Voyager's Bold Pioneer: Kirsten Beyer Talks to SKoST

Regular Some Kind of Star Trek contributor Tiffany Groves takes us off the page this week with an exclusive chat to Voyager literary helmer Kirsten Beyer!

Kirsten Beyer has written nine rivetting Star Trek: Voyager novels brimming with expansion and development of many characters whom fans have come to know so well.

A Pocket Full of Lies is the latest and continues the exploration of Voyager’s adventures by revisiting of one it’s most disturbing - and memorable - periods, The Year of Hell.

Kirsten stated in an earlier interview that the “...reset button is the laziest form of storytelling...”  and I given the opportunity to interview her recently I asked about this assertion and her latest novel which covers a story which used just such a device.

“Ever since I first saw the Year of Hell episodes I wished that the writers had found a way for the crew to remember the events, when they restored time.” said Kirsten.

A fascinating prospect for sure, she went on to say; “...the fact that the audience were the only ones who were going to remember this massive, heart-breaking adventure just felt like such a waste."

And so the novel tackles just this challenge very successfully.

It has always been a matter of great importance for myself and other Star Trek fans who loved the Year of Hell story, that we were left with a great number of ‘what if's’ and curiosity in general, Kirsten it seems, has always shared this feeling.

"It has occurred to me that among the species I’d like a little "follow-up with" as we return to the Delta Quadrant and the Krenim are certainly up there. That said, I think it would have felt wrong to see the Krenim again without the context of Year of Hell so one way or another, I needed to get that information to the crew if I was going to go there."

I have really enjoyed these books, and speaking to Kirsten made me aware that she is acutely aware of both the joys and frustrations of being a Trekkie.

As for the crew of the illustrious starship, Kirsten noted that there were some she believed needed greater exploration; “Among the main characters on Voyager I saw the most room for growth early on with Chakotay, Paris and Kim. Each of them had their own specific issues and some have grown more than others thus far."

And Neelix?

“I suppose there is a case to be made that Neelix could use the same treatment, but I find that a little Neelix goes a long way and I sort of like thinking of him in his life on New Talax happy and enjoying seeing his old friends from time to time."

Often in the TV show I personally found it hard to relate to Chakotay or Harry Kim, but within the novels Kirsten has been able to expand on their feelings and traumas and in doing so I have found myself far more interested in these two.

But one of my all-time favourite characters, Garak appears in the earlier novel Atonement and so I had to take the opportunity to ask Kirsten, her take on the great Tailor/Spy; “It was a huge treat to write Garak. He is such a fantastic character, so brilliantly portrayed. Capturing his voice was more fun than ought to be allowed." 

The characters and crew have endured much in both the TV shows and the novels, I asked Kirsten about the focus she places in A Pocket Full of Lies on matters of depression;

“I think to have characters simply dust themselves off and move on the next day as if nothing had happened is dishonest. Star Trek lends itself to so many wonderful kinds of storytelling. That is one of the reasons it has endured for so long. I think there’s plenty of room in Star Trek for looking with some realism at the issues these stories raised, just as there is plenty of room for cool space battles and interesting new alien species. I'm always hoping to find a balance between deep character work and exciting, mind-bending adventures."

As a person who has mental health issues I was keen to ask Kirsten about her take on the subject being covered in Star Trek as a whole and in her novels;

“The issue of mental health is an important one and one that we still know so little about, but was wonderfully handled here, as was the issue of loss, something we can all relate too. Having these characters endure so much and still maintain their sense of self for me, at least, is a testament to their courage and bravery."

And for the future?

“I think of these characters as real people. I think most people who have endured a fraction of what these characters have on screen, let alone in the books, might have chosen to simply resign their commissions and take a house by the sea long ago and no one would blame them. Are they heroes because they haven’t? I’m not sure. But I do believe that the closer we try to stay to the truth of the circumstances we portray – given that we are in a universe where warp travel, replicators, artificial gravity, etc. are real – the more useful we can be in terms of keeping Star Trek relevant to today’s readers and fans."

I wanted to close our brief but wonderful Q&A with a somewhat ‘large question, but one that has intrigued me throughout life as a Star Trek fan, that being "Does Star Trek support the idea of a ‘God’ or Intelligent Design or indeed, should this be a discussion left out of Science Fiction for the better?"

Answered Kirsten; “I think there is plenty of room in Star Trek for considering the existence of and relevance of a belief in the deity of your choice. This has been going on since The Original Series and was handled, I think, in an especially great “science fiction” way on Deep Space Nine with the Bajorans and the Prophets. 

"I also think that for most of the main characters, it tends to be a non-issue. Star Trek posits a future where most of the humans we see don’t seem to be religious or overly preoccupied with the question of whether or not God exists. I think for those who believe in intelligent design, there is nothing in Star Trek that absolutely denies the possibility. We see many alien species with god-like abilities."

It has genuinely been a pleasure both reading Kirsten’s novels and getting the opportunity to correspond with her personally.

My full review of Kirsten Beyer’s newest novel, A Pocket Full of Lies is available separately HERE but suffice to say, another excellent novel from the New York Times Best Selling Author!

Many thanks to Kirsten for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions for myself and her fans. 

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New Beginnings in A Pocket Full of Lies

Tiff is back with the latest on Kirsten Beyer's ever impressive Voyager novel series...

To say I was eager to read Kirsten Beyer’s latest novel was an understatement. 

But before I continue, I must warn you that this review contains spoilers.

Following on from Atonement, this new novel is the unofficial start of a new plotline as the previous arc finished with the last novel. the main thrust of which is the appearance of another Kathryn Janeway.

The novel starts of solidly with the ramifications from the events in Atonement still clearly present.

Nancy Conlon’s recovery from Seriareen possession has proved slow and difficult, both she and her partner Harry Kim have suffered greatly, the latter sinking into a state of depression and anxiety.

But now the author addresses one of the biggest ‘reset’ conclusions from Voyager’s seven season run, Year of Hell.

Beyer has attempted (and succeeded) in taking on an exciting and intricate challenge here but her detailed knowledge the subject has allowed her to blend back-story and conjecture into a satisfying tale.

The story balances on the actions of the Krenim species and their refusal to allow what they call a ‘chaotic variable’ to exist and threaten their imagined ‘perfect timeline’. This variable is of course Admiral Katherine Janeway.

Proceeding with their abduction, the Krenim actually take an incarnation of Janeway from her younger life, the episode Shattered.

Beyer’s encyclopaedic knowledge really flexes itself here, as we enter the foray of two Janeways and the villainous designs of the Krenim.

We also get a chance to revisit another previously neglected character, Thomas Riker (born of a transporter accident yet a sentient independent person from the more familiar Will); Chakotay comments that …“two identical people choosing very different paths become pale reflections of each other.”

Beyer asks the reader to reflect on matters of destiny and the nature of the single identity in its uniquity.

As viewers, we were able to witness all of the events of the Year of Hell from safely behind the fourth wall. Here we are forced to share and allow the characters of Voyager to have that memory thrust upon them with cruel reality and unavoidable memory.

Seven of Nine describes the similarities she sees in ‘our’ Janeway’s eyes which convince her that she is Janeway: “a specific combination of defiance and pain.”

It is at times painful to read as we secretly wish that none of them should have to know or feel the horrors of that year, but there is hope yet for reasoning. Janeway herself acknowledges some relief that of the many versions of her that she witnessed die, most were following a similar path to her, affording her some comfort in her chosen path in life.

Kirsten Beyer stated previously that the story of the ‘other’ Janeway was in need of telling, and I found her viewpoint that they were better versions of their own selves because of the ‘Year of Hell’ compelling and convincing.

Classic themes are abound, courage, forgiveness, redemption and destiny of course

Tuvok battles with Loss, the Krenim protagonist demonstrates courage, even the omnipotent Q ponders familial immortality.

It seems as though no one, not even a Q can escape destiny.

Hands down this is one of the best Star Trek books I have ever read.

I can’t wait to see what Kirsten Beyer has in store for us next. 

Are you a fan of the new Voyager novels? Keep watching Some Kind of Star Trek for Tiff's interview with author Kirsten Beyer!

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Out of Time: Starships Collection Issues 22 and 23: Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship and Nebula Class

At first glance you might have been mistaken for thinking Eaglemoss had sent through a novelty pen as part of this month's releases.

Luckily it's not and instead we're treated to one of the best replicas so far - the Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship from Voyager's seminal Year of Hell. Certainly one of the more unique designs we're going to see, the long, thin vessel has been meticulously reproduced from the CGI models originally created for the two-part fourth season story and no fan will be disappointed, even if you're not a huge Voyager fan. 

Rocking in at a touch under 15cm in length, the Temporal Weapon Ship is fractionally shorter than the first issue's Galaxy Class but crafty diagonal box positioning makes you think otherwise. Aside from the rear section featuring the aft momentum conditioners and stabilizer fins, the ship is crafted in plastic and is simply excellent. Notably there is some painting detail missing from the rear section in comparison to the plan views in the magazine (shame) but the remainder of the ship bears a distinctive pixellated scheme which covers every inch of the surface. That does give it a minus point but the rest of the ship makes up for this omission very easily. That back section does carry some detailing in blue around the ion dispersal vent and find which just picks it out of being a solid lump of grey/paperweight however there is only so much you can do with a ship that is fundementally two shades of that colour.

The detailing on the forward momentum conditioners and the temporal shockwave ring is also particularly good with some of the more intricate hull markings highlighted. What does strike you when you look closer is the accurate placing of the blue transparent plastic sections within the forward section.

Given that on previous occasions this has been of varying accuracy (and quality fitting), Eaglemoss should be applauded for this continued improvement in the delivery of the end product. Make a note too that if you're eagle-eyed, this is actually one half-mould twice as both sides are identical. 

Nor are the seams that noticable. In fact I had to remind myself to take a look at them, again with the benefit of 21 previous issues worth of experience.  It really does look good - when you get it to sit straight that is.

The Temporal Weapon Ship employs a totally unique stand design but while the Borg Sphere just slotted onto its base in a second and stayed there, be prepared for a few moments of "erm..." as you try and understand exactly what the magazine guidelines for display are telling you.

Being very back-end heavy, the Krenim's near-indestructible vessel sits with best with the stand angled forward and not as shown on the Eaglemoss site. Try it that way and you might see it perform a triple somersault out of the cradle or at the least, point skywards with it's rear resting on the base.

Opening up the magazine brings us into the story of Year of Hell with a good choice of photos from the two-parter followed by the usual plan views of the ship. I'd love to see more notes on these diagrams as they only touch on the very basics when fans who are collecting will want to have more features pointed out. Twelve notes over three decent size images does seem less than there should. 

What marks this issue out as different to every one previous is the choice to discuss the two versions of the Krenim Imperium's craft from alternative universes. Guess this means we won't be seeing a warship or a patrol craft from these guys in the range anytime soon - or just anytime. The overview on both ships is brief but the CGI images are very clean and clear, showing the distinctive changes in the fleet that came about through the interference of the Temporal Weapon Ship commanded by the impressively named Annorax.

Neatly this sedge-ways well into the Designing the Year of Hell feature. Rather than focusing just on the Krenim super-weapon we get the inside scoop on the challenge to create not only a new ship for a new race but also on breaking apart Voyager herself as the story evolves through the two episodes. The images and sketches alone are worth flicking through the pages and I'd recommend taking a closer look at the detail shown in the battered Intrepid Class ship as you can see corridors, hatchways and even part of the exposed bridge on Deck One. The intricate nature of the finished, crumbling starship is extraordinary and I don't think its kind has been seen anywhere else in the franchise. Being able to compare it to Rick Sternbach's original and equally beautiful drawings is a massive bonus.

Even the final battle and destruction sequence is broken down, telling us why it was filmed in the manner we see in Year of Hell. Rounding it off is a slightly predicable Key Moments page since the Temporal Weapon Ship only appeared in one story but the trivia covering some background information is the bigger draw here. 

Probably one of the best accompanying magazines so far in the collection. In fact I know I said this last month, but this is already one of my absolute favourites and I didn't expect it to be. Eaglemoss knocked it out of the park here and I'm now more confident than ever that their issues have been addressed and the results going forward will prove they aren't sitting on their laurels. Clearly fan reaction has been important to them and this release is sure to secure their place as the best producers of Star Trek ships EVER.

Lending herself to The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and two movies, the Nebula Class is a Star Trek starship superstar.

Revealed for the first time in The Wounded, the Nebula Class answered the call for a new ship that wasn't just a reuse of the aging Excelsior, Miranda or Oberth models from the movies.

We could all tell that she was just a reworking of the Galaxy Class due to budget constraints but the introduction of a new type of starship was very, very exciting. Over the years the model and the subsequent CGI reconstruction would receive updates and changes as she became one ship then another. Her arrival in the Official Starships Collection therefore is more than welcome.

Welcome and impressive. More compact as a design than the Galaxy Class, the Nebula Class really lends itself to the restrictions on box size, being more square in form. The metal saucer is 100% identical to that of the larger Enterprise-D although the colour is distinctly duck-egg blue. The sad part is that whoever was responsible for imprinting all the windows did it at an angle so the markings don't all match up with the recesses. Annoying since they got it right for issue one!

However, the secondary hull and nacelles are well made and fit together well. As with the Krenim Temporal Weapon ship on the same delivery, the joint lines are becoming less intrusive with each passing edition. 

For some utterly random reason Eaglemoss have branded up the Nebula Class as the USS Honshu from Deep Space Nine's Waltz. It's a curve ball to say the least as you might have expected USS Sutherland or USS Prometheus (perhaps) - I had to have a quick memory refresh when I opened the box as to where I'd seen her before.

The secondary hull and nacelles are a good, close fit with the latter, once more having the transparent blue and red sections to highlight the warp grilles and bussard collectors. Those nacelles look spookily like they could be found on a Galaxy Class(!). The aztec paint job is a lot more subtle than usual across the primary and secondary hulls while a single shade of grey covers the rear pod, nacelle supports and nacelles themselves.  The issue with the Nebula Class however comes when you turn her around. 

OK, I get that there is a cost implication and that there are restraints on the models and that these are still the best and most affordable range of starships ever produced BUT the rear of the equipment pod support is terrible. In the magazine there is clear depiction of the detail at the back and all of this is missing - the hangar door, the registry, everything - and it's not a small omission however it seems to have been sacrificed due to the location of the seam between two sections of hull. At the top of the support the pod has a little bit of excessive glue which also ruins the effect. I guess I'll have to make sure I look at her from the front at all times because it just looks awful. 

That said, the detail on the top of the pod is excellent, very crisp and clean with all the grills and markings very clearly laid out.

The stand configuration attaches to the warp engine supports and is pretty stable, giving the Honshu that more favourable "suspended in air" display look. Not sure how it'll weather given all the weight is in the saucer section as mine already has a tendancy to lean forward.

The magazine is one that will have the fans raging on Facebook in the next few weeks since there are a couple of questionable points. On the opening stats we have "Shelby" noted as a captain of a Nebula Class ship (USS Sutherland) - a single throwaway line from Deep Space Nine's You Are Cordially Invited which was originally intended to be the same Shelby from The Best of Both Worlds. However it might not be if we step outside canon and refer to Peter David since Shelby features in the New Frontier series. We never actually saw this captain so I'm not totally cool with the mention here anyway as there should be others that could have been named that we have seen. It is a nice little trivia tidbit, almost as good as the naming of the model itself.

Which brings me to another point - was this originally going to be the USS Bonchune? The plan views contain the registry and name of two ships. The only reference to the Honshu is emblazoned across the top of the primary hull (and the cover) while all other markings relate to the Bonchune. In fact all the "new" CGI images here including the one on pages three and four name check the latter. Bit messy there and I'd have hoped that would have been caught before publication.

Moving away from these two points, it's back to more of the same after the diverting contents of Issue 22. Just to emphasise the lack of detail on the rear of the pod support the main CGI image on pages three and four is from the rear. This section also manages to avoid being an episode synopsis, focusing more on the design brief and comparison to the Galaxy Class as well as some key moments from notable Nebulas. No new pics here but I had forgotten that the rear pod on the first Nebula we saw, the USS Phoenix, was a unique, elliptical design with twin support struts.

Six pages get taken over by the Designing... feature this time but there is a lot to cover since the class was probably one of the most developed in the history of the fleet. Considering it's inexpensive origins it's not that much of a surprise that it went through a few permutations both as a physical model and as a CGI construct. Did you know for instance that the window spacing on the saucer was supposed to be wider to indicate that it was smaller than the Enterprise-D? However that didn't happen so it ended up with a saucer the same size. The detailed shots of the miniature in this expanded section are better than the plan views, showing that the rear pod and the saucer here are superbly and accurately detailed. The problem is that one of the images backs up the CGI image to show how much is missing from the rear of the pod support.

Trying to guess the following pages would have proved a challenge this time and so we get a double spread on Introducing the Cardassians who also made their first appearance in The Wounded alongside the Nebula Class. Brought in as a new, recurring baddie since the Borg were never meant to be back often, they certainly have evolved since these early days and you wouldn't have thought that under two years later they would be a major player in Deep Space Nine.

Rounding out the issue are two key appearances from The Wounded and Deep Space Nine's Second Sight although I would have thought Redemption II would have managed a look in here.

Overall and aside from the detail devoid support, this is another step in the right direction for The Official Star Trek Starships Collection.  Each month now is maintaining a good standard but those occasional niggles do keep reappearing and stopping them from being absolutely perfect. That said, I'm more than happy with the final item and the USS Honshu will look awesome among the other Starfleet ships.

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