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Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to attack Mr. Mack's artistic integrity in any way. If anything, my theory was that he likely has a lot of ideas for stories he would like to tell, and identified favorable circumstances for pitching one of them, and hopefully the powers that be will agree with them, and then everyone can work to publish something they believe in artistically and commercially.
Plus I think his writing style and sensibilities make an excellent fit for a Section 31 novel.
That Abramsverse novels are not allowed doesn't matter for this premise though. You only need to believe that people who have seen STID remember "Section 31" from the movie and recognize it when they see it on a digital or physical bookshelf and it piques their interest. It's a brand awareness thing, and STID furthered the viability of the "Section 31" brand by featuring it.
Honestly, I don't know what to think in this issue any more. In the comments section of that article, number 111 is actually from Orci saying "Nothing to do with it. Would’ve liked to read the novels myself, but I may have had to resist!"
But then there must be some reason why no novels in the Abramsverse are being done. Hell, even if they fear such novels are getting in the way of developing the movies, there are other alternatives, like novel prequels. Yeah, I know, IDW has comic prequels for both movies, but I think there could have been a way to do separate stories. For example, with XI, stick with Countdown as the comic prequel exploring Nero's origins, and then for the novel prequel do an adventure on the Kelvin or something. Not quite sure how they could have done this for STID though.
That link doesn't prove your claim in the least. In fact, it contradicts it. The quote there says it was Pocket's own decision "to hold off on telling new stories."
And the claim doesn't even make sense. There was an article more recently claiming that Bad Robot wanted all tie-ins to be in the Abramsverse but CBS was unwilling to abandon its successful Prime-universe tie-in lines. If BR had that much unilateral power to tell CBS what to do, wouldn't they have cancelled the Primeverse novels instead of the Abramsverse ones?
As I keep saying: we don't actually know what led to the novels being cancelled. I wrote one of the cancelled novels and even I don't know. And so any theory about the reasons behind it is guesswork, not fact.
Although I would not presume to speak for David Mack, I do get the impression that he pitched a Section 31 story because it's a story he wanted to tell and their presence in STID in no way influenced the decision. But I do not presume to speak for David Mack.
Also, colour me amazed that the Mission Impossible movie series didn't spawn a tie-in book series for the franchise in some form. I'd have thought it was a no-brainer for Pocket...
Also, colour me amazed that the Mission Impossible movie series didn't spawn a tie-in book series for the franchise in some form. I'd have thought it was a no-brainer for Pocket...
Ah, you evidently don't know the agent I used to have.
1992-2003: unagented, regular contracts.
2004-2006: Agented, no contracts, ended up working in a supermarket bakery for 18 months
2007-present: Unagented, regular contracts.
Yeah, I have a different view than most writers on what agents are for...
With Section 31 the current DS9 books have been building up a Section 31 thread with Sarina Douglas and Dr. Bashir, so it sounds like the book might tie into that thread some how (could we see the collapse of 31??? I don't know but it would be interesting.)
^To be honest, though, The Good That Men Do notwithstanding, I do NOT see how an organization-wide collapse of something like The Bureau would be particularly believable or realistic. To paraphrase Michael Crichton, The Bureau has survived everything, in its time--it will surely survive Bashir...or Jake and Nog, while we're at it.
BTW--take what I say below with however much salt you must, as I'm currently waiting for my copy of the latest DS9 book to come in, but...I'm still of the firm belief that--
Sarina's pulling Julian's leg, under orders from L'Haan.
Think about it--Sarina can have Julian do whatever the Bureau needs him to do, as he's under the impression that the two of them are doing such to bring down 31. Oh, the irony--and Bashir's arrogance, bless his heart, once again works to be his undoing.
Still--I must give Julian credit for facing the scenario with no small amount of angst. He isn't sure if he should believe Sarina. Here's hoping he doesn't abandon it in this book....
^To be honest, though, The Good That Men Do notwithstanding, I do NOT see how an organization-wide collapse of something like The Bureau would be particularly believable or realistic. To paraphrase Michael Crichton, The Bureau has survived everything, in its time--it will surely survive Bashir...
The original Star Trek: Section 31 miniseries twelve years ago went to quite a bit of trouble to end with each captain learning of Section 31's existence and vowing to bring it down, and Section 31: Abyss established the continued existence in 2376 of the anti-Thirty-One cabal Kirk established in 2268 at the end of Section 31: Cloak.
If we see the final fall of Section 31, I suspect the Kirk Cabal will come into play, not just Bashir.
BTW--take what I say below with however much salt you must, as I'm currently waiting for my copy of the latest DS9 book to come in, but...I'm still of the firm belief that--
Sarina's pulling Julian's leg, under orders from L'Haan.
Think about it--Sarina can have Julian do whatever the Bureau needs him to do, as he's under the impression that the two of them are doing such to bring down 31. Oh, the irony--and Bashir's arrogance, bless his heart, once again works to be his undoing.
Still--I must give Julian credit for facing the scenario with no small amount of angst. He isn't sure if he should believe Sarina. Here's hoping he doesn't abandon it in this book....
This novel is sounding very cool... Covert ops in the Star Trek universe are a compelling combination, all the way back to 'The Enterprise Incident'....
Also, colour me amazed that the Mission Impossible movie series didn't spawn a tie-in book series for the franchise in some form. I'd have thought it was a no-brainer for Pocket...
O/T for a moment... Actually, it did, kinda. As well as publishing a novelization of the 1996 movie, Pocket solicited two original tie-ins - The Aztec Imperative by James Luceno and The Doomsday Summit (possibly retitled Ring of Fire) by Tom Philbin but I don't think they were ever actually produced. There was also a single issue of an M:I comic published by Marvel's Paramount Comics imprint around the same time.
But you're right, it would be a neat tie-in franchise...
Although I would not presume to speak for David Mack, I do get the impression that he pitched a Section 31 story because it's a story he wanted to tell and their presence in STID in no way influenced the decision. But I do not presume to speak for David Mack.
I doubt it. It wasn't even on their radar until I pitched it, but then they approved it, conceptually at least, on the spot.
If I had to guess, I'd say the approval was motivated more by my then-recent arrival on the New York Times bestseller list than by Section 31's being mentioned in STID.
^To be honest, though, The Good That Men Do notwithstanding, I do NOT see how an organization-wide collapse of something like The Bureau would be particularly believable or realistic. To paraphrase Michael Crichton, The Bureau has survived everything, in its time--it will surely survive Bashir...
And frankly, it was pretty "prideful" of Vaughn to assume that 31 was behind the events of Insurrection, when part of the point of the conflict of the movie was that the Federation, in these desperate times, was inadvertently turning blind eyes to "small"--yet highly important--things. When your reasoning is only "Oh, well, we know better--it had to have been 31", I think you've got a pride problem.
The original Star Trek: Section 31 miniseries twelve years ago went to quite a bit of trouble to end with each captain learning of Section 31's existence and vowing to bring it down, and Section 31: Abyss established the continued existence in 2376 of the anti-Thirty-One cabal Kirk established in 2268 at the end of Section 31: Cloak.
Still, the thing to keep in mind is that 31 has much more experience in covert activities than the Cabal--assuming the Cabal does much, being little more than an anti-31 club, as far as the books seem to reveal.
(By the way, anyone curious as to exactly why we don't see any follow-up to Bashir's recruitment into the Cabal? I'd imagine at least, after learning of...well hints of 31 involvement in his life, lately, Bashir would be contacting the others, expressing his suspicions and concerns about you-know-who....)
BTW--take what I say below with however much salt you must, as I'm currently waiting for my copy of the latest DS9 book to come in, but...I'm still of the firm belief that--
Sarina's pulling Julian's leg, under orders from L'Haan.
Think about it--Sarina can have Julian do whatever the Bureau needs him to do, as he's under the impression that the two of them are doing such to bring down 31. Oh, the irony--and Bashir's arrogance, bless his heart, once again works to be his undoing.
Still--I must give Julian credit for facing the scenario with no small amount of angst. He isn't sure if he should believe Sarina. Here's hoping he doesn't abandon it in this book....
Strike "just" from there, and sure! But it isn't only that. Consider:
If Sarina really is working to bring down 31, this begs for the question as to what's been taking her so long to tell Bashir. After all, Revelation and Dust is set (as Ezri notes) about three years after Zero Sum Game. And the last book strongly implies Sarina's "confession" has been fairly recent. So it's taken her that long to confess?
No...I really doubt she's being so sincere. And also...recall L'Haan didn't seem so surprised when Bashir slips that Sarina's told him about her--and that there's no follow-up from L'Haan. Surely there'd be repercussions if Sarina had "betrayed" her division. Instead, L'Haan encourages Bashir to exonerate Sarina.
My theory: L'Haan's plan is to employ Bashir with the conceit that, while he's thinking he's working against the Bureau...his activities with Sarina are in fact serving 31's interest. Quite brilliant, actually--assuming Bashir can be fooled by this for so long.
There is a quick reference by Bashir in Revelation and Dust to Sarina and Section 31; Bashir is worried that Sarina may be working for Section 31 but isn't ready to face that possibility.
