When is a source reliable? Does it have to be on the show? In an official print? What makes starship and technology information canon? Many of these things have been asked, but none so defined. What�s more accurate? The specs written up by the creator of the Starship? The ones printed in Star Trek books? Both? I'm hoping this subject will clear some things up about those small "nitpickable" discrepancies in the Star Trek technology universe.
------------------ Wes Button The United Federation Uplink
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
Welcome to the forums Wes. Basically anything seen or said on TV is canon. Technical manuals are semi-canon (at least in my opinion) even though they are official print. I personally believe what a tech manual prints unless it is contridicted on TV or movies.
Hobbes has it right. The shows/movies are the absolute canon. Stuff like the Encyclopedia is semi-canon - we assume the info in that book comes from the show, but if the show contradicts it, the show is considered to have the "correct" information.
------------------ Frank's Home Page, which you've never seen before and want to visit right now
[This message has been edited by The Shadow (edited August 31, 1999).]
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
On a related note, it's also assumed that semi-canon material is correct unless otherwise contradicted, since it was written, in most cases, by the people who get to make the decisions on this stuff later on.
Also, newer semi-canon generally overrides older, unless it's an obvious printing mistake or something.
------------------ "Something I can't comprehend. Something so complex and couched in its equation. So dense that light cannot escape from." -- Soul Coughing
Posted by Dax (Member # 191) on :
What about when the show(s) contradicts itself? This has happened soooooooo many times. *sigh*
------------------ "Forgive me if I don't share your euphoria!" (Weyoun to Dukat, DS9 'Tears of the Prophets')
As long as it's starships-related, it goes there...
------------------ Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :
Well, yes, I took that as given - after all, this being the Starships Forum, I aasumed we were discussing starship canonisation issues. . . 8)
Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :
Uhm... right.
------------------ Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
Posted by Wes (Member # 212) on :
so offically it goes:
1) TV / Movie 2) Official Print 3) Letters / Statements from Star Trek officalls 4) Spoken or generally agreed on
