Coming July 2013: STAR TREK ENTERPRISE — RISE OF THE FEDERATION

[Christopher]

This is an era I've been interested in reading about, this & the years after First Contact (2063 on).

As it happens, my original pitch was Star Trek: Beginnings, which would've been a multibook series covering the span between 2063 and the start of ENT. But it was wisely decided that that would be far too narrow in its appeal, since it would be too lacking in familiar characters and elements. I was offered this project as an alternative, and after my initial hesitation, I saw how much potential there was in it.

I must ask are you feeling it is a good chance to re-introduce the (oft-maligned) characters of Enterprise? Or are you glad to have many more potential characters in your sandbox?

I'm certainly trying to flesh out the potential of the ENT characters to the best of my ability, but there weren't really that many of them, so the story I'm telling requires adding some new ones, who will hopefully be appealing to readers.

Also with 'exploration' being one of your points, will the novel include still lots of science, or after having done several 'harder sf' novels, will this be more the subtle idea of social and political difference like in your Typhon Pact novella?

There should be a balance of both.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I'm delighted. Although now I feel the need to re-read the Romulan War arc: I honestly don't remember how it ended. Oh, well, I wanted to delay starting on the "Cold Equations" trilogy until the second volume comes out anyway . . .

Of course, regarding uniform evolution, we also need to recognize that (at least in the "Prime" Universe) the "Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" uniforms fit somewhere between the "Kelvin" uniforms and the TOS uniforms.

 

[Jarvisimo]

Thanks for answering Chris!

I must say that about uniforms, does the lit need to be sooo pedantic about their on-screen representation, given the many different decades of production design that Trek occured over (and on the television the tight budget that railed in costuming, miniatures and other things that could have been imagined more 'futurist')?

 

[Christopher]

I'm delighted. Although now I feel the need to re-read the Romulan War arc: I honestly don't remember how it ended.

Spoiler: Our side won.

Oh, well, I wanted to delay starting on the "Cold Equations" trilogy until the second volume comes out anyway . . .

Might be better to put off re-reading TRW until, ohh, June or so...

Of course, regarding uniform evolution, we also need to recognize that (at least in the "Prime" Universe) the "Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" uniforms fit somewhere between the "Kelvin" uniforms and the TOS uniforms.

Yup. And they and the Kelvin uniforms have a similarly muted color scheme. Plus the "Cage" uniforms included a captain's hat, which can be seen as a descendant of the baseball caps that were an optional part of the ENT-era uniforms.


Jarvisimo: I'm not sure what you mean about being "pedantic." It just seemed logical to me that the Federation Starfleet would have different uniforms than Earth Starfleet did, and I wanted to figure out what they looked like so I could acknowledge them in the book.

 

[F. King Daniel]

My main question is, you say you're building towards TOS, have a first Federation Starfleet uniform designed, but what of the 2230's USS Kelvin uniforms and technology seen in the last movie? I realize thats 60+ years ahead of the Federation's beginnings, but I'm curious if that era's look and feel was an influence.

I approached the uniform design as an intermediate step between the ENT and Kelvin uniforms, with elements foreshadowing later uniform designs as well.

Glad to hear it! After seeing previews of Federation: The First 150 Years make no mention of anything from the Kelvin era, I was starting to wonder if the novelverse was going to ignore it too.

 

[Sci]

This sounds entirely too awesome for words. As someone who's fascinated by the political side of Trek, and who is fascinated by the early post-Independence era of United States history, I'm really excited to read this one. Congrats Christopher!

 

[Christopher]

Glad to hear it! After seeing previews of Federation: The First 150 Years make no mention of anything from the Kelvin era, I was starting to wonder if the novelverse was going to ignore it too.

Well, of course I can't actually have the characters say "Hey, this looks like a step toward the uniforms we'll be wearing 70 years from now!" So there won't be any explicit mentions per se.

 

[Csalem]

Actually pleased to here Christopher is doing this. I gave up on ENT with Kobayashi Maru but will definitely get this. Am already a big fan of Starfleet: Year One so hope it is as good as that, even though it is in a different continuity.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Wonderful news. I couldn't think of a better Trek author to tackle such a ill-defined but significant period in the 'verse's history. And while I enjoyed the Enterprise relaunch novels more than most on the board, it'll be great to have a fresh perspective on the series' characters and conventions. Plus, having the Federation's early years finally fleshed out is something I've been hoping for for a while. So this is all-round exciting.

 

[Paris]

This is fantastic news for Enterprise, for Christopher, and for us. No offence intended to Michael Martin, but a lot of fans, and not only the ones on these boards, were not big fans of his Enterprise work. It'll be nice to see the book in the hands of a fresh voice. I echo the sentiment of wishing for another voyager relaunch situation, wherein the books are almost universally loved under the guidance of one author. Go get 'em Christopher

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

This is fantastic news!

The Enterprise books published have always held such vast potential that never seemed to bear any fruit. The ENT novels that I've found some enjoyment in were always colored by my greater disappointment in them.

Now with Christopher at the helm, I feel very confident that this potential will be fully realized. Mix in the largely unpainted canvas that constitutes this era of Trek history and I think we, the readers, are in for one fine novel.

Does anyone know if this is the same timeframe that the new book "Federation: the First 150 Years" covers?

 

[Skywalker]

This is really exciting. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I loved ENT, and I'm glad to see that it will live on in novel form for at least a little while longer. I've been hoping to see a genuine take on the early days of the Federation, and I'm happy to hear that you'll be exploring those days, Christopher.

Can't wait for next July!

 

[ChristopherPike]

I'm so excited for this book, I can't tell you. Literally speechless.

Okay maybe a little bit more. Sounds like what my fantasy TV show would be right now. Move forward from ENT, have a mix of familiar faces and new jumping onboard characters. Plus one eye on how it connects with the 23rd Century, whether you see that as the road to TOS or the current alt movie flavour.

With a Blu-ray release for Enterprise rumoured, 2013 is shaping up to be a great year for me.

Congratulations Christopher. The ENT-era had so much unfinished business and potential. Glad to see it's getting a second chance after mixed reaction to the Romulan War books.

 

[Markonian]

Re: RISE OF THE FEDERATION

Fantastic news!

ENT was the first Trek series I saw consciously from the start and I'm more than happy that the series isn't over yet.

Btw, the early Federation era was also glimpsed in Indistinguishable from Magic (Rasmussen's flashback).

Quick questions: Will there be NX-class vessels mentioned/seen (with or without the SOTL refit)?
Have you made visual sketches of the uniforms, similar to the sketches of the Pak'shree and Choblik?

Looking forward to this new chapter of Star Trek history.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Christopher, are you going to make any reference to this:

Spoiler: IAMD

Hoshi's death on Tarsus IV at the hands of Kodos the Executioner

?

 

[hadd001]

This sounds absolutely like it is going to be a great read. Looking forward to it. (Need any proofreaders ... hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

 

[Therin of Andor]

I approached the uniform design as an intermediate step between the ENT and Kelvin uniforms, with elements foreshadowing later uniform designs as well.

I hope you also take the opportunity to seed the storyline with the great (and, until recently, mostly ignored/overlooked) ST:TMP and STIV "races of the Federation" who were new to those who knew only TOS/TAS, but whom you've so cleverly used in "Ex Machina" and all your other novels since.

Very exciting news!

Now I'll read the rest of the thread.

 

[Christopher]

Does anyone know if this is the same timeframe that the new book "Federation: the First 150 Years" covers?

In my case it's more like "The First 1.5 Years." Give or take. And before anyone asks, since that book isn't coming out until just before my deadline for the manuscript, I doubt there will be any cross-pollination.

Btw, the early Federation era was also glimpsed in Indistinguishable from Magic (Rasmussen's flashback).

Oh, yes, how could I forget? Still, that's just, like, a few weeks after the founding. It doesn't reveal much.

Quick questions: Will there be NX-class vessels mentioned/seen (with or without the SOTL refit)?

At least one will be seen, along with other classes such as the Intrepid type.

Have you made visual sketches of the uniforms, similar to the sketches of the Pak'shree and Choblik?

I have. I'll post it eventually.

Christopher, are you going to make any reference to this:

Spoiler: IAMD

Hoshi's death on Tarsus IV at the hands of Kodos the Executioner

?

That's decades beyond the timeframe of the story I'm telling here.

 

[JoeZhang]

Where was that death originally mentioned?

 

[Defcon]

Where was that death originally mentioned?

In the personnel file shown in "In a Mirror Darkly". I have found this via google:

http://www.writtenbymikesussman.com/writtenbymikesussman/HoshiBio2.html