Sunday, April 16, 2006
When Canon Goes Pop
I've been trying to catch up on my Don Quixote quest of cataloging the Star Trek universe as related in the Pocket novels. As Kristin is taking classes on online databases, I am rethinking if this is better to pursue as a set of PDFS or as an accessible database. I think the information will be more accessible in a database style, so I'm leaning that way, once I master enough PHP to make it a reality.What constitutes canon in Trek is a pretty funny. Some material that was once considered canon and used as background for the Motion Picture has been decanonized, as has apparently Star Trek V and the Voyager episode Treshold (understandably). Yet other materials have had facts lifted and canonized, despite the fact that the source itself is not recognized. As a rule, books are not considered canon, save for two exceptions (and that's a right shame, because everyone should appreciate the gems pictured here.
It's a right mess. I guess what I'm doing would be considered fan canon, or fanon. I'd say that maybe Paramount should considered a tiered canon system like Lucasfilm has implemented for Star Wars, but it would be awful hard to fit all of the novelizations into five years. Believe me, I have tried.
By the way, the worst novel I have ever read is "The Fearful Summons". Although the writer is one of the screenwriters of Undiscovered Country, he obviously has no connection to the characters, how they talk, or how the interrelate with one another. It's onerous to even finish the book. I guess, like Kirk, I...need....my pain.
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