No book author can ruin Trek canon, any more than they can fix it. Despite him ranking up in multiple post-VOY novelizations, Harry is still locked in limbo, with a canonical rank of ensign.
The problem is that without a TV series to decide what "canon" is, author of Star Trek books look at other Star Trek books for some sort of "canon".
For example, Christie Golden created a chharacter called Lyssa Campbell in the excellent Voyager book
Marooned. She was based on a transporter chief who was briefly seen in the episode
Phage.
(That transporter chief showed up as Jarvis in the episode
Projections, I think that Golden missed that!)
When Golden became in charge of the "Voyager Relaunch" books, Campbell remained as character.
Then the author who took over the "Voyager Relaunch" after Golden killed off Campbell.
In a very disgusting way, I must add.
Has anyoned bothered to bring back Campbell? No!
OK, that example may have been a bit far-fetched and off-topic since it was a minor character. But the question still remains.
And because the books were intended to not be canon. Except for licensed novelizations of specific TV episodes or movies.
Yes, but will we see Garak back in future Star Trek books? And if, will there only be "flashback" stories from before he was exiled or will we have him back as he was before a certain author ruined the character?
I hope I didn’t do you a disservice.
No, on the contrary, you did me a great favor. I owe you one!
If it helps, my "Roads Not Taken" timeline deletes several events. Including "Threshold" and That Episode, because I consider both to be mistakes.
Where can I find it?
As for those episodes, I have come up with solutions too.
I consider the events in
Threshold as a nightmare Tom Paris had after eating too much of neelix's food. If the episode had ended with Tom Paris waking up in his bed with a comment like "Oh what a nightmare!", then the episode had been great!
As for "that episode", I've simply dismissed the disgusting creature in it as Suspiria out for revenge or as a being from another universe.
You don't like them being killed off, but you don't like them living happily ever after. Do you have a preferred fate for them?
No, I don't have a preferred fate for them. I'm just totally uninterested in what they do when they no longer are the characters they were in the series. I want to remember them as they were at their prime.
I don't want to see episodes or read stories in which they are old, boring has-beens or are killed off by some whim of some producer and author. I want to see episodes and read stories when they are what they were at their best.
Oedipus is that on steroids. If he hadn't tried to stop the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother (

) from coming to pass, he would have lived quite happily with his adoptive parents, watching both die natural deaths. And, he would never have met his biological parents at all.
Therefore prophecies should be avoided at all costs. They are mostly very depressive and downright gloomy. Not to mention that they creates trouble too for those who believe in them or try to stop them.
Ditto with Gowron. If he had just not worried about Martok and led the Empire's war effort competently, he would have had nothing to worry about. Martok had no desire and no intention to become Chancellor, and would have never challenged him. It was his efforts to stop Martok from taking his place that caused it.
Yes, but "Gowron's" actions in that episode were totally out of character which make me think that it wasn't the real Gowron but an impostor.
How far offtopic this thread went...
My fault! I'm a baaaaaad person!
I do wonder how her relationship with Kes would go, had Kes stayed aboard Voyager.
See my reply to
Akiraprise below.
Kes was kind of falling into the empathetic Counselor Troi role towards the end of her tenure. Mental abilities, similar hair, and even a similar outfit. She'd have probably turned into a sounding board for Seven and helped guide her along as she rediscovered her humanity.
Exactly what I think too!
One of several reasons why it would have been better for the show to keep Kes and dump either Chakotay or Harry. Or better yet, run with ten characters.
In that case, I go for the "ten characters option".
Both Chakotay and Harry were too good as characters to be killed off.
There was too much destruction in Voyager as it was.