CANON QUESTIONS

-The Canon Within The Canon-

By Michael Gray

canon - the works of a writer (or subject) that have been accepted as authentic

-American Heritage Dictionary

(comment in parenthesis mine)

It seems that one of the things that anyone who even lightly brushes up against the Star Trek universe must eventually come to terms with is what do they consider Canon? The usual definition is 'anything that has been filmed and presented in a movie or TV series.' Of course if it were that simple, this essay would not be necessary. But as usual life doesn't allow us many simple solutions to our questions.

The general Paramount answer to the Canon question is that the episodes of Star Trek-The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and now Enterprise are Canon as well as the Star Trek movies. Everything else is not. Of course the one glaring omission in this is Star Trek - The Animated Series which ran from 1972 to 1974. Despite the fact that Roddenberry and D.C. Fontana were the primary forces behind the production of the series, it is still not considered Canon, reportedly by Roddenberry's edict.

One of the usual excuses for this is that the Animated Series wasn't up to the quality of the live shows. Compare "Spock's brain" to almost any Animated Episode and that idea dies a terrible death. Another reason given is that Larry Niven's Kiznti made an appearance in an Animated Episode. We throw out an entire series because of one episode? Again "Spock's Brain" or The Next Generation's "Justice" or "Silicon Avatar" come to mind, not to mention whole seasons of Voyager.

Then there are questions of quality in the Trek Films. The events in Star Trek - Insurrection seem ridiculous at best and damn fool absurd at worst. There is no way that a planet which is a source of immortality would ever survive intact even if every ship in Starfleet protected it twenty four hours a day for the rest of eternity! People would flock there by the trillions to have a chance to live without disease and be immortal. Wars would be fought over it. Those who could not possess it would destroy it. I don't think that fear and avoidance of death will be eradicated by the 24th century.

Well, for some the fact that Roddenberry himself didn't consider something Canon means it isn't, case closed, end of discussion. Do we really want to go down that road? If so be prepared for what the Great Bird didn't consider Canon boys and girls.

Most people probably know that Roddenberry didn't think Star Trek V - The Final Frontier was Canon. There are references to this in The Star Trek Chronology by Michael and Denise Okuda. But also in the Chronology is a statement that Roddenberry thought certain events in Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country were apocryphal and therefore not Canon. But the one probably most difficult to accept is that on page 192 of Yvonne Fern's book, Gene Roddenberry- The Last Conversation, The Bird himself states "But it's not Star Trek" about Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan.

You might get people to accept elements of Trek V and maybe a bit of Trek VI here and there, but Wrath of Khan? The film responsible for the resurrection of Trek as a viable commercial enterprise? Toss Khan's escape, the Genesis Device, Spock's death, Saavik, Kirk's son, all onto the ash heap and say, "Never Happened. Ain't Trek"?

I think not.

-(UPDATE- 10-29-03)-

Okay, a few of you who read the first version of this diatribe know that I made some exceptions and qualifications, and a few lame surrenders to the consensus of Trekdom. These were just flat out bad calls because of lack of care and attention to detail on my part. No more of that crud.

Here it is in one simple statement---

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For the purposes of the stories told within Star Trek: Dark Horizon, ALL produced Trek is Canon unless I decide otherwise. Whatever appears here under the Dark Horizon label is also Canon.

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There. How's that strike ya? Simple and easy.

I got snookered before about this whole "Slaver Weapon" issue with some bad information. That's over with. I'm judging Canon with my own internal sense of what works from here on out. (Don't ask. It really doesn't matter, but a word of warning--- don't believe all the BS that has flown for years about who said what and didn't want their stuff this, okay?)

This change probably won't affect the stories told within Dark Horizon, but then again, it just might. So, stay tuned.

One other note:

It's likely as time goes by that I may have other authors scribe some Dark Horizon stories either in whole or in part. Such arrangements between me and another writer do not necessarily indicate I consider whatever they have done or will do in their own realm as Canon. Frankly, there's no way I can force them to tow my line in their own stories on their own sites. And there's more than enough stuff going on around this place to keep me busy without being the Canon Cop on everyone else's site. It's not my job.

HOWEVER, what material shows up here that contains their characters will be considered Canon by the Dark Horizon management and is hereby given the official Dark Horizon seal of approval... but this applies ONLY to the characters and events that show up on these hallowed pages.

Everybody got it? Good.

-Michael Gray

29 SEPTEMBER 2003