Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoilers)

[Quark's Lobe]

I figured there would already be a thread on this, didn't see one, so decided to start one. If I just missed it, my apologies and feel free to close this.

By now, most everyone knows (or will soon know) that the events of the new movie unfold in an alternate timeline, where familiar events might occur just as before, or might play out completely differently.

I'm interested in hearing from authors and readers about how this could impact future novels. As we know, the original timeline remains firmly in place, completely untouched, so I'm sure most of the novels will continue to tell tales in the original timeline and I look forward to seeing that continue to unfold.

On the other hand, are any authors itching to take a crack at the new timeline, even hypothetically? If so, which aspects interest you? Personally, I would love to see what many of Trek's elite authors can do with the new timeline - not only the new plot twists it allows but also watching them explain some nuances of how the butterfly effect of Nero's actions affected the new timeline - maybe even allowing them to explore their own invented characters in this alternate timeline and showing how those characters' lives turned out differently as a result of Nero's timeline tampering.

I have to admit that I'm really intrigued by the "New Vulcan" colony world that Nimoy's Spock was setting off to help found in the movie. I'd love to see the Trek authors have a chance to provide an in-depth look at the implications here for the surviving Vulcans and the Federation, not to mention see their interpretation of how the TNG/DS9/etc. eras were potentially changed (or not changed) by the unfolding events of the new timeline.

Do we expect any permission to be given to tell these types of stories? Doubtful, at least any time soon, as I imagine folks would be leery to tread on subjects that JJ & Company might want to mine in future films. Nevertheless, I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this stuff!

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

On the other hand, are any authors itching to take a crack at the new timeline, even hypothetically? If so, which aspects interest you? Personally, I would love to see what many of Trek's elite authors can do with the new timeline - not only the new plot twists it allows but also watching them explain some nuances of how the butterfly effect of Nero's actions affected the new timeline - maybe even allowing them to explore their own invented characters in this alternate timeline and showing how those characters' lives turned out differently as a result of Nero's timeline tampering.

I doubt an Abramsverse book line would go in that direction, at least initially. In theory, if the film succeeds, it will bring ST a lot of new fans, people who weren't into it before, as well as drawing some old fans back in. So the expected audience for an Abramsverse novel would include newbies as well as vets, which means such a novel probably ought to stand on its own, to be an extension of the film's world and characters rather than a Myriad Universes-style variation on the existing Pocket continuity. Personally, I'd certainly be interested to explore how original-continuity events would unfold differently, but I think it would be more important for a movie-based novel line to establish its own identity.

I have to admit that I'm really intrigued by the "New Vulcan" colony world that Nimoy's Spock was setting off to help found in the movie. I'd love to see the Trek authors have a chance to provide an in-depth look at the implications here for the surviving Vulcans and the Federation

Certainly an interesting thread, but my instinct would be to stay away from it until we know it's not going to be followed up on in sequels. Given how much effort the script put into establishing this changed circumstance for the Vulcans, I'm not comfortable assuming that Kurtzman & Orci don't have further plans for exploring it. For all we know, they might even want Nimoy back for a sequel.

not to mention see their interpretation of how the TNG/DS9/etc. eras were potentially changed (or not changed) by the unfolding events of the new timeline.

That's another thing that would be really premature to tackle at this point. There's no telling what effect further movies will have on the Trek universe. It would be fun to speculate that far ahead, but risky as well. Personally I'd rather wait for more information on how the new 23rd century unfolds before I even begin thinking about the 24th.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'm interested in hearing from authors and readers about how this could impact future novels. As we know, the original timeline remains firmly in place, completely untouched, so I'm sure most of the novels will continue to tell tales in the original timeline and I look forward to seeing that continue to unfold.

Indeed - there's no sign of the post-Destiny, DS9-R, VOY-R or ENT-R series going away.

On the other hand, are any authors itching to take a crack at the new timeline,

Pretty much...

If so, which aspects interest you?

Various different ones - most personally Spock's loss of his mother, as mine died five years ago this summer and I've still never worked through that in my work.

Personally, I would love to see what many of Trek's elite authors can do with the new timeline - not only the new plot twists it allows but also watching them explain some nuances of how the butterfly effect of Nero's actions affected the new timeline - maybe even allowing them to explore their own invented characters in this alternate timeline and showing how those characters' lives turned out differently as a result of Nero's timeline tampering.

I have to admit that I'm really intrigued by the "New Vulcan" colony world that Nimoy's Spock was setting off to help found in the movie. I'd love to see the Trek authors have a chance to provide an in-depth look at the implications here for the surviving Vulcans and the Federation, not to mention see their interpretation of how the TNG/DS9/etc. eras were potentially changed (or not changed) by the unfolding events of the new timeline.

Do we expect any permission to be given to tell these types of stories? Doubtful, at least any time soon, as I imagine folks would be leery to tread on subjects that JJ & Company might want to mine in future films. Nevertheless, I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this stuff!

I'd put good money that we'll see a set of standalones, on the assumption that any book might be somebody's first Trek book.

 

[William Leisner]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd like to do a novel expanding on the debate over the rescue of the Andorian ambassador from the surface of Sylax IV.

 

[Starbreaker]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Books will surely confuse the fringe fans. They might freak out and not go see the next movie.

 

[Smiley]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Given the prominence of Spock in the new movie, I'd love to see Troublesome Minds do extremely well at the bookstores.

 

[Quark's Lobe]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I doubt an Abramsverse book line would go in that direction, at least initially. In theory, if the film succeeds, it will bring ST a lot of new fans, people who weren't into it before, as well as drawing some old fans back in. So the expected audience for an Abramsverse novel would include newbies as well as vets, which means such a novel probably ought to stand on its own, to be an extension of the film's world and characters rather than a Myriad Universes-style variation on the existing Pocket continuity.

Christopher, thanks for your reply! I have to admit that I was curious to see if you had any thoughts on the new timeline's T'Ryssa Chen and whether her "Vulcan side" ancestors were killed in the attack or whether they were spared. That said, I would certainly understand if you wanted to keep those thoughts under wraps for the moment.

I too created a Vulcan character and have written a few stories about him, though I invented mine to play as in the upcoming Star Trek Online (STO). Even though STO follows the original timeline, I feel protective of him to the point that I like to believe that my STO Vulcan will still be around in the altered timeline as well, so I'm thinking his ancestors were off planet at the time of Nero's attack or were some of the lucky survivors. He might have grown up quite differently in the new timeline, but I like to think he's still born, etc. I imagine many folks have favorite Vulcans in the TNG era and beyond that they will similarly be coming up with scenarios for how those characters could have survived (or not had their future birth wiped out by) Nero's purge in the new timeline. I'm assuming 10,000 survivors is the tally for the actual number of Vulcans who directly survived the attack, not including the millions who no doubt resided on other planets or were offworld at the time.

 

[Quark's Lobe]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

If so, which aspects interest you?

Various different ones - most personally Spock's loss of his mother, as mine died five years ago this summer and I've still never worked through that in my work.

This also interests me very much. With her premature passing in the film, I was reminded of Amanda's portrayal in David R. George III's excellent Spock Crucible novel, as well as her use in Sarek by A.C. Crispin.

 

[Rat Boy]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd be interested in seeing a novel that expands on what happened to Robau, George Kirk (who according to Ambassador Spock lived long enough to see Jim become captain of the Enterprise), and Winona in the previous timeline. I'd also like to see something concerning what happened during the three year jump in the middle of the film, such as explaining how Spock and Uhura hooked up.

 

[Bobatiel]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Well we have 25 years of the Abramsverse that fall between the destruction of the USS Kelvin and the destruction of Vulcan that probabaly won't be explored (at aleast not all that much) in future movies.

BTW, thought the movie was very good, and thought it was great Star Trek. Terrific casting and character writing.

I also loved the music, the sound and the entire look of the movie, lense flares and all.

 

[Quark's Lobe]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd be interested in seeing a novel that expands on what happened to Robau, George Kirk (who according to Ambassador Spock lived long enough to see Jim become captain of the Enterprise), and Winona in the previous timeline. I'd also like to see something concerning what happened during the three year jump in the middle of the film, such as explaining how Spock and Uhura hooked up.

^^ That Robau "classic timeline" idea is pure gold. Heck, they could do a whole book series on the adventures of Robau and George Kirk aboard the Kelvin in the original timeline! I'd read it.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Christopher, thanks for your reply! I have to admit that I was curious to see if you had any thoughts on the new timeline's T'Ryssa Chen and whether her "Vulcan side" ancestors were killed in the attack or whether they were spared. That said, I would certainly understand if you wanted to keep those thoughts under wraps for the moment.

Never even occurred to me to wonder. Like I said, I prefer not to speculate that far ahead of the available data.

I imagine many folks have favorite Vulcans in the TNG era and beyond that they will similarly be coming up with scenarios for how those characters could have survived (or not had their future birth wiped out by) Nero's purge in the new timeline. I'm assuming 10,000 survivors is the tally for the actual number of Vulcans who directly survived the attack, not including the millions who no doubt resided on other planets or were offworld at the time.

Presumably so, although it would've diminished the dramatic impact to say as much.

^^ That Robau "classic timeline" idea is pure gold. Heck, they could do a whole book series on the adventures of Robau and George Kirk aboard the Kelvin in the original timeline! I'd read it.

Heck, if it were set before 2233, it would mesh with both timelines.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Loved this film.

If there is a line of books to be had off this alternative line, I would be VERY comfortable writing in it.

As far as Im concerned, there are now only two STAR TREK films.

TWOK and ST.

 

[Mike Farley]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

^Little harsh there, Geoff!

Damn, I regret not being in LA to talk this movie with you and the guys!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd like to do a novel expanding on the debate over the rescue of the Andorian ambassador from the surface of Sylax IV.

It'll be one of those "peeling the Onion" stories.

 

[od0_ital]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I have to admit that I'm really intrigued by the "New Vulcan" colony world that Nimoy's Spock was setting off to help found in the movie. I'd love to see the Trek authors have a chance to provide an in-depth look at the implications here for the surviving Vulcans and the Federation

Certainly an interesting thread, but my instinct would be to stay away from it until we know it's not going to be followed up on in sequels. Given how much effort the script put into establishing this changed circumstance for the Vulcans, I'm not comfortable assuming that Kurtzman & Orci don't have further plans for exploring it. For all we know, they might even want Nimoy back for a sequel.

Read an article the other day that had the comment from Leonard Nimoy that if J.J. Abrams calls, he'll answer the phone, which is part of how he wound up in the Fringe finale, too.

I'm curious about stories set in the new timeline, but it'll probably be awhile before we see any thing on the shelves - 'round about the time the first book could be out, the reboot's sequel could be hittin' theaters.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'm curious about stories set in the new timeline, but it'll probably be awhile before we see any thing on the shelves - 'round about the time the first book could be out, the reboot's sequel could be hittin' theaters.

Depends on whether they did them as part of the current production, or as a separate schedule - given an average lead time of a year, say, I reckon we could see some by mid-summer 2010. Which I guess would sort of give us an annual bit of the JJ-verse, if a sequel comes in summer 2011

 

[Jbarney]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I figured there would already be a thread on this, didn't see one, so decided to start one. If I just missed it, my apologies and feel free to close this.

By now, most everyone knows (or will soon know) that the events of the new movie unfold in an alternate timeline, where familiar events might occur just as before, or might play out completely differently.

I'm interested in hearing from authors and readers about how this could impact future novels. As we know, the original timeline remains firmly in place, completely untouched, so I'm sure most of the novels will continue to tell tales in the original timeline and I look forward to seeing that continue to unfold.

On the other hand, are any authors itching to take a crack at the new timeline, even hypothetically? If so, which aspects interest you? Personally, I would love to see what many of Trek's elite authors can do with the new timeline - not only the new plot twists it allows but also watching them explain some nuances of how the butterfly effect of Nero's actions affected the new timeline - maybe even allowing them to explore their own invented characters in this alternate timeline and showing how those characters' lives turned out differently as a result of Nero's timeline tampering.

I have to admit that I'm really intrigued by the "New Vulcan" colony world that Nimoy's Spock was setting off to help found in the movie. I'd love to see the Trek authors have a chance to provide an in-depth look at the implications here for the surviving Vulcans and the Federation, not to mention see their interpretation of how the TNG/DS9/etc. eras were potentially changed (or not changed) by the unfolding events of the new timeline.

Do we expect any permission to be given to tell these types of stories? Doubtful, at least any time soon, as I imagine folks would be leery to tread on subjects that JJ & Company might want to mine in future films. Nevertheless, I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this stuff!

Even though I didn't like the film, the events which unfolded in it are rich with events that I would love to see explored.

In the universe we all know and love its going to be really interesting to see how Pocket writers choose to develop stories that lead into the destruction of Romulus. In the film, I thought Spock Prime's mind meld with Kirk to explain these events was very limited and clunky. You would think the Romulans would have some long term knowledge of their star starting to falter...so was it an some kind of attack? I have not read Countdown yet. What events allowed Spock Prime to create something like Red Matter? Its function in the film was obvious, but I think its implications for the trek universe are huge. It would also be great to see post Romulus books in the prime universe. I imagine the unification of the Romulan and Vulcan people so long hinted at by in the TNG era would "sorta" happen for those Romulans still alive. They'd almost be like the Vulcans in the new timeline.

And the new timeline is really going to be interesting. Romulus still exists in the new timeline, in the 2250s....once the dust settles from what happens are they going to look for a way to save their star? Vulcans dealing with the loss of their world, the trek characters in new and fresh places....

I really look forward to new stories from both timelines.

 

[JoeZhang]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

What does it matter what might or might not happen in the next film? I don't think that's every stopped any tie-in fiction been written in the past (such as Spock being the Captain of a science vessel between three and four).

If there is money to be made, Pocket are going to try and make it aren't they? Unless they are prohibited from writing about this new universe? Anyone know for sure?

 

[EJA]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd like to see a Mirror Universe story with the mirror versions of George Kirk and Robau serving on board the I.S.S. Kelvin!