question about Faces of Fire

[Extrocomp]

The TOS novel Faces of Fire by Michael Jan Friedman describes a conflict between two races of Klingons, the Kamorh'dag (from the northern continent) and the Gevish'rae (from the southern continent). The Kamorh'dag are currently in power and the Gevish'rae are trying to seize power.

Are the Kamorh'dag supposed to be the smooth-headed Klingons and the Gevish'rae the ridge-headed Klingons?

I can't find any description of either group's physical appearance anywhere in the book. We are told that Kruge is a Gevish'rae and that Kahless was a Kamorh'dag. Since this book was written before "Rightful Heir", the writer's idea of Kahless would've been the smooth-headed Kahless from "The Savage Curtain".

Other old novels usually talk about "fusions" and the "Imperial Race" when bringing up the forehead issue, so maybe the Kamorh'dag/Gevish'rae thing is something else entirely.
What do you guys think?

 

[JohnChod]

Unless I'm mistaken, this novel pre-dates the retconned explanation for the differing appearance of the Klingons. I still wish they had simply left it alone.

 

[Christopher]

Are the Kamorh'dag supposed to be the smooth-headed Klingons and the Gevish'rae the ridge-headed Klingons?

I've always figured that was implicitly the intention, but Mike Friedman probably wasn't allowed to make it explicit, just in case later canon came along and handled the ridge issue differently.

But it has always reminded me of the similar Klingon caste/subculture division that I seem to recall reading about in Vonda McIntyre's Search for Spock novelization. I don't remember the names used therein, but I often wondered if Mike originally intended to use those names but had to change them due to the no-continuity policy of the day.

Other old novels usually talk about "fusions" and the "Imperial Race" when bringing up the forehead issue, so maybe the Kamorh'dag/Gevish'rae thing is something else entirely.

That was the version from John M. Ford's The Final Reflection, but as I said, by the time FiF came along in 1992, the novels weren't allowed to reference one another's ideas. Not to mention that by that point, TNG's version of the Klingons had pretty much superseded Ford's anyway.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The north/south Klingon thing in FoF was based on Gene Roddenberry's less-than-serious explanation that the bumpy-headed Klingons were "Northern Klingons"

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well, I guess it's true, then. Lots of planets DO have a North!

 

[Extrocomp]

But it has always reminded me of the similar Klingon caste/subculture division that I seem to recall reading about in Vonda McIntyre's Search for Spock novelization. I don't remember the names used therein, but I often wondered if Mike originally intended to use those names but had to change them due to the no-continuity policy of the day.

I've just searched through Duty, Honor, Redemption on Amazon.com. The two Klingon groups are the Kumburanya and the Rumaiym. Kruge identifies himself as a Rumaiy. There is no description of the groups, other than the fact that they speak different dialects.

 

[Christopher]

^Yes, those are the names I was trying to remember. I thought they were fleshed out more (maybe they were on pages not included in Amazon's preview?), but I could be conflating it with Faces of Fire.

 

[Extrocomp]

^Yes, those are the names I was trying to remember. I thought they were fleshed out more (maybe they were on pages not included in Amazon's preview?), but I could be conflating it with Faces of Fire.

There's a bit more detail in the novel Enterprise: The First Adventure:

She expected nothing better of the Kumburanya. They were the majority group in the Klingon Empire; Kumburan nobles formed the oligarchy, controlled resources and expansion and indulged in discrimination against the Rumaiy minority to which Koronin belonged.

Analyzing Koronin's dress, her physical form, her accent, Spock identified her as a member of the Rumaiy group, a political and ethnic minority of the Klingon home world. The highest class of Rumaiy often veiled themselves in public, and indeed Koronin carried a veil.

That was the version from John M. Ford's The Final Reflection, but as I said, by the time FiF came along in 1992, the novels weren't allowed to reference one another's ideas. Not to mention that by that point, TNG's version of the Klingons had pretty much superseded Ford's anyway.

Actually, the term "Imperial Race" has been used in quite a few novels even after TNG started. How Much For Just The Planet?, The IDIC Epidemic and Rules of Engagement are the ones I found on Google Books. There are probably more that don't have previews.

 

[Christopher]

There's a bit more detail in the novel Enterprise: The First Adventure:

She expected nothing better of the Kumburanya. They were the majority group in the Klingon Empire; Kumburan nobles formed the oligarchy, controlled resources and expansion and indulged in discrimination against the Rumaiy minority to which Koronin belonged.

Analyzing Koronin's dress, her physical form, her accent, Spock identified her as a member of the Rumaiy group, a political and ethnic minority of the Klingon home world. The highest class of Rumaiy often veiled themselves in public, and indeed Koronin carried a veil.

Ah, that's what I was remembering.

Actually, the term "Imperial Race" has been used in quite a few novels even after TNG started. How Much For Just The Planet?, The IDIC Epidemic and Rules of Engagement are the ones I found on Google Books. There are probably more that don't have previews.

Yes, but it's not like the Arnold crackdown began the same day TNG premiered. After all, books take a long time to create, and it wasn't until about '89 that Roddenberry decided he needed to take greater control of the tie-ins. So the effects of the crackdown didn't really begin to manifest until mid-1990. Rules of Engagement is the last novel that featured Ford-style Klingons.

Not to mention that TNG's Klingon worldbuilding progressed gradually. You had "Heart of Glory" in early '88 and "A Matter of Honor" in early '89, then "The Emissary" in mid-'89, then "The Bonding" (Ron Moore's debut) in late '89, but the Klingon stuff didn't kick into high gear until "Sins of the Father" in early '90. So it was a while before there was enough Klingon material in TNG to make it clear that Ford's version was no longer viable.

 

[Therin of Andor]

The highest class of Rumaiy often veiled themselves in public, and indeed Koronin carried a veil.

As did Valkris in ST III. In the footage onscreen, her silver veil is draped around her shoulders, but she is seen wearing it in two (cut from the film) stills featured in the hardcover storybook, IIRC.

it's not like the Arnold crackdown began the same day TNG premiered. After all, books take a long time to create, and it wasn't until about '89 that Roddenberry decided he needed to take greater control of the tie-ins. So the effects of the crackdown didn't really begin to manifest until mid-1990.

Correct. One of Richard's first books was the ST IV novelization (1986), IIRC, which generally have a short turnaround, and he went onto salary as ST Archivist after it was clear that ST IV was a moneyspinner for Paramount. By the 1988 hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2 of TNG, the licenses were frozen. That infamous "memo" was out by early 1989, FASA's license was gone and Pocket's and DC's contracts had been renegotiated under new, tighter terms.

Rules of Engagement is the last novel that featured Ford-style Klingons.

And Naraht the horta. For a looooooong while.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But it has always reminded me of the similar Klingon caste/subculture division that I seem to recall reading about in Vonda McIntyre's Search for Spock novelization. I don't remember the names used therein, but I often wondered if Mike originally intended to use those names but had to change them due to the no-continuity policy of the day.

I've just searched through Duty, Honor, Redemption on Amazon.com. The two Klingon groups are the Kumburanya and the Rumaiym. Kruge identifies himself as a Rumaiy. There is no description of the groups, other than the fact that they speak different dialects.

Actually it was Maltz, not Kruge.

 

[Christopher]

By the 1989 hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2 of TNG, that infamous "memo" was out and FASA was gone and Pocket's and DC's contracts had been renegotiated under new, tighter terms.

TNG premiered in 1987. So 1989 would've been the hiatus between seasons 2 and 3.

 

[Therin of Andor]

By the 1989 hiatus between Seasons 1 and 2 of TNG, that infamous "memo" was out and FASA was gone and Pocket's and DC's contracts had been renegotiated under new, tighter terms.

TNG premiered in 1987. So 1989 would've been the hiatus between seasons 2 and 3.

* TNG premiered in Sept 87 and continues into 88

* Last DC TNG mini-series dated July 88; Last TOS Series I comic Nov 88. (Licenses frozen!)

* Season 2 commenced in Nov 88 and into 89.

* Memo issued early 89. The first new ongoing DC TOS and TNG Comics were dated September 89.

 

[Extrocomp]

Actually it was Maltz, not Kruge.

You're right. Kruge got killed on the previous page.