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As I'm sure many of you are aware over the years quite a few variations of the mirror universe have come about. The Dark Mirror version, before DS9 did anything with the MU, the shattnerverse version, the most recent effort by pocket books and a jumble of other stories which may or may not fit into any of those. Might I suggest when dealing with articles on the mirror universe we consider the most modern miniseries the main version with the others as alternates. The reason being it is the most complete version in canon, including Enterprise, and Pocket is making an effort of consistency within it, the new mirror universe anthologies and mirror universe elements of the DS9 relaunch all work together making it probably the biggest of the variations and hopefully one that pocket will continue to build on.
I bring this up because as the mirror universe articles are building up lately with the issue of the various MUs and a lot go; in this continuity this happens, in this continuity this happens, etc. I think the canon+modern pocket version should be considered the base line the others are compared to. --8of5 13:58, 16 April 2007 (UTC).
Fine by me. So, to clarify, we should write in the following order of completism... : - (a) the current ENT/TNG/DS9 one based on the DS9 onscreen stuff, followed by (b) the FASA/Trek Celebration 2 stuff, (c) the Mirror, Mirror - The Mirror Universe Saga stuff (d) the Mirror Mirror - Dark Mirror stuff (e) the Shatnerverse stuff and, when not consistent with the above, (f) the Dark Passions stuff. Is that right? *phew*. [User: Stripey].
- I agree it makes sense to define several MU continuities, but I'm not sure what you mean by "main version". You mean the one articles default to, and all others are treated as "alternate timelines"? Or would we label them all, just (by agreement) make a point of listing the latest miniseries continuity first? (And just to address a point on Stripey's list, I don't think FASA ever addressed the MU. One was scheduled from Last Unicorn Games, but I'm not sure if it ever was actually published under their license.)--Emperorkalan 16:55, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
- "You mean the one articles default to, and all others are treated as "alternate timelines"?" pretty much yes, the new MU books all work together and with all of the cannon mirror universe. All other MU books and comics were made at times when at least one aspect of the canon mirror universe didn’t even exist and as such are often at odd with some other canon aspect anyway so would be singled out as being at odd with what always takes priority, canon info.
- Taking the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance as example, I would say the main article should talk about the alliance as developed in the DS9 episodes and new MU novels. Then an alternate continuities section would note how the alliance was said to have come around and existed in the shatnerverse or what might be different in the dark passions books etc. Obviously for some articles there will be a lot more on something from one of the alternate mirror universes but in general I think canon and the most recent MU books should be considered the main mirror universe if you will. -- 8of5 17:16, 16 April 2007 (UTC).
You're likely right about FASA. I think I meant The Best of Trek issue 14. [User: Stripey].
- Do we allow The Best of Trek stuff here? Thought it was off-limits. I've been rather obsessed with the MU for a while, so I've tried to put together a pretty extensive list of sources. And, I would also favor the "main MU timeline" consisting of canon and the new Pocket stuff, as well as Three and related material from Star Trek CCG and canon reference works, all of which are nice and easy to get along with. Thanks to every author wanting their own take on various mirror counterparts, such as Janeway and Picard, every other single source contradicts with everything else, requiring a whole separate continuity.
- In my mind, like 8of5 hinted at, it's important to consider balance. For example, in Dark Passions, Annika Hansen (mirror) is the star of a 2-book show, whereas in the "main" continuity (Obsidian Alliances), she's really just a footnote.
- What's the consensus on merging continuities, though? By this I mean characters, worlds, etc. that are referenced in two separate "mirror" continuities, but not in a way that their own individual information contradicts. For example, the RPG sourcebook Through a Glass, Darkly (definitely both published and licensed, by the way) has a lot to say about the Ferengi homeworld that fits in nicely with the "main" continuity; however, many other elements in the sourcebook contradict events in the main timeline. Woud it be necessary to completely section off any of the sourcebook info for a Ferengenar (mirror) article? Or could it just be cited, and then dealt with if for some reason it gets contradicted in the future? (sorry for my lengthy 2 cents) -- DataNoh 22:43, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
- In the entry for James T. Kirk, I refered to a "variant Mirror Universe" to account for "The Mirror Universe Saga". It makes sense that there would be more than one MU as TNG's Parallels established at least 80,000 versions of the "Primary Universe". --Turtletrekker 23:58, 16 April 2007 (UTC)