Literary Treks 144: Evil James Bond

Star Trek: Mirror Images

The Mirror Universe: there are many familiar faces there, but the reality is very different from our own. Rather than the kind, benevolent Federation we know and love, Earth is at the center of a vast empire, ruled by dark passions and the desire for conquest. There have been many stories set in this dark reality in the 50 years Star Trek has existed, each featuring familiar characters, but with a barbaric twist.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Dan Gunther talk about the comic series Mirror Images. We discuss the fun, characterizations, a focused story, something's missing, more points, how it wraps up, an interesting interlude, and our ratings.

In the news segment, we discuss the news of DRM-free Star Trek books being available.

Literary Treks 144: Evil James Bond
Star Trek: Mirror Images comic from IDW

Previous episode: Literary Treks 143: Borg Kryptonite
Next episode: Literary Treks 145: A Skynet Brain-Sucker

Literary Treks 143: Borg Kryptonite

The Return by William Shatner

Shortly after Star Trek: Generations was released, William Shatner pitched a story featuring the return of Captain Kirk to the land of the living. Paramount passed on the story, but undeterred, Shatner sold the idea as a novel. The Return would prove to be a great seller, with many fans wanting to read the story of the resurrection of a Star Trek legend.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Dan Gunther talk about William Shatner's The Return. We discuss bringing back Kirk, maniacal Borg, V'ger and the Borg, an empty grave, Kirk worship, and our ratings.

In the new segment, we discuss the cover and blurb for Force and Motion as well as the penultimate issue of Starfleet Academy and Ongoing #55: The Legacy of Spock.

Literary Treks 143: Borg Kryptonite
The Return by William Shatner

Previous episode: Literary Treks 142: Star Trek vs. Godzilla
Next episode: Literary Treks 144: Evil James Bond

Literary Treks 142: Star Trek vs. Godzilla

The Original Series: The Latter Fire
Interview with author James Swallow!

Star Trek has always featured outlandish ideas such as huge space creatures and other pretty out-there science fiction concepts. However, at its core, Star Trek is really about the struggles that we all face in overcoming negative forces such as violence and fear to come together to build a better world. No one understands that basic idea more than renowned Trek author James Swallow!

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Dan Gunther are joined by James Swallow to talk about his latest book, The Latter Fire. We discuss the genesis of the story, world-building, fear, prejudice and preconceptions, a romantic foil, stretching the Prime Directive, a cosmozoan, everyone has something to do, what's next for James and where to find him.

Literary Treks 142: Star Trek vs. Godzilla
Interview with James Swallow, author of The Latter Fire

Previous episode: Literary Treks 141: Plastic Cage of Emotion
Next episode: Literary Treks 143: Borg Kryptonite

Literary Treks 141: Plastic Cage of Emotion

The Gold Key Archives, Volume 2: Part 2

The Gold Key comics: The Star Trek that might have been. Though the stories may be somewhat ridiculous and the artwork might not quite look like the Star Trek we know and love, there is still a lot to enjoy about these stories from Star Trek's early days. Giant space genies, disembodied Vulcan boogeymen, and swashbuckling pirates are the subject of this week's episode!

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Dan Gunther talk about the second half of Gold Key Comics Vol. 2. We discuss Sceptre of the Sun, The Brain Shockers, The Flight of the Buccaneer, and give our rankings.

In the news segment we talk about the latest book news from Margaret Clark.

Literary Treks 141: Plastic Cage of Emotion
The Gold Key Archives, Volume 2, Part 2

Previous episode: Literary Treks 140: Landed in Yoda's Swamp

Next episode: Literary Treks 142: Star Trek vs. Godzilla

Release Day! TOS: Elusive Salvation by Dayton Ward!

The Original Series: Elusive Salvation
by Dayton Ward

Hitting bookshelves and e-book retailers this week is one of the most anticipated Trek novels (by me, anyway!): The Original Series: Elusive Salvation by New York Times' bestselling author Dayton Ward! This is the sequel to one of my favorite Trek novels in recent memory: From History's Shadow. Make sure to get your copy of Elusive Salvation right away, as I think this one is going to be quite good!

Look below for the back-cover blurb and links to purchase from Amazon.

My Review

Publisher's description:

An all-new Star Trek adventure across time—the latest of the acclaimed Original Series novels!

The Arctic Circle, 1845: Escaping the tyranny under which their people have lived for generations, aliens from a distant planet crash land on Earth’s inhospitable frozen wastes. Surviving the harsh conditions will pose a challenge, but over time the aliens will migrate to more populated areas, with decades passing as they work to conceal their presence from their former oppressors, who continue to hunt them at any cost.

San Francisco, 2283: When a mysterious craft is detected entering the solar system, Admiral James Kirk is dispatched by Starfleet to confront the vessel. He meets with an emissary from the Iramahl, a previously unknown alien race who have come in search of their brothers and sisters thought to have gone missing in this area of space centuries earlier. Having recently thrown off the last chains of subjugation by another species, the Ptaen, they now believe their lost people hold the key to saving their entire race from eventual extinction.

New York, 1970: Roberta Lincoln, young protégé of the mysterious agent Gary Seven, is shocked when she receives the oddest request for help—from the future…

Purchase Elusive Salvation:

MMPB: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Previous Release: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Live By the Code

Next Release: Deep Space Nine: Force and Motion

New Cover Art and Blurbs!

Hey everyone! Things have gotten very busy around here, but I'm going to make a supreme effort to get things caught up over the next few weeks! There have been a number of cover art reveals, episodes of Literary Treks, and other book news over the last few weeks that I need to get caught up on. Look for updates over the next little while as I get everything back up to date!

First off, here are a couple covers that have been revealed, first for June's novel, Deep Space Nine: Force and Motion. Look below for the cover and blurb for that one, followed by the much-anticipated launch of the 50th anniversary TOS trilogy, Legacies, with the first book by Greg Cox: Captain to Captain!

In 2367, Captain Benjamin Maxwell of the starship Phoenix ordered the destruction of a Cardassian warship and a supply vessel, killing more than six hundred crew members. Maxwell believed that the Cardassians were arming for a new attack on the Federation, and though history eventually proved he was probably correct, the Federation had no choice but to court martial and incarcerate him. 

Almost twenty years have passed, and now Maxwell is a free man, working as a maintenance engineer on the private science station Robert Hooke, home to crackpots, fringe researchers, and, possibly, something much darker and deadlier. Maxwell’s former crewmate, Chief Miles O’Brien, and O’Brien’s colleague, Lieutenant Commander Nog, have come for a visit. Unfortunately, history has proven that whenever O’Brien and Nog leave Deep Space 9 together, unpredictable forces are set into motion…

Pre-order Force and Motion from Amazon:

(Release date: May 31, 2016)

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

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

An epic new trilogy begins—a tie-in for the milestone fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series—that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk’s historic five-year-mission…and from one universe to another!

Hidden aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is a secret that has been passed from captain to captain, from Robert April to Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk. Now the return of the enigmatic woman once known as Number One has brought that secret to light, and Kirk and his crew must risk everything to finish a mission that began with April so many years ago…

Nearly two decades earlier, April and his crew first visited the planet Usilde, where they found both tragedy and a thorny moral dilemma. Today, the legacy of that fateful occasion will compel Kirk to embark on a risky voyage back to that forbidden world—which is now deep in territory claimed by the Klingon Empire!

Pre-order Legacies, Book I: Captain to Captain from Amazon:

(Release date: June 28, 2016)

MMPB: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Video: TrekLore #1: The New Star Trek Series!

Hey everyone! As you know, I've been branching out lately into doing video. Here's something I'm particularly excited about, and extremely pleased to be sharing with you today: the first episode of a new Star Trek YouTube talk show, TrekLore! In this first episode, Bobbi Michaud and I talk about the upcoming new Star Trek television series: what do we want to see with regards to plots, characters, etc.?

 The aim is to do an episode on a regular basis, likely monthly. We have some ideas for the next few episodes, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what you think of this new show! So, please check it out, and leave a comment with what you thought. And if there are any topics in particular you would like to see us tackle, let us know!

In the meantime, movie reviews and other content will continue on the Kertrats Productions channel. See you on the YouTubes!