For example, the Federationā€™s founding members (Tellarites, Andorians, Vulcans, Humans) were the subject of fan theories and ā€œfanonā€ for many years before the ENT writers made it official. One of the interesting (and fun) aspects of this recent wave of series has been seeing the writers increasingly add nods to fan theories and pieces of fanon lore over the years. What are some good examples of this?

And relatedly: whatā€™s a fan theory, or piece of fanon, that you suspect the current writers believe, even if they havenā€™t explicitly stated it on-screen?

  • khaosworks@startrek.websiteM
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    1 year ago

    The most recent and significant canonizations of fanon that come to mind is the use of Geoffrey Mandelā€™s Star Charts as a basis for the charts we see in the show, and the NX-01 refit finally showing up in PIC. Also, the use of the Black Fleet from The Final Reflection in DIS and the importation of Unaā€™s name and her origin as an Illyrian (although tweaked) from the novels. Also the importation of David Goodmanā€™s wording of the Prime Directive from Federation: The First 150 Years in PRO: ā€œFirst Con-Tactā€.

    The use of Diane Duaneā€™s terminology for Vulcan emotional suppression (arieā€™mnu) also makes me suspect that everything she came up with about Vulcan logic like cthia in her books is in the back of the writersā€™ minds - especially Kristen Byers, just like they influenced the Reeves-Stevens when they were writing ENT. I wouldnā€™t be surprised if eventually some of her Romulan stuff made it in as well.

      • khaosworks@startrek.websiteM
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        1 year ago

        Fair enough - but most completely fan created stuff as opposed to licensed doesnā€™t have that wide a distribution so very few things rise to the level where itā€™s been accepted enough in the fan consciousness to be fanon. Fewer still get converted into canon. Most of the time itā€™s contradicted.

        I suppose one example would be Niā€™Var, which had its origins solely in fanzines. But that doesnā€™t quite work either since it wasnā€™t a widely known concept until DIS resurrected it.

        The only thing I can think off off-hand thatā€™s widely accepted is that the Klingons got cloaking technology from the Romulans in exchange for Klingon ship designs. But thatā€™s been contradicted to a degree too.

        • StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website
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          1 year ago

          I think that you could consider everything from fanzines and fanfic through licensing to what gets onscreen as a large ongoing dialogue.

          Some cool things drift around for a long time, so itā€™s not even clear if they originated in specific tie-in fiction unless the authors themselves identify who came up with a name - as we can do with Number One being given the name Una.

          The preponderance of EPs at this point are fans who bring their own longstanding ideas of canon, but theyā€™re to some extent influenced by the ongoing fan and licensing dialogue.

          In some cases, especially with Goldsman who was deep in the fanzine debates of the 70s, I get the idea that heā€™s intentionally working to counter longstanding fan headcanon or interpretations that he sees as a barrier for new generations to accept TOS.

          When we get to tie-in fiction, the writers of licenced products are in most cases also fans, and, like Goldsman, have been immersed in and speculating on past canon for decades themselves. And then the younger television writers have clearly been reading some of the tie-in fiction or playing the games. Or they themselves have been written them, or at least their consultants.

          As a Treklit fan, I am seeing that the new shows increasingly draw on the licenced tie-in writing, both books and comics as well as STO.

          Discovery season two pulled in the S31 Control AI concept. Picard season three brought STO ships to television, but also paralleled and wove in elements of the the TNG characters from the Relaunch books.

          I donā€™t think itā€™s reasonable to attribute it simply to Beyerā€™s influence as a tie-in author whoā€™s now an in-house canon anchor and writer on all the live-action shows. Thatā€™s part of it, as are David Mackā€™s contributions on Lower Decks and Prodigy.

          Prodigy has brought the Brikars (originally created by Peter David for the YA Academy books) into onscreen canon. Thatā€™s probably my favourite ā€˜canonization.ā€™ But Mack has also encouraged a restoration of noncommissioned officer roles and several other subtle ā€˜solutionsā€™ out of Treklit.

          Anyway, its an interesting thing to trace.