‘Countdown’ novelization?

[F. King Daniel]

I think there's a decent chance of this happening. ‘Ashes of Eden’ got a novel and comic, so why can’t this?

I’m not a big fan of comic books (I do love the old Gold Key collections, though), but I found the trekmovie.com preview(s) of Star Trek Countdown fascinating.

Anyone else think this would be excellent? It'd go great with ADF's Trek '09 novelization (great news about that, btw)
Maybe they could even tie them in to all the new post TNG/DS9 etc. novels…and put loads more story in…

…but they’d better do it before the film’s out - because if it sucks, no one will give a shit about Nero Begins…

 

[Stevil2001]

I'm not sure how one novel being turned into a comic book in the past forty years translates into there being a "decent chance" for this.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'm not sure how one novel being turned into a comic book in the past forty years translates into there being a "decent chance" for this.

Because the hype for Star Trek XI is so insane, as is the amount of merchandising planned. Plus non die-hard fans are more likely to pick up a novel with "prequel to the hit movie" written in huge letters across it than New Frontier #46 or whatever.

But by "decent chance" i meant compared to 99% of comics bieng turned into novels.

(also I haven't even read the comic. It might be rubbish. I just like the idea of a prequel)

 

[Dayton Ward]

Well, something like that would have had to be in process if it was to be out by the time the movie hits. As it is, Alan Dean Foster and everyone else in the chain will be working at Warp 9 to finish the movie novelization in time for the premiere.

Since nothing like that has been announced, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

 

[TheRealNaveed]

I doubt we'll see a novelization, even though it would actually be very cool. The first issue of Countdown was completely amazing, blew me away with how good it was compared to the other Trek comics I've read, as far as art and dialog went. On the story I'm still out, we've only read the first act after all.

 

[Christopher]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

Maybe they could even tie them in to all the new post TNG/DS9 etc. novels…and put loads more story in…

…but they’d better do it before the film’s out - because if it sucks, no one will give a shit about Nero Begins…

Neither of these is going to happen, due simply to the fact that it takes a lot more time to produce a novel than it does to produce a comic book. The novels have to be plotted out so far in advance that it would be difficult to take developments from the comics into account, and it would be unfair to straitjacket the comics by requiring them to defer to the novels' lead. The novels and comics are each going their own way creatively, respecting each other's work and maybe acknowledging it where feasible (as in the New Frontier comic, for instance), but it's just not practical for them to share a common continuity on a regular basis.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

Actually, my novelization of COUNTDOWN comes out in July.

Of course, it's based on the DC Comic book of the same name, not the Star Trek series . . . .

I admit I was a bit confused by this thread at first!

 

[Trent Roman]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

While I agree no novelization is happening per se, there may yet be some version of Countdown in print when the novel line catches up to the timeframe the comics are set in, particularly if (and I say this with no idea how the film will actually unfold) it marks a departure for the character of Spock.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Christopher]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

While I agree no novelization is happening per se, there may yet be some version of Countdown in print when the novel line catches up to the timeframe the comics are set in, particularly if (and I say this with no idea how the film will actually unfold) it marks a departure for the character of Spock.

Well, depending on which evidence you go by, Countdown is either 6 or 27 years in the future of the current book timeframe, and I think the latter is more likely (since the only evidence for the former is a stardate and those are often erroneous). So I doubt the books will "catch up" anytime soon.

Besides, it's not like Spock is a regular character in the 24th-century fiction. Rather than telling an alternate version of events the comics (and the film, probably, in expository dialogue) will have already covered, the books will probably just avoid using Spock after the date of his departure, and maybe make some reference to it having happened without actually showing it -- analogously to how the novels around and after Nemesis allude to its events without re-dramatizing them.

 

[Trent Roman]

Well, depending on which evidence you go by, Countdown is either 6 or 27 years in the future of the current book timeframe, and I think the latter is more likely (since the only evidence for the former is a stardate and those are often erroneous). So I doubt the books will "catch up" anytime soon.

Twenty-seven years... Huh. Missed that; I thought it had been established as taking place in the late 2380s.

Besides, it's not like Spock is a regular character in the 24th-century fiction. Rather than telling an alternate version of events the comics (and the film, probably, in expository dialogue) will have already covered, the books will probably just avoid using Spock after the date of his departure, and maybe make some reference to it having happened without actually showing it -- analogously to how the novels around and after Nemesis allude to its events without re-dramatizing them.

He certainly shows up often enough. But I wouldn't expect a full novel to be devoted to just the comics, or whatever 24th-century portions of the film might exist (that's what the novelization is for, after all); however, I could picture that the most important figure in the Reunification movement going missing (if indeed he does) would have consequences, and then it might become relevant to show how he came to be absent in a chapter or two.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Christopher]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

Twenty-seven years... Huh. Missed that; I thought it had been established as taking place in the late 2380s.

The stardate is given as 64333.4, which corresponds to 2387. However, in the actual dialogue, Spock says that Romulus has been his home for forty years. Counting from "Unification," and assuming the scriptwriters were using Earth years (which is almost always a safe bet in Trek), that comes out to 2408. Which, coincidentally (or perhaps not), is the year before Star Trek Online takes place. The fact that we see STO-style Starfleet uniforms in use in Countdown also suggests the later date.

He certainly shows up often enough. But I wouldn't expect a full novel to be devoted to just the comics, or whatever 24th-century portions of the film might exist (that's what the novelization is for, after all); however, I could picture that the most important figure in the Reunification movement going missing (if indeed he does) would have consequences, and then it might become relevant to show how he came to be absent in a chapter or two.

Lots of major events that have consequences have not been depicted in novels because they were already depicted on film, on TV, or in other novels. For instance, the events of "What You Leave Behind" were not re-depicted in Avatar et seq., merely alluded to. The events of NEM were not re-depicted in A Time For War, A Time for Peace or Taking Wing, only led into and described after the fact or from alternate perspectives. Similarly, there's no need for the books to show how Spock came to be absent, because anyone who's seen the movie will already know that. It would surely be summarized if it became relevant, but it would be redundant to actually show it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I think there's a decent chance of this happening. ‘Ashes of Eden’ got a novel and comic, so why can’t this?

They were being written and published at the same time, by the same authors.

I'm betting the story provided to the "Countdown" writers has also been provided to Alan Dean Foster for his movie novelization - and he may well make use of the same backstory.

 

[shapeshifter]

Judging from the limited content of Countdown #1, it's unlikely the combined 4 parts will comprise enough story to warrant a novelization. The author would need to make up quite a bit to get a full book of it.

 

[Christopher]

Re: ‘Countdown’ novelization?

I'm betting the story provided to the "Countdown" writers has also been provided to Alan Dean Foster for his movie novelization - and he may well make use of the same backstory.

I'm sure that the basic backstory developed by Kurtzman & Orci will have been part of what they've discussed with him, but those parts of Countdown that aren't specifically relevant to the movie's story (like perhaps the presence of a certain unexpected captain), and those details added by the scripters of the comic rather than K&O themselves, might not be included. Keep in mind that Orci has even said that Countdown isn't necessarily canonical. They may not feel obligated to see it acknowledged in the novelization.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Or perhaps ADF will simply be told to novelize Countdown himself and incorporate it into the Trek XI novel. A super-novel, if you will.