Hey yall! Any cool reads this week? Let's talk about 'em!

Perhaps some cool battles with new tricks to take down enemies or evade their assaults?

Any dangerous flora on that newly discovered world? Hope the crew is ok....OK.....

Getting some good info at that trade conference or trying to enjoy some shore leave? Be a shame. ...if something interrupted that relative tranquility.....

But nah, yall have been doing great charting the stars , going through missions. Definitely not any mechanical malfunctions on the horizon.....

Let us know how it's going and what you're looking forward to next week! Happy reading yall!

Barbara Hambly's "Ghost-Walker" was the perfect end to the Spooky Trek season for me. It was a great ghost story that became more and more unsettling as the plot unfurled. I am glad I was not spoiled because the twist was a total surprise to me!
Load's of surprises and fun bits that come together to make a great story. The climax was a very unexpected and fun ride. One of my favorites this year for sure, LLAP.

https://youtu.be/2XpKoFksy7Y

This book was not as good as I hoped it was. I was immediately hooked because of they promised to explore the disappearance of Gillian Taylor as you don’t find out what happened afterwards. Like, obivously you know she goes to the 23rd century, but not the aftermath of her disappearance back in the 80s. The part set in our present day I really really enjoyed it and it was easily the best part of the book.

The villain, Orlando Wilder was kind of a run of the mill Trek villain. I was hoping for a more interesting twist than an augment. I fully didn’t quite understand what he wanted to find Taylor and how he knew Kirk before meeting him in 2268. Everything else in the book was very standard Trek and Cox always has a good grasp of the characters. But if I were to read a book like this again, the Rings of Time is a better version of this book. And Gillian doesn’t show up until the very end which is frustrating too. That’s 3 out of 3 new Trek books that have come out in the last year and a half that have been disappointing for me.

6.5/10

Out now: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum" by Una McCormack and published by Simon & Schuster Audio, Blackstone Publishing, Pocket Books, Gallery Books:

When Una Chin-Riley and Christopher Pike meet at Starfleet Academy after one of his lectures, they immediately become friends. A stellar student, Una is the “poster girl” of her class, and Pike is determined to become a Starfleet captain with his own ship, rhetorically assembling his dream crew. As their friendship evolves, Pike also suspects Una is involved with the Euxhana, a Chionian cultural minority, who are seeking asylum in Federation space, leading to more questions than answers.

Twenty-five years later, Una and Pike are working together on the USS Enterprise to settle a Chionian trade agreement when a pro-Euxhana saboteur launches a terrorist attack. When the suspect is taken into custody for interrogation and is discovered to have a history with Una, her past associations resurface, threatening to expose a secret she’s been harboring all these years…

Get your cloak and dagger ready, it's time to read some stories of Section 31!

Books in bold have not been on sale in a long time:

Star Trek: 15 Corona by Greg Bear on 1984-04-01

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The Corona, an awesome, sentient force of protostars, has taken control of a stranded team of Vulcan scientists. The U.S.S. Enterprise comes on a rescue mission, with a female reporter and a new computer that can override Kirk's command. Suddenly, the rescuers must save themselves and the entire Universe -- before Corona unleashes a Big Bang!

Read reviews and buying options here

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Section 31: Abyss by David Weddle Jeffrey Lang on 2001-06-26

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SECTION 31(TM) They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group commited to safeguarding the Federation at any cost. Mere days after the startling events of AVATAR, Dr. Julian Bashir faces his darkest nightmare when Section 31 compels him to undertake amission to stop one of their own. But this renegade is no ordinary agent. Like Bashir, Dr. Ethan Locken is genetically enhanced, a human superior in body and mind. But Locken dreams of remaking the galaxy in his own image -- and creating a new human empire based on the example of the infamous Khan Noonien Singh. And as he begins to understand the terrifying truth about his opposite number, Bashir will learn more about himself than he ever wanted. NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

Read reviews and buying options here

Star Trek: Section 31: Cloak by S.D. Perry on 2001-05-22

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They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost. Once, in order to preserve the galaxy's fragile balance of power, Captain James T. Kirk carried out a dangerous mission to capture a cloaking device from the Romulan Star Empire. Months later, while investigating a mysterious disaster aboard a Federation starship, Kirk discovers that the same technology he obtained for the sake of peace is being put to sinister purposes. What the crew of the "Starship Enterprise(TM) " uncovers will send shock waves through the quadrant, as Section 31 sets in motion a plan that could bring the major powers of the galaxy to their knees. NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

Read reviews and buying options here

Star Trek: Section 31: Disavowed by David Mack on 2014-10-28

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The pulse-pounding new Star Trek thriller from David Mack—a direct sequel to the New York Times bestselling series The Fall! Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, and answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost. Doctor Julian Bashir sacrificed his career for a chance to infiltrate Section 31 and destroy it from within. Now it’s asking him to help it stop the Breen from stealing a dangerous new technology from the Mirror Universe—one that could give the Breen control over the galaxy. It’s a mission Bashir can’t refuse—but is it really the shot he’s been waiting for? Or is it a trap from which even his genetically enhanced intellect can’t escape?

Read reviews and buying options here

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Section 31: Rogue by Andy Mangels Michael A. Martin on 2001-05-22

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They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost. Six months before their ultimate battle against the Borg for the fate of Earth, Captain Jean-Luc Piccard and the crew of the "USS Enterprise" face a very different kind of crisis. A world in turmoil becomes the focal point of conspiracies and betrayal as an unexpected reunion brings with it startling revelations. Old friends become bitter enemies and one young officer reaches a crossroad when he's forced to choose between the greater good of the Federation and the ideals for which it stands. NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

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Star Trek: The Original Series: Seasons of Light and Darkness by Michael A. Martin on 2014-04-28

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An original Star Trek e-novella set in the Original Series universe, taking place prior to the events of the feature film The Wrath of Khan.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Section 31: Shadow by Dean Wesley Smith Kristine Kathryn Rusch on 2011-05-22

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They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost. Someone or something is trying to kill Seven of Nine. As the crew races against time to save millions of refugees from an imminent stellar cataclysm, the former Borg becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents." The investigation reveals a truth more terrifying than anyone ever imagined, as Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the Starship Voyager fight for their lives against the most unexpected enemy of all. NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

Read reviews and buying options here

It looks like a bunch of the older ebooks are disappearing from Amazon, Apple Books, etc. I'm really hoping Simon & Schuster are getting better scans of the covers and putting them back up, but I have no idea. the two I noticed were The Captain's Daughter and Vulcan's Forge.

The whole book doesn't need to be about a Peregrine crew, but I'd love to read more detail about the fighter beyond what's been shown on screen.

Tried ChatGPT and it recommended a book from the Original Series, so I doubt that's accurate!

Hi guys.

Could you please tell me if there are any Trek Books that cover the Iconians (Their technology is on full display on TNG Episode Contagion) or the El-Urians? (Guinan's race)

Also, where would be a good place for me to go shopping if I'm looking for 1989-1997 Star Trek Next Gen Novels? I check out a lot of second hand book stores in my city monthly, but I rarely find new ones anymore.

Thanks and enjoy the rest of your weekend! <3

Hello everyone! How's the new month going for yall! Read anything interesting this past week or perhaps before you got to that mission report

You were betrayed by someone you trusted ?!?

The captain put the ship in red alert due to enemy ships decloaking?!?

You decided to head to the holodeck and ......wait nothing unusual happened?!?

Found a stowaway on your shuttle that led to you uncovering alien hidden agendas?!?

You were diverted to the nearest Starbase to provide diplomatic escort...

Giving aid to scientific settlement after mysterious happenings planetside?

Well, let us know what happened in that mission report and how you performed in the line of duty, whether we should follow your example or take a diff approach

So I remember when this series was published and read two of the nine books. That took me about three years to do, I pushed my self to sit down and read them because it's ST and to me the story is great. But I fall asleep pretty easily when I'm just sitting there. Soooo I've been patiently waiting for this series to become a audiobook. I fear it won't happen tho and that sucks. Does anyone know if I'm just missing where the audiobooks are for this or maybe know of a way for something to read them to me.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_A_Time_to...#Novels

I start off my conversation with Una McCormack with a mutual admiration for time shenanigans, then we move on to talk about the audio adaptation of her upcoming book “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum” and features “Una by Una”, which is a clever way of saying that this is the first time that Una McCormack has written a story specifically for Una Chin-Riley, the first officer of the Enterprise under Captain Pike. The story features multiple types of sentient alien cats, linguistic shenanigans, and a student production of The Mikado! It's official release date is November 5th, but many book stores already have it on their shelves.

We have a great conversation about the origins of the story and how it changed from the initial concept to what we’re about to read and how the various strikes effected the final outcome, then briefly talk about how fun it is to be writing a character that’s been named after you. Una says Una (the character) is an onion with a solid but complicated relationship with Pike and they rely on each other in a wonderful way.

We then talk about her work in the Doctor Who franchise and the fantastic audio series that has hundreds upon hundreds of entries from “Big Finish”, something that we both feel Trek could learn and benefit from.

I ask her about the Weird Universe book series, it was started by Eric Brown and she’s written two of the four books in the series. It has a cool concept that I think I’d like to eventually check out.

Una McCormack can be found at her website, Mastodon, and Twitter

Out now: "Star Trek: Year Five Deluxe Edition: Book 2" by Brandon Easton, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and published by IDW Publishing

Embark on the critically acclaimed final chapter of the U.S.S. Enterprise‘s five-year voyage. The crew left Earth four years ago. Since then, they’ve traveled to strange new worlds, defeated impossible foes, and made universe-changing decisions. But now, with the end in sight, they’ll have to face their biggest challenge yet. Step aboard the Enterprise with Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and Chekov as they begin the end of their original five-year mission and boldly go into an uncertain future. This deluxe hardcover edition collects issues #15-25 and the Star Trek: Year Five Valentine’s Day Special.

Hello everyone. I was looking for book recommendations. I'm a fan of TOS-Voyager. TNG and DS9 are my favorite series. The Borg and the Cardassians are my favorite antagonists. Is there any book series that focuses on a big battle with the Borg? What about series that crossover several different Trek series? And lastly just books in general you consider the best for each era TOS-Voyager.

Hello yall! How's it going? Delved into any good reads lately?

More of focus an adventure and exploration type or cater more towards thrillers and intrigue? Enjoy the space aspects and encounters or more a 'boots on the ground' ? Perhaps more mysterious circumstances and the unknown hold more sway?

Do you go for thematic books, finding something surreal or mysterious around Halloween? Perhaps uplifting and positive around the winter holidays in November/ December?

Jump around a lot between continuity and timelines or try to read in more chronological order? More a one off mission types of books or favor the trilogies, mini series and longer connected stories? Perhaps interweaving the other media like series, movies and comics into your schedule of reading traditional books (or ebooks of those books)?

Let us know how it's going and what you recommend (or not rec so much) below! Happy reading yall!

Melissa Crandall's Shell Game was a great read for this spooky season. Creepy abandoned station, dead Romulans and mystery with Bones at the lead!
The writer does a great job make you feel uneasy as the away team explores further into the station. There is an ascent up a turboshaft that is really well done and had me nervous!
A great read for Bones fans to anyone looking for a spooky Trek book.

https://youtu.be/9fPVt6pAaQs

Out now: "Star Trek: Defiant #20" by Christopher Cantwell with covers by Angel Unzueta, Declan Shalvey, Marcus To and published by IDW Publishing

The Romulans are descending on Antara, and Worf must lead his militia to victory against the warship Ran’Kara. When the battle turns against the Antarans, Worf is forced into a duel with one of the best Romulan fighters ever seen: Maiek. Has the battle already been lost, or will Maiek finally meet the edge of Worf’s bat’leth?

Out now: "Star Trek: Lower Decks – Warp Your Own Way" by Ryan North with a cover by Chris Fenoglio and published by IDW Publishing

Mariner just wants to have a normal day, but no matter what side of the bed she wakes up on, the world is ending. Literally. If she has coffee, Borg attack! If she has raktajino, cue the Romulan boarding party! And in each scenario, Mariner and her friends end up dead, sometimes the ship is destroyed—and the day starts all over again.

But by exploring the different paths, you, the reader, can discover things that Mariner can’t. There are inconsistencies that don’t make sense—putting aside the fact that Mariner’s choice of drink each morning shouldn’t affect which alien races attack the ship, other facts of her world seem to change too. Something is definitely off. It’s up to you to discover!

Hey yall! Where have yall journeyed in the galaxy this week?

Routine missions around the Alpha quadrant or traveling through a time warp?

Diplomatic exchanges in the Beta quadrant or Cloak and dagger expeditions in the Neutral Zone?

Fighting the Dominion in the Gamma quadrant or discovering new races in the Delta quadrant?

Hope you're not stuck in the mirrorverse! Or maybe it's a fun ride over there?

Let us know how it's going and where you may end up next week! Happy reading yall!

This conversation is my first branch out from talking to Star Trek authors, this week I spoke to Robert Petkoff! He’s narrated over 30 Trek books and has done dozens upon dozens of audio books not related to Trek. You may notice his glorious mustache that he has in place for a role that he’s playing in a production of Moulin Rouge.

Our conversation starts with a talk about the work he does that’s outside of audio book narration, though he does mention that he just wrapped up his work on narrating Una McCormick’s upcoming book Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Asylum. He talks about his “on the road” setup for when he’s doing duration with some good information for those of you that are audio nerds.

We talk about his process for narration, which includes some fun discussions on his he isn’t an impersonator, but that there are small changes that can be made for different characters that give a great indication about who’s saying what.

We have a discussion about how A.I. is super useful for current narrators, but has the capability to end the careers of upcoming narrators before they can even get started. Is there going to be a marketplace for human narrators when something like Amazon Kindle can do it automatically for us?

We also talk about narrating for TOS Kirk vs narrating for SNW Kirk.

Robert Petkoff can be found on his website, Instagram, and Twitter.

So, I have had a collecting itch to get my hands on the 48 issues of Star Trek: The Magazine that ran from 1999 to 2003. I am mainly interested in the "in universe" content such as the technical readouts that were pulled from the Star Trek Fact Files and also the "Starfleet Technical Database", written by Rick Sternbach. I suspect the interviews with actors and details on the production of the shows has probably not aged well.

However, after going through a laborious process of getting a complete set of Star Trek Fact Files last year, I am wondering if there is enough of the in-fiction content in the magazines to even make them a worthwhile read. Do the Fact Files basically cover the same ground?

Any thoughts?

Out now: "Star Trek #25" by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing with covers by Jake Bartok, Liana Kangas, Ramon Rosanas and published by IDW Publishing

The android Lore has done the unthinkable: He has detonated the Orb of Destruction, unmaking the universe. After an extra-galactic tumble on the ensuing shockwave, the Theseus sinks into fluidic space. There, the crew melds in and out of a manifold of realities. Benjamin Sisko is against a godkiller once again, but this time it’s up to him alone to save reality itself!

This was a re read for me as I never finished the book two years ago when I read it. And it wasn’t as good as the first time around. But it was leagues better than a Time to be Born, the last Vornholt book I read which was start up terrible.

I always appreciate when things from TOS are picked up and followed in the TNG/DS9/VOY era and it makes it feel very interconnected and part of a larger universe. Besides the novelizations of the TOS movies, we don’t know what happened to Carol Marcus, post SFS. So, I liked how the book followed up on that and told us what happened to Carol in the intervening years. The Genesis wave concept is genuinely an interesting concept but it feels like a tired premise at this point. How many world ending and galaxy ending events have the various crews faced? Calling this bigger than the Dominon War is just tiring. This urge for trying to up the ante from previous crisises is a tired premise for me.

Anyway, this was still a decent book and again the Genesis Wave is an interesting concept and seeing how the various planets are affected is straight up out of a horror movie. The whole Geordi/ Leah dynamic and revisiting that felt un needed and its turf we’ve already explored. Geordi thinking about love instead of the crisis in front of him and dealing with a woman who just lost her husband even if she didn’t love him, made me roll my eyes.

6.5/10

This one was recommended to me as a good spooky book and it was great! I had a great time reading this one as it felt like the author was in the spooky season mood as well.

Diane Carey is one of my favorite writers and she does really nailed the mood in this one. Also Sisko is such a bad ass and it comes through here well.

The story kept me interested and the High Gul's character was very well done. Also first time I have read the word shillyshally in a book. Love it.

https://youtu.be/tu-1lA8VVM8

Hello, I was wondering if the novelizations by James Blish are worth reading at all. I picked up the first one today and the novelizations of the episodes are a little too short for my liking. Are they worth reading?

Has anyone read the Star Trek: Legacies trilogy (Captain to Captain, Best Defense, and Purgatory’s Key)? According to the Star Trek novels Wikipedia page, beginning with 2013’s Allegiance in Exile most novels have a shared continuity. The Legacies books came out in 2016, so it’s unclear to me if they are a part of that continuity or if they stand on their own. I’m assuming the latter, but I wanted to check with you all first. Does anyone have a clear answer on that?

This was a great book and easily one of the best DS9 novels out there! I felt like if they ever wanted to make a movie based on DS9, it should have been this. It would be an odd choice to focus on Quark and Rom, but this book feels very cinematic.

Here, we see Quark lose everything as the Grand Nagus is refusing to sell one of the Orbs to the Bajorans. In response, the Bajoran government bars all Ferengi from Bajoran space but Quark and Rom don’t leave in time. They end up in an internment camp, inspired by George Takei’s experience as a Japanese-American in WW2. Ah yes, the comedic side character goes through a traumatic experience. Typical character development for any comedic side character.

This book very much felt like an encore for DS9 if I had to compare it to anything. I always sort of considered the Millennium trilogy by the Reeves to be that. But this is a second one. It starts off slow and George is known to write his books like this. But when it finally takes off, it takes off. The plot was good, the pacing was good and it was surprisingly very dark for a book involving Ferengi.

8/10.

PS: I really wish this book didn’t share a title with such a cursed thing on the internet

Hey yall! Where have yall journeyed yo lately,

Exotic locations, but dangerous flora?

Harsh environments including aggressive fauna?

Spatial anomalies with unexplainable side effects?

Hunting rogue ships with tricks up their sleeves?

Navigating politics and intrigue or perhaps a good Ole fashioned brawl?

A bit of interspecies conflict or perhaps bringing down tensions?

Let us know where your adventures take you and if we should join you on the journey or maybe take a different path. Happy reading yall!

I saw that TNG Ghosts #1 ebook is on sale at Barnes and Noble and they kind of sound fanfic-y. Are they any good?