Last week we previewed covers and details for Pocket Books Star Trek novels for the rest of 2009. Today we can announce the schedule for Star Trek books for 2010, which includes more Original Series era books, a big TNG-era 24th century mini-series and four books set in the universe of JJ Abrams new Star Trek movie.
STAR TREK 2010 BOOKS PREVIEW
TrekMovie was briefed this week by Pocket Books Star Trek editor Margaret Clark, who previewed her Friday night Star Trek presentation from the Shore Leave convention (being held this weekend in Baltimore). Clark has planned out the year in three phases, each with a theme.
[Note that the dates below are all the official Pocket Books release months, but often the ‘street dates’ for the books put them into the previous month. All books are mass market paperbacks, unless otherwise noted.]
SPRING BACK TO CLASSIC TREK (& NEW FRONTIER)
Pocket books starts off 2010 with four ‘classic’ Trek books at various points in the Original series era from Pike’s time up through to the last feature film. Each book is a ‘stand alone’ which Pocket Book Star Trek editor Margaret Clark describes as "old fashioned classic Trek books." Although the books are not tied together, Clark says there is a theme of "young Starfleet officers starting their careers." There a also new Peter David New Frontier novel, as well as a reprint.
January
"Sorrows of Empire" by David Mack
Mirror Universe story set during the TOS era and an expansion of Mack’s short story from the "Glass Empires" anthology [see previous story for more details and the cover].
February
"Inception" by S.D. Perry
Set before The Original Series, the book is story of four people at the start of their careers. Commander Kirk and the woman he loves Dr. Carol Marcus, Commander Spock and his chance encounter with an botanist, Leila Kalomi.
March
"Treason" by Peter David (mass market reprint)
Reprint of April 2009 New Frontier trade paperback.
April
"The Children of Kings" by Dave Stern
Set on Christopher Pike’s Enterprise (including Spock and Number One), the book focuses on the Orion Syndicate, a dying girl and the kidnapping of a Starfleet officer. This is Dave Stern’s first TOS novel (if you don’t count his 1994 Captain Sulu audio adventure “Transformations”). Stern has written four Enterprise novels, and is a big classic Trek fan and former Star Trek editor for Pocket Books.
May
"Unspoken Truth" by Margaret Wander Bonanno
Set after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the book focuses on Saavik wondering where does she belong, dealing with her half Vulcan/half Romulan nature. Can Vulcan and Starfleet be the wrong answer?
June (possibly July)
Untitled New Frontier by Peter David [trade paperback]
Book to continue the "New Frontier" series, set after "Treason," but will likely still be set before the events of the "Destiny" trilogy from David Mack (which shook up the 24th century and Starfleet).
THE SUMMER OF JJ TREK
"You can’t see a new Star Trek movie this summer, but you can read the books," is Clark’s tagline for Pocket’s plans for Summer 2010. Last week we reported that Alan Dean Foster was going to be writing a sequel novel to JJ Abrams’ Star Trek movie, but that is just the beginning. That novel will be followed by three more, also set after the events of the Star Trek movie. According to Clark, each of the novels will stand alone, so you don’t need to read them all, or in any specific order. The authors are allowed to "play with anything they want, as long as when they are done they put everything back in the box the way they found it," says Clark. The focus for each book will be moving the story on with a new mission, and not going back to the movie and trying to fill in blanks or ‘fix’ anything. The novels are being done independently from the script (from Orci, Kurtzman & Lindelof) for Star Trek sequel film, currently in development.
June
"Refugees" by Alan Dean Foster
No details, except that the ‘refugees’ are not the Vulcans.
July
"Seek a Newer World" by Christopher Bennett
Enterprise on a "world-building" mission, but again not the Vulcans.
August
"More Beautiful than Death" by David Mack
Finally, this one will deal with the Vulcans remaining after the destruction of their home planet.
September
Untitled 4th New Star Trek Movie era book
The fourth book is not yet under contract, so no details are available, but it will possibly be a Scotty story.
FALL INTO THE 24TH CENTURY AND THE TYPHON PACT
In the Fall…the bill comes due. In the "Destiny" series (and books that followed), the Federation president struck a Faustian bargain to assemble a fleet to take on the Borg invasion, and that give rise to The Typhon Pact, which is a ‘Warsaw Pact’ coalition of bad guys (Romulans, Tholians, Gorn, Breen, Tzenkethi, & Kinshaya). In the Fall Pocket Books will do four books, all set in 2382, with four captains (including bringing Deep Space Nine in line with the rest of the 24th century books), all telling the story of how Starfleet deals with rise and threat of the Typhon Pact. Each book will focus on one captain and one or two aliens in the Pact. According to Clark, the books in this series are tied together and follow each other, however they are not as interwoven as the "Destiny" trilogy and so readers could read just one or two and still feel like they aren’t missing something.
October
"Seize the Fire" (TITAN) by Michael Martin
Captain Riker and the USS Titan face the Gorn who are looking to step up and secure their position with in the Typhon Pact.
November
"Zero Sum Game" (AVENTINE) by David Mack
Aventine under the command of Captain Dax is assigned to aid with the insertion and extraction of Starfleet operatives behind Breen lines
December
"The Rough Beasts of Empire" (DS9) by David R. George III
The Deep Space Nine series jumps forward to 2382. The book is a tale of intrigue and machinations with DS9 characters dealing with the Romulans, who are a divided people looking to cement their rightful position as the leader of the Typhon Pact, by any means necessary. The book will also deal with the Tzenkethi.
January 2011
"Path of Disharmony" (TNG) by Dayton Ward
Picard’s Enterprise is assigned to the least glamorous mission, babysitting a conference on Andor, but it is here that the Typhon Pact will show their strength by daring to reach into the heart of the Federation to raise their standard as the pre-eminent power. This book will also focus on the Tholians.
ANTHOLOGIES
In addition to all the above novels, Pocket has planned two additional trade paperback anthologies. A previously announced omnibus of "Corps of Engineer" series of e-books has been delayed (again).
Spring 2010
"Seven Deadly Sins"
Series of short stories using one of Star Trek aliens (or universe) to represent each of the ‘seven deadly sins’:
- The Romulans (Pride) by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
- The Cardassians (Envy) by James Swallow
- The Klingons (Anger) by Keith R.A. Decandido
- The Pakleds (Sloth) by Greg Cox
- The Ferengi (Greed) by David Mcintee
- The Borg (Gluttony) by Marc Giller
- Mirror Universe (Lust) by Britta Dennison
Fall 2010 (date not finalized)
"Myriad Universes: Shattered Light"
Three ‘what if?’ stories, from David R. George, Steve Mollmann & Michael Schuster, and Scott Pearson. Similar to the two "Myriad Universes" anthologies put out in 2008.
2011?
"Out of the Cocoon"
Collection of four ‘COE’ e-books (57, 58, 59, & 60) by Robert T. Jeschonek, Kevin Killiany, William Leisner, and Phaedra M. Weldon.
WHAT ISN’T ON THE LIST
There is a lot planned through 2010, but there are also a few things that are not on the list. According to Clark, future books from the Vanguard, Voyager and Enterprise series are all on the potential list for 2011 (including the follow-up to this October’s “Romulan War” novel). Clark says that they tried to fit Voyager into the Typhon Pact mini-series, but it didn’t mesh with where Voyager series is headed (which will next be seen in the October VOY novel "Unworthy"). As for the the future of the ‘Shatnerverse,’ Clark had no answer on if there will ever be a follow-up to William Shatner’s 2007 novel "Collision Course."
For the world of non-fiction, there are currently no books planned for 2010. Clark says Pocket is "always looking at stuff like that" and they are "interested" in doing non-fiction Trek books, but those types of books (especially reference books) require more time and resources than novels. Clark says Pocket will do future Star Trek non-fiction "if it is the right fit" but they have nothing to announce right now. Clark did not have any details on the "Haynes Manual to the Enterprise" which was announced earlier this year, but that book is not being developed directly by Pocket.
Finally, with regards to future Star Trek audio books, apparently the audio version of the recent Star Trek movie adaptation did well and there is interest from Simon & Schuster Audio for more Star Trek audio, but as of now nothing has been planned.
These should be great
Have to say, I’m REALLY not happy about the amount of space being spent on both the Original Series AND the Reboot.
Second?
Ooh, CLB doing the second Movieverse novel? So that’s where the cerebral went. Typhon pact looks interesting (Aventine gets its own series? Cool. Good way to flesh out the minor characters from the DS9 relaunch like Bowers and such), and a Christopher Pike novel. Cool. Shame about the lack of ENT, oddly. The novels often act as a way to get in some painfully needed characterisation to characters lacking it from the serieses.
I am not at all happy to see Treason getting reprinted as a mass-market paperback after spending the extra money for a trade paperback that doesn’t fit on my shelves. I should have expected this from Pocket Books, I suppose.
Where are the making and art of you know what?
Awww…. no Vanguard for next year? I guess with David Mack tied up for the next while, it’d be unfair to burden him with more.
Good to see KRAD back in the swing of Klingon things again. Looking forward to next year! Thanks, Margaret and talent!
Does Pocket Book still have the “nonfiction” Trek licence that would cover areas such as making offs? If so, it looks like they still don”t see any money in it.
A Carol Marcus book! Cool!
#2: They didn’t spent ANY time on TOS for 2008 and most of 2009, and now they’re balancing that out.
VANGUARD !!!!
Doghouse Reilly: the last few “New Frontier” titles before “Treason” were hardcovers, and since Pocket aren’t doing any hardcovers at the moment, “Treason” came out in a size that matched those books. So did you make yourself wait twelve months for MMPBs of “Stone and Anvil”, “After the Fall” and “Missing in Action”?
I’m thrilled with the announcements so far.
Ian McLean: Yes I did. And I would have gladly done the same with “Treason” had I known the trade paperback was the forerunner to the regular MMPB version.
“This is Dave Stern’s first Star Trek novel”
Aside from his four Enterprise novels, you mean?
sorry that was my bad, it is his first ‘Star Trek’ TOS book
Love the term “JJ-verse” .,, don’t knoiw who coined it, but I’m totally going use it in coversation from here on in …
Who edits these posts? The “most least glamorous” assignment? Also the misuse of “it’s” when you mean “its.” Thanks for the info, but sloppy…
THANK YOU!!! I can NOW update my list of things to buy for the next few months. (And what things I need to conserve- A LONG Time to go between Vanguard, Voyager, and Enterprise novels…)
I’ve been looking forward to “Seven Deadly Sins”, it was meant to come out in a few months but it was delayed.
The one I’m waiting impatiently for is “The Romulan War”. That’s going to be fantastic.
Seems like it’s time to get back into reading the novels again. Been a long, long time…
Makes me wonder if they’re looking for new writers, too.
Since it is entirely unlikely that Paramount is ever going to revisit DS9, it sure would be nice to have a story with the return of Capt. Sisko…
Same goes for Enterprise, I would like to see a permanent return of Cmdr. Tucker to the Enterprise crew.
Both TV endings for these two characters were ill-conceived (well done in DS9’s case, but still a bad move), says me.
Like Dave P, and I am sure countless others, I am really looking forward to “The Romulan War,” which is what the ill-fated TV series should have been permitted to tackle.
I was really hoping Pocket would leave the JJVerse alone until there were a few movies behind them. Now instead of moving forward we have to go back to the “reset” button novels once again! With the TOS and JJVerse books we have 8 books dedicated to the classic crew in one year. Way too much! I don’t believe it is good business to set aside proven book series for over a year. I long for the days of Marco Palmieri as editor and have begun to hate the reign of empress Margaret! May her reign be brief!!
Kevin
This is disappointing news. I was looking forward to getting back into reading Trek novels again with the inevitable expansion into the “JJ-verse,” and I’d hoped Pocket would assign them to someone other than the insular group (Mack, Bennett, DeCandido) who have mass-produced something like three quarters of the Trek novels written in the past few years. It tells me Pocket doesn’t intend to invest these novels with the same level of quality as the movie had, and that’s a shame.
It’ll be interesting to see how the destruction of Vulcan is handled.
they shouldve do one about the alternate reality Uhura. i will definitely buy that.
There is a rumor that Pocket is actually planning or considering an “Art of Star Trek” book (JJ-verse).
Hurray, many new Trek Ventures, and with many plots to them. Now are any of them worthy of becoming a film or Series or even have a sequel book. Guess we’ll have to wait for Time to develop and the books to be given birth.
#20 – Since it is entirely unlikely that Paramount is ever going to revisit DS9, it sure would be nice to have a story with the return of Capt. Sisko…
There is, it came out six years ago.
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Unity
#27: oops, forgot about that one…. thanks for the reminder.
This slate of books looks great, but I am definitely disappointed in the lack of Voyager books next year. I am also a little nervous about bringing DS9 forward 3 years. There are many characters there that I hope do not get lost in the shuffle!
Rather than come up with an “Art of” or “Making of” book for Trek09, it would be nice if this came out as content on a constantly evolving “official” website a la Star Wars.
We’ve all had unique exposure to the the film’s development thanks to this site, but I’d like the details: official blueprints, how things work, rationalizations for new designs, who auditioned, and how the boys fleshed out the screenplay, etc etc.
“I long for the days of Marco Palmieri as editor and have begun to hate the reign of empress Margaret! May her reign be brief!!”
What…is Marco no longer with Pocket???
Disappointing that there is no Enterprise books.
VorlonMS: Marco was “let go” in the process of Simon & Schuster across-the-board cost-cutting last year, nothing to do with how well the Star Trek tie-ins were going. Marco was a highly-paid Senior Editor and S&S could no longer afford him.
I want more Vanguard books! I like it as its fairly fresh, and not in the over used 24th century. I am not really interested in more TNG or VOY stories that take place years after the shows with half the crews somewhere else. To me having the TNG crew on different ships ain’t TNG. AND Having to wait a year between parts of a story is horrible! Publish more books a month, or give us some e-books. I would like to see a short story Vanguard anthology. I do like the idea of JJ abrams TOS universe in books. I would also like to see more enterprise books and an Enterprise comic. I hope Pocket is reading this! OK Rant over.
Thanks for the update Ian. I’ve been offline for a while and had no idea this had gone down. Editorially, Marco was a strong driving and creative force behind much of the line (DS9 relaunch, developing the Titan and Vanguard lines, to name a few). He’ll be missed. Does anyone know if he’s found new work yet?
the JJ Verse should be left alone until at least after the Star Trek something something sequel.
I’m looking forward to the ENT Romulan War Book, which is out this Fall, but I’m very disappointed there is nothing for 2010 and only maybe there is a follow up on a potential list for 2011.
Hope the 2009 book won’t leave any major open endings story and character wise (like ending in the middle of a space battle or a potential disaster being seconds away etc)
Pocket Books apparently likes to do things cheap and easy (hence no “Making of” or “Art of” books. They require “more time and resources”. Well, at least Clark admits that she’s lazy! Give her a point for honesty!
Ben: New readers to the world of JJ’S “Star Trek” can’t be kept waiting until two more sequels are screened before they get their own novels. We got some cool novels and comics during the run of TOS movies in the 80s and I’m glad they didn’t put the whole thing on hold until ST VI was screened.
Anthony Thompson: JJ’s team kept the movie under wraps. I think you’ll see some “making of…” and “art of…” materials that look at the whole movie trilogy. JJ’s team mentioned in interviews they were interested in being involved in some. Recent “making of…” and “art of…” books for “Shrek”, “Indiana Jones”, “X-Men” and “Spider-man” movies, by other publishers, seem to treat the whole film franchise, not just one movie at a time.
But meanwhile, Pocket Books was badly burned by many recent attempts to do some ST non-fiction. “Star Trek Star Charts” and the “ST DS9 Companion” were both highly acclaimed, but they sat unwanted on bookshelves.
thank god we are still getting the stuff from the prime universe and that JJ ‘s Trek is existing as a parallel.
In the early days I was worried that Abrams would over ride TOS, this would have sickened me but at least they are aparallel to each other and thank god
I’m upset to see no VOY or ENT books out for 2010, yet 4 JJ books! Not good!
This Typhon Pact idea sounds interesting. I see the potential for a lot of scheme-y, twisty, double-dealing type stories out of it.
And it osounds like the perfect antidote to “yet-another-Borg-story” syndrome.
I might very well buy ‘Inception’ and ‘The Children of Kings’.
“Inception” by S.D. Perry
Set before The Original Series, the book is story of four people at the start of their careers. Commander Kirk and the woman he loves Dr. Carol Marcus, Commander Spock and his chance encounter with an botanist, Leila Kalomi.
…sounds ilke the story that should have been made into the movie, or something that should happen next time.
I am looking forward to the novelisations featuring the new crew and set in the new timeline. The one dealing with the fate of the Vulcans looks promising. The last novel possibly featuring Scotty is the one I am most looking forward to. I do hope they explore the characters origins and backrounds in these series of novelisations.
No TNG untill 2011?? Woww.. looks like Poocket its not going to resive any $$$ for on 2010.
Too mach TOS, and way too mach JJTrek.
Looking forward to the future Trek novels. As much as I love the New Frontier series, I am glad I never bought anything in trade format. Glad that will be out in mass market size. Wish Star Wars would do their Clone Wars novels in the smaller size as well.
After getting virtually no TOS novels for a year or so, I’m looking forward to getting back there for awhile. It will be a nice breath of frest air before the Typhon Pact.
One of the reason there hasn’t been an Art of Star Trek XI or other “nonfiction” trek books is from what I have read they don’t sell well. That said I would love an Art of Star Trek XI or a tech manual on the new ‘E’, something like a Mr. Scott’s guide to the New Enterprise which shows Keenser’s climbing places.
What? They delayed the next COE book again?? I’m really disappointed.
What happened to the Captain April book that was announced?
Pocket got burned on past non-fiction Trek books because they were pieces of krap. The topics were not what fans wanted, so they didn’t sell! They need some fresh blood at Pocket to do things right and understand what the fans want.