Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Firewall

Star Trek: Picard
Firewall by David Mack
Release date: February 27, 2024
Read February 18th 2024


Previous book (Picard): Second Self
Next book (Picard): 


Purchase:
Hardcover: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Audiobook:  Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Publisher's description:

A thrilling prequel adventure based on the acclaimed TV series Star Trek: Picard!
Two years after the USS Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant, Seven of Nine finds herself rejected for a position in Starfleet…and instead finds a new home with the interstellar rogue law enforcement corps known as the Fenris Rangers. The Rangers seem like an ideal fit for Seven—but to embrace this new destiny, she must leave behind all she’s ever known, and risk losing the most important thing in her life: her friendship with Admiral Kathryn Janeway.


My thoughts:

When Seven of Nine first showed up on Star Trek: Picard at the end of the episode "Absolute Candor," many Star Trek fans were left wondering about her backstory. What happened to her in the aftermath of Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant? Why was she not in Starfleet? And how had she come to join the Fenris Rangers? While some aspects of those questions have been addressed on-screen in the years since, the vast majority of Seven's time from the end of Voyager to where we see her in Star Trek: Picard still remained a mystery. Until now!

The surprise appearance of Seven of Nine in season one of Star Trek: Picard left many viewers wondering what happened to her in the intervening years since the end of Star Trek: Voyager.

In David Mack's Firewall, the author brings us up to speed, showing the "lost years" of Seven's backstory. While some fan reactions I've seen online take issue with how Mack has characterized Seven's development during this time, I take a very different stance. Remember, when Seven of Nine was first introduced on Voyager, the character was freshly liberated from the Borg Collective, having been assimilated when she was a very young child. For all intents and purposes, she was going through her own childhood as she learned to be an individual and exist separate from the Collective. Combine that with the artificial environment of a ship of only about 150 people, isolated from the rest of human society, it becomes clear that Seven never really had the chance to fully explore who she is as an adult.

One thing Voyager had going for it, however, was that it was generally a positive environment in which Seven could grow. She was surrounded by mostly sympathetic people who had her best interests at heart. Upon returning to the Alpha Quadrant, however, Seven was forced to confront a society that distrusted and hated the Borg. Not knowing her as the crew of Voyager does, it's only natural that there would be a great deal of pushback against her. This is not to excuse the behavior of those around her; certainly, it would be ideal if the people of the Federation would understand that individual drones are just as much victims of the Borg Collective as the targets they attack.

Seven's poor treatment by the citizens of the Federation is frustrating, if somewhat understandable, but her treatment by the Federation government itself is appalling. She is rejected in her application to Starfleet Academy, but even more egregious than that, she is denied Federation citizenship! Ostensibly this is because she refuses to go by the name in her official records, Annika Hansen, preferring to go by Seven of Nine. There is a clear allegory to the issue of dead-naming and the trans experience, and David Mack does a great job in upholding the Trek tradition of shining a light on social issues through the lens of science fiction. Similarly, Seven's exploration of her queer identity was a welcome aspect of the novel. I found myself seeing a lot of parallels between what Seven goes though in Firewall and the experiences of one who has come out as gay or bisexual later in life.

Eventually, Seven finds herself working with the Fenris Rangers, a law enforcement agency that has, in recent years, found itself operating outside of the law due to the fact that the governments that contracted the Rangers no longer exist. The group continues to maintain a semblance of law and order on nearby worlds, but the various planets continue to slip into lawlessness and anarchy thanks to the efforts of bad players working to destabilize the region. Additionally, NGOs that used to provide needed relief have recently pulled out to assist with the humanitarian crisis generated by the impending Romulan supernova. However, Seven's work with the Rangers isn't entirely of her own volition; a supposed Federation Intelligence operative has recruited her to infiltrate the Rangers and report on their activities. It becomes clear fairly early on that this "agent," Arastoo Mardani, isn't exactly on the up-and-up. His real name turns out to be Erol Tazgül, and he is a former Federation spymaster who (according to Starfleet Intelligence) has turned entrepreneur, sponsoring warlords in the Qiris sector to further his own ambitions.

The villains of the piece, Tazgül and his warlord beneficiary, General Kohgish, make for some great antagonists mostly due to how believable their motivations are. Kohgish wants to acquire as much capital as possible to solidify his stranglehold on the Qiris sector, while Erol Tazgül's aims are rooted in the extreme political stance he takes. Both felt like they could have been ripped from today's headlines, making this story resonate for any readers who happen to be students of modern history or politics. By the end of the novel, it's still somewhat unclear if Tazgül is truly working on his own, or still at the behest of Starfleet Intelligence, a question that leaves the reader shuddering at its implications. I will say that I was glad the author didn't use the shorthand that is commonly done and say that Tazgül is working for Section 31, as I feel that is a well visited far too often these days.

General Kohgish is an Antican warlord who hopes to control the Qiris sector.

The characters that Seven comes to call colleagues and friends in the Fenris Rangers were some of my favorite things about this novel. Her mentor, Keon Harper, is an older Ranger who has been doing this for a long time. This makes him somewhat jaded, but also never losing the idealism that brought him to the Fenris Rangers in the first place. His mentorship of Seven, and the effect that Seven has on him in return, was a true pleasure to read. Seven's other fellow rangers are a fun cast of characters, but one stand out in particular is someone I truly hope we see more of in the future: Ellory Kayd and Seven eventually strike up a romantic relationship, and it is truly heart-warming to see Seven finding somewhere to belong and someone to belong with. We of course know that the relationship doesn't last far into the future, leading me to wonder if there is a story there to pick up on at some point.

Finally, a major throughline in this novel and, indeed, in Seven of Nine's life, is the role of Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Seven's original mentor and parent-figure, Janeway has always had a vested interest in Seven, and went to bat for her when she was rejected from the Academy. Her perspective on Seven's experiences throughout the story is an interesting one. There are times in this novel when Janeway's view of the situation in the Qiris sector is frankly naive, but I think this was a great choice on the part of the author. She is not there in the thick of it with Seven, and only knows what the Federation news sources are saying about this situation. I think this says something interesting about where we get our information and serves as a warning to be on guard for bias in our sources of news. Regardless, the love that Janeway has for Seven (and that Seven has for Janeway) is always apparent, even when they are on opposing sides of an issue.

I also appreciated the elements from Star Trek: Prodigy that were used in the novel. David Mack worked as a consultant on season one of Prodigy, and I personally know how much he loves that series. Elements such as the U.S.S. Dauntless and her crew were very welcome to see, as were the oblique references to plot elements from Prodigy.

Admiral Janeway's ship from Star Trek: Prodigy, the U.S.S. Dauntless, makes an appearance in Firewall.

For some, the darker tone of Firewall may be off-putting, but in all fairness it does match the state of the Star Trek universe as seen in Star Trek: Picard. The action in this novel takes place far away from the gleaming egalitarian cities of Earth, and the desperate situations that people find themselves in are a stark reminder that not everyone in the Star Trek universe can live only to better themselves and the rest of sentient-kind.

Final thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed Firewall, and appreciated the exploration of Seven of Nine's life between the end of Voyager and her appearances in Picard. David Mack's worldbuilding of the planets in the Qiris sector and the environment in which the Fenris Rangers operate gave some much-need context for what we saw in Star Trek: Picard. I especially enjoyed the original characters populating this novel, a number of whom I hope we see again in a future story. The allegories to queer and trans experiences as well as the "ripped from the headlines" situations place this novel in the best tradition of Star Trek stories that highlight social issues from today. Top marks for this novel, one of my favorites in recent years.

More about Firewall:

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Also by David Mack:


Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next review is for book 3 of the Star Trek: Voyager: String Theory trilogy: Evolution by Heather Jarman.


Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Two Trek Non-Fiction Hardcovers Out Today!

It's another week with two new Trek book releases, both of them non-fiction hardcovers. 


Star Trek:
Discovering the TV Series:
The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation

by Tom Salinsky


An interesting new Star Trek hardcover is out today, written by a man who wanted to get to know Star Trek better. What higher pursuit can there be than that? His goal was to watch through all of Star Trek from TOS to Enterprise, one episode per day, learning all about this landmark franchise as he went.

Check out the back cover blurb below, along with links to purchase the hardcover and e-book editions from Amazon!






Publisher's description:
In 2022, a devoted science fiction enthusiast embarked on a two-year journey to watch every piece of Star Trek media, offering insights into the series' evolution, trivia, and cultural impact, essential for fans and TV history buffs alike.
How well do you know Star Trek?
Lifelong science fiction fan, podcaster and author Tom Salinsky decided that the answer was “not well enough”, and so at the beginning of 2022, he embarked on a two-year mission to watch everything from the start of The Original Series to the end of Enterprise, at the rate of one episode per day. This book is the first part of that odyssey, covering the 79 television episodes which started it all, the animated series which briefly brought it back in the 1970s, the first six original movies and the full run of The Next Generation.
As well as having fun saluting the show’s triumphs, cringing at its lapses in taste, and admiring its willingness to swing for the fences, there’s lots of fascinating behind-the-scenes information here. Why were salt-cellars unchanged in the 23rd century? Was Gene Roddenberry really not allowed to show a woman’s belly button? How many characters get killed during the run of The Animated Series? Who actually wrote the script for Wrath of Khan? How did Paramount get Next Generation on the air when no network would touch it?
But you’ll also get the benefit of a complete overview of this landmark series, watching it unfold and familiar elements appear – often much later than you think. When’s the first mention of the Federation? Of Kirk’s time being the 23rd century? Of there being no money in the future? And some elements appear rather earlier than you might think – which episode is the first to feature a Holodeck?
Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a casual viewer, or just someone interested in the history of television, you’ll adore coming on this daily journey though the highs and lows of one of the most significant and much-loved media properties in the world.
 
Purchase Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series: The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation by Tom Salinsky:

Hardcover: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca




Also out today is a new collection of interviews and articles from the official Star Trek magazine by Titan Publishing:

Star Trek:
The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast

by Titan Publishing


This hardcover book chronicles Star Trek's early history, showcasing the cast of the original Star Trek television series from their beginnings in the 1960s all the way to the end of their journey in 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

The publisher's description can be found below, along with links to purchase the hardcover from Amazon.






Publisher's description:
The story of Star Trek as told by the people who know it best: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and the cast and crew!
This lavishly illustrated oral history of the Star Trek phenomenon covers the exploits of the original crew across three seasons of live action television, two seasons of animated adventures, and the six movies.
Featuring interview material with all seven regular cast members -- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, and Nichelle Nichols – this volume also includes contributions from guest stars, writers, and directors.
Highlights include:
  • Gene Roddenberry talking about Star Trek’s difficult start and why Star Trek had to “entertain or go off the air.” 
  • Story editor D. C. Fontana on shaping some of the best-loved episodes and her part in establishing the enduring character of Mr. Spock. 
  • Why William Shatner wanted Star Trek to “have more humor and be more fun.” 
  • Leonard Nimoy discussing how Spock emerged from being a co-star to a breakout iconic character. 
  • DeForest Kelley on how the fractious relationship between Doctor McCoy and Mr. Spock was developed. 
  • Nichelle Nichols on the overwhelming reaction to Uhura around the world. 
  • Guest star William Campbell on his role in “The Squire of Gothos” and the dangers of the Star Trek set! 
  • The unusual circumstances that led to a first time writer scripting the award-winning episode, “The Tholian Web”. 
  • George Takei on how Leonard Nimoy stood up for his crewmates during the making of Star Trek: The Animated Series and why Sulu is a pioneering character. 
  • Majel Barrett Roddenberry on the secret ingredient that has made Star Trek endure. 
  • William Shatner on the struggle to make Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
 
Purchase Star Trek: The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast:

Hardcover: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Next Release: Star Trek: Holo-ween


 

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Positively Trek Book Club: The Motion Picture - Echoes

Positively Trek Podcast:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Echoes

A 5-Issue Comic Miniseries from IDW



Purchase:
Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk


Positively Trek 279: Book Club: Why Can’t We Have the Bajoran Orb of Candy Canes?
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Echoes

The V’Ger incident has left Kirk in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise, shirking his responsibilities back at Starfleet Command to remain aboard the ship for her shakedown cruise. The cruise is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a doppelganger of Nyota Uhura from a parallel universe, on a mission to apprehend a man responsible for multiple genocides. Kirk and his crew must team with this alternate Uhura to stop a man who looks exactly like Chekov before he allies with the Romulans to develop a devastating weapon!

In this episode of the Positively Trek Book Club, hosts Dan and Brandi discuss the 5-issue miniseries Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Echoes from IDW! We talk about all five issues, what we liked and didn’t like, and share our thoughts on the miniseries as a whole.





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Previous episode: Star Trek Celebrations

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

New Comic Day: Defiant #17!

Star Trek: Defiant #17
The Stars of Home Part 1


This week's new Star Trek: Defiant comic kicks off a new story arc with "The Stars of Home" Part 1!

Romulan treachery abounds in the latest adventure of Captain Worf and his renegade crew aboard the U.S.S. Defiant. Check out the cover variants, synopsis, and links to purchase the digital edition from Amazon below!




Written by Christopher Cantwell
Art by Ángel Unzueta
Cover A by Ángel Unzueta


Purchase:
Digital (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Official synopsis:

Enter a brand-new arc and the beginning of a new era for the disavowed, mercenary crew of the U.S.S. Defiant! Political corruption ensues as Sela and her father, General Revo, leverage the imprisoned Defiant crewmates to kidnap the Romulan praetor and chairman of Tal Shiar Intelligence to advance their sinister plot to take over Romulus...



Variant covers (click to embiggen):



Cover B by Jake Bartok




Retailer Incentive cover by Declan Shalvey





Next comic release: Star Trek #23




Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Release Day: TOS: Lost to Eternity & Picard's Academy Omnibus!

It's new book day, and we have two releases for Trek fans this week! First, a rare new Star Trek novel release from veteran Trek author Greg Cox, and IDW's latest paperback omnibus edition of a recent comic miniseries!


The Original Series:
Lost to Eternity

by Greg Cox


It's always great when a new Star Trek novel is released, and I've been waiting for this one in particular! There's a lot here to grab readers' interests, including a follow-up on the events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, as well as an adventure set in the movie-era of Trek, one of my favorite settings for stories in the Star Trek universe.

Check out the back cover blurb below, along with links to purchase the paperback, e-book, and audiobook editions from Amazon!







Publisher's description:
Three Eras. Three Mysteries. One Ancient Enemy?
2024: Almost forty years ago, marine biologist Gillian Taylor stormed away from her dream job at Sausalito’s Cetacean Institute—and was never seen or heard from again. Now a new true crime podcast has reopened that cold case, but investigator Melinda Silver has no idea that her search for the truth about Gillian’s disappearance will ultimately stretch across time and space—and attract the attention of a ruthless obsessive with his own secret agenda.
2268:The U.S.S. Enterprise’s five-year mission is interrupted when Captain James T. Kirk and his crew set out to recover an abducted Federation scientist whose classified secrets are being sought by the Klingons as well. The trail leads to a barbaric world off limits to both Starfleet and the Klingon Empire—and an ageless mastermind on a quest for eternity.
2292: The Osori, an ancient alien species, has finally agreed to establish relations with its much younger neighbors: the Federation, the Klingons, and the Romulans. A joint mission involving ships from all three powers, including the Enterprise-A, turns explosive when one of the Osori envoys is apparently killed. Each side blames the others, but the truth lies buried deep, nearly three hundred years in the past…
 
Purchase Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity by Greg Cox:

Trade Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk




Also out today is a new graphic novel collecting the Picard's Academy comic miniseries from IDW:

Picard's Academy:
Commit No Mistakes

Written by Sam Maggs
Art by Ornella Greco


A young cadet, one Jean-Luc Picard, must navigate interpersonal relationships and evaluation by his academy instructors to graduate and become the Starfleet officer we know and love. This edition collects all six issues of the Picard's Academy miniseries.

The publisher's description can be found below, along with links to purchase the paperback edition from Amazon!






Publisher's description:
Before becoming the Federation’s finest, Jean-Luc was an ordinary student at Starfleet Academy with sights on the stars. His path forward was charted: blow his classmates out of the water on the infamous Evasive Maneuvers exam and graduate early. But there’s a detail Cadet Picard hadn’t factored into his plan: the exam was a group project and he’d need to make friends with, ugh, people if he stood a chance at passing.
Federation starships aren’t run by a party of one, after all. During the training exercise, Picard accidentally puts the lives of himself and two of his classmates—Doq and Marty—in danger!
 
Purchase Picard's Academy: Commit No Mistakes:

Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Next Release: Discovering the TV Series: The Original Series, The Animated Series and The Next Generation & The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast


 

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Two Comics Out Today: Star Trek #22 & Star Trek Annual 2024!

Greetings, Star Trek comic fans! Wednesday is new comic day, and this week we have two offerings from IDW, both of them continuing the voyages of the flagship ongoing Star Trek comic series! Let's take a look at this week's new Trek stories from writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly!


Star Trek #22
Pleroma Part 4


The Pleroma storyline continues in issue 22 of Star Trek!

Captain Sisko faces the "gods" of the Star Trek universe in the mysterious "Pleroma," and a long-awaited reunion greets Dr. Beverly Crusher.

As always, you can find the covers, synopsis, and links to purchase the digital version from Amazon below.





Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Art by Megan Levens
Cover A by Megan Levens


Purchase:
Digital (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Official synopsis:

The meeting of the gods at the Pleroma continues as Captain Sisko confronts his celestial mother in the very fabric of space and time! Why was he called home to help in the fight against Kahless, only to be forbidden from attempting to protect the universe from the brutal aftermath? Meanwhile, Beverly Crusher boldly outmaneuvers the gods for an emotional reunion, and Ensign Lily Sato, torn between her best friend and feelings of disillusionment with Starfleet, contemplates a decision that could change everything with the push of a button…



Variant covers (click to embiggen):



Cover B by Rod Reis





Retailer Incentive cover by J.J. Lendl



Also out today is the Star Trek Annual 2024!


Star Trek: Annual 2024


The 2024 edition of the Star Trek Annual is here!

Ever since the end of Day of Blood, Lore has roamed free after escaping from Data, and now it's time to track him down.

Definitely looking forward to this one! Be sure to check out the covers, synopsis, and links to purchase the digital version from Amazon below.




Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Art by Rachael Stott
Cover A by Rachael Stott


Purchase:
Digital (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Official synopsis:

With no one but himself to blame for his brother’s sudden escape during the Klingon Day of Blood, Lieutenant Commander Data sheds his Starfleet uniform for an ensemble inspired by none other than Sherlock Holmes to track down Lore’s whereabouts…and figure out what sinister plans he’s been scheming. With the one and only Miles O’Brien as his Watson at his side, there is no mystery that DETECTIVE DATA can’t solve! Acclaimed artist RACHAEL STOTT (Star WarsDoctor WhoFantastic Four) joins Star Trek writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly in the latest installment of the Eisner-nominated series.



Variant covers (click to embiggen):



Cover B by Ramón Rosanas





Retailer Incentive Cover by Suspiria Vilchez





Previous comic release: Sons of Star Trek #4
Next comic release: Star Trek: Defiant #17




Monday, July 15, 2024

Positively Trek Book Club: Star Trek Celebrations!

Positively Trek Podcast:

Star Trek Celebrations
The Podcast Discusses IDW's Special Pride Month Issue!


Purchase:


Positively Trek 277: Book Club: Curiosity Killed the Cat … But Satisfaction Brought it Back!
Star Trek Celebrations

While the Star Trek universe has recently made great strides in pushing the current societal boundaries of representation and inclusion, it hasn’t always done so. However, with the current slate of new Star Trek shows since the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017, the lineup of LGBTQ+ characters is so great that a new comic issue celebrating Trek’s queer community can’t even fit all of them in!

In celebration of Pride Month, IDW has released Star Trek: Celebrations, a one-shot comic issue featuring a few of Star Trek’s greatest LGBTQ+ characters, and in this episode of the Positively Trek Book Club, hosts Dan and Brandi are taking a look at the stories that comprise this comic! We discuss five short comic stories featuring Hikaru Sulu, Raffi Musiker, Seven of Nine, Christine Chapel, Paul Stamets, Jett Reno, and Beckett Mariner. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and we also hope you had a great Pride Month!




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Previous episode: Star Trek: Day of Blood

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

New Comic Day: Sons of Star Trek #4!

Sons of Star Trek #4


The conclusion of the 4-part IDW Sons of Star Trek comic miniseries!

Jake and Alexanders cross-reality adventure is coming to an end, as long as they're able to convince Q Jr. to return them to their own universe.

As always, you can check out the cover art, publisher's description, and purchase links below!



Written by Morgan Hampton
Art by Angel Hernández
Cover A by Jake Bartok


Purchase:
Digital (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk



Official synopsis:

What do you get when you cross three of the Federation's most celebrated sons with a misguided god? An alternate reality full of lessons that may be just what the doctor ordered. But with Jake Sisko's enrollment in the Pennington School, Alexander Rozhenko's prison sentence, and Nog's first Starfleet posting all fast approaching, they'll have to move fast to defeat the Breen once and for all if they're to convince Q Jr to return them to their home reality.
The final chapter of SONS OF STAR TREK concludes here!



Variant covers (click to embiggen):


Cover B by Angel Hernández





Retailer Incentive Cover by Andy Price





Previous comic release: Star Trek: Defiant #16
Next comic release: Star Trek #22