Make the books canon

[Sean Aaron]

The only way to settle this is to get the Star Trek Sanhedrin to meet and discuss the issue.

Now who are the Chief Rabbis of Star Trek outside of the creators of the new film?

 

[Greg Cox]

I believe the more typical Hollywood response is:

"What are books?"

 

[donners22]

Damn, I can't write "no" in 1000 point.

 

[suarezguy]

I got into a big argument on the Trek XI board a few weeks ago about whether or not it was a good idea for multiple Trek continuities to exist (since that's what a lot of folks are saying the new movie amounts to -- a new Star Trek continuity). And a lot of folks are strongly against the very idea of a new Trek continuity, even though they have no problem with it with other franchises.

These are folks who want Star Trek to constitute a single, completely self-consistent fictional continuity. Period. They can accept multiple versions of the Batman story, or the King Arthur legend, or what-have-you. But for Trek, there, to borrow another franchise's catchphrase, can be only one.

I myself feel this way: Arthur and Robin Hood are such simple stories that of course you've got to have new versions with changes. What I like about Star Trek and comic books, though is that they last so long they do get big and complex; they're not just basic concepts but their own developed universes, so coming out with an alternate versions seems to miss the point (I think James Bond has also run enough time that it seems wrong to just have a new version that totally ignores what came before, then why not just have a new character?).
I think it's impossible to have a Batman movie directly in the comics' continuity because then it would be overly complex and inaccessible (and probably not good, movies ought to be able to stand on their own), while adding on to the already-big Star Trek with novels (which are somewhat for a niche audience already) doesn't pose the same problem.
I understand that studios and even creators don't want to make the Trek universe too big, and I keep my own "continuity" anyway (pretty much whatever I see or read, although I choose not to seek out some that seem to be overly bad ).

 

[Therin of Andor]

Arthur and Robin Hood are such simple stories.

Simple how? Arthurian legend has always sounded complex to me, and Robin Hood is so much more than "robs from rich, gives to poor, wears green, Little John is really big".

You can milk Star Trek down to a simple story, too: "Wagon Train to the stars".

 

[KRAD]

^ Actually, Star Trek was never "Wagon Train to the Stars," that's just how Roddenberry sold it to network executives who would get Western metaphors. It was really "Horatio Hornblower in space."

 

[Scott Pearson]

I've always thought of it more as "D.P. Gumby goes down to pub."

 

[Therin of Andor]

^ Actually, Star Trek was never "Wagon Train to the Stars," that's just how Roddenberry sold it to network executives who would get Western metaphors. It was really "Horatio Hornblower in space."

Yes, I know, but there are quite a few episodes, including "The Man Trap", the first episode aired, which had a "Wagon Train" feel to them.