The Sky's The Limit....spoilers!

[the_wildcard]

Well took me a while, but I just finished this book and I thought overall it was terrific. I had a couple of comments and question.

1. Was the Wesley in "Ordinary Days" actually from our canon TNG timeline just experimenting/attempting to live in another life? Or was it actually just a parallel, seperate, Wesley?

2. My favorite SCI-FI story of the anthology, was definately "Among the Clouds." I thought it was terrifically written with a very unique story plot. We also got some good insight into Geordi.

3. But my favorite story overall were the first and last story. I thought the development of Thomas Halloway's character as shocking and bittersweet. My question, was he ever mentioned in any previous Star Trek novel or TV show?

 

[Trent Roman]

the_wildcard said:
3. But my favorite story overall were the first and last story. I thought the development of Thomas Halloway's character as shocking and bittersweet. My question, was he ever mentioned in any previous Star Trek novel or TV show?

Holloway first cropped up in Christopher's The Buried Age (in order to tie into The Sky's The Limit, I believe) and an alternate universe Holloway makes a cameo in KRAD's Q&A.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[James Swallow]

the_wildcard said:
Well took me a while, but I just finished this book and I thought overall it was terrific. I had a couple of comments and question.

1. Was the Wesley in "Ordinary Days" actually from our canon TNG timeline just experimenting/attempting to live in another life? Or was it actually just a parallel, seperate, Wesley?

It's the reader's choice how they view it, but my intention as author is that he's the "real" Wes. The idea is that the whole story takes place in a moment of time during the events of the episode "Journey's End", when he's wondering how his life might have turned out if things had been different.

 

[Christopher]

Trent Roman said:
Holloway first cropped up in Christopher's The Buried Age (in order to tie into The Sky's The Limit, I believe) and an alternate universe Holloway makes a cameo in KRAD's Q&A.

No -- Thomas Halloway was first mentioned in "Tapestry" as the captain of the Enterprise in the altered timeline where Picard never rose above lieutenant. All the rest of us are building on that mention. But you're right, Marco had me mention Halloway in TBA so it'd be consistent with TSTL's bookend stories.

 

[KRAD]

3. But my favorite story overall were the first and last story. I thought the development of Thomas Halloway's character as shocking and bittersweet. My question, was he ever mentioned in any previous Star Trek novel or TV show?

While Trent's answer is technically right, in that Holloway appeared in both The Buried Age and Q & A, the character originally comes from the "Tapestry" episode of TNG. In the alternate timeline created when Picard stops the fight with the Nausicaans and isn't stabbed through the heart, and eventually winds up on the Enterprise-D as a junior science officer, the person who is instead in command of the ship is Captain Thomas Holloway (and that alternate timeline is seen again, many years later, in Q & A).

His appearances in Christopher's novel and Michael & Steve's short stories are by way of explaining how he would've been in command had Picard not been available.

 

[MichaelS]

the_wildcard said:
3. But my favorite story overall were the first and last story. I thought the development of Thomas Halloway's character as shocking and bittersweet. My question, was he ever mentioned in any previous Star Trek novel or TV show?

Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the two stories.

Trent Roman said:
Holloway first cropped up in Christopher's The Buried Age (in order to tie into The Sky's The Limit, I believe) and an alternate universe Holloway makes a cameo in KRAD's Q&A.

Trent's correct - Christopher included a reference (or two, actually, if I remember correctly) to him in his novel.

Keith used him as well and gave him a Vandyke beard. Of course, this is the alternate version of him. I like to think that in the "real" universe he has a magnificent moustache.

 

[KRAD]

Keith used him as well and gave him a Vandyke beard. Of course, this is the alternate version of him. I like to think that in the "real" universe he has a magnificent moustache.

Mine was not only an alternate-universe version, but one who survived the Dominion War and lived for another four years. So he coulda grown the beard some time in there....

 

[Trent Roman]

Christopher said:
No -- Thomas Halloway was first mentioned in "Tapestry" as the captain of the Enterprise in the altered timeline where Picard never rose above lieutenant. All the rest of us are building on that mention.

Oops, my mistake. I don't think we ever actually saw him onscreen, correct? I probably would have recalled an actual character, but overlooked a mention (in fact, I'm realizing now that I had been thinking that Riker was the Enterprise captain in "Tapestry" for a while now).

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Scott Pearson]

the_wildcard said:
2. My favorite SCI-FI story of the anthology, was definately "Among the Clouds." I thought it was terrifically written with a very unique story plot. We also got some good insight into Geordi.

Thanks! Glad you liked it. About two seconds after Marco asked if I would think about making my story from Geordi's POV, I was practically shouting at him "Yes!" because I realized this would be a great chance for Geordi to step out on his own.

Scott

 

[Stevil2001]

Thanks, the_wildcard. I'm glad to know the story worked for you.

Trent Roman said:
Oops, my mistake. I don't think we ever actually saw him onscreen, correct? I probably would have recalled an actual character, but overlooked a mention (in fact, I'm realizing now that I had been thinking that Riker was the Enterprise captain in "Tapestry" for a while now).

No, we didn't see him. Picard is just informed that he is captain of the Enterprise, which gave us a blank slate for developing him.

 

[the_wildcard]

James Swallow said:

the_wildcard said:
Well took me a while, but I just finished this book and I thought overall it was terrific. I had a couple of comments and question.

1. Was the Wesley in "Ordinary Days" actually from our canon TNG timeline just experimenting/attempting to live in another life? Or was it actually just a parallel, seperate, Wesley?

It's the reader's choice how they view it, but my intention as author is that he's the "real" Wes. The idea is that the whole story takes place in a moment of time during the events of the episode "Journey's End", when he's wondering how his life might have turned out if things had been different.

Cool! I had a feeling that was it!

 

[the_wildcard]

Scott Pearson said:

the_wildcard said:
2. My favorite SCI-FI story of the anthology, was definately "Among the Clouds." I thought it was terrifically written with a very unique story plot. We also got some good insight into Geordi.

Thanks! Glad you liked it. About two seconds after Marco asked if I would think about making my story from Geordi's POV, I was practically shouting at him "Yes!" because I realized this would be a great chance for Geordi to step out on his own.

Scott

Well it was good showcasing of Geordi's engineering problem solving skills and classic science fiction. The intricate descriptions of the different layers of the atmosphere, combined with the aliens and their "creatures" was terrific.

 

[James Swallow]

the_wildcard said:
Cool! I had a feeling that was it!

Thanks for reading! I'm pleased you enjoyed the story.

 

[Scott Pearson]

the_wildcard said:Well it was good showcasing of Geordi's engineering problem solving skills and classic science fiction. The intricate descriptions of the different layers of the atmosphere, combined with the aliens and their "creatures" was terrific.

Thanks again. Researching how fast someone would fall in a Jovian atmosphere was an interesting challenge.

My original outline had Riker leading the away team simply because that's what Riker always does; there would have been nothing special about it as a Riker story. When Marco asked if I would consider making Geordi the POV character, it immediately hit me that what would be a good story for Geordi would be even better if Geordi got to lead the away team himself for a change. So I sent Riker off to the moon instead, and the resulting story is better for it.