Disgruntled Janeway fans: try a carrot

[Trent Roman]

But ones that never intertwine in any significant way (I hate when cross-overs are forced)? Are we really willing to have every Voyager novel split into two parts?

It's not my ideal solution, and I can think of a number of ways around such a problem, but even if that were the case: so what? The ENT books are like this already, and that only for the sake of a single character. The VOY-R, much as I disliked it, did seem to be setting up a number of 'spheres' if you will, one centered on Earth that encompassed Janeway, Tuvok, Seven, the Doctor, as well as Icheb, Reginald Barclay and the incredible age-switching Naomi Wildman, and another centered on Voyager itself that included Chakotay, Kim, Paris and a number of Golden's (loathsome) original characters.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[BillJ]

But ones that never intertwine in any significant way (I hate when cross-overs are forced)? Are we really willing to have every Voyager novel split into two parts?

It's not my ideal solution, and I can think of a number of ways around such a problem, but even if that were the case: so what? The ENT books are like this already, and that only for the sake of a single character. The VOY-R, much as I disliked it, did seem to be setting up a number of 'spheres' if you will, one centered on Earth that encompassed Janeway, Tuvok, Seven, the Doctor, as well as Icheb, Reginald Barclay and the incredible age-switching Naomi Wildman, and another centered on Voyager itself that included Chakotay, Kim, Paris and a number of Golden's (loathsome) original characters.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Maybe it could work with the right writers... but since I'm not really attached to the Janeway character it's not a problem.

But let's face facts. This wouldn't be an issue if not for Endgame. The voyage we were told about that would take another sixteen years seems far more interesting than anything Pocket can do now.

 

[Thrawn]

I disagree; I think Full Circle has the potential to be far more interesting than what we saw of the journey on TV.

Though if it had ended more like Places Of Exile, I might agree with you, BillJ.

 

[Trent Roman]

This wouldn't be an issue if not for Endgame. The voyage we were told about that would take another sixteen years seems far more interesting than anything Pocket can do now.

No reason Pocket couldn't do that as well (I've pimped the concept of a novel exploring the quashed "Endgame" timeline a number of times).

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[donners22]

If Crucible: McCoy could cover a timeline which was extinguished, I see no reason why Voyager's trip home couldn't be covered. There's a perfect opportunity to kill off characters without the same level of backlash.

Then again, I can't imagine anyone being upset at the death of Chakotay - you could have had him as a corpse for the last few seasons and nobody would have noticed.

 

[Ayesakara]

My point is that most Voyager fans are going to care about what happens to Janeway simply because she's the captain - even if their favorite may be Seven or the Doctor or whoever.

Not necessarily.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

My point is that most Voyager fans are going to care about what happens to Janeway simply because she's the captain - even if their favorite may be Seven or the Doctor or whoever.

Not necessarily.

Yeah Ayesakara has a point why should people give a crap about a character who isn't their favorite just becuase they run the ship or station the story is set on?

 

[Brit]

Then again, I can't imagine anyone being upset at the death of Chakotay - you could have had him as a corpse for the last few seasons and nobody would have noticed.

I hate to burst your bubble, but yes it would have been noticed and the uproar would probably been almost as strong. The Janeway/Chakotay fandom is very active.

In fact for a lot of us, he didn't have to do anything but be there lol. We are shippers (as in relationshippers) because of this Janeway and Chakotay are a pair and both are important.

Brit

 

[Gorf]

What she said. I would definitely have noticed that as well. He's kinda hard to miss.

 

[DimesDan]

he didn't have to do anything but be there lol.

I find that rather shallow.

 

[Gorf]

So what? We've been called worse.

 

[joyofvgr]

Then again, I can't imagine anyone being upset at the death of Chakotay - you could have had him as a corpse for the last few seasons and nobody would have noticed.

I hate to burst your bubble, but yes it would have been noticed and the uproar would probably been almost as strong. The Janeway/Chakotay fandom is very active.

In fact for a lot of us, he didn't have to do anything but be there lol. We are shippers (as in relationshippers) because of this Janeway and Chakotay are a pair and both are important.

Brit

LOL. I have to admit there's some element of truth to that, at least for me. I have seen TOS, TNG and Voyager many times. However, it was the potential for a J/C relationship at the end that made my enthusiasm for Voyager that much more. It's what brought me to the boards and made me purchase Christie Golden's relaunch novels.

The side effect has been that I've become even more of a Star Trek fan then I ever was and at some point I'm looking forward to watching DS9. I had seen it a few times when it first aired, but I couldn't get into it.

That being said, I was sadly disappointed that they didn't develop Chakotay's character further. I was very excited by his character in Caretaker (other than his good looks) and couldn't wait to see what they planned for him. Unfortunately is was nothing.

 

[DimesDan]

So what? We've been called worse.

I wasn't calling anyone anything, I was just saying, I do find it shallow, I also find it rather hypercritical as well.

 

[Brit]

he didn't have to do anything but be there lol.

I find that rather shallow.

I suppose you could see it that way. LOL

The problem is that women read and enjoy movies a little differently than men do. I am truly not trying to be sexist about this but am offering an explanation. One isn't better than the other, each desire should be met and not necessarily in the same book or movie or TV series.

Women in general identify with the heroine (in this case read Janeway) and they fall in love with the hero (here insert Chakotay), both are needed. It's also why Janeway/Chakotay fans hated the C/7 stuff in "Endgame" so much. It appeared like the standard classic - husband and wife sacrifice and save to reach a goal and bam once they get there he trades her in on a much younger blonde.

Brit

 

[elaithin]

Wow, that's so generalized and wrong it's not even funny.

 

[Brit]

Wow, that's so generalized and wrong it's not even funny.

Nope it isn't wrong while it is a generalization. It comes from an understanding of what women want to read, as in know your audience. It is one of the first lessons you learn when you aspire to write Romance. There are all kinds of Romance writing blogs and sites like "The Romantic Times" and the "Romance Writers of America", they will all tell you basically the same thing. Couple that with the fact that Romance is purchased primarily by woman and accounts for 50 percent of all fiction book sales, my guess would be they are right.

So funny or not it is a factor and should be considered.

Brit

 

[teya]

It comes from an understanding of what women want to read, as in know your audience. It is one of the first lessons you learn when you aspire to write Romance.

How about what *some* women want to read?

I'm a woman, 50-plus, and I have never read romance and have *absolutely* no desire to read romance. I do not want the standard romance plotlines--I find them predictable and boring. If a sci-fi author is going to give me romance, I want it to be a sci-fi romance. For example, Sarek and Amanda is the ultimate Trek 'ship--interspecies relationship allows a writer to explore contemporary issues in cross-cultural romance. J/C has no sci-fi component except that they live on a space ship. That's not enough, IMO.

One thing that has been annoying in this discussion is your tendency to speak in generalizations: "women want this..."

No, *you* want this. *Some* women want this.

Please do not presume to speak for all of us.

 

[Brit]

Taya I said it was a generalization, I never said different. And no, not all women want to read romance but with the overwhelming number of romance novels sold I can make a pretty good guess of what the majority of reading women want to read.

There is Science Fiction romances out there but you have to look in the romance section to find them. Linnea Sinclair is just about the best. When it comes to personal taste I like Science Fiction Romance and Suspense Romance, I don't care much for the Historicals. I like some modern romance but not all of it.

If you don't want to read Romance, don't read it but don't discount it either.

Brit

 

[Steve Roby]

My wife Laura and I are a pretty small sample, but we both watch the same TV series (all the Star Trek series, Babylon 5, X-Files, Coronation Street, Life on Mars, Lost, new Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, various historical/literary adaptations from Sharpe and Hornblower to Austen and Dickens). We read some of the same books, too.

Guess which one of us has read several of Georgette Heyer's Regency romances. Then guess which one of us has read the Mass Effect videogame tie-in novels, the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell tie-ins, and was the first to read the Gears of War videogame tie-in. Hint: Brit's generalization may lead you astray.

 

[Semah]

If you don't want to read Romance, don't read it but don't discount it either.

Brit

You're doing that thing again where you tell people to stop doing that which they were not actually doing.