I ask you, dear peers, is it wrong that with the exception of the books written by, say, a Jeri Taylor, I tend to equate the books at the same level as fan fiction? For example, I would give each equal 'authority' to interpret events, even if the books are actual books. I guess that's more a reflection on how I view the books than anything else.
That is not meant to be an insult to either, by the way. Just my view. YMMV.
I don't think that's wrong of you or anyone else. And even if I did, the idea of debating canon seems like a rather fruitless, frustrating, and rather pointless argument. I think canon is subjective; canon is in the eye of the beholder. Who does it hurt that some people equate the novels to fan fiction? I mean, it doesn't hurt anyone to consider them canon either. There are even episodes that I don't consider canon. "Threshold"? To my way of thinking, it never happend. lol. And my decision to not accept that episode can't really hurt the feelings of someone who loves that episode, can it? I mean...I don't tell them it didn't happen
for them. I don't argue with them about it and insist that my way is the only way...because it's not the
only way. Anyone can interpret Star Trek or Star Wars or Xena or whatever in any way that they choose and it doesn't have to diminish the enjoyment of those shows (or novels or fics) for anyone else.
I also think that the Trek Writers have a lot in common with the fic writers, they just get paid for it. I will agree that a lot of fan fiction isn't nearly the level of writing they produce but there is some that is. I can think of one person in particular that could produce a great "Trek Novel".
I would take that a step further and say that there are fics that are better than the novels, or even the episodes & films; that the writers for the shows and films just get paid for it. A filmed episode started with a script and not all of those scripts can please everyone all of the time. I don't think I should have to accept that script just because it was produced; I don't think an episode is any more valid to me as a fan, than a novel or a fic. I'm not saying that this is how it should be for everyone else. I certainly didn't always feel this way. But for me, in the here and now, as a fan I can cherry pick what I like and take that for my own and discard the rest. I find it very satisfying. And I've never really spoken about this before; I've never expressed that I do this, but I suspect that I'm not alone in this view.
I understand that the people producing Trek, and writing Trek novels have to have their own view on what canon is; they have to have a system for this, that they can mostly agree on in order to function. And that's fine. I just don't accept that their way has to be a universal constant for everyone else.
And to bring this back to the point of the thread, in my subjective Trek world view, Janeway and Chakotay love each other as more than just friends, no matter what any story or episode may have implied to the contrary. And people can interpret their interactions any other way that they like; it doesn't offend me. But it doesn't shake my love of J/C either.