A Lit-verse based TOS chronology

[Christopher]

I read Spock's World a while back without having read any of the other Diane Duane books, and I don't remember there being any references I didn't understand. I guess there might be some subtle ones that I didn't notice, but there I don't remember being anything that made me go, "Hey, I wonder if that is a reference to another book, maybe I should read it too".

I would've thought the reappearance of K's't'lk (from The Wounded Sky) would've been a pretty clear callback to an earlier work.

 

[ryan123450]

Hello there,
Back from a brief break and I didn’t have access to my computer or notes, so this is just a quick write up of my thoughts on Diane Duane’s novels. It’s best that these books be read in order of publication as characters and events reference each other across the novels.

2276
C. Spring 2276
Stardate: 9250
The Wounded Sky – Note: A passing reference is made to the events in this novel in ‘Doctor’s Orders’. Placement in arbitrary.

JULY – 2276
July 31+
Doctor’s Orders – Note: Begins on the eve of 1000 year anniversary of Switzerland’s independence and the formation of the Swiss government, which is traditionally dated to August 1, 1291. This would place this novel in 2291, the latest any original series novel chronology wise. The Enterprise departs on August 1 and it takes three days to reach the planet and the survey is expected to take 2-3 weeks. Kirk’s birthday was ‘not that long ago’. (pg. 17)

C. SEPTEMBER – 2276
Stardates: 304.6–2816.3
My Enemy, My Ally – Note: Date established by working backwards from ‘The Romulan Way’ and ‘Swordhunt’. ‘Swordhunt’ is set in November (pg. 27); ‘The Romulan Way’ was ‘two months’ ago (pg. 21); ‘My Enemy, My Ally’ was ‘one standard year ago’ (pg. 58). Subtract 2 months from November 2277 to get September 2277 for ‘The Romulan Way’ then subtract 1 year from September 2277 to get September 2276 for ‘My Enemy, My Ally’. The novel spans approximately 2 weeks and ends with the Enterprise taking two months to travel back to Earth for repairs and replenishment. (Chapter 20)

C. DECEMBER – 2276
Stardates: 7416.664–7468.55
Spock’s World – Note: The novel opens up with the Enterprise having spent approximately 1 month in Earth’s orbit being refitted and resupplied. ‘The Motion Picture’ was ‘2 years ago’ (pg. 7). References to ‘The Wounded Sky’, ‘Doctor’s Orders’ and ‘My Enemy, My Ally’ (pg. 13). Spans approximately 10 days/2 weeks so possibly into January 2277.

2277
C. SEPTEMBER – 2277
The Romulan Way – Note: ‘My Enemy, My Ally’ was ‘one standard year ago’. ‘The Enterprise Incident’ was 8 years ago (‘He sat on the far side of Perry's desk, flanked by Jim Kirk and Spock, listening while the Admiral outlined a plan as complex and dangerous as the cloaking device theft of eight years ago’. -pg. 176). McCoy is 50 (‘50 year old wiz kid’ - pg. 54).

C. NOVEMBER – 2277
Swordhunt – Note: Set in November (pg. 27). Leads into . . .
Honor Blade

C. DECEMBER – 2277
The Empty Chair – Note: These three novels span approximately 4-6 weeks. So November–December 2277. The epilogue is set two months later, after the conclusion of the Enterprise’s second five year mission.

I’ll have more later in regards to 2287-2293. I differ in the placement of some of the novels in that I agree with Christopher in that I don’t include the first run of DC’s ‘Star Trek’ comics between ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ and ‘The Final Frontier’, so my placements are about a year or so off from yours.

Darren, great info as always. I'm trying to work this all out for myself with the information you have given here. I will try to start logically from the beginning. Starting with publication order, we have

1. The Wounded Sky
2. My Enemy, My Ally
3. The Romulan Way
4. Spock's World
5. Doctor's Orders
6. Swordhunt
7. Honor Blade
8. The Empty Chair

We have established how My Enemy, My Ally comes directly after The Wounded Sky. I like how you have the beginning of Spock's World tie in to the end of My Enemy, My Ally, so I will put those two together. VotI has Spock's World before The Romulan Way as well. It may not be the best order to read them in, but it's ok with me.

Spocks' World is 2 years after TMP so to me that places it somewhere in the range April 2275 to March 2276.

Doctor's Orders has me confused. It's own text claims to be set in 2291, but everyone seems to ignore that in favor of placing it with the other Duane novels. No one in the conversation, nor VotI places it in publication order between Spock's World and Swordhunt. And your notes state that Spock's World references it, despite the fact that it came out afterwards? Why isn't this novel just placed in 2291?

The Romulan Way is eight years after "The Enterprise Incident". According to my timeline that would place it in the range of Feb 2276 to Jan 2277. If Swordhunt and Honor Blade are in November that leads me to believe the final four Rihannsu books take place in the last quarter of 2276, which lines up with VotI. What made you choose 2277?

At any rate we get September 2275 for My Enemy, My Ally and putting Spock's World a few months after that lets it fall in that April 75 to March 76 range I pointed out.

So I end up with...

1. The Wounded Sky- Aug 75
2. My Enemy, My Ally- Sept 75
3. Spock's World- Dec 75
4. (Doctor's Orders???)- July/Aug 76
5. The Romulan Way- Sept 76
6. Swordhunt- Nov 76
7. Honor Blade- Nov 76
8. The Empty Chair- Dec 76

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Christopher]

Doctor's Orders has me confused. It's own text claims to be set in 2291, but everyone seems to ignore that in favor of placing it with the other Duane novels. No one in the conversation, nor VotI places it in publication order between Spock's World and Swordhunt. And your notes state that Spock's World references it, despite the fact that it came out afterwards? Why isn't this novel just placed in 2291?

Well, for one thing, it's very much a 5-year mission novel. Uhura is explicitly a lieutenant, Chekov an ensign. Where does it mention 2291?

Doctor's Orders was written during the period when Richard Arnold was cracking down on continuity among novels. It contains no references to the events of any of Duane's earlier novels, it retcons the setting back to the 5-year mission, and the only Duane-original characters it features are human ones like Lia Burke and Janice Kerasus, none of her aliens like Naraht or Athende. The only reason it fits in with the other Duane novels in my version is because I go with the original intent that the novels before Spock's World take place pre-TMP (implicitly in a second five-year mission or just a mission extended well beyond five years), so I can slot in Doctor's Orders in between MEMA and TRW.

 

[ryan123450]

I just got the 2291 date from Darren saying it was the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland. I've not read the novel yet. I suppose if there are other chronological clues (ranks) that don't fit anyway, I'll just leave it in place in July 76.

 

[Christopher]

^Even though it's explicitly 5-year mission?

Also, I just checked the text. It is not the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland. A character refers to that event happening "almost a thousand years" and "nearly a thousand years" before. Nearly a thousand could easily be 975-980 years.

 

[ryan123450]

Well that's alot different. I will completely ignore that aspect of it then. I wonder what reference is made to the events of The Wounded Sky, as Darren mentioned. It would suit me to put it in the five year mission and not in the midst of the other Duane novels, if that would make sense.

 

[ATimson]

I wonder what reference is made to the events of The Wounded Sky, as Darren mentioned. It would suit me to put it in the five year mission and not in the midst of the other Duane novels, if that would make sense.

The fact that Lia Burke is in it at all. The Wounded Sky was pretty clearly her first appearance, I thought.

 

[Jsplinis]

The Romulan Way is cowritten by Diane Duane's husband Peter Morwood who also wrote the book Rules of Engagement. From what I understand it features at least some of the original characters from Duane's books and it happens in the post-TMP era. To what extant do you guys think that it could be considered a part of this "Duaneverse" series and when would it happen relative to the other books?

Thanks and have fun,
jsplinis

 

[ryan123450]

I wonder what reference is made to the events of The Wounded Sky, as Darren mentioned. It would suit me to put it in the five year mission and not in the midst of the other Duane novels, if that would make sense.

The fact that Lia Burke is in it at all. The Wounded Sky was pretty clearly her first appearance, I thought.

Well, I've not read either book, so that's why I was asking.

The Romulan Way is cowritten by Diane Duane's husband Peter Morwood who also wrote the book Rules of Engagement. From what I understand it features at least some of the original characters from Duane's books and it happens in the post-TMP era. To what extant do you guys think that it could be considered a part of this "Duaneverse" series and when would it happen relative to the other books?

Thanks and have fun,
jsplinis

That's a good point, and a good question. I have it in 2278, near the tale end of tge second 5YM. I think tgat placement comes from VotL but I may have changed it fir some reason. i wonder why it is dated then.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Hi everybody,
Sorry for the delay in replying but new work schedule and the power has been out for a couple of days here in Western Washington.
I don't have my notes handy and I've returned the books to the library but the reason I moved everything up by a year is that in 'The Romulan Way' at the start of the story McCoy is on a three week vacation and he explicitly thinks to himself that he's fifty years old. He does't say 'almost fifty' he says fifty. With the year of his birth be established as 2227 in the Chronology, 2277 would be the year the story is set in. So either the person thinking about 'The Enterprise Incident' is rounding down when he says '8 years ago' and it's really nine or McCoy is rounding. I chose the former.
As for 'Spock's World', I'm still thinking about the placement on that one; it's not said that it's two years after 'The Motion Picture' only 2 years out in the field since their last refit and resupply so it could even be after the events of 'The Empty Chair' and the end of the second five year mission.

 

[Christopher]

...the reason I moved everything up by a year is that in 'The Romulan Way' at the start of the story McCoy is on a three week vacation and he explicitly thinks to himself that he's fifty years old. He does't say 'almost fifty' he says fifty. With the year of his birth be established as 2227 in the Chronology, 2277 would be the year the story is set in. So either the person thinking about 'The Enterprise Incident' is rounding down when he says '8 years ago' and it's really nine or McCoy is rounding. I chose the former.

Worth noting that, because the chronology was uncertain when McCoy's age was given as 137 in "Encounter at Farpoint," it's ended up making McCoy younger than he was believed to be when The Romulan Way was written. Once "The Neutral Zone" established TNG's calendar year as 2364, that retroactively gave McCoy a 2227 birthdate, which doesn't make a lot of sense because it makes him only 39 when TOS begins, even though DeForest Kelley was 46 at that point. If anything, I'm surprised that TRW made him as young as fifty if it was supposed to be eight years after season 3.

As for 'Spock's World', I'm still thinking about the placement on that one; it's not said that it's two years after 'The Motion Picture' only 2 years out in the field since their last refit and resupply so it could even be after the events of 'The Empty Chair' and the end of the second five year mission.

There is a passage in chapter "Enterprise: One" (pp. 27-8 in the paperback) saying that Kirk has only just convinced Nogura to "de-admiral" him and restore him to captain's rank. I've always taken that as evidence that Spock's World took place right after TMP. Although I don't see how to reconcile that with the bit about having been in the field for two years. Or with the clearly intended pre-TMP timeframe of The Wounded Sky and My Enemy, My Ally in their original editions. It's a bit of an anomaly.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

There is a passage in chapter "Enterprise: One" (pp. 27-8 in the paperback) saying that Kirk has only just convinced Nogura to "de-admiral" him and restore him to captain's rank. I've always taken that as evidence that Spock's World took place right after TMP.

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but I thought the passage stated that Kirk had to de-admiral himself every time the Enterprise left for a mission by filling out a bunch of paperwork.

--Captain Terrell

 

[Christopher]

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but I thought the passage stated that Kirk had to de-admiral himself every time the Enterprise left for a mission by filling out a bunch of paperwork.

I think you're conflating two separate things that are mentioned consecutively.

...eight hours after beaming over the Fleet to handle the inevitable paperwork involved with a new set of missions, he was happily demoted to captain, effective immediately, revocable at Fleet's discretion.

The demotion is described only as something that happened after he did the mission paperwork, not because of it.

The preceding paragraph shows how glad he is to be "no 'Admiral,' nothing fancy, just 'Captain' again, as God intended. It was a great relief." Which suggests that it's not a routine back-and-forth thing, that he's finally a captain again after a fair period as admiral.

I suppose the letter of the text isn't overtly incompatible with your reading, but it seems quite a stretch to me.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I could never understand the reasoning behind McCoy's age either. In the first edition of the TNG companion under the Encounter at Farpoint entry it's said that the Admiral's age was going to be 144 which when subtracted from 2364 gives us the year 2220 making McCoy the same age as DeForest Kelly give or take a year. The McCoy entry in DC Comics Who's Who in Star Trek also says McCoy was 45 when he joined the Enterprise.
I think part of the confusion goes back to the third season and the episode 'The Way to Eden' which was supposed to introduce Joanna McCoy. I think it was Fred Freibeger who vetoed the idea saying that McCoy and Kirk were "contemporaries", and that McCoy didn't have a daughter, even though Kelly was 11 years older than Shatner.

 

[Christopher]

I could never understand the reasoning behind McCoy's age either. In the first edition of the TNG companion under the Encounter at Farpoint entry it's said that the Admiral's age was going to be 144 which when subtracted from 2364 gives us the year 2220 making McCoy the same age as DeForest Kelly give or take a year.

There was no reasoning. Like I said, when "Farpoint" was written, the chronology hadn't been worked out yet. Remember, in the same episode, Data said he was "Class of '78" at the Academy. The 2364 date was not coined until the last episode of the first season, "The Neutral Zone." That episode was shot during the '88 writers' strike, and thus it had to be shot from a first draft, so the producers were pretty much stuck with that calendar year, regardless of whether it fit their actual intentions. So it was pretty much by accident that McCoy ended up being years younger than he should have.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

There was no reasoning. Like I said, when "Farpoint" was written, the chronology hadn't been worked out yet. Remember, in the same episode, Data said he was "Class of '78" at the Academy. The 2364 date was not coined until the last episode of the first season, "The Neutral Zone." That episode was shot during the '88 writers' strike, and thus it had to be shot from a first draft, so the producers were pretty much stuck with that calendar year, regardless of whether it fit their actual intentions. So it was pretty much by accident that McCoy ended up being years younger than he should have.

Yeah, when composing my TOS chronology, I pretty much ignore that date (or rather, give it as much credence as Data's "class of '78", which I think was derived from the Spaceflight Chronology dates). I much prefer the TOS creator intent of McCoy being 10-15 years older than Kirk.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Hello there,
I’d thought I’d post my updated version of the ‘Rihannsu’ novels chronology. I’ve moved a couple of items around but I’m still keeping it in 2276-2277 in deference to McCoy’s age in ‘The Romulan Way.’

2276
C. SPRING – 2276
Stardate: 9250
The Wounded Sky

C. SEPTEMBER – 2276
Stardates: 304.6–2816.3
My Enemy, My Ally

2277
JANUARY – 2277
January 20 – Stardates: 7815.3–7816.1
Covenant Of The Crown, The – Note: Chapter 1 begins on McCoy’s 50th birthday. It’s been 17-18 years since Kirk’s last visit to Shad.

JULY/AUGUST – 2277
July 31+
Doctor’s Orders

C. SEPTEMBER – 2277
The Romulan Way – Note: McCoy is 50 (Chapter 3). He’s on a three week vacation (which is interrupted) following the events of the last novel. Runs approximately one to two weeks.

C. OCTOBER – 2277
Stardates: 7416.664–7468.55
Spock’s World – Note: I moved this to October 2277 to keep it internally consistent with the references to the previous novels. The timeframe here is very tight what with the novel opening up with the Enterprise having spent one month in orbit of Earth being refitted/resupplied. ‘The Romulan Way’ could end in mid-September and ‘Spock’s World’ could open up in mid-October, allowing for 7-10 days for the events to happen, ending in late October 2277.

C. NOVEMBER – 2277
Swordhunt – Note: Chapter 1 opens in ‘November’ pg. 18. It takes '4 days 14 hours to alpha Arietis at warp 6'; then '5 days, 20 hours to 15 Trianguli’ (Chapter 1), Chapter 5 opens up approximately 6 days later so all told this novel spans approximately 17+ days. Also ‘The Wounded Sky’ is set 1-3 years ago according to K's't'lk's age. (pg. 58)
Honor Blade

C. DECEMBER – 2277
The Empty Chair

P.S.
A couple of more items – Chapter 14 of ‘The Genesis Report’ in ‘The Genesis Wave Volume 1’ dates the explosion of Praxis to June of 2293. According to the diary entries made by Amanda Greyson in the novel ‘Sarek’, that novel begins on September 16, 2293, one month after the Khitomer Conference in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country’, which means that ‘The Undiscovered Country’ occurs sometime around August 15+ 2293.

 

[Christopher]

Didn't we establish already that My Enemy, My Ally refers to The Wounded Sky as "our last mission," making them immediately consecutive?

 

[ryan123450]

Darren I'm still not following why you moved Spock's World to after The Romulan Way. Why specifically did you decide to do that?

Glad to know about that exact date for STVI. I'll note that in my chronology as well.

 

[Christopher]

Darren I'm still not following why you moved Spock's World to after The Romulan Way. Why specifically did you decide to do that?

We discussed this earlier in the thread. The Romulan Way was published first, and the historical material in Spock's World builds on the foundations of the historical material in TRW. While the stories are ambiguous enough that they possibly could work the other way around, there's no reason I can think of to reverse them.