The "Doctor Who" effect and Star Trek novels

[Whofan]

Basically, both incarnations of Doctor Who on TV have been for a family audience, but during the hiatus of Doctor Who there was a series of novels (Mainly the "New Adventures" featuring the Seventh Doctor) which were meant mainly for the fans, and featured content that was really not as family-friendly-Gory violence, strong language, innuendo and sexual situations (A prime example being Ben Aarononvitch's "Transit"). However, when the new series debuted, the novels were relaunched, but adopted mainly the same family-friendly tone of the show (and only feature the new Doctors, the novels based on the originals have been discontinued). Some fans who were used to the adult books were a bit upset, but from a marketing POV it did make sense. Although interestingly enough, one of the new series two-parters was an adaptation of a New Adventure- "Human Nature" (Although they were written by the same man, Paul Cornell).

I can see this happening to Star Wars a bit too, the novels featuring the Clone wars were originally a bit rough and gritty, but now they've largely adopted the writing style of the popular CGI toon.


So with the new universe and Abrams, will we see a change in what groups the Trek novels are aimed at? Right now they still seemed to be aimed largely at fans, but if Trek II or XII (Whatever you want to call it) and a possible new TV series are launched and are sucessful will we see a change?

 

[Christopher]

The Abramsverse novels that were supposed to come out this past summer were consciously written for a general audience that had been newly introduced to Star Trek by the movie. I assume the YA Abramsverse Academy novels that are now coming out instead are also geared that way. But the Prime-universe novels are pretty much continuing as before, as far as I know.

(Personally, I always felt the Virgin New Adventures novels went somewhat too dark and adult. Not only was it too great a departure from the family flavor of Doctor Who, but I didn't find them as enjoyable as the show.)

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'd suggest that Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Peter David have been putting out STXI-style adventures for decades.

 

[David cgc]

The Reeves-Stevenses? Sure, they can be over-the-top, but I don't think the next Abramsverse movie is going to stop dead for ten minutes to explain the shape of the Starfleet arrowhead, or how stardates work.

 

[F. King Daniel]

^You just wait until they stop the next film in order to clarify for the nerds exactly why the Enterprise is now 725 metres long, how it is that the Prime universe wasn't erased and that icy Delta Vega isn't the same Delta Vega from that Garry Mitchell episode despite sharing the name and a lonely outpost.