When can we expect USS Kelvin novels?

[Christopher]

Thanks for the info above...I was not aware that the Kelvin was on it's way back to Earth (I've only seen the film once, and my memory for the finer plot details is not very good).

It wasn't actually stated in the film. It's Word of God from one of the screenwriters. But it's also common sense; I'd formulated the exact same explanation myself before I heard it from Orci.

As far as leaving Sam with family, I guess that makes sense. However, in the novelization, the Kirk boys weren't with an Uncle Frank at the time of the 'Vette-jacking, they were living with Winona and her new husband (whose name escapes me now), and he was pissing both of the brothers off. Sam walked out while Jimmy was washing the car, and Jimmy decided to "take her for a spin."

No, that was Uncle Frank, in the novelization as well as the deleted scene it adapted.

I know the novelization has some differences from the film...to the writers out there, is this most likely due to ADF having a prior version of the script to work from, from his desire to flesh out the characters and scenes, or both?

Both.

 

[Stevil2001]

As far as leaving Sam with family, I guess that makes sense. However, in the novelization, the Kirk boys weren't with an Uncle Frank at the time of the 'Vette-jacking, they were living with Winona and her new husband (whose name escapes me now), and he was pissing both of the brothers off. Sam walked out while Jimmy was washing the car, and Jimmy decided to "take her for a spin."

No, that was Uncle Frank, in the novelization as well as the deleted scene it adapted.

I don't know about the deleted scene, but he's definitely not an uncle in the novelization; I read the first half of the book last night.

 

[Christopher]

^Oh, yes, I guess you're right. Hmm. Well, in the movie, it's not specified who the voice on the car phone is, and the novelization isn't binding.