The Destiny Trilogy (spoliers, obviously)

[William Leisner]

But I have a question - much was made of how the destruction of Deneva was an incredibly big deal. Have we heard of this before? What makes that such an important Federation colony over and above the presumably hundreds of others that were also decimated or destroyed?

Deneva first appeared in the TOS episode "Operation--Annihilate!," and has been referenced in numerous novels since, and was featured perhaps most prominently in Articles of the Federation. And they're not a Federation colony -- they're their own Federation Member world.

Basically, Deneva is sorta like the Rigel colonies -- we haven't really seen it that often, but we always seem to hear about people from there. So it's fair to make a huge deal about it.

As for why Deneva was featured -- well, I'm not David Mack, but I would infer that the narrative particularly focused on the destruction of Deneva both because it's relatively close to the core worlds (thus creating greater fear for the core worlds' fates than would the destruction of, say, Antares) and because, well, he needed to show, in detail, one world being destroyed so as to establish what it was like for all the other worlds without having to stop the narrative for all of them.

There's also the not-inconsequental point that Jasminder Choudhury is a Deneva native...

 

[Christopher]

There's also the not-inconsequental point that Jasminder Choudhury is a Deneva native...

Although Dave only decided to make her a Deneva native after he'd already decided to trash Deneva. He and I were having an e-mail discussion about a reference I'd made to her Punjabi accent in my first draft of Greater Than the Sum. Dave suggested that she could have a less obvious origin, perhaps be from somewhere other than India or even other than Earth, and he happened to suggest Deneva. Then he went, "Hey, wait a minute!" and began to cackle maniacally as thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the background.... (Well, I'm paraphrasing the gist of the e-mail there....)

 

[David Mack]

^ Yeah, that was an added bonus. Because it enabled me to link character development to the tragedy, it helped to justify why I chose to focus on Deneva more than on other worlds that were destroyed.

 

[William Leisner]

Then he went, "Hey, wait a minute!" and began to cackle maniacally as thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the background.... (Well, I'm paraphrasing the gist of the e-mail there....)

Mack's emails do that on your computer, too, huh?

 

[Thrawn]

Then he went, "Hey, wait a minute!" and began to cackle maniacally as thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the background.... (Well, I'm paraphrasing the gist of the e-mail there....)

Mack's emails do that on your computer, too, huh?

 

[Karnbeln]

This dark power intrigues me.

 

[aelius]

I think David Mack is the Papa Smirk!

Please tell me you're coming to Shore Leave this summer. I want to sell tickets to your "accidental" drowning in the hotel swimming pool.

I'll be at Shore Leave. If you'll autograph my Destiny Trilogy I'll keep watch while Ktrek accidentally drowns...
Seriously though, I loved the books. Which is good cause I spent all the time since last Shore Leave waiting for them. I would have been very disappointed if they sucked.
Instead I can say to Mr. Mack; YOU ROCK!!!

 

[David Mack]

I'll be at Shore Leave. If you'll autograph my Destiny Trilogy I'll keep watch while Ktrek accidentally drowns...

Too kind.

Seriously though, I loved the books. Which is good cause I spent all the time since last Shore Leave waiting for them. I would have been very disappointed if they sucked.
Instead I can say to Mr. Mack; YOU ROCK!!!

Thanks very much! If you really dug the trilogy, I invite you to vote for Gods of Night in the Unreality-SF.net award category Best Media Tie-In Story of 2008.

My thanks to all who have already voted for it, and my future gratitude to those who are willing to spend their vote on my novel, which is up against some really fantastic competition.

 

[aelius]

Voted.
And I notice you have the lead. Good luck.

 

[captcalhoun]

why is it only book 1 and not all 3? tch.

 

[JD]

I voted.

 

[David Mack]

why is it only book 1 and not all 3? tch.

First, each book should have to stand or fall on its own merits. It would be unfair to stack three books against the other single titles.

More important, when the visitors to Unreality-SF.net made their nomination suggestions, Gods of Night garnered enough votes to make the final ballot and the other two books of the trilogy did not.

In a way, I am grateful for that, as that would likely have ended up splitting the votes from fans of the trilogy between the titles, making it impossible for any one of them to amass enough votes to win.

 

[Sci]

why is it only book 1 and not all 3? tch.

First, each book should have to stand or fall on its own merits. It would be unfair to stack three books against the other single titles.

More important, when the visitors to Unreality-SF.net made their nomination suggestions, Gods of Night garnered enough votes to make the final ballot and the other two books of the trilogy did not.

In a way, I am grateful for that, as that would likely have ended up splitting the votes from fans of the trilogy between the titles, making it impossible for any one of them to amass enough votes to win.

Personally, I think Lost Souls was the best of the three and would prefer to see that one in the competition, but Gods of Night won my vote quite easily, too.

 

[David Mack]

^ Thank you -- much appreciated. I am grateful for every vote my book receives.

 

[captcalhoun]

wel, i consider Destiny to be one HUGE-ASS novel conveniently split into three books. but i still voted for GoN.

 

[David Mack]

^ I thank you, sir.

 

[captcalhoun]

no problemo

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

Very close choice between Gods of Night and Greater Than the Sum. But GoN won out. <G>

 

[David Mack]

Very kind of you, thanks.

 

[Gates]

Voted and well deserved.