Trek Lit: Adult only?

[kimc]

This came up in another thread. Is Trek Lit currently considered a series for adults or is the aim to make it readable for both adults and young people?

The concern was there shouldn't be any sex scenes since young people would read them. However, I had thought that the current relationships were acknowledged without explicit sex scenes.

How explicit should sex and relationships get in Trek Lit? Also, as long as we're discussing material suitable for younger readers how explicit should the violence be?

Sorry this is a bit rushed - I have to go to work!

 

[Ktrek]

I have no problem with implied sex but from what I gather in the Janeway thread there seems to be several women who want steamy sex scenes in the books and I would have to strongly disagree. I think the books should be at least as safe as watching the TV show where both young and old can enjoy together.

Kevin

 

[kimc]

^ I didn't get the impression steamy sex scenes were a requirement. There are other ways to imply a relationship without getting graphic. The average TOS episode did a pretty good job at that.

 

[JD]

There has been a little more sex and vilolence in the books lately, but IMO I think the way that they do it now is probably the best way to do it. Which pretty much about the level of what you see on most prime time TV sereis.

 

[JoeZhang]

what's a young person? What age are we talking about?

 

[LightningStorm]

I think the books that are produced now are mostly considered to be 'rated E for Everyone' or at worst rated 'T for teen' (to steal from the gaming industry rating system).

I think Vanguard might be a tad more adult than the others, but even that is mostly harmless.

I do think, however that it would be nice to have a diversity of target audiences in Trek where there be the YA books geared specifically toward the younger crowd, as well as books that tend to be more adult in nature, as well as those like we have now where they can be read by anybody.

I've long thought Star Trek would benefit from being on channels like Showtime or HBO and having more adult themes (and same goes for the books). Of course the first time you mention such a thing in a setting such as this the first response you get is "I don't want Star Trek Porn" or "I don't want Star Trek: Saw". Neither of which is what I mean when I say more adult themes. I just mean Star Trek stories that are still Star Trek where more adult scenes don't have to be either completely skipped or glossed over (because they can and do have a place in story telling) or be made utterly unrealistic or cartoonish in an effort to not show blood or what really happens when you are hit with a high powered disruptor.

 

[elaithin]

I absolute have no problem with an injection of realism into Star Trek. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited for the new movie, truthfully.

On the same token, I think the majority of the books have taken that step already. Actions, consequences, characters, all are explored in a realistic manner that is still 'E for Everyone' without being dumbed down. And this, I am quite pleased with.

 

[Dayton Ward]

The books are targeted for adults in the sense that they feature language, descriptions, and themes which -- while varying slightly in degree here and there -- are largely comparable to what you'd find on primetime TV, with the occasional dip into "basic cable" territory. Indeed, in a lot of respect, the language and such is really very tame, though I admit I even allowed a few more "colorful metaphors" than normal to creep into the new Vanguard book. That said, I still stayed within the established guidelines.

I'd love to see another attempt at Trek books/stories aimed at younger audiences. Now that I've got kids of my own, I'm feeling the desire to write something for them. If that's Trek....well, that's just frikkin' gravy for me

 

[kimc]

I just mean Star Trek stories that are still Star Trek where more adult scenes don't have to be either completely skipped or glossed over (because they can and do have a place in story telling) or be made utterly unrealistic or cartoonish in an effort to not show blood or what really happens when you are hit with a high powered disruptor.

I've often thought that keeping the blood out of violent scenes did more harm than good. I think the whole "glamour" of the gun culture among young people is that they just don't get that when you shoot someone they bleed - A LOT.

I volunteer as a big sister and when my little had to interview a World War 2 vet she was bored when he described the "bodies stacked like cordwood" on Omaha beach. I asked her later if she understood why the war was fought and she didn't even know who Hitler was. I then went to youtube.com and made her watch the opening scenes of "Saving Private Ryan". I felt pretty evil making a 14-year-old sit through that but in the end watching an re-enactment of what the 86-year old man she had just talked to went though made her appreciate the experience. She then did enough research on the war to earn herself an A.

Okay, that was a bit of a digression but I just wanted to illustrate my point that sometimes by "protecting" kids we're actually keeping them from learning the truth about violence.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

This came up in another thread. Is Trek Lit currently considered a series for adults or is the aim to make it readable for both adults and young people?

The concern was there shouldn't be any sex scenes since young people would read them. However, I had thought that the current relationships were acknowledged without explicit sex scenes.

If memory serves, NF has some explicit sex scenes...but then, it's been MANY years since I've ever read NF, so I could be wrong.

How explicit should sex and relationships get in Trek Lit? Also, as long as we're discussing material suitable for younger readers how explicit should the violence be?

Sorry this is a bit rushed - I have to go to work!

I think if reaching general audiences is indeed a concern, then PG-13 on both counts. If not (such as in the case of Battlestar Galactica, which is definitely NOT marketed to kids), then I guess an R rating would make sense.

But since Star Trek itself is marketed to a wide audience, I think the first scenario is most fitting.

 

[Marie1]

But I'd say that learning about violence in real life- wars, murder, rape, is a bit different than violence for entertainment. If they see a bunch of death and blood spattering everywhere as fun, then the deaths in war aren't so bad. I'm no where near as appalled by death as I should be.

And in RL, there is no Q, no androids, no evil clones etc., to explain away a horrible death.

There are "adult situations" in Trek Lit- I've been pleased so far that we know that there is still romance and love there. Sex exists... but its usually not extreme. We know what happens, more importantly, we get the feelings, the affection etc.

Violence gets a bit gory in Trek as it is, I wouldn't have it go worse. Some of what happens is already pretty intense, and there is plenty of gore.

Trek lit seems geared to a reasonably large audience, so keeping it to that is probably for the best.

 

[shanejayell]

I think Trek lit is intended for late teen to adult, mostly.

It WOULD be nice to see a Younger audience, teen trek series. Wonder if a new Starfleet Academy series could work?

 

[Dayton Ward]

I'd love to see different takes, intended for different reading ages. They were able to do it when I was a kid. Back then, Star Trek was something you could play like you did Cowboys and Indians, or make up your own adventures with your Mego action figures. I still have the Trek story books from when I was a kid, and I've even managed to acquire additional copies to share with my kids. Yes, I'm corrupting them....

Other properties are having success in this area (Star Wars, Batman, etc.)...so why not Trek? It's all about the execution.

I'd love to do something like this.

 

[Jim Johnson]

I think Trek lit is intended for late teen to adult, mostly.

It WOULD be nice to see a Younger audience, teen trek series. Wonder if a new Starfleet Academy series could work?

Something that'll help is to get lots and lots of your friends to go see the new Trek movie and to buy lots and lots of the current novels.

I had a couple YA Starfleet Academy proposals sitting on Marco's desk before he left, so maybe something like that could be picked up again assuming the economy gets out of the nosedive and the editors decide to give some YA Trek another go. I have a nephew and two nieces that are just about at the right age for proper Trek indoctrination, and a YA Trek series would be fab.

 

[Semah]

I think that a comparable amount of sex and violence to the original source material is probably for the best. Any more runs the risk of alienating ones core audience.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Obviously it's time to pitch Debbie Does Denobula

 

[Dayton Ward]

I still have a pitch for "Naked Came the Betazoid" somewhere around here.....

 

[Trent Roman]

I think Trek lit is intended for late teen to adult, mostly.

I'd say that's pessimistic; many of us here started reading the Trek books at a much younger age than that. By and large, my opinion on this is that the books themselves pose an nebulous age barrier; they are not written 'down', and are as such accessible only to readers of a certain level. I feel that anybody capable of reading at that level is also capable of dealing with the content and themes therein. I've often found that the most well-read kids/teens are also the most worldly.

I'd love to see another attempt at Trek books/stories aimed at younger audiences. Now that I've got kids of my own, I'm feeling the desire to write something for them. If that's Trek....well, that's just frikkin' gravy for me

Clearly you need to go out and buy copies upon copies of the pre-existing YA Trek novels to communicate to Pocket that a market for them exists.

I think that a comparable amount of sex and violence to the original source material is probably for the best. Any more runs the risk of alienating ones core audience.

Meh. The problem is, the recent Trek series have been pretty conservative... or rather, their standards have failed to keep up with broader social trends, which I suppose is a form of conservatism. ENT might be an exception in that it traded conservatism for juvenalia, which I guess is a step up but not by much. I'm all for the book line progressing beyond that kind of stodgy negligence or sophomoric giggling.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Dayton Ward]

Clearly you need to go out and buy copies upon copies of the pre-existing YA Trek novels to communicate to Pocket that a market for them exists.

No. The approved strategy is to buy nothing, condemn everything else sight unseen, and keep posting on message boards until I get my way.

 

[Semah]

Clearly you need to go out and buy copies upon copies of the pre-existing YA Trek novels to communicate to Pocket that a market for them exists.

No. The approved strategy is to buy nothing, condemn everything else sight unseen, and keep posting on message boards until I get my way.