Q & A (potential spoilers)

[ClayinCA]

Q & A is one of the only two post-Nemesis TNG novels that I actually like

Glad I'm not the only one who hasn't been able to get into the "relaunch" (or the "A Time To" series for that matter - not sure if by post-Nemesis you mean timeline or real time).

Oh yeah, right, sorry. I meant in the sense of the Trek timeline. Apart from the John Vornholt books (which I couldn't bloody stand), I actually liked all the A Time To... books to one degree or another, especially Mack's and KRAD's (hmmmm...is there a pattern forming?). As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever read a KRAD or David Mack book that I didn't enjoy, though I have by no means read all of either man's books (something I really should rectify).

As for the relaunch, I've said before that I just don't understand the obsession with the Borg, but I trust Margaret that all this is going somewhere, and I'm glad that the books are taking an upward turn with Greater Than The Sum and the Destiny trilogy (which might be shite, of course - I'm just assuming they'll be fantastic). Prior to GTTS, though, Q&A was the only TNG book I'd liked since Articles of the Federation, which I count as a TNG novel despite its not carrying that brand, because it followed on from the A Time To... series.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

If any book should end farcically, it's a Q one.

Steve's answer is mine as well -- farce is the order of the day with Q, and I think it would've been dishonest to end it any other way.

Besides, I honestly and truly believe that one of the things that makes humanity unique and wonderful is our sense of humor. I'm tired of all this nonsense about indomitable spirits and constantly questioning and curious exploring and all that other bullshit. What's cool about humanity is we can laugh.

And I made it essential to saving the universe. So there.

No need to get defensive about it--it's not anything personal nor is it an assertion of bad writing or anything of that nature. I think I made it quite clear it's an entire genre that doesn't work for me, pretty much regardless of who's writing it. That's a matter of personal taste that I or anybody else is entitled to without being told that other views are BS.

 

[Stevil2001]

Q & A was my favorite Star Trek novel of 2007.

Seriously? Wow. Given the competition (particularly from The Sorrows of Empire, which would get my vote), that's also high praise.

Oh man, I totally forgot about the novels-in-bigger-books for the year. That's a toughie now...

 

[donners22]

No need to get defensive about it--it's not anything personal nor is it an assertion of bad writing or anything of that nature. I think I made it quite clear it's an entire genre that doesn't work for me, pretty much regardless of who's writing it. That's a matter of personal taste that I or anybody else is entitled to without being told that other views are BS.

I think you'll find that the response was very much tongue in cheek, especially when he said the critique was reasoned and reasonable on the previous page.

 

[KRAD]

No need to get defensive about it--it's not anything personal nor is it an assertion of bad writing or anything of that nature. I think I made it quite clear it's an entire genre that doesn't work for me, pretty much regardless of who's writing it. That's a matter of personal taste that I or anybody else is entitled to without being told that other views are BS.

I wasn't being defensive, I was being free-wheeling and vaguely facetious. Shoulda put a smiley, I suppose........

 

[DimesDan]

No need to get defensive about it--it's not anything personal nor is it an assertion of bad writing or anything of that nature. I think I made it quite clear it's an entire genre that doesn't work for me, pretty much regardless of who's writing it. That's a matter of personal taste that I or anybody else is entitled to without being told that other views are BS.

I wasn't being defensive, I was being free-wheeling and vaguely facetious. Shoulda put a smiley, I suppose........

Or some form of written disclaimer

BTW KRAD, I bloody loved this book and I found myself chuckling away several times, am I right in saying that the British sounding lady from Cetus III (I know all planets have a North, but that just takes the biscuit) say bollocks a few times?

 

[KRAD]

BTW KRAD, I bloody loved this book and I found myself chuckling away several times, am I right in saying that the British sounding lady from Cetus III (I know all planets have a North, but that just takes the biscuit) say bollocks a few times?

Thanks! And yes, Kadohata used "bollocks" twice.

 

[Deano2099]

That always freaks me out a bit as I suddenly realise there's been no other swearing in the entire book... makes Kadohata sound like a potty mouth

 

[Trent Roman]

^ I'm curious: what's the perceived level of severity of that curse in Britain; i.e. what are some terms that would be equivalent to it in terms of intensity? When I hear it used in American programming, it seems to fall under what the censors would call 'mild language' along with terms like 'bitch', and classed below the old standard of 'fuck' in the rough hierarchy of profanity they tend to use.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[JoeZhang]

^ I'm curious: what's the perceived level of severity of that curse in Britain; i.e. what are some terms that would be equivalent to it in terms of intensity? When I hear it used in American programming, it seems to fall under what the censors would call 'mild language' along with terms like 'bitch', and classed below the old standard of 'fuck' in the rough hierarchy of profanity they tend to use.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Let's see

Before 9pm - bitch, piss, bastard, tosser.

after 9pm - Cunt, fuck, twat, wanker.

Bollocks seems to go between the two.

 

[DimesDan]

Heres the BBC policy on profanities and it would seem that bollocks is deemed rather more offensive than I thought so:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A1017839

 

[JoeZhang]

That the talkboards rather than editoral guidelines for shows.

 

[DimesDan]

That the talkboards rather than editoral guidelines for shows.

So it is, I do actually have a list of all the words that are on the list as we were all given them at the start of my course at uni, but here it is on the beebs site (fingers crossed)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/offensivelanguage/index.shtml

 

[captcalhoun]

generally bollocks is as bad as bastard or bitch.

 

[DimesDan]

generally bollocks is as bad as bastard or bitch.

pretty much, now apart from the C word, aslong as it's in context, I have no real problems with swearing.

 

[Steve Roby]

The Sex Pistols' album title, Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols, was considered shocking in the UK in 1977. Some record stores refused to display copies of the album.

Then there's the 1994 Luscious Jackson single "Deep Shag," inspired by '70s carpets and taken to mean something very different in the UK. Some people in the UK were likewise offended by the title of a certain movie in the Austin Powers series, which was the first time millions of North Americans ever heard the word shag used in that context.

 

[captcalhoun]

i think the people who were offended by Austin Powers 2's title were probably the kind of people who're offended if you say 'nuts'...

 

[donners22]

I find baseball references more offensive than "bollocks", TBH...

 

[William Leisner]

I find baseball references more offensive than "bollocks", TBH...

Oh, balls.

 

[captcalhoun]

that's a curveball out of the left-field. but then KRAD does tend to get carried away hitting for the fence with the baseball guff in Q&A and Articles...

is everyone on Cestus III a baseball nut?