Star Trek novel news: First Coda cover, and audiobook updates

Exciting times Star Trek novel readers, the first cover for this year's mega-crossover event, the Coda trilogy, has been released. Continue below to check it out, and for some other Star Trek novel updates.

The Coda trilogy(ad) will feature the crews under Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker dealing with a "Temporal Apocalypse" in the Star Trek books continuity readers will know well from the last couple of decades of Star Trek novels, which Picard has now rendered an alternate timeline (or maybe after this apocalypse, more linked in some way?). Dayton Ward's Moments Asunder(ad) kicks off the series, and as we can now see, the cover features the USS Enterprise-E swooping into action. 

Star Trek novels: New Picard post-season one novel announced, plus Coda and Living Memory previews

A few Star Trek novel news items have turned up lately, including a little something from the Coda trilogy, and previews of the newest TOS novel, Living Memory. But most excitingly, there is news of the first Star Trek novel scheduled for 2022, and the first non-prequel Picard novel!

Coming in April 2022 from Una McCormack is Second Self(ad), a new Picard novel which centers on Raffi, and unlike the three Picard novels so far(ad), which have filled in the backstory for characters in the series in prequel settings, this new book is set after the events of the first season. 

The blurb therefore might be mildly spoilery for where we are come the start of the second season, as it suggests where some characters are beyond simply flying off away on La Sirena:

A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame—teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact—a Romulan spy—is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Cristobal Rios and Dr. Agnes Jurati, and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission—and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly….

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.

Star Trek novel updates: First Coda blurbs, details of next DS9 novel, and audiobook covers

More Star Trek novel news! Following the recent reveal of the 2021 line-up of Star Trek novels, Simon and Schuster have now updated their Online Catalog with blurbs for the books coming towards the end of the year, including the first details of the Coda trilogy. Continue below for all the details.

The Coda trilogy is set to tie-up the reality of the Star Trek litverse which has been told over the last couple of decades, but was alas shunted into an alternate timeline by the new canon events of Picard. All three of the new blurbs start with the following intro, which confirms we are getting one last enormous TNG/DS9/Titan/Aventine crossover:

The crews of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Ezri Dax, and William Riker unite to prevent a cosmic-level apocalypse—only to find that some fates really are inevitable.

Book 1: Moments Asunder(ad), by Dayton Ward kicks off the trilogy in September:

REALITY ITSELF IS UNDER ATTACK.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy begins when the unexpected arrival of an old friend triggers a desperate mission to avert a fast-spreading temporal disaster.

James Swallow continues in October with Book 2: The Ashes of Tomorrow(ad):

THE FUTURE IS AT WAR WITH THE PAST.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy continues as friends become foes, the Temporal Apocalypse accelerates, and the catastrophe’s true cause is revealed.

And David Mack closes the trilogy in November with Book 3: Oblivion's Gate(ad):

THEIR MOST DAUNTING MISSION WILL BE THEIR FINEST HOUR.

The epic Star Trek: Coda trilogy comes to a shattering conclusion as the Temporal Apocalypse forces Starfleet’s greatest heroes to make the greatest sacrifices of their lives.

Temporal Apocalypse!! Blimey. Who is the mysterious old friend, what is the nature of the disaster, how will this all mesh the litverse with the canon reality? I cannot wait to find out!

Picard: The Dark Veil, USS Titan novel excerpts

This month has brought us the second Picard novel, a bit of a Titan novel in disguise, James Swallow's The Dark Veil. As usual Simon and Schuster have released excerpts from both the print and audio editions. Continue below to check them out. But first, here's a reminder of the blurb:

A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!

The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis.

Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending super­nova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a dev­astating attack—but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!

Contest of Principles excerpts, and other Star Trek novel updates

The latest Star Trek novel release is Greg Cox's new TOS book, A Contest of Principles. As ever Simon and Schuster have released a selection of previews to give you a taste of the book. Continue below to check those out. But first a few other Star Trek novel updates:

New Simon and Schuster listings have revealed a new book on the schedule, currently known only as Untitled RE. This will be a Picard hardcover release, expected next August. The author is as yet unannounced.

Another listing has also been updated, Untitled STR has now been pushed back to December, from it's previous July slot. This is expected to be Revenant, a DS9 novel by new Star Trek author Alex White, which will feature Jadzia Dax and Kira Nerys.

One other new book update is that Christopher L. Bennett has mentioned on his blog he is currently working on a book. But no other details are available just yet.

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!

Discovery: Die Standing excerpts, and other Star Trek novel updates

Out this week was the latest Star Trek Discovery novel, John Jackson Miller's Die Standing. The book features Philippa Georgiou, in three guises; her younger prime timeline self, the mirror universe Emperor at the height of her power, and the Emperor again, once displaced into the prime timeline and forced to seek out new opportunities. Continue below for print and audio excerpts from the book, plus some other Star Trek novel updates.

But first, via StarTrek.com Miller wrote up a great tease of what the book has to offer. Here's a sample:

While we didn’t know her for very long, Captain Georgiou appeared again in a Short Treks episode, as well as in previous novels Desperate Hours and Drastic Measures. Die Standing, which I wrote in coordination with Kirsten Beyer of the Discovery writer’s room, opens even earlier in the character’s Starfleet career, with her serving aboard Archimedes as a young lieutenant. And once again, she’s forced to figure out a way to work toward a goal, while staying within the rules.

By comparison, Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius — better known as the emperor of the Terran Empire — is bound by no rules at all. Instead, she makes the rules, and isn’t shy about enforcing her will — brutally, if need be. We meet her in the Mirror Universe episodes of Discovery Season One, at the height of her reign; Die Standing first encounters her somewhat before that. A lot of things are different in her world’s history, but one thing isn’t: the dying words of another emperor, Vespasian. “An emperor ought to die standing,” the ancient Roman said, and Emperor Georgiou certainly would have, had Burnham not spirited her away from her regime’s destruction.

Book bits: Agents of Influence excerpts, and new audiobook covers

Out this week is the newest TOS novel, Dayton Ward's Agents of Influence. Set in the five year mission era, this is a a Klingon focused espionage tale; the book features undercover Starfleet spies working in Klingon space. Continue below to check excerpts from the print and audio edition, plus some other book updates.

First, a reminder of the blurb:

An epic new Star Trek saga by New York Times bestselling author Dayton Ward set during the original Five-Year Mission!

For years, Starfleet Intelligence agents have carried out undercover assignments deep within the Klingon Empire. Surgically altered and rigorously trained in Klingon culture, they operate in plain sight and without any direct support, while collecting information and infiltrating the highest levels of imperial power. Their actions have given Starfleet valuable insight into the inner workings of Klingon government and its relentless military apparatus.

After three of Starfleet’s longest serving agents fear exposure, they initiate emergency extraction procedures. Their planned rendezvous with the USS Endeavour goes awry, threatening to reveal their activities and the damaging intelligence they’ve collected during their mission. Tasked by Starfleet to salvage the botched rescue attempt, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise must discover the truth behind a secret weapons experiment while avoiding an interstellar incident with the potential to ignite a new war between the Federation and one of its oldest adversaries.

More Beautiful Than Death cover, and other Star Trek book updates

Lots of Star Trek novel updates today, including excerpts and author comments, and new audiobook and back covers for TOS, Kelvin, Voyager, and Discovery books. But first, a brand new cover reveal.

Coming in  August is the second in the new Kelvin timeline novels, David Mack's More Beautiful Than Death. The Simon and Schuster online catalogue has revealed the new cover, which follows a similar style to the previous Kelvin novel, The Unsettling Stars, but this time in a more colourful red/orange monotone:

Book bits: Covers and excerpts from the latest TOS and Kelvin timeline books

Lots of Star Trek novel and audiobook updates today, including new covers and excerpts from the latest TOS and Kelvin timeline books, and a little update on the Picard novel. Continue below to check them out.

Starting with a brand new cover reveal for the next TOS novel, Dayton Ward's Agents of Influence. Fresh from the Simon and Schuster digital catalogue, I'm really digging the new-style massive Star Trek title, and always enjoy a starshipy cover; this really ticks my cover boxes!

Book bits: New covers for ABC book, comic, and notebooks, plus audio excerpt

A few books updates today, including some new covers, new releases, and previews, from forthcoming Star Trek children's books, audiobooks, comics, and stationary. Continue below to check them all out:

First up, the latest from the Little Golden Book Star Trek range, a fantastic new cover for the Star Trek Alphabet Book:

Picard: The Last Best Hope previews, and other novel updates

Out this week is the first Picard novel, Una McCormack's The Last Best Hope, the first hardcover Star Trek novel in years, and a prequel to the TV series, setting up the entire Romulan evacuation history. Continue below for a look at some preview from the book, and some audiobook updates.

So first up, the back cover reveals different copy to that which has been online a while (which appears on the inside cover), the back is a quote from early in the book, and sets it up nicely:

2020 Star Trek novels announced, and other book bits

At the Star Trek books panel at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention yesterday the authors and editors revealed details of several new books coming in 2020 - Thankfully TrekCore were there live tweeting the news. Here's the novel line-up so far (from the present):

2019:

• July - Discovery: The Enterprise War, by John Jackson Miller.
• August: TOS: The Antares Maelstrom, by Greg Cox
• October - Star Trek: The Motion Picture novelisation (40th anniversary reprint), by Gene Roddenberry.
• October - TNG: Collateral Damage, by David Mack.
• December - Discovery: Dead Endless, by David Galanter.

2020:

• February - Picard: Last Best Hope, by Una McCormack
• March - TOS: The Higher Frontier, by Christopher L. Bennett.
• April - Kelvin: The Order of Peace, by Alan Dean Foster.
• June - TOS: Agents of Influence, by Dayton Ward.
• August - Kelvin: More Beautiful Than Death, by David Mack
• To be scheduled - Discovery novel, by John Jackson Miller.
• To be scheduled - Voyager: To Lose the Earth, by Kirsten Beyer.

There's a lot to take in there! The cancelled Kelvin timeline novels are back at last, new Picard tie-ins (a comic was announced too), and there were also hints at efforts to keep the novel continuity as we know it in play somehow. It also looks like we're almost back to one novel a month. hurrah! Continue below for a closer look at everything.

Book bits: New books, Animated Series Guide previews, and more

A few bookish updates today, including new covers and preview pages of a couple of forthcoming releases. But first, new book news:

Original 1979 edition cover

New listings have confirmed two new books on the way, and for the first time in a while we know the title of one of them! Due out in October is an unusual release, a reprint of Gene Roddenberry's novelisation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The rationale is for the film's 40th anniversary; there's no mention of whether there's any new content, such as an introduction, to mark that occasion. Like all the current novels, this will be a trade paperback release, and will also have an audio edition. There's no cover yet (but surely the iconic movie poster will be used), but there is a blurb:

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture with this classic movie novelization written by legendary Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry!

The original five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise to explore strange new worlds and to seek out new life and new civilizations has ended. Now James T. Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise have separated to follow their own career paths and different lives. But now, an overwhelming alien threat—one that is ignoring all attempts at communication and annihilating all opposition in its path—is on a collision course with Earth, the very heart of the United Federation of Planets. And the only vessel that Starfleet can send in time to intercept this menace is a refitted Enterprise, with her old crew heeding the call to once again boldly go where no one has gone before….

Another book matches the cryptic naming of the other recent new listings, known currently as Untitled LBH; you can only tell it's a Star Trek book as it's listed under Pocket Star Trek. Whatever it is, we can expect it in February 2020.

Coming this September is the new Official Guide to The Animated Series, from Aaron Harvey and Rich Schepis. Amazon listings for this now give us a brand new set of preview pages to enjoy, which give a wider idea of the book's contents (literally, the contents page is among them) then the previous preview. It includes one spread from the preview preview with a new image selection, so some updates must have been happening as the book approaches publication:

The Captain's Oath previews

Out right at the end of May was the latest TOS novel, Christopher L. Bennett's The Captain's Oath. The book is a TOS prequel, focusing on Captain Kirk taking command of the Enterprise, and his missions on his previous command leading up to that.

Various previews have now been released, which you can check out below. Starting with a reminder of blurb, as it appears on the back cover:

Available Light excerpts and other book updates

The latest Star Trek novel is out now, continue below for text and audio excerpts, and other Star Trek books updates.

This month's new release is Dayton Ward's new TNG novel, Available Light. The story sees the Enterprise continuing it's exploration of the Odyssean Pass, as featured in ward's previous few TNG books, most recently Hearts and Minds. The crew visit a mysterious giant and seemingly abandoned ship found adrift in deep space, while the story also follows up on the fallout of the Section 31 exposure in Section 31: Control.

StarTrek.com have been good enough to release the cover art, by Doug Drexler, without the titles, so you can get a nice clear view of that alien ship:

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.