Kzinti in Trek novels?

[F. King Daniel]

I know there’s been a ban on Kzinti (not the Xindi!) in Star Trek for decades, and I know that they were in Star Trek Log 10 (I’ll never forgive myself for not picking it up when I had the chance!). I also remember them mentioned in passing (literally, down a corridor) in some other Trek novel I don’t remember the slightest other thing about.

But were they in any other novels? Or rather were they intended to be, and appear under a different name? I’m thinking of novels like “Death’s Angel” which had a war-like (but grey-coloured) cat alien is amongst the other weird aliens. I think there was a Next Gen novel with angry cat-like aliens in it but I can’t remember. Were any of these meant to be Kzinti? Are there any others?

 

[Dayton Ward]

The Kzinti don't appear in any other Trek fiction that I can recall. It's possible that a passing reference has slipped in here or there, though.

Still, now I have a reason to use this:

 

[Mysterion]

^^^^
You, Sir, are getting the bill for the windex I just had to use to clean off my monitor.

 

[shanejayell]

LOL

^__^

I suspect it might be a copyright issue. Maybe?

 

[Geoff Thorne]

The Kythari in my story in PROPHECY & CHANGE are a wink at the Kzinthi.

 

[David R. George III]

The Kzinti don't appear in the Crucible trilogy, but the three books do contain a reference (there may even be two) to "Slaver Weapon."

 

[Therin of Andor]

I know that they were in Star Trek Log 10 (I’ll never forgive myself for not picking it up when I had the chance!).

The Logs were reprinted an trade paperback a few years ago: five volumes with a new serializaed essay by Foster.

I also remember them mentioned in passing (literally, down a corridor) in some other Trek novel I don’t remember the slightest other thing about.

Two Kzinti visitors were acknowledged in their native language by a Starfleet starbase commander, Maria Kellogg ("Ishmael").

But were they in any other novels?

http://www.geocities.com/therinofandor/TAS/TAS2.html

My site is overdue for an update.

 

[Herbert1]

When the Tzenkethi finally make an appearance in a Sisko/Leighton USS Okinawa novel will they resemble the Kzinti?

 

[Dayton Ward]

:: shakes Magic 8-Ball ::

"Reply hazy. Ask again later."

 

[captcalhoun]

no, because they're not the Kzinti. and were never meant to be.

 

[Christopher]

When the Tzenkethi finally make an appearance in a Sisko/Leighton USS Okinawa novel will they resemble the Kzinti?

There's absolutely no reason why they should, since the marginal similarity of the names is pure coincidence. Besides, cat aliens have been done -- why settle for something so derivative rather than come up with something new?

Also, that Lost Era Okinawa novel is probably never going to happen, since it was a Marco Palmieri project. However, the Tzenkethi are members of the Typhon Pact, so they'll presumably appear in the 2010 miniseries of that name.

 

[Herbert1]

:: shakes Magic 8-Ball ::

"Reply hazy. Ask again later."

I guess you could comment, but then you would have to kill us.

I know that Robert Hewitt Wolfe envisioned the Tzenkethi as "heavily-armored lizard things" similar to the Hakazit from Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls novels.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Tzenkethi

If only Star Trek: Enterprise had lasted for a fifth season we would have had live-action Kzin in "Killkenny Cats" written by Jimmy Diggs. Diggs is adapting his screenplay for James Cawley's Star Trek: Phase II and will introduce yet another name for the Kzin in the Star Trek Universe -- K'ytheri.

 

[Herbert1]

When the Tzenkethi finally make an appearance in a Sisko/Leighton USS Okinawa novel will they resemble the Kzinti?

There's absolutely no reason why they should, since the marginal similarity of the names is pure coincidence. Besides, cat aliens have been done -- why settle for something so derivative rather than come up with something new?

Also, that Lost Era Okinawa novel is probably never going to happen, since it was a Marco Palmieri project. However, the Tzenkethi are members of the Typhon Pact, so they'll presumably appear in the 2010 miniseries of that name.

The only reason why I thought it was possible is that some fans have speculated for years that the Tzenkethi were another name for Larry Niven's Kzin including the apocryphal story that they intended to introduce a cat-like race in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

I for one would prefer to see an original alien race named Tzenkethi and I am really not that interested in seeing yet another race of cat people and I wasn't advocating that the Tzenkethi be derivative of Niven's Kzin.

 

[Christopher]

The only reason why I thought it was possible is that some fans have speculated for years that the Tzenkethi were another name for Larry Niven's Kzin including the apocryphal story that they intended to introduce a cat-like race in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

I'm aware of that speculation, but it's completely and utterly false. As you yourself mentioned, Robert Hewitt Wolfe didn't have anything like that in mind when he conceived of the Tzenkethi. Although there's no telling whether the Tzenkethi's eventual appearance in the books will be anything like what Robert imagined. "Heavily armored lizard things" might be a bit too Gorn-like an approach to take.

 

[Trent Roman]

I'm aware of that speculation, but it's completely and utterly false. As you yourself mentioned, Robert Hewitt Wolfe didn't have anything like that in mind when he conceived of the Tzenkethi. Although there's no telling whether the Tzenkethi's eventual appearance in the books will be anything like what Robert imagined. "Heavily armored lizard things" might be a bit too Gorn-like an approach to take.

I was thinking the armour would be a part of their anatomy, like thyreophora dinosaurs, particularly ankylosaurids and nodosaurids. That would certainly be visually distinct from the oversized bug-eyed geckos that are the Gorn.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[William Leisner]

One would think that there are a lot more variations on "lizard things" left in the Trek universe -- certainly more than variations of "humanoids with bumps and ridges and flaps on their faces".

 

[Herbert1]

The only reason why I thought it was possible is that some fans have speculated for years that the Tzenkethi were another name for Larry Niven's Kzin including the apocryphal story that they intended to introduce a cat-like race in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

I'm aware of that speculation, but it's completely and utterly false. As you yourself mentioned, Robert Hewitt Wolfe didn't have anything like that in mind when he conceived of the Tzenkethi. Although there's no telling whether the Tzenkethi's eventual appearance in the books will be anything like what Robert imagined. "Heavily armored lizard things" might be a bit too Gorn-like an approach to take.

Whether correct or incorrect, there is the perception that Pocket Books makes creative decisions to appeal to a certain segment of the fan population in order to sell books.

 

[Christopher]

^^We "appeal to the fan population" by telling interesting stories about interesting characters and situations, not by pandering to fringe theories.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I'm aware of that speculation, but it's completely and utterly false. As you yourself mentioned, Robert Hewitt Wolfe didn't have anything like that in mind when he conceived of the Tzenkethi. Although there's no telling whether the Tzenkethi's eventual appearance in the books will be anything like what Robert imagined. "Heavily armored lizard things" might be a bit too Gorn-like an approach to take.

I was thinking the armour would be a part of their anatomy,

Like this?

I have to say, I'd pay good money to see those buggers turn up in Trek or TrekLit...

 

[Trent Roman]

Uh... no? I meant that the armour is an innate feature of said species' biology, something that grows out of their bone structure or somesuch, rather suits made out of some kind of lizard (I assume that what those hats and jackets are meant to be) which the aliens then put on. Something integral to their physique, not clothing.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman