An update on the Romulan War book for those who care

[Zane Gray]

This from Trek Movie last week, in case you didn't see it:

Enterprise Trade Paperback kicks off Romulan War

Originally planned as two book series, "Enterprise: The Romulan War," by Michael A. Martin will be now be released as a trade paperback in October 2009. Following immediately after the events of this year’s "Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru," this new book starts off (but does not complete) the famed Romulan War, told through the eyes of Captain Archer and the NX-01 crew. Clark reveals the following spoiler:

Because of things that unfolded in "Kobayashi Maru," the Vulcans have to come with a horrifying fact and they realize that there is something they have to do. Vulcan is going trough upheaval after the rediscovery of Surak’s teachings and the society is not as stable as what we see in the 23rd century. T’Pol realizes what their involvement in a war could wrought on Vulcan society and she does something that horrifies her partners in the coalition, but will eventually lead to the foundation of the United Federation of Planets and the Vulcan that we see in the Kirk era.

2010 - logic dictates an ENT link to TOS

Moving forward into the future, Clark says that she sees the Enterprise novel series as creating a clearer bridge towards the TOS era, with "Romulan War" being a key part of that. She wants the books to answer the question of "why does the Federation and Starfleet look the way it does [in TOS]?" She even wants to show "the logic and the reason" why Enterprise (NCC-1701) seems to use older technology in comparison to the Enterprise era ships like the NX-01. Clark tells TrekMovie "I am trying to Okuda-ise it — trying to create a logical through-line from the Enterprise we saw on broadcast to The Original Series shows."

Original Link: http://trekmovie.com/2008/12/30/preview-of-star-trek-books-for-2009-and-2010/

[Alelou]

This from Trek Movie last week, in case you didn't see it:

Enterprise Trade Paperback kicks off Romulan War

Clark reveals the following spoiler:

Because of things that unfolded in "Kobayashi Maru," the Vulcans have to come with a horrifying fact and they realize that there is something they have to do.

Good Lord. I hope the book is a hell of a lot better written than this publicity.

[Elessar]

This from Trek Movie last week, in case you didn't see it:

Enterprise Trade Paperback kicks off Romulan War

Clark reveals the following spoiler:

Because of things that unfolded in "Kobayashi Maru," the Vulcans have to come with a horrifying fact and they realize that there is something they have to do.

Good Lord. I hope the book is a hell of a lot better written than this publicity.

I was kinda thinkin the same thing. Thanks for the update Zane! I haven't finished Kobayashi yet though .. STill working on World War Z!!

[Aquarius]

I seriously don't want to have to wait until October...bad ad copy not withstanding.

[KKGlinka]

A trade paperback? So it'll be a hideously illustrated, shoddily written pair of comics with an even more hideous sounding premise based on sledgehammering the plot to match 1960's prop tech? (Based on all the other trek comics I've seen). The last thing I care about is some contrived explanation for why the NX-1701 looks like a pizza box with a couple of straws and cigar stuck to it. I. Don't. Care. It's a prop - something that symbolizes or represents a fictional element.

I think I'll pass by running in the opposite direction... and I love comics. Seriously, the show itself had the opportunity to suggest and show how things started out one way and started heading another and it dithered around with lame Xindi fill-in plots and alien of the week, instead. I know comic writers who could achieve that goal in a couple of trades, but a trek comic?

That's just pathetic.

[Alelou]

It's not a comic. A trade paperback is simply a larger size paperback that is more comparable to a hardcover in its dimensions. It's notable in this case because former editions of this series were mass market paperbacks (the smaller kind, designed to fit easily into small drug store shelf displays and such, thus the term).

This means you can expect a hike in the price.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

^ It also means that if you wait a while it will eventually also come out in a mass market paperback edition.

I'm not sure I like the ominous sound of:

She wants the books to answer the question of "why does the Federation and Starfleet look the way it does [in TOS]?" She even wants to show "the logic and the reason" why Enterprise (NCC-1701) seems to use older technology in comparison to the Enterprise era ships like the NX-01. Clark tells TrekMovie "I am trying to Okuda-ise it — trying to create a logical through-line from the Enterprise we saw on broadcast to The Original Series shows."

This has the potential too become extremely contrived, only in a vain attempt to appease ENT-critics that will never care for ENT anyway. I think no such explanations are really necessary. To me the TOS aesthetics isn't about "looking older" than NX-01, but a simple matter of different styles. That look was the rave for a brief period in the 2260s. Think of how ridiculous the style of the 1970s look now, and it went away pretty quick.

As for the tech level, well, perhaps it looks simpler because it's much easier to operate and doesn't need as many controls as the NX-01 did. It's what it does that counts, not what it looks like, and IaMD showed us how more advanced the 23rd century was.

But maybe this is what they're gong to tell us...

[Alelou]

^ It also means that if you wait a while it will eventually also come out in a mass market paperback edition.

Is that their pattern? I've never seen those Strange New Worlds anthologies out in mass market (since the early ones anyway). I wouldn't assume it will automatically follow unless sales are really steady.

Frankly, if sales were that steady, they'd probably be keeping this two volumes and trying to milk more sales out of it that way.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

^ It also means that if you wait a while it will eventually also come out in a mass market paperback edition.

Is that their pattern? I've never seen those Strange New Worlds anthologies out in mass market (since the early ones anyway). I wouldn't assume it will automatically follow unless sales are really steady.

Frankly, if sales were that steady, they'd probably be keeping this two volumes and trying to milk more sales out of it that way.

I don't know if that's their pattern. I just assumed it was a standard pattern. I know of other sci-fi novels that first came out as trade paperbacks and then mass market paperbacks, so I thought that goes for all.

[Alelou]

These days you're simply lucky if you stay in print in any form.

[Reanok]

I'm just glad they didn't cancel the Enterprise books . I don't care about Starfleet Corps of engineers being canceled.

[chris1138]

I'm just glad they didn't cancel the Enterprise books.

Didn't Margaret Clark say that ENT books sell very well?

[Alelou]

That would be nice if it's true. I was a little depressed last week when I couldn't find Enterprise anywhere on SciFi's schedule. I shouldn't care since I own the DVDs but I want more fans for our show...

[Reanok]

The e-books of Starfleet core of Engineer books have been canceled as well as the reprinting of the Tos books the Crucible. The Destiny books were really dark and depressing if you like Erika Hernandez and the Columbia's crew in Kobayashi Maru you won't like what happens to her and the crew memebers in this series .I'm skipping getting anymore post Destiny series books I don't like all the this dark depressing storyline stuff that happens in the books.

[Aquarius]

That would be nice if it's true. I was a little depressed last week when I couldn't find Enterprise anywhere on SciFi's schedule. I shouldn't care since I own the DVDs but I want more fans for our show...

I think it's because of the Stargate Atlantis finale. If you look at what Sci-Fi is showing this week, they might as well change their name to the Stargate Channel.

I surfed ahead on my cable's programming grid, though, and things look like they're back to normal next week with Enterprise in its regular 5pm EST time slot.