Before Dishonour....seriously?!

[Therin of Andor]

Her return would certainly polarize the readership, and I guarantee that, if done well, it would fly off the bookshelves.

Sure, except by most reviews of the current VOY storyline (and book sales) the Relaunch hasn't reached the "Meh!" doldums, so it's probably not yet time.

 

[Thrawn]

^ Yeah, I mean, they keep commissioning Kirsten to write the things. They have to be doing pretty well.

 

[Therin of Andor]

^ Yeah, I mean, they keep commissioning Kirsten to write the things. They have to be doing pretty well.

And from Kirsten's posts over in the VOY section of this BBS, when she was harvesting questions for the Shore Leave panel, I'm pretty sure she's very keen to have a go at writing Janeway eventually. But I'm not sure that Pocket will give in just yet. Some flashback Janeway material is bound to turn up in KB's novels before the time is right to spring a rebirth/not.dead Janeway storyline.

Is there a VOY anniversary on the horizon?

 

[JD]

The only one I can find is the 20th in 2015.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I hereby name it "Voynniversary"

 

[Therin of Andor]

The only one I can find is the 20th in 2015.

Maybe AuntKate should start counting her chickens?

 

[Relayer1]

^ Yeah, I mean, they keep commissioning Kirsten to write the things. They have to be doing pretty well.

And from Kirsten's posts over in the VOY section of this BBS, when she was harvesting questions for the Shore Leave panel, I'm pretty sure she's very keen to have a go at writing Janeway eventually. But I'm not sure that Pocket will give in just yet. Some flashback Janeway material is bound to turn up in KB's novels before the time is right to spring a rebirth/not.dead Janeway storyline.

Is there a VOY anniversary on the horizon?

I really hope that if Kirsten does need to get writing Janeway out of her system (can't see why - she's already done it) it is only as a flashback. Her books are fantastic as they are and I can't help feeling that the Voyager-verse is better without her.

I must profess that I always really disliked Janeway (and some of the other cast) in the show, but am more than happy with the current roster !

 

[JWolf]

The way I see it, even if Janeway is brought back from the dead, the current story arc can leave here out of it very easily and without affecting what's currently going on.

 

[bfollowell]

I haven't read through this thread since I haven't read the book yet and didn't want to give anything away. I'm about 75% though Q&A though, so I'll be starting Before Dishonor in a day or two. I pray it isn't nearly as bad as everyone feels it is but I'm reading my way through the relaunches and don't plan to skip this one regardless.

I'll try to remember to add my two cents after I'm through it.

- Byron

 

[DonIago]

Not everyone feels it's bad. I think it's rather OTT, but not necessarily more so than PAD's other books. Doesn't make it bad, just not what some readers are looking for in their Trek.

 

[Destructor]

Not everyone feels it's bad. I think it's rather OTT, but not necessarily more so than PAD's other books. Doesn't make it bad, just not what some readers are looking for in their Trek.

It was pretty f*cking dumb.

 

[DonIago]

^...and then some people felt that way. (shrug)

 

[F. King Daniel]

I think fans are a lot more forgiving of Peter David's unhinged stuff when it happens in New Frontier (the Great Bird of the Galaxy hatching out of a planet, chasing Excalibur at warp 9 and laying it's egg in the warp core as it passed etc) than when it involves mainline Trek characters and locales.

It's probably the same way TNG fans would have reacted if Picard had met Apollo and Jack the Ripper, or visited Unexplained Roman Planet.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I like those over the top TOS style stories David writes. I wouldn't want them all the time, but they fit in once in a while. There is clearly a place for imagination and sci fi bordering on fantasy in the 24th century, especially when Q is involved and David is probably the most experienced in writing Q. With all the political intrigue going in trek lit now, its nice to have the occasional book with some fun and fanciful mixed in, which is still very much trek style.

And the book had excellent moments like the queen intimidating Q, the planet killer fighting a borg cube. I personally liked when Pluto was eaten. The characters were also very real, the final moments between Seven and Janeway moving. And though many hate this part, he left a window open for Janeway's return since killing her was as dumb a move as SW killing Chewbacca and pushed away many fans from reading. Angering those Janeway addicts was a REALLY dumb move.

 

[DonIago]

^I thought it was kind of hilarious myself, the Janeway-killing, if only because of the ensuing (and rather predictable) reaction. Watch the Janeway-lovers get their knickers in a twist.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

And my personal feeling is people die, so get used to it. I think I was angrier when Dash Rendar was killed in Shadows of the Empire because it was meaningless and it was like, where did he go? He must have been killed in the explosion. Just as people (especially soldiers) die in reality and we have to get used to and learn to cope, we have to face death with fictional friends and heroes.

However, killing characters to generate controversy which will hopefully generate interest is stupid and just doesn't work. All of us who don't care about Janeway will keep reading but those Janeway fanatics and teenage girls who idolized Janeway now feel insulted by the franchise, killing off the progressive female captain. Can you blane them? Many didn't like what DRG III did with Sisko or Kirk's death in Generations.

Did Janeway's death help the franchise, not affect it, or hurt it? I think it hurt it by driving away fans who now refuse to buy books. Are they being stupid and missing out some great works by Kristen Beyer? Yes. Should the editors have expected that and not made the bonehead move? Also yes.

 

[Relayer1]

The way I see it, even if Janeway is brought back from the dead, the current story arc can leave here out of it very easily and without affecting what's currently going on.

I actually wouldn't mind this. Janeway popping up as a deskbound Admiral, i.e. a secondary character, isn't as annoying as having her there all the time.

The Voyager crew dynamic is great as it stands and Janeways return could really interfere with it. However, the resolution of the Eden story arc may well open up a Janeway shaped vacancy in the Delta Quadrant fleet.

I hope not, but...

 

[Captain Robert April]

I think fans are a lot more forgiving of Peter David's unhinged stuff when it happens in New Frontier (the Great Bird of the Galaxy hatching out of a planet, chasing Excalibur at warp 9 and laying it's egg in the warp core as it passed etc) than when it involves mainline Trek characters and locales.

It's probably the same way TNG fans would have reacted if Picard had met Apollo and Jack the Ripper, or visited Unexplained Roman Planet.

At least when he confines his stunts to his own series, the damage can be contained.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

What stunts? What specifically did you hate or was over the top ridiculous?

And sense NF falls within the relaunch continuity at this point with the same editorial controls in place, what happens in NF doesn't stay in NF.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Angering those Janeway addicts was a REALLY dumb move.

It garnered lots of free viral publicity. A handful of angry fans, telling anyone who'd listen that they were angry, is worth latinum. The average ST fan is probably not swayed to hate something just because other people hate it. I imagine the fuss sold a lot of books.

Marketing people often say that any publicity is good publicity. Better a book polarise its readership than merely sit there, neither popular or unpopular.

Janeway popping up as a deskbound Admiral, i.e. a secondary character...

And yet, we've been there, done that, too.