George Kirk in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

[Jbarney]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Where reasonable, I also kept consistent with numerous other novels, but when it came to the elder Kirk, the notion that he had served in Starfleet just didn't seem right to me. I mean, wouldn't a fact such as that reasonably be expected to come up in an episode? Also, artistically, it just didn't work for me. I'm sure that there are plenty of readers and fans out there for whom the idea of Jim Kirk's dad being in Starfleet does work, and I intend no disrespect to them or to the writers who made that choice. For me, though, as both a writer and a reader, it simply didn't feel right.

I read Diane Carey's Final Frontier a long time ago. If I recall correctly that was one of the first works that grounded many of us with the idea that George Kirk had been a member of Star Fleet.

I have yet to read Crucible, but I am looking forward to it. I'm sure I will find the differences in George Kirk's history interesting.

For what its worth though, I enjoy it when writers make every effort to stay consistent with other works. That is not to say two different back stories can't be equally enjoyable, but I sometimes find too many contradictions distracting.

Just my opinion.

 

[Jbarney]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

[/quote]
Given that the writers of the movie are amongst those who made that choice, how do you feel about their going with the interpretation which "didn't feel right" for you...?[/quote]


I was going to ask the same question.

I never got the impression that George Kirk was out there saving galaxies or doing anything close to what Jim Kirk accomplished. I did, however, always have the impression service in Star Fleet had been part of his career. Perhaps I got this impression from the early Trek books I read.

I wonder how many other books draw on Diane Carey's work.

 

[Stevil2001]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Didn't the Captain Kirk biography in the Gold Key comics reprints have Kirk's father as a Starfleet officer?

 

[David R. George III]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Given that the writers of the movie are amongst those who made that choice, how do you feel about their going with the interpretation which "didn't feel right" for you...?

Well, really, it's none of my business. I don't mean that to sound flip, but I understand that in the same way that readers and viewers will like or dislike a particular plot point, so too is that true for writers. If the writers of the upcoming feature made the choice for Jim Kirk's father to be in Starfleet, so be it. I might have made a different choice, but that's not to say that I can't enjoy what other writers create, even if I would likely have selected another creative path.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Didn't the Captain Kirk biography in the Gold Key comics reprints have Kirk's father as a Starfleet officer?

Yes, Colonel Benjamin Kirk, if I remember correctly, who served during the "Klingon Repulsion" and was killed in action.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Major apologies about the spoiler at the start!

I (very wrongly) assumed everyone had seen the new trailer. And my net knowledge is less than awesome, so I have no idea how to use spoiler code. I’ll find out and use it next time…

Are we likely to ever get a proper novel dealing with George’s ‘old’ demise (preferably Diane Carey’s version of GK)? Or will it be lumped with the Shatnerverse in the “don’t confuse the readers with contradictory storylines” box?

 

[EmperorKalan]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Ok, summary of the several versions of Kirk's Dad:

1) Key Comics' Col. Benjamin Kirk, killed in action at some unspecified time;

2) World Without End's unnamed father, a Back To Earth movement activist and local politician who foisted the farm work on his son(s);

3) Diane Carey's George Samuel Kirk, Sr., introduced in Final Frontier, reappeared in Best Destiny, and was used by other authors in the Janus Gate books and The Good That Men Do: sandy red hair, bit of a temper, married early, enlisted in Starfleet Security (later became an officer), mostly in diplomatic security, often absentee dad (and fretted endlessly over it), wrote his sons real paper letters, friend of Robert April, disappeared at some pointafter Jim goes to the Academy.

4) Unnamed (correct?) father in the Crucible trilogy: died while Jim was a child (2 years after his wife died (or other way around?))

5) Academy: Collission Course's George Joseph Kirk, Starfleet enlistee with a number of personal problems

6) Whatever's in JJA's movie, though allegedly that draws inspiration from Best Destiny

7) There was a "Strange New Worlds" short story, content of which I'm not familiar.

Plus other less specific (and usually secondhand) mentions in other books (Enterprise: The First Aventure, etc.)

Am I missing anything?

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Ok, summary of the several versions of Kirk's Dad:

1) Key Comics' Col. Benjamin Kirk, killed in action at some unspecified time;

Some more specific info about Benjamin Kirk from Memory Beta:

Colonel Benjamin Kirk was a Human male and the father of the renowned James T. Kirk.

Kirk was a hero of a military conflict known as the Klingon Repulsion. When his son was twelve years old Benjamin was awarded the posthumous Starfleet decoration, the Supreme Medal of Honor, and an acceptance letter from Commander Alden McWilliams confirmed Jim Kirk's honorary appointment to UFP Space Academy. (TOS comic: The Enterprise Logs 1) ​

 

[William Leisner]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

7) There was a "Strange New Worlds" short story, content of which I'm not familiar.

It's been a good long while since I've read it, but my impression was that this story hewed pretty close to Carey's version of the Kirk family.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Are we likely to ever get a proper novel dealing with George’s ‘old’ demise (preferably Diane Carey’s version of GK)?

It seemed to me that Carey rather liked the mystery of what happened to George remaining a mystery.

 

[JD]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

6) Whatever's in JJA's movie, though allegedly that draws inspiration from Best Destiny

Spoiler: ST09 spoilers

Based on what I've seen and read, it appears that this George Kirk was an officer (maybe XO?) on the USS Kelvin under Capt. Robau, who takes command during the battle with Nero and is killed when the ship is destroyed.

 

[Jbarney]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

Ok, summary of the several versions of Kirk's Dad:

1) Key Comics' Col. Benjamin Kirk, killed in action at some unspecified time;

2) World Without End's unnamed father, a Back To Earth movement activist and local politician who foisted the farm work on his son(s);

3) Diane Carey's George Samuel Kirk, Sr., introduced in Final Frontier, reappeared in Best Destiny, and was used by other authors in the Janus Gate books and The Good That Men Do: sandy red hair, bit of a temper, married early, enlisted in Starfleet Security (later became an officer), mostly in diplomatic security, often absentee dad (and fretted endlessly over it), wrote his sons real paper letters, friend of Robert April, disappeared at some pointafter Jim goes to the Academy.

4) Unnamed (correct?) father in the Crucible trilogy: died while Jim was a child (2 years after his wife died (or other way around?))

5) Academy: Collission Course's George Joseph Kirk, Starfleet enlistee with a number of personal problems

6) Whatever's in JJA's movie, though allegedly that draws inspiration from Best Destiny

7) There was a "Strange New Worlds" short story, content of which I'm not familiar.

Plus other less specific (and usually secondhand) mentions in other books (Enterprise: The First Aventure, etc.)

Am I missing anything?

I am currently reading the old Bantam book, "The Starless World". I was shocked to come across some information which fits nicely with this thread.

On page 88 Uhura is recalling the first time she met Jim Kirk. Apparently when they first talked they had a brief conversation about his father. Kirk refers to his father as being a "Starman", and that he is dead. He goes on to say that he disappeared in space 2 years prior to Uhura being assigned to the Enterprise.

Just thought I would add this info....
Jason

 

[William Leisner]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

7) There was a "Strange New Worlds" short story, content of which I'm not familiar.

It's been a good long while since I've read it, but my impression was that this story hewed pretty close to Carey's version of the Kirk family.

Okay, and now I've reread it. The story is "First Star I See Tonight," by Victoria Grant in SNW IV, and has "George Kirk" as a Starfleet officer whose ship mysteriously disappears without a trace about a year before Jim leaves for Starfleet Academy. (And for those interested in Mama Kirk, she's still alive during the 5YM, living in the same Iowa farmhouse Jimmy grew up in.)

 

[Christopher]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

^As far as Winona Kirk goes, I believe that Time For Yesterday, a book set a couple of years before TWOK, involved Winona having recently died in a fire.

 

[William Leisner]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

^As far as Winona Kirk goes, I believe that Time For Yesterday, a book set a couple of years before TWOK, involved Winona having recently died in a fire.

Interesting. The SNW tale has Mrs. Kirk (no first name given) surviving a house fire. Guess she didn't learn her lesson...

 

[Stevil2001]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

I think Winona dying in a fire is also referenced in Peter Kirk's backstory in Sarek, which would make since, as that was also written by Crispin.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Re: George Kirk's in TrekLit (STXI movie spoiler)

^As far as Winona Kirk goes, I believe that Time For Yesterday, a book set a couple of years before TWOK, involved Winona having recently died in a fire.

I though she survived the fire and died in a nursing home. In fact come to think about it I remeber it being mentioned that Peter was there and got her out of the house.

 

[Captaindemotion]

The apparently recurring theme of Winona dying in a fire is a curious coincidence to Picard's last living relatives dying the same way in Generations.