Every Star Trek fan has probably had some “what happened next?” questions about their favorite characters or most-beloved episodes. Or asked “how does that really work?” when something is explained away with few lines of technobabble. For Trekkies who want to take a deeper dive, the Star Trek literary universe is a treasure trove of stories that tie up loose ends, give characters more full backstories and tell all-new tales of favorites from the screen and original characters.
So, we’re highlighting five novels that are a great place to get started on a journey into this expanded universe.
Oblivion
The Next Generation time-travel cliffhanger “Time’s Arrow” told the story of when Guinan first met Captain Picard. But when did Picard first meet Guinan? Part of Michael Jan Friedman’s Stargazer novel series that focuses on Picard’s first command, Oblivion is a very accessible standalone story that follows the intrepid captain on an undercover spy mission. There’s Bond-style intrigue, disguises, escapes from prison cells, and everything else you’d want from a younger, brasher Jean-Luc.
A spy story isn’t complete without a mysterious and unexpected ally, which Picard finds the novel’s co-star. This era’s Guinan is troubled and far less helpful than the one we’ve come to know from the TV series. As Oblivion‘s plot thickens, the pair come to understand that there are many ways to rescue someone, and the bonds of deep friendship can be forged in the unlikeliest of places.
The Buried Age
This is another tale of Picard’s early years, spanning the time between the loss of the Stargazer and when he took command of the Enterprise. This novel takes on quite a bit — it’s essentially a prequel to The Next Generation, while also taking Picard through multiple cycles of self-doubt, heartbreak, and epiphany.
By the end of the story, you get a deep understanding of the Picard we meet in “Encounter at Farpoint”, what drives him and what fears still creep at the edges of his psyche. Author Christopher L. Bennett keeps a dense story moving along fast. Fans of hard sci-fi (and xenoarchaeology) will revel in Bennett’s attention to detail and the way he works in numerous references to small details from several TV series.
Picard is the focus of The Buried Age, but there’s plenty of time for other characters to shine and have their pasts explored. What was Data doing before being posted to the Enterprise? Why does Picard trust Troi so implicitly? Cameos and continuity shout-outs abound, and Bennett is one of several authors who generously provide extensive annotations on his personal website.
The Battle of Betazed
An episode of Deep Space Nine referenced the occupation of Betazed during the Dominion War, and several other novels chronicle what the Enterprise-E was up to during the conflict. With The Battle of Betazed, authors Charlotte Douglas and Susan Kearny tell the story of how Deanna Troi’s homeworld was occupied and what it took to get it back.
This is the story of an underground resistance — what happens to a peaceful people who find their world suddenly overtaken by both brutal soldiers and a scientist with a disturbing agenda? If you thought Lwaxana was a force of nature when visiting the Enterprise decked out in “Daughter of the Fifth House” finery, wait until you see her planning covert missions from a secret cave hideout. And get ready for some twists as the Betazoids are forced to explore a dark part of their past to save their future. Bonus: Troi packing heat to save her planet makes for an outstanding cover image.
Articles of the Federation
This book has been called “The West Wing for Star Trek” which might be enough of a “hook” on its own. If you’re a politics junkie or have always wondered what it’s like running a multispecies federal republic that spans thousands of light years, you will likely enjoy how author Keith R.A. DeCandido really rises to the challenge with this impressive novel.
The central character is the newly elected Federation president, Nanietta “Nan” Bacco. Through the large ensemble cast, the novel explores questions big and small. How to handle relations with the Romulan Empire after their praetor and most of the senate have been assassinated (fallout from the events of Star Trek Nemesis). And how to navigate the offer of experimental medical treatment for a member of a hostile nation’s royal family (the mysterious Tzenkethi mentioned in Deep Space Nine).
Taking place over a calendar year, multiple storylines weave in and out of the novel’s chapters. Familiar faces like Admiral Janeway and the newly-minted Captain Riker join outstanding original characters to tell a compelling story. Articles of the Federation answers lots of questions about how the United Federation of Planets works, and also offers plenty of thought-provoking comparisons to the struggles democracy faces in our own world.
Destiny Trilogy
This epic crossover trilogy, set several years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis, is key to the individual novel lines that feature characters from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. With Destiny, author David Mack tackles temporal paradoxes, an invasion of the Federation and the origin of the Borg. It’s no small feat, and he pulls it off masterfully.
Like may great Trek tales, the story starts with a scientific mystery — how did Captain Erika Hernandez’s Columbia NX-02, from Star Trek: Enterprise, end up crashed on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant where it was discovered centuries later? What happened to Hernandez and her crew? Can the answers shed light on how fleets of Borg cubes are suddenly appearing near key Federation worlds?
Two parallel stories run through the trilogy: three heroic captains — Jean-Luc Picard, Will Riker, and Ezri Dax (that’s right, Dax!) — race against time to stop the Borg, while Hernandez and her desperate crew fight their own battles far from anything familiar. Featuring characters from almost every series, Destiny is a Trek event unlike any other, and well worth the time of any reader.
Always More to Explore
These are just a taste of what “Treklit” has to offer for the fan who can’t get enough. The literary universe is only getting richer as Star Trek returns to television with the new TV series Star Trek: Discovery. One of Discovery’s writers, Kirsten Beyer, is the current scribe of Voyager’s post-series adventures and coordinates tie-in novels and comics for the new show.
David Mack’s Discovery novel Desperate Hours was released two days after the show premiered, immediately expanding the tapestry for those who want to know more about the characters.
No matter who your favorite characters are or which series you like best, with this vast library of stories available, it’s always a great time to be a Star Trek fan.
