To Brave the Storm

[putaro]

Well, I bought it and read it but I can't say I would recommend it, not even for someone who has read the rest of the series. There werea lot of loose ends,a lot of characters who had cameos but no real scenes. The whole framing story with Jake and Nog was never revisited. TnT are central characters but spend very little time together.

I tend not to read these kind of franchise novels usually so perhaps I'm expecting too much.

[Transwarp]

Well, I bought it and read it but I can't say I would recommend it, not even for someone who has read the rest of the series.

I gave it up after the second book. Too much ridiculousness (secret-agent Trip!) and the plot never grabbed me.

[Asso]

Well, I bought it and read it but I can't say I would recommend it, not even for someone who has read the rest of the series.

I gave it up after the second book. Too much ridiculousness (secret-agent Trip!) and the plot never grabbed me.

Let's see. Have I already told you that I completely agree?
But I stopped a little before Transwarp.
You know, I tend to be slightly impatient.

[EntAllat]

Well, I bought it and read it but I can't say I would recommend it, not even for someone who has read the rest of the series.

I gave it up after the second book. Too much ridiculousness (secret-agent Trip!) and the plot never grabbed me.

Let's see. Have I already told you that I completely agree?
But I stopped a little before Transwarp.
You know, I tend to be slightly impatient.

It's attitudes and comments like this from Enterprise fans that are the reason we probably won't get any more novels. Or comics, or graphic novels, or collections of short stories or episode guides etc. All of those are opportunities for a little TnT magic but if we don't support what's out there and ask for more, it'll never happen.

Micheal Martin had planned a novel called "In Sharial's Jaws" that had a awesome, jaw-dropping TnT theme. The main theme of the book was TnT. Trip had to basically face Dante's Inferno to save T'Pol's life and katra. It was even advertised by the publisher. But the publishers tightened up the entire line of Star Trek books, including Enterprise, dropped ISJ and had Martin wrap everything up in this book. It's not what he would have offered us if he'd been given the chance.

But then, with support like this, he's probably better off moving on to other projects. After all, it's not clear whether we're going to get any more Enterprise novels, let alone any more instances of published TnT.

If any of you would rather support the growth of Enterprise fandom, then join the campaign to save Star Trek published fiction and help us push Simon & Schuster to give or more Enterprise fiction, not less. PM me for more information on how you can help.

[Asso]

It's attitudes and comments like this from Enterprise fans that are the reason we probably won't get any more novels. Or comics, or graphic novels, or collections of short stories or episode guides etc. All of those are opportunities for a little TnT magic but if we don't support what's out there and ask for more, it'll never happen.

Micheal Martin had planned a novel called "In Sharial's Jaws" that had a awesome, jaw-dropping TnT theme. The main theme of the book was TnT. Trip had to basically face Dante's Inferno to save T'Pol's life and katra. It was even advertised by the publisher. But the publishers tightened up the entire line of Star Trek books, including Enterprise, dropped ISJ and had Martin wrap everything up in this book. It's not what he would have offered us if he'd been given the chance.

But then, with support like this, he's probably better off moving on to other projects. After all, it's not clear whether we're going to get any more Enterprise novels, let alone any more instances of published TnT.

If any of you would rather support the growth of Enterprise fandom, then join the campaign to save Star Trek published fiction and help us push Simon & Schuster to give or more Enterprise fiction, not less. PM me for more information on how you can help.

I'm sorry, my friend, I can understand you and I can understand your reasons, but what I have difficulty to understand is why in order to obtain that people write novels so compelling and beautiful as it is (would have been) the one you quote, I should express my personal appreciation for things I find personally very difficult to appreciate.
If Michael Martin had planned to write that story, well ... he should write that in any case, by golly!
I can hardly think that one should always and in any case bend to the will of the publishers.
If so, well then stop the world: I want to go down.

[putaro]

It's attitudes and comments like this from Enterprise fans that are the reason we probably won't get any more novels. Or comics, or graphic novels, or collections of short stories or episode guides etc. All of those are opportunities for a little TnT magic but if we don't support what's out there and ask for more, it'll never happen.

Thank you sir may I have another? I feel no obligation to say something was good when it wasn't. I gave it a chance, I didn't prejudge.

I purchased all of the books. Did you?

Publishers publish based on sales. If your crap sells, they'll publish more of it. If it doesn't, oh well.

We've already been told this is the last one in the series. Why? Because they didn't sell, pure and simple. Have you ever heard a publisher say "Oh, we made a bunch of money on the last book but the fans said mean things so we decided not to publish another one"? I don't see J.J. Abrams crying because some fans said mean things about the last Star Trek movie.

I read all of the ENT books on my Kindle. The difference between the "pro fic" and the "fan fic" to me at this point is simply whether or not I paid for it and the quality. I'm quite willing to pay for quality, but unfortunately, the "fan fic" is often better quality. Am I expecting too much from a professional author?

If the books were good and getting cancelled I'd work harder trying to get people to purchase and read the books. Can you honestly tell me that the books were good? Having a good one in his mind that hasn't been written yet - doesn't count. Weren't we told how awesome the whole series was going to be from the get go?

[panyasan]

Personally I think that no matter what your opinion of the books is, is always good to let the people that run the business, know that Enterprise has a huge fan base.

If they are more aware of this, they would probably more open to ask writers to write a book about Enterprise.

If they are more aware of the support that TnT has with fans, they want to give those fans more TnT. It not for nothing that Trip is alive and well in the books and have a relationship with T'Pol.

To sum up: it's always a good idea to show your support for Enterprise and our favorite couple.

[Transwarp]

To sum up: it's always a good idea to show your support for Enterprise and our favorite couple.

Yes, but how exactly? By purchasing books that I think are mediocre at best? I do not understand the mindset that a mediocre product is better than nothing at all. All it does is guarantee you will get more mediocrity.

I *wanted* to like the books. I really did. I was terribly disappointed by the first one, but I persevered and bought the second. It was no better. At that point, I could not justify spending any more money on the remaining series (and I wish I had my money back for the first two.)

Ultimately, Who is at fault if the books did not do well? Me, for not liking them? Or the writers and publishers for printing something that didn't give enough of the readers enough of what they wanted? I love Star Trek and I love TnT, but not to the point I will pay out my hard-earned cash for inferior products. Like every other business, if the Star Trek franchise wants my business, they must earn it by providing me with a quality product.

Alas, I fear the Star Trek franchise has abandoned me (and others like me who grew up on TOS). It's not just the books, either. The Abram's movie may have 'Star Trek' in the title, and it may have characters named Kirk and Spock and McCoy, but to me it didn't FEEL like Star Trek. If (when?) there is a sequel, I will wish it well from the sidelines, but I will not pay anything to see it.

I doubt by expressing my opinions I am making any difference at all in what gets printed or filmed, but even if I am, that's not a bad thing. And in the vacuum of offerings tailored to my tastes, I will get my Star trek fix by continuing to do what I've been doing, which is create my own stuff, and reading the works of others doing the same.

[putaro]

To sum up: it's always a good idea to show your support for Enterprise and our favorite couple.

Yes, but how exactly?

"Your books suck, please make more" probably isn't going to get the desired results. If anyone has a constructive way to get the message across I'd get behind it.

Personally, I'm a fan of things I like rather than liking things because I'm a fan. If that makes me a bad fan...oh well.

[panyasan]

I saw this as an opportunity to show support for the show Enterprise and let the word out they are lots of fans of Enterprise around. I am not saying that any one is a bad fan - what's that anyway, you're a fan or not a fan.

I just thought it was a good idea to say something positive or want to bring across that people are positive about Enterprise.

[Alelou]

Publishers publish based on sales. If your crap sells, they'll publish more of it. If it doesn't, oh well.

We've already been told this is the last one in the series. Why? Because they didn't sell, pure and simple. Have you ever heard a publisher say "Oh, we made a bunch of money on the last book but the fans said mean things so we decided not to publish another one"? I don't see J.J. Abrams crying because some fans said mean things about the last Star Trek movie.

Speaking as a former aquisitions editor (for Simon & Schuster at the time, actually, but a different division), I can attest to this. The only thing that really matters is sales. Nobody cares what some Star Trek fans are saying if the Star Trek fans aren't also buying.

If I wanted as an acq ed to make a case for taking the business risk on another Enterprise novel, I would suggest possible reasons the books haven't sold that well, and suggest giving it another shot at building sales with books that don't rely on this weird relaunch scenario but instead go back to the spirit of the original show. However, my hands might be tied, because CBS/Paramount gets the veto on what goes on in these books and they appear to be wedded to *the_abomination*. You can also bet that they will veto any interesting relationship developments that don't fit their idea of canon. And this is the usual reason that the profic, even well-executed, is just not as interesting to me as the fanfic. Fanfic doesn't have to get the corporate seal of approval. Things can actually happen to change characters in permanent ways in fanfic. I'm just thankful the corporation hasn't decided to try to shut down the fans, because, frankly, fanfic IS competition for the books. (If you could get everyone to stop writing fanfic, you might grow a hungry market for the profic again, as in the old pre-internet days.) Of course, a clever marketer could probably create profitable synergies between the two worlds that support strong sales in this new environment. Unfortunately, publishing companies are so understaffed these days that even a very clever marketer probably wouldn't have time, staff, or money to make that happen. If authors don't do it themselves, it seldom happens.

Anyway, I know I also get very tired of knee-jerk negativity about the show and the writers, but there is such a thing as being allowed to have an honest exchange of opinions in a discussion forum. Honestly, I'll take freewheeling discussion that verges into negativity over enforced niceness any day. (Of coure, this may be because I personally can't ever seem to manage to maintain niceness at the level some people seem to require.)

[Silverbullet]

Alelou, I am with you. I no longer am able to maintin nice in the face of not nice.

Got a load of it in the Deiplomatic world.

E.G. a letter would start "The government of ------ presents its compliments to the government of ------

Body of letter "You no good SOB's"

End "The goverment of ---- avails itself of the opportunity to assure the government of --- of its highet regards.

The body would be couched in better terms but the intent the same.

So, to hell with nice. Tell them where the bear messed in the woods.

SB

[Alelou]

I wouldn't recommend going in there and flinging the bear shit around in outrage every single time you see it, though. Repetitive complaining gets very monotonous.

[Cogito]

Thank you SB!

I am low looking forward to an opportunity to "presents my compliments" and "avail myself of the opportunity to assure --- of my highest regards" next time I need to tell somebody off.

[putaro]

I'm just thankful the corporation hasn't decided to try to shut down the fans, because, frankly, fanfic IS competition for the books. (If you could get everyone to stop writing fanfic, you might grow a hungry market for the profic again, as in the old pre-internet days.) Of course, a clever marketer could probably create profitable synergies between the two worlds that support strong sales in this new environment. Unfortunately, publishing companies are so understaffed these days that even a very clever marketer probably wouldn't have time, staff, or money to make that happen. If authors don't do it themselves, it seldom happens.

This is a very interesting point. I would say that for most publishing companies, their "new" idea right now is eBooks. Same ****, different wrapper.

My take on pro fic vs fan fic is that fan fic tends to excel in fleshing out existing characters, personal relationships, smut and filling in the blanks. Pro fic should excel in big plots, big ideas and new characters. There's room for synergy there, especially in these franchise type novels. Pro fic has the opportunity to inspire fan fic writers and use them as viral marketers.

It's kind of interesting to me that I see very few fan fic pieces riffing on the novels.