DS9 relaunch - incomplete?

[Arix]

As much as I loved the Destiny trilogy, and am avidly awaiting the new Typhon Pact miniseries, I have one major issue - and that is the Deep Space Nine relaunch series 'catching up' on the past 5 years so DS9 can be part of the Typhon Pact miniseries.

Don't get my wrong, I think bringing the DS9 relaunch 'up-to-date' with these huge universe altering events is an excellent idea - but it comes with a price - because now we'll miss out on 5 years, and will most likely never know what happened in those missing years.

I haven't read the Soul Key yet (but have read up to Fearful Symmetry), but I assume the Illiana Ghemor storyline doesn't get neatly finished off in one book - and even if it does, the events of Olympus Descending, and the potential war with the Ascendants, will now never be explored!

The entire relaunch had already slowed to a crawl following the Worlds of DS9 trilogy... so I can see how catching up with Destiny will ultimately be a good thing... yet I can't help but feel disappointed...

Anyone else feeling the same way?

 

[captcalhoun]

actually, the war of the ascendants could take place post-Destiny. and Thrawn posted a thread with TSK spoilers, examining plot threads and concluded there's no real reason not to make the jump.

 

[apenpaap]

^Well, there's the stuff with the Dominion. IMO just skipping those 5 years is a mistake. Insteas they should release an anthology of stories set in those 5 years to catch up.

 

[Arix]

actually, the war of the ascendants could take place post-Destiny. and Thrawn posted a thread with TSK spoilers, examining plot threads and concluded there's no real reason not to make the jump.

Hmmm, I hadn't considered that... Though I would prefer they focused on the Typhon Pact first... Once those events have played out, and they're looking for fresh, new ideas (probably another 5 years at least!), then hopefully they'll remember the Ascendants - it could be a great way to have another crossover like Destiny.

^Well, there's the stuff with the Dominion. IMO just skipping those 5 years is a mistake. Insteas they should release an anthology of stories set in those 5 years to catch up.

I like that idea! Because I agree... even putting the Ascendants on hold, there were plenty of unfinished stories - or at least, plenty of events that should have been followed up on. The Dominion is a huge unfinished story. And even minor things like catching up with Jake and Korena, or Sisko's family on Bajor. As well as Vaughn and Prynn, and seeing whether Shar returns to DS9... They would all make good short stories in an anthology I think! Not to mention Ezri leaving DS9... there must be at least another story, if not two, before she goes!

I think an Anthology at least explaining a few key events over those 5 years (which is really a long gap, when you think that the story of DS9 has been told for 8 consecutive (in-universe) years!) is definitely needed. Especially seeing as I imagine they will allude to many of the changes, and possibly even bring in new characters, when we catch up with the story 5 years later!

 

[ProtoAvatar]

actually, the war of the ascendants could take place post-Destiny. and Thrawn posted a thread with TSK spoilers, examining plot threads and concluded there's no real reason not to make the jump.

The Ascendants war taking place 5 years into the future is convoluted because

Spoiler: The Soul Key:

At the end of this book, ALL ascendants leaders were gathered and undoubtedly reached a consensus with Iliana's (their "emissary") arrival.
In other words, the Ascendants have a leader, have a target are are gathered - or can gather in little time, as their leaders have.
No need to wait 5 years - unless some convoluted reason is invented.

We will probably read about the Ascendant war - and about everything else that happened in this 5 year interval - in a DS9 Anthology aka events and developments will be rather rushed.

 

[Therin of Andor]

but it comes with a price - because now we'll miss out on 5 years, and will most likely never know what happened in those missing years.

Says who?

How often has the team at Pocket Books deliberately refused to fill a dead spot in the timeline?

 

[Paris]

^Exactly. I'm still waiting, and hoping, for more TOS stories set in the second 5YM (2273-2278). We still don't have much at all from between TMP and TWOK. To the best of my knowledge, in terms of Pocket's treklit line, only Mr. Bennett's Ex Machina and his piece of the Mere Anarchy sextet have even ventured into this time period. Oh well. Maybe one day...

 

[Therin of Andor]

To the best of my knowledge, in terms of Pocket's treklit line, only Mr. Bennett's Ex Machina and his piece of the Mere Anarchy sextet have even ventured into this time period. Oh well. Maybe one day...

Numerous early Pocket novels were set after TMP, but before ST II. "Pawns and Symbols", "The Kobayashi Maru", "Home is the Hunter", "Enemy Unseen", "Firestorm", "Ice Trap", "Shell Game", "Death Count", "The Prometheus Design", "Triangle", "The Wounded Sky", "Rihannsu" saga (moved), "Doctor's Orders", "Spock's World", "The Better Man", "The Covenant and the Crown", "Timetrap"...

 

[Christopher]

We still don't have much at all from between TMP and TWOK. To the best of my knowledge, in terms of Pocket's treklit line, only Mr. Bennett's Ex Machina and his piece of the Mere Anarchy sextet have even ventured into this time period.

As far as the modern, cohesive primary novel continuity goes, that's basically true (as far as adventures of Kirk & crew go), but there's plenty of fiction set in that era.

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2273
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2274
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2275
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2276
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2277
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2278
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2279
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2280
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2281
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2282
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2284
http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/2285

I don't agree with Memory Beta's chronological placements of some of the books listed there, but those will give you a pretty complete list of books, stories, and comics set between TMP & TWOK. The Crucible trilogy also includes portions set in that period, though in a different continuity from my post-TMP books.

 

[Paris]

Numerous early Pocket novels were set after TMP, but before ST II. "Pawns and Symbols", "The Kobayashi Maru", "Home is the Hunter", "Enemy Unseen", "Firestorm", "Ice Trap", "Shell Game", "Death Count", "The Prometheus Design", "Triangle", "The Wounded Sky", "Rihannsu" saga (moved), "Doctor's Orders", "Spock's World", "The Better Man", "The Covenant and the Crown", "Timetrap"...

I listened to the audiobooks of Spock's World and Kobayashi Maru recently, and from what I can remember, other than the mention of the rec area on the Enterprise in SW, those books seemed like they could just as easily taken place during the original 5YM. Of course, I was listening to abridged versions, so there had to be lots cut out that I would have missed.

When I said that i've been waiting for more from the second 5YM, I meant more of a continuation of what Christopher started with Ex Machina. It's a rather large area of unknown time (roughly 2273 to 2285 or so), and since the TOS in the prime universe most likely won't be visited on screen ever again, new stories from this time period could be TOS' chance to run serialized stories featuring the original crew in a time where we don't really know what happened. TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT are all serialized in their post-series book lines. It would be nice if the original crew was as well.

 

[nx1701g]

To be honest I've felt that it's time that the DS9 series be brought up to speed with the rest of the novels for a long time. While the relaunch has a great story already, it's a disservice to the characters from DS9 that they're stuck in the past while the other series are so far ahead.

 

[Steve Roby]

While the relaunch has a great story already, it's a disservice to the characters from DS9 that they're stuck in the past while the other series are so far ahead.

How so? What are they missing out on?

 

[Warp Coil]

The debate about synching the DS9 Relaunch with the rest of the 24th century, post-Destiny universe has been discussed quite a bit. Everyone has different opinions about whether it's a good idea or not. I'm personally of the opinion that there should be at the very least a duology or trilogy that pushes the DS9 story forward to catch up to the other series, instead of just jumping forward several years and then waiting until some undetermined time in the future to go back and fill-in the missing pieces. Especially if no one plans out what happens in that missing period of time well in advance, so that authors could drop subtle hints here and there.

I think a big Ascendants arc, bringing that storyline to a climax over the course of two or three books, could serve this purpose well. Finally address this storyline that's been simmering on the back-burner for the last several books, bring it to a climax, and simultaneously move the series forward chronologically. That way DS9 can move in a new direction following Destiny.

Of course, that's obviously not happening, so whatever...

 

[RonG]

IMO, I would have liked to see the DS9-R "resolved" and have the 5 year jump in one of two ways:

(1) have a big EPIC trilogy dealing with the Ascendants, Dominion and wrap it up nicely, like Warp Coil suggests

or

(2) have a Full Circle type novel (or 2) to deal with the missing years, and have the Ascendants be in the center of the next 24th century TrekLit crossover event (after Typhon Pact)

any thoughts?

 

[Paris]

IMO, I would have liked to see the DS9-R "resolved" and have the 5 year jump in one of two ways:

(1) have a big EPIC trilogy dealing with the Ascendants, Dominion and wrap it up nicely, like Warp Coil suggests

or

(2) have a Full Circle type novel (or 2) to deal with the missing years, and have the Ascendants be in the center of the next 24th century TrekLit crossover event (after Typhon Pact)

any thoughts?

I'm with you. The Ascendants War, or whatever it's called, sounds like it would make a great 24th century crossover event. A great way to get DS9 totally in-line with the rest of the AQ

 

[Lindley]

I keep wondering whether there's a connection between the Ascendants and the Bajoran Ascendancy seen in Millennium.

 

[RonG]

As Millennium (the epilogue of book 3, to be more accurate) IMO is the "pilot" for the DS9-R, as well as one of my personal top 5 Trek stories ever , I'm all for it, Lindley!

 

[Sci]

Interestingly, President Bacco indicates in Articles of the Federation that the UFP hadn't fought a war for the full four years between Starfleet Academy's graduating class of 2380 and 2376. So that does tend to rule out the idea of the conflict with the Ascendents being an epic war fought before 2380.

 

[RonG]

I don't think the conflict with the Ascendants would constitute a full-fledged "war".. certainly not one that would require many of the UFP's resources IMO...

unless of course the Ascendants were to ally themselves with the Typhon Pact..

Damn, the more I think about it, the more I WANT it to be the next 24c TrekLit event

 

[Marie1]

^ That would be awesome!

But we'll have to see- either the book will include what happened in the mean time, or a future book will... or maybe they decided to go off and do something with their lives and the Fed. will continue rebuilding. Let's wait and see.