2012 was a great year for Trek fiction in my opinion. We began the year with a couple of great TOS novels, saw the conclusion to the ground-breaking and terrific Vanguard series, witnessed further troubles for the Federation in the form of the Typhon Pact's political and military machinations, had the pleasure of another wonderful entry in the Voyager relaunch by Kirsten Beyer, and closed out the year with a new, amazing trilogy from the inimitable David Mack.
In my own life, 2012 was a year of profound change. In August, I left my position as foreign English teacher at Sinsang Middle School in Seoul, Korea, to return to my native Canada. However, rather than simply flying directly back, some friends and I decided to take the "long way" home. Taking the ferry from Korea to Vladivostok, Russia, we hopped on the trans-siberian railway and traveled the entire length of Asia and Europe on rail. Visits to Lake Baikal, Irkutsk, Suzdal, Moscow, and St. Petersburg were highlights of the Russian portion of the journey. From there, rail travel through Krakow, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Calais, and a ferry ride to Dover and then on to London rounded out our overland journey. One last stop in Reykjavik, Iceland, and I finally made it home to Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, nearly two months after I had left Seoul. A life-changing, wonderful experience that made 2012 the best year of my life (so far).
The end of 2012 also saw the beginning of a new experiment: another blog, called The Contented Reader, in which I review books that aren't from the world of Star Trek and report on news from the wide world of books and literature. There isn't much there yet, but I'm hoping to expand it greatly during the coming year.
Below you will find a chronological list of the books I reviewed this past year. New releases are marked with an asterisk. Each month saw reviews of both new releases and older novels with a couple of exceptions. Most notably, September is devoid of activity due to my travels during that time.
January
The Return by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (The "Shatnarrative")
The Never-Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Synthesis by James Swallow (Star Trek: Titan)
Doctor's Orders by Diane Duane (Star Trek: The Original Series)
I, Q by John de Lancie and Peter David (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Troublesome Minds by Dave Galanter (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Gateways, Book 1 of 7: One Small Step by Susan Wright (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Gateways, Book 2 of 7: Chainmail by Diane Carey (Star Trek: Challenger)
February
*The Rings of Time by Greg Cox (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Gateways, Book 3 of 7: Doors Into Chaos by Robert Greenberger (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
March
Gateways, Book 4 of 7: Demons of Air and Darkness by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
*That Which Divides by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Gateways, Book 5 of 7: No Man's Land by Christie Golden (Star Trek: Voyager)
April
*Storming Heaven by David Mack (Star Trek: Vanguard)
Gateways, Book 6 of 7: Cold Wars by Peter David (Star Trek: New Frontier)
Gateways, Book 7 of 7: What Lay Beyond by various authors (All series)
The Rift by Peter David (Star Trek: The Original Series)
May
*Forgotten History by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations)
Hollow Men by Una McCormack (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Shadow Lord by Laurence Yep (Star Trek: The Original Series)
June
*Plagues of Night by David R. George III (Star Trek: Typhon Pact)
July
*Raise the Dawn by David R. George III (Star Trek: Typhon Pact)
*The Assassination Game by Alan Gratz (Starfleet Academy)
The Rings of Tautee by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Ex Machina by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: The Original Series)
August
*Fallen Gods by Michael A. Martin (Star Trek: Titan)
Do Comets Dream? by S.P. Somtow (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Corona by Greg Bear (Star Trek: The Original Series)
October
*The Eternal Tide by Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Voyager)
*Brinkmanship by Una McCormack (Star Trek: Typhon Pact)
Immortal Coil by Jeffrey Lang (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
November
*Cold Equations, Book 1 of 3: The Persistence of Memory by David Mack (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
*In Tempest's Wake by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: Vanguard ebook)
Spock's World by Diane Duane (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Pawns and Symbols by Majliss Larson (Star Trek: The Original Series)
*Cold Equations, Book 2 of 3: Silent Weapons by David Mack (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
December
Errand of Vengeance, Book 1 of 3: The Edge of the Sword by Kevin Ryan (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Errand of Vengeance, Book 2 of 3: Killing Blow by Kevin Ryan (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Errand of Vengeance, Book 3 of 3: River of Blood by Kevin Ryan (Star Trek: The Original Series)
What will 2013 bring? Well, we already have a few ideas with regards to the world of Star Trek fiction. The first half of the year is almost entirely taken up by TOS novels, possibly to capitalize on the release of the much-anticipated film, Star Trek Into Darkness in May. Along with that film will be a novelization by Alan Dean Foster.
The last half of 2013 looks to be dominated by a multi-series crossover event entitled The Fall. Taking place in the 24th century era of Treklit, The Fall will feature five novels, written by Trek veteran authors David R. George III, Una McCormack, David Mack, James Swallow, and Dayton Ward. I'm really looking forward to learning more about this series!
Another highly-anticipated event for 2013 is the continuation of the story of the early days of the Federation, in the form of Christopher L. Bennett's July release, Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures. I'm a huge fan of Bennett's Trek work, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for this largely-unexplored era of future history.
Check out the 2013 Releases page for all of the Trek fiction due out in the next year!
In my own life, 2013 will see me relocate to Calgary, Alberta. I hope to continue to bring you news and reviews from the world of Star Trek fiction, as well as a few special surprises from the year to come. I can't wait to read all that the 2013 lineup has to offer, and I can guarantee I'll be in a movie theatre on opening night for Star Trek Into Darkness! 2013 looks to be a banner year for Trek, hopefully the vanguard for many more such years to come.
Happy New Year, everyone!