This came up not long ago, but I still like the idea of tying in Final Frontier to The Way to Eden and having it be that Severin's calculations were close but not quite right, and Sha Ka Ree was the actual location of Eden. That'd tie everything up neatly, I think, and the action on Nimbus III and its position at the triborder shows that they must've started out relatively close to the Romulan Neutral Zone anyway.
Regarding canon: isn't it ironic?
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This came up not long ago, but I still like the idea of tying in Final Frontier to The Way to Eden and having it be that Severin's calculations were close but not quite right, and Sha Ka Ree was the actual location of Eden. That'd tie everything up neatly, I think, and the action on Nimbus III and its position at the triborder shows that they must've started out relatively close to the Romulan Neutral Zone anyway.
^Interesting idea.
Can't resist pointing out that I wrote that Q trilogy, not Peter. Not to worry; I find that most people can't keep straight who wrote which "Q" novels.
And, no, there's never been any "official" decree against citing ST V. As discussed, I've used "God" in my books and mentioned Sybok on occasion.
If it's not cited as often as the more popular movies or episodes . . . well, that's only natural. Most of us writers are going to gravitate to our favorite stories and characters instead of the ones that we're "meh" about. And, yeah, from a commercial standpoint, I would think twice before pitching SYBOK: THE EPIC NOVEL to Pocket Books, but that's not the same as a "complete canon lock-out."
So much of my online presence has been about working in this wheelhouse, but I feel like Holmesian scholarship is operating on another level entirely. It's the difference between chess and your typical board game--although both need some kind of framework to be "played" in any meaningful way between more than one person.
As Americentric as it is, though, I've come to really like to US Constitution/Supreme Court analogy used by the original Abramsverse team to describe their approach to canon. As I once put it in another thread:
"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."
I can see how that "Constitutional" analogy has merit, but it's also flawed and shouldn't be taken too literally. After all, the Constitution is the law of the land, and things that go against it are illegal. But things that don't fit canon aren't crimes, just different ways of telling the story. Given how many people out there already see canon as a moral issue, who equate it with "correct" rather than simply "the original work," I hesitate to encourage an analogy that equates canon with law.
I'd argue from the history perspective and not just because I'm a Master of the subject. Crypto-History is a wonderful way to think on Star Trek and all the contradictory ideas, archaeology, theorizing, and more on how the Federation and its neighbors interact is pretty much how it works in RL. You have stories, tales, and records which may or may not be true and they have to be compared to the (on-screen) evidence.
<Maxwell Smart>Sorry about that.</Maxwell Smart>
I like to approach canon as a puzzle to piece together but one that's non-binding. I enjoy playing with it, thinking about and - especially - thinking about how I'd fix. (You wouldn't believe the reworked, painstakingly intricate revisions to the Prequel Trilogy I've made in my head. Unfilmable, probably unwatchable!) I like to match stuff up and come up with outs and explanations. Star Wars has always been more slapdash in how it bridges canons and the "layers" to explain away glitches. Trek has been much more utilitarian, "Canonical onto themselves at times but the shows/movies rule out, no if/ands/buts." Doctor Who has the lovely idea that it's all canon and also all non-canon by the very conceit of the show. There are three Atlantises on screen! And I find that much more refreshing, it all works until it doesn't but it doesn't matter.
In particular, I feel that Star Wars and Lucas himself set fans approach to and thoughts about canon apart. Fans knew that George liked some of the things that were produced. He wasn't like other IP owners who could care less about the tie-ins. He bought copies of Dark Empire for his staff because he liked it. He named Imperial Homeward Coruscant because it had become the default name among the tie-ins and fans. Those tips of the hat (not completely missing from other franchises) were given undue weight and so it goes.
As to the "Legends" banner on the old-canon Star Wars novels, well... That's DelRey/Disney having their cake and eating it too. From what I understand from folks who work in publishing and book sales, a lot of the Star Wars books are evergreen. Heir to the Empire still moves copies, enough to justify the 20th Anniversary edition a few years back.
In particular, I feel that Star Wars and Lucas himself set fans approach to and thoughts about canon apart. Fans knew that George liked some of the things that were produced. He wasn't like other IP owners who could care less about the tie-ins. He bought copies of Dark Empire for his staff because he liked it. He named Imperial Homeward Coruscant because it had become the default name among the tie-ins and fans. Those tips of the hat (not completely missing from other franchises) were given undue weight and so it goes.
As to the "Legends" banner on the old-canon Star Wars novels, well... That's DelRey/Disney having their cake and eating it too. From what I understand from folks who work in publishing and book sales, a lot of the Star Wars books are evergreen. Heir to the Empire still moves copies, enough to justify the 20th Anniversary edition a few years back.
@Greg Cox I would buy and read SYBOK: THE EPIC NOVEL. Just sayin'
I'll keep that in mind, although that would present a marketing challenge.
"The long-awaited novel that reveals the full story of that guy from that movie that didn't do very well . . . ."
I'll keep that in mind, although that would present a marketing challenge.
"The long-awaited novel that reveals the full story of that guy from that movie that didn't do very well . . . ."
I dunno. You could try marketing it as "Son of Sarek" and get everyone to think it's about Spock instead (or at least until the editors/publishers read the manuscript anyway)
Learn the exclusive story of how Picard attended Sybok's wedding!I dunno. You could try marketing it as "Son of Sarek" and get everyone to think it's about Spock instead (or at least until the editors/publishers read the manuscript anyway)
And lo, Kirk said to God, "What does God need with a starship?" and the Lord spoke, "Dude, it's the Enterprise."
I like to imagine any Sybok book would be a selfhelp book with a nice, soft focus picture of Sybok in a sweater.
Excellent!
The Klingons killed their God and they killed THIS god.
Kirk has killed quite a few computer-based ones and banished Apollo.
So, which have killed more gods?
Kirk or the Klingon race?
Kirk has killed quite a few computer-based ones and banished Apollo.
So, which have killed more gods?
Kirk or the Klingon race?
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