The cover for the third tie-in novel to the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery was just released. Titled Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself, the book is written by veteran Trek author James Swallow and comes out in June.
Official synopsis for Fear Itself:
Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a member of a prey species born on a world overrun by monstrous predators…and a being who very intimately understands the nature of fear. Challenged on all sides, he is determined to surpass his origins and succeed as a Starfleet officer aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou.
But when Saru breaks protocol in order to prove himself to his crewmates, what begins as a vital rescue mission to save a vessel in distress soon escalates out of control. Forced into a command role he may not be ready for, Saru is caught between his duty and the conflicting agendas of two antagonistic alien races. To survive, he will need to seek a path of peace against all odds, and risk compromising the very ideals he has sworn to uphold….
Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself will released on June 5th. You can pre-order it now on Amazon in large format paperback, eBook and audiobook.
More Discovery tie-ins
Fear Itself follows the two previously released Discovery novels, David Mack’s Desperate Hours (see TrekMovie review) and Dayton Ward’s Drastic Measures (see TrekMovie review).
On the comics side, the fourth and final issue of IDW first Discovery tie-in will be released later this month. The trade paperback collection for “The Light of Kahless” will be available in July.
IDW’s Star Trek: Discovery Annual featuring the backstory for Lt. Stamets was released this week (see TrekMovie review). You can order it at TFAW.
You can also pre-order the first three (of four) issues of the upcoming Mirror Universe-focused Discovery series, Star Trek: Discovery: Succession at TFAW.
Discovery writers treating EU as canon (until it’s not)
Traditionally the extended universe of Star Trek novels and comics are not considered part of the official canon; however, with the Discovery tie-ins, there is more of a concerted effort to keep the stories consistent with television show, and vice versa. One of the keys to this is that Discovery staff writer Kirsten Beyer is involved with the novels and co-writing the comics.
After the release this week of the Star Trek: Discovery Annual from IDW detailing the backstory for Lt. Stamets, Glen Oliver asked the Discovery writing team on Twitter how much should we consider these releases to be part of canon. Writer and co-executive producer Ted Sullivan replied, “…it’s canon unless we do something that invalidates it (b/c we find a story we NEED to tell that contradicts it). But we here at @StarTrekRoom think it’s a beautiful story and treating it as canon!”
Well, I look at things this way – it's canon unless we do something that invalidates it (b/c we find a story we NEED to tell that contradicts it). But we here at @StarTrekRoom think it's a beautiful story and treating it as canon!
— Ted Sullivan (@karterhol) April 6, 2018
And John Van Citters of CBS Consumer Products weighed in, noting that those working on the books and comics “work hard to craft stories that tie into canon so nicely that [the Discovery writer’s room] will never have that need.”
And the view from the other side of the fence – we work hard to craft stories that tie into canon so nicely that @StarTrekRoom will never have that need.
— John Van Citters (@jvancitters) April 6, 2018
Why do they have Burnham showing her butt on the book cover? Very sexist.
Thats a real stretch to find something to complain about. Its sad that your so obsessed with complaining.
It’s people that complain and point out problems that push us towards ways in which the world can be better. Keep complaining! You can’t solve problems if you both don’t point out that they are here and stand up and say that they are unacceptable. That said, I personally don’t think the photo is sexualizing her. It’s just an angle for a dramatic look. This show is effortlessly feminist showing women as fully capable people in command who are not sexualized and objectified and not obsessing over stupid boyfriend problems where they are just satellites orbiting men. The only way to make the world more just for all is be be “obsessed with complaining” and optimizing our flawed culture and improving it. People who try and shut down social change are small-minded and scared pieces of the problem :)
They wouldn’t be showing off Picard’s butt like this. The pose that they put her in is very similar to how they pose females in action movie posters and comic books. It’s not a new problem.
You sound like the whiners who complained about the latest Spiderman cover, because the cover makes it seem his junk is “tucked in”. Same whiners who are perfectly fine with Superman’s junk being perfectly outlined? Hypocrites!
There are far worse things to criticise than the pose a character has on a book cover…
I don’t watch superhero movies. I have no idea what you’re yapping about.
You’ve obviously never watched a single episode of Star Trek in reality, have you? You should hate EVERYTHING about how Star Trek portrays women from start to present with an insane comment like that….
@TokyoGaijin
So according to you since Star Trek has been sexist in the past. It should stay sexist in the future. Ok………..Good luck with that.
Agreed. Many female stars have to assume this “obligatory” pose.
But … pardon the pun … perhaps the obligation will soon be on the men as well. There was a publicity shot of Isaacs as Captain Lorca in much the same pose.
@Marja
At least that would make it fair.
I love how you’re complaining about me complaining. Very meta.
Because guys’ butts don’t sell books? Gosh, God was sure sexist when he made men and women think differently.
“Because guys’ butts don’t sell books?”
I think a few guys would disagree with you.
What an idiotic comment. Look up what ‘sexist’ means, please. Following your argument, why is the face of an alien on the books cover? That’s racist. :p
Good Lord ? Were you not shown attention as a child ? The over the shoulder shot is really not a butt shot . but you made your statement , now get you attention .
There’s also a scene in STD with Mike in her panties. It filled me with terrible rage. In a fury, I smashed my Eaglemoss Yangtzee Kiang and cursed Leslie Moonves.
Sexist! Haha ! Another absurd idea of your ridiculous Federation and this Universe.
I think they were having her look over her shoulder at the reader as if to ask “Are you coming?”. To invite the reader to join her on the adventure.
You spelled cumming wrong.
Newsflash: Women, like men, have butts.
Does anybody know if these books help the first season make any sense story-wise?
Well the first book already doesn’t match up with the show’s canon. The author spent too much time trying to convince the reader that the crappy looking 60’s TOS Enterprise fitted into the Discovery visual reboot.
“crappy looking 60’s TOS Enterprise”
That right there, disqualifies you from any further discussion.
Meurik,
Scan any recent thread for HN4 and you’ll find more of the awful same, and often worse.
People have different opinions. Get use to it.
And you sir, are a moron. Get used to it.
What Typical hateful Trekkie you are. Roddenberry is spinning in his grave.
Considering he was powdered after death, the spinning isn’t going to be the visual pinnacle you’re envisioning, pinhead. YOUR comments are the hateful ones, being so disparaging of various artists.
@bankrupt kmart
This is exactly how Nazi Germany started.
If you’re referring to Trump’s America, you’re probably right. If you’re referring to anything in this thread, you’re hopelessly deluded (big surprise, that.)
closing another thread for descending into personal attacks. Please find a way to conduct civil discourse or be banned.
Thank you,
The Management Team
As someone who just finished Desperate Hours a few weeks ago, I think this is a big exaggeration. There are little bits of that here and there but it’s not that much.
Great book, really enjoyed it. The author really nailed the character’s voices for Spock, Burnham, Saru, and Georgiou.
That cover is a late April Fool’s joke, right? It looks like the box for a cheap toy.
So how long will it before tos etc and the films are canon, unless they need to do something that invalidates them?
That’s the problem with writers claiming books are canon until it’s not.
Trekkies don’t want to be invested in storylines that could possibly be rescinded.
No one wants to watch TNG and get involved with its history and then find out it never happened in canon.
That’s never stopped people from reading Star Trek books before.
We should leave the canon discussions to Star Wars fans. When did it matter to us that a novel or a comic were canonical? We are trekkies.
This show, it’s writers, and it’s actors are such an incredible steaming pile of crap. The only thing real fans want is it gone and erased.
@Greg Cooper — YOUR POST JUST VIOLATED ONE OF THE MAIN RULES OF THIS FORUM, and you didn’t even defend your position.
YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ALL FANS, nor are you the arbitrator of what constitutes a “REAL” fan or not.
Let’s not get bogged down with this canon thing – it’s overburdened the Star Wars fandom to the point of where it’s utterly tiresome over there.
The TREK universe’s tie-ins have always been completely understandable: Books, comics, games, etc. are neither canon or NOT-canon essentially ( unless the creators says so ), just enjoy them as the further adventures of the TREK crews – they are no more or less enjoyable with a “canon-stamp-of-approval” – they can still be weighty, deep, and engaging.
I can appreciate the tie-in novels of my favourite Trek heroes and still understand that the stories MAY or may not be invalidated by what appears on-screen later on. I don’t really care about that.