Amanda…Grayson? And her career

[VSAFaculty]

For the life of me, I can’t remember where her last name was first mentioned. “Ishmael”?

I found it interesting when I came across AO3 TOS fic that Amanda was often portrayed as having invented (or having been one of the inventors of) the universal translator. I always took Spock at his word: my Mother was a teacher. If you’d said that in the 1960’s, everyone would assume that she taught anywhere from kindergarten to 12th grade. I can stretch that to her being a professor. If she had been partly or fully responsible for the UT, I can’t see anyone on the Enterprise *not* being well acquainted with her name and accomplishments.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

For the life of me, I can’t remember where her last name was first mentioned. “Ishmael”?

I found it interesting when I came across AO3 TOS fic that Amanda was often portrayed as having invented (or having been one of the inventors of) the universal translator. I always took Spock at his word: my Mother was a teacher. If you’d said that in the 1960’s, everyone would assume that she taught anywhere from kindergarten to 12th grade. I can stretch that to her being a professor. If she had been partly or fully responsible for the UT, I can’t see anyone on the Enterprise *not* being well acquainted with her name and accomplishments.

I think "Grayson" came from a TAS episode, probably "Yesteryear." I don't know what AO3 is.

Post-TOS fiction in general has a tendency to over-extend the importance of TOS-established characters. One of Shatner's novels had Chekov become the Grand Poobah of All Starfleet. Post-TOS Uhura is often supposed to be a tech ultra-super-genius, and in the case of JJ-Trek, she's also sex partner to that well-known horndog, Mr. Spock .

I'm not surprised to hear fan-fic Amanda supposedly invented the universal translator, and if not her, surely Uhura would have thought of it.

 

[VSAFaculty]

I think "Grayson" came from a TAS episode, probably "Yesteryear." I don't know what AO3 is.

Post-TOS fiction in general has a tendency to over-extend the importance of TOS-established characters. One of Shatner's novels had Chekov become the Grand Poobah of All Starfleet. Post-TOS Uhura is often supposed to be a tech ultra-super-genius, and in the case of JJ-Trek, she's also sex partner to that well-known horndog, Mr. Spock .

I'm not surprised to hear fan-fic Amanda supposedly invented the universal translator, and if not her, surely Uhura would have thought of it.

You may be correct about ‘Yesteryear’!

AO3 is Archive of Our Own, a huge online fanfic site for nearly any show that you can think of.

Agree with what you say about the over the top roles given to the characters. In some fanfic, everyone is an admiral. Uhura wasn’t even on the command track like Chekhov and Sulu. And I know about JarJar Abrams’ interpretation. Awful. Not the relationship itself, but the way it was portrayed.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Yes. It's from YY/a. When they are trying to figure out how Spock could have been erased from existence, her name comes up when we learn that in that timeline, she and Sarek separated after the death of their son, and she was killed in a shuttle accident.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Yes. It's from YY/a. When they are trying to figure out how Spock could have been erased from existence, her name comes up when we learn that in that timeline, she and Sarek separated after the death of their son, and she was killed in a shuttle accident.

Points for using the Star Trek Concordance official abbreviation! Nice callback.

 

[Nerys Myk]

in the case of JJ-Trek, she's also sex partner to that well-known horndog, Mr. Spock .

What an odd statement and interpretation.

I'm not surprised to hear fan-fic Amanda supposedly invented the universal translator, and if not her, surely Uhura would have thought of it.

Not if the fan fic writer actually watched TOS. Nothing there indicates that Uhura was involved and its invention would seem to predate Uhura.

 

[FormerLurker]

Agree with what you say about the over the top roles given to the characters. In some fanfic, everyone is an admiral. Uhura wasn’t even on the command track like Chekhov and Sulu

Admirals Stone and Stocker would like a word with you. They were both redshirts.

 

[Dr. K.R. Kollman hon.]

Maybe 'Spock's World' by Diane Duane'?

 

[VSAFaculty]

Maybe 'Spock's World' by Diane Duane'?

See Zap Brannigan’s reply above. TAS episode ‘Yesteryear.’

 

[1001001]

Not if the fan fic writer actually watched TOS. Nothing there indicates that Uhura was involved and its invention would seem to predate Uhura.

Poor Hoshi gets no respect.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Points for using the Star Trek Concordance official abbreviation! Nice callback.

I've resigned myself to not expecting anybody else here to still know "Trimble notation." Delighted to see that there is at least one exception.

On the other hand, I was rather surprised that YY/a wasn't better known. It was, after all, the Los Angeles debut episode* of TAS (and I understand that it was the second episode in other markets).

_____
* Because George Takei was running for office in Los Angeles at the time, and YY/a was the first episode he wasn't in.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I've resigned myself to not expecting anybody else here to still know "Trimble notation." Delighted to see that there is at least one exception.

I tried in 2019, and even posted a complete list of the official abbreviations, but as the Iotians would say, I got fragged from every window in the street:
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/lets-use-the-standardized-abbreviations.298292/

On the other hand, I was rather surprised that YY/a wasn't better known. It was, after all, the Los Angeles debut episode* of TAS (and I understand that it was the second episode in other markets).

_____
* Because George Takei was running for office in Los Angeles at the time, and YY/a was the first episode he wasn't in.

Yep, exactly. And I remember the debut vividly "back east." I was 11, it all started with BFS/a, and that one has always been my favorite TAS episode. Good times.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

BFS/a is also my own favorite TAS episode. And if I'd even been aware of a thread promoting the use of Trimble notation, I'd have posted something supporting it.

 

[fireproof78]

I've resigned myself to not expecting anybody else here to still know "Trimble notation."

Just have to hang out with the right people.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Post-TOS fiction in general has a tendency to over-extend the importance of TOS-established characters.

What, you don't think Kirk's grandfather invented Starships?
Scotty's great uncle invented dilithium crystals?
McCoy's great-great-great-great-great grandmother invented medicine?

In Star Trek, everyone MUST be an important part of everything important.

But at least nobody is a Skywalker.

 

[FormerLurker]

In Star Trek Skywalker isn't a family name, it's a job title.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Admirals Stone and Stocker would like a word with you. They were both redshirts.

There was an Operations division admiral (Toddman) in DS9, a Science division captain (Krasnovsky) in TOS, and a Science admiral on PIC.

So it's not unheard of.

 

[Poltargyst]

I'm not surprised to hear fan-fic Amanda supposedly invented the universal translator

I do find that hard to believe.

 

[FormerLurker]

There was an Operations division admiral (Toddman) in DS9, a Science division captain (Krasnovsky) in TOS, and a Science admiral on PIC.

So it's not unheard of.

That was my point.

 

[Henoch]

Admirals Stone and Stocker would like a word with you. They were both redshirts.

They were both only Commodores (and not the singing group ). In my head canon, neither made it to Admiral: Stone was relieved from command shortly after his disaster of wrongly court-martialing Captain Kirk on charges of perjury and culpable negligence; and Stocker, well he almost caused a war with the Romulans and nearly lost the Enterprise, so, not a sound commander and not promoted. YMMV .