Transwarp said something I wanted to respond to:
Transwarp wrote:crystalswolf writes: I've already stated that this story is based loosely on the book that pretty much scratches out *the_abomination*.
Couldn't let that one go: The book doesn't scratch out *the_abomination*, it actually endorses it by building far-fetched scenarios just so Trip doesn't have to be dead. (Another of my many problems with the book.)
From what I understand, there's a good reason for that. Honeybee is more knowledgeable about this so maybe when she comes back into town, she can elaborate a little for us...but from what I understand, the author had to fight with the publisher to be able to write a book that negates *the_abomination* and Trip isn't killed. When the publisher finally said okay, they put the stipulation that *the_abomination* had to be addressed, it couldn't be just ignored.
So the fact that the book you don't like "endorses" *the_abomination*, that's the publisher's fault, not the author's. The publisher was reluctant to "erase" canon, and they may have even been under orders from Paramount and/or BnB not to--when Gene was alive I know he had a whole list of dos and don'ts for profic authors, and I don't see any reason for that to not continue with the new people in charge.
So this is one of the reasons why criticism of the Enterprise novels rankles me sometimes: it's often misplaced. If we're publicly vocal about blaming the books, they may get the wrong impression about why they're not liked...and then we'll get only two things: Jack, and sh*t...and Jack might even leave town.
We'll never know the whole circumstances, because I'm sure that there's a lot the authors can't say, because they can't continue to bring us Trek lit if they bite the hand that feeds them. From what I understand, the authors are fans of the TnT ship, and they made a list of everything they found wrong/offensive about *the_abomination*, and wrote to address each of those issues. Just, remember, it's the publisher that has the final word on what happens. So while having Trip undercover may be a stretch, it's entirely possible (likely, even) that the authors pitched lots of other stories that we may have been happier with, but this is what got a "yes" from the publisher.
Basically, the authors did the best they could with what they were handed and the restrictions they were given.