There are several reasons for my interest in books and comics that continue and expand the Star Trek universe (several other universes like Doctor Who and Star Wars are of interest to me in similar ways, to greater and lesser extent). These extra stories can give us a different perspective or interpretation of the universes’ background for one thing. I recently went hunting for the original books that introduce the Romulans as "Rihansu" (sorry, I don’t remember how it’s spelled), as I was curious to see an alternative take on the Romulans. I snapped up The Final Reflection because I read somewhere that book does something similar for Klingons. When I watched through the old series, I came across a gem of an episode that I hardly hear anyone talk about, "The Day of the Dove." Beyond the echoes of scenarios and situations that reappear in "The Search For Spock" and "Star Trek: First Contact" there was an interesting comment from the female Klingon about her species; she referred to her people as hunters. Not warriors, but hunters. You could develop a cultural identity that is totally different, from that kind of psychological inclination. It suggested to me a subtle, yet profoundly different approach to how Klingons might have been defined by subsequent writers. It doesn’t exclude the Warrior aspect/approach that writers seemed to focus on in later stories, but what if we didn’t confine and bottleneck the Klingons in that way, and imagined them differently? Naturally, the same thing with the Romulans.
I recently got the complete Star Trek comics collection CD/DVD that has all the comics from the 1960's up to 2002. The story line I’m most excited about is the DC series one, that features the crew having adventures between the second, third, fourth and fifth Star Trek movies. And while I consider that I may find the series stretching credibility in an effort to bring the characters to where they need to be in order to not conflict with each Star Trek movie’s release, I am so far enthralled with the fun of seeing what we might have thought would happen next after The Wrath of Khan. DC series one is quick to move on and do it’s own thing, while moving forward into the future as they thought it might be. Kirk moves to take command of the Enterprise as a Captain, Saavak takes over as science officer, and Sulu fills in as first officer. Carol and David have already returned to Regula I to continue their work. And McCoy ponders what Spock intends that he is supposed to "Remember!" And I’m not anywhere near the Mirror Universe saga that leads to the crew being assigned to Excelsior, with Spock going off on his own to captain a science vessel (between Treks III and IV).
I guess I very much like the idea of not getting to confined by continuity, by virtue of a personal philosophical approach to fiction; I think of it in terms of how I think of the whole King Arthur story and all it’s variations. There’s been so much fun in seeing how different interpretations have taken the legends and stories about King Arthur, the knights of the round table and the Grail Quest and presented them anew. There’s the Sir Thomas Mallery or TH White versions. The Hallmark movie Merlin was an exciting reinterpretation from Merlin’s perspective. Clive Owen’s King Arthur was certainly different, speculating about what the real historical origins might have been. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade uses the story as a background set up for the new story. And Peter David brought King Arthur into the 20th Century and reunited him with his old friends and enemies that have also survived the passing centuries. Dare I even mention Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Don’t say Galaxy Quest; Monty Python didn’t have to change the names! All of these retellings are not constricted by a need for consistency, yet they have enough elements that are familiar and therefore recognizable. Arthur and his court are certainly not going away anytime soon. By the same token, I relish the opportunity to delve into alternative interpretations of Star Trek, and hope that will contribute to it’s longevity in popular culture.
The Reeves-Stevens book, Federation, is one of my favorite ST novels, and I will never fault it for having a conflicting history for Zephram Cochrane. In some ways, there’s a sense of grandeur to Cochrane’s story in Federation that is just not the same as what we see in First Contact. Federation is also the story that I wish had been Star Trek: Generations. In every way, it’s a more satisfying story. Peter David’s Vendetta was ST: First Contact, at least until First Contact came out: it’s the epic Borg story that I craved after The Best of Both Worlds. First Contact I love very much, but Vendetta was there for us until 1996 rolled around (doesn’t mean I’ve ditched Vendetta). Setting aside the unfortunate circumstances behind the writing of Probe, I’ve read comments that Probe is what they wished had been Star Trek V The Final Frontier. I don’t dislike STV TFF, but I’ll keep Probe, too; as I enjoyed it (sorry to hear about the heartache and heartbreak behind it, Margaret Wander Bonanno!). So, in a way, the books have been alternatives to the cinematic Star Trek series.
The books and comics helpfully present what might have happened that we missed in the series and movies, I thinking about the Lost Years and The Lost Era, and the Buried Age; Prime Directive and any other story that fills out the fourth and fifth year of Kirk’s original five year mission. For some it’s the A Time to... series.
There is also the helpful suggestions about inconsistencies. Some authors will take the time to offer explanations. And what’s the deal with the whole United Earth Space Probe Agency thing, what was that all about, where did it go?
These days, books and comics are now in a great position, the same opportunity that Doctor Who books were able to take advantage of between 1989 (the end of the old series) and 2005 (the start of the new series continuation of the old). To Forge Ahead! It’s such an important thing, and it feels like what Star Trek is all about. To boldy go where no one has gone before, that suggests to me the notion of moving forward, and I’m very excited to see that this is happening. At this point, with the only approaching mainstream Star Trek production returning to Star Trek’s roots (which I do think is good), the prospects of pushing the farthest future-most point of the Star Trek universe forward is limited, and possibly delayed for quite a long while, as far as I can tell. Especially in the medium of official sanctioned, canonical productions. The books are as good a place as any.
So, for me: Alternative perspectives and interpretations. Expanded understanding. Stories that I like better than the official ones. Stories that are going to go where the TV and movie stories aren’t going to go anytime soon, as far as I can tell.
Star Trek continues. The Human(?) Adventure is just beginning!
I recently got the complete Star Trek comics collection CD/DVD that has all the comics from the 1960's up to 2002. The story line I’m most excited about is the DC series one, that features the crew having adventures between the second, third, fourth and fifth Star Trek movies. And while I consider that I may find the series stretching credibility in an effort to bring the characters to where they need to be in order to not conflict with each Star Trek movie’s release, I am so far enthralled with the fun of seeing what we might have thought would happen next after The Wrath of Khan. DC series one is quick to move on and do it’s own thing, while moving forward into the future as they thought it might be. Kirk moves to take command of the Enterprise as a Captain, Saavak takes over as science officer, and Sulu fills in as first officer. Carol and David have already returned to Regula I to continue their work. And McCoy ponders what Spock intends that he is supposed to "Remember!" And I’m not anywhere near the Mirror Universe saga that leads to the crew being assigned to Excelsior, with Spock going off on his own to captain a science vessel (between Treks III and IV).
I guess I very much like the idea of not getting to confined by continuity, by virtue of a personal philosophical approach to fiction; I think of it in terms of how I think of the whole King Arthur story and all it’s variations. There’s been so much fun in seeing how different interpretations have taken the legends and stories about King Arthur, the knights of the round table and the Grail Quest and presented them anew. There’s the Sir Thomas Mallery or TH White versions. The Hallmark movie Merlin was an exciting reinterpretation from Merlin’s perspective. Clive Owen’s King Arthur was certainly different, speculating about what the real historical origins might have been. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade uses the story as a background set up for the new story. And Peter David brought King Arthur into the 20th Century and reunited him with his old friends and enemies that have also survived the passing centuries. Dare I even mention Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Don’t say Galaxy Quest; Monty Python didn’t have to change the names! All of these retellings are not constricted by a need for consistency, yet they have enough elements that are familiar and therefore recognizable. Arthur and his court are certainly not going away anytime soon. By the same token, I relish the opportunity to delve into alternative interpretations of Star Trek, and hope that will contribute to it’s longevity in popular culture.
The Reeves-Stevens book, Federation, is one of my favorite ST novels, and I will never fault it for having a conflicting history for Zephram Cochrane. In some ways, there’s a sense of grandeur to Cochrane’s story in Federation that is just not the same as what we see in First Contact. Federation is also the story that I wish had been Star Trek: Generations. In every way, it’s a more satisfying story. Peter David’s Vendetta was ST: First Contact, at least until First Contact came out: it’s the epic Borg story that I craved after The Best of Both Worlds. First Contact I love very much, but Vendetta was there for us until 1996 rolled around (doesn’t mean I’ve ditched Vendetta). Setting aside the unfortunate circumstances behind the writing of Probe, I’ve read comments that Probe is what they wished had been Star Trek V The Final Frontier. I don’t dislike STV TFF, but I’ll keep Probe, too; as I enjoyed it (sorry to hear about the heartache and heartbreak behind it, Margaret Wander Bonanno!). So, in a way, the books have been alternatives to the cinematic Star Trek series.
The books and comics helpfully present what might have happened that we missed in the series and movies, I thinking about the Lost Years and The Lost Era, and the Buried Age; Prime Directive and any other story that fills out the fourth and fifth year of Kirk’s original five year mission. For some it’s the A Time to... series.
There is also the helpful suggestions about inconsistencies. Some authors will take the time to offer explanations. And what’s the deal with the whole United Earth Space Probe Agency thing, what was that all about, where did it go?
These days, books and comics are now in a great position, the same opportunity that Doctor Who books were able to take advantage of between 1989 (the end of the old series) and 2005 (the start of the new series continuation of the old). To Forge Ahead! It’s such an important thing, and it feels like what Star Trek is all about. To boldy go where no one has gone before, that suggests to me the notion of moving forward, and I’m very excited to see that this is happening. At this point, with the only approaching mainstream Star Trek production returning to Star Trek’s roots (which I do think is good), the prospects of pushing the farthest future-most point of the Star Trek universe forward is limited, and possibly delayed for quite a long while, as far as I can tell. Especially in the medium of official sanctioned, canonical productions. The books are as good a place as any.
So, for me: Alternative perspectives and interpretations. Expanded understanding. Stories that I like better than the official ones. Stories that are going to go where the TV and movie stories aren’t going to go anytime soon, as far as I can tell.
Star Trek continues. The Human(?) Adventure is just beginning!
