not said by Riker, who is clearly a fanboy of Archer and rest of the crew and would know if that was true or not.

 

[Jayson1]

The Eugenics War books showing how it happened in our time despite the 1990' still being our 1990's. All of A Stick in Time dealing with Garak. Spock coming to McCoy on his death bed from a comic book. The New Frontier and Captain Calhoun being a thing.

 

[Therin of Andor]

With Trip, its only written into the program that he died. Plus the line of Trip not making it back was said by Troi, who admitted to getting the museum ships mixed up and that she’s never run the program before (even though she recommended it), and therefore might not be as familiar with the final days of Enterprise's mission. The line was not said by Riker, who is clearly a fanboy of Archer and rest of the crew and would know if that was true or not.

Of course, holodeck simulations can have multiple endings, like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure or RPG.

 

[Christopher]

Of course, holodeck simulations can have multiple endings, like a Choose-Your-Own Adventure or RPG.

Except this was supposed to be a history docudrama, so it would purport to tell a version of actual events (though not necessarily an accurate or honest version).