Soong Type Androids

[Relayer1]

I have just finished Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang and am somewhat disappointed. It started off pretty well and looked like it was going to be a cross between a locked room mystery and a deep time conspiracy (a bit like the Dawn War in Revelation Space universe).

In some ways it was both, but the locked room was fairly soon explained and the background conspiracy came off as a little superficial, turning into a pretty run of the mill Trek space-chase romp. I was hoping for more depth, especially re Data's backstory and a more 'hard' sci-fi approach.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the end (epilogues) and information on how many Soong-type androids there actually were, where they are 'now' and if Immortal Coil fits into current continuity ?

 

[Christopher]

I'm not sure how much IC has been referenced in later works to date, but it hasn't been contradicted as far as I know, and it's a well-loved book. I think it's safe to say it still "counts" as part of the novel continuity.

 

[Relayer1]

I'm not sure how much IC has been referenced in later works to date, but it hasn't been contradicted as far as I know, and it's a well-loved book. I think it's safe to say it still "counts" as part of the novel continuity.

Thanks Christopher !

This was a repost of an entry in the what are you reading thread, that had no responses.

I did say in the original post that I would have liked to have seen your take on the subject - fancy writing a sequel ?

 

[Therin of Andor]

how many Soong-type androids there actually were, where they are 'now' and if Immortal Coil fits into current continuity ?

The book tells us that Data had, in his lab: the disasembled Lore, plus Lal, and (retrieved from his old home world on a different visit) the three prototypes mentioned in "Inheritance". Added to that collection, in the novel, is Juliana Tainer. Also during the novel, we learn the identity of a new Soong-type android, created by Bruce Maddox.

After the book was published, we learned about the B-4 (in "Nemesis"). My speculation: this could retro name the other known prototypes as B-3, B-2 and B-1, like a countdown to the first named model, Lore, or the reverse order depending on how sophisticated the other prototypes were.

I did try to encourage Jeff Lang to pitch a sequel to "Immortal Coil", looping in some new backstory on the B-4, but he said that Marco had been his only contact at Pocket, so Jeff has moved on to other projects.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

...he said that Marco had been his only contact at Pocket, so Jeff has moved on to other projects.

A shame. I enjoyed Jeff Lang's Trek writing.

 

[Christopher]

After the book was published, we learned about the B-4 (in "Nemesis"). My speculation: this could retro name the other known prototypes as B-3, B-2 and B-1, like a countdown to the first named model, Lore, or the reverse order depending on how sophisticated the other prototypes were.

Or it could be, as I've suggested before, that B-1 to B-3 were nonhumanoid or nonmobile positronic-brain prototypes (B for brain?) and B-4 was the earliest, most primitive of the actual android prototypes. Or it could be that there never were a B-1 to B-3 and that B-4 was strictly a pun name (as Picard actually interpreted it to be in the movie) -- a bit like K-9 the robot dog in Doctor Who. I doubt Professor Marius ever had robot dog prototypes called K-1 through K-8.

 

[Relayer1]

Was there anything in the series (i.e. canon) re storing the deceased androids in Datas lab ?

I think there's real scope to pick up the threads from the end of Immortal Coil (what happened to : the nannites / Sam, Rhea McAdams, Juliana) and would be a real opportunity to run it into the Datas death / B4 / Datas probable (per Needs of the Many and Countdown) resurrection.

 

[Christopher]

^Neither Countdown nor Needs of the Many is binding on the novel continuity.

 

[JD]

I would love to see Reah McAdams again. She was a great character, and it would be interesting to see if she learned about Data's death, or survived Destiny.

 

[Relayer1]

^Neither Countdown nor Needs of the Many is binding on the novel continuity.

True, but there's nothing to stop me from hoping !

From my point of view, it would make more sense to tie in with Countdown than not to, and I thought Needs of the Many handled it well. If that was used as a template, a replacement for the Undine threat would be required, but it's not insurmountable - there could be loads of reasons that Data could be deemed vital...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Was there anything in the series (i.e. canon) re storing the deceased androids in Datas lab

Lal and Lore, yes, although not specified as Data's lab. The novel is the first time we learn that Data had returned to search for the three prototypes he'd only learned about in "Inheritance".

it would be interesting to see if she learned about Data's death

Hence my email correspondence with Jeff Lang.

 

[NotLKH]

After the book was published, we learned about the B-4 (in "Nemesis"). My speculation: this could retro name the other known prototypes as B-3, B-2 and B-1, like a countdown to the first named model, Lore, or the reverse order depending on how sophisticated the other prototypes were.

Or it could be, as I've suggested before, that B-1 to B-3 were nonhumanoid or nonmobile positronic-brain prototypes (B for brain?) and B-4 was the earliest, most primitive of the actual android prototypes. Or it could be that there never were a B-1 to B-3 and that B-4 was strictly a pun name (as Picard actually interpreted it to be in the movie) -- a bit like K-9 the robot dog in Doctor Who. I doubt Professor Marius ever had robot dog prototypes called K-1 through K-8.

If Soong did have androids designated as B-n, where n is a digit, wouldn't he have named Data similarly, ie.. perhaps D-8a?