The Final Reflection and Klingons

[Imperial Overlord]

The Final Reflection is a Star Trek novel written in about 1983 by the award winning writer John M. Ford. The main characters are Klingons and it takes place not to long after the Federation has first contact with the Klingon Empire. It is also the basis of the Klingons in the FASA RPG. What are your opinions of the novel and the Klingons depicted within.

I think the book is great and that the Klingons are actually worthy of a powerful Star Empire, unlike certain dumbed down thugs (I refuse to call them space vikings because the vikings actually used their brains) I could name.

[JME2]

I keep meaning to get around to it, though I am aware of the praise it has received.

In the meantime, I would also highly recommend J.G. Hertzler's (Martok) The Left Hand of Destiny duology, which takes the first steps in the transformation of the Klingon people that Worf had desired during the final stages of DS9.

[Imperial Overlord]

I read it and while it is gripping (you do care about the characters and outcome), it isn't as good. The Klingons are alien, but sympathetic. Their sense of humor is great and the moments of tenderness are well handled.

[Patrick Degan]

The Final Reflection is a Star Trek novel written in about 1983 by the award winning writer John M. Ford. The main characters are Klingons and it takes place not to long after the Federation has first contact with the Klingon Empire. It is also the basis of the Klingons in the FASA RPG. What are your opinions of the novel and the Klingons depicted within.

I think the book is great and that the Klingons are actually worthy of a powerful Star Empire, unlike certain dumbed down thugs (I refuse to call them space vikings because the vikings actually used their brains) I could name.

The book that should have been the model for the Klingons.

[Stofsk]

So, are people going to say what this book is it about, or at the very least tell us how the Klingons were presented, or is this First Sitting of the ST Book Club going to be about mutual appreciation?

Seriously, how were the Klingons presented? I'm curious.

[Captain Kruger]

So, are people going to say what this book is it about, or at the very least tell us how the Klingons were presented, or is this First Sitting of the ST Book Club going to be about mutual appreciation?

Seriously, how were the Klingons presented? I'm curious.

I never read that book, but I'm quite familiar with the old FASA game. That game had the only explanation I've ever heard for the difference in appearance between the TOS Klingons and the head ridge look from TMP on. They explained that the head ridge guys were the true Klingon race and that the ones seen during the original show were genetically altered with Human DNA so that they would fare better in Human climates in case of invasion. It's an interesting explanation, especially when the "old" Klingon look really could pass for a half-and-half mixture between the head ridgers and a Human.

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

So, are people going to say what this book is it about, or at the very least tell us how the Klingons were presented, or is this First Sitting of the ST Book Club going to be about mutual appreciation?

Seriously, how were the Klingons presented? I'm curious.

I never read that book, but I'm quite familiar with the old FASA game. That game had the only explanation I've ever heard for the difference in appearance between the TOS Klingons and the head ridge look from TMP on. They explained that the head ridge guys were the true Klingon race and that the ones seen during the original show were genetically altered with Human DNA so that they would fare better in Human climates in case of invasion. It's an interesting explanation, especially when the "old" Klingon look really could pass for a half-and-half mixture between the head ridgers and a Human.

I just have the theory that Betty-Sue sneezed in her brother's Science Experiment between the 2 series.

[Patrick Degan]

So, are people going to say what this book is it about, or at the very least tell us how the Klingons were presented, or is this First Sitting of the ST Book Club going to be about mutual appreciation?

Seriously, how were the Klingons presented? I'm curious.

It's a novel within a novel. Capt. Kirk is reading a historical novel by authour John Ford set in the time of the first Federation/Klingon contact, 60 years before the voyages of the Enterprise. The story follows a young Klingon, Krenn, adopted out of the foundling House (and therefore clanless) by Adm. Kethas, a veteran strategist. Kethas sets the youth on the Path of Command, and also teaches him, through the game of Klin-Zha (the Klingon analogue to chess), not only how to think strategically, but also how to consider cost —particularly in lives. Krenn grows up eventually to command his own cruiser and is sent on the first diplomatic mission to the Federation, where he becomes acquainted with Dr. Emmanuel Tagore, who through his non-violent philosophy and his extraordinary diplomatic skills ends up winning more for the Federation through negotiation than by war. Krenn ends up learning as much from Dr. Tagore as from Kethas, his adoptive father, about life, war, and peace, and the two become friends. Together, they thwart efforts by both Federation and Klingon rogue officers to spark war between the two powers. The lever which sets the two powers in balance turns on mutual perceptions creating deterrence —or as the Klingons would phrase it, when the two sides see themselves reflected in the other. Humanoid Klingons are explained as the result of genetic engineering; a programme pursued in that time period as an attempt to breed Klingons of various physiologies to survive in the environments of their enemies. Sarek, Amanda, a seven-year old Spock, and the TAS character Carter Winston make appearances in the book.

All in all, an excellent read. Realises Star Trek's potential in full.

[Imperial Overlord]

An excellent summary by Mr. Degan. Thank you for the able assistance.

To expand on what the Klingons are like their society is organized into family lines. You can be adopted into a line (some are essentially political parties) or found your own. The government is a balance between the Emperor and the powerful lines. The Klingons have a shorter life span and a more rapid metabolism than humans, which gives them a more aggressive outlook (less time to establish thermselves) and a weakness for sugar. The after life some of them refer to, the Black Fleet, is a mixture of Hades and Valhalla.

They are also a subtle race. The competing interests between various lines and political factions makes them more than dumb thugs. They are pragmatic and often leave certain things unsaid because people are always watching. Their humour involves sarcasm and mockery. An example is when the young character is being adopted into out of the orphanige one of the caretakers addresses him with the highest possible honorific, to mock his new station and any airs he might have adquired.

[Patrick Degan]

The book made such an impact that Klingon-fandom modelled itself almost entirely on John M. Ford's works in his two novels and for the FASA Star Trek RPG system rather than the TNG space-viking conception. A lot of fans were pissed off when Richard Arnold made the announcement that nothing from the books would count as canon.

The background details were also largely drawn from Rick Sternbach's pre-TNG book The Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology and referenced TAS by the inclusion of the financier and philanthropist Carter Winston (seen in the episode "The Survivor").

[Captain Kruger]

This is yet another example of the fact that virtually anyone outside of the Paramount status quo can do a better job writing for the ST universe than those under the B&B umbrella of brain death. *sigh* What could have been...