Would a series of Star Trek soldier/pilot novels work?

[Iceburgeruk]

I always thought that it was a gaping whole in the universe of trek that we don`t actually know anything about their pilot/soldier ranks or the strife they have to fight through. Obviously there are soldiers and pilots in the infrastructure of starfleet because a) it is unlikely the federation fights their coccassional wars using only security officers hence the need for infantry and mobile artillery etc.(I believe it is inferred that artillery and armoured vehicles are still used as i belive elim garak in ds9 was supposed to be/claimed to be a gul the cardassian mechanized infantry so mechanized divisions still exist in star treks main armies.) b) although starships negate much of the need for an air force the federation are primarily a moral people and thereby if groundtroops need an enemy position attacked i doubt the federation would go for a villainous orbital bombardment.

It seems conservative and militaristic to have books about soldiers but most war books work because they show the fear and struggle of the individual soldier or unit. War books rarely work when spout patriotic, nationalist garbage and those who write them ordinarily seem like they would be the first to oppose to such nonsense.

I just think there must be a plethora of interesting stories about the soldiers and pilots who serve the federation because to be fair 99.99999% of the time we are reading stories in star trek about what is essentially the future version of the navy (mixed with nasa, the coastguard and diplomatic, scientific institutions of course but still.).

I also think that if there was a series of books about the federation`s career fighter pilots then they should have them using the fighter craft from star trek invasion (the psone game). Just as a nice reference to an interesting game.

What do you think? Good or bad idea for a series of books?

 

[Mysterion]

^^^^^

"Gomer Pyle, UFMC"?

Seriously, I'd like to this area explored.

 

[Christopher]

I don't understand. We've seen plenty of pilots in ST. Sulu, LaForge, Riker, Wesley Crusher, Paris, Mayweather, countless guest stars.

Also, since when have there been "fighters" in ST, aside from the odd Maquis or Bajoran shuttle and Academy training exercise? Fighter combat doesn't actually make practical sense in a space-based context (see this page for a discussion of why), and it's a conceit that ST has mercifully avoided.

As for orbital bombardments, we've seen them done before; indeed, "A Piece of the Action" showed it's even possible to fire ship's phasers on stun and knock out an entire city block. We've also seen more destructive pinpoint phaser and torpedo targeting from orbit on numerous occasions (as Apollo and Vaal could attest).

 

[Dancing Doctor]

It sounds almost as if you're asking for a Trek equivalent of the Star Wars: Republic Commando series...

 

[Rabid Trekkie]

We've had a Trek war story, DS9 was great and the anthology Tales of the Dominion War was fantastic, but I don't really want to see it again. Well at least for awhile longer.

DS9 was great because we got to see what happens when a Utopia goes to war. The Federation, despite some crazy elements shown in different episodes, is a paradise that we'd all love to live in and getting to see the compromises that such a place would have to make in order to survive. But that story has been told. I don't want to see the Federation with a standing army and warships and fighter craft.

That's what Star Wars is for. Just started the X-Wing series, love it, and a couple other of the Wars books are fine for that kind of thing. But I don't want to see that kind of thing in Trek.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Trek was never about "ZOMG fight scenes r teh bestist!!!11!!!" It was about exploring the human condition and dealing with the various social issues of the day. And even during the Dominion War, it was still about exploring the human condition-just during wartime, and with associated issues.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I don't want to see the Federation with a standing army and warships and fighter craft.

Same here. I like a focus on exploration.

Wouldn't the MACOs being front and centre in "Last Full Measure" (ENT) satisfy the yearning for a soldier book?

 

[Iceburgeruk]

I don't understand. We've seen plenty of pilots in ST. Sulu, LaForge, Riker, Wesley Crusher, Paris, Mayweather, countless guest stars.

Also, since when have there been "fighters" in ST, aside from the odd Maquis or Bajoran shuttle and Academy training exercise? Fighter combat doesn't actually make practical sense in a space-based context (see this page for a discussion of why), and it's a conceit that ST has mercifully avoided.

As for orbital bombardments, we've seen them done before; indeed, "A Piece of the Action" showed it's even possible to fire ship's phasers on stun and knock out an entire city block. We've also seen more destructive pinpoint phaser and torpedo targeting from orbit on numerous occasions (as Apollo and Vaal could attest).

1)We have seen individual pilots but we haven`t seen much in the way of squadrons. Or career pilots who spend their lives piloting fighters as opposed to big ships.

2)There are fighters in Star Trek http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Federation_attack_fighter and certain starships appear specifically designed to be supported by fighters for instance the Akira class which is supposed to be partially a carrier with a lot of shuttle bay space. I am assuming that it uses that space to carry some types of attack craft.

3) The article you mentioned is interesting but it seems down the route of military minds of previous decades who declared the fighter/naval ship would disappear and be replaced by the missile or that fighters would no longer need bullets and would instead rely solely on missiles. Those views were proven by conflicts to be complete fantasy. There would indeed be less fighters used in the 24th century but it seems to me that there would still be a sizable amount.
I mean would it be cost effective to try and fly the enterprise-e into an atmosphere to obtain an objective? In my opinion, No. A small fighter would be a safer bet for entering an atmosphere and achieving a tricky objective.
Would it make good sense to protect a border planet by having a galaxy class ship or a fighter squadron permenantly stationed there? The galaxy class ship would be tougher but imagine the amount of servicing and repairs you would need to conduct for a starship being kept in orbit non-stop 365 days a year as opposed to the relative ease of just having a fighter squadron ready to scramble on the ground. Also if an enemy attacks you need to fully crew that starship almost instantly to deal with the threat so you either have to have a full crew on there every second of the day for every day of the year or you have to mobilize the entire crew and get them on the ship in a matter of minutes. Whereas a fighter squadron requires only a pilot per ship on standby. I expect fighters would be used in that capacity a lot they would be used to protect outposts until a starship can arrive.
The idea of a star trek fighter craft makes perfect sense to me compared to otherseries. With warp core and phaser banks you don`t need loads of room for fuel or weapondry.

Just my thoughts on the subject not trying to start an arguement on the issue.

 

[LightningStorm]

Would a series of Star Trek soldier/pilot novels work?

Part of me wants to say "No, it wouldn't". But to be fair, of course it could work if put in the hands of someone who could make it work. Technically anything could work if done correctly.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Trek was never about "ZOMG fight scenes r teh bestist!!!11!!!" It was about exploring the human condition and dealing with the various social issues of the day. And even during the Dominion War, it was still about exploring the human condition-just during wartime, and with associated issues.

But surely war is one of the key social issues. Forget stem cells and tax rises, there isn`t a day when someone is warring with someone else or when some population is oppressed by some army or other. Surely it is a far more important social issues than most that are raised, i mean surely a large portion people across are effected by war or who have a family member in the armed forces. Enough for that to be a big percentage of what life is.

I`ll just make clear here. What i don`t want is star wars novel in star trek clothing. I would like to see proper classic thought provoking war stories and tales of betrayal and comradery in the star trek universe.

 

[LightningStorm]

I would like to see proper classic thought provoking war stories and tales of betrayal and comradery in the star trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine covers all of this. And then in the Lit the DS9 Relaunch continues to cover it all w/o the war portion -- although...

Spoiler: My speculation of events to come in the DS9-R

I think a war with the Ascendants is rapidly approaching and will give you the war background you are hoping for there too.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

I always thought that it was a gaping whole in the universe of trek that we don`t actually know anything about their pilot/soldier ranks or the strife they have to fight through. Obviously there are soldiers and pilots in the infrastructure of starfleet because a) it is unlikely the federation fights their coccassional wars using only security officers hence the need for infantry and mobile artillery etc.(I believe it is inferred that artillery and armoured vehicles are still used as i belive elim garak in ds9 was supposed to be/claimed to be a gul the cardassian mechanized infantry so mechanized divisions still exist in star treks main armies.) b) although starships negate much of the need for an air force the federation are primarily a moral people and thereby if groundtroops need an enemy position attacked i doubt the federation would go for a villainous orbital bombardment.

It seems conservative and militaristic to have books about soldiers but most war books work because they show the fear and struggle of the individual soldier or unit. War books rarely work when spout patriotic, nationalist garbage and those who write them ordinarily seem like they would be the first to oppose to such nonsense.

I just think there must be a plethora of interesting stories about the soldiers and pilots who serve the federation because to be fair 99.99999% of the time we are reading stories in star trek about what is essentially the future version of the navy (mixed with nasa, the coastguard and diplomatic, scientific institutions of course but still.).

I also think that if there was a series of books about the federation`s career fighter pilots then they should have them using the fighter craft from star trek invasion (the psone game). Just as a nice reference to an interesting game.

What do you think? Good or bad idea for a series of books?

I certainly wouldn't mind a MACO series.

Hell, I'm writing one in my head right now.

 

[Dayton Ward]

I'll admit I've considered the notion once or twice.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

I'll admit I've considered the notion once or twice.

Hook a brother up.

I think the pre "red shirt" version of officer is rife with great stories.

I think juxtaposing a truly martial Starfleet culture with Rodenberry's basically pacifistic ethos would be fun.

Plus, y'know, the pulse rifles and single setting phasers.

Gotta love them.

 

[Amy Sisson]

If the idea of more overt military in Star Trek doesn't work for the Powers That Be, it could be a direction for the Myraid Universes books.

But right here in our own Trek timeline, I'd certainly be interested in reading a MACO-based series set in the Next Gen/DS9/Voyager era as opposed to the Enterprise time. I love good military science fiction. Speaking of which, Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series has a strong start. I've read the first and my husband has read all three that have been published.

 

[JD]

I have to admit that at first I didn't really like this idea, but now that I think about it more it would be interesting to see maybe a MACO or 24th century equivalent. IMO we already even have a possible canon character in Reese. As for a fighter pilot series, that I can't really see.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Hook a brother up.

Have your people call my people. We'll do lunch, and hammer out our master plan to take over the world, etc.

 

[captcalhoun]

i'd like something like that. so i wrote something like that. Star Trek: Special Operations.

Like Mack's ATT Kill action scenes, but nowhere near as well written.

i for one, certainly believe there's room for a series about Starfleet's infantry forces during the Dominion War, if nothing else.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Hook a brother up.

Have your people call my people. We'll do lunch, and hammer out our master plan to take over the world, etc.

I'll do it. Don't tempt me.

It could be an antho or a couple of novels.

And AMY, you're drafted.

 

[Richard White]

I'll admit I've considered the notion once or twice.

You and me both.

I figure I might as well put those 15.5 years of my life to good use now that I'm out.

Course I wonder what Starfleet BDUs look like? (Besides ugly as sin, that is.)