Encoutner novelization- Celeste?

[TenLubak]

I was wondering who Celeste was that was mentioned in the early chapters of Encouter at Farpoint novelization. I assume she"s Picard"s ex or something, but wondered if anyone knew anything more, who is she, what happened to her, was she ever mentioned again?

Just wondering or maybe this idea was abandoned.
BTW i like all the little extra info in this novelization very much!

 

[elaithin]

I don't recall it ever being expanded on.

 

[rfmcdpei]

I don't recall it ever being expanded on.

Likewise. Given Picard's extended romantic career it's certainly possible, but I think that's one element of the novelization that was never followed up on and isn't going to be because the novelverse didn't allow for it. Compare the description of Beverly's husband's death (was he even Jack?) in a mishandled away mission on a hostile planet.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Celeste was never explained after the novelization I believe. I've always assumed that she was an ex lover of Picard's the way he described her in the book.

 

[tenmei]

Doesn't the novelisation add another member of the crew to the ship - Crewman Hughes according to Memory Beta - as well as a Deputy CMO called Doctor Asenzi.

 

[indianatrekker26]

it's been a while since i read it, but i think i remember Christopher Bennett expanded on who Celeste was in his Lost Era novel, "The Buried Age." I could be remembering wrong though.

 

[Mysterion]

The EaF novelization was written while a lot of TNG-lore was still in the flux of development. It's been awhile sinvce I read it, but I think the novel still uses of older version of Data's origin rather than the one we eventually saw on-screen (and which was a lot more interesting, too).

 

[Christopher]

it's been a while since i read it, but i think i remember Christopher Bennett expanded on who Celeste was in his Lost Era novel, "The Buried Age." I could be remembering wrong though.

No, I didn't. I considered doing so when I was developing the novel, but there was no way to reconcile what Gerrold asserted about Celeste with what was subsequently established about Picard's backstory in canon. (I believe I did give Dr. Asenzi a name drop at the end of the book, though.)

The thing is, David Gerrold was essentially a co-creator of TNG along with Roddenberry, Bob Justman, and D. C. Fontana, but he was also the first one to be shut out/driven away by the attitudes and actions of Roddenberry and his overprotective clique. So he (and Fontana and Justman, presumably) had ideas for how they wanted the series and the characters to be developed, but once he left, those ideas were abandoned and the show went in a different direction. The Farpoint novelization is a glimpse into those early plans for the series.

...I think the novel still uses of older version of Data's origin rather than the one we eventually saw on-screen (and which was a lot more interesting, too).

I think so, yes. And that origin -- like Data himself -- was basically a resurrection of Roddenberry's failed The Questor Tapes pilot. Questor was an android built by mysterious aliens, and Data was originally supposed to be the same, although the motives for his creation were different (preserving the memories of doomed colonists, whereas Questor's original mission was basically the same as Gary Seven's -- Roddenberry was a master of recycling).

 

[Mysterion]

...I think the novel still uses of older version of Data's origin rather than the one we eventually saw on-screen (and which was a lot more interesting, too).

I think so, yes. And that origin -- like Data himself -- was basically a resurrection of Roddenberry's failed The Questor Tapes pilot. Questor was an android built by mysterious aliens, and Data was originally supposed to be the same, although the motives for his creation were different (preserving the memories of doomed colonists, whereas Questor's original mission was basically the same as Gary Seven's -- Roddenberry was a master of recycling).[/QUOTE]

All true, and as I said, I think exploring that kind of origin could have been a lot more interesting than the origin we did get in Datalore, complete with an Evil Twin ()plot-line that ended up getting way too much air-time, IMO.

The potential stories with having one of your major crew members being an artificat of an unknown alien race are very intriguing to say the least. Instead we get hid "dad", and his "brother", and his "child", and his "mother", ad nauseum.

You are also dead-on about David Gerrold who, IMO, deserves a lot more credit and recognition concerning TNG than he has received.

 

[toughlittleship]

There are a lot of great things in the novelizations that will probably never be mentioned again. In "Emissary", there is a scene where Picard decides to be a secret benefactor to Jake.

 

[tenmei]

Doesn't the Emissary novelisation (I've only listened to the audiobook of it) suggest that Jennifer was a Starfleet officer too?

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Roddenberry was a master of recycling.

Boy, that's putting it mildly.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Roddenberry was a master of recycling.

Boy, that's putting it mildly.

Majel wasn't too bad at it either.

 

[Therin of Andor]

David Gerrold also mentioned some family groups (eg. the Harris brothers) we may have eventually seen turning up in TV scripts, or at least other novelizations by Gerrold, - had he stayed with TNG. Very few TNG scripts ended up utilizing the families aspect of the ship, as was originally intended.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Roddenberry was a master of recycling.

Boy, that's putting it mildly.

Majel wasn't too bad at it either.

Nor is George Lucas or Stephen King, for that matter.

On topic, perhaps Picard served on a space-bound Marie Celeste and that's what Gerrold was referring to?!

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Boy, that's putting it mildly.

Majel wasn't too bad at it either.

Nor is George Lucas or Stephen King, for that matter.

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