Sequels to episodes - especially TOS

[Idran]

I think ISUTubbs meant that "Errand of Mercy" was the start of all those books in real-world terms, the original work that they were all deriving from.

Fair enough!

Also, "prequel" is a subcategory of "sequel," not its opposite. It's short for "preceding sequel," a followup story that is made after the original but is set before it. So a prequel does qualify as a sequel.

Are you sure of that? I've never heard "sequel" used as a general category term that I can think offhand. And that would seem to rule out the ability to non-awkwardly refer specifically to followup stories intended to be a continuation of a narrative rather than a look at the background (prequel) or intermediary story (midquel), which would be strange to me since that's what someone would want to refer to most often. I think "prequel" and "midquel" are parallel constructions, not portmanteaus.

Edit: Yeah, not to go dictionaries-as-authorities, just meaning it as a measure of most common usage in practice, but M-W at least backs me up (and also backs me up on the etymology of "prequel" as a parallel construction rather than a portmanteau). OED too; it specifically refers to something that follows in all its definitions even outside the usual media sense, it always means a successor of one sort or another.

I hope you don't think I'm harping on this or anything, I was mostly just confused because I'd never heard that usage before, and it also conflicted with the Math-specific jargon usage of the term I'm also used to.

 

[Kor]

I'm still waiting on a TrekLit sequel to Spock's Brain. What happened to the Morgs and Eymorgs? Inquiring minds want to know.

It would be a day one purchase for me!

Kor

 

[Christopher]

Are you sure of that? I've never heard "sequel" used as a general category term that I can think offhand. And that would seem to rule out the ability to non-awkwardly refer specifically to followup stories intended to be a continuation of a narrative rather than a look at the background (prequel) or intermediary story (midquel), which would be strange to me since that's what someone would want to refer to most often. I think "prequel" and "midquel" are parallel constructions, not portmanteaus.

Except that "-quel" is not a legitimate etymological root. "Sequel" is from the same Latin root as "sequence" or "consequence," sequi- (to follow), plus the noun suffix -ela. So the only way a word like "prequel" or (egad, seriously?) "midquel" (egad, seriously?) could exist is by taking the pre-existing word "sequel" and doing a cutesy portmanteau with it.

The word "sequel" has been in use since the 15th century. Your own Merriam-Webster link says that "prequel" only dates back to the 1970s, and confirms that it's derived from "sequel." Good grief, the word is younger than I am, at least in documented usage. So hell yes, it's a back-formation, not even remotely parallel.

it specifically refers to something that follows in all its definitions even outside the usual media sense, it always means a successor of one sort or another.

Yes, exactly. Look at the "prequel" definition you linked to: "a work (as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work." That's the key -- it comes out after the other work but is set before it. A sequel is any work that comes out after an earlier work; a prequel is a work that comes out after but is set earlier. So it's a subset of sequels.

Look at it this way: A New Hope is not a prequel to The Empire Strikes Back, but Revenge of the Sith is a prequel to A New Hope. Star Trek: TOS is not a prequel to TNG, but Enterprise is a prequel to TOS. If it comes out first, it's not a prequel, it's just the previous installment. A prequel is a sequel set before the original.

 

[ISUTubbs]

I think ISUTubbs meant that "Errand of Mercy" was the start of all those books in real-world terms, the original work that they were all deriving from.

Also, "prequel" is a subcategory of "sequel," not its opposite. It's short for "preceding sequel," a followup story that is made after the original but is set before it. So a prequel does qualify as a sequel.

Exactly! If not for "Errand of Mercy" it is unlikely the other "Errands" would have been written. And I appreciate the definition of the sequel / prequel. The Enterprise series would not have happened with out TOS, so it's a sequel.

 

[ISUTubbs]

Seems like there were quite a lot of sequels to TOS episodes over the years. Surprisingly, one that hasn't been mentioned yet is Yesterday's Son by Ann Crispin, a sequel to "All Our Yesterdays" which had its own sequel, Time for Yesterday. Also, the entire Crucible trilogy by David R. George is a sequel to "The City on the Edge of Forever," as well as tying in with many events from the original series and its movies. Probe by Margaret Wander Bonano (as filtered through many ghost-writers!) is a sequel to ST IV.

I don't think there've been as many sequels to TNG episodes. Vendetta by Peter David is a sequel to "The Best of Both Worlds," although it is incompatible with some of the later Borg episodes and movies. Imzadi II: Triangle, also by David, is a sequel to ST Generations. And The Return by William Shatner and Garfield and Judy Reeves-Stevens is a Kirk-centered sequel to the same movie.

I'm sure others will come up with many more.

Greg Cox made reference to "Yesterday's Child" which I'm sure he meant "Yesterday's Son".

 

[ISUTubbs]

I'm still waiting on a TrekLit sequel to Spock's Brain. What happened to the Morgs and Eymorgs? Inquiring minds want to know.

It would be a day one purchase for me!

Kor

It could be in the works. Other episodes that I considered to be to be interesting picks have served as the starting point to sequels.

 

[ISUTubbs]

Except that "-quel" is not a legitimate etymological root. "Sequel" is from the same Latin root as "sequence" or "consequence," sequi- (to follow), plus the noun suffix -ela. So the only way a word like "prequel" or (egad, seriously?) "midquel" (egad, seriously?) could exist is by taking the pre-existing word "sequel" and doing a cutesy portmanteau with it.

The word "sequel" has been in use since the 15th century. Your own Merriam-Webster link says that "prequel" only dates back to the 1970s, and confirms that it's derived from "sequel." Good grief, the word is younger than I am, at least in documented usage. So hell yes, it's a back-formation, not even remotely parallel.




Yes, exactly. Look at the "prequel" definition you linked to: "a work (as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work." That's the key -- it comes out after the other work but is set before it. A sequel is any work that comes out after an earlier work; a prequel is a work that comes out after but is set earlier. So it's a subset of sequels.

Look at it this way: A New Hope is not a prequel to The Empire Strikes Back, but Revenge of the Sith is a prequel to A New Hope. Star Trek: TOS is not a prequel to TNG, but Enterprise is a prequel to TOS. If it comes out first, it's not a prequel, it's just the previous installment. A prequel is a sequel set before the original.

I'm enjoying this community and the banter! (egad, seriously?) I may be learning some things new, but good grief, I too am older than the documented use of the term "prequel".

 

[Kor]

Multi-quote is your friend.

Kor

 

[ISUTubbs]

Multi-quote is your friend.

Kor

Perhaps but (1) I need to learn how to do that, and (2) as a "Newbie" I have to post 14 times and be a member for 14 days before I get expanded features -- like being able to send private messages! (This is message #10!)

 

[Defcon]

Step 1:

Click on + Quote on all posts you want to quote

Step2:

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P.S.: Can you tell I'm bored?

 

[Greg Cox]

Greg Cox made reference to "Yesterday's Child" which I'm sure he meant "Yesterday's Son".

Oops. You're absolutely right.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I feel like @Therin of Andor had something like this.

I had a chart of TOS and TAS episodes, tagged with names of crewmembers, their extra details from Treklit, and titles of prequels and sequels, but I didn't relaunch it when Geocities ended. It started as a way to track the so-called "lower decks" novels that never really took off the way they were announced. Two charts, one had spoilers, the other not. Should still be on Oocities' archive, but not updated since Geocities' demise. Stopped udating around the time of the "Crucible" trilogy.

Yes!

Intro:
http://www.oocities.org/area51/Station/1558/TOScrew.html

With spoilers:
http://www.oocities.org/area51/Station/1558/TOScrewS.html

Without:
http://www.oocities.org/area51/Station/1558/TOScrewN.html

 

[TheUsualSuspect]

Greg Cox made reference to "Yesterday's Child" which I'm sure he meant "Yesterday's Son".

And so he did. I must have just missed it somehow.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I'm still waiting on a TrekLit sequel to Spock's Brain.

Sequel and sequel! What is sequel?!

 

[Greg Cox]

Sequel and sequel! What is sequel?!

Regarding a sequel to "Spock's Brain," a Pocket editor once told me: "Don't even think about it, Greg."

(They know me too well.)

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

It doesn't have to be a lame-brained idea *groan* - but it could follow up on the Teacher's technology.

 

[Cap'n Crunch]

Just off the top of my head there are Double, Double (sequel to "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") and That Which Divides (sequel to "That Which Survives").

 

[ISUTubbs]

Double Double is the one I was trying to think of as the sequel to "Little Girls"! I kept coming up with "Doctor's Orders, but wasn't it. Thanks Cap!

 

[ISUTubbs]

Oh, and there's "Garth of Izar" as a sequel to "Whom Gods Destroy".

 

[JD]

Immortal Coil was a sequel to Measure of a Man, What Are Little Girls Made Of?, and a whole bunch of other episodes.