In addition to the canonical television shows of over 700 episodes and 12 films, the fictional universe is comprised of approximately 500 novels, 450 short stories, 800 comics, and 200 video games, plus various reference materials, roleplaying game books, and star trek online virtual episodes, for a. I call books like these canon fodder, in that theyve been overwritten, superseded. Although star trek has traditionally dismissed tiein content as noncanon, star trek. This timeline is organized chronologically and in six different categories. Greg cox is the new york times bestselling author of numerous star trek novels and short stories. The bottom line is that this one episode must be heavily retconned in order to maintain continuity with the rest of star trek, and to remain canon at all. Welcome to memory beta memory beta is a wikipediastyle database for licensed star trek works, including novels, comic books, rpg sourcebooks, video games and any other licensed works. Consider the barbara hambly novel, ishmael, which ties in trek to columbia pictures here come the brides. The star trek canon is generally defined as all released television series and. Canon is a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works. Countdown a tiein to the 2009 star trek film and the timeline established for the star trek online game depict data as alive in 2387. In fact, on the whole, the kirk of these comic books is a more enlightened, calmer, peaceseeking guy than he is in any other incarnation. Star trek refers both to the star trek universe and to star trek.
Star trek has a fiftytwo year history of tiein fiction, beginning with the 1967 publication of. Making sense of the books and comics in the new star wars canon is tough. I simply dont understand the reasoning behind the decision to draw a great big line between star trek tv and star trek literature. Star trek postnemesis novel reading order shastrix books. Countdown a tiein to the 2009 star trek film and the timeline established for the star trek online game depict data as. Are the novels that are written outside of the broadcast showsmovies considered official canon to the star trek universe. Our guide to the star wars expanded universe in reading order. Someone figured out how every single star trek novel fits together. To understand canon and continuity, the overall star wars saga should be looked at as a set of stories written by many different people which document past events. Without the back story of the earthkzinti wars, on the other hand, the tas episode makes hardly any sense. Licensed products like books and comics arent part of that continuity, so they. She personally worked with novelists and comic book writers in order to create a synergy between the different mediums, and as a result the books should really be.
For example, in the original star trek series, uhura and sulu were only known by those names. So this answer would depend on whatever your favourite series of trek was to an extent. Dayton ward is the new york times bestselling author or coauthor of nearly forty novels and novellas, often working with his best friend, kevin dilmore. Published by pocket as a licensed, official trek novel, but not canon in any sense of the word. Jul 15, 2008 im not saying it would make the stories better, im just saying that if the screenwriters read and approve some of the novels, then it would help clear up what is fanon, stuff some author made up that may be disproved in the tv show, and actual canon, what the screenwriters and creators of star trek say happens. Feb 15, 2016 the rule of thumb with star trek is if you havent seen it on screen, its not canon. Dec 08, 2019 star trek has a lot of books about star trek. Are the stories that are written in the star trek novels considered. Before i start, yes, i know what canon is, and yes, i know that the star trek novels arent considered canon.
This wiki contains a plethora of spoilers relating to the star trek series and novels. The various official references such as the star trek encyclopedia or the star trek chronology may be used as a guide to canon. They try to make their universe as consistent with mine as possible, but obviously they get enthusiastic and want to go off in other directions. Star treks expanded universe is a glorious mess is it that much better than the star wars eu, or is it all about what we read growing up lee hutchinson jan 18, 2014 5. Jul 15, 2008 before i start, yes, i know what canon is, and yes, i know that the star trek novels arent considered canon.
Star charts, which is an atlas of all star trek locations. Chronology of written star trek fiction a timeline of trek books, novels, and novelizations for more information about star trek books, try the official site, the psi phi database, the complete starfleet library, the lcars book database or the star trek novel rankings. This includes the ongoing adventures in the next generation, deep space nine, voyager, and enterprise lines, along with spinoff series titan and adventures of the uss. Those details were later included in filmed star trek. Cbs indicated that tiein comics for jj abrams 2009 star trek film could be considered canon, but back then there was a simple reason. The following is a recommendation of a reading order for the novels that are set in andor interact with the postnemesis era of star trek. The email will only be created once you click on the send email button. The wrath of khan kirk, mccoy and the rest of the surviving enterprise crew defy starfleet orders to commandeer the ship for a mission to the genesis planet to recover spocks body.
His short fiction has appeared in more than twenty anthologies, and hes written for magazines such as nco journal, kansas city voices, famous monsters of filmland, star trek, and star trek communicator, as well as the websites. This wiki was started on april 15, 2005, and we are currently working on 54,459 articles. This is a timeline for books considered canon in the new continuity. Gene roddenberry wasnt quite as open as george lucas was to the idea of letting other people establish canon in his playground, so to speak, so there was never. The phantom menace, in the era of the glorious high republic, the noble and wise jedi knights must face a frightening threat to themselves, the galaxy. Im interested to know if there are any novels that are considered canon. A guide to reading the star trek litverse providing series by series reading lists for star trek books in chronological order and more.
Through a licensing process similar to those granted to create collectibles, comics, and games, paramount pictures has granted the rights to market star trek stories and books of various sorts through a number of different publishers, beginning in 1967 with a series based on star trek. I suppose by canonical star trek material you mean everything, all 6 series and all films if so, thats quite a feat. Im not saying it would make the stories better, im just saying that if the screenwriters read and approve some of the novels, then it would help clear up what is fanon, stuff some author made up that may be disproved in the tv show, and actual canon. All the star trek tiein books that are actually canon. Novels and novelizations are separated, as are junior novels and junior novelizations. This is a video where i list the top 5 things that i feel have earned their place in star trek canon and deserve to be. The star trek tiein books that are actually canon screen rant.
What perplexes me more is why this is still the case. Star trek has a fiftytwo year history of tiein fiction, beginning with the 1967 publication of james blishs star trek 1. Star treks expanded universe is a glorious mess ars. These two novels are sometimes named as exceptions to the no book is canon rule.
Young readers books are almost always an adaptation of a previously released piece of content. Although star trek has traditionally dismissed tiein content as non canon, star trek. The 2009 star trek film did impact the canon of the prime timeline, namely the destruction of romulus, and this is present in star trek onlines canon, along with spocks disappearance being referenced several times. Once again however they did diverge slightly where they needed to for the game, and the star charts themselves clash with some onscreen canon. The original star trek star fleet technical manual is a good example. The star trek novels were mostly written to accompany the various television series and movies, thereby enriching the mythos even more. The rule of thumb with star trek is if you havent seen it on screen, its not canon. And in the cases of both star wars and star trek, there is even a god of sorts, ie a creator for each scifi series. Dec 31, 2016 should star trek novels be considered canon. Star trek onlines internal canon extends beyond what. However, in the novels they were given the first names of nyota and hikaru. He has also written the official movie novelizations of war for the planet of the apes, godzilla, man of steel, the dark knight rises, daredevil, ghost rider, and the first three underworld movies, as well as books and stories based on such popular series as alias, buffy the vampire slayer, csi.
As of november 2019, approximately 850 novels, short story anthologies, novelizations, and omnibus editions, have been published. The wrath of khan kirk, mccoy and the rest of the surviving enterprise crew defy starfleet orders to commandeer the ship for a mission to. So, what about star trek novels that no longer fit. Canon in star trek online official star trek online wiki. Aug 08, 2019 when i said other people could make their own star wars stories, we decided that, like star trek, we would have two universes. The star trek canon is the set of all canonical material in the star trek universe. The only thing that can become canon from a novel is if a detaileventcharacter is brought onto the screen. Voyager used by the shows writers when scripting episodes of the series. Dec 29, 2016 i suppose by canonical star trek material you mean everything, all 6 series and all films if so, thats quite a feat. In truth, the star trek franchise has been changing shape for a while now. Dec 02, 2019 making sense of the books and comics in the new star wars canon is tough.
As such, star trek has traditionally considered all the comics and novels to be non canon, however good they may be. Even this wasnt a hardandfast rule, with two tiein novels written by jeri taylor the cocreator of star trek. Star trek memory beta, noncanon star trek wiki fandom. I was told that this book is canon until somebody films something says its not. With novels like the destiny series, the typhon pact series and the fall series significantly redefining the star trek universe should the events in these mainstream books be considered canon for the purposes of the star trek universe. Nemesis, the furthest point in star treks prime timeline canon aside from the destruction of romulus, takes place one year later, in 2379. The star trek canon is generally defined as all released television series and feature films. The trek universes tieins have always been completely understandable. Like star wars, much of the noncanon star trek books are being thrown out the window, but there are elements of the side stories that will be represented in discovery, goldsman told ign. Although some stories are more reliable than others, they all are looked upon as part of the overall history. Unlike star wars, the star trek books have never been considered part of the official canon, but this is not the first time the subject of how the books relate to the film has been brought up. Star wars inspires a love that can border on obsession. Star trek is an entire universe that, canonwise, is mostly unexplored, weve seen some things done by four spaceship crew and one space station, with three of the series clustered in the 24th.
When i said other people could make their own star wars stories, we decided that, like star trek, we would have two universes. The various official references such as the star trek encyclopedia or the star trek chronology may be used as a guide to canon information, but are not canon in and of themselves. Star trek onlines internal canon extends beyond what takes place in the game. The first star trek novels were direct novelizations of the original star trek episodes by james blish, running from 19671978. Discovery writer kirsten beyer an accomplished in her own right took a different approach. The star trek franchise is changing shape, making tiein novels and comics a bigger part of the series canon than ever. Aug 02, 2017 like star wars, much of the noncanon star trek books are being thrown out the window, but there are elements of the side stories that will be represented in discovery, goldsman told ign. Star wars canon was first defined in the first issue of the lucasfilm magazine, star wars insider. To make another long story short, most fans agree to accept the decrees of the holders lucasfilm and paramount, respectively when it comes to what is canon. The official star trek website defines canon as comprising the television series the original series, the animated series, the next generation, deep space nine, voyager, enterprise, discovery, picard, and short treks, as well as the films in the franchise. With the success of the star trek films and star trek.
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