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No Star Trek Novelization?

I would love to see them give the novel to a big-name sci-fi writer who isn't known primarily for series fiction. I can't explain exactly why, except that one might imagine that """serious""" sci-fi fans who wouldn't normally check out the novel or the movie might get the book because it is a major sci-fi author, and enjoy it so much that they go see the new movie. Voila, new fan.

The number of people who read books by major SF authors is pretty darn small compared to the number of people who go to see big Hollywood movies. It wouldn't have all that much of an impact.

More important, though, is that the book has to be on the shelves when the movie comes out, but the studios reportedly release the scripts to publishers at the last minute possible these days, to avoid leaks. You may be able to convince a big name to write a Trek novelization, you may even be able to pay a hell of a lot more than the usual Trek novel pay rate to match what the big names usually get for their books, bu the question is whether you can get one of the big names to write up to their usual standards and still get a manuscript done in a matter of a few weeks instead of months or years.

I don't have any inside info, so I could be way offbase, but it doesn't seem terribly likely.

Let me guess and say: Diane Carey or David Gerrold

Let me guess and say: no chance in hell it'd be Gerrold, and not much chance it'd be Carey, who's gone off to do other things.
 
Let me guess and say: Diane Carey or David Gerrold
Both of whom have seemingly chosen long sabbaticals from ST. David Gerrold hasn't done a ST book since "Encounter at Farpoint". That was a looooong time ago.

Before all the low opinions of "Before Dishonor", I'd have gone with Peter David, who is not only strongly identified with ST, but also with many other movie novelizations (eg "Batman Forever", three "Spider-Man" films, the first "Fantastic Four", two "Hulks", "Iron Man"...) He has a reputation for fast turnarounds if necessary.

Greg Cox has also done a few novelizations recently and is still a current Pocket author.
 
Greg Cox has also done a few novelizations recently and is still a current Pocket author.[/quote]


Good guess, but it's not me. I'm busy writing UNDERWORLD and 4400 books . . . .
 
Therin of Andor;1848297Both of whom have seemingly chosen long sabbaticals from ST. [B said:
David Gerrold[/B] hasn't done a ST book since "Encounter at Farpoint". That was a looooong time ago.

He does have a story in the next Star Trek Manga (Vol 3) which is either just out or just about to be out, forget which. IIRC, it will be "Bandi" based on an outline he submitted to TOS before he hit on "The Trouble With Tribbles".
 
The third volume of the Star Trek manga should have hit comic shops yesterday.

At least I can say that the Pope - yes Pope Benedict XVI of Rome - prevented me from picking up my reserved copy of the new TokyoPop volume yesterday. Sydneysiders were being asked to avoid the CBD unless we were planning to go and cheer for "Benny" and celebrate World Youth Day.

I wanted Bandi and got... Benny. ;)
 
At least I can say that the Pope - yes Pope Benedict XVI of Rome - prevented me from picking up my reserved copy of the new TokyoPop volume yesterday. Sydneysiders were being asked to avoid the CBD unless we were planning to go and cheer for "Benny" and celebrate World Youth Day.

I wanted Bandi and got... Benny. ;)

What a party-poper.
 
... is it Terri Osborne?

I can tell you with absolute confidence that I was never on the list.

The only novelizations I'm lobbying to do are for future Hugh Jackman or Brendan Fraser movies. :devil:

Seriously, my days in Trek were great, but they've been behind me for a couple of years now. I've removed my name from consideration on future fiction projects so I can be free to pursue projects like, oh, Doctor Who or my own forthcoming Realms Next Door universe. You may still see my name pop up in the Magazine for an article or two, though, so you're not through with me yet. ;)

Besides, I'm not a big TOS or J.J. Abrams fan. Even if my name were still in the steno pool, I'm the very last person you'd want to see write the Trek XI novelization. I'd probably have turned it down if offered. No, I'm not kidding.
 
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Another cool option? Alan Dean Foster. He is one of my favorite writers working today and his old Star Trek Logs were great; plus he ghostwrote the Star Wars novel and was involved with the story of ST:TMP. But he kind of drifted away from Trek after that, although he has done plenty of good novelizations and has a strong career with his own original stuff, as well. It would be nice for Foster to enter back into the Trek fray, although after so many years I somehow doubt it (then again..., I may be wrong, but I think he did the Transformers novelization, which means there is a J.J. Abrams connection of sorts).

You and I think alike. I was going to post my vote for ADF as well. :)
 
And I've never done a novelization, so I don't know why anyone would think I'm a likely choice. I certainly haven't been asked.
 
No, here's the real scoop: They're going to use a time machine to resurrect Gene Roddenberry to write the novelization, complete with all his sloppy stylistic techniques like overused italics* and excessive preoccupation on the disturbingly erotic anatomy of the female leads.

*And gratuitous, conversational footnotes in which I, Admiral James T. Kirk, address the reader in the first person. Hey, how about that female anatomy on Rachel Nichols?
 
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