S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt universe

[Herbert1]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Did the 1989 ST Office memo also declare Star Trek: The Animated Series to be apocryphal?

The what is "canon" debate really only matters if you are authoring derivative works such as fan fiction, fan ships, or chronologies. Or are one of the lucky people who author continuation novels.

What seems to cause the most problems and spirited debate among fans of what is "canon" is when internal memos, unproduced scripts, deleted scenes, make up artists or model builder notes, designs created but not built, or other behind-the-scenes information enter the "Star Trek" mythos and are featured in licensed products.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Herbert said:
Did the 1989 ST Office memo also declare Star Trek: The Animated Series to be apocryphal?

Yep. Robert Greenberger quotes a snippet from "the memo" in the lettercol of DC Comics' Star Trek (Series II), explaining why Arex and M'Ress were not able to be featured as PAD's script for issue #1 had anticipated.

Richard's view was that "TAS does not cross over to the movies", IIRC.

M'Ress = M'yra (Scroll down to the M'RESS entry (apologies if geocities overloads).

M'Ress = Morass (in "Dreadstar", also by Peter David)

 

[Christopher]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Herbert said:
The what is "canon" debate really only matters if you are authoring derivative works such as fan fiction, fan ships, or chronologies. Or are one of the lucky people who author continuation novels.

Actually, it doesn't really matter there either. Those of us who author tie-in novels are required to remain consistent with all onscreen canon, sure, but we're not forbidden from including or referencing elements from other tie-in works. It was only during the time when Richard Arnold was in charge, and for a few years thereafter while his policies wore off, that any attempt was made to restrict the books from referencing other "non-canonical" materials. These days, the only difference is that consistency with canon is obligatory while consistency with other tie-ins is optional, but unless you choose to directly contradict another tie-in work (or if you propose something that would contradict canon), the distinction usually doesn't matter at all.

And if you're writing fanfic, it matters even less. You're under no obligation to follow canon at all, since you're not working for anybody but yourself. If you want to say that Kirk and Spock got married or that Jadzia never died or that Star Trek takes place in the Blake's 7 Federation, you're entirely free to do so. That's part of the nature of fanfiction.

The mistake fans make is in assuming that canon is a judgmental or proscriptive term, something that defines what's acceptable or dictates what people are allowed or forbidden to do. That was the attitude underlying the '89 memo, but outside of that, it's never been the case. Canon is simply the original body of work, contradictions and all, as opposed to derivative works.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Actually, I've been to an alternate universe, and there the books are considered canon. So, the OP's wish is granted.

Also, I did some looking around while I was there, and found out that in this other realm, Britney Spears is a talented musician who writes her own songs and plays both the piano and the guitar, Keith DeCandido assassinated Peter David in order to become the most popular Trek novelist, and George W. Bush is a greeter at Wal-Mart in West Bumfuck, Texas.

 

[David Mack]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

^ Let me guess: George got the job at Wal-Mart because his dad's the manager and his brother Jeb ripped up the application of the job's other qualified applicant?

 

[captcalhoun]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

i went to an alternate unvierse where there are no Trek novels. all the authors are just shlubs on some crappy BBS online.

 

[Herbert1]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Christopher said:
The mistake fans make is in assuming that canon is a judgmental or proscriptive term, something that defines what's acceptable or dictates what people are allowed or forbidden to do. That was the attitude underlying the '89 memo, but outside of that, it's never been the case. Canon is simply the original body of work, contradictions and all, as opposed to derivative works.

I agree Christopher. It seems that some fans use "it's not canon" to attack authors of deritive works and their creations.

 

[SeerSGB]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Canon...bah-humbug.

I sat down and started trying to weed through all the various claims and "rules" about what is and isn't canon to condense it down into a grand-unified canon "theory". And reached one conclusion: Screw 'em, I'll set my own personal "fanon" for my own enjoyment and use.

Canon really is nothing more than a function of the whim of the person at the top of the food chain at the time and whatever their personal tastes are.

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

William Leisner said:
*runs screaming into the night*

*Follows*

 

[William Leisner]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Dayton Ward said:
Actually, I've been to an alternate universe

... and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.

 

[veritech]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

*glances around* Wait a minute . . . . I thought I was in a Star Trek bulletin board, not a Star WARS board!!!!

Joking.

I am surprised that Star Trek lit fans have "canon" debates. This happens on the Star Wars boards all the time, mainly because George Lucas decides to use the words 'novels' and 'alternate universe' in the same sentence. Oh well. I just like to read . . . is that so wrong????

 

[Christopher]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

veritech said:
I am surprised that Star Trek lit fans have "canon" debates.

You must be new here...

 

[David Mack]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

veritech said:
I just like to read . . . is that so wrong????

Not at all. Personally, I wish more readers of TrekLit were like you in that regard.

 

[veritech]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

As you can see I am a "cadet", so yes, I am a newbie . . . to this forum at least. I post occasionally at the psiphi board as "Ry-on".

I can actually say that my enjoyment of Star Wars lit has subsided since I began frequenting the boards at theforce.net, what with their endless discussions of G-level canon and c-level canon and whatnot. Its gotten to the point that alot of authors seem afraid to strike out in bold, new directions and feel as if they have to conform their imagination to some obscure event that ocurred in an Ewok children's novel 25 years ago.

Star Trek lit is different in that I can pick up almost any novel (unless its a definite part 2) and enjoy it with only a limited knowlege of Trek tv. If you do catch references to characters or events from other novels, so much the better!

 

[captcalhoun]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

i only read the Republic Commando novels now. i quit SW novels after NJO and i got the ROTS novelisation...

 

[Rosalind]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

veritech said:
I can actually say that my enjoyment of Star Wars lit has subsided since I began frequenting the boards at theforce.net, what with their endless discussions of G-level canon and c-level canon and whatnot.

G-level canon and C-level canon?!

on second thought, I don't want to know.

Star Trek lit is different in that I can pick up almost any novel (unless its a definite part 2) and enjoy it with only a limited knowlege of Trek tv. If you do catch references to characters or events from other novels, so much the better!

amen to that!

 

[Who_Trek]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

*Rolls eyes, mutters "canon smanon", and goes to Amazon to make his traditional Christtmas order filled with ST books.*

 

[David cgc]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

Rosalind said:

veritech said:
I can actually say that my enjoyment of Star Wars lit has subsided since I began frequenting the boards at theforce.net, what with their endless discussions of G-level canon and c-level canon and whatnot.

G-level canon and C-level canon?!

on second thought, I don't want to know.

In broad strokes, Star Wars set up a "tiered" canon system, where x is more canon than y, so in the case of contradictions, the version in x is regarded as canon. I believe it goes movies, novelizations, radio adaptations, novels, and so on. I believe "G-level" refers to the movies, the most canon Star Wars products. I guess it stands for "George."

 

[JD]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

^Then I think the novels, games, and TV stuff are C-Level.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Re: S.T. novels should be considered canon in an alt univer

David cgc said:
In broad strokes, Star Wars set up a "tiered" canon system, where x is more canon than y, so in the case of contradictions, the version in x is regarded as canon. I believe it goes movies, novelizations, radio adaptations, novels, and so on. I believe "G-level" refers to the movies, the most canon Star Wars products. I guess it stands for "George."

Wow. I knew it was more involved than what's "done" for Trek, but I have to admit that I've not followed a lot of the SW "expanded universe" stuff so I'm not clued in to how crazy their canon debates can be.

I think I like Trek's approach better when it comes to books, comics, and other material: