All Trek novels, stories and canon...

[los2188]

Most of my Trek knowledge is based on movies and TV series as I have yet to find Trek novels and other non-canon stories. I do have one question for all of you...why hasn't Paramount, or whomever would be in charge, for lack of better words, released any canon stories or novels? I mean how hard would it be to continue the Trek saga in novels and other stories and make it official canon? Am I missing something? Don't get me wrong, there are A LOT of great authors and story tellers that tell non-canon stories and such, but why not contract presumably a few authors to make these novels and have them all officially canon?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Because they see no advantage to restricting their storytelling options on film.

 

[Jimi_James]

It's hard enough for TV writers to keep track of canon as it is, and often they still get it wrong. Throw in the addition of novels and other sources and it becomes vastly more complex to keep things straight. Let's remember, while many Trek writers would consider themselves fans, they're not rabid consumers of every detail that's ever occurred. There is some degree of difference between casual fan and rabid fanboy, which exists in the professional world, though one might argue that in of itself is an issue that should be corrected in current Trek.

Plus, I highly doubt that paramount cares all that much about canon, so with a successful line of novels already being published on a regular basis, there's no need to mandate that Simon & Schulster create a new line of novels that contradict their already existing expanded universe in order to adhere to some arbitrary rules of canon that they don't even care about...or likely even know about.


There was a Voyager Novel written by Jeri Taylor that was considered canon for a while, though I think it was later contradicted by the show I think. Perhaps a more knowledgeable Voyager fan can offer more details.

 

[T'Girl]

It's CBS, not Paramount, that owns Star Trek. If CBS wanted the novels or other currently non-canon material to be canon I believe they could.

George Lucas lets Star Wars novels be part of the "expanded universe" of Star Wars.

 

[Nerys Myk]

But if he feels like ignoring them, he'll do do without hesitation.

 

[-Brett-]

I've heard that only about 2% of the total fanbase reads the tie-in fiction. It just doesn't make any sense for the shows and movies, watched by millions, to be constrained by the tie-ins, which are read by thousands at most.

Add to that, most of it is pure unadulterated crap that we don't really want to be canon anyway.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Considering the number of novels, comics, etc there are out there and how some of what was written was contradicted by more other stories, it just becomes a bit of a mess. I like that canon is only what is seen on screen and the written universe is there for those who want to take things further, even if what is in books, etc is then overwritten by a series or movie.

There is one aspect from the books that I want to see incorporated into canon though, that being the Andorian four sexes idea. It gives an interesting (and very alien) slant on the species, but that's me.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

But if he feels like ignoring them, he'll do do without hesitation.

Thanks godness we have Dave Filoni watching over us and curbing his excesses.

Add to that, most of it is pure unadulterated crap that we don't really want to be canon anyway.

I would take the Klingon Tetralogy by KRAD over much of Voyager anytime.

 

[BillJ]

Why does a story need to be 'canon' to be enjoyable?

 

[R. Star]

Canon is just another word for opinion. Trek's creators and producers can't even agree on the specifics of what is and isn't canon anyways. There's a ton of novels, stories, games and what not out there. If you want to read them and incorporate them into your Trek experience, go ahead... if not, don't. You don't need a permission slip from momm-- I mean Paramount/CBS.

 

[Therin of Andor]

There is one aspect from the books that I want to see incorporated into canon though, that being the Andorian four sexes idea. It gives an interesting (and very alien) slant on the species, but that's me.

Shran, Tholos, Tarah, Talas.
Thaan, chan, shen, zhen.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Most of my Trek knowledge is based on movies and TV series as I have yet to find Trek novels and other non-canon stories. I do have one question for all of you...why hasn't Paramount, or whomever would be in charge, for lack of better words, released any canon stories or novels? I mean how hard would it be to continue the Trek saga in novels and other stories and make it official canon? Am I missing something? Don't get me wrong, there are A LOT of great authors and story tellers that tell non-canon stories and such, but why not contract presumably a few authors to make these novels and have them all officially canon?

Since Prime Trek is finished on TV/film, it doesn't really matter. As others have said, the only reason the novels and comics etc weren't canon was so the TV/film writers didn't have to "keep up" with what happened in them. The novels have an intricate continuity they've been building since 2001 (with ties back to the novels of the 80's), and their continuation of the DS9/TNG/VOY universe isn't going to be contradicted.

IMO TV/film Trek is the icing on the cake. The novels are the cake itself, adding incredible depth to the universe, fleshing out the characters and cultures to an extent the TV shows couldn't dream of.

George Lucas lets Star Wars novels be part of the "expanded universe" of Star Wars.

I'm not a fan of Star Wars, but didn't The Clone Wars cartoon invalidate several Star Wars novels, leading to one of the authors quitting in anger?
Here's a quote from George Lucas himself:

I don't read that stuff. I haven't read any of the novels. I don't know anything about that world. That's a different world than my world. But I do try to keep it consistent. The way I do it now is they have a Star Wars Encyclopedia. So if I come up with a name or something else, I look it up and see if it has already been used. When I said [other people] could make their own Star Wars stories, we decided that, like Star Trek, we would have two universes: My universe and then this other one. They try to make their universe as consistent with mine as possible, but obviously they get enthusiastic and want to go off in other directions

Doesn't sound very canon to me.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

They are different levels of canon.

Why does a story need to be 'canon' to be enjoyable?

Some of are completists.

 

[BillJ]

They are different levels of canon.

Why does a story need to be 'canon' to be enjoyable?

Some of are completists.

No there isn't. It's either canon or its not.

As far as being a completist, why does it matter if it counts or not. Either you enjoyed it or you didn't.

And it doesn't sound like the Star Wars EU is canon either based on the Lucas quote above.

 

[6079SmithW]

They are different levels of canon.


No there isn't. It's either canon or its not.

And it doesn't sound like the Star Wars EU is canon either based on the Lucas quote above.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Canon#Canon_in_the_Holocron_continuity_database

I recently got into this debate. Apparently there are different tiers of canon in star wars and it is all considered canon unless GL says otherwise.

 

[Drago-Kazov]

They are different levels of canon.

Why does a story need to be 'canon' to be enjoyable?

Some of are completists.

No there isn't. It's either canon or its not.

As far as being a completist, why does it matter if it counts or not. Either you enjoyed it or you didn't.

And it doesn't sound like the Star Wars EU is canon either based on the Lucas quote above.

I like the idea of an interconected universe where the stories have consequences.

 

[BillJ]

It sounds like Lucas is free to blow off the EU whenever he wants. I don't think that makes it canon.

 

[BillJ]

They are different levels of canon.

Some of are completists.

No there isn't. It's either canon or its not.

As far as being a completist, why does it matter if it counts or not. Either you enjoyed it or you didn't.

And it doesn't sound like the Star Wars EU is canon either based on the Lucas quote above.

I like the idea of an interconected universe where the stories have consequences.

Since we've established that Star Trek has a multiverse, no story should be discounted because it clashes with what appears on screen or another tie-in.

 

[6079SmithW]

It sounds like Lucas is free to blow off the EU whenever he wants. I don't think that makes it canon.

That is what I believed too and still do to an extent. If Lucas can blow it off at any time what is the point in arguing its canonicity? But then I was told I'm wrong and KOTOR is just as canon as the movies, even though Lucas can de-canonize it at any time, which makes the argument kind of pointless to me.

 

[malchya]

I'm rather pleased with the lack of consistency in ST canon. I haven't always felt that way, I admit - especially when TNG aired and totally ignored the material that had been so painstakingly built up for FASA Trek, but I'm older now and less of a "canon nazi." The inconsistencies allow me to write/run adventures that fall within the FASA Trek realm and not leave me feeling like some kind of PFJ splitter!