A Fitting Legacy? The 50th Anniversary Trilogy

I'm still pretty shocked I burnt through these three novels in the course of just three weeks.

The Legacies trilogy consists of Captain to Captain (Greg Cox), Best Defense (David Mack) and Purgatory's Key (Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward) and spins a tale surrounding a mysterious object known as the Transfer Key that has been hidden aboard the USS Enterprise since the days of Captain Robert April with its secret transferred from captain and first officer to their successors which brings us neatly to Kirk and Spock.

The three novels follow on seamlessly but each has a very different story to tell using the Transfer Key as the cornerstone from which everything is built. Cox's first third of the story is the origins piece, cleanly establishing the nature of the device and relating it very closely to another item which made an appearance in The Original Series. An origins story might not sound that exciting but the gem here is that the story flips back in time to the era of April and it's discovery and concealment. 

Central to the whole thing is one character - Captain Una aka. Number One from The Cage who served under both of Kirks predecessors on the Enterprise. It is her arrival at the beginning of Captain to Captain which sparks events into motion and by the end you kind of wish she'd just stayed away and saved everyone a heck of a lot of haste. 

As a character never really explored beyond the hour of the unaired pilot, Number One is a huge blank canvas waiting to be sketched out. Or maybe not. As for background we do get some details as to her academy record and the reasons behind her numerical nickname and short chosen moniker as well as a cool nod to the Enterprise's computer voice and just how come it sounds the same as Una. 

Along with the Transfer Key at the core of the first book we also have the introduction of two alien races whom will also be featured across the anniversary trilogy and cross paths with the crew and the returning Number One. Captain to Captain however does not work solely as a standalone novel because Cox is tasked with a lot of set up and explanation which is handled well and does give the subsequent books a lot more room to breathe. I actually found this first book the most captivating for that very reason and that Cox seemed more aware of his environment than Mack who slipped in a couple of very out of place colloquialisms that did jar me a little when I was reading through. 

In relation to characterisation Cox also nails this very well avoiding turning the cast into all out action heroes and retaining a sense of The Original Series. In relation to Best Defenses especially I did sense that Mack went off on a big action adventure piece with apparent influences from the more recent reboots perhaps affecting the way in which the story evolved. While it was an enjoyable read I did feel that Captain to Captain created an epic path and prospects that weren't captured fully in the second part. While it's a good read there are a few final points that just seem to come out of nowhere to bolster the trilogy but fortunately they are managed very effectively by the subsequent writers.

Now Best Defenses is, fortunately, different to its predecessor taking that more action orientated slant but also drawing on Star Trek's rich character base to add a slab of continuity to the proceedings. Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans all have their place at David Mack's table including such franchise returnees as Gorkon (The Undiscovered Country) and Spock's father Sarek although whether all their presences are necessary is a bit borderline.

Again the action content is pretty heavy and there are now several different threads to manage so skipping book one is not an option. There's the conference, Number One's activities in the alternative dimension plus the goings on aboard a Romulan Bird of Prey to balance and remember. It's not as linear as Captain to Captain but the amount of information and development that happens in Best Defenses cannot be ignored in any sense. 

As for characters Kirk and the Enterprise crew are faithfully recreated and I find with authors such as Mack and Cox they tend to avoid the use of colloquialisms that jar you out of the 23rd Century environment. It's faithful to the show and with this being the Legacy trilogy it would be silly to expect anything less than an indulgent - and period accurate - read. While Mack has Sarek pinned well there are times he almost slips into an action hero role but one representation i just couldn't grip properly was Gorkon. The soft spoken statesman from The Undiscovered Country might be a fair few years away but there's very little hint of that personality within Best Defenses and more so in Purgatory's Key. For some reason he is most certainly cast in a more active and warrior-like Klingon role than you appreciate in the sixth classic movie. Sadly it's a blip that does give me a grumble in an otherwise highly enjoyable trilogy of books.

The supreme issue with this book and by association the trilogy is that the wrapping up of the various strands is done in a smattering of pages and seems to be over before it's even started. Ok there's a little bit of cleanup work after that but the drawing together of (most of) the story elements does feel a little rushed given the 900 page build up. As a trilogy it really does offer lots through the first two books with the second not just a place holder and instead building and adding to Captain to Captain. Problem is that there's a lot left for Purgatory's Key to do and even with a 340 page offering to round everything out it still felt a little incomplete and hurried.

The writing itself is solid and there's no schoolboy errors here but the quality of the end result is just tarnished by that breakneck pace to clean everything up nicely. I could have more than abided a few loose strands left floating for future stories but alas that doesn't happen although I would welcome some more novels to feature Number One now that she's stepped into the limelight here - so much potential. 

The Legacies trilogy is a grand milestone in the literary series however its memory might fade pretty quickly especially since there's the rather impressive Prey trilogy right after it...

Was Legacies the trilogy we deserved for the 50th anniversary? Were you wanting more or something totally different?

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Dilmore Concludes Legacies - and Talks to SKoST!

Ian Kimmins speaks to author Kevin Dilmore.

Kevin Dilmore has worked with co-author Dayton Ward for over 15 years of Star Trek novels we had the pleasure of being able to talk the man himself

His new Star Trek novel Purgatory’s Key the conclusion to the trilogy has just been released and is now available. So I asked him what direction we can expect?

If I were to choose a word to describe our direction for Purgatory’s Key, it would be ‘metaphysical’

And about his working relationship with Dayton Ward his co-author

When dividing our work for this book, I chose to do the first drafts of each chapter that takes place in the unnamed realm beyond our own in which important parts of the story take place.

I got to use the most diverse assortment of characters in those chapters that I’ve ever used, from races we know well, to beings the likes of which we’ve not seen. I also explored relationships among the crew of the Enterprise as well as with persons they love not typically aboard the starship. For me, the characters of Star Trek are family to one another; that’s a theme we got to explore this time around.

It seems as though Kevin and Dayton have a wonderful working relationship and also the pertinent question - how much of a challenge was it to co write the conclusion to the 50th anniversary story?

Each book presents its own challenges to me personally. One challenge I don’t have is in Dayton’s and my processes of co-writing.

We have a shared voice that’s distinct from our separate writing voices, and it’s one we can snap into pretty easily at this point.

Beyond our writing partnership, Dayton’s not only my closest friend, we are practically family. Our goal is to make each of our projects the best story possible but never at the expense of each other or of our friendship. I always enjoy collaborating with him.

Did having worked with the other authors (David Mack and Greg Cox) in this series make the process easier?

Our past work with Dave and Greg certainly contributed to ease in the plotting process. We share a sensibility of what we believe makes a great Star Trek story (we learned that about each other years ago through fun conversations whenever we get together).

I then moved on to his other Star Trek novels (The Vanguard Series) and how they influence his present work. Was it easier to write these earlier books? (since you had the freedom to create a little pocket of your own in the Star Trek universe) or would you prefer to deal primarily with the established crews?

It’s been more than a decade now since Dave and former Star Trek editor Marco Palmieri invited us to contribute to their vision of Star Trek: Vanguard. At conventions, Vanguard is cited without fail as being among someone’s favorite Star Trek series of books. 

I remain very happy about my writing for the Vanguard story; I imagine I will regard it among my top accomplishments for the rest of my writing career. I felt no more or less freedom with the characters of Vanguard than I do with those from series produced for the screen because I felt no more or less responsibility to them.

While writing, I have just as much fun working with our Vanguard cast as I do any other characters in Star Trek, including those of the original series—and for me, that is saying something!

And of course, with the excitement building about Star Trek: Discovery, I had to ask about the possibility of Kevin being asked to write a novel from this pre-The Original Series era

Who was it that said, “There are always possibilities”? I have complete confidence that the creative minds behind Star Trek: Discovery will present to us an exciting and intriguing facet of the Star Trek universe, and one I would be happy and flattered to explore in prose. Whether I; or anyone I know is invited to do; so remains to be seen.

Going back to the Golden Age of Star Trek; you used to write for the Communicator magazine; how much fun was it to be involved in that period of Star Trek?

I owe my Star Trek career to Star Trek Communicator publisher Dan Madsen and Editor Larry Nemecek. These two men placed confidence in me to cover everything from the opening of Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas to the finale of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I had uncounted opportunities to meet and interview Star Trek’s writers, visual artists, crew and cast, including a few people for whom I was their first journalistic interview. I made so many friends through the Communicator, such as the contributing writers of the Strange New Worlds anthologies published by Pocket Books, including Dayton, we met when I interviewed him about his short story in the first volume of the series.

Fun is a vast understatement!

And lastly, I asked Kevin what he had in store for the rest of 2016/2017 whether Star Trek related or not.

           

Looking ahead in 2016, I have a couple of children’s books to be published by Hallmark Gift Books. Dayton and I wrote a story for issue #2 of Star Trek Way-point, heading to news-stands in November from Comics. I stay pretty active co-hosting Pop Minded, a weekly YouTube series on the Hallmark and Community channel. Watch my Facebook  page for more updates.

A true pleasure it was to speak to such a talented and thoroughly nice man. Kevin’s books are available on all formats and I would highly recommend that you indulge yourself in some excellent Star Trek storytelling.

Thanks again to Kevin Dilmore for speaking to us!

Star Trek: Legacies 3; Purgatory's Key'is available from Simon and Schuster ISBN 9781501122774.

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Come's the Executioner('s Daughter)

Welcome to our latest reviewer, Dan Adams who has taken the reins for Greg Cox's latest, Foul Deeds Will Rise. As always, be ready for potential SPOILERS!

Some years ago when I took some old Star Trek books to my local charity shop, the sweet looking elderly lady quickly, (and gleefully) asked “any murders in ‘em?” Thinking she was hoping I had handed in a pile of contemporary murder mysteries I said “no, they're all Star Trek”. To which could almost hear her disappointment. 

But on reflection, the “whodunit” genre has been part of the Star Trek Universe since the very beginning. The beauty of a whodunit in a science fiction setting is that you have to keep your mind open to more than just the who’s, the how’s are equally rich and diverse. 

An early example of this genre of Star Trek is the episode the Conscience of the King. In the episode, Kirk is trying confirm that the actor Anton Karidian is the mass murdering Kodos the Executioner. As the evidence gets stronger that this is indeed the man who murdered thousands, the body count in the present day begins to rise. The victims? Those that could identify Kodos.

It turns out that, while Karidian was indeed Kodos the executioner, he had completely repressed his past. His daughter, who Kirk manipulated to get closer to her father, was the killer and killed her father accidentally in the episode’s climactic scenes, before suffering a complete mental breakdown. 

Lenore returns in Foul Deeds Will Rise, which takes place between the fifth and sixth Star Trek movies, in keeping with The Original Series' notion that mental illness can be cured as quickly as most illnesses in the Star Trek universe, Lennore is now rehabilitated, volunteering relief efforts on the planet Oyolu, who have just signed a delicate cease fire with the neighbouring Parvak. 

As part of the peace negotiations, The Enterprise–A is providing neutral ground for representatives from both worlds to resolve their differences. Meanwhile, Spock and Scotty are acting as Federation weapons inspectors, making sure that deadly protomatter warheads are being disposed of. 

By night, the group of relief workers that Lenore belongs to performs drama. It is at once such performance that Kirk lays eyes on Lenore for the first time in decades. She returns to the ship, at Kirk’s invitation and soon the body count starts to rise. Is Lenore still a deadly murderer? Or is she in the wrong place at the wrong time? 

What Cox does particularly well in this novel is revisit some familiar Trek Tropes. As mentioned above, in The Original Series, criminality was largely seen as a form of mental illness, easily treated by the technology of the day. Without going into too much detail, we learn that Lenore has regular doses of zetaproprion, the same drug that was used to completely cure the insane Garth of Izar in the episode Whom Gods Destroy. Considering the madmen we’ve seen in Star Trek before and since the idea that madness could be cured seemed a bit convenient. However, the characterisation of Lenore here helps to explore some of those themes. Is her madness gone? Or is it simply contained? 

Another familiar “Trek Trope” is that of the consequences coming back to haunt Kirk. In order to get closer to her father, the dashing Captain Kirk seen in The Original Series played with the emotions of Lenore Karidian, then a 19 year old girl. While Karidian was no angel, Kirk believably haunted by the actions he took in the early part of that episode, which fits in with the Kirk we see in The Wrath of Khan who faces the consequences of dumping the titular baddie on Ceti Alpha V. 

One of the welcome things about this book, is the pick up and readability of it. These days a lot of books set in the later Star Trek canon require awareness of what has happened in previous books across the range. With this book, it harkens back to the old days. The Pavakans and Oyolo, seen here for the first time are a throwback to Star Trek books of old. Their motivations are sensible, and are familiar both in terms of what we have seen in other fiction, and in terms of the real world. The Pavans with their faces adorned with thin fur, and Oloyu with their yellow skin and horns would be prohibitive on a The Original Series or The Next Generation budget, but work in the context of this novel. Finally, although Kevin Riley’s past in the novels as the former Admiral Kirk’s attaché is referenced, it’s a nice Easter egg that doesn’t take away from the experience of those who haven’t read the trucks of the motion picture era novels. 

The races themselves are interesting. The Pavakans are militaristic and had occupied great chunks of Oyolo territory. The Oyolo had been waging a savage war of attrition against them. Heroes on the Pavakan side are seen as butchers and murders on the Oyolo side. Meanwhile Oyolo figures revered as freedom fighters and martyrs are seen as savages and insurgents on the Pavakan side. Huge swathes of the Oyolo home world are destroyed, leading to a massive humanitarian crisis. 

With the presence of weapons inspectors and hostage taking, it’s hard not to draw parallels to today’s world, right down to the fact that Osama Bin Laden is mentioned in the book. I’ll avoid spoilers, but the murders that may or may not have been committed by Lenore, have ongoing implications for the peace process, as do Spock and Scott’s ongoing weapons inspection work. 

The biggest flaw I found in the novel is that the last few moments before the resolution to the threat there are a few things that would be impossible on a starship, particularly in the ease in which a shuttle can be stolen by a certain type of thief without triggering alarms. However, the final scenes keep you guessing as to the resolution, and you can easily imagine it as a set piece taking place in a full scale Star Trek motion picture. 

Like any good whodunnit, there are clues scattered throughout the story. Some are red herrings (my pet theory was proven wrong) others prove to be useful (keep an eye on Chekov) and there is a big clue as to the method used. 

Overall, I would call this a great book that expertly weaves a good whodunnit with some exciting action scenes.

Have you read Foul Deeds Will Rise? Did it fit your expectations for a movie-era novel and if not, what was missing? Let us know in the comments below!

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Rounding Up and Coming Up

Hold the front page!

What a weekend! While we didn't manage to make it to Destination Star Trek we did get some interesting updates especially from our favourite Official Starships Collection.

Now we know a LOT more about the coming years. The end of October (30th to be precise) will see the arrival of the USS Vengeance which looks oh so sweet from every angle but also that the fifth special in the series will be (not much of a shock) the USS Kelvin. Do we take it then that the sixth will be the model that Ben Robinson has openly declared is his biggest nightmare, the Narada?

Destination Star Trek gave fans the chance to get up close with the models and some of the ones yet to be released but it was also revealed that the NX-01 refit would be among those released and that a Borg cube was still a possibility as a special edition not just as a fancy plastic light up box for subscribers. Also the Norway Class would make an appearance after some serious rebuilding after it was deleted a long time ago. Ben explained to those in the audience at the Excelsior stage that he would want to make it super-detailed.

On news of the USS Titan petition, Robinson also ensured fans that if 5000 signatures on it were received there would be a model. If you've not signed it, get over there now.

So the big news that was tweeted out live by Collection fan Dennis Mosselmans is that issues 51 through to 55 were confirmed and here they are...

Issue 51 - Hirogen Hunter

Love it. I've been waiting for this beauty - we needed one of the more major enemy race ships from Voyager and now we'll have it - in about two years time...

Google Images

Issue 52 - Centaur Class

One of the two ships we were told "had been involved in a big battle" when issues 41 - 50 were announced. It was also one of the ships on the original announcement posters. Nice design but not the one I was quite waiting for. More on that shortly....

Memory Beta

Issue 53 - Klingon Attack Ship

The one from the three-part Augment story in the fourth series of Enterprise. Also not a very popular ship but it does tick the box for "ship that was hijacked" - my guess of the Enterprise-A got blown out then.

Ex Astra Scientas

Issue 54 - Steamrunner Class

Now THIS is the one I'm ticking off the days on my calendar for. One of my ultimate favourite starship designs of all time. Not one of the classic hull/two nacelles/saucer designs it just looks damn brutal and I want it. Now.

Google Images

Issue 55 - D'kyr Class

A second entry in the series for the Vulcans after the Surok Class in the mid-30's. Still busting that central ring design, I did consider that this might have been the T'Plana'Hath.

Memory Alpha

So what else can we reveal today (or at least update you on?) How about the next few months worth of releases from Simon and Schuster?

October

Star Trek: Voyager - Act of Contrition - Kirsten Beyer

Sequel to this year's Protectors.

November

Star Trek: Section 31 - Disavowed - David Mack

Could this resolve Bashir's predicament from the superb The Fall series?

Star Trek Ships of the Line - Doug Drexler

Hubba hubba - the return of the best visual Star Trek book ever, revamped with a whole load of new images and pics from the last few years of calendars.

December

Star Trek: The Original Series - Foul Deeds Will Rise - Greg Cox

Interesting choice of cover art with the movie uniforms...

January 2015

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Missing - Una McCormack

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Takedown - John Jackson Miller

February

Star Trek: The Original Series - Savage Trade - Tony Daniel

No details at present.

March

Star Trek: Rise of the Federation - Uncertain Logic - Christopher L Bennett

Another in the faux-Enterprise series overseen by Christopher L Bennett. 

Are there any of these releases you're looking forward to? Which ones are getting you itching for publication date? Let us know!

Greg Cox Takes Seven Back: No Time Like the Past

Of all of this year's Simon and Schuster releases, No Time Like the Past is probably the biggest risk.

The cover leaves you without a doubt who this crossover will focus on with both Kirk and Seven of Nine featuring. Indeed, not one of the more obvious partnerships in the Star Trek universe but hey, anything can happen especially when it comes to the written word.

From Kirk's perspective a delicate matter of diplomacy gets interrupted by the arrival of Orion pirates - and then the appearance of one former Borg drone. This leads into something akin to The Chase from The Next Generation as the crew of the USS Enterprise go sprinting around the galaxy with the green-skinned slavers in pursuit in an attempt to return Seven of Nine to the future.

Honestly? The plot is merely a device to bring Kirk and Seven into the same time and place. After about 100 pages I sort of forgot about the circumstances that had started it all as it became much more about the interaction between Seven and the characters from The Original Series, most notably Kirk, Spock and McCoy (just as it should be Mr Abrams). Straightforward it might be but the conversations between these people are key to the enjoyment of the book and to be fair it's much more of a reason to dive into No Time Like the Past.

The crew of Voyager do make a fleeting appearance at the start to send Seven on her way and while their essence is, sort of, captured, Cox has absolutely landed on what makes Jeri Ryan's character so memorable. The cold, almost emotionless, computer-esque logic is there in droves suggesting that he might want to switch to Voyager rather than The Original Series. Ok, there are one or two colloqualisms that I wouldn't have expected to have spotted (+Hayley Atherton I'm seeing these more now!) but I can let them go because this is a great enjoyable romp. For once it's not about the morality, a planet in danger, it's just a straight chase to the finish line.  I was totally engrossed in the narrative as Seven easily eludes Kirk's womanising charm and crosses intellectual swords to some degree with Spock. 

While Kirk is captain I think it would have been more interesting to give the focus of this book over to Seven/Spock as we had in Unification II with Data/Spock, putting another two of the observers of humanity together for key scenes. Between them here there are some wonderful little moments of one-up-manship that illustrate Borg perfection versus Vulcan stoicism and aloofness. That said, Kirk is not as strongly portrayed as the womaniser he seemed in The Weight of Worlds from last year. The captain is much more in control of the situation and while he has to share the spotlight with the Voyager character, it presents a much more even tale and, Greg, if you are reading this, No Time Like the Past is a big improvement on last year's addition to the catalogue.

Fantastically this story is rammed full of action sequences from starship chasing through to stampeding creatures and phaser fights galore. Be assured that Cox has hammered in as many redshirt deaths as possible within the 400 odd pages here. Why have one when you can stick in multiple disintegrations of your ever-expendable security force. Now I said earlier that the story is pretty much disposable stuff, it's the places that raise the game above average with trips back to key planets featured in The Original Series such as Gamma Trianguli VI from The Apple, Cheron from Let This Be Your Last Battlefield and Sarpeidon from All Our Yesterdays.

While you'd be expecting straight returns, Cox tracks us into the pasts of these worlds, allowing us a good, if fleeting, chance to understand more about what led these worlds to the point in which we viewed them back in the original show. Very clever that and not something I would have thought to do. It makes it much less run-of-the-mill and does entice you to keep turning the pages if only to see where the ship will be heading next and what untold secrets from The Original Series we will be allowed to spy on.

As you get further into No Time Like the Past however something weird does happen - it begins to fall a bit flat and, unfortunately, predictable. The chase relentlessly continues and then the cliches begin appearing. While it's great visiting different planets the format doesn't change each time - find crystal, incident, return to ship, resume chase. Not only that but the Federation ambassador plays to all the stereotypes; getting in the way and even has a sneaky little aide. More and more it becomes evident that the great idea of sticking Seven of Nine into the Kirk-era was just that - a good idea but once Cox became more deeply embroiled in the story that the plot unravels and the intriguing concept of The Original Series meets Voyager crumbles. 

Character-wise the secondary crew of Uhura, Sulu and Chekov really suffer here with very little to do apart from man their bridge stations. Fortunately given Seven's regeneration predicament which is extensively covered, McCoy gets a fair showing and even manages to be heavily featured in one of the Planet Incidents. His character is spot on, getting nicely crotchey and grumbly at all the right points. Scotty too gets some decent page time during the latter third of the book when the Orions play out a major set piece which should have been spotted a light year off. What leads to Scotty's lengthy appearance just seems extremely out of character for all concerned and seems as though the author ran out of chase sequences to plan. Again, Cox hits Scotty straight on the nail, all Highland expressions and all. The fear I do have that is avoided is that we don't descend into too many Northern cliches and haggis mentions. Good job.

As always with a Star Trek novel though there are a trunkload of references to the 79 classics scattered more than liberally throughout. I keep saying that there really is no need to flush a load of nods to The Original Series into every novel released. Great that we know the material but they do need to be reined in at some point soon because there is a great deal of repetition between authors - Khan here, Gorn there, Mugato on that page...I might start a campaign. One thing I am impressed with from Mr Cox is the redshirt body count. If one turns up you can pretty much guarantee they won't last the chapter. If they make two chapters they've somehow managed to get a reprieve. 

It's very unusual for me to find a Star Trek novel that deteriorates like this one does plot-wise. I loved it though just because it gives the opportunity to place two diverse characters into an unusual situation. The Kirk/Seven or in fact any Seven meets an Enterprise crewmember are the meat of this book and the plot really is secondary. It's all about how Greg Cox masters the interaction, the nuances and the sparkle of the characters he has chosen to feature. Here, I can say it's been a success on every level even if the story is average/below par and isn't a big thinker. It's something I didn't expect to think here however it sort of makes sense in the end. In comparison to his 2013 effort this is 100% the better read and I bounded through the 388 pages with ease. Three or four sittings will easily get you a good way through and you'll enjoy every last second of it. While not this year's biggest brain strainer in the Simon and Schuster catalogue it's a risk that has paid off. Go out and read it because it's a page turner that will entertain at the very, very least. I think you'll find that it's worth the price. Could this perhaps be the launchpad for more of these unexpected crossover episodes? Greg Cox, over to you.

So what were your thoughts on No Time Like the Past? Was it was to team up Seven and Kirk? Let us know below!

Star Trek: The Original Series: No Time Like the Past is available now from Simon and Schuster priced £6.99 ISBN 9781476749495

While we're on the subject of Simon and Schuster, we've also had confirmation direct of the rest of the year's UK releases.

August
Star Trek: Seekers: Second Nature - David Mack

September
Star Trek: Seekers: Point of Divergence - Kevin Dilmore

October
Star Trek: Voyager: Acts of Contrition - Kirsten Beyer

November
Star Trek: Section 31: Disavowed - David Mack

December
Star Trek: The Original Series: Foul Deeds Will Rise - Greg Cox

Included here are the cover shots (unconfirmed) for Beyer's Voyager novel as well as The Next Generation and The Lost Era novels due out June/July and a mock up cover for Seekers that looks pretty good too.

I also discovered that the "secret project" book due out in November was actually an updated, expanded and long awaited Ships of the Line featuring all the images that have lavished the series of calendars since the original book arrived about eight years ago. The first was a brilliant breeze-read with every image a brilliant interpretation from a large range of artists. Knowing what material we will be getting means I'll be adding this to the collection without a doubt. Sadly no plot details are forthcoming at the moment for any of the novels noted here but you can guarantee that as soon as we get them, they'll be on here.

You can also look back at our preview in January which detailed all the releases from January's The Peaceable Kingdom through to Seekers. That also includes the Enterprise novel Tower of Babel and The Original Series' Serpents in the Garden. Just for you, here are the cover shots for those two which are due out in April and May respectively. 

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A Novel Start to 2014

Welcome to the new range of books from Simon and Schuster for 2014!!!

Let's dispense with the waffle and cut to the meaty stuff. Book four of The Fall is already out on general sale (I spotted a copy in Glasgow a few weeks back) and this month we get the finale of this brilliant quintology...

The Fall: Peaceable Kingdoms

Courtesy of Simon and Schuster

The Federation is rocked to its core as the Typhon Pact is suspected of being behind a barbarous act that shatters the fragile peace of the Alpha Quadrant. An original Star Trek novel, this is the final part of a five-book story arc that takes place over a sixty-day period, but it is not necessary to read each novel in order to follow the storyline (although we at Some Kind of Star Trek are trying valiantly to do that), which involves all aspects of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine universes.

This series has been so memorable and cleverly woven together by the five authors. To review them as a team we have read them separately but one or two contributors are planning to read them in sequence of release. Whether it's action, characterisation, politics or just a fine read then this has had it all plus the kitchen sink in there for good measure. A must of 2013 and an essential purchase for the New Year.

Peaceable Kingdoms will be available in the UK from January 16th 2014.

Voyager: Protectors

Courtesy of Simon and Schuster

Following the destruction of four fleet vessels at the hands of the Omega Continuum, the USS Voyager and USS Demeter set course for a region of the Delta Quadrant far beyond anything previously explored. Captain Chakotay is determined to prove to Starfleet Command that the fleet's ongoing mission is vital to Federation interests…and the key to doing so may lie in a distress call Voyager received nine years earlier, but could not investigate.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway is recalled to the Alpha Quadrant for an evaluation period to determine her next assignment. Given the trauma she has recently endured, Admiral Akaar, Starfleet's Commander-in-Chief, questions Janeway's fitness to command the fleet. Janeway's primary concern remains the fleet's safety. For their mission to continue, she must find a way to secure the resources they require. But the uncertainty of her superior officers has left her powerless to act in theirbest interests. The USS Galen is dispatched to return Janeway to Earth and tasked thereafter with a mission to a remote Starbase in the Beta Quadrant where an individual they believe to be a member of the Caeliar gestalt has been recovered. The Doctor's experience with Seven of Nine is vital to their efforts, but he soon discovers that their patient is more than meets the eye.

As the remaining fleet struggles to communicate with a dangerous and mysterious alien technology that may hold the key to unlocking an ancient civilization, Janeway searches for the path to her future and The Doctor finds himself forced to betray one he holds dear to prevent the spread of a new plague now ravaging several Federation worlds.

So February will see the first Voyager novel for some time takes us back into the Delta Quadrant - but are we really fussed with all the shenanigans going on with Deep Space Nine and the Picard-led Enterprise? Well, we'll find out in February and I can say that this is one book we are hotly anticipating due to the noticable absence of Janeway and co. 

The Original Series: No Time Like the Past

startrek.com

Stardate 6422.5. A diplomatic mission to the planet Yusub erupts in violence when ruthless Orion raiders attempt to disrupt the crucial negotiations by force. Caught in the midst of tense and dangerous situation, Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise finds an unexpected ally in the form of an enigmatic stranger who calls herself "Annika Seven."

Stardate 53786.1. Seven of Nine is taking part in an archaeological expedition on an obscure planetoid in the Delta Quadrant when a disastrous turn of events puts Voyager's away team in jeopardy-and transports Seven across time and space to Yusub, where she comes face to face with one of Starfleet's greatest legends.

Stardate 6422.5. Kirk knows better than most the danger that even a single castaway from the future can pose to the timeline, so he and Seven embark on a hazardous quest to return her to her own era. But there are others who crave the knowledge Seven possesses, and they will stop at nothing to obtain it-even if this means seizing control of the Enterprise!

Calm it down there. Yes, really - Kirk and Seven. Either a novelised match in Heaven or something that in years to come will be regarded as the biggest crash since Troi helmed the Enterprise (D or E it makes no difference). Hopefully Greg Cox has pulled a gem out of the bag that will top last year's average helping, The Weight of Worlds. We know to some degree that he can handle The Original Series but the real test is mixing up two very different generations and two of the most popular characters in that. Good to see that we get another helping of Voyager this year even if it is under The Original Series banner. (Cover art not approved in the UK; novel due March 2014).

Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel

Having survived its first major crisis, the Federation turns to nation-building as Admiral Jonathan Archer works to bring the worlds of the powerful Rigel system into the young union of the United Federation of Planets. But factions both within the Federation and among its enemies oppose the alliance, and Archer will need all the skills of his former Enterprise crewmates to prevent them from plunging Rigel into a system wide war.

Christopher L Bennett is back with another chunk of Enterprise-that-isn't-actually-Enterprise with Tower of Babel. I (Clive) wasn't a fan of the 2013 offering A Choice of Futures and my review didn't hold back. This time our resident Archer-ite Carl will be handling the novel. Rumour is that this is a much better read so we might get a pleasant surprise but it has to be less of a political drag and more upbeat. While it does focus on the characters of Enterprise the strands holding it to that name are getting a little worn. Drop the moniker and just go with Rise of the Federation. Note for Carl if you're reading, the picture of Pothos is dedicated to you (cover art unconfirmed - book released April!).

The Original Series: Serpents in the Garden

Early in his five-year mission commanding the USS Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk found himself caught up in a growing conflict on the planet Neural. To maintain the balance of power against a force being armed by the Klingons, he provided weapons to his friends, the Hill People. Years later, Admiral Kirk learns that the Klingon presence on the planet has grown considerably, in possible violation of the Treaty of Organia. Did his impulse as a young captain turn out disastrously wrong? Should he - could he - have done more to eliminate the Klingon threat? To find out, he embarks on a secret mission back to Neural - where he might just be the only person who can prevent an interstellar war.

Ahhh. He doesn't trust the Klingons does he that Admiral Kirk! Tracing back events before The Original Series and seen in the second season story A Private Little War we're expecting Klingons, rifles and the odd Mugato to be thrown together here. Surely any novel that deals with Klingons is a sure-fire winner. This will mark Jeff Mariotte's follow up to The Folded World which was a mighty good read. I hope this is just as good and we'll discover just how much in May which is also when the Klingon Art of War will be available.

The Lost Era: One Constant Era

A novel from The Lost Era. When John Harriman took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-B, it was the most benighted launch of a starship in more than 200 years. This is that story, as well as that of the powerful officer who believed in Captain Harriman and convinced him not to resign his command.

Now if I'm correct here that reference to a powerful officer is alluding to the fan-produced and Tim Russ-directed Of Gods and Men which states that Chekov was the man who helped save Harriman's career following the apparent death of Kirk on the Enterprise-B. I'm not familiar with The Lost Era but I think it's self-explanatory from the title. I know there were a rack of titles a few years back that focused on the Enterprise-B but I never managed to get to them. This now comes along and should make up for at least some of that blip in my reading. I liked the character of Harriman to some degree but by god was he a bad choice to captain that ship. We'll see this on shelves in June.

The Next Generation: Light Fantastic

The continuation of the epic story begun in the New York Times bestselling The Next Generation trilogy Cold Equations is here (later this year). A now-resurrected Data and his android "daughter" Lal must face off against the holographic entity James Moriarity, who is determined to acquire android bodies in order to live a "real-world" immortal life.

That's a lot of "quotes" there which doesn't sit well. Now this was one of those books that HAD to happen I suppose. There was no way to avoid the finale of Cold Equations so a reborn Data story was always going to be on the books. Interested? Yes, but there are more stellar titles competing for our money this year and that's before we even reach the release date of Light Fantastic which is set for July.

Seekers: Second Nature

Image from David Mack's website

Despite heroic efforts, the Andorian species is headed for extinction. Its slow march toward oblivion has reached a tipping point, one from which there will be no hope of return. With countless lives at stake, the leaders of Andor, the Federation, and the Typhon Pact all scheme to twist the crisis to their political gain-at any price. Unwilling to be a mere bystander to tragedy, Doctor Julian Bashir risks everything to find a cure for the Andorians. But his courage will come at a terrible cost…

We at Some Kind of Star Trek have ranked this as the must buy novel of the year. Taking a totally different line on the universe and boarding a ship that isn't from the mainstream has proved a hit in the past. We're expecting big things from this series and doubt we'll be disappointed considering it's the work of Dayton Ward, David Mack and Kevin Dilmore. Apparently following on from Vanguard it's not a completely new step but I don't expect many be familiar faces from the TV shows.

Beyond that release in August the year has yet to be revealed. What do we think then? A good selection or retreading ground? Are the new titles of a good original nature? What are your experiences with the authors we'll be seeing in print in 2014? Why not let us know...

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