• 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!

Spoilers List of novelverse continuity discrepancies - errors, different authorial directions, and more

  • Some novels (e.g., Seize the Fire) seem to think Christine Vale served on the Enterprise-D, but she came aboard the E-E post-Dominion War.
I thought she came back to the Enterprise later. I distinctly remember her bitching to Q about how his trick on the conn officer during his first appearance messed up that officer something fierce during I think Q&A.
 
When I read Cast No Shadow, I loved how elegantly it resolved the two Krioses into one.
The lack of Klingon references when dealing with modern Krios makes sense if Krios gained independence. Using a real life example, a lot of stories can be set in the Republic of Ireland without having to reference the centuries-long occupation by the UK.
I am aware of modern Irish history, but I do not think your analogy applies. TNG - "The Mind's Eye" and TNG - "The Perfect Mate" transpire only a year apart. How does it make sense that the Klingons would tolerate jeghpu'wI' fighting petty squabbles within Klingon borders? Unless you mean to tell me that "centuries of war" between the Kriosians and Valtese is a disappointingly deflating application of the term "war" by virtue of actionless cold war. And Vagh did not seem to be fighting for control of Krios on his own merit without the sanction of the High Council. In VOY - Architects of Infinity, El'nor Sal mentions visiting Krios in the 2350s at the approval of the local government, which had successfully enforced a social taboo against sharing Kriosian DNA with outsiders for a long time.
 
Last edited:
I am aware of modern Irish history, but I do not think your analogy applies. TNG - "The Mind's Eye" and TNG - "The Perfect Mate" transpire only a year apart. How does it make sense that the Klingons would tolerate jeghpu'wI' fighting petty squabbles within Klingon borders? Unless you mean to tell me that "centuries of war" between the Kriosians and Valtese is a disappointingly deflating application of the term "war" by virtue of actionless cold war. And Vagh did not seem to be fighting for control of Krios on his own merit without the sanction of the High Council. In VOY - Architects of Infinity, El'nor Sal mentions visiting Krios in the 2350s at the approval of the local government, which had successfully enforced a social taboo against sharing Kriosian DNA with outsiders for a long time.
I think a lot of colonial powers wouldn't mind squabbles if it didn't affect them, and if it diverted attention from fighting with them.
 
A strange diversion from preexisting canon, but Oblivion's Gate has Geordi La Forge's mom disappear when he was a child.
 
A strange diversion from preexisting canon, but Oblivion's Gate has Geordi La Forge's mom disappear when he was a child.

That was another weird discrepancy that I though was going to pay off in some way, but then nothing.
 
I thought that was a small suggestion that the novelverse-timeline is more remote from the Prime one than we thought. (With discrepancies also in the past of the splitting event.)
 
I thought that was a small suggestion that the novelverse-timeline is more remote from the Prime one than we thought. (With discrepancies also in the past of the splitting event.)
Well the first splinter
officially starts at First Contact, but since it's existence relies on long-past events from Destiny, time may do a wibbly-wobbly thing. I'm reminded of the last Star Trek Encyclopedia, where it's speculated that Nero's incursion may have affected events prior to 2233 in the Kelvin timeline. And Picard's speculation that the Borg may have more than one origin kinda future-proofs things against any future incompatible Borg origin stories.
 
That would be a weird way to introduce a divergence between the novelverse and the prime timeline, given that the novelverse had already followed up on the prime timeline version of Geordi’s mother’s disappearance in Indistinguishable from Magic.
 
That would be a weird way to introduce a divergence between the novelverse and the prime timeline, given that the novelverse had already followed up on the prime timeline version of Geordi’s mother’s disappearance in Indistinguishable from Magic.

Well, it is just a handwave for continuity inconsistencies, after all, so it's only the inconsistent parts that happened differently. The assumption is that every canonical, onscreen event up through Nemesis happened the same way in both Prime and First Splinter, but those specific things in the novels that new canon contradicts are handwaved away as happening differently in the alternate timeline.
 
I know that, Christopher; your ability to explain the obvious as if it’s new information remains unparalleled. What I’m saying is that if there was an intention to create additional divergences between the novelverse and the canon timeline, it would be weird to do so using a piece of canon that the novelverse had already featured semi-prominently in an unchanged way.
 
I thought I would try to compile a list of differences, unintentional and intentional, in Avatar-Destiny-Coda continuity. To be honest, for a few hundred novels, novellas, and short stories, this list will probably balloon out of control. I am also arguably embarking on an extremely long subquest by including the Strange New Worlds short story anthologies out of respect for our board members who participated and ascended to standalone publications. Not to mention debating how much or how little a story fits into First Splinter continuity. Ultimately, I may have to condense this post in favour of a link to a Google doc or even multiple docs, and that's assuming I will remain focused on this project for a long time. But, we all love nitpicking our details in this forum. Let's try to collectively collate things!

Please bear in mind I have started this thread as a Doylist endeavour, though obviously I cannot stop Watsonian discussion of how any discrepancy can in fact fit together. And I will not list novel discrepancies with later TV episodes here as that subject merits an entire thread of its own.

Did Roberta Lincoln interact with the events of "Tomorrow Is Yesterday"?
TOS - Assignment: Eternity - from 19 July to 20 July 1969, Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln venture to meet the Enterprise crew in 2269, with it being Roberta's first temporal incursion and second meeting with the Enterprise crew
SNW 3 - "The Aliens Are Coming!" - on 10 July 1969, Roberta Lincoln interrupts James Wainwright interrogating John Christopher, and on 16 July she laments not being able to recently meet the Enterprise crew
TOS - From History's Shadow - on 10 July 1969, Roberta Lincoln learns about the Enterprise's recent incursion, travels to the Enterprise in 2268, and interrupts James Wainwright interrogating John Christopher

Did John Christopher remember the events of "Tomorrow Is Yesterday"?
SNW 3 - "The Aliens Are Coming!" - on 10 July 1969, John Christopher has no memories of his encounter with the Enterprise crew
SNW 7 - "Project Blue Book" - in 2003, John Christopher has both his sets of memories, and the officers interrogating him necessitate intervention from the Temporal Integrity Commission of 2892
TOS - From History's Shadow - on 10 July 1969, John Christopher remembers the Enterprise crew and has to have his memories fixed by Roberta Lincoln

How did Isis die?
TOS - The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2 - in 1996, Isis died saving Robeta Lincoln from a knife attack by Joaquin Weiss
SNW 8 - "Assignment: One" - some years before 2001, Isis died saving Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln from an Ebola-wielding terrorist in Tokyo

The name of Shaun Geoffrey Christopher's wife
SNW 8 - "Assignment: One" - in 2001, Shaun Geoffrey Christopher's wife is named Debbie
TOS - The Rings of Time - circa 2019, Shaun Geoffrey Christopher is divorced from Debbie Lauderdale
Myriad Universes - Seeds of Dissent - in 2010, Shaun Geoffrey Christopher's wife is named Dorothy

The name of the Aegis next Earth branch computer after Beta 5
SNW 8 - "Assignment: One" - Gamma-3 is the Aegis computer stationed in New York City in 2001
TOS - The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2 and TNG - Hearts & Minds - Beta 6 is the Aegis computer stationed on the Isle of Arran in 1996, and then Beta 7 in the same location by 2032

Who destroyed the Tkon home star?
VAN - What Judgments Come - the Shedai destroyed the Tkon home star
TNG - Q-Zone - 0 destroyed the Tkon home star

when Archer and T'Rama first met
SNW 5 - "A Girl for Every Star" - A young Jonathan Archer meets T'Rama on Earth in 2123
ENT - Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel - Admiral Jonathan Archer meets T'Rama on Babel in 2164

Is Krios from the two TNG episodes the same location?
TOS - Cast No Shadow - the empathic spotted Kriosians from TNG - "The Perfect Mate" come from the same planet as the Klingon-controlled world in TNG - "The Mind's Eye"
VOY - Unworthy et al. the empathic spotted Kriosians have no connections to the Klingons

The status of the Guardian of Forever
SNW 7 - "Guardians" - the Guardian of Forever is active on its planet in 52267
SNW 9 - "Orphans" - in 2374 at the approval of Roga Danar, the Guardian of Forever departed its planet
DTI - Watching the Clock - some years before 2381, the spacetime turbulence surrounding the Guardian's planet precluded outsiders from visiting the Guardian of Forever

Does Beverly Crusher know about Marta Batanides?
TNG - Section 31: Rogue - in 2373, Beverly Crusher recalls to Jean-Luc Picard that he is old friends with Admiral Marta Batanides
TNG - Q&A - in 2380, Beverly Crusher does not recognise when Q briefly transforms into Marta Batanides and questions Jean-Luc Picard who the woman is

The status of Alyssa Ogawa's family
TNG - The Genesis Wave, Book 3 - circa 2376, Alyssa Ogawa has a daughter named Suzi and her husband Noah Powell is alive
Titan - Taking Wing et al. - in 2379, Alyssa Ogawa has a son named Noah and her husband Noah Powell died during the Dominion War

Sariel Rager's next assignment after Nemesis
TNG - Death in Winter - in 2379, Lieutenant Commander Sariel Rager transfers from the Enterprise-E to the Hedderjin under the command of Captain Gilaad ben Zoma
Titan - Taking Wing - in 2379, Lieutenant Sariel Rager transfers from the Enterprise-E to the Titan under the command of Captain William T. Riker

The head of Starfleet Intelligence in 2385
The Fall - A Ceremony of Losses et al. - in September 2385, Admiral Marta Batanides is the Chief of Starfleet Intelligence
Prometheus - Fire With Fire - Admiral Markus Rohde is the head of Starfleet Intelligence

Riker and Troi's child
Titan - Over a Torrent Sea et al. William T. Riker and Deanna Troi's only daughter born in 2379 is named Natasha Miana Riker-Troi
SNW 7 - "Guardians" - Fleet Admiral Ian Kyle Riker is an old man in 2462

Ah, the precursor to my favourite game: develop a head-canon that explains the discrepancies to fit everything together.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top