2026 Novel Releases

[Enterprise1701]

I do. The Spock, Chapel, Uhura, Gorn, T'Pring and Kirk (and to a lesser extent Pike) of SNW are not the same as those of TOS, by design. Not merely the actors (no kidding) but the characterizations and backstories as well. That is neither surprising nor objectionable; a 2025 production need not be beholden to a 1966 one. But for some of us it means the loss of at least a portion of the things that got us to love Star Trek in the first place. For me, TOS is a distinct idiom that can't be recaptured simply by naming characters Kirk, Spock, McCoy etc.

If what you are saying is that you think you can write a book that is ambiguous enough to be both a TOS tie-in and a SNWified Kirk & Co. tie-in (as per the preferences of the individual reader) I have my doubts, but hey you're the writer--I'll give it a chance before I pass judgment.

I reluctantly admit the mention in The Enterprise War of Colt having "changed a lot" got a chuckle from me...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Right. There have been stage productions of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar performed in Roman dress, in Elizabethan dress, in modern dress, probably even in a futuristic sci-fi setting. But the story and the words are still the same.

And "Hamlet" in Arcturian dress and masks in TOS.


Arcturian mask by Ian McLean, on Flickr

Coincidentally(?), the mask used is not dissimilar to a TMP Arcturian.

 

[Tuskin38]

There is nothing new happening here. Decades ago, there were fans who insisted that TMP & TWOK couldn't possibly take place in the same reality as TOS, because the Klingons, Starfleet's technology, the greater militarism of TWOK, etc. were too different to be reconciled.

There is at least one person on this forum that still has that opinion

 

[F. King Daniel]

There is at least one person on this forum that still has that opinion

There was an article in an old Best of Trek, where someone speculated that the Federation must have lost a war in order to explain the technological and other downgrades and changes between TMP and TWoK.

 

[I am not Herbert]

Nine times out of ten, the characters are going to act the same way, and perform their duties the same way, when facing whatever the present crisis is.

I can't agree. I wouldn't say that about the overlapping characters as actually shown onscreen in TOS and SNW, respectively, so I can't imagine it would be true of their corresponding litverse depictions.

Just one person's opinion, however.

 

[Christopher]

I can't agree. I wouldn't say that about the overlapping characters as actually shown onscreen in TOS and SNW, respectively, so I can't imagine it would be true of their corresponding litverse depictions.

Are you kidding? Nothing could be easier. SNW is currently set no later than 2260. TOS begins in 2266. Is it that hard to imagine that someone's personality could change in 6-10 years?

For that matter, SNW has developed Pike as a character with a relaxed, familial command style, while TOS, at least in season 1, portrayed Kirk as a more serious, disciplined commanding officer. It stands to reason that the members of the crew might have adapted their behavior accordingly. We also see them off-duty more often in SNW than we did in TOS, so that could account for the perceived differences

Although I really don't see what irreconcilable differences you're seeing. The only SNW character who's massively different from their TOS counterpart is Chapel, and SNW's Chapel is cooler than TOS's ever was, so I'm perfectly fine with the change.