DS9: The Never Ending Sacrifice

[altariel]

Pocket Books announced their upcoming Star Trek schedule at Shore Leave last weekend, and if you scroll right down that page to September 2009, you'll see my name attached to a forthcoming DS9 novel called The Never Ending Sacrifice: "Continuation of the post-TV DS9 saga with emphasis on the Cardassians."

The Never Ending Sacrifice is the title of a book that Garak called "the finest Cardassian novel ever written". I'd better not disappoint.

In the meantime, you can read me coming across as grumpy in an interview with SFX about franchise fiction and shared universes.

Comments

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

You won't disappoint-- I doubt you'd let a story out of your sight if you weren't satisfied with it! :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D

[gair.livejournal.com]

Yayy!

You sound excellent in that interview, btw, and not grumpy at all. So there.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yippee!

I think I sound like someone's testy supervisor. Oh no, I am someone's testy supervisor!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Terrific interview! Thanks for the link. I'm looking forward to The Never Ending Sacrifice.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-D

[oracne.livejournal.com]

Woo!!!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

:-D

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Ooooh! What a great title! Really looking forward to it already...

(And I'm with gair on the not coming over as grumpy.)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I think it's a great title too! (Although when I finally twigged what it had to be, it was a real slap-forehead-with-palm-and-yell-D'OH! moment!)

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Oooooooh. Been a while since I bought any new Trek books.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Hopefully this one will tempt you...

[communicator.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. Lookign forward to reading it. Is it in editing at the moment?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-D It's still taking shape right now.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Good for you on all fronts! I don't think you came across as grumpy (not that it would have mattered if you did), I think you were very articulate and cool and right. And I want to be you when I grow up. So there.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*goes shy* Aw, thank you!

Ooh, if you can face a story about This Damned City, there is a sweet little Numb3rs fic here: an American in England.

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

Another novel?! That's absolutely marvellous - congratulations!

And interviewed? You're becoming famous. Couldn't happen to a nicer fellow.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Why thank you, ma'am!

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

*fangirls you with hearts and flowers and dances*

Are you planning to be a trifle repetitive in your version of The Never Ending Sacrifice?

I didn't read you as grumpy in the interview. More as firmly putting them to rights and in their place vis-a-vis hoary old chestnuts re tie-ins and "original" fic. Yay you!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

*enjoys the heart and flower dance!*

So long as I am not a trifle banal, I won't mind repetition!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I'll try to get that book... somehow. I was always wondering what that Cardassian novel was about.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we can find a way to get it to you :-)

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Woohoo!!!!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[edge-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Oh well done! What great news! And a great title. "The finest Cardassian novel ever written" - any idea what the others are like?

I enjoyed the interview - not at all grumpy.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yay!

We know a fair bit about Cardassian literature: my own particular favourites are enigma tales: Cardassian mystery stories in which the reader has to figure out not which of the characters is guilty, but exactly what each character is guilty of. Very Catholic.

The Never Ending Sacrifice is an example of the repetitive epic, in which plot elements and themes repeat themselves. In TNES, seven generations of a Cardassian family all live selfless lives of devotion to the state. Garak loved it, Bashir thought it was boring :-)

Cardassians have speculative fiction too: Meditations on a Crimson Shadow is about a future war with the Klingons.

Bet you're sorry you asked! ;-)

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-)

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Great interview!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the book deal!

I also hugely enjoyed reading this interview. You sound very lucid, succinct and informative, not even a bit grumpy at all.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed the interview. I got sent a bunch of questions, and once I started answering them, I really got going!

[brendan-moody.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to any number of upcoming Trek books to one degree or another, but when I saw The Never Ending Sacrifice I thought "altariel + Cardassians = book of the year." So, um, no pressure.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ha! :-D I shall keep at the back of my mind so that it doesn't intimidate me, and near the front of my mind to inspire me! Thank you!

[sugoll.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! And interviews to boot. Honestly, you're taking over the planet, woman!

('bout time, too.)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm taking over the planet incredibly slowly... Still, I can always fall back on the Masterplan if needs be!

(thank you)

[paranoidangel]

Ooh, how very exciting! Have you started it yet? :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

;-) It is shaping up nicely, thank you!

[kerravonsen]

Grumpy? I see no grumpy here.

(is glad that your goodness is recognised)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I thought I sounded a bit stern at the start, but perhaps it reads better than I feared :-)

(thank you!)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Grumpless eloquence personified! And "Yay!" on the novel.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the interview!

[stultiloquentia.livejournal.com]

Ooh. My roommate has been doing her best to lure me into DS9, but as per usual, I suspect I'll eventually be lured in via the kitchen door -- i.e. by fan writers such as you. Awesome interview, IMO.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's such a great show! The earlier seasons have a reputation for being slow and talky, but that's the kind of thing I like. It's the darkest Trek, more world-weary, less idealistic - or, perhaps, less naively idealistic. It thinks very hard about religion and colonialism and war, and while doesn't always get it right, it does try.

Received wisdom is that it doesn't take off until season 4 (when Worf comes over from TNG). While it's true that that's when the story arc really starts to gather pace, I think the earlier seasons contain some real gems. Those seasons focus on the situation on Bajor, after the end of the Cardassian occupation, as it tries to put itself together again.

Because there's much more story arc than in the other Trek series, DS9 is also able to develop strong narratives for the characters: not just the main crew, but for some of the recurring characters, who have some great stories (sufficiently detailed to intrigue the fan writer, but sufficiently sketchy that she can get her into teeth into them!)

If you want a list of episodes to try, let me know and I'll do a top ten, or something like that.

[greylin.livejournal.com]

Excellent news - congratulations! I really enjoyed the interview. :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm very excited about this new project. Glad you enjoyed the interview!

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine you disappointing.

With regard to the interview, nice one! I think you start off by giving the first question the clear answer that it deserves, and the rest of it comes across with self-awareness, humility and generosity. As for grumpiness, I don't think so.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed, sir, and thank you for the kind words :-)