Poll VOY: Flashback Novelization by Diane Carey Review Thread

[tomswift2002]

Voyager: Flashback
Published October 1996
Written by Diane Carey
Based on the episode by Brannon Braga

"The 30th Anniversary Episode That Spans The Generations!"

Its been about 20 years since I last read this book (it was around 1998), and I remember that I had not yet seen the episode, and when I did see the episode about 5 years later, I was disappointed, as I was expecting a 3-episode arc, since Diane Carey had written the novel in 3 parts. Since then I've seen the episode multiple times and each time I keep thinking back to the novel and revisiting things that DC added.

You know, its funny, but when I compare Flashback to the novelization of DS9's 30th anniversary episode, Trials and Tribble-ations, the DS9 book is considerable thinner. Did DC have more time to work on Flashback than Trials?

 

[Christopher]

This is one of my favorite novelizations, because it adds so much to a mediocre episode. In particular, it takes a pure technobabble climax and turns it into something more emotional and character-driven.

 

[tomswift2002]

I was just looking at the cover today, and I noticed that there was a pretty big mistake made on the cover. The cover features the Enterprise-B, not the Excelsior! I guess when they sent the artist of a photo an Excelsior class ship, they sent a shot from Star Trek Generations featuring the Enterprise-B!

Last I checked, Sulu or Tuvok never commanded or appeared on the Enterprise-B.

 

[JD]

Technically Sulu did command the Enterprise-B, just not Hikaru.

 

[tomswift2002]

In books Demora did, however, considering that “Flashback” goes back to “Star Trek VI”, Demora was still in school and the E-B was still a collection of parts.

 

[tomswift2002]

I must say, this episode/book really contradicts Enterprise’s “The Seventh”. In “Flashback” Tuvok’s brain nearly “lobotomizes” itself trying to bring the memory to the surface, whereas, as I recall in the 7th, T’Pol barely bats an eye, and yet the memory had been suppressed by Vulcans who knew how to meld.

But “Flashback” does bring up another interesting thing. Both Tuvok and the Doctor state that Tuvok’s condition can only be cured through a meld—preferable with a family member. So if that’s the case, then how did they cure Vulcan’s who had this condition when mindmelds were outlawed, especially if the treatment required a high level of trust?

 

[Christopher]

I must say, this episode/book really contradicts Enterprise’s “The Seventh”. In “Flashback” Tuvok’s brain nearly “lobotomizes” itself trying to bring the memory to the surface, whereas, as I recall in the 7th, T’Pol barely bats an eye, and yet the memory had been suppressed by Vulcans who knew how to meld.

I don't see a contradiction, because the two had different causes. The condition the Doctor believed Tuvok had was self-inflicted, a person suppressing their own traumatic memory. T'Pol's memory suppression was done by skilled experts, so it stands to reason that they'd know how to do it safely. It's like the difference between accidentally stabbing yourself and getting surgery done.

But “Flashback” does bring up another interesting thing. Both Tuvok and the Doctor state that Tuvok’s condition can only be cured through a meld—preferable with a family member. So if that’s the case, then how did they cure Vulcan’s who had this condition when mindmelds were outlawed, especially if the treatment required a high level of trust?

They probably didn't. Remember, T'Pol believed Panar Syndrome was incurable and terminal, but it turned out to be easy to cure with a meld. Probably the same was true of a T'lokan schism.

 

[tomswift2002]

I don't see a contradiction, because the two had different causes. The condition the Doctor believed Tuvok had was self-inflicted, a person suppressing their own traumatic memory. T'Pol's memory suppression was done by skilled experts, so it stands to reason that they'd know how to do it safely. It's like the difference between accidentally stabbing yourself and getting surgery done.

Still, even if its done by skilled experts, that doesn't mean that it is going to stay hidden or that when it does surface, that it's going to "play nice". And in both cases, the memory was suppressed due to highly emotional problems for both people (although in Tuvok's case, the memory was a virus, but still it was affecting Tuvok's emotions).

 

[Christopher]

^Sure, but they're different people. They weren't made on an assembly line, so they have physical and psychological differences from each other, and thus similar conditions could affect them quite differently.

 

[Idran]

Still, even if its done by skilled experts, that doesn't mean that it is going to stay hidden or that when it does surface, that it's going to "play nice".

Even setting aside Christopher's response (which is true, just because two conditions are similar doesn't mean they're going to present identically): You're right that it doesn't mean it always will. But in this specific case it did. I'm not sure why something not being a guarantee in all cases means it being portrayed as happening in a specific case is a contradiction.

Even if cancer is treated by skilled experts, that doesn't mean that it's always going to "play nice" and go into remission. Does that make showing cancer going into remission a contradiction?