Novels based on the movie cast.

[BritishSeaPower]

Recall, though, that The Assassination Game was pushed back by almost a year from its original publication date. (June 2012 actual vs. September 2011 original) And according to the interview the author did on the Trek collective, Bad Robot really pored over the book. It seems things like races or ships that may have been background "characters" were asked to be removed or replaced, possibly for relationship to plot elements or just because they didn't want them there.

So it's certainly possible for Bad Robot to have a direct hand in a tie-in (something written about 2010) to the point of delaying it quite a bit with that item still coming out.

(Speaking of which, I really wish someone in TrekLit would get Mr. Gratz to do an "adult" Trek novel.)

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

(Speaking of which, I really wish someone in TrekLit would get Mr. Gratz to do an "adult" Trek novel.)

I concur.

 

[Christopher]

So it's certainly possible for Bad Robot to have a direct hand in a tie-in (something written about 2010) to the point of delaying it quite a bit with that item still coming out.

Delayed by months or a year, sure. But that YA novel did nonetheless come out, and that was a year ago.

 

[Chrono85]

I hope these novels, or others, are finally released now that STiD is out! A few novels would be nice to at least tie us over until ST3 . I know there are comic books, but to be honest, I didn't really grow up reading comics, and I'm not really an enthusiast for them. Plus novels have better potential for a deeper and more interesting story, since they are not as limited in page and word length as a comic book. I also don't really care to read 'young adult' books either.

 

[The Wormhole]

I hope these novels, or others, are finally released now that STiD is out! A few novels would be nice to at least tie us over until ST3 . I know there are comic books, but to be honest, I didn't really grow up reading comics, and I'm not really an enthusiast for them. Plus novels have better potential for a deeper and more interesting story, since they are not as limited in page and word length as a comic book. I also don't really care to read 'young adult' books either.

Honestly, it's probably better off that we don't have Abramsverse novels. We'd get less Prime Trek novels a year, and an Abramsverse series would be the "put you toys away at the end" tupe stories that a lot of people around here claim they are sick of with all the TOS novels. I still think the way the four Abramsverse novels were pulled was very sloppy and poorly handled, but in the end we're better off without an Abramsverse series, IMO.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The article explaining the books being set aside is here:
http://trekmovie.com/2010/01/14/poc...vie-tie-ins-4-novels-pulled-from-summer-2010/

including:

Anthony Pascale reported:

Apparently the four novels have mostly been written, but the decision does not appear to have anything to do with the books specifically, but the view that (for now) the team behind the movie should be the ones telling new stories for this new crew, especially stories set after the movie. That does not mean that stories cannot be told in the new movie universe. Comic Book publisher IDW has already released the "Star Trek Nero" comic series, which was primarily a new story set in the new movie universe, but it took place during the film (in the years between Nero’s arrival and when he captured Spock Prime). IDW are also kicking off a six-issue Star Trek movie adaptation next month. And of course last year IDW had a big success with "Star Trek Countdown". A big difference between the IDW Star Trek tie-ins and the planned Pocket Books novels is that IDW has been working closely with the Star Trek writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. The writing team did work with Pocket and author Alan Dean Foster on the 2009 Star Trek movie adaptation, which became a New York Times bestseller, the first for Star Trek in a long time.

A spokesperson for Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books provided TrekMovie with the following statement explaining why the books were pulled:

With last summer’s blockbuster STAR TREK movie, JJ Abrams created a new vibrant, layered version of the Star Trek universe. After careful consideration, we decided to hold off on telling new stories while JJ and his team continue to develop his vision.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

While this article doesn't cover the novels specifically, The Wrap delves into the complicated relationship between CBS Consumer Products and Bad Robot over merchandise and other tie-ins.

Much to the dismay of Bad Robot, CBS' merchandising arm continued to create memorabilia and products based on the cast of the original 1960s series and market them to Trekkies. The production company did market research and found that there was brand confusion between Abrams' rebooted Enterprise crew and the one starring William Shatner and DeForest Kelley.

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ I'm actually shocked that Bad Robot would have even expected them to stop making products based on the original series.

Although it's too bad we didn't get the (apparently) planned TV show.

 

[The Wormhole]

^ I'm actually shocked that Bad Robot would have even expected them to stop making products based on the original series.

I'm not. It fits the arrogant image I apply to Abrams and his cohorts.

Although it's too bad we didn't get the (apparently) planned TV show.

Which I suspect would be the animated series that Orci often claims is "in talks."

 

[Christopher]

^ I'm actually shocked that Bad Robot would have even expected them to stop making products based on the original series.

I'm not. It fits the arrogant image I apply to Abrams and his cohorts.

Well, to be fair, this is the first time that Bad Robot has been involved with a franchise that had an earlier incarnation that was still a going concern in tie-ins. The only previous thing they've done that they didn't create themselves was Mission: Impossible, and that didn't have anything coming out besides the movies. So maybe instead of arrogance it was just not being used to having the "competition."

 

[JD]

That does make one wonder if this dispute is what killed the books.
As for Abrams wanting CBS Consumer Products to stop releasing TOS products, on one hand I can kind of see wanting to prevent the confusion, but at the same time it is IMO ridiculous to actually be upset when it doesn't happen. TOS products have been selling for decades, there is no one one (now two) reboot movie(s) is(are) going to be enough stop them.

 

[The Wormhole]

^ I'm actually shocked that Bad Robot would have even expected them to stop making products based on the original series.

I'm not. It fits the arrogant image I apply to Abrams and his cohorts.

Well, to be fair, this is the first time that Bad Robot has been involved with a franchise that had an earlier incarnation that was still a going concern in tie-ins. The only previous thing they've done that they didn't create themselves was Mission: Impossible, and that didn't have anything coming out besides the movies. So maybe instead of arrogance it was just not being used to having the "competition."

So, ignorant instead of arrogant? That works.

That does make one wonder if this dispute is what killed the books.

I've been wondering this two. It certainly seems more plausible then the "didn't want to step on BR's toes while they were developing the sequel" line. Problem is, although Abrams Trek is the primary focus of IDW's Trek line, BR seems to have no objection to when they go back and re-visit Prime Trek, like they did last year with Assimilation-Squared and the TNG Hive series.

 

[Christopher]

That does make one wonder if this dispute is what killed the books.

I've been wondering this two. It certainly seems more plausible then the "didn't want to step on BR's toes while they were developing the sequel" line. Problem is, although Abrams Trek is the primary focus of IDW's Trek line, BR seems to have no objection to when they go back and re-visit Prime Trek, like they did last year with Assimilation-Squared and the TNG Hive series.

Well, I get the impression from the article that their issue was with TOS specifically, not TNG-era stuff or ENT. But IDW has continued to do TOS-era stuff to an extent, with the Legion of Super Heroes crossover and a Kirk-era flashback in the Doctor Who crossover.

Also, Pocket did go ahead with the Abramsverse Academy novels, although it was a different imprint aimed at a different demographic.

 

[shanejayell]

Wonder if we might get all 4 books as a omnibus?

 

[surak-toc]

I expect so at some future point, hopefully by that point the was planned books based on the movie cast may get the go ahead for a release too

 

[Christopher]

I can't speak for the other authors of the abortive Abramsverse novels, but now that I've seen STID, I can safely say that Seek a Newer World is very much not compatible with the movie. I may have been too ambitious and delved into too many of the same character and thematic ideas that the sequel tackles, so there's no way both stories could happen in the same continuity. At the very least it would take a heavy rewrite to make it compatible, but at this point I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble. If Pocket were to begin doing Abramsverse novels, it might be better just to start over and tell new stories based on what we know now.

 

[F. King Daniel]

^Interesting. Thanks for the info, I was wondering about that.

Something tells me David Mack's Greater Than Death would be scuppered by Kirk's comment that he hadn't lost a single crewmen since taking command of the Enterprise.

 

[David Mack]

^ More Beautiful than Death. And I don't recall how many fatalities were involved in that story, but yes, Kirk would have had to cope with losing a few crewmen in action during that story.

 

[F. King Daniel]

^Thanks.

I guess that's the really really final nail over the already final nail in the coffin of those novels. Bleh.

Just out of curiousity, if Greg Cox is reading, was The Hazard of Concealing similarly smooshed out of continuity with the new movieverse?

 

[ryan123450]

Well this is interesting. I guess anyone who was still hoping to see these four novels someday can stop waiting now.