Thursday, April 24, 2008
Myriad Universes
It appears the full solicitation copy for the two Star Trek: Myriad Universe omnibuses (omnibi?) has been released to the web, including the description of my own humble contribution.
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Chris Roberson: Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin.This was a ridiculous amount of fun to write. I just finished looking over the page proofs the other day, and even that was a ridiculous amount of fun. Getting paid to sit around and watch countless hours of Star Trek, and then to make up a Star Trek story of my own? How is that even possible?
# posted by Chris Roberson @
8:41 AM
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Now that sounds pretty cool. Most of my friends are Star Wars fans so they make it a point to mock my love of Star Trek, but I really do love that show, the original series especially. Truth to tell I've read far too many Star Trek novels than should be good for me. Your story reminds of the Next Generation novel Immortal Coil, while being nothing like it. That was a great novel, a Farmerian linking of original series and Next Gen androids into their own "continuity" you might say. Best of luck with this one. I'll have to check it out.
Greg
Greg
I hadn't read Immortal Coil until I started researching for this novel, but my editor suggested I check it out, and I was really impressed with the job that the author Jeffrey Lang had done with it. And, in fact, he'd ended up using a few of the Farmerian-type links I'd intended to put into Brave New World. (I still included a nod to Questor, though; how could I not?) The two stories are quite a bit different, as you say, but in a lot of ways I think they make nice companion pieces to one another.
But how do you link the timeline up with Asimov's robots and Adam Link, Chris?
# posted by 
:
4/24/08 5:03 PM
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4/24/08 5:03 PM
Well, Stu, you don't really think I'd have neglected to include a nod to "I, Robot", do you? More of an in-joke than a Wold-Newtonish connection, perhaps, but a nod all the same.
We all love the nods, Chris. Doesn't Data have a positronic brain with OEM Asimovian laws anyway?
# posted by :
4/24/08 6:46 PM
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4/24/08 6:46 PM
Actually, Stu, though Asimov is namechecked on TNG the first time Data's "positronic brain" is mentioned (positronic, of course, being a Asimovian neologism, unless I'm mistaken), I could find no reference anywhere in the films or series to any sort of "laws" with which Data had been programmed. For example, there appears to be absolutely no programming restriction on Data taking a human life. Of course, he rarely does so, but on those rare occasions he's able to kill without any delay or compunction, because it's the logical thing to do. Likewise, he's under no compunction to obey humans, beyond the dictates of a Star Fleet officer in a chain of command (and even then he's been known to disobey orders when necessary).
There's a little bit of a discussion in my story about what a positronic android who did have Asimovian laws hardwired in might be like, btw.
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There's a little bit of a discussion in my story about what a positronic android who did have Asimovian laws hardwired in might be like, btw.
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