Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoilers)

[Angstromdweller]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I find the new timeline very intriguing and am looking forward to future movies set there. Having said that, it is a diversion from the main universe, although one I find much more interesting than the mirror universe.

How the events of Countdown will be handled in the novels, if they are acknowledged, is someting I am very much looking forward to see, though reluctantly.

While reading Places of Excile, though a very good story, I never felt comfortable with the idea of the crew splitting up, and still didn't like it at the end of the story.
On the other hand, I had no problem with Riker, Troi and Vale leaving for the Titan. But that was still a larger family splitting up in a couple of smaller ones.
Picard and LaForge going their own ways are (except for the dubious science) the things I liked the least about Countdown.

It will be interesting to see how you deal with these issues in a few years, and until then I will reflect on my own psychological issues.


update
I've now been reading Christophers comment about canon and tie-ins in the other thread. I am quite alright with that policy and eager to see what happens. My thoughts remain as stated though.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

What does it matter what might or might not happen in the next film? I don't think that's every stopped any tie-in fiction been written in the past (such as Spock being the Captain of a science vessel between three and four).

Actually, the reason DC Comics put Spock on a science vessel separate from the rest of the crew was because Paramount asked them to keep the intermovie status quo pretty much unchanged, i.e. with Spock not reunited with the rest of the crew. It was a way of keeping things on hold with regard to Spock's status rather than really moving forward.

It seems paradoxical -- even though the makers of new screen Trek wouldn't bother to acknowledge the books and comics anyway, those books and comics are still expected to avoid doing anything that might conflict too badly with future canon. I think the idea is that even if the books aren't binding on new canon, it might confuse some readers if the differences between the books and the films/shows were too great. Also, tie-ins are supposed to follow the lead of the films and shows, not take the lead in making major developments. The filmmakers don't want the tie-ins stepping on their toes, impinging on territory they want to cover for themselves first.

As a result, tie-ins to a currently active series are expected to do their best to keep the status quo pretty much unchanged, to try to avoid doing anything that might overlap or conflict with future canon productions. Of course, contradictions will happen regardless, but the goal is to try to minimize the risk of contradicting future films or telling major stories that they might want to tell instead. The only reason Pocket is able to make so many major changes in the 24th century continuity these days is because there's little chance of that continuity ever being explored onscreen again, giving the tie-ins carte blanche.

 

[TGTheodore]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

There's a definite plan for the "new" movie trilogy, and these movies are going to be fairly close together. The "story dust" has just been raised and hasn't even begun to settle. And I agree with most of the other writers that it might be too soon to start a series of novels based on the new circumstances (not to mention the incredibly short time period in which they might become obsolete).

Also, though I gladly accept the "new" old crew actors in their roles, I still have no desire to either read nor write a romantic scene between Spock and Uhura. Despite the new cast, the vision of Nimoy and Nichols making out and doing the horizontal bop simply creeps the hell out of me.

And frankly, Quinto and Saldana as well.

"Uhura looked up at Spock's face and saw an unfamiliar expression. His eyebrow was arched, but not out of curiosity.

She spoke softly, gently. "Spock, what is it?"

While trying to maintain his--concentration, Spock evenly replied, "Nyota, for this to emerge a successful physical encounter, kindly move your elbow at least 4 centimeters to your starboard."

--Ted

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

There's a definite plan for the "new" movie trilogy, and these movies are going to be fairly close together. The "story dust" has just been raised and hasn't even begun to settle. And I agree with most of the other writers that it might be too soon to start a series of novels based on the new circumstances (not to mention the incredibly short time period in which they might become obsolete).

I think "obsolete" is too strong a word. Stories that have been contradicted by canon can still be satisfying as stories. And for decades, the authors of Trek novels and comics had to deal with the risk of having their books contradicted or overlapped by new episodes/films, sometimes even before the books came out. But that didn't stop them from trying to tell good stories anyway.

Heck, that's an occupational hazard in all science fiction -- that real discovery or innovation might render a story obsolete soon after or even before its publication. In order to work in this genre at all, you just have to accept that your goal is not to predict the future (whether of the real world or a fictional franchise), but to tell good stories about possible futures.

 

[Sci]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Personally, I'm very interested in the developments that Trek XI revealed about the "prime" timeline.

Some random thoughts:

Romulus is destroyed -- and presumably so is Remus. How might this fit into the Typhon Pact/Khitomer alliance storyline? Nero blames the Federation for not intervening earlier -- perhaps the Federation Council didn't intervene because the Typhon Pact did something to the UFP before that nearly caused the Federation to be destroyed? Maybe it's just institutional inertia, or difficulty believing that the star was going to go supernova? Does the destruction of Romulus leave the Imperial Romulan State as the sole remaining Romulan government?

Apparently Scotty has developed the technology to beam someone aboard a ship at warp from light-years away. I'm going to presume that Scotty's ability to beam someone between planets within a system is some new development in this new timeline (perhaps prompted by the increased tensions between the Romulans and UFP following the Kelvin attack?). Spock Prime says that Scotty developed the ability to beam aboard a ship in his era, but we've never heard of that in Trek before. So that implies that Scotty's done this some time between the end of DS9 and 2387, when Romulus is destroyed. Maybe it's a development that's literally only happened in the year before the destruction of Romulus?

Red Matter. Obviously an extremely powerful energy source. Might it relate to Starfleet's adoption of a limited form of quantum slipstream technology after the Destiny trilogy?

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Romulus is destroyed -- and presumably so is Remus. How might this fit into the Typhon Pact/Khitomer alliance storyline? Nero blames the Federation for not intervening earlier -- perhaps the Federation Council didn't intervene because the Typhon Pact did something to the UFP before that nearly caused the Federation to be destroyed? Maybe it's just institutional inertia, or difficulty believing that the star was going to go supernova?

Going by Countdown, at least, the idea was that the supernova's effects struck Romulus sooner than anyone anticipated -- that Spock et al. did their best but were simply outpaced by events.

Apparently Scotty has developed the technology to beam someone aboard a ship at warp from light-years away. I'm going to presume that Scotty's ability to beam someone between planets within a system is some new development in this new timeline (perhaps prompted by the increased tensions between the Romulans and UFP following the Kelvin attack?). Spock Prime says that Scotty developed the ability to beam aboard a ship in his era, but we've never heard of that in Trek before. So that implies that Scotty's done this some time between the end of DS9 and 2387, when Romulus is destroyed. Maybe it's a development that's literally only happened in the year before the destruction of Romulus?

Possibly. However, we have seen interstellar transportation used before, by DaiMon Bok in TNG: "Bloodlines." It's portrayed there as too unstable and energy-intensive to be practical for regular use. Given the emergency situation in the movie, it's possible that Spock Prime deemed it worth the risk, although how they got enough power from a shuttlecraft transporter is a problem.

Red Matter. Obviously an extremely powerful energy source. Might it relate to Starfleet's adoption of a limited form of quantum slipstream technology after the Destiny trilogy?

Given the nature of the "black holes" it created, I think it must be some kind of gravitational amplifier, something that makes normal gravity pull with far greater force than it should.

 

[KRAD]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

(not to mention the incredibly short time period in which they might become obsolete).

Like Christopher, I disagree with the harshness of the term "obsolete" here, especially when you consider that two of the most popular Trek novels of all time are Federation and Imzadi, both of which were made "obsolete" by later onscreen canon (First Contact and "Second Chances," respectively), yet said "obselescence" did nothing to curtail either novel's great popularity.

 

[TGTheodore]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I guess I'm referring more to the shorter time span that the novels might be rendered "inconsistent" and the fact that there are now much more random story and character elements than earlier continuity (which is far more "settled" after 40 years.) More major directions the new continuity can go and more major events to occur than those in the first series of films.

Much more uncertainty than before.

--Ted

 

[Trekkie2000]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Image deleted as porn

 

[Rat Boy]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd also be interested in finding out just what the heck was so important about the goings on in the Laurentian system that the bulk of Starfleet was there.

 

[TJ Sinclair]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I'd like to do a novel expanding on the debate over the rescue of the Andorian ambassador from the surface of Sylax IV.

ROTFLMAO!

That Onion video was perfect.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

If there is money to be made, Pocket are going to try and make it aren't they? Unless they are prohibited from writing about this new universe? Anyone know for sure?

Logically, Margaret Clark would know for sure...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

ROTFLMAO!

That Onion video was perfect.

I'm barely game to mention that that rescue of the brave Andorian ambassador from the surface of Sylax IV led to said Ambassador having a park named after him.

 

[misskim86]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

I find the new timeline VERY interesting, one thing for sure is that the Federation would be extremely weak compared to the one we know of, and that would in turn really affect the history with Klingons. No I doubt we'd have the peace with Klingons and Worf is more or less gone.

 

[Geoff Thorne]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

THe thing is it's clearly pointed out in the film that this is an alternate line.

The only implication for "existing" Trek is that Spock has finally been taken off the board. Without Romulus the Empire goes one of two ways: it becomes MORE of a threat due to desperation or it makes peace out of necessity.

As for books written in the new 'verse. Well, we got a stack of Pike tales at the very least.

 

[The_Bandsaw_Vigilante]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Yeah, and it makes you wonder if Pike was due for a promotion to the Admiralty so quickly, given the ending of the film. Also, in this new continuity, it seems that all one has to do to get into Starfleet is hop on the nearest shuttle -- kinda different from the old days, where there were like 12,000 applications for each Academy opening, or whatever.

(Unless Pike somehow surreptitiously "slipped" Kirk's "application" through the committee ahead of time without his even knowing about it...he seemed to know all about his aptitude scores and stuff. Plus a little "legacy"-nepotizz probably helped Jim get in the door, too, considering who his father was.)

 

[Rat Boy]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Though not canon, the official site mentions that Pike was one of the fastest officers to make captain, so it's possible that he had other commands prior to the Enterprise.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Yeah, and it makes you wonder if Pike was due for a promotion to the Admiralty so quickly, given the ending of the film. Also, in this new continuity, it seems that all one has to do to get into Starfleet is hop on the nearest shuttle -- kinda different from the old days, where there were like 12,000 applications for each Academy opening, or whatever.

(Unless Pike somehow surreptitiously "slipped" Kirk's "application" through the committee ahead of time without his even knowing about it...he seemed to know all about his aptitude scores and stuff. Plus a little "legacy"-nepotizz probably helped Jim get in the door, too, considering who his father was.)

Since Kirk clearly already had aptitude scores and the like, it seemed clear to me that he must have already taken some sort of entrance exam, but simply hadn't accepted their offer of a place when he qualified for it.

 

[Christopher]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Since Kirk clearly already had aptitude scores and the like, it seemed clear to me that he must have already taken some sort of entrance exam, but simply hadn't accepted their offer of a place when he qualified for it.

I figured Pike was referring to educational aptitude scores in general, not specifically Academy-related.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: Trek XI's implications for future Trek novels (major movie spoiler

Since Kirk clearly already had aptitude scores and the like, it seemed clear to me that he must have already taken some sort of entrance exam, but simply hadn't accepted their offer of a place when he qualified for it.

I figured Pike was referring to educational aptitude scores in general, not specifically Academy-related.

Something about his tone suggested Academy-related to me. I guess they wanted to leave it open to interpretation.