Discovery Klingons and the Novelverse

[Unimatrix Q]

@The Star Trek Authors on the Board:

How do you plan to incorporate the changes to the Klingons in Discovery into the Novels set in other time periods like the 22nd and the 24rth Century?

What about the cover artwork and the new klingon anatomy in regard to fan favorites like Worf, Martok and Kahless?

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

It's probably going to depend on what Discovery itself says about the differences, if it addresses it directly at all. And if it doesn't it's likely to just be accepted as cultural variations or something - it wasn't until the Trill installment of Worlds of DS9 that the difference of the Odan and Dax style Trill was explained even in passing.

Back in the day there were various explanations offered about the difference of TOS and movie Klingons, this is likely to be a similar situation, where the best explanation on screen is no explanation, and the novels just roll with it.

But until Discovery actually airs, we're all in the dark, including the writers who don't yet know if they'll NEED to find some way to explain away the two, if canon will or won't provide.

 

[Christopher]

How do you plan to incorporate the changes to the Klingons in Discovery into the Novels set in other time periods like the 22nd and the 24rth Century?

Most of us haven't seen the show yet, so it's too early to know. But it's nothing that hasn't happened multiple times before; just look at how past books incorporated revelations from new shows or movies.

What about the cover artwork and the new klingon anatomy in regard to fan favorites like Worf, Martok and Kahless?

Aside from DC's '80s comics and DS9's treatment of Kor, Kang, and Koloth, the TOS-era Klingons have never been given updated appearances. It's just accepted that different Klingons have different looks. I mean, heck, by now there are over a half-dozen variants -- the swarthy Kor/Kang version, the just-beards Kras/Koloth version, the TMP version with a single spinelike ridge, the TSFS version with individualized bony plates, the Westmore version with bony plates and ridged noses, the ST IV-VI version with subtler ridges and plates, the Kelvin version, and now this one. I'm surprised that anyone still gets surprised by a new Klingon look.

 

[Greg Cox]

What's been said: we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. The show hasn't even aired yet. Maybe it's something we'll have to write around, maybe it isn't. But we're going to follow the show's lead, just like we always do. The movies and TV shows set the course; we just go along with them.

 

[F. King Daniel]

"The Klingon appeared on the widescreen, his bumpy head looking bumpy, as usual."

We filtered out the TOS variety, but it's pretty much up to the reader which version of the Klingons they imagine at this point.

"He was also bald."

Was it Chang bald, or Into Darkness/Discovery Klingon bald? Or maybe a bald TNG Klingon, if you can imagine such a thing? Again, up to the reader's imagination.

"His armour was shiny."

Imagine a Klingon armour. Any Klingon armour. In fact, you can be a total outlaw and imagine a TNG style Klingon with TMP or DSC-style armour if you want.

"His Bat'leth" was especially pointy."

Okay, hold on tight. TNG, Into Darkness and Discovery all have very different Bat'leth's. Mix and match all these elements like those create-a-character things on WWE videogames. Your Klingon is now a non-canon monstrosity with a bald TNG head, Into Darkness piercings, a TMP uniform, a TOS disruptor and a Discovery Bat'leth and if you ever describe it to another Trekkie you will be shunned and exiled forever.

 

[Christopher]

Was it Chang bald, or Into Darkness/Discovery Klingon bald?

Why assume there's any difference? Fashions change over time. In TOS, all Klingons had short, military haircuts and only the senior officers had beards; at other times, most Klingons had long hair and ornate beards. So surely there could've been a time when the cultural norms called for shaving the head. Note that STID took place in 2259 and DSC is in 2255, just four years apart. Both timelines' Klingons could've had a fashion for shaved heads in the 2250s.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

I have my suspicions that Chang might be a member of House T'Kumva. Maybe we even see a younger version of him in Discovery...

 

[F. King Daniel]

Why assume there's any difference?

I was referring to skull shape. Chang's is that of a human, the DSC Klingons' are far more heavily built up.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

I was referring to skull shape. Chang's is that of a human, the DSC Klingons' are far more heavily built up.

Maybe that's an issue where we need to ingnore the differences. With Nick Meyer's involvement in Discovery, i guess he meant to see Chang being retconned into a member of that House.

 

[Christopher]

Maybe that's an issue where we need to ingnore the differences. With Nick Meyer's involvement in Discovery, i guess he meant to see Chang being retconned into a member of that House.

Meyer's title on the show is "Consulting Producer." That means he's not a core member of the creative team, just an advisor. It's essentially equivalent to the "Executive Consultant" credit, the title Roddenberry had on the Harve Bennett movies or that show creators get on shows they're no longer running. It's basically like being retired from a company but still being on the payroll as a consultant, on call to provide your experience and advice on request. So his "involvement" is not as direct as people tend to assume.

Besides, I think we've seen photos of DSC Klingons from more than one house (based on the different wardrobe styles), and they're all equally bald.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

. . . it wasn't until the Trill installment of Worlds of DS9 that the difference of the Odan and Dax style Trill was explained even in passing.

It's been over a decade: what was the explanation? About all I can recall is that it went into detail on the connection between the symbionts and the "Conspiracy" parasites.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

The Odan style of Trills are from the north or something, but I don't recall exactly. I do remember thinking, 'well, I guess that's it,' because it was such a minor and single mention in passing. It was actually amusing how little it was explained, which was fine. I think it was a crowd scene and it just mentions that there are both the spotted and non-spotted Trill, lol.

 

[Phoenix219]

It's been over a decade: what was the explanation? About all I can recall is that it went into detail on the connection between the symbionts and the "Conspiracy" parasites.

They went into the "Conspiracy" parasites? Where??? When??? That was one of TNG's high points for me, and I always wanted them to revisit the story. It was so creepy yet fascinating to me when I was young.

 

[Jinn]

They went into the "Conspiracy" parasites? Where??? When??? That was one of TNG's high points for me, and I always wanted them to revisit the story. It was so creepy yet fascinating to me when I was young.

It begins as a plot point in the Mission Gamma novels and gets resolved in Unity and the fallout is seen in the Trill installment from the Worlds of DS9 series. They also appeared in the Fleet Captain Pike era short story Sins of the Mother.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

What's been said: we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. The show hasn't even aired yet. Maybe it's something we'll have to write around, maybe it isn't. But we're going to follow the show's lead, just like we always do. The movies and TV shows set the course; we just go along with them.

Off-topic, but whenever I hear/see anyone say 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to it,' the first thing that pops into my head is that scene from Where Silence Has Lease where Worf and Riker keep walking onto one bridge after another. "One Riker! One bridge!" and Worf gets randomly Klingon about it.

 

[Phoenix219]

It begins as a plot point in the Mission Gamma novels and gets resolved in Unity and the fallout is seen in the Trill installment from the Worlds of DS9 series. They also appeared in the Fleet Captain Pike era short story Sins of the Mother.

Ahh... I haven't read a Trek book in a couple decades most likely. That would be why.

I thought one of the later show's did it, and I just missed the episode. Sorry for the confusion.

I would totally read that Pike era short story, though.

If you get a chance, could you maybe shoot me a PM with some spoilers on said topic?

 

[David cgc]

If you get a chance, could you maybe shoot me a PM with some spoilers on said topic?

The Memory Beta article has an overview that'll answer all your questions (it also contains the very different history they were given in the Star Trek: Online game).

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Meyer's title on the show is "Consulting Producer." That means he's not a core member of the creative team, just an advisor. It's essentially equivalent to the "Executive Consultant" credit, the title Roddenberry had on the Harve Bennett movies or that show creators get on shows they're no longer running. It's basically like being retired from a company but still being on the payroll as a consultant, on call to provide your experience and advice on request. So his "involvement" is not as direct as people tend to assume.

Besides, I think we've seen photos of DSC Klingons from more than one house (based on the different wardrobe styles), and they're all equally bald.

Maybe they all look similar, but Chang might have been one of their inspirations for the new design.

As he was very influential and high ranking in TUC i believe he and his House might have a role to play in Discovery.

If so, i'm really curious about who got to play him and if we learn more about what started his fascination for Shakespeare.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The Odan style of Trills are from the north or something, but I don't recall exactly. I do remember thinking, 'well, I guess that's it,' because it was such a minor and single mention in passing. It was actually amusing how little it was explained, which was fine. I think it was a crowd scene and it just mentions that there are both the spotted and non-spotted Trill, lol.

Wait, didn't one of the Martin/Mangels novels (either Titan or Excelsior?) say it was the Klingon Augment Virus which gave Odan his bumpy forehead?

 

[Christopher]

Maybe they all look similar, but Chang might have been one of their inspirations for the new design.

Keep in mind that the Kelvin movies and Discovery both have the same concept artist designing their aliens, Neville Page. STID's Klingons were originally going to have hair, but it was decided somewhere along the line that they looked better bald. Perhaps Page is just building on his past experience.