Titan lit

[Janos]

I'm interested in the Titan series with Captain Riker. Do the first four offerings, prior to the Destiny 3-parter, end in cliffhangers or are they complete reads? Having read PAD's New Frontier from the beginning he sometimes ended in cliffhangers and sometimes didn't. I was just curious how the various Titans authors ended their Titans tales (w/o spoilers please). Thanks.

 

[Defcon]

There's a cliffhanger between the first two books (written by the same authors), after that the Titan books are pretty stand alone.

 

[Janos]

Thanks Defcon. You really are a very quick help around here.

 

[Christopher]

And even the cliffhanger between the first two books isn't a major cliffhanger. Each volume tells a distinct, largely complete story; it's just that the first book ends with an event that sets up the next book. (Similarly to how the time-travel ending of "The Naked Time" was initially going to lead into "Tomorrow is Yesterday.")

Basically, Titan is structured a lot like TNG was: the plots are episodic, with each installment telling a complete adventure, but there are continuing and developing character threads from episode to episode. In fact, there's often a sizeable gap between consecutive installments -- 3 months between Orion's Hounds and Sword of Damocles, 8 months between SoD and Destiny, 4 months between Destiny and the main body of Over a Torrent Sea (though it elapses within the prologue of OaTS), at least 6 months between Synthesis and Seize the Fire.

 

[Janos]

And even the cliffhanger between the first two books isn't a major cliffhanger. Each volume tells a distinct, largely complete story; it's just that the first book ends with an event that sets up the next book. (Similarly to how the time-travel ending of "The Naked Time" was initially going to lead into "Tomorrow is Yesterday.").

Thanks. I'm always torn by cliffhangers of this nature. I experienced it a few times with PAD's NF if I recall right as well as a few other ST novels (Shatnerverse I believe and others). Now, I like the continuing nature of NF and Titan, but I sometimes feel that cliffhangers like this, even if you get a "complete" story otherwise, almost obligates a reader to get the next book to have a "real" complete read, do you know what I mean? Now, I was going to get the next NF or whatever novel anyway, so I'm not sure if cliffhangers help, hinder, or have no impact one way or the other on sales of the next book. That said, Titan intrigues me, and NF is my fave ST continuing series.

 

[Christopher]

Well, I overstated things a bit; the first two TTN novels do connect to one another and form a larger story of sorts, but it's the kind of thing where two distinct stories are joined into a larger whole (like the way TWOK, TSFS, and TVH are all separate stories that are linked together), as opposed to the kind of thing that's just one bit story cut in half.

 

[Janos]

No worries. I have all 4 of the original Titan books (including Orion's Hounds ) and plan to finally get to them this year (I got these 4 since they all precede the status quo upheaval of the 3-part Destiny series - which I also still have to read).

In terms of cliffangers, I just know that in some cases readers' get a complete story, and in these same books the writer's last page ends with a major cliffhanger that leads into the next story. So, yes, I the previous story was resolved in one novel, but with that cliffhanger, somehow I feel a bit unsatisfied b/c I have to wait a year or so for next book. Now, marketing wise that's great.

In terms of Titan, I believe the first 2 (and maybe the 3rd ) came out very close to one another, so the cliffhanger (subtle or not) would not be a big issue. And, I still picked these Titan issues up, the same way I did the first 4 of the post Voyager TV series, and can't wait to read them. This will be the year I finally get caught up on my ST reading...

BTW, Christopher, thanks for your replies and for your contribution to ST lit!

 

[Christopher]

^Sure thing.

 

[Janos]

Quick question. I know that Destiny brough the DS9 lit 5 years forward. Was Titan already their? What is the time difference between the 4th Titan (pre-Destiny) book and Destiny? Also, what is the time difference between Typhon Pact: Seize the fire and Destiny?

And, Titan continues have novels produced, can I assume that sales are decent/good for S&S?

 

[Christopher]

Quick question. I know that Destiny brough the DS9 lit 5 years forward. Was Titan already their?

Star Trek: Nemesis established that Will Riker had been promoted to captain and assigned to the USS Titan, an assignment he began immediately after that film. Therefore, naturally, the Titan novel series begins right at the end of NEM, in November 2379, and proceeds from there into 2380. Soon thereafter, Articles of the Federation was published and portrayed events involving the Federation President over the course of the whole year 2380. After that, the TNG novels began a post-NEM series also set in 2380.

Therefore, when it was decided to do a massive inter-series crossover event, Destiny, it made the most sense to put it in the timeframe of TNG, TTN, and AotF, but pushed forward a bit to 2381.

And no, Destiny did not move DS9 forward. Destiny moved Voyager forward, and the VGR relaunch books being developed by Kirsten Beyer were plotted with that in mind; but Destiny only moved Ezri Dax and a few minor DS9-novel characters forward as crewmembers of the Aventine, while carefully avoiding mentioning anything else DS9-related. Afterward, when Margaret Clark took over responsibility for the DS9 books, she decided that the series should be brought ahead into synch with the rest so that it wouldn't have to be excluded from the post-NEM continuity in future works.

I'm sure I explained most of this to you in another thread.

What is the time difference between the 4th Titan (pre-Destiny) book and Destiny?

About eight months, June 2380 to February 2381.

Also, what is the time difference between Typhon Pact: Seize the fire and Destiny?

Seize the Fire contains conflicting claims, saying at one point it's about a year after DES, which would be February '82, but saying elsewhere that it's a year after Titan: Synthesis, which would make it August '82. I've assumed the February setting in some earlier posts, but I've remembered now that Mike Martin told me in personal correspondence that it was meant to be in August.

And, Titan continues have novels produced, can I assume that sales are decent/good for S&S?

As long as they keep putting them out, that's a reasonable assumption.

 

[DEWLine]

Looking forward to the next instalment, then!

 

[JD]

Quick question. I know that Destiny brough the DS9 lit 5 years forward. Was Titan already their? What is the time difference between the 4th Titan (pre-Destiny) book and Destiny? Also, what is the time difference between Typhon Pact: Seize the fire and Destiny?

And, Titan continues have novels produced, can I assume that sales are decent/good for S&S?

Just in case you weren't aware, there are two Titan books between Destiny and Seize the Fire, Over a Torrent Sea covering Feburary - August 2381, and Synthesis whose timeline I'm not sure about.
And judging by the posters here (not neccissarily the best source, but it's all I have) Titan does seem to be pretty popular, and will most likely continue for a while.

 

[Christopher]

Just in case you weren't aware, there are two Titan books between Destiny and Seize the Fire, Over a Torrent Sea covering Feburary - August 2381, and Synthesis whose timeline I'm not sure about.

OaTS ends on August 4, 2381. Synthesis picks up "a few weeks" later, which I assume to be around three weeks (since if it were four weeks the characters would probably say "a month" instead). It begins on a Thursday and covers around four days. So I have it in my chronology as August 27-31.

 

[JD]

So was that the smallest gap between Titan books then? Other than the 2 part Taking Wing/Red King arc, that is.

 

[Christopher]

The gap between The Red King and Orion's Hounds is a couple of days shorter, just about three weeks. And if you count Destiny as Titan books, then Destiny, Book III: Lost Souls and Over a Torrent Sea actually overlap by 9 days.

 

[Janos]

Therefore, when it was decided to do a massive inter-series crossover event, Destiny, it made the most sense to put it in the timeframe of TNG, TTN, and AotF, but pushed forward a bit to 2381.

And no, Destiny did not move DS9 forward. Destiny moved Voyager forward, and the VGR relaunch books being developed by Kirsten Beyer were plotted with that in mind; but Destiny only moved Ezri Dax and a few minor DS9-novel characters forward as crewmembers of the Aventine, while carefully avoiding mentioning anything else DS9-related. Afterward, when Margaret Clark took over responsibility for the DS9 books, she decided that the series should be brought ahead into synch with the rest so that it wouldn't have to be excluded from the post-NEM continuity in future works.

I'm sure I explained most of this to you in another thread.

Thanks. It is a lot clearer now. I just see Ezri as a key member of DS9 and that seeing her in Destiny (which I'll be reading soon) for me is a DS9-related thing. Also, while I haven't read Destiny yet, I imagine there is nothing precluding the Aventine being assigned to DS9 like the Defiant? However, with what I understand is the post-Destiny Alpha Quadrant, ships are scarce so can Starfleet afford to have such a ship associated with DS9? I'd still say "yes" as the wormhole is a strategic asset. You could actually justify have 2 Starships assigned to DS9 sector in light of a more dangerous post-Destiny/TP Alpha Quadrant. (Perhaps my thoughts here will be contradicted when Ii read Destiny or my 2 TP pact DS9-"related" books, but I understand that the writing in these books leave some big questions unanswered about the DS9 relaunch in the TP timeframe. So, if so, I hope Ezri is still associated in some fashion with DS9.)

 

[Christopher]

Also, while I haven't read Destiny yet, I imagine there is nothing precluding the Aventine being assigned to DS9 like the Defiant?

I'd call that unlikely. The Aventine is one of the few Starfleet vessels with quantum slipstream drive, which means it would probably tend to get assigned to missions that involve going places very fast rather than staying in one place.

 

[Janos]

Also, while I haven't read Destiny yet, I imagine there is nothing precluding the Aventine being assigned to DS9 like the Defiant?

I'd call that unlikely. The Aventine is one of the few Starfleet vessels with quantum slipstream drive, which means it would probably tend to get assigned to missions that involve going places very fast rather than staying in one place.

Thanks. Then that has me intrigued about who is around DS9 in the next TP-era (era may not be the right word, but I think my intent is clear) relaunch novel offering.

However, would it just fly around aimlessly until it gets a mission or could it be stationed out DS9 and deal with Alpha/Gamma matters in that part of the universe?

If Aventine is not tied to DS9 in anyway, then that also has me curious about what S&S's plans for the Aventine. I can't imagine it will get its own "series", but perhaps I am wrong.

 

[JD]

The possibility of an Aventine series has been brought up alot since Destiny, but at this point we haven't heard anything about plans for one. It seems it'll just be an occasional recurring guest ship.

 

[Janos]

The possibility of an Aventine series has been brought up alot since Destiny, but at this point we haven't heard anything about plans for one. It seems it'll just be an occasional recurring guest ship.

Hmm, that kinda means I'll get less Dax in DS9 and my other TNGnovelverse books.