GOOD MORNING, GHORAH KHAR!
Welcome to the first-ever Wing Commander Combat Information Center Wing Commander novel read-along (try saying that three times fast)! We will be conducting a ‘group read’ of the entire Wing Commander series of books, starting with Freedom Flight. Anyone is welcome to join in, and there’s no requirement that you all read every book. Join in when you can and have fun!
I will provide an introduction, a reading assignment and some materials each week and will then join in the discussion myself. We’re going to start very slow in order to get the hang of the process—with a single chapter or two. As we get into the swing of things, we can choose to do longer portions of the books depending on how we feel it’s going.
This isn’t just fun and games, though! We’re also hoping to use the experience to ‘finish’ the portions of the Wingkipedia which relate to the novels as we move along.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
• Find any references to time. When does this chapter take place? What other events are mentioned? Even without a chapter heading specifying the date, we can construct a timeline using internal references to the amount of time that passes.
• Where does the chapter take place and what does the text tell us about a particular ‘set’? For example, the first chapter of Freedom Flight includes a conversation between Ralgha and Kirha as they travel from the bridge to the flight deck of a Fralthi. What do we learn about the layout of the cruiser, as a result?
• Can you find any references to real historical events? Is the story an allusion to something that actually happened in military history (this is common in Dr. Forstchen’s books)?
• Are there any references to the events of Wing Commander games? Are there any ‘in jokes’, references to Origin or Baen?
• Did you enjoy this chapter? Why or why not? Be honest!
• When did you first read this book? Why was it important to you? Lets learn your ‘personal history’ in addition to that of the Wing Commander universe!
• Can you find any portions of the book which are setting up for future stories, either in game or book form?
THINK ABOUT…
Think about what you have read from three different perspectives:
• As a stand-alone story. Does the book work on its own, or does it require a greater knowledge of the Wing Commander universe? Is it a good story, taken on its own merits, or just a visit to a familiar world?
• Its connection to previously published Wing Commander material. Try to imagine you are reading the book when it first came out and that you know only the games and stories which have been written to date. How is the story affecting the direction of the franchise? How is it similar to or different from what has come before?
• Its connection to the entire Wing Commander canon. What does this material introduce to the Wing Commander universe? Can you think of an impact it has on later stories, or of later material that references it in some way? Does it introduce or set the stage for ‘continuity errors’? Does it answer any outstanding questions?
BOOK INTRODUCTION
Freedom Flight is the first Wing Commander novel. It is often overlooked, as it has a distinctly different tone and connection to the Wing Commander games. In fact, it is probably more like a real Wing Commander game than any other book, since it is written by the same woman and in the same style as Wing Commander II itself.
It is also often written off as a novelization of Secret Missions 2. The two stories overlap, but I would argue this is a narrative device rather than the whole of the book. Freedom Flight ends up telling a very different story, which goes well beyond the bounds of Crusade.
It’s also an enormously important look at Kilrathi culture and general life in the Wing Commander universe. While few of you consider Freedom Flight your favorite, it probably impacted later stories in ways you don’t yet appreciate.
The initial ‘package’ of three Wing Commander novels was arranged by Bill Fawcett, a science fiction author and editor. Bigger names (like Mercedes Lackey) were to write the outlines or introductory stories with others writing the meat of the books. The result is a “famous” name on the cover.
Freedom Flight came out roughly a year after Wing Commander II (not the same time as Secret Missions 2, as many believe), dead in the middle of the drought that ran from Special Operations 2 to Academy/Privateer in 1992.
Ellen Guon was a former Origin writer who was responsible for a great deal of work on Secret Missions 2 and Wing Commander II—hence the very similar tones. By the time Freedom Flight was published she had left OSI and already co-authored two other fantasy books with Mercedes Lackey.
Mercedes Lackey was (and is) an established fantasy author. Although her fanbase doesn’t usually overlap with Wing Commander, she remains the ‘biggest name’ ever printed on a Wing Commander book.
The cover is by Paul Alexander, a prolific science fiction artist. Mr. Alexander would go on to paint several Wing Commander covers. He is responsible for many familiar covers, including many of David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammer’s books and most of Frank Herbert’s non-Dune novels. A list is available online here:
http://www.paperbackfantasies.jjelmquist.com/alexander_cover_art.htm
The art itself is supposed to mimic the Wing Commander I box, but with different ships. Since Freedom Flight doesn’t specifically introduce any new ship classes, it’s unclear exactly what is being shown. Try and pick a scene to go with the cover as we go along! The ‘Dralthi replacement’ seen here is done in Mr. Alexander’s distinct spaceship style. Check out his unauthorized treatment of a Star Trek ship from Best of Trek:
http://www.paperbackfantasies.jjelmquist.com/images/alexander/Trek06.JPG
Freedom Flight was heavily promoted by Origin in 1992, with inserts advertising it alongside Wing Commander games and manuals included in several releases. Most notably, Wing Commander II itself included an excerpt from the book. You can view an electronic copy online here:
http://blacklance.org/WC2/ The excerpt includes portions of Chapter One and Chapter Two of the book.
Initially, a direct sequel to Freedom Flight was planned as the third book in the package. A 1992 Point of Origin mentions that it was to have been written by Ellen Guon and Jerry Pournelle and would tell the story of the Tiger’s Claw’s destruction. An early online FAQ claims it would have continued Hunter’s story. Mercedes Lackey’s newsgroup claimed at the time that she was co-authoring a sequel called ‘Freedom Run’. We contacted Ellen Guon about this project, who said it was cancelled because of a contract dispute. Jerry Pournelle had no knowledge of the book.
Freedom Flight has been published in two languages: English and German. If you have a German copy, let us know what’s different! It is the only book not translated into Czechoslovakian. There were at least two English printings by Baen.
It’s also the only book known to have any special merchandise. Baen solicited Freedom Flight by giving out posters of the book cover.
ASSIGNMENT FOR WEEK ONE: Freedom Flight, Chapter 1 (pp.1-22)
DISCUSSION POINTS
• Are there any changes between the excerpt included in Wing Commander II and the finished book?
• How do we look at this chapter in the light of Hobbes’ betrayal in Wing Commander III? Is the interrogation a blatant continuity error or is it something much more intentional?
• Where’s Downtown?
WINGKIPEDIA ASSIGNMENTS
• Write a ‘timeline’ entry for the events of this chapter and for any other events mentioned.
• Create a list of additions to the ‘Kilrathi Culture’ entry necessary because of this chapter.
• Fill out the following characters and terms and be sure to add anything I’ve missed!
• CHARACTERS:
o {burly guards}
o Ralgha nar Hhallas
o Jahkai
o Thrakhath nar Kiranka
o {unconscious Kilra’hra}
o {shopkeepers and carters}
o {group of slaves}
o Hassa
o Esther
o {squad of soldiers}
o Kirha
o {Ordnance Officer}
o {under-officers}
o Drakj’khai nar Ghorah Khar
• TERMS:
o Kilrah
o Hhallas
o Kalrahr
o Imperial Intelligence Headquarters
o Ghorah Khar
o Ras Nik’hra
o Lord
o Kilrathi
o Fralthi
o Emperor of Kilrah
o lerkrath
o kalkrath
o Thrak’hra
o Kilra’hra
o Kalrahr of Imperial Security
o Vega Sector
o Leningrad
o Waterloo
o Sivar
o Throne of Kilrah
o K’Tithrak Mang
o N’Tanya
o Old City
o arakh
o Priestesses of the Warrior-God
o Kilrathi (language)
o Imperial Intelligence
o Temple of Sivar
o Priestess of Sivar
o The Council
o merdha
o Firekka
o Imperial Security
o Heat-Seeking Missiles
o Ordnance Officer
o Pilot Officer
o Navigation Officer
o Under-officers
o Khantahr
o Rakti
o comlink
o Deneb Sector
o hrai
o liege lord
o Jalthi
o Dralthi
RESOURCES
How to do a Close Reading (Harvard University)
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html
Freedom Flight Excerpt
http://blacklance.org/WC2/
www.baen.com
