Book bits: Coda teases, audiobook covers, and Discovery: Wonderlands excerpts

There a diverse offering of Star Trek novels on the way this year, from old and current series, and even a (presumably) last hurrah from the novel continuity Picard has now pushed into an alternate timeline. Publisher Simon and Schuster have now released some updated covered for several of those, plus various excerpts from the latest release, Discovery: Wonderlands. Continue below for all the latest Star Trek novel updates:

German cover art for the Destiny crossover trilogy

First up, looking towards the end of the year (September to November), we have the Coda(ad) trilogy. Initial short blurbs were released for this a couple of months ago, revealing it will chronicle a "Temporal Apocalypse", and feature the crews under Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker.

These are the lead commanders of the post-Nemesis novel continuity featuring the ongoing adventures of the USS Enterprise-E, USS Titan, USS Aventine, USS Robinson, and the rebuilt Deep Space 9. A continuity that alas is no longer compatible with the on-screen Trekverse established in Picard, due to numerous divergent elements, including most significantly the lack of a massive Borg invasion in the Destiny(ad) trilogy, the resurrection of Data in the Cold Equations(ad) trilogy, and a very different life of Captain Picard.

While not explicitly marketed as such, the Coda trilogy seems to be offering us one last chapter in this world of Trek, which will hopefully tie up a few dangling plots, let us enjoy one last adventure with many novel-only characters or versions-of-characters we know, and give us some sense of resolution to what for many has been the main reality of Star Trek for years. 

The authors of the trilogy, Dayton Ward, James Swallow, and David Mack have been talking about work on the trilogy on the TrekBBS message boards, and revealed some little titbits. Responding to a question about the involvement of DS9 in the series, Mack reassured it will be a major element:

Not just some role — a pivotal role. I'll tell you now we were not able to address all of the open story threads from that series, but we are doing some deep-cut callbacks and making sure the DS9 heroes are front-and-center for the climax of book three.

Book bits: New novels for 2021, To Lose the Earth excerpts, and more

Lots of Star Trek novels news today, including the first details of many new books coming next year, previews of the newly released Voyager novel, To Lose the Earth, and other covers and previews from the written world of Trek. Continue below for all the latest.

First up, as I reported earlier in the year, two new authors are joining the Star Trek fold, and now the first details of their books have been revealed, via an announcement on SyFy Wire. Both authors represent an effort to diversify the writing pool for Star Trek novels, and both happen to be to be set in the TV eras of their respective shows, which we've not seen for quite some time.

Specifically the TNG novel Shadows Have Offended, by Cassandra Rose Clark, is to be set in the seventh season. The book will focus on Deanna Troi, Beverly Crusher, and Worf.

A DS9 novel Revenant, by Alex R. White, doesn't have the timeline pinned down in the announcement, but set to feature Jadzia Dax and Kira Nerys, which would seem to limit it to the first six seasons.

They didn't formally announce publication dates for these yet, although Simon and Schuster have recently listed several forthcoming books, and the acronyms probably give us a clue. They are:

• Untitled TDV(ad), a Picard novel (in hardcover), due January 2021.
• Untitled SHO(ad), a TNG novel, due in April 2021 - Presumably this is Shadows Have Offended.
• Untitled DTP(ad), a Discovery novel, due in May 2021.
• Untitled OATW(ad), a TOS novel, due in June 2021.
• Untitled STR(ad), a DS9 novel, due in July 2021 - Presumably this is Revenant.

Star Trek novel news: A Contest of Principles cover, and More Beautiful Than Death and Die Standing exceprts

Star Trek novel news aplenty in this update, including new covers and new excerpts from TOS, Kelvin, and Discovery books. Continue below for all the latest.

First up a brand new cover, for the next TOS novel, Greg Cox's A Contest of Principles. This new design has just popped up recently on the Simon and Schuster Digital Catalog, and is a strikingly new take on Star Trek cover design. I like it!

Book bits: Kirk Fu cover, Enterprise War excerpt, and more

Got a few book bits today, including new covers and excerpts from several books. Continue below to check them out:

First up, we have the long awaited cover reveal for Insight Edition's forthcoming Kirk Fu Manual. This guide to "Starfleet's most feared martial art" is written by Dayton Ward (of course), with illustrations by Christian Cornia. It's been pushed back in the schedule from the original planned release, so you've got until March next year before you can start preparing yourself for self defense Kirk style:

Discovery: The Way to the Stars excerpts

Hitting the bookshelves this week is the first Star Trek novel of 2019, and the fourth Discovery novel, Una McCormack's The Way to the Stars. Like the previous Discovery books this is a prequel to the main period of the TV series, in this instance following a teenage Sylvia Tilly.

The book is available in trade paperback and ebook, or audiobook available on CD or download; and you can sample excerpts from both the print and audio editions below. But first, here's a reminder of the blurb, as seen on the back of the book:

Book bits: New books and other updates

Some books updates today, including more new audio releases, and updates, plus two new titles announced!

First up, while talking to Literary Treks (TrekFM's Star Trek books podcast), David Mack has revealed he is working on a new (presumably TNG) novel, with the working title Collateral Damage - This will be a follow up to his last TNG-era novel, Section 31: Control, which of course saw Section 31 unravel and implicated numerous members of Starfleet in the centuries long conspiracy, including Jean-Luc Picard, for his part in the cover up of a presidential assassination - The latter action occurred in a much older book, A Time to Heal, which was subject of the podcast discussion. Mack ominously laid out what awaits Picard as a result:

Eventually the truth does come out, and Jean-Luc Picard is going to have to face the music.

He also hinted that the book will explore the fallout from his Borg invasion trilogy, Destiny:

Even though we think all is well all these years later, the level of damage and devastation that was done by the Borg continues to have its effects and to take its toll on Alpha Quadrant society.

Book bits: New TOS novel, and release updates

A few little Star Trek prose updates today, and one big one: A new book has been announced!

Due for release in May, Christopher L. Bennett will be returning to the TOS era with The Captain's Oath. Details beyond that are minimal at the moment, with just the tiniest preliminary blurb:

An all-new novel based upon Star Trek: The Original Series, featuring Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise!

Bennett also wrote the last TOS book to be published, The Face of the Unknown, and it seems this will be the first TOS book of the new year and new run of Star Trek novels after the recent hiatus, as the previously announced Greg Cox book, The Antares Maelstrom, has now been rescheduled, with an expected August release (instead of March).

In other books news, Blackstone have announced two more CD editions of recent Star Trek audiobooks (previously only available as downloads). April will bring us John Jackson Miller's Hell's Heart, the first book in the TNG-era crossover Prey trilogy. And then in May will be Dayton Ward's TNG novel Hearts and Mind. Both are read by Robert Petkoff and feature the same cover art as the previous download editions.

Book bits: TNG: Available Light cover, and Discovery audiobook updates

StarTrek.com have revealed the cover for their next TNG novel, Dayton Ward's Available Light, which is due out in April. The alien packed design is by Doug Drexler and Ali Ries. StarTrek.com have also confirmed this book will be getting an audiobook release. Continue below for a reminder of the blurb, and some other audiobook news: