How is the Belle Terre mission doing?

[Jbarney]

I'm just wondering if there have been any references to how the Belle Terre mission is holding up. We all know they were able to get to the colony world and the first several months did not go very well.

Over time the Federation expanded....at what point in time did the regular exploration of space reach the Belle Terre region? You would think by the 24th century Belle Terre would almost be within UFP space.

Just wondering if any other writers have given a nod to that series of books. Seems like a good Lost Era story.

 

[Stevil2001]

There's a Blood Starfleet character in The Future Begins. That's the only reference so far as I know.

 

[captcalhoun]

it got fragged by the Borg.

 

[Sxottlan]

It would be nice to at least get some closure on that.

I've been tempted lately to re-read those books.

 

[JoeZhang]

Their crops failed and they were reduced to eating each other. The federation doesn't like to discuss it with outsiders...

 

[Jbarney]

It would be nice to at least get some closure on that.

I've been tempted lately to re-read those books.

I'm not even sure closure would be necessary. The editors have certainly given a lot of effort to expand the universe through the literature, it would just be nice to see how they did in the 2280s, 2290s,.....etc.

Perhaps just a reference here and there about the colony's success or failure.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I would also love to know one way or the other...not to mention about the Challenger--that was one unusual ship!

 

[cb31]

I'd like to see Carey continue with this series but I have serious doubts it will ever happen at this point!

 

[Kemaiku]

I would also love to know one way or the other...not to mention about the Challenger--that was one unusual ship!

Gateways Book 2 is a "Star Trek: Challenger" book which I think was an attempt to see how fans reacted to them having a book of their own, if it was worth making a follow on series of books of them.

I haven't read the book in some time now but I do remember the ship taking severe damage and there being causalities among the crew. She would probably have had to return to Federation space to be repaired or scuttled and the crew reassigned. Given we haven't heard anything of them since I wouldn't count on a follow up.

 

[Jbarney]

I haven't read the book in some time now but I do remember the ship taking severe damage and there being causalities among the crew. She would probably have had to return to Federation space to be repaired or scuttled and the crew reassigned. Given we haven't heard anything of them since I wouldn't count on a follow up.

Unfortunately I think you are probably correct. I think it sad they invested a miniseries of sorts into the story line and now we really have been left hanging. They were successful in really establishing the exploration feel to New Earth. While I didn't like all of the books in that series I really did like the investment they put into the idea.

Even if it were not a follow up story a reference or two about how the colonists made out would be nice.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I do remember the ship taking severe damage and there being causalities among the crew.

Worse than the damage suffered during the "New Earth" mini-series, that caused the creation of the new ship made from previously scuttled parts?

 

[bullethead]

While I hope that the New Earth/Challenger series gets some sort of continuation, the best hope for fans might be a Myriad Universes story. It'd certainly deal with the whole olivium not showing up in Trek without having to jump through a ton of hoops.

 

[JoeZhang]

While I hope that the New Earth/Challenger series gets some sort of continuation, the best hope for fans might be a Myriad Universes story. It'd certainly deal with the whole olivium not showing up in Trek without having to jump through a ton of hoops.

Olivium is the perferred breakfast spread across the federation so it gets a few mentions.


more seriously - was Nick thingy still a StarFleet officer at the end of it all?

 

[Christopher]

Olivium is the perferred breakfast spread across the federation so it gets a few mentions.

It's a dessert topping and a floor wax!

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I would also love to know one way or the other...not to mention about the Challenger--that was one unusual ship!

Gateways Book 2 is a "Star Trek: Challenger" book which I think was an attempt to see how fans reacted to them having a book of their own, if it was worth making a follow on series of books of them.

I haven't read the book in some time now but I do remember the ship taking severe damage and there being causalities among the crew. She would probably have had to return to Federation space to be repaired or scuttled and the crew reassigned. Given we haven't heard anything of them since I wouldn't count on a follow up.

I know--I remember that, and I was SO ticked to just be left hanging!

 

[ronny]

By coincidence I happened to have finished Chainmail today and I just don't see the fascination with the series. Change the few references of Star Fleet to some generic space agency, remove the one mention each of Kirk, Scotty and Vulcan, add on to the fact that all the characters talk like every other Diane Carey character, which means they don't sound like anyone in Star Fleet we've ever heard before, and I challenge anyone to recognize this as a Star Trek book. I haven't read the VOY or TNG Gateways books yet but it doesn't even seem to me this book even relates in any way to the rest of the series except there's a gateway in it.

Someone fill me in, what's in this series people find interesting?

 

[Sxottlan]

I quite enjoyed the sense of place created in the mini-series. Same as with the first Vanguard book years later. I especially loved Rough Trails and consider it one of my all-time favorite Trek books. That one more than anything really made Belle Terre feel like a real place with problems. I just wish they had come up with maps of the planet's continents. To this day I still fantasize about a planet-based series, partially to recapture the feeling I had reading some of these books.

The characters and dialogue could admittedly be really obnoxious at a few points. I remember some really aggravating criminal mastermind who was one step ahead of everyone for no other reason than if he weren't his plot wouldn't go past five pages. Some of his political rants made me roll my eyes as I rhetorically asked the writer, "Wouldn't you rather just write a political essay instead of trying to shoe-horn it into this book?"

That however has not stopped me from wondering every so often just what happened to the good people of Belle Terre. I sometimes think the Federation expanded to include them. Right now, you get the impression that it was just another colonization that eventually smoothed out since we never hear anything more.

 

[Claudia]

I don't remember Challenger being quite so damaged to warrant a return to Federation space and perhaps a reassignment of the crew but I'd love to see the Bonifay situation resolved - not just him being practically ordered to die, but seeing the actual execution through, seeing Shucorion's return to Challenger etc. Just because of the character dynamics I'd enjoy a continuation...

 

[Jbarney]

By coincidence I happened to have finished Chainmail today and I just don't see the fascination with the series. Change the few references of Star Fleet to some generic space agency, remove the one mention each of Kirk, Scotty and Vulcan, add on to the fact that all the characters talk like every other Diane Carey character, which means they don't sound like anyone in Star Fleet we've ever heard before, and I challenge anyone to recognize this as a Star Trek book. I haven't read the VOY or TNG Gateways books yet but it doesn't even seem to me this book even relates in any way to the rest of the series except there's a gateway in it.

Someone fill me in, what's in this series people find interesting?

I definately agree that the mini-series was not great, but I find the idea oddly compelling. The individual books had there ups and downs, and I found it really crazy that all of that stuff from the series could happen to the colonists the moment they set down on the planet. That said, I thought the books were able to capture a sense of exploration and "moving west" that was neat. If I remember correctly the point of the colony was to be isolated....to travel far from UFP space and survive based on the talents and technology they had with them. The historian in me loves the idea.

Especially from the perspective that the colony was established and life moves on. We haven't seen them for years....what happened to them? What sort of government did they set up? How did they get along over the long term with the alien races in that section of space?

 

[Stevil2001]

Someone fill me in, what's in this series people find interesting?

Shucorion. So. Awesome.