Looking forward to new Star Trek books...



Over at the TrekBBS, Trent Roman has a survey asking people which of the forthcoming Trek books they're most and least looking forward to. Surveys don't usually interest me much, but it's worth reproducing Trent's list:

The ENT novel about the MACOs, working title ''Squids and Sharks'', by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin.

Hoshi Sato-centric ENT novel by Dave Stern.

''Errand of Fury I: Seeds of Rage'' (TOS) by Kevin Ryan

Untitled TOS trilogy by David R. George III

Potential TOS anthology, edited by Marco Palmieri.

''Vanguard'' Book 1 by David Mack

''To Reign in Hell'', the new Khan book by Greg Cox.

''Ex Machina'' (TOS) by Christopher L. Bennett

''Forged in Fire'' (Excelsior) by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin

The ''Terok Nor'' miniseries.

The new ''Lost Era'' book featuring Sisko, the Okinawa and the Tzenkethi.

The new ''Lost Era'' book covering Picard’s years between the Stargazer and the Enterprise-D.

''Engines of Destiny'' by Gene DeWeese.

''Hollow Men'' (DS9) by Una McCormack

''String Theory'' trilogy (VOY), by Jeffrey Land, Kirsten Beyer and Heather Jarman.

''Distant Shores'' anthology (VOY) edited by Marco Palmieri

''Worlds of Deep Space Nine Volume II'' (Bajor/Trill) by J. Noah Kim and Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin.

''Worlds of Deep Space Nine Volume III'' (Ferenginar/Dominion) by David R. George III and Keith R.A. DeCandido.

''Walking Wounded'' (DS9) whose author I cannot remember.

''Enemy Territory'' (''Gorkon'' Book Three) by Keith R.A. DeCandido.

''Breakdowns'' (SCE paperback reprint) by a whole bunch of people

''Aftermath'' (SCE paperback reprint) by a whole bunch of people

''Creative Couplings'' (SCE) by Glenn Hauman and Aaron Rosenberg.

''Small World'' (SCE) by David Mack

''Malefictorum'' (SCE) by Terri Osborne

''Lost Time'' (SCE) by Ilsa J. Bick

''Fables of the Prime Directive'' (SCE) by Cory Rushton

''Identity Crisis'' (SCE) by John. J. Ordover

''Security'' (SCE) by Keith R.A. DeCandido

''Wounds'' (SCE) by Ilsa J. Bick

''Out of the Cocoon'' (SCE) by William Leisner

''Vulcan's Soul, Book One: Exodus'' (paperback reprint) by Susan Shwartz and Josepha Sherman

''Vulcan's Soul, Book Two: Exiles'' by Susan Shwartz and Josepha Sherman

''Vulcan's Soul, Book Three: Epiphany'' by Susan Shwartz and Josepha Sherman

''Captain's Blood'' (paperback reprint) by Shatner and the Reeves-Stevenses

''Captain's Glory'' by Shatner and the Reeves-Stevenses

''Articles of the Federation'' by Keith R.A. DeCandido

''Death in Winter'' (TNG) by Michael J. Friedman

Second post-''Nemesis'' TNG novel, by J.M. Dillard.

''Taking Wing'' (''Titan'' Book One) by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin.

''The Red King'' (''Titan'' Book Two) by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin

''Strange New Worlds VIII'' edited by Dean Wesley Smith

''Tales from the Captains' Table'' anthology, edited by Keith R.A. DeCandido

''Other Times'', edited by Marco Palmieri

The sheer range of material on that list is remarkable. There's no way I can pick one really anticipated item there. I want all the DS9-related stuff ASAP. I'm really intrigued by the Terok Nor trilogy because "Necessary Evil" was such a great episode, but at the same time I want to see the post-finale continuity move forward.



I also want the Vulcan's Soul books. Shwartz and Sherman have written very few Trek novels, but the ones they have written -- wow. Scope, imagination, intrigue, character development, you name it.



The post-Nemesis TNG/Titan/Articles of the Federation stuff. The A Time to... series built up some pretty high expectations.



Vanguard. A new TOS-era series that isn't Challenger! Unlike that failed series, I suspect this will actually feel like Star Trek and not be driven by the ideology of someone who dislikes almost everything Star Trek stands for.



Voyager books not written by Christie Golden. Voyager novelists have often managed to realize the potential the series and its characters always had, which is more than the TV series writers generally did. The Voyager post-finale continuity, however, has been disappointing. As for Enterprise, though that show has improved dramatically, there's still plenty of room for writers to explore the show's characters and elements of its premise and setting that the TV series hasn't addressed.



My enthusiasm does not extend to absolutely everything in the list. I'm not particularly excited about more Shatnerverse stuff, or Errand of Fury (I didn't care for Errand of Vengeance at all). I don't see any New Frontier stuff listed there, but there's bound to be more. Given how often my tastes have clashed with the mainstream of fandom, I suppose that's for the best. Pocket has to stay in business somehow. (I'm still amazed by the popularity of the DS9 relaunch and the Lost Era books -- generally anything I like that much ends up being a flop.)



(Now playing: Brian Eno, "The Quiet Club," Music for Civic Recovery Project.)