Beautiful novel. Perhaps some of you out there would like to see some of the words author Peter David and I exchanged on this matter.

Dear Peter,

I want to complement you on yet another beautifully done New Frontier story. Your skill at multiple levels of plot, theme, characterization and extended storylines with long-term ramifications never fail to amaze me, and your most recent trilogy, "Excalibur," was no exception. I said it the last time I saw you signing at Midtown Comics on 40th St. off 7th Ave a couple of years back, and I’ll say it again. Rick Berman should adapt New Frontier into the next Trek series, and put you at the helm if not as a producer, then certainly as head writer or story consultant. 4 tiny points regarding the story: One is continuity-oriented, the second aesthetic, the third plausibility-related and the fourth a suggestion.
1. First, T’Pau, the Vulcan magistrate, is dead. This was established in the third season Voyager episode "Darkling," when B’Elanna Torres tells the Doctor that T’Pau "was" ruthless in her application of her logic. You could say that Torres’ use of the past tense was because T’Pau was retired, and not dead, and that the reason she came out of retirement was because Selar and Burgoyne’s case was a special matter concerning a Vulcan and an offworlder, but even then, someone like Torres would still use the present tense, since T’Pau would still apply her logic in the same manner. I mean, c’mon, she’d be older than GOD if she were still alive! But hey, for you, Peter, I’ll go along with it. (And speaking of Voyager, if you don’t like it [and I understand the sentiment], how do you keep up on certain details established in it, like Captain Braxton and the timeship Relativity used in your New Frontier comic book oneshot? I watch it partially out of continuity freakdom, and partially because they sometimes do some good episodes, but you? I must also say that I didn’t like the comic renditions of the NF characters, particularly Soleta, who came off looking more like the Robin Curtis Saavik from ST II and III than the beautiful avatar seen on the novel covers. You just can’t beat that girl’s cheekbones, Peter! Too bad the artist disregarded the covers. They’re far more realistic and far superior.)
2. Second, I’m really upset that the new Excalibur is a Galaxy-class. I assumed that you made the original one an Ambassador class to make it distinct from the other three recent series’ ships. Now that’s no longer the case. And whereas you have a thing against the Excelsior-class ships, I personally think the Galaxy class is the ugly duckling of the fleet. It photographs well from the side, and moderately well from the front or rear, but when seen from above, you see how disproportionate the saucer is to the nacelles, a problem the original Constitution-class Enterprise didn’t have. This trend hasn’t progressed further with the Intrepid-class Voyager, and the Prometheus-class ship seen in the fourth-season Voyager episode "Message in a Bottle." Personally, I always thought it would’ve been a good idea to use a class of ship totally different from the ones used on the other three shows, like perhaps one with four nacelles, like the Constellation or Prometheus class.
3. The the part I thought was implausible was the notion that Jellico would "pull some strings" to get Shelby and Calhoun’s ships. These ships are big, expensive things, Peter. Admirals and the higher ups are not just going to toss them around here and there across the galaxy just to make a couple of officers happy. Calhoun may be the center of the series, but he’s not the center of Starfleet Command. Even sillier is the notion that Jellico would "agree to anything, just to get (Calhoun) away from him." Jellico can do this simply by having Calhoun in Thallonian space while he’s at Starfleet Command, by reassigning matters of Thanllonian space to another admiral, by having Calhoun kicked out of Starfleet, or leaving himself. The idea that he would pull an entire starship off of its assignment and stick it where heretofore they didn’t think they needed it, just to "get someone away from him," is a bit specious. If you were dead set on Shelby being captain, and not splitting them up, wouldn’t the more logical scenario be simply returning them to their original posts on board the Excalibur? Remember, Spock and Kirk both served on the Enterprise together when both held the rank of captain, and Captain Janeway’s original First Officer aboard the Voyager in the pilot episode of that series held only the rank of Lieutenant Commander, so Shelby could still be a captain in rank, but First Officer in position. She could even take over the night shift from Kat Mueller, so that she has some command space from Mac.

<< 1. First, T’Pau, the Vulcan magistrate, is dead.<<

With all deference to Torres, my guide in such things is the Star Trek Encyclopedia. They do not list T'Pau as dead so, as far as I'm concerned, she's still sucking oxygen. I see no reason why, in discussing the entirety of T'Pau's career, Torres couldn't be speaking in past tense any more than we'd speak in past tense about Clinton's career even though he's with us. Perhaps T'Pau retired, as you say, and that was the reason. Then again, she might have changed her mind.

2. Second, I’m really upset that the new Excalibur is a Galaxy-class.<<

Ahhh, but it's not just *any* Galaxy class ship, any more than James Bond's Astin Martin was just any car. Starfleet decided to outfit it with some test features which you'll see in books to come. As for asthetics, well...fortunately it's a book, so we don't have to look at it too much.

3. This is the part I thought was implausible was the notion that Jellico would "pull some strings" to get Shelby and Calhoun’s ships. These ships are big, expensive things, Peter. Admirals and the higher ups are not just going to toss them around here and there across the galaxy just to make a couple of officers happy.<<

No, of course not, but they *will* do it in order to have the best and most appropriate officers in the right place. The motivations ascribed to Jellico (wanting to get Calhoun away from him) weren't meant to be taken seriously; they were tongue-in-cheek speculation. Obviously Calhoun's time in Thallonian space, and the things they've encountered, have indicated to Starfleet that a second vessel in the area is not a bad idea. Nor would having Shelby and Calhoun serving on the same vessel really have done the job, because ultimately a vessel can have only one captain, and it still would have meant a step down for Shelby that would have been a disservice to her, both from her point of view and the readers' point of view.

Basically, we're walking a fine line with New Frontier. We want to have
things change along reasonably logical lines, as opposed to desperately
ignoring all rational thought to maintain the status quo (how else to explain Riker turning down command assignments year after year? Because he wanted the Enterprise? As if Starfleet would accept that as an excuse.) On the other hand, we don't want to decide whether Shelby or Calhoun is out of the series. So we reached a compromise that we hope will satisfy the readers. If it means stretching things with Starfleet a bit, well...Starfleet has been stretched a lot further in the past.


PAD

One nit that everyone seems to have missed is the constant use of the imperial measuring system in David's books. In the next generation era, it is pretty unlikely that anyone would even understand it, much less use it on the bridge of a starship.

You know, back before the Excalibur trilogy came out I'd written up a small story outline for a New Frontier movie that involved the Gorn, but it seems so silly now. Besides, if I posted it anywhere I'd just get laughed at.

P.S. I agree with most of Peter David's responding letter Luigi but I have to ask. What, EXACTLY, does he have against Excelsior?

As for the Galaxy-class, I'm the opposite of you I guess. I mean, I don't like it either (my dad used to call it 'QE2 weith phasers'), but I always thoguht it looked BETTER from a top view than from the side or in front. *shrug*

In his review of Generations, he said it was the ugliest starship ever in Trek, and compared it to a "humpback duck."

I lawys liked Excelsior. Next to the Soveriegn and Defiant classes it was my favorite ship. I NEVEr liked the class of ship that the Grissom (STIII) was thouhg. It always just, 'felt' wrong.

One nit that everyone seems to have missed is the constant use of the imperial measuring system in David's books. In the next generation era, it is pretty unlikely that anyone would even understand it, much less use it on the bridge of a starship.

On Classic Trek, they constantly went back and forth between imperial and Metric.