An Open Invitation to Janeway Fans

[kimc]

I think she can bring Janeway back and keep the story line healthy. I have faith!

Ditto.

Wow, it's been ages since I've visited Baltimore and normally a Janeway panel plus crab cakes would get me there. Unfortunately, I promised my best friend I would help out with her twins' second birthday party and she would skin me alive if I bailed!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Well I'm on the other side of the world so I cannot attend.. but I hope the panel is fruitful. I would like to see her returned and am not fussed if she is not center stage of the books. She wasn't for Homecoming and Farthest Shore and that was fine. I would be happy to have her ALIVE and the potential for books about her there, whether that is what happens or not. I read a lot of DS9 relaunch where Sisko was only a minor character, no problem with that. Some day there will be a writer who can write a great Janeway novel (might be you Ms Beyer!) and I would like Janeway to be Not. Dead.

 

[AuntKate]

Well I'm on the other side of the world so I cannot attend.. but I hope the panel is fruitful. I would like to see her returned and am not fussed if she is not center stage of the books. She wasn't for Homecoming and Farthest Shore and that was fine. I would be happy to have her ALIVE and the potential for books about her there, whether that is what happens or not. I read a lot of DS9 relaunch where Sisko was only a minor character, no problem with that. Some day there will be a writer who can write a great Janeway novel (might be you Ms Beyer!) and I would like Janeway to be Not. Dead.

QFT

 

[Brit]

I think Kirsten Beyer was told to go to this convention, for one thing it is in Baltmore and she lives in California, but really one has only to look at the convention web site.

http://www.shore-leave.com/

When you scroll down you will see all the authors will be there, Christopher Bennett, David Mack, Dayton Ward, Keith DeCandido, even Peter David. There is your agenda and it isn't one ready to listen to us. No telling who else will be on that panel with her. You can bet that this panel will not be by Kirsten Beyer alone but with several of these author sand we already know where they stand.

 

[Scout101]

I read a lot of DS9 relaunch where Sisko was only a minor character, no problem with that. Some day there will be a writer who can write a great Janeway novel (might be you Ms Beyer!) and I would like Janeway to be Not. Dead.

Might be one of those 'careful what you ask for' sorts of deals. I'm sure Sisko fans were upset/annoyed when he spent time missing/with the prophets/presumed dead as well, and eventually they got him back.

How many of those fans would rather he be back with the prophets rather than the stuff that's going on with him right now? Character got pretty trashed in the last book...

There's still the same out with Janeway at the moment, as there was the hint of Q interference when Janeway died. I'd prefer they leave her alone for the time being, though, and keep it as potential, rather than reversing course so soon. I'm enjoying the growth the rest of the characters are going through in her absence.

 

[SPCTRE]

if you bring Janeway back, i swear i will never buy another VOY novel again. in fact, i might stop buying all 24C novels and only buy Vanguard.

Me too. Although I'd probably still do the other series, just not Voyager. A lot of good stuff has been done with the characters following Janeway's death, and bringing her back would pretty much undo all of it.

The only way that would happen would be a time travel reboot. Otherwise, everyone's still grown and learned and changed. Bringing Janeway back from the dead/Q wouldn't undo any of that.

Time travel, shmime travel. I for one would pay good money to read a decent Zombie-Janeway novel.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

Me too. Although I'd probably still do the other series, just not Voyager. A lot of good stuff has been done with the characters following Janeway's death, and bringing her back would pretty much undo all of it.

The only way that would happen would be a time travel reboot. Otherwise, everyone's still grown and learned and changed. Bringing Janeway back from the dead/Q wouldn't undo any of that.

Time travel, shmime travel.

I for one would pay good money to read a decent Zombie-Janeway novel.

But people are TIRED of Janeway/Borg stories.

 

[Kirsten Beyer]

I think Kirsten Beyer was told to go to this convention, for one thing it is in Baltmore and she lives in California, but really one has only to look at the convention web site.

http://www.shore-leave.com/

When you scroll down you will see all the authors will be there, Christopher Bennett, David Mack, Dayton Ward, Keith DeCandido, even Peter David. There is your agenda and it isn't one ready to listen to us. No telling who else will be on that panel with her. You can bet that this panel will not be by Kirsten Beyer alone but with several of these author sand we already know where they stand.

I've attended Shoreleave 8 out of the last 9 years. My first couple of years I wasn't even published. I went as a guest of Heather Jarman and we had a blast. She introduced me to Marco Palmieri there, and that's how my Trek writing really got started. Since then, I look forward to it as one of the most fun weekends of the year.

Pocket is no longer active at the convention. Authors are not "told" to go anywhere or do anything. Guests are invited by the organizers and I was the one who suggested a Bring Back Janeway panel to offer an open forum for everyone to come and discuss their feelings on the topic. As it stands right now, I will be leading the discussion, and I do mean discussion. There's no fun in these things when the panelists do all the talking. Marco has kindly offered to join me, as he was the editor who brought me in to do Full Circle and Unworthy. And that is the full extent of panelists who will be present.

It's hard to feel like there's no way to really help you, Brit. You complain that I don't answer the questions of the Bring Back Janeway community, and when I create an opportunity to do that face to face, you decide before the event has even happened that it will be a negative experience. I literally found out a few days ago that the panel would be happening and as soon as I did, I posted the information. As soon as I have a confirmed time, I'll post that as well. I realize it's short notice, but not for lack of desire on my part to talk with as many people as possible who share your concerns.

And for what it's worth, I am in the process of figuring out a way for fans who are not present to offer questions and possibly participate in the discussion. When I have the details worked out, I"ll post them.

Best,
Kirsten Beyer

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I read a lot of DS9 relaunch where Sisko was only a minor character, no problem with that. Some day there will be a writer who can write a great Janeway novel (might be you Ms Beyer!) and I would like Janeway to be Not. Dead.

Might be one of those 'careful what you ask for' sorts of deals. I'm sure Sisko fans were upset/annoyed when he spent time missing/with the prophets/presumed dead as well, and eventually they got him back.

How many of those fans would rather he be back with the prophets rather than the stuff that's going on with him right now? Character got pretty trashed in the last book....

I get that. It's a gamble. They might bring her back and then ask Peter David to write a trilogy about her and he turns her into clown faced whore who seduces Chakotay so she can infect him with a disease she picked up from Lady Q so she can get Voyager off him.

But.. it might not happen like that, it might be awesome. Or it might be vague and dull. I'm willing to risk it, I just want possibility.

 

[froot]

I read a lot of DS9 relaunch where Sisko was only a minor character, no problem with that. Some day there will be a writer who can write a great Janeway novel (might be you Ms Beyer!) and I would like Janeway to be Not. Dead.

Might be one of those 'careful what you ask for' sorts of deals. I'm sure Sisko fans were upset/annoyed when he spent time missing/with the prophets/presumed dead as well, and eventually they got him back.

How many of those fans would rather he be back with the prophets rather than the stuff that's going on with him right now? Character got pretty trashed in the last book....

I get that. It's a gamble. They might bring her back and then ask Peter David to write a trilogy about her and he turns her into clown faced whore who seduces Chakotay so she can infect him with a disease she picked up from Lady Q so she can get Voyager off him.

But.. it might not happen like that, it might be awesome. Or it might be vague and dull. I'm willing to risk it, I just want possibility.

If that disease is a zombie disease and she starts some sort of Federation zombie apocalypse, I'd almost be okay with that plotline.

Agreed on possibility, though. Just be nice to have the option for new stories open, good or not so good.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Even if the story/author is godawful we can at least hope that the next one won't be. But she has to be alive to even have this hope.

God knows I've been reading treklit for years and that hope has carried me through some turgid prose as well as many volumes of drabness.

 

[Kathryn J.]

Kirsten,

how about setting up an email address or Facebook site only for this purpose to send questions or statements?

The panel and discussion you are offering is a really good thing, but you know, that the people who want to have Janeway back in the Star Trek universe are truly spread all over the world from Australia over Europe to America. And even the United States is that big, that not everybody who really cares a lot for getting back Janeway isn't able to come. There are jobs, families, health and age, responsibilities and also the money that people keep from coming to your panel. For sure it will NOT be disinterest or even cowardice.

So e.g. I had the luck to have a rather long personal talk to David Mack about bringing back Janeway, when he attended FedCon XX 2011 in Germany. I would have liked much more to have this discussion with you.

That's why it would be very important to post a place where people can send their messages to you. Only that way you will get a representative general view over the opinions of the fans.
I only say this, because I can imagine to hear after that convention "I offered a panel, but nobody came."

Only in our Facebook group "Bring Back Janeway" http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_366418642046 there are more than 800 people joined wanting to have Janeway back. This is a serious group and all people who are there are meaning it very seriously and so are the very most posts there. Thankfully the tone isn't that rude than on the BBS, even when people have different opinions. I as one founder and admin of this group am very proud of that.
There are not "wild eyed" crazy fans gathered, but people of all ages, from students at high school over absolvents of universities and employees of different professions up to already retired people, from teenaged boys up to matured women with even grand children.
What we are standing for is to read on my website for everybody: http://www.newearth-jcparadise.de/bring_back_janeway.php . This even might help you to prepare for your panel.

You are the only Trek writer I trust to write Janeway back in an appropriate, exciting way. I do know, that there is a possibility even by pursuing the story line you've started.
Lots of people are saving their money to buy THIS book!

 

[BillJ]

Lots of people are saving their money to buy THIS book!

I don't believe this for a minute. Many of the Bring Back Janeway brigade already admitted they weren't buying the books with her in them to begin with.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I just want to say how much I appreciate how open and responsive Kirsten has been, especially since I'm not going to be able to make it to the panel (hopefully in the future).

I also wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading the Voyager books since she's taken over (in fact, my only "complaint", apart from Janeway still being gone, is that, due to how much is going on in the books, they should be called something else, since they are so much larger than just Voyager. The reason that I (and probably many others) were disappointed with prior books was due to...quality, story choice, and characterization.

With these books, what I liked most about the series is back and the characterization (taking into account the time difference and the events that have occurred since Endgame) is spot on.

 

[Galekarens]

Lots of people are saving their money to buy THIS book!

I don't believe this for a minute. Many of the Bring Back Janeway brigade already admitted they weren't buying the books with her in them to begin with.

That is SO not true, in fact, like me, many BBKJ people are long-time Trek fans who have bought many Trek lit books, starting with the TOS ones. I used to enjoy looking for the latest Star Trek book releases, in fact when I saw that KJ was in Before Dishonor I hurried to the bookstore, only to be dismayed to find out the book contained her demise, so I quickly put it back on the shelf. That day my love of Trek lit died a little that Pocket Books could be so dismissive of KJ's fans to get rid of her that cruelly. Anyway, even if some BBKJ types haven't bought any Trek fiction books, they might just do so if Janeway is brought back honorably, and reading such a book could spark further interest in other Trek stories. Bring her back, we know she lives!

 

[Dark Gilligan]

I think Kirsten Beyer was told to go to this convention, for one thing it is in Baltmore and she lives in California, but really one has only to look at the convention web site. When you scroll down you will see all the authors will be there, Christopher Bennett, David Mack, Dayton Ward, Keith DeCandido, even Peter David. There is your agenda and it isn't one ready to listen to us. No telling who else will be on that panel with her. You can bet that this panel will not be by Kirsten Beyer alone but with several of these author sand we already know where they stand.

Yikes, how amazingly bitter. Sad, Brit, very sad. Kirsten reaches out to the Janeway fans sincerely and you respond like a crabby old lady. I'm sure the other Janeway fans appreciate you single-handedly perpetuating the stereotype.

 

[Thestral]

^ This.

That said, very brave and thoughtful of you Kristen. I can't be fussed about Janeway being alive or dead really, but I guess I'd prefer if she stayed gone; death shouldn't be a revolving door, even if she's just "ascended." But I'm sure if she's brought back, you'll tell a great story about it.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I recall (missing) Trekmovie.com's live on-set Q+A with the STXI writers, cast and director on the last day of bridge filming.

A laptop on-site, the time of the Q+A session and a chosen website (like... the TBBS Voyager forum!) should be all that's needed to open up the panel to the biggest Janeway lovers in the world.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

I've attended Shoreleave 8 out of the last 9 years. My first couple of years I wasn't even published. I went as a guest of Heather Jarman and we had a blast. She introduced me to Marco Palmieri there, and that's how my Trek writing really got started. Since then, I look forward to it as one of the most fun weekends of the year.

Pocket is no longer active at the convention. Authors are not "told" to go anywhere or do anything. Guests are invited by the organizers and I was the one who suggested a Bring Back Janeway panel to offer an open forum for everyone to come and discuss their feelings on the topic. As it stands right now, I will be leading the discussion, and I do mean discussion. There's no fun in these things when the panelists do all the talking. Marco has kindly offered to join me, as he was the editor who brought me in to do Full Circle and Unworthy. And that is the full extent of panelists who will be present.

It's hard to feel like there's no way to really help you, Brit. You complain that I don't answer the questions of the Bring Back Janeway community, and when I create an opportunity to do that face to face, you decide before the event has even happened that it will be a negative experience. I literally found out a few days ago that the panel would be happening and as soon as I did, I posted the information. As soon as I have a confirmed time, I'll post that as well. I realize it's short notice, but not for lack of desire on my part to talk with as many people as possible who share your concerns.

And for what it's worth, I am in the process of figuring out a way for fans who are not present to offer questions and possibly participate in the discussion. When I have the details worked out, I"ll post them.

Best,
Kirsten Beyer

I'd love the opportunity to post/participate from afar, since family obligations prevent me from hopping in the car and driving the 9 hours to Baltimore.

As for the comment elsewhere in the thread that "death shouldn't be a revolving door" all I'd like to say is... SPOCK at the end of STAR TREK II:WRATH of KHAN and in STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK is the most blatant movie example that belies that sentiment... and of course KIRK at the end of STAR TREK VII GENERATIONS leading into STAR TREK: THE RETURN as the best Trek lit example.

I loved Shatner&Ghost writer's take on Kirk's resurrection, and was actually enthralled by their version of the BORG. I was skeptical, before STAR TREK VIII: FIRST CONTACT came out that TPTB would actually be able to top the Trek Lit version. Skeptical... but pleasantly surprised when I finally saw the movie.

That's what I hope for Janeway. That SOMEBODY brings her back and pleasantly (?) surprises the naysayers. I can even live without her on Voyager, as long as she's STILL Janeway, and not some silver blood version, or some robotic version, or some rebooted/lost all memories version of our Auburn Queen.

Ms Beyer, in your opinion... could Janeway come back? (I won't put you on the spot by asking if she should come back. )

 

[Defcon]

I loved Shatner&Ghost writer's

Minor nitpick: The Reeves-Stevens are openly acknowledged as the co-writers of Shatner's Trek books, so they're not ghostwriters.