Kirsten did NOT kill Kathryn. Peter David did in Before Dishonor and Margaret Clark did in her decision as editor to allow him to do so. Kirsten has been a gem to those of us who enjoy the Voyager Relaunch-Relaunch. I wanted Janeway back as bad as you do but even if she didn't come back the new Voyager novels are excellent. Kirsten was in between a rock and a hard place in this situation. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't. There were two very vocal groups who had an opinion on whether to bring Janeway back. She listened to both sides and had to hear a lot over the last few years. Now I have never met Ms. Beyer or know her personally but I, as Dr.McCoy might say, would bet real money that the reason she wrote Janeway into the Eternal Tide novel and brought her back was not because she was forced to. And maybe even not because she wanted to...but because there a great story that inspired her to do so. As a writer myself I know that true inspiration for a story comes from within. When it's forced a story falls flat and isn't very good by my own standards. I bet it's the same with her. Yes, I'm guilty, I was a part of the Bring Back Janeway crowd and I am not ashamed to admit it. Call me a crazy kook if you want but I now claim that Kirsten is my favorite Trek author not because she brought Kathryn back but because she brought her back well. The things you said about her above are unjustified. That and she's a damned good author.
I'm in agreement with almost all of Halliwells post, and I don't really like Janeway. I'm starting to think that as both pro and con Janeway corners have been skillfully riled we may have been trolled !
I still say that Kirsten's novels served Janeway better in death than most novels or episodes served her in life. A character doesn't have to be alive and on the page to be important to the story and respected by the author, any more than our departed loved ones become any less precious or meaningful to us after they die. There are plenty of stories where the memory or legacy of a dead character is critical to driving the plot. Uncle Ben is a hugely important character in Spider-Man, for instance, and he's important because of his death. I'm not a fan of resurrections in general, since they can cheapen the idea of death and be a juvenile exercise in wish fulfillment. But given how well Kirsten served Janeway even when she wasn't alive, I'm sure she found a way to bring her back that's meaningful and worthwhile and not just a reset button. Actually I did know this was coming -- Kirsten and I talked, or rather emailed, about it last year -- but I don't know all the specifics of the plot, and my memory of those conversations is a little rusty. So I look forward to seeing how it plays out in the book.
And... I got spoiled. I'm surprised it wasn't under spoiler tags. Still, I was kinda expecting it. Now, who wants to place bets on how long she survives this time? *lol*
It would be darkly comical if she had her head blown off on the first page of the next novel... and then came back in the next... and was eaten by a targ in the next... and...
Despite what I said in my last post, I am very curious to see how Janeway comes back, and what will happen to her as the series goes on. So does the return of Janeway mean that Eden is gone?
I haven't read the book, but my conjectural answer is: Not necessarily. Let's say Janeway is back large and in charge (of the fleet), Eden could resign her commission and go on a quest for her origin. This being a novel series, she could still be tied into the stories (e.g. running into Meegan). Personally, I like Eden but I would love to see Janeway back. She as Admiral in charge of the fleet exploring the Delta Quadrant seems like the perfect destiny for her.
Concerning babies: If Janeway is back, I hope she'll fulfill another destiny. Three words: Shannon Sekaya Janeway.
^I'm getting forgetful. When I saw that name, I thought, "Gee, that sounds familiar -- where did that come from?" Took me a few moments to remember... But I wouldn't call that destiny. The whole point of Places of Exile was that one small change caused everything to turn out in massively different ways.
Awww, c'mon. You peeked in a thread about a highly-controversial potential return and you expected no spoilers whatsoever? That's exactly what some fans wanted.
The afterlife in Trek is not marked by golden gates but by a revolving door. Much like the comics, if you wait long enough anyone can be brought back from the other side. Death has become an inconvenience. We may not like it when a favorite character dies but as long as you've got god-like entities like Q around death simply means you're not around for a few days or weeks or months. We may cry at the death and cheer the resurrection but I, for one, am not outraged or angry when a character dies. If a future story needs them, they'll be back in some way. As a fan that can be seen as a plus. In terms of drama with consequences, it's a minus. The death of a character is certainly nothing to get all bent out of shape over.
In order to keep you guessing wrong, they've put Janeway on the cover but it is Kahn that comes back.