Where I re-read Star Trek: Vanguard

[Faldor]

Vanguard is some of my favourite Trek Lit, if not Trek full stop.
I didn't get around to reading the books until 2017, Whilst I enjoy TOS I hadn't been so taken with it as to read many novels, and I made the obvious mistake of assuming Vanguard would just be Deep Space Nine in a TOS setting, which it is not but that would be awesome.

Reyes' doesn't come across as a bad guy, just like Kirk and Sisko at times, someone who is forced to push things too far for the greater good. Pennington ends up being the person with the most to lose. He doesn't deserve to be completely discredited as a journalist but neither was he a saint, which allows us to come with him on his journey.

I've no idea how successful Vanguard was compared to other series from around the same time but they had some fantastic world-building and the luxury of a closed ending that far too many series never get to.

The fact that the station's personnel are not simply, The Captain, Science Officer and Doctor but Officers in roles we have not seen before really made this series feel fresh. This felt like TOS, it didn't feel like it was trying to get away from the aesthetic like so some more recent productions, but it also felt modern.

I read these books as ebooks and went back and found print copies to put on my shelf.

 

[David Mack]

Reyes doesn't come across as a bad guy, just like Kirk and Sisko at times, someone who is forced to push things too far for the greater good. Pennington ends up being the person with the most to lose. He doesn't deserve to be completely discredited as a journalist but neither was he a saint, which allows us to come with him on his journey.

That was exactly what we were going for with our characters: flawed people in need of self-improvement and, eventually, redemption — though what form redemption takes varies from person to person. (And also the tragedy of some good people who are lost in the fray.)

The fact that the station's personnel are not simply, The Captain, Science Officer and Doctor but Officers in roles we have not seen before really made this series feel fresh. This felt like TOS, it didn't feel like it was trying to get away from the aesthetic like so some more recent productions, but it also felt modern.

Spot-on! I wrote almost these exact words in the original series bible/creative brief for the series back in 2004/2005.

 

[Thrawn]

I remember Marco Palmieri (editor at the time), I think, posting something about how the schedule was so crowded that if he was going to add a brand new series into the schedule then it had better be worth it. Vanguard passed that criterion with flying colors. If there was a tie-in writing course, it should be taught as a perfect example of how to take an overexposed piece of canon and find a totally unique perspective on it, a great story both enhanced by and itself enhancing the canon which it ties into. Some of the best tie-in writing of all time, for my money.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Star Trek: Vanguard: Summon the Thunder

Book 2

Synopsis: In the aftermath of 'Harbinger', Commodore Diego Reyes commands Vanguard while waging an intensely personal struggle; tasked to uncover the true significance of the Taurus Reach while simultaneously concealing that mission from his fellow officers - and even his closest friends.

Analysis: One element I really enjoy about VANGUARD is the fact that it is a Star Trek series with original characters as well as plots but multiple writers. Well David Mack and Dayton Ward but two very distinct voices that bring their own interpretation to the setting as well as its characters. Kevin Dilmore also co-wrote this part and I'm interested in speculating on what parts were his versus Dayton Ward's.

This is perhaps a bit much but David Mack has a focus more on the characters and the dark morally ambiguous nature of the Vanguard project. Dayton Ward, by contrast, seems to be focused on more of the political and world-building elements of the Shedai Sector.

This isn't to say that the authors aren't capable of doing the other one's specialty. David Mack is fine for handling the politics of the setting and Dayton Ward can get the characterization just fine. I just feel like both of them do a very good job at these specific elements.

One element this book includes that I was appreciative was the inclusion of the Romulans. One of the things ENTERPRISE introduced was the idea that they were actually quite a bit active in Federation space pre-"Balance of Terror" and never really abided by the treaties that they signed both after the first Romulan War and post-Khitomer Conference assassination (Hashtag #PressmanWasRight). So we have a crew of them stirring up shit with the Tholians and Klingons.

The Klingons also get some expansion and we get a sense of how they did things Pre-Khitomer with their British Empire-esque governorships and casual brutality. We get some good incorporation of the Unhappy Ones with the proper ridged Klingons even as their alien morality shows up several times. One detail I liked is the Klingon governor only seems inclined to any sort of mercy when the locals begin fighting back (even knowing its counterproductive) because unquestioned obedience only invites contempt.

One element that I take note of is the fact that Diego Reyes could have been another "insane Admiral" and arguably be perfectly justified by being happy the relations between the Klingons and Tholians are breaking down. After all, a war between the Tholians and the Klingons would potentially weaken both hostile powers as well as serve Starfleet's larger strategic aims.

Instead, Commodore Reyes and the Ambassador do their best to try to bring about a peaceful solution between both powers as a neutral third party (politely ignoring neither of them are such). They fundamentally do believe in the Star Fleet ideology and want to see a galaxy where no one is war rather than using it as a tool of statecraft. They even try a Captain Kirk-esque scenario to resolve things but, well, fail.

That's actually the most interesting element of Summon the Thunder: our heroes make heroic efforts to pull victory from the jaws of defeat and repeatedly end up failing to achieve their objectives. Like when Red Squad tries to blow up a Jem'Hadar warship, it ends in their horrific deaths. Reyes and the Ambassador fail to achieve peace, the Romulan captain fails to rescue her crew, Pennington ends up he's no closer to redeeming his journalistic credentials (that he believes he ever could is the most unbelievable element of this story about ancient space gods), and Quinn delivers an innocent(ish) man to his death. Hell, an entire inhabited planet is destroyed in large part because of their heroes' efforts (which they never realize).

Vanguard remains firmly rooted in TOS but there's very few ways to technobabble or heroic stand their way out of disaster.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Summon the Thunder notes

1. I like the whole element of Quinn being under Ganz's thumb and trying to get out from under it. I know he's more Harry Mudd than Han Solo but the overwhelming debt angle is what makes me think of Solo (and the fact Quinn is a jaded but still romantic ex-soldier as well as smuggler). The fact Ganz now finds him more useful alive than dead is a status I can't imagine will last long, especially since he already tried to have him killed.

2. Pennington is someone that, realistically, would be radioactive for the rest of his natural life and have to find something else to do in the 23rd century than reporting. Assuming the Federation denies that the Tholians did anything, he's really someone who would be threatened with criminal charges. This being the equivalent of, "Iran blows up US battleship" then exposed as a hoax rather than just Dan Rather's report on GWB's military service.

3. I feel like the romance between T'Prynn and Lurqal is well done and surprisingly steamy for a Star Trek book that tends to be definitely on the PG-rated side of things. T'Prynn has used her simmering passions to convert an operative of the Klingons but doesn't have the kind of control to keep herself emotionally unavailable either.

4. I feel weird commenting on it but I kind of like the rather, "Well, duh" idea that T'Prynn rejected Sten because she's a lesbian and the issue being, "Okay, what happens to those Vulcans betrothed in their youth that are gay?" SNW implies that they had best dissolve the issue ahead of time but Sten clearly rejected that and it wasn't an issue of bad timing. Dude is the ultimate entitled boyfriend and is literally haunting her as a ghost.

5. Speaking of sexual politics in the 23rd century, it's notable how her handler is extremely unsubtly annoyed at Lurqal's relationship with T'Prynn. The fact that it is something he should be wondering at given he's her handler is fine but the implications are that he's annoyed because he intended to take her as a lover. Given the Klingons are often the poster boys of toxic masculinity, I sadly assume many consider it a perk of the job.

6. Some comments make me think Lurqal may be bi, unlike T'Prynn who I take to be a 6 on the Kinsey scale.

7. The idea of a Zakdorn accountant was extremely well done, though I'm surprised Ganz ever let the guy be away from his business on the station (well, on his ship rather than the station itself). I have to say I actually mourned this guy because any guy who loves dog-esque aliens can't be all bad. Well, Austrian painters aside.

8. As mentioned, I feel like this book provides a strong sense of, "What if the usual heroics of Starfleet don't manage to succeed?" About everyone fails to make a significant difference despite their best efforts and it feels like things push forward with a terrible inevitability.

9. I like that Reyes reads Desani in fairly early on the Vanguard project even if I also note that he's doing it for selfish reasons, IMHO. He doesn't need a Jag officer to tell him what's illegal and what's not, all of this is pretty much illegal, but he needs someone to soothe his guilty conscience. We know what a failure that's going to be.

10. Honestly, as malevolent as the Shedai come off as, I can't exactly fault them too much. Everyone IS invading their territory and IS stealing their technology.

11. I also give credit for the scene where Reyes just casually lets Pennington know he's being watched and there's nothing that he can do that will threaten Vanguard that won't invite more serious consequences. Basically, it was a very mob, "It would be a shame if you lost your daughter, Mr. Cipriani. Anything can happen to a girl her age."

 

[Csalem]

Star Trek: Vanguard: Summon the Thunder

Book 2

Synopsis: In the aftermath of 'Harbinger', Commodore Diego Reyes commands Vanguard while waging an intensely personal struggle; tasked to uncover the true significance of the Taurus Reach while simultaneously concealing that mission from his fellow officers - and even his closest friends.

Analysis: One element I really enjoy about VANGUARD is the fact that it is a Star Trek series with original characters as well as plots but multiple writers. Well David Mack and Dayton Ward but two very distinct voices that bring their own interpretation to the setting as well as its characters.

This is perhaps a bit much but David Mack has a focus more on the characters and the dark morally ambiguous nature of the Vanguard project. Dayton Ward, by contrast, seems to be focused on more of the political and world-building elements of the Shedai Sector.

This isn't to say that the authors aren't capable of doing the other one's specialty. David Mack is fine for handling the politics of the setting and Dayton Ward can get the characterization just fine. I just feel like both of them do a very good job at these specific elements.

One element this book includes that I was appreciative was the inclusion of the Romulans. One of the things ENTERPRISE introduced was the idea that they were actually quite a bit active in Federation space pre-"Balance of Terror" and never really abided by the treaties that they signed both after the first Romulan War and post-Khitomer Conference assassination (Hashtag #PressmanWasRight). So we have a crew of them stirring up shit with the Tholians and Klingons.

The Klingons also get some expansion and we get a sense of how they did things Pre-Khitomer with their British Empire-esque governorships and casual brutality. We get some good incorporation of the Unhappy Ones with the proper ridged Klingons even as their alien morality shows up several times. One detail I liked is the Klingon governor only seems inclined to any sort of mercy when the locals begin fighting back (even knowing its counterproductive) because unquestioned obedience only invites contempt.

One element that I take note of is the fact that Diego Reyes could have been another "insane Admiral" and arguably be perfectly justified by being happy the relations between the Klingons and Tholians are breaking down. After all, a war between the Tholians and the Klingons would potentially weaken both hostile powers as well as serve Starfleet's larger strategic aims.

Instead, Commodore Reyes and the Ambassador do their best to try to bring about a peaceful solution between both powers as a neutral third party (politely ignoring neither of them are such). They fundamentally do believe in the Star Fleet ideology and want to see a galaxy where no one is war rather than using it as a tool of statecraft. They even try a Captain Kirk-esque scenario to resolve things but, well, fail.

That's actually the most interesting element of Summon the Thunder: our heroes make heroic efforts to pull victory from the jaws of defeat and repeatedly end up failing to achieve their objectives. Like when Red Squad tries to blow up a Jem'Hadar warship, it ends in their horrific deaths. Reyes and the Ambassador fail to achieve peace, the Romulan captain fails to rescue her crew, Pennington ends up he's no closer to redeeming his journalistic credentials (that he believes he ever could is the most unbelievable element of this story about ancient space gods), and Quinn delivers an innocent(ish) man to his death. Hell, an entire inhabited planet is destroyed in large part because of their heroes' efforts (which they never realize).

Vanguard remains firmly rooted in TOS but there's very few ways to technobabble or heroic stand their way out of disaster.

Might be worth noting Kevin Dilmore also wrote this book with Dayton Ward.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Might be worth noting Kevin Dilmore also wrote this book with Dayton Ward.

Whoops, can't believe I didn't mention and will edit that in.

 

[Faldor]

The Vanguard series have such great titles.

 

[Corran Horn]

More Seekers btw.

 

[KRAD]

The Vanguard series have such great titles.

I find myself reminded of a trip to Shore Leave that included me, Terri Osborne, and Marco Palmieri, where the title of whatever the next Vanguard novel was had yet to be determined, and Terri and I were trying to convince Marco that the book should be called Fuck the Klingons.

For some reason, he didn't go for it, though all three of us were shouting, "Fuck the Klingons!" at random intervals all weekend....