Starlog #4: “Change is the essential process of all existance.” -Spock

In your opinion, what are the benefits of adhering to canon? What creative potential exists in jumping off from it? Where has Star Trek (or other similar franchises) done it well or poorly?

One of the benefits of adhering to canon is seeing less discussions on the Star Trek boards and forums ;) It is such a part of the Star Trek fandom and I am still astonished how knowledgeable some fans are about the lore and history of certain Star Trek characters, worlds, cultures and so on.

Even though we are talking about fiction, keeping the stories and characters according to the canon keeps it believable as one gets invested in certain characters. One might admire seeing Spock as the first half human/vulcan but if you follow Star Trek Enterprise, T’Pol and Tucker’s daughter (even though a clone) was the first hybrid born.

Speaking of canon and none-canon. The books of Star Trek follow certain lines or create their own. If you say the books are canon then Spock for sure is not the first hybrid. I could tell who but that would spoil the Enterprise books.

So going back to the books and jumping off of the canon, a personal frustration comes to light. The whole Chakotay/Janeway/Seven of 9’s none relationship. Spoilers ahead!

In the books written by Beyers, the relationship between Chakotay and Janeway does happen and gives fans a certain closure in that regard. If Star Trek PICARD were to take on that storyline would they follow the books (as they did with the Troi/Riker relationship) or take a completely other route and create their own story making it canon as all series are? Or are they?

All series and movies are considered canon but some fans don’t see the Star Trek movies as canon as they are set in the Kelvin timeline. Everything else is set in the Prime timeline though through Star Trek Discovery we know Starfleet is aware of the Kelvin timeline….