What is with all of the shapeshifters? (Spoilers)

[Thespeckledkiwi]

After reading through the time line of the recent novel, I have to ask; why again is the galaxy fighting against shape shifters? I mean psychologically they make one of the best villains as they breed mistrust, suspicion and paranoia in the population but to me it appears to be a bit of a re-tread as we had the Founders, then the Borg, and now the Undine.

But couldn't we get some classic villains back like possibly the Breen (they didn't seem to get hurt in the Dominion War), or the Tholians (I know they have recently cropped up) or hell even the Gorn (again they cropped up in the Hegemony, I believe). And not have shape shifters for a stretch at a time.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I assume you're talking about Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many? It's based on a game that's all about violence and war. It's not part of the novel timeline. The 'regular' novels are a much saner place (apocaylptic Borg super-invasions notwithstanding).

The Breen, part of the Typhon Pact (an alliance of anti-Federation worlds that includes Tholians, Gorn and half of Romulan space) are going to star in one of the Typhon Pact miniseries late this year.

 

[Christopher]

It's worth noting that Species 8472 aren't intrinsically shapeshifters, not in the same way that Changelings or Chameloids are, but rather are able to alter their shape through medical intervention (or technological, which in their case is the same thing). At least, that's how it was portrayed in "In the Flesh" and Places of Exile; I don't know how the game handles the so-called "Undine."

 

[Hartzilla2007]

It's worth noting that Species 8472 aren't intrinsically shapeshifters, not in the same way that Changelings or Chameloids are, but rather are able to alter their shape through medical intervention (or technological, which in their case is the same thing). At least, that's how it was portrayed in "In the Flesh" and Places of Exile; I don't know how the game handles the so-called "Undine."

They need some kind of drug to stay in their shapeshifted form so they seem to be going with the medical alteration thing.

 

[LightningStorm]

After reading through the time line of the recent novel, I have to ask; why again is the galaxy fighting against shape shifters? I mean psychologically they make one of the best villains as they breed mistrust, suspicion and paranoia in the population but to me it appears to be a bit of a re-tread as we had the Founders, then the Borg, and now the Undine.

The Borg? They're not shape-shifters.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

After reading through the time line of the recent novel, I have to ask; why again is the galaxy fighting against shape shifters? I mean psychologically they make one of the best villains as they breed mistrust, suspicion and paranoia in the population but to me it appears to be a bit of a re-tread as we had the Founders, then the Borg, and now the Undine.

The Borg? They're not shape-shifters.

I believe the OP is talking about Star Trek Online: The Needs of the Many where the major badguys there and the game it is based on are Species 8472 also refered to as the Undine.

 

[LightningStorm]

^I know but he asked "what's with all the shapeshifters" and then proceeded to list "The Founders, The Borg, and the Undine(8472)" only two of those listed could be classified as shape shifting.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

^I know but he asked "what's with all the shapeshifters" and then proceeded to list "The Founders, The Borg, and the Undine(8472)" only two of those listed could be classified as shape shifting.

Oh, I didn't notice the Borg mention.

 

[Myasishchev]

Something I always thought was hilarious is that humans are potentially shapeshifters if you take Whom Gods Destroy at face value.

(Which I don't. Garth ain't human.)

 

[Starbreaker]

Don't forget the Suliban, and the Caeliar, and the Chameloids!

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Something I always thought was hilarious is that humans are potentially shapeshifters if you take Whom Gods Destroy at face value.

(Which I don't. Garth ain't human.)

I though Garth was human. At least every book I've read on the subject has him as a human.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Shapeshifters are a staple of fantasy and science fiction as far back as it exists. You can hardly blame Trek for sticking to the classics.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Something I always thought was hilarious is that humans are potentially shapeshifters if you take Whom Gods Destroy at face value.

(Which I don't. Garth ain't human.)

I though Garth was human. At least every book I've read on the subject has him as a human.

Garth is human. He was somehow taught to shapeshift, God only knows how. Perhaps it wasn't true shapeshifting, just a kind of mental fog that he can throw down that makes him appear to be others?

 

[Christopher]

Don't forget the Suliban, and the Caeliar, and the Chameloids!

And the Vendorians, and the Allasomorphs, and the coalescent organism, and the Q, and the Organians, and Sylvia and Korob, and the Kelvans, and... (Although Sylvia and Korob used technology to change form, and it's implied that the Kelvans did as well.)

I though Garth was human. At least every book I've read on the subject has him as a human.

"Whom Gods Destroy" refers to him only as Garth of Izar, and doesn't specify whether he's human or a human-appearing alien (as so many TOS aliens were). The books' depiction of Izar as a human colony world is an interpretation after the fact. And there's no reason that a human colony world couldn't have members of other species living on it.