Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site decwrl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!decwrl!chabot@miles.DEC (All God's chillun got guns)
From: chabot@miles.DEC (All God's chillun got guns)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Star Trek novels
Message-ID: <229@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 17:48:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.229
Posted: Thu Aug 29 17:48:02 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 06:58:37 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 77

>You persist in failing to see logical results, Mr. Spock.  Given 
>A.  Writing under Paramount's restrictions is a bad deal and 
>B.  A writer can write about anything in the world or out of it
>then the following is probably true
>C.  No one writes ST novels unless he has no other choice.
> 
>Now why would a writer have no other choice?  Only because of a lack
>of talent.

The claim that writers write Star Trek novels because of a lack of talent
is absolutely not true.  I have no idea why writers might write a Star Trek
novel, but I guess it might be because they too enjoyed the show.
 
>And don't tell me that they do it because they love the characters.
>Most authors are such individualistic and creative types (as artists
>are) that they would always prefer to create their own characters
>and settings.  I don't believe there is an author alive who doesn't
>think he can create characters more interesting that Kirk and Spock
>and company.

John M. Ford did just this in _The_Final_Reflection_: there is a framing story
to introduce the story, but it is very brief and has no relevance to the story
which takes place many years before the events in Star Trek.
 
(Hmm, I think this >> section was by Jerry Boyajian (certainly not me--I'm not
a bibliographer).)
>>only) time authors, the percentage doesn't reflect your contention that
>>Trek authors can't get work elsewhere. Sorry, but numbers don't lie. If
>>you insist, I can fairly quickly give you bibliographies of non-Trek
>>material published by Trek novel authors. I can guarantee that the list
>>would be longer than you ever thought possible.
 
>So if it isn't a new hack, it's an old one that's run out of steam
>and run out of creativity...

I've read one John M. Ford book _Princes_of_the_Air_ which came out before
_The_Final_Reflection_; I've read _Dragon_Waiting_ which came out after.
_Dragon_Waiting_ is exciting, and in my opinion, is probably the best he's done
so far (it's certainly the most ambitious).
 
>>> And, PUHleeze, don't hold up Vonda McIntyre as an example of good
>>> SF writing...  or even good Star Trek writing...  not to me at any
>>> rate...
>>
>>Whether you think McIntyre is good or not is irrelevant. She's published
>>a good amount of non-Trek material, and that's what is being questioned
>>here. As for the quality of her work, I can't argue opinion, but I'll
>>point out:
> 
>Hasn't had an original idea in years...

The point isn't whether she's had an original idea this afternoon.  It's that 
she has done original work.  Where do you get off judging a book by its author
--a work of fiction should stand on its own, and if you don't like it, fine,
or if it happens to be the only good thing the author did, fine.

If you don't like McIntyre, *there*are*other*good*authors*.
 
>>(1) Most folks that I know who have read the Trek novels rate hers among
>>the highest. I confess that I haven't read any Trek novels other than the
>>novelizations, two of which were by McIntyre. I thought both were very
>>well written.  
> 
>And what kind of highly respected SF author has to stoop to "novelizing"
>a movie producer's screenplay...  twice!

Here's maybe a related question: what kind of highly respected SF author
"stoops" to writing up a screenplays of tv series (surely worse!).  How about
James Blish, a highly regarded name in science fiction.

I don't know what might motivate authors.  However, I have heard of authors
willing to work in popular media because they can make decent profits from 
which to support their real art.  Dorothy Sayers with her Lord Peter Whimsy
novels and stories is a famous example (if you don't know what else she's
famous for, you're uncultured, nyah, nyah)(ahem, oops, pardon me).

L S Chabot   ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-amber!chabot