You're the Editor for 2013...

[Mage]

1. A final NF book (haven't read the last few, but the fans deserve it
2. Novel set between TMP and TWOK by Christopher Bennet
3. Something by KRAD (don't care what, but bring back KRAD!!!!!)
4. Typhon Pact novel with Aventine crew by Dayton Ward
5. DS9 fill-in novel part 1 by DRGIII
6. DS9 fill-in novel part 2 by DRGIII
7. Articles-like novel dealing with political issues with Typhon Pact by ?????
8. VOY novel by Beyer
9. ENT novel (something during the series by McIntee)
10. Titan novel (NOT by Michael Martin!!)
11. Typon duology with TNG/DS9/Aventine crew part 1 by Mack
12. Typon duology with TNG/DS9/Aventine crew part 2 by Mack

 

[Christopher]

[*]3-4 Typhon Pact (24th century Trek) novels - can be TNG, DS9, Titan or Aventine centered - yes, I consider Titan a part of the Typhon Pact setting, Fallen Gods included.

I'll never understand this impression in fandom that "Typhon Pact" is synonymous with all post-Destiny fiction. Of the post-DES books that have come out to date or are about to come out, only 1/3 have had the Typhon Pact branding, and those are only the ones that actually focus on the Pact itself or one or more of its members.


Anyway, what I'm noticing here is that the regulars on this board don't seem to be quite representative of the tastes of the book-buying audience as a whole, because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it. Though on the other hand, the next best-selling category (so I gather) is the post-DES stuff (including the Pact), and there's a lot of interest in that here.

 

[Mage]

because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it.

Really? I hadn't expected that to be honoust. I mean, I love the 5 year mission era as much as the other Trekkie, but I would have guessed that with all the novels released for TOS over all the decades, there would be more interest in other era's.

 

[RonG]

[*]3-4 Typhon Pact (24th century Trek) novels - can be TNG, DS9, Titan or Aventine centered - yes, I consider Titan a part of the Typhon Pact setting, Fallen Gods included.

I'll never understand this impression in fandom that "Typhon Pact" is synonymous with all post-Destiny fiction. Of the post-DES books that have come out to date or are about to come out, only 1/3 have had the Typhon Pact branding, and those are only the ones that actually focus on the Pact itself or one or more of its members.

I think we've discussed tis very point on another thread, Christopher, and I conceded the point. I'll be glad to do so yet again

However, if you thought about this matter again due to my bringing up Fallen Gods, just remember that the last Titan novel (which FG follows and both written by the same author) *was* under the Typhon Pact banner.

Anyway, what I'm noticing here is that the regulars on this board don't seem to be quite representative of the tastes of the book-buying audience as a whole, because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it.

the 5YM is probably the best known and recognized as Star Trek, so it's not a surprise sales-wise (at least IMO). I think that, among regular TrekLit Board regulars, Vanguard prbably fills a similar slot as more "sophisticated" TOS, and most posters on this thread did express a desire to have another series/mini series "like Vanguard", so maybe this is like choosing TOS in some regard...

 

[Christopher]

because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it.

Really? I hadn't expected that to be honoust. I mean, I love the 5 year mission era as much as the other Trekkie, but I would have guessed that with all the novels released for TOS over all the decades, there would be more interest in other era's.

Well, that's true of the dedicated readers who have been following the novels for a long time, which probably includes most of the people who post on this forum. But there are plenty of newer or more casual readers out there, and they're probably drawn to the titles they're most familiar with, which for the general public means TOS and TNG.

However, if you thought about this matter again due to my bringing up Fallen Gods, just remember that the last Titan novel (which FG follows and both written by the same author) *was* under the Typhon Pact banner.

Yes, because the Gorn were in it, and the Gorn are members of the Typhon Pact. But Fallen Gods does not include any of the member races of the Pact; it focuses on a new species called the Ta'ith and on the consequences of the Andorians' secession. It ties into the aftermath of things that happened in TP books, but it does not itself feature any of the six species that constitute the Pact; therefore it is not a Typhon Pact novel. The Typhon Pact is not an era or a state of mind or whatever; it's a government, a specific, finite entity consisting of six civilizations. If one or more of those civilizations are featured in a book, it's a Typhon Pact book; if they aren't, then it isn't. It's that simple.

 

[RonG]

However, if you thought about this matter again due to my bringing up Fallen Gods, just remember that the last Titan novel (which FG follows and both written by the same author) *was* under the Typhon Pact banner.

Yes, because the Gorn were in it, and the Gorn are members of the Typhon Pact. But Fallen Gods does not include any of the member races of the Pact; it focuses on a new species called the Ta'ith and on the consequences of the Andorians' secession. It ties into the aftermath of things that happened in TP books, but it does not itself feature any of the six species that constitute the Pact; therefore it is not a Typhon Pact novel. The Typhon Pact is not an era or a state of mind or whatever; it's a government, a specific, finite entity consisting of six civilizations. If one or more of those civilizations are featured in a book, it's a Typhon Pact book; if they aren't, then it isn't. It's that simple.

that's a bit *too* simple IMO, Christopher.

If FG directly continues the plot of a TP novel, starring the same crew, and dealing with the aftermath of *another* TP novel, I don't see how this doesn't fall under the TP banner.

When this subject came up on other discussions, we were told (by you among others IIRC) that Typhon Pact is a status quo, not a specific storyline (when comparisons to Destiny had been brought up). Now, however, you describe TP as only concerning the six TP races and no others - very specific and story-related.

Can't it be that deciding under which series a novel goes is primarily marketing-related?

 

[Paris]

Much like a lot of you, I have no interest in more 5YM TOS books, even though we'll probably get at least one or two. Especially with a new movie coming out. Not to mention the inevitable book adaptation of the new film. As a fan, I would like to see:

-Voyager Full Circle book 5 (& 6 hopefully) by Kirsten Beyer
-a TOS era book taking place in between TMP and TWOK by Christopher. Perhaps the story of Kirk retiring a second time, as alluded to in Generations?
-Lost Era novel featuring Demora Sulu and the Enterprise-B
-a "universe" book (think Articles of the Federation and A Singular Destiny) by KRAD
-a DS9 anthology as well as another DS9 book or a duology for the 20th anniversary
-More Typhon Pact stories (at least 2)
-anohter New Frontier story (finale?)
-More TNG happening after David Mack's trilogy. I'd like to see either David McIntee or William Leisner, or even both, tackle these characters again.

More Titan would be good too, i guess, but if Michaell Martin is the author, then count me out. Nothing against the man...I'm just not really a fan anymore.

 

[Greg Cox]

^Which would make the TOS and ENT fans unhappy...

Don't worry. I'm taking care of that . . .

 

[Christopher]

If FG directly continues the plot of a TP novel, starring the same crew, and dealing with the aftermath of *another* TP novel, I don't see how this doesn't fall under the TP banner.

Taking Wing was about the aftermath of Nemesis. The Red King was a direct sequel to The Sundered. Orion's Hounds was largely a sequel to "Encounter at Farpoint." Over a Torrent Sea was about the aftermath of Destiny. But they were all under the Titan banner instead of TNG, The Lost Era, or whatever. This is no different.

When this subject came up on other discussions, we were told (by you among others IIRC) that Typhon Pact is a status quo, not a specific storyline (when comparisons to Destiny had been brought up).

No, I didn't say that, because "Typhon Pact" is not an abstraction; it's the name of a government, a group of nations who signed a pact at a station in the Typhon Expanse. You wouldn't say "Klingon Empire is a status quo," because that isn't even grammatical. You'd say that the existence of the Klingon Empire is an element of the status quo, a continuing aspect of the world rather than a finite story arc. And the same goes here. What I said was that the existence of the Typhon Pact is not a miniseries with a specific endpoint in mind, but part of the general, continuing post-Destiny status quo, in the same way that the existence of the Klingon Empire was a continuing, open-ended part of the TOS status quo. But not everything in TOS was about the Klingons, and not everything post-DES is about the Pact.

Can't it be that deciding under which series a novel goes is primarily marketing-related?

Well, yes, and that's why Seize the Fire, which by all rights was a Titan novel involving the Gorn, ended up under the Typhon Pact banner. But that doesn't mean that every post-DES novel or every TTN novel should be under that banner. It was the exception to the rule, and there's no reason why TTN shouldn't be able to endure as its own title.

-a TOS era book taking place in between TMP and TWOK by Christopher. Perhaps the story of Kirk retiring a second time, as alluded to in Generations?

I already covered Kirk's retirement in Mere Anarchy: The Darkness Drops Again.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it.

Really? I hadn't expected that to be honoust. I mean, I love the 5 year mission era as much as the other Trekkie, but I would have guessed that with all the novels released for TOS over all the decades, there would be more interest in other era's.

Think like the casual fan on the street. To them, Star Trek is the original series, full-stop. That's the part of the franchise that's seeped into the public consciousness. People know Kirk and Spock. My grandmother, in her final years of dementia, recognized Kirk and Spock. (She and I had, I kid you not, a conversation about K/S.) The Next Generation crew? Recognizable, but not to the same degree. Anything past that? Now you're into niche territory.

What I find surprising is the lack of "classic era" Star Trek: The Next Generation fiction. It's odd to that the only "classic era" NextGen project in the 25th-anniversary year is IDW's Assimilation2. The bleeding edge isn't unimportant and I think that Pocket should keep pushing the frontiers forward, but at the same time Enterprise-D fiction would be very recognizable to a casual audience.

-a TOS era book taking place in between TMP and TWOK by Christopher. Perhaps the story of Kirk retiring a second time, as alluded to in Generations?

I already covered Kirk's retirement in Mere Anarchy: The Darkness Drops Again.

Also in David R. George's Crucible trilogy.

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

What's with all the NF finale slots? I'd commission another novel but why does it have to be a finale? If anything, were PAD to decide he was done, I'd spin it off in a new direction and offer KRAD to write it.

Anyway, what I'm noticing here is that the regulars on this board don't seem to be quite representative of the tastes of the book-buying audience as a whole, because in general, 5-year-mission-era TOS is the strongest-selling category, and yet practically nobody here has expressed any interest in it.

Funny, because my initial thought when listing a TOS book was to have it take place during the 5-year mission, but then I thought that the schedule should be a bit varied and switched it up to a TMP / TWOK "era" novel since we've had a number of 5-year mission novels over the past few years.

Same with the Ent-B / Demora Sulu novel. That's the "oddball" / different novel for the year.

(Oh come on, *all* the writers would commission themselves! Or maybe that's just a Dr Who editor thing...)

ZING!

 

[WarsTrek1993]

How 'bout more books to bridge the gap between ENT and TOS?

 

[shanejayell]

I wouldn't mind seeing a new series of Lost Era books. A sort of 'Starfleet Year One' set after Enterprise, a Pike novel, a Demora Sulu book, maybe a pre-Voyager book on Janeway? Something like that.

 

[Greg Cox]

I'm curious. Why the interest in movie-era TOS? To be honest, I considered setting my next TOS novel during the movie era, just for novelty's sake, but, after thinking it over, I didn't see the point. Unless the plot actually involves characters or elements from the movies (Saavik, Genesis, Sulu's daughter, Valeris, whatever), I couldn't see what would be gained by setting a standalone TOS adventure after TMP or TFF instead of back during the good old 5YM.

Personally, when I write a TOS book, I'm inclined to stick to the 5YM unless there's some compelling reason to do otherwise. That's when the characters were in their prime, that's what I have the most reference material on, and that's where the average reader expects to find Kirk, Spock, etc. It's pure, classic Star Trek.

 

[PPatters]

I'm curious. Why the interest in movie-era TOS?

I'm just joining the conversation, so I can't speak for others, only based upon speculation -- but my best guess is that, for the hardcore fan, it is because it has the least information on it that they would want more exploration in that area. From the perspective of the author (you), though -- it makes sense that setting it during the 5YM makes sense since that's where you'll have the richest source material. And, as already mentioned, from the perspective of the casual reader (i.e. people who don't post in the TrekBBS Trek Literature forum ), that is also the frame of reference with which they're most comfortable. I used to have a unique fascination with that era, as well, and now I have a unique fascination with the time between ENT and TOS (as someone else mentioned) just because it's the unknown, but I can see where those areas would be avoided for a few reasons.

 

[Defcon]

I'm curious. Why the interest in movie-era TOS?

One reason why regular readers probably are more drawn to the unexplored areas of the original crew's adventures is that the 5YM has to have lasted about a century to fit all the missions that supposedly happened in that timeframe in there. In addition to to the actual events of the novels sometimes developing over several weeks/months I seem to remember that quite a few of the older novels started with Kirk & Co. bored by months of cartographing an astroid belt or something similar on top of that.

In comparison the TMP area has been barely represented in TrekLit, so it just seems logical that there should be more unexplored story possibilities in that timeframe.

 

[Greg Cox]

PPatters: I can see that, but, in that case, I think that would have to be the point of the book, to fill in the blanks, answer some outstanding questions, or tie up loose ends (like with my Khan books). But if the Enterprise is simply out there in space, boldly going where no man has gone before, and the landing party is beaming down to some brand new planet, why not just set the book in the 5YM?

I guess it depends on what story you're telling. Is it a story that could only take place between two movies, or is it a standalone adventure that's not rooted in any particular moment in the continuity?

Defcon: As for the plausbility of squeezing so many adventures into a 5YM, well, that's just the nature of long-running series. How many cases could the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew really investigate before they grew up? How many innocent clients could Perry Mason be expected to defend over the course of his career? How many "perfect" murders took place on Columbo's turf? How did Doc Savage find time to save the world 181 times? (And that was just in the original pulps!)

This is where poetic license kicks in . . . .

 

[PPatters]

PPatters: I can see that, but, in that case, I think that would have to be the point of the book, to fill in the blanks, answer some outstanding questions, or tie up loose ends (like with my Khan books). But if the Enterprise is simply out there in space, boldly going where no man has gone before, and the landing party is beaming down to some brand new planet, why not just set the book in the 5YM?

I guess it depends on what story you're telling. Is it a story that could only take place between two movies, or is it a standalone adventure that's not rooted in any particular moment in the continuity?

Oh, I totally get that I agree -- if you're going to explore the unknown, be intentional about it; stumbling upon it to be different just doesn't do justice to the concept (especially if one does want to later truly do something to explore the unknown). With your Khan books (still my favorites ever written for Trek), I really appreciated how intentional that clearly was.

 

[JD]

My wishlist of TrekLit:
A stanalone or possible series exploring more of the little seen elements of the Federation or Starfleet (something like SCE or Articles of the Federation).
A novel focused entirely on an alien crew (like the IKS Gorkon/KE series, but focused on either Cardassians, Romulans, Ferengi or one of the other major races)
More Post-Destiny series specific stories
A TP novel
A DS9 gap filler (I'm not as mad about the gap as some people on here, but I would still love to see it filled in)
A novel set during one of the series other than TOS.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'm curious. Why the interest in movie-era TOS?

There's a cohort of Star Trek fans, of which I'm one, that thinks of the movie-era as "their" era of Star Trek. I can't speak for others for why that is. For me, it's entirely down to the comics. Month in, month out, the maroon jackets-era was Star Trek for me.

Unless the plot actually involves characters or elements from the movies, I couldn't see what would be gained by setting a standalone TOS adventure after TMP or TFF instead of back during the good old 5YM.

I remember John Ordover saying the same about fifteen years ago when he was asked online why the original series novels all either seemed to be 5YM tales or post-Star Trek VI tales. The movie-era periods just aren't enough different, save maybe for the characters' ages.