Star Trek Novels in a new way

[indianatrekker26]

Not sure how i should have titled this thread. I started reading Star Trek TOS: The Janus Gate last night. A strange thing happened; i started "hearing" the voices of Chris Pine, Zachery Quinto et al. as I was reading it. When you start reading any TOS fiction, specifically the stuff that takes place chronologically around that time, which cast will you "picture" in your head?
I think this happened to me, cause I saw the movie 3 times last weeked, so hearing those actors was so fresh in my mind.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Traitor.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Not sure how i should have titled this thread. I started reading Star Trek TOS: The Janus Gate last night. A strange thing happened; i started "hearing" the voices of Chris Pine, Zachery Quinto et al. as I was reading it. When you start reading any TOS fiction, specifically the stuff that takes place chronologically around that time, which cast will you "picture" in your head?
I think this happened to me, cause I saw the movie 3 times last weeked, so hearing those actors was so fresh in my mind.

Well all TOS books and expanded fiction released up until now has been set in the original timeline so really you should be trying to get the original cast`s voices in your head. The events might still have happened but at this point we simply don`t know how different this new timeline will be. So its safe to assume that the stories featured shatner-kirk and Deforest-Mccoy etc.

 

[captcalhoun]

Traitor.

word.

 

[garamet]

I'll say this not having seen the film yet: Hear whatever voices you want to hear, see whichever actors you want to see in your mind's eye, in order to get the maximum enjoyment out of the book.

It would be interesting if you'd started reading before seeing the film and heard Shatner, et al., then picked up the book and started hearing Pine, et al.

I know that happens to me while I'm writing. I'll often use actors or people I know as mental images to set up a character. But I had one recently start out looking and sounding like Johnny Depp (with which, believe me, I had absolutely nooo problem ), but imagine my surprise when I opened up the manuscript one morning and found he'd decided to appear as Colin Firth.

Also not a problem esthetically, and it only required a tweak on a sentence or two to change the physical description on the page, but it was the first time this had happened to me, and it surprised the hell out of me.

Now, if every character suddenly changes faces, I'm in trouble, but so far, so good.

Anyway, I'm nattering. Bottom line: Enjoy what you're reading, and trust your instincts.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

So it's safe to assume that the stories featured shatner-kirk and Deforest-Mccoy etc.

I wouldn't make that assumption at all.

 

[LightningStorm]

I'd probably picture them based on what timeline they're set in. Original timeline means original cast, new timeline means new cast. Especially since

Spoiler: Trek XI

in the case of Spock, both actors exist in the same altered timeline at the same time.

 

[Dayton Ward]

To be honest, it doesn't matter when a TOS novel is set; I still catch myself from time to time, imagining the characters, ships, locations, etc. as they were during the original series. I haven't read anything TOS-related since seeing the new movie, so who knows what my brain will do. Place your bets now.

 

[Christopher]

Well, consider this:

Spoiler: STXI

In the movie, Old Spock recognizes both Kirk and Scott on sight, and Old Spock's ship recognizes Young Spock's biometric signature. So even though the actors are different, in-universe the characters are still physically identical in both timelines -- just as the change in actors between Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis doesn't represent an in-story physical change in the character. (The one exception may be Chekov, who's 4 years older in the new timeline and thus can't be the genetically identical individual but rather a sort of "older brother" to our Pavel -- unless Chekov-Prime lied about his age in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and claimed to be 22 when he was actually 26.)

So there's no need to match actors with timelines, since the characters don't actually look or sound different in-universe. You can go with whichever actors you prefer in your mind's eye, or even mix and match. However, the same doesn't go for the Enterprise exteriors and interiors, since it was clearly built and launched significantly later in the new timeline and isn't meant to be the exact same ship.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Traitor.

Could be worse- there's at least one TOS book (I forget which; either the Invasion or Day Of Honor one) where I could "hear" Tim Russ saying all of Spock's lines...

 

[Dayton Ward]

(The one exception may be Chekov, who's 4 years older in the new timeline and thus can't be the genetically identical individual but rather a sort of "older brother" to our Pavel -- unless Chekov-Prime lied about his age in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and claimed to be 22 when he was actually 26.)

Chekov's dad was a Kelvin survivor, and in the rush of emotion which came from being happily reunited with his wife, they got jiggy wit it, earlier than they might have had he completed a normal tour of duty.



That sound you just heard was me pulling that notion from some deep, dark place.

 

[indianatrekker26]

Well, consider this:

Spoiler: STXI

In the movie, Old Spock recognizes both Kirk and Scott on sight, and Old Spock's ship recognizes Young Spock's biometric signature. So even though the actors are different, in-universe the characters are still physically identical in both timelines -- just as the change in actors between Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis doesn't represent an in-story physical change in the character. (The one exception may be Chekov, who's 4 years older in the new timeline and thus can't be the genetically identical individual but rather a sort of "older brother" to our Pavel -- unless Chekov-Prime lied about his age in "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and claimed to be 22 when he was actually 26.)

So there's no need to match actors with timelines, since the characters don't actually look or sound different in-universe. You can go with whichever actors you prefer in your mind's eye, or even mix and match. However, the same doesn't go for the Enterprise exteriors and interiors, since it was clearly built and launched significantly later in the new timeline and isn't meant to be the exact same ship.

Thanks, Christopher. I think that's the point, more or less, I was trying to convey. You made it much more clearer.

 

[Christopher]

Chekov's dad was a Kelvin survivor, and in the rush of emotion which came from being happily reunited with his wife, they got jiggy wit it, earlier than they might have had he completed a normal tour of duty.


That sound you just heard was me pulling that notion from some deep, dark place.

Oh, believe me, I've considered similar possibilities -- like maybe the miscarriage of Mrs. Chekova's first son was prevented by a physician who would've been out in space on the Kelvin in the original history. And maybe Movie Chekov has a moptopped 4-years-younger brother named Piotr....

 

[Mysterion]

I'll say this not having seen the film yet: Hear whatever voices you want to hear, see whichever actors you want to see in your mind's eye, in order to get the maximum enjoyment out of the book.

What she said.

 

[William Leisner]

Chekov's dad was a Kelvin survivor, and in the rush of emotion which came from being happily reunited with his wife, they got jiggy wit it, earlier than they might have had he completed a normal tour of duty.


That sound you just heard was me pulling that notion from some deep, dark place.

Oh, believe me, I've considered similar possibilities -- like maybe the miscarriage of Mrs. Chekova's first son was prevented by a physician who would've been out in space on the Kelvin in the original history. And maybe Movie Chekov has a moptopped 4-years-younger brother named Piotr....

Okay, now you guys are scaring me...

 

[captcalhoun]

Chekov's dad was a Kelvin survivor, and in the rush of emotion which came from being happily reunited with his wife, they got jiggy wit it, earlier than they might have had he completed a normal tour of duty.


That sound you just heard was me pulling that notion from some deep, dark place.

Oh, believe me, I've considered similar possibilities -- like maybe the miscarriage of Mrs. Chekova's first son was prevented by a physician who would've been out in space on the Kelvin in the original history. And maybe Movie Chekov has a moptopped 4-years-younger brother named Piotr....

Chekov has no brother!

 

[Christopher]

^Exactly. Our Chekov has no brother. But if this Chekov was a different individual born 4 years earlier and given the name Pavel nonetheless, maybe the alt-timeline equivalent of our Pavel Chekov was born at the appropriate time in the Abramsverse and named Piotr because the name Pavel was already taken. Get it? (Not sure it's worth explaining in detail, though, since I'm pretty much joking.)

 

[Bobatiel]

...they got jiggy wit it,...

You mean "jiggy vit it", don't you?

 

[BryanSorensen]

i think everyone getting all heated up about "hearing" the new actors voices in their heads is a bit pompous. I am sorry for those i offense with that. I think what everyone is completely ignoring is that this was a great movie, with a great story and a great cast. When i was watching it, i was picturing the original actors in their places. So what! It is the individual opinions of all Trek fans that makes the whole thing work so well! Who is to say that one person is a "traitor" for picturing the new actors in their heads while reading a TOS story, especially since they said they saw the new movie three times that weekend....I would too for that matter..so please, lets all get along on this and agree this was a great movie, and no one should be chastised for it...please.

 

[Dayton Ward]