You're the Editor for 2013...

[Thrawn]

It's proven; Ex Machina's sales didn't justify sequels. Though I've always been curious if that would have still been true if the cover had (I realize incorrectly, but still) had everyone in TWOK uniforms. I think people just have negative connotations with TMP in particular.

 

[WarsTrek1993]

^ Yeah, despite being a good read, it doesn't change the fact that so many people have such a low opinion of TMP.

 

[Relayer1]

How about post Wrath of Khan ? Does that sell ?

 

[Sho]

Well, I'm told that this post-Khan Typhon Pact stuff is doing really well ...

*goes hide now for being a smartass*

 

[Relayer1]

How about post Wrath of Khan ? Does that sell ?

Well, I'm told that this post-Khan Typhon Pact stuff is doing really well ...

*goes hide now for being a smartass*

OK - to be more specific :

How about novels featuring older versions of the crew from the original series, set in the timeframe between 'The Wrath Of Khan' and the loss of Kirk in 'Generations', most easily identified by the uniforms with black trousers and red jackets.

Do they sell ?

 

[Christopher]

That's hard to say. Over the years, I'd say the number of books set in the "maroon jackets" era has been comparable to the number set in the post-TMP era -- although quite a few post-TMP books have assumed the uniform switch happened shortly after TMP and thus have had the maroon jackets on the covers. So probably audiences are more inclined to pick up books with those uniforms on the covers (though I can't imagine why -- I think those uniforms are hideous and ridiculous).

However, I think it's been a good while since we've had a TOS novel set in the TWOK or Enterprise-A era. Most of the stuff we've had there in recent years has been about other characters, like Excelsior: Forged in Fire, the Saavik-centric Unspoken Truth, and the Valeris/Vaughn tale Cast No Shadow. Some things have touched on that era while also including others, like To Reign in Hell, Crucible, and Engines of Destiny. And the last two and a half novellas in Mere Anarchy were set in the later movie era. But I don't think we've had a full, novel-length TOS-cast tale set entirely in that era since In the Name of Honor and The Last Roundup came out a decade ago.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Many of the Space Mountie uniform books I can think of were, when released, set in the then-present of the 23rd century movie era, which probably made more of a difference than merely what costumes were on the cover. Off the top of my head, The Rift, Probe, Best Destiny (framing story) and Sarek were all released and set after the most current movie at the time (STV and STVI)

 

[Christopher]

^Well, Probe was originally meant to be after ST IV, but what with all the delays and rewrites, it ended up coming out well after ST V (and indeed shortly after ST VI!) and had a token reference or two to ST V tossed in, but still pretty clearly feels like the direct followup of TVH it was meant to be. (Reminds me of that delayed DS9 novel that was meant to be in the first season but had a token allusion to the Defiant slipped in at the last moment, which just did not work in context.)

After TUC, there were three post-TUC hardcovers released in fairly quick succession, Best Destiny in December '92, Shadows on the Sun in August '93, Sarek in March '94 -- and then The Ashes of Eden in June '95. It was really surprising how crowded the post-TUC period got so quickly, even though the ship and crew were supposed to be retiring. And it's interesting how the first three books all treated the decommissioning of the Enterprise-A differently -- BD made a point of reversing it (something I'm surprised Diane Carey was able to get past Licensing), SotS had it play out as the movie suggested and portrayed the final mission of the ship, and Sarek completely ignored it. (TAoE, of course, was set after the decommissioning.)

 

[BritishSeaPower]

I understand the reasons for preferring the Five Year Mission, but it's so overplayed, and as others have said, there's very little substantial difference between the FFYM and SFYM other than what you put on the cover that the FFYM period just seems so crowded.

I'd be up for any and all Movie-era TOS stories, though I appear to be in the buying public minority there.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'd like more TAS-era books. Pretty much indistinguishable from TOS, bar The Great Arex, annoying M'Ress, a pipe in the middle of the engine room, an extra door off the bridge and some cool new shuttles.

 

[Christopher]

^As I think I showed in Forgotten History, there are other distinctive features of the TAS era. You've got Gabler as Scotty's assistant engineer, Erikson as the ship's historian -- and Anne Nored, the first female security officer in Trek history (well, the first named/speaking one -- we saw others in "The Lorelei Signal," which was the next episode produced but was aired earlier). You've got Walking Bear as a helmsman, though it would be nice if he could be fleshed out into more than just a token Native American. You've got the force-field belts, even though those are ridiculous. And let's not forget Kyle's mustache!

 

[Zman1]

Jan: ENT era (post-Romulan War / Pre-Federation) - COE relaunch ebook 1
Feb: TOS (between V and VI)
Mar: VOY (continuing the relaunch) - COE relaunch ebook 2
Apr: TNG (Typhon Pact)
May: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 1) - COE relaunch ebook 3
Jun: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 2)
July: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 3) - COE relaunch ebook 4
Aug: Titan Anthology (current time not flashbacks)
Sept: NF (Series end or Re-Launch book 1 or 1&2) - COE relaunch ebook 5
Oct: NF (Series end or Re-Launch book 2 or 3&4)
Nov: Aventine / Typhon Pact novel - COE relaunch ebook 6
Dec: DTI / DS9 (current time) - AoF / Palais type book (including Sonek Pran)


I would bring back the SCE/CoE series but bi-monthly. Preferably with a subscription option. Perhaps a second eBook series also every other month based on the constellation class Hathaway? I added a 2nd book in December based on my theory that holidays sell books.

 

[F. King Daniel]

^As I think I showed in Forgotten History, there are other distinctive features of the TAS era. You've got Gabler as Scotty's assistant engineer, Erikson as the ship's historian -- and Anne Nored, the first female security officer in Trek history (well, the first named/speaking one -- we saw others in "The Lorelei Signal," which was the next episode produced but was aired earlier). You've got Walking Bear as a helmsman, though it would be nice if he could be fleshed out into more than just a token Native American. You've got the force-field belts, even though those are ridiculous. And let's not forget Kyle's mustache!

All good points.

Kyle's mustache is just dying for an origin story!

 

[JD]

Jan: ENT era (post-Romulan War / Pre-Federation) - COE relaunch ebook 1
Feb: TOS (between V and VI)
Mar: VOY (continuing the relaunch) - COE relaunch ebook 2
Apr: TNG (Typhon Pact)
May: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 1) - COE relaunch ebook 3
Jun: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 2)
July: DS9 (20th Anniversary trilogy book 3) - COE relaunch ebook 4
Aug: Titan Anthology (current time not flashbacks)
Sept: NF (Series end or Re-Launch book 1 or 1&2) - COE relaunch ebook 5
Oct: NF (Series end or Re-Launch book 2 or 3&4)
Nov: Aventine / Typhon Pact novel - COE relaunch ebook 6
Dec: DTI / DS9 (current time) - AoF / Palais type book (including Sonek Pran)


I would bring back the SCE/CoE series but bi-monthly. Preferably with a subscription option. Perhaps a second eBook series also every other month based on the constellation class Hathaway? I added a 2nd book in December based on my theory that holidays sell books.

Personally, if they were to go back to monthly e-books, I'd rather see them rotate between COE, and series based minis like Mere Anarchy, and Slings & Arrows, only for the rest of the series. If were up to me I'd throw NF, Titan, and Vanguard in there along with the TV series.

 

[Zman1]

Personally, if they were to go back to monthly e-books, I'd rather see them rotate between COE, and series based minis like Mere Anarchy, and Slings & Arrows, only for the rest of the series. If were up to me I'd throw NF, Titan, and Vanguard in there along with the TV series.

I like that idea only throw in MU as well.

 

[Fer]

If I may jump ahead a few years... an idea came to me last night for the line-up for 2016.

Since 2016 will be Trek's 50th anniversary, I'd love to see something that looks both forward and backward. I'd love to see them publish two books per series: one month there's a book set during each original TV series, and the next month is one set in the modern Typhon Pact era (or perhaps post-Romulan War for ENT.) That leaves two months that can either allow for a multi-book TOS story (a la Crucible), or be given to the JJ-verse (assuming they're allowed to publish JJ-verse novels by then).

Forgive me if someone already suggested this idea for 2013, I have a fuzzy memory and didn't want to reread 12 pages of posts.

 

[JWolf]

I would love to see a series of eBooks focusing on other races besides the major races. That would be very good. Kind of like lower deck stores but with other races instead of Starfleet crew.

 

[JD]

Maybe something like IDW's Alien Spotlight comics, with each story focusing on a different alien race.