2020 Star Trek calendar line-up revealed

The Star Trek calendar ranges for 2020 from both US publisher Universe Publishing and Germany Heye have been announced, offering a selection of eight different designs to choose from. Continue below to check them out.

Perhaps this year's most unique calendar is 2020 16 Month Engagement Calendar. This format has seen a fresh new look every year for several years now, and this year they have got quite creative with a fully bilingual Klingon calendar! As you can see from the preview pages below, not only have they translated absolutely everything, but they've also gone to town with Klingon design inspired by the unique triangular based monitor designs often seen used by Klingons. The description also suggests this will encompass Klingons from all the live action TV series.

For the first time in Klingon and English, Star Trek 16-Month Klingon Engagement Calendar for 2020 features full-color photos from every live action Star Trek television show.

With text in both Klingon and English, and featuring more than 40 fan-favorite images from across the franchise's six live action television shows, this 16-month engagement-style calendar will captivate casual fans and die-hard Trekkers alike.

IDW's Star Trek comics for November

IDW have released their solicitations for November, which include three new Star Trek comics. Continue below for all the details of those, and other comics news.

New in November is the return of the anthology series Waypoint, in the form of a one-off oversized special:

Waypoint Special 
Written by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux, Brandon Easton, Jackson Lanzig and Collin Kelly, and Matthew Dow Smith. Art by Nicole Goux, Josh Hood, Sonny Liew, and Matthew Dow Smith

The anthology series spanning 50 years of Star Trek returns in this oversized annual! These weird and wonderful stories—set during the Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and more—expand on rarely explored corners of the universe or provide closure for long-forgotten plot threads. But they all remind us of why we love Trek. This volume features your favorite characters, including Data, Q, and Ezri Dax, handled by the top creators of today and the future!

Some of the creators have filled in some details on their stories: Jackson Lanzig and Collin Kelly's story will be illustrated by Sonny Liew, and focused on Spot and Data, via Twitter. While Matthew Dow Smith's stories is titled Histories, although he's not revealed history of what just yet, also via Twitter. There's just one cover for this book, by Josh Hood:

Second Discovery novel, Drastic Measures, previews

Out this week is the second Star Trek: Discovery tie-in novel, Dayton Wards' Drastic Measures. Like the other Discovery novels so far announced, the book is a prequel to the events of the TV series, this time take us back some considerable time; a decade before the Battle of the Binary Stars, around the events of the Tarsus IV massacre; a historical event of significance (not least to the childhood of James T. Kirk), established in TOS's The Conscience of the King.

Our witnesses to this event will be Discovery's two captains, Philippa Georgiou, and Gabriel Lorca, both some time away from their future postings - Given the recent revelation about Lorca, I'm particularly intrigued to get to know the character from this time (and universe...).

Here's a reminder of the blurb, from the back cover. Continue below for excerpts from the print and audio editions:

Discovery: Desperate Hours author insights and excerpt

The release of the first Discovery novel, David Mack's Desperate Hours is imminent, and two interviews have been released to coincide with the publication. Continue below for some of the highlights, plus excerpts from the book:

Speaking to StarTrek.com Mack gave an overview of the book - which is set a year before the TV series starts - and in particular Saru's relationships with Burnham and Captain Georgiou:

It uses personnel from the Shenzhou specifically and it focuses on how Michael Burnham and her peers got to be where we find them at the beginning of Discovery. We see the moment she goes from being the senior tactical officer of the ship to its acting first officer. She's being tried out for the job. At that time, it's between her and Saru. We also get to see some of the rivalry between her and Saru, and we see some of Saru's resentment in that he had seniority over her when she first came aboard. He went to Starfleet Academy, and she didn't. He’s done his time coming up through the ranks more than she has. But she has an exceptional range of abilities. She is simply an exceptional person. She is the protégé of the captain, and because Georgiou has taken Burnham under her wing, Burnham advances more quickly through the ranks than an ordinary officer would, perhaps to her detriment, but we don't necessarily realize that at the time. We get to see Saru's resentment, as he sees someone who he thinks has not paid her dues, first, catch up to him as a peer, and then in the beginning of book one, surpass him and become his superior. We see his rage at being passed over, his heartbreak at being passed over, because what he desperately wants is to have that protégé/mentor relationship with Georgiou. He loves Georgiou. He worships Georgiou, and to see this opportunity go to Burnham, it's humiliating for him because he has seniority over her, he's done more time. 

New 2017 Star Trek calendar previews

New covers and preview pages from several of the 2017 Star Trek calendars have been released. Continue below to check out the art, Star Trek Beyond, and TOS calendars.

Due out in August from Universe Publishing, the 50 Artists, 50 Years calendar features a selection of images from the touring 50th anniversary art exhibition of the same name. The calendar is formatted to allow the artwork to be easily removed from calendar once you're done using its practical functions, allowing each month's image to be used as a poster.

The newly revealed backcover gives us the full contents of the calendar, including several pieces from the exhibition which have not previously been previewed. I love the creepy First Contact image!

Ships of the Line 2017 covers, and other calendar updates

It's that time of year where with great excitement we get to see what await us in next year's Ships of the Line calendar! This year is TOS focused collection looks like a real winner, topped off with a Doug Drexler's latest massive-collection-of-ships image, which features both as the cover and, in it's full form, one of the interior images. Continue below for a look at all the images in this calendar, and updates from the other 2017 calendars.

Cross Cult's all new Promtheus trilogy!

Cross Cult, the publishers of German translations of Star Trek novels, have announced huge news; for the first time ever, they will be releasing entirely original German language Star Trek books. Starting next July, and running for three consecutive months, will be the Prometheus trilogy, written by Bernd Perplies and Christian Humberg - Both have a good number of sci-fi and fantasy books to their names, and both have previously done translations of many of the modern continuity Star Trek books which Cross Cult have released in German.

The trilogy will be tied to the current prose continuity; set shortly after the assassination president Bacco in The Fall series. It sees the USS Prometheus sent on a mission to deal with new threat in the Lembatta Cluster, a region near the Klingon border. The Prometheus, commanded by Captain Richard Adams, has to deal with both the new enemy, and a tense relationship with the Klingons, in the guise of the IKS Bortas and crew, who are also sent to investigate. Here's Cross Cult's overview of the series (in German of course):

Erst vor wenigen Wochen wurde Föderationspräsidentin Nanietta Bacco an Bord der Weltraumstation Deep Space 9 ermordet. Und so steht im November 2385 die Vereinigte Föderation der Planeten an einem historischen Wendepunkt: Eine neue Präsidentin soll die Schrecken der jüngeren Vergangenheit vergessen machen und den Weltenbund in ein besseres Zeitalter führen. Nicht nur in den Reihen der Sternenflotte regt sich die Hoffnung, endlich wieder zur friedlichen Erforschung des Alls zurückzukehren.

Doch während die Vereinigte Föderation der Planeten und die Sternenflotte hofft, endlich zur Ruhe zu kommen, taucht eine neue Bedrohung am Horizont auf.

Die Sternenflotte entsendet die U.S.S. Prometheus, eines ihrer stärksten Schlachtschiffe, während gleichzeitig Spannungen zwischen der Föderation und dem Klingonischen Reich entstehen.

And a translation care of UnrealitySF's forever helpful Jens Deffner:

Just a few weeks earlier Federation President Nanietta Bacco was assassinated on the new Deep Space 9 space station. As a result the United Federation of Planets has reached a historic turning point: A new President is tasked to let the recent horrors remain in the past and lead the Federation into a new, better era. Not only within Starfleet hope is rising to return to peaceful exploration of space.

But while the Federation and Starfleet hope for quieter times, a new Meance rises on the horizon.

Starfleet sends the U.S.S. Prometheus, one of its most powerful battleships, all the while new tensions arise between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

The series features brand new cover art by Tobias Richter (including nebulae by Ali Ries). The first book also promises a fold-out overview of the Prometheus. Continue below for details of each book in the series, and prospects of an English edition.

Book 1 will be Feuer gegen Feuer (which could translate as Fire Against Fire):

IDW August titles, and other Star Trek comics news

IDW have released their solicitations for August, which include three Star Trek titles. There's the start of a new two part story in the nuTrek ongoing series, the second issue in the Green Lantern crossover, and an omnibus book. Continue below for full details of all of those, plus some other Trek comics news:

Star Trek (nuTrek ongoing) #48: Five-Year Mission - Deity, Part 1
Written by Mike Johnson, with art by Tony Shasteen.

In this all-new 2-part story called DEITY, the crew of Starship Enterprise discovers an uncharted world whose inhabitants worship vengeful gods... gods who now turn their wrath on Captain Kirk and his crew!

There are two covers for this one, the regular by Tony Shashteen, and the photo subscription cover.

More new covers! Costumes, TOS and COE.

The avalanche of new book cover continues! And the latest new releases come from a diverse range of forthcoming titles.

Insight Editions have plans for several non-fiction Star Trek books, and the first of those will be comprehensive exploration of costume design throughout the history of the franchise, in Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann's Star Trek: Costumes - Five Decades of Fashion from the Final Frontier. The book is due out in September, and StarTrek.com released the cover:

I think this is likely to be one of the most interesting non-fiction books in some time, and I hope it does well, as it might open the door to exploring other aspects of Star Trek production in the same fashion. Here's the blurb:

From the classic Starfleet uniforms and daringly provocative outfits of The Original Series, to flowing Vulcan robes, flamboyant Ferengi fashions, and formidable Klingon wedding attire, Star Trek: Costumes explores how these designs have played a key role in transporting fans to distant worlds and alien cultures over the last five decades.

Filled with exclusive photography, stills from the saga, rare concept art, and other striking visuals, Star Trek: Costumes also focuses on the talented individuals who have brought the Star Trek universe to life, including original costume designer William Ware Theiss and his successors, Robert Fletcher, Robert Blackman, and, most recently, Michael Kaplan.

Featuring extensive information on the creation of each featured costume, with insight and anecdotes from interviewees including Blackman, Kaplan, J.J. Abrams, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes and Ronald D. Moore, this book is a comprehensive and captivating celebration of the incredible artistry that has made Star Trek’s costumes as innovative and imaginative as its futuristic technologies.

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp.

Also newly released is the cover Child of Two Worlds, Greg Cox's Pike-era TOS novel. This book is due out in December, and with the release of this cover, all the 2015 novels have now been revealed! Continue after the jump for a reminder of the blurb, plus the latest Cross Cult cover art.

Amazing new covers for Seekers, Corps of Engineers, and more.

Behold, two of the most exciting Star Trek book covers ever! The next two books in the Seekers series: Long Shot, by David Mack, and All That's Left, by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. Both featuring cover art by Rob Caswell, the artist that inspired the book series. Images via StarTrek.com.

Continue below to read the blurbs for both these books, plus some new cover artwork from Corps of Engineers and Typhon Pact.

Sacraments of Fire cover

Simon and Schuster have released the cover for David R. George III's next DS9 novel, Sacraments of Fire. The story is set to pick up some of the dangling threads from The Fall, and along with the follow-up, Ascendance, it appears will also be filling in some of the missing period  from the DS9 relaunch when the series jumped forward to align with the post-Destiny timeframe - While the blurbs don't hint at filling in that missing time in this first book, the cover certainly does, with Iliana Ghemor (last seen at the end of The Soul Key when she became the Ascendants' messiah) looming over the new Deep Space 9:

Sacraments of Fire is due out in August, and Ascendance is coming in January. Continue after the jump for a reminder of the blurbs:

Books bits: More details of 50th anniversary trilogy, and New Frontier cover

Following David Mack's recent reveal that he will be working on one book in a TOS trilogy for the 50th anniversary next year, further details have been quick to surface. Mack will be writing the second book in the trilogy, which is now listed on his website as Star Trek Legacies, Book II: Best Defense, with a September release date.

Dayton Ward has posted on his blog with more information, he and Kevin Dilmore will be writing the final book in the trilogy, with Greg Cox set to kick it off. Ward also suggested the trilogy would include a September release, with the trilogy hoping to span the summer. He gave this summary:

As story outlines have not yet been finalized and approved, there’s really not much we can offer just yet, except to say that all three books will “star” Kirk and the Enterprise crew in their prime, and each book ties into a larger storyline that we hope pays proper tribute to the legacy of the original series, which all of us love rather more than most normal people would consider healthy.

In other books news, Cross Cult have revealed a new New Frontier cover, for the short story anthology New Limits, which will be known as Grenzenlos, in this German language edition, due out next March. This one is packed full of characters,which makes it look like a New Frontier move poster to me:

Finally, another author podcast to listen to, for your Star Trek books DVD commentary! The latest is Tony Daniel, who talked to TrekFM's Literary Treks about his new TOS book, Savage Trade.

Book bits: New covers and blurbs for 2015 books, and more.

It's a big books news day, as Pocket Books have released blurbs for the last four novels of the publishing year, which include a Pike-era story, the next books in the Seekers and Titan series, and a blurb that is sure to make fans of the DS9 relaunch do back-flips and set off fireworks! Continue below for all those, and more. But first:

Coming in July is the first novella in a New Frontier ebook trilogy, by Peter David of course. Previously reported as being titled Return, StarTrek.com have now revealed a revised title, The Returned, and the cover and blurb for the first book in the series, which features an intriguing choice of ship given when this is taking place in the New Frontier continuity:

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur are back, picking up three months after the stunning events depicted in New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff. Calhoun's search of Xenex has failed to find any survivors, and now he is bound and determined to track down the race that killed them—the D'myurj and their associates, the Brethren--and exact vengeance upon them. His search will take the Excalibur crew into a pocket universe, where he discovers not only the homeworld of the D’myurj, but another race that shares Calhoun's determination to obliterate his opponents. But is this new race truly an ally…or an even greater threat?

Simon and Schuster tend to release their novel blurbs a third of a year at a time, so there latest updates give us summaries of the October to January books, the last four of the 2015 publishing schedule. All four are now available to pre-order, while the blurbs themselves are so far only found on Simon and Schuster's digital catalogue. Continue after the jump to check them out:

Books bits: Armageddon, Wit, and more

There have been several new covers for forthcoming Star Trek books released recently, plus some other bits of books news, which you'll find below.

First up an exciting new cover for Dayton Ward's TNG novel, Armageddon's Arrow. The cover art is by Doug Drexler, with a spacey background from Ali Ries.Via StarTrek.com:

Armageddon's Arrow, due out in June, will see the USS Enterprise-E embarking on it's new mission of exploration. Here's the blurb:

It is a new age of exploration, and the U.S.S. Enterprise is dispatched to “the Odyssean Pass,” a region charted only by unmanned probes and believed to contain numerous inhabited worlds. Approaching a star system with two such planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew find a massive alien vessel, drifting in interstellar space for decades. Sensors detect life aboard the derelict—aliens held in suspended animation.

Thought to be an immense sleeper ship, the vessel actually is a weapon capable of destroying entire worlds . . . the final gambit in a war that has raged for generations across the nearby system. Now caught in the middle of this conflict, Captain Picard attempts to mediate, as both sides want this doomsday weapon . . . which was sent from the future with the sole purpose of ending the interplanetary war before it even began!

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, iTunes.

More books news after the jump:

Book bits: Crisis of Consciousness cover, and more TOS-era news

Books news! Starting with a very snazzy new cover, by Alan Dingman, and released by StarTrek.com, for Crisis of Consciousness, the TOS novel by Dave Galanter, due out in May.

Here's the blurb:

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is completing a treaty mission with the Maabas, a peaceful alien race not native to the star system they currently inhabit, as descendants of refugees from a great war long ago. Several hundred thousand Maabas once took shelter on their new world, and have now been here for mil­lennia. They do not travel the stars, but seek to explore from within. The Federation’s interest is in the Maabas’s great intellec­tual resources—their science, while behind in some areas, excels in others, and their philosophy is in line with that of the Federa­tion. But just as the pact is signed, the Enterprise is attacked by an unidentified vessel. Enough force is shown to keep the alien assailants at bay, but a new danger arises. Their mysterious foes are the Kenisians—a race that used to inhabit the Maabas’s chosen world thousands of years ago, and who now want to take it back.

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, iTunes.

Continue after the jump for more book news from the 23rd century:

Cross Cult's Foundations, and schedule updates

Cross Cult have revealed (on their Star Trek books Facebook page) the new cover art for several of their forthcoming German translations of Corps of Engineers ebook novellas. The three new designs below are for the Foundations trilogy, by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. They are books seventeen to nineteen in the Corps of Engineer series, and will get their German release starting in December.

Cross Cult have also released finalised versions of several other Corps of Engineers books they previously posted artwork for. Continue after the jump to check out those, and news of German books schedule updates:

Book bits: Voyager covers, new releases, and annotations

A few bits of books news today, starting with some new cover art from German publisher Cross Cult. Posting on the German Star Trek books Facebook page, they revealed the artwork for Kirsten Beyer's third Voyager relaunch book, Children of the Storm, aka Kinder des Sturms. The ship staring on this cover is the USS Curie, as designed by Mark Rademaker:

Kinder des Sturms is due out in August. Cross Cult also released an updated version of another of their covers. Continue after the jump to check that out, plus a few other Star trek book updates:

Shuttlecraft join The Official Starships Collection, in Europe

Exciting times for mainland European fans, Eaglemoss' Official Starships Collection has now launched in Germany (the same launch includes Austria and Luxemburg too), and France, and subscribers there get the option for even more ships! As in other countries, subscribers get the extra models of the All Good Things... USS Enterprise-D, and Borg Cube, plus the Enterprise-D dedication plaque, and a folder.  Plus the first issue is €4.99, before going up to the regular €14.99 for subsequent issues.

But then there's more! If subscribers opt into a premium subscription, for an addition €1.50 per issue they also get model shuttlecraft. The German subscription website lists four shuttles to be included, which will be slightly smaller than regular models in the series, at about 10cm long. On the horizon for subscribers are the TOS shuttlecraft, for some reason they've opted specifically for Galileo II, the Type 6 shuttle of TNG origin, the USS Defiant's Type 10, and USS Voyager's Type 9.

It's not clear how often these will be be delivered to subscribers; one would hope at least every tenth issue, which would bring the premium to about the same amount as a regular issue. It's also not noted whether or not each shuttle will have a magazine too.

Also unknown is whether these will be offered to subscribers anywhere else in the world, but I will do my best to find out!

As previously noted, the German series will also have a slightly different release order, and it appears the French release will also follow this revised running order. Continue after the jump for details of that, plus the German TV advert:

Comic bits: February previews, behind the scenes, and international releases

IDW have released their solicitations for February, which include three Star Trek releases. Check out the details of all those, plus some other Star Trek comics news, continuing below after the jump:

Star Trek/Planet of the Apes: The Primate Directive #3
Written by Scott and David Tipton. Art by Rachael Stott.

It's the battle for the ages! Taylor has escaped the Planet of the Apes, and Captain Kirk must bring him back! Plus, the Klingon/Gorilla alliance makes its move against Dr. Zaius and Ape City!

The cover is by Rachael Stott, subscription cover by Kevin Wada, and variant Gold key style photo-cover (the latter hasn't been released yet).

Book bits: New Voyager blurb, TOS excerpt, and more

Books news! First up there is a new blurb for Kirsten Beyer's next Voyager novel, Atonement, which comes via the Simon and Schuster digital catalogue. The book, due out next September, will be completing the trilogy begun in Protectors and Acts of Contrition, and this early-stage blurb unsurprisingly makes clear several plot points form those books will be resolved:

Admiral Kathryn Janeway faces a tribunal determined to execute her for supposed crimes committed during Voyager’s maiden trek through the Delta Quadrant. Captain Chakotay knows that the Kinara, several species now allied against the Full Circle fleet, are not all they appear to be. The Confederacy of the Worlds of the First Quadrant—a pact he cannot trust—is his only hope for unraveling the Kinara’s true agenda and rescuing Admiral Janeway. Meanwhile, Seven and Tom Paris are forced to betray the trust of their superiors in a desperate bid to reveal the lengths to which a fellow officer has gone in the name of protecting the Federation from the legendary Caeliar.

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, iTunes.

Meanwhile, the next book on the schedule should be starting to show up in the coming days. Amazon now has an excerpt up for Greg Cox's TOS book, Foul Deeds Will Rise. You can read all of chapter one, which starts like this:

Captain’s log. Stardate 8514.6

The Enterprise has embarked on a peacekeeping mission to the Savinia system, where two warring planets, Pavak and Oyolo, are attempting to end years of bitter hostility. Although neither planet is a member of the Federation, we have been invited by both parties to act as an impartial mediator. The Enterprise will serve as neutral territory for the upcoming peace negotiations, while also patrolling the space between the two worlds in order to deter any attacks. Given the atrocities and bloodshed on both sides of the conflict, there are bound to be hard feelings among the delegates. I don’t envy the Federation ambassador assigned to this mission.

Who just happens to have a familiar face . . .

“Well, they’re not shooting at each other yet,” Ambassador Kevin Riley said. “That’s a positive sign, I suppose.”

The Enterprise approached the rendezvous point. On the bridge’s main viewer, two small diplomatic courier crafts from Pavak and Oyolo faced off against each other in the demilitarized zone between the planets. The couriers were essentially streamlined shuttlecrafts, designed for interplanetary travel within the solar system. Kirk recalled that both races possessed rudimentary warp technology, but had scarcely ventured beyond their own system. He briefly considered raising the Enterprise’s shields, but he decided against it. The shuttles posed little threat to the starship, and arriving with shields up, as though expecting trouble, hardly sent the right message.

“I admire your optimism, Ambassador,” Kirk said from the captain’s chair. He was wearing his dress uniform in anticipation of the delegates’ imminent arrival. Medals adorned the front of his double-breasted maroon jacket. “From what I gather, you have your work cut out for you.”

“You can say that again.” Riley stood beside Kirk’s chair in the sunken command circle at the center of the bridge. His conservative gray suit was a good deal less colorful than the then-regulation gold tunic he’d worn when he’d first served aboard the original Enterprise, some two decades ago. Years in the diplomatic corps had added some seasoning to his face and a neatly trimmed brown beard made him look more mature as well. “I have to say I’ve enjoyed the trip here, though. It’s good to be back on the Enterprise again . . . well, an Enterprise at least.”

“I know what you mean,” Kirk said. This new vessel wasn’t quite the same as his old ship, which had gone down in flames above the Genesis Planet a few years back, but he was getting used to it. And certainly it had proven itself during some tight situations, beginning with that business on Nimbus III. “And it’s been a pleasure to have you back aboard, if only for this mission.”

“We’re being hailed by both delegations,” Uhura reported from the communications station. “They’re ready to be beamed aboard.”

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, iTunes.  

Continue after the jump for a behind the scenes book-cover development tale, and the latest updates from the German Star Trek publisher.