Star Trek Insurrection by J.M. Dillard Review Thread (27th Anniversary)

[Greg Cox]

In my prose writing, I often end up changing character names mid-draft or in revisions, e.g. if I realize two characters' names are too similar and easily confused.

Oh, yeah, a major character in my latest Trek book, Ryjo, was "Rylo" up until the last minute.

Because I decided "Rylo" sounded too much like "Sulu," who he had a lot of scenes with.

Thank goodness for Search and Replace.

 

[Christopher]

Oh, yeah, a major character in my latest Trek book, Ryjo, was "Rylo" up until the last minute.

Because I decided "Rylo" sounded too much like "Sulu," who he had a lot of scenes with.

Thank goodness for Search and Replace.

Maybe you remember that the antagonist in Only Superhuman was Elias Thorne until the copyediting phase or thereabouts, when I discovered that was the name of the main character in Topps's Dinosaurs Attack collectible card series, so we agreed I should change it to Eliot Thorne. Which still sounds wrong to me, since it was "Elias" in my head for so many years.

 

[Set Harth]

The idea that Solo was bullshitting and Obi-Wan knew it

And even if we accept that framing it doesn't necessarily mean that Obi-Wan thinks Han is using the term parsec incorrectly. It could just mean that he doubts that Han is telling the truth about the ship's prowess and exploits.

Actually, it's been retconned to the general effect that it actually is a distance measurement, something to do with one or more extreme hazards that are obstacles to the run. I think the details, and the source of those details, are given somewhere in "Wookieepedia."

Credit here should probably go to the author Kevin Anderson, who went there on the second page of his novel Jedi Search.

 

[Greg Cox]

Maybe you remember that the antagonist in Only Superhuman was Elias Thorne until the copyediting phase or thereabouts, when I discovered that was the name of the main character in Topps's Dinosaurs Attack collectible card series, so we agreed I should change it to Eliot Thorne. Which still sounds wrong to me, since it was "Elias" in my head for so many years.

Heck, "Dracula" was a last-minute change on Bram Stoker's part, after he stumbled onto the name in an old history book. Before that, his novel-in-progress "The Undead," was to feature the sinister "Count Vourdalak."

 

[FredH]

Heck, "Dracula" was a last-minute change on Bram Stoker's part, after he stumbled onto the name in the old history book. Before that, his novel-in-progress "The Undead," was to feature the sinister "Count Vourdalak."

Which isn’t a bad name — but it would be somewhat like naming him “Count Vampire”.

 

[DonIago]

In an alternate timeline we have Bram Stoker's Vourdalak?

Doesn't quite seem to have the same ring to it...

Instead of Drak Pack, we would have had...Vourdalak Pack? Bit of a mouthful for kids!

 

[Allyn Gibson]

It was? I don't remember. The only cases I remember of the book being out first were when the book actually came first. But then again, my little grey cells are not what they were, and at the time, I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to novelization timing.

I read the novelizations of Star Treks V, VI, Generations, and First Contact before the movies came out. The first two by a week, the latter two by a matter of a day or two. I remember the Enterprise "Broken Bow" novelization was out about a week before the premiere as well.

Bob Greenberger's Hellboy II: The Golden Army novelization was out before the movie. There was a novelization of John Carter, and that was out before the movie. Steve Moore's novelization of V for Vendetta, that was out before the movie. (Moore was supposed to write a novelization of Watchmen for Pocket Books as well, but Pocket thought it was best to not irritate Alan Moore, and the cancellation actually irritated Alan Moore more because Steve Moore needed the money.)

I'm pretty sure Greg's Underworld novelizations were out before the films as well. I have a distinct feeling that I read the novelization of the first before the film came out.

Another thing I got wrong in 1980: I strongly disliked the idea of Leia letting that disreputable scoundrel seduce her, and I was convinced that Luke would turn out to be her true love.

Had you read Splinter of the Mind's Eye at that point? As that hinted at something romantic between Luke and Leia. (Lucas wouldn't decide that the "something" was siblinghood until the script for Jedi.)

I can testify that, back in 1977, every high school girl I knew agreed that Han was much hotter than Luke.

Girls dig the scruffy looking nerf herders.

...Topps's Dinosaurs Attack collectible card series...

I thought I was the only person who remembered these! I bought a box at Big Lots in 1991. It was only like three, four dollars, and I had a fun afternoon opening the packs, sorting them out, and building a complete set.

 

[Greg Cox]

In an alternate timeline we have Bram Stoker's Vourdalak?

Doesn't quite seem to have the same ring to it...

Instead of Drak Pack, we would have had...Vourdalak Pack? Bit of a mouthful for kid.

In an alternate timeline we have Bram Stoker's Vourdalak?

Doesn't quite seem to have the same ring to it...

Instead of Drak Pack, we would have had...Vourdalak Pack? Bit of a mouthful for kids!

More like Bram Stoker's The Undead, I suppose.

Granted, that's not as funny.

 

[JD]

I have no one to blame but myself: I read the damn comic book adaptation before seeing the movie. ( My memory of the specific details of that time period is not great and I possibly might have already been spoiled by something in the media, but in any event it wasn't classmates or other kids as far as I know. )

But then does the novelization get a novelization? WHERE DOES IT END

This reminds me of the Ratchet & Clank movie game, it was a game based on the movie which was based on the first game. But at the same time was also a remake of the original game that combined the stuff from the movie and stuff from the original game that wasn't in the movie. It was a game based on the movie, which was based on the game, and was also a remake of the game that the movie was based on.

Another thing I got wrong in 1980: I strongly disliked the idea of Leia letting that disreputable scoundrel seduce her, and I was convinced that Luke would turn out to be her true love.



That's a neat way of looking at it. Partnership with the audience vs. competition. Of course, a friendly competition isn't always a bad thing. The appeal of the mystery genre to its audience is the game, the competition between the writer and audience to outsmart each other. SF author Hal Clement said that hard science fiction was a competition between the author trying to convince the audience of the speculative science and the educated reader trying to spot the flaws. But that kind of consensual competition, where both sides seek out the mutual challenge, is arguably a form of partnership too. The readers/viewers know what they're getting into and seek it out because they welcome the challenge.

Still, it shouldn't be the default for all storytelling. I like the idea of a partnership with the audience, guiding them on a journey through the story, and I agree that just hiding information from the audience is a cruder way to generate a response than creating real uncertainty or tension about the outcome of an event.

This is one advantage to first person perspective, at least then you have an excuse to keep some information from the audience since we're seeing things from the character's perspective as they're learning the information.

Similarly, I don't like the idea of leaving a story unfinished and using a cliffhanger to lure the audience back for the next installment. It feels like holding the rest of the story hostage to force the audience to come back. I think a better way to get the audience to come back is to give them a complete story with a satisfying ending so that they want to see your next story. Of course, I've used cliffhangers myself in my book series (particularly my Tangent Knights audionovel trilogy, which was emulating the serialized format of Japanese superhero shows like Kamen Rider), but I always give each installment a resolution of its own main story, with the cliffhanger just being a tease for the next stage of the story. I don't just stop in the middle of an ongoing story with nothing resolved. I answer the current story's questions first and then pose a new question to spark curiosity about the next installment.

This is why the end of the 4th season of The Witcher pissed me off, because it just randomly ended with no real resolution to any of what had been set up earlier in the season. Usually these kind of shows have kind of a smaller season arc that is resolved at the end, while setting up the next stage of the series overall arc, but this season's finally didn't resolve anything, it just kind of randomly ended. Well I guess one storyline was kind of resolved since they killed off a group of supporting characters who were introduced at the end of Season 3. But even their deaths were still part of a a bigger storyline that was completely unresolved.

 

[Christopher]

Had you read Splinter of the Mind's Eye at that point?

Undoubtedly -- I read and reread it frequently back then. Also Han Solo at Star's End. We eventually got one of the other two Brian Daley Solo novels, I forget which.

But you didn't need the book to see that the original movie set them up as love interests, complete with a kiss ("for luck"). As you say, the sibling thing was a retcon.

I thought I was the only person who remembered these!

I don't think I'd ever heard of the cards before; I just happened across a mention of them and learned of the character name.

This is why the end of the 4th season of The Witcher pissed me off, because it just randomly ended with no real resolution to any of what had been set up earlier in the season. Usually these kind of shows have kind of a smaller season arc that is resolved at the end, while setting up the next stage of the series overall arc, but this season's finally didn't resolve anything, it just kind of randomly ended. Well I guess one storyline was kind of resolved since they killed off a group of supporting characters who were introduced at the end of Season 3. But even their deaths were still part of a a bigger storyline that was completely unresolved.

I actually lost interest midway through the season and never finished it. I've just gotten tired of shows with lots of graphic violence and dark, gritty storytelling. I've got only two episodes left in Prime's The Wheel of Time TV series, but I just can't muster the interest to watch the rest.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

For me, the publisher hardcover of Splinter of the Mind's Eye was my "Holy Grail" book for many years. (SFBC hardcovers of it were, and probably still are, "a dime a dozen"). At one point, I managed to snag one in a used bookstore (that no longer exists) in Old Sacramento, only to walk away from it to take a photograph of some piece of California State Railroad Museum rolling stock. (I eventually snagged another copy, probably on eBay.)

At any rate, I distinctly recall a line in Splinter that Luke would protect Leia. "Even from himself." That line certainly took on a whole new meaning after they turned out (presumably unbeknownst to ADF at the time he wrote it) to be siblings.

 

[Set Harth]

I never even thought about getting it in hardcover, I was content with the paperback.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

The SW novelization did so well in a HC reprint that Splinter was issued in hardcover first.

 

[Set Harth]

The SW novelization did so well in a HC reprint that Splinter was issued in hardcover first.

 

[Tosk]

And even if we accept that framing it doesn't necessarily mean that Obi-Wan thinks Han is using the term parsec incorrectly. It could just mean that he doubts that Han is telling the truth about the ship's prowess and exploits.

A good point that I completely overlooked. Just not my day when it comes to assumptions.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

You know what they say about assumptions: when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.

 

[FredH]

In an alternate timeline we have Bram Stoker's Vourdalak?

Doesn't quite seem to have the same ring to it...

Instead of Drak Pack, we would have had...Vourdalak Pack? Bit of a mouthful for kids!

Honestly, I kinda think Vourdalak sounds cooler than Vampire…

 

[Christopher]

Honestly, I kinda think Vourdalak sounds cooler than Vampire…

Except it kind of makes me think that the Count would go around yelling "Exterminate!" in a grating voice.

 

[Daddy Todd]

For what it's worth, the consensus among the same friends back in 1980 was that Prince Barin (Timothy Dalton) was much hotter than Flash Gordon (Sam Jones).

Sure, because Dalton can, you know, act. As opposed to whatever Jones does.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Sure, because Dalton can, you know, act. As opposed to whatever Jones does.

It didn't help that Jones was dubbed by someone else in the movie.