If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinions?)

[darkwing_duck1]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

never mind...someone beat me to it

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

Greg, how many copies of any particular book would have to be sold for it to make sense from a publishing perspective? A comic can sell 20-30,000 copies of an issue and be considered a modest/medium size success. Would a book series with those sales numbers be considered a success?

Not really, especially when you factor in all the headaches and special expenses associated with tie-in publishing. Remember, you have to pay the author and the licensor, jump through lots of contractual hoops, and haggle over approvals which often lead to costly delays and production costs.

The only real reason for doing it is because, when they work,they justify all the time and trouble. And for twenty to thirty thousand copies? Forget it.

Don't forget Ordover's Rule: that the average tie-in novel will only be read by about 2% percent of the viewing audience. You need a big audience--as opposed to a cult following--to make books worthwhile.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

Not really, especially when you factor in all the headaches and special expenses associated with tie-in publishing. Remember, you have to pay the author and the licensor, jump through lots of contractual hoops, and haggle over approvals which often lead to costly delays and production costs.

The only real reason for doing it is because, when they work,they justify all the time and trouble. And for twenty to thirty thousand copies? Forget it.

Don't forget Ordover's Rule: that the average tie-in novel will only be read by about 2% percent of the viewing audience. You need a big audience--as opposed to a cult following--to make books worthwhile.

Well then, that pretty much confirms my suspicions. A modern comic company would be THRILLED to get 30,000 copies sold on a particular issue.

 

[Christopher]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

And yes, maybe I DO need to take a new look at Trek lit. I will admit to being VERY soured on the books duing the Reign of Richard. He cut Diane Duane off at the knees at the HEIGHT of her creative output, for example.

That's why I haven't cracked open a book about the "series" crews in ages. Just too much same same same, in my opinion.

Richard Arnold was fired from Paramount 17 years ago. His policies are completely irrelevant to the modern state of Trek literature.

I get far more satisfaction as a reader out of something like Vanguard, where it feels like ANYTHING can happen. Major characters can be put in REAL jeopardy (they just KILLED one in the last book) and not be covered by "script immunity". I liked PAD's early NF books for the same reason.

That's true of the post-finale book series as well. After all, if the shows aren't in production anymore, there's no reason why the books can't make major changes. Main characters from TNG, DS9, VGR, and ENT have gone through major life changes: taken new jobs, gotten married, had children, even died. Cast members have left and been replaced by other cast members. The freedom you enjoy in Vanguard and other book-only series is found just as much in the post-finale ("Relaunch") books of the TV series.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

And yes, maybe I DO need to take a new look at Trek lit. I will admit to being VERY soured on the books duing the Reign of Richard. He cut Diane Duane off at the knees at the HEIGHT of her creative output, for example.

That's why I haven't cracked open a book about the "series" crews in ages. Just too much same same same, in my opinion.

Richard Arnold was fired from Paramount 17 years ago. His policies are completely irrelevant to the modern state of Trek literature.

I realize that...though to be fair the policy didn't end immediately upon his removal...it was several more years before things started to change. I was just saying that he left such a "bad taste" in my reading experience that it was a disincentive towards me trying the newer books in general.

I get far more satisfaction as a reader out of something like Vanguard, where it feels like ANYTHING can happen. Major characters can be put in REAL jeopardy (they just KILLED one in the last book) and not be covered by "script immunity". I liked PAD's early NF books for the same reason.

That's true of the post-finale book series as well. After all, if the shows aren't in production anymore, there's no reason why the books can't make major changes. Main characters from TNG, DS9, VGR, and ENT have gone through major life changes: taken new jobs, gotten married, had children, even died. Cast members have left and been replaced by other cast members. The freedom you enjoy in Vanguard and other book-only series is found just as much in the post-finale ("Relaunch") books of the TV series.

Fair enough...I might look some of them up when I get a chance...any suggestions as to particularly good titles?

 

[William Leisner]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

Why can't the writers tell whatever stories they want to tell if the books don't matter?

Just curious: which writers have you ever had walk up to you and say, "Hey, y'know darkwing_duck1, canon really burns my britches, 'cuz now I can't tell the stories I wanna tell"? Presumably, you have dozens lodging this common complaint with you, for you to start a whole thread about it.

No, the question was my own...I was SOLICITING the opinions of the writers, becasue I felt they would be in the best position to give me the best information on the reasons behind the policy.

Yes, but... there is no such policy. Not only is there no such policy, but the writers can tell stories they want to tell, and books do matter (perhaps not to Hollywood, and for varying values of "matter," but still).

 

[JD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

I get far more satisfaction as a reader out of something like Vanguard, where it feels like ANYTHING can happen. Major characters can be put in REAL jeopardy (they just KILLED one in the last book) and not be covered by "script immunity". I liked PAD's early NF books for the same reason.

That's true of the post-finale book series as well. After all, if the shows aren't in production anymore, there's no reason why the books can't make major changes. Main characters from TNG, DS9, VGR, and ENT have gone through major life changes: taken new jobs, gotten married, had children, even died. Cast members have left and been replaced by other cast members. The freedom you enjoy in Vanguard and other book-only series is found just as much in the post-finale ("Relaunch") books of the TV series.[/quote]Fair enough...I might look some of them up when I get a chance...any suggestions as to particularly good titles?[/quote]

I think the best of these kinds of books would be The DS9 Relaunch, Titan and the Enterprise relaunch (which so far only consists of The Good That Men Do, and Kobayashi Maru, with a third book The Romulan War coming out next year. The TNG Relaunch has been a little more hit and miss, but the hits (Q & A, Greater Than the Sum, and the Destiny Trilogy) are really good. FYI the Destiny trilogy is actually a TNGR, Titan, Enterprise Relaunchish, DS9Rish, and Voyager Relaunchish crossover.

 

[KRAD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

^ What Mike said. Indeed, a big part of the appeal of the Farscape comic (we hope) is Rockne O'Bannon's involvement.

When will these be out? If of course they aren't already out.

And will they be based post PK Wars or between that and Bad Timing?

The first issue will be released on Christmas Eve, with a new issue each month for the foreseeable future, done as four-issue miniseries. They pick up where PKW left off (in fact, the first page of issue #1 is the shot of Crichton and Aeryn holding their baby up to the stars at the end of PKW).

Just today the second miniseries -- Strange Detractors -- was announced. The comics are plotted by Rockne and scripted by me.

 

[JD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

Cool. I thought this was more of a "Well, we're gonna do these four and see how it goes" type of thing.

 

[KRAD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

^ Nope. Strange Detractors should be hitting in March, and we've got other stuff in the works, too....

 

[LightningStorm]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

darkwing_duck1, Posting three or more times in a row in a thread is considered spamming. Utilization of the "Edit" and "Multi-Quote" buttons are preferred ways of responding if you have more to say or want to quote multiple people.

Thanks

 

[JD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

^ Nope. Strange Detractors should be hitting in March, and we've got other stuff in the works, too....

I just have a couple more quick question: do you anything about when to expect the webisodes, and will the comics go on after they are released?

 

[TheAlmanac]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

The myth about "canon" is that it means "absolute consistency." It just means something that's treated as real until the showrunners decide to ignore or change it.

I actually really like the Constitution/Supreme Court analogy which the makers of the new film have been using for canon...

It conveys the idea that precedent matters, but isn't always followed; that people focus more on some elements (and adhere to them more closely) than others; that it's always subject to amendment; that there are strict constructionists as well as those who see it as a living document; that there will naturally be sources of contradiction and rival interpretations; and that the job of resolving those questions falls to a series of people at the top, who themselves will have differing opinions from those who come before and after.

 

[Christopher]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

^^Hmm, you spell that out very well, and it's an excellent point.

 

[KRAD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

I just have a couple more quick question: do you anything about when to expect the webisodes, and will the comics go on after they are released?

No and yes.

 

[JD]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

Sweet!

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

[ the job of resolving those questions falls to a series of people at the top, who themselves will have differing opinions from those who come before and after.

Mimi Panitch once described the job of Star Trek editor as being like the Pope during a time of extreme doctrinal dispute!

 

[Trent Roman]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

So when the authors get to squabbling, does Margaret say "Don't make me go Pius IX on your asses!"

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[TheAlmanac]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

...the job of resolving those questions falls to a series of people at the top, who themselves will have differing opinions from those who come before and after.

Mimi Panitch once described the job of Star Trek editor as being like the Pope during a time of extreme doctrinal dispute!

Maybe Star Trek needs a Vatican II to clear things up...

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Re: If books aren't canon, why all the restrictions? (writers' opinion

These days, it seems to be more popular and "cooler" for TV producers to turn to comic books as the medium for resolving or continuing their cancelled series. That's what Whedon did with the Buffyverse and Firefly/Serenity, and it's what Bryan Fuller has said he'll do with Pushing Daisies. And Abrams and his ST crew went to IDW rather than Pocket for their movie prequel.

Not to mention the Jim Henson Company with Farscape. *cough*

And technically, Sereni-fly hasn't been continued or resolved. None of the Serenity comic books have been post-movie....

Frankly I'm waiting for the next KRAD ANDROMEDA novel. Best version of the series BY FAR.