Eugenics Wars

[Steele1701]

I have just reading the second book of the Eugenics Wars by Greg Cox and I must say that it is an excellent account of the the EW could have really been like. The way the events are descibed in the books mesh so well with actual historical events it makes you wonder if some of the events happened as the books tell it. Excellent writing that makes references to everything from the Stepford wives to the tiniest subplot on DS9. Excellent reading, I highly recommend it.

[StyroFoam Man]

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[JonA]

It's incredible that someone managed to tie up so much historical information from Trek with real world events and events from other series so cleverly.

[BouncyCaitian]

More of a Eugenics Skirmish than a war...but still pretty good stuff.

[Steele1701]

I have not finished the second book yet but so far Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln have managed to pit the "Supermen and Women" against each other, as Spock said, "they began to fight among themselves".

[prophetsteve]

More of a Eugenics Skirmish than a war...but still pretty good stuff.

True. But Cox had a pretty monumentous task on his hands - how to do a Trek history of an event that was concieved of in the 60's but isn't relavent today.

We all lived in the time of the Eugenics Wars and there were no superman. Add to the fact that while TOS, TNG and DS9 made mention of the Eugenics Wars, Enterprise and Voyager ignored it completely (most notably in their modern day timehops).

So how does one merge Trek canon with modern sensibility; one could claim its an alternate history, but neither Trek nor Viacom/Paramount seem to want that (and neither do a lot of fans I wager).

After reading the first book (still haven't gotten to the second) I have to say that Cox did a fine job. Still not a perfect fit but a satisfying explanation nonetheless, at least to me.

[Steele1701]

To me as well. I think he did an excellent job considering how cram packed and confusing Star Treks "history" has become. I have finished the second book and must say the ending was handled nicely. The way events happened in the book and how they were hidden behind the "normal" historical events were done very well.

[Tricky]

So here is the Trek history as I remember it.
The Egenics wars end in the Mid 90's, Khan is exiled to space.
later in the Early 21st century, we build sactuary districts to house the unemployed.
Then some guy starts WWIII. Then we get space travel.
My point is this: Why do the Trek writers pretend that we are the past of the ST universe? Our timeline is similar, but not the same.
Actually, I don't think that TOS and NG are even in the same universe/timline.
On an TOS episode, Spock says,"They fought the third World war that your ancestors avoided." to Kirk.
And we all remember "Encounter at Farpoint".

[Steele1701]

With all of the alterations made to the timeline during the course of Enterprise, what is the proper timeline?

[Balok]

Originally posted by Tricky
Then some guy starts WWIII.

That would be Colonel Green. That's all we know, canonically (TOS: The Savage Curtain). Several writers have worked from the premise that Green was part of something called the "optimum movement", which has some things in common with Stalinist Russian. He ran for President of the United States, and when he lost, staged a coup. Eventually, the Easter Union (?) became involved, and it escalated. Li Kwan (mentioned in TOS: Whom Gods Destroy and STM: First Contact) ran this group as a dictator.

Originally posted by Tricky
On an TOS episode, Spock says,"They fought the third World war that your ancestors avoided." to Kirk.[/B]

Ahhh ... I don't remember that Spock used the word "third" in that sentence. If you're right, you've pointed out an inconsistency (one of many, no doubt) -- in TOS: Bread And Circuses, Spock specifically mentioned World War III when debating McCoy about the relative merits of the Ersatz Roman society.

[Cochrane]

Hey, maybe different TOS episodes take place on different timelines. That's a lot of adventures for one timeline.