Vanguard questions for potential reader

[JRoss]

So I hear that Vanguard is pretty important to the current storyline with the Tholians. The concept seems cool, too. As I understand, is it basically DS9 in Kirk's era?

I'm thinking of getting into it, but I wanted to know if all of the "adult version of TrekLit" that I've heard about it meant that it has a lot of sex and swearing?

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

^Don't worry JROSS, the sex and swearing are kept to a minimum. There are no sexualy explicit scenes that I can recall?

 

[captcalhoun]

there's some rough foreplay and some 'basking in the afterglow' as you might call it, but nothing about the actual insert tab P into slot V type mechanics.

as for the goddamn swearing, there ain't shit that's worse than this sentence.

 

[Christopher]

^Don't worry JROSS, the sex and swearing are kept to a minimum. There are no sexualy explicit scenes that I can recall?

Well, not explicit in the hardcore-porn sense, but there's a fair amount of sexual content. And it does have more profanity than most Trek, including the occasional use of the f-word.

None of which means it isn't worth reading, of course.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

^It's no Fifty Shades of Grey

 

[Mage]

there's some rough foreplay and some 'basking in the afterglow' as you might call it, but nothing about the actual insert tab P into slot V type mechanics.

as for the goddamn swearing, there ain't shit that's worse than this sentence.

They did drop one F-bomb in one of the novells.

 

[David Mack]

^ That would be in Precipice. And in both cases, the character doing so was Cervantes Quinn, a non-Starfleet alcoholic mercenary who has lived a hardass life out on the fringe of society. Frankly, I think he earned the right to use a bit of profanity now and then.

 

[Knight Templar]

Lots of the profane and vulgar language is strictly in context. Is is not gratuitous. That is, the characters don't use it in standard conversation.

For example, IIRC, the F word is used when a character is outraged by a massacre by the Klingons and vowing to fight them

 

[Mage]

The swearing never bothered me. Neither did the heavy forplay or 'afterglow' scenes. I doubt things like that won't happen in the 23rd century.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I didn't find the sex or profanity to be in excess or in higher quantity than any other licensed trek work I've read. I'd say any time that the scenes get a little explicit by some standards, the writing is being honest and the grittiness is essential to the story. When Quinn got pissed-off and dropped a F bomb, I think it would have been unrealistic if he didn't cuss.

In my opinion, if Vanguard were to receive a movie rating, it should be PG-13.

Vanguard is also the best @#%* trek series ever!

David, can I now be a candidate for your PR person again?

 

[Knight Templar]

Perhaps the only unrealistic thing about the language in Vanguard is that it is unlikely that people in the late 23rd century would be using the same exclamations as we do today.

From what I've read, we don't use the same extreme words today as they did in the early 1800s.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I can do without Star Trek having its own version of "frak" which it over-uses.

Besides, by that same logic, the English language will be completely different and have grown to include numerous alien words. I think we should accept the unrealism of the dialect so we don't need a dictionary in the back like in Watership Down.

 

[Christopher]

Perhaps the only unrealistic thing about the language in Vanguard is that it is unlikely that people in the late 23rd century would be using the same exclamations as we do today.

From what I've read, we don't use the same extreme words today as they did in the early 1800s.

True, but the same goes for English in general -- its usage 250 years from now might be difficult for the modern listener to understand. Presumably it's "translated" into familiar terms for the benefit of the audience, the profanity along with everything else.

 

[Mage]

I can do without Star Trek having its own version of "frak" which it over-uses.

Besides, by that same logic, the English language will be completely different and have grown to include numerous alien words. I think we should accept the unrealism of the dialect so we don't need a dictionary in the back like in Watership Down.

Very good comment! My girlfriend studies English Language and Culture, and we've had some discussions about English (and language) in the future. I wish I could be around to see how it all evolves.

 

[DEWLine]

To me, Vanguard's like this: the idealism of TOS, the edge of HBO.

You may see it differently.

 

[JD]

Other than the F-bombs, I don't think there's really anything more explict or graphic than in most of the other Trek books that have been coming out for the past 5 or 6 years.

 

[Jedi Marso]

To me, Vanguard's like this: the idealism of TOS, the edge of HBO.

You may see it differently.

This is also how I'd phrase it- I could easily envision this series being done by HBO or FX.

This was hands down the best Trek I've read in well over a decade. Real people, real problems, real consequences. Well worth the time.

 

[MatthiasRussell]

I don't think Vanguard is so adult that it would have to be premium channel material.

 

[DimesDan]

Other than the F-bombs

You mean the word fuck don't you?

I think it was said twice and in context, it's not like any characters said: "*feck, I need to get the fecking starship to the fecking planet before it fecking explodes."

So yeah, didn't find it a problem one bit.

*for your reading pleasure, I substituted the letter u with the letter e.

 

[JoeZhang]

That's Garth Ennis's Star Trek isn't it?