Thursday, March 14, 2024

Positively Trek Book Club: Seven of Nine Knows Her Name!

Positively Trek Podcast:

Star Trek: Picard
Firewall
Exclusive Interview with author David Mack!


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


Positively Trek 265: Book Club: Seven of Nine Knows Her Name!
Picard: Firewall with David Mack & Guest Host Jessie Gender 

In this episode of the Positively Trek Book Club, Dan Gunther and guest host Jessie Gender welcome David Mack to the show to discuss his new novel, Star Trek: Picard: Firewall!

When the USS Voyager returned to Earth, Seven of Nine’s life looked promising: Earth, the bastion of acceptance and equality, stood ready to accept the former Borg with open arms. Right?

Reality proved to be very different from what had been promised, and soon Seven finds herself on the outside looking in. Refused a commission in Starfleet, and even denied Federation membership, she sets out to find herself, beginning a journey that would eventually lead to the Fenris Rangers and the Seven that we meet in the series Star Trek: Picard.





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Previous episode: Star Trek Explorer Presents: "The Mission" and Other Stories - Part 1 of 2
Next episode: Deep Space Nine: The Dog of War

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

New Comic Day! Sons of Star Trek #1

Sons of Star Trek #1


Out today is the first issue of a new 4-issue miniseries, set in the same continuity as the ongoing Star Trek comic series and its spinoff, Star Trek: Defiant! Jake Sisko and Alexander Rozhenko are the focus of this one, with some reality-fracturing hijinks included! We have the various covers below for you to take a look at, as well as the publisher's synopsis and links to pick up the digital version from Amazon.


Written by Morgan Hampton
Art by Angel Hernandez
Cover by Jake Bartok


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



Official synopsis:

From the mighty pen of acclaimed Cyborg writer Morgan Hampton comes a new four-part miniseries spinning out of IDW’s Eisner-nominated Star Trek series and fan favorite Star Trek: Defiant series!
In the aftermath of Kahless' harrowing Day of Blood, Jake Sisko struggles to find his place in the universe now that his family has been reunited and his father, Benjamin Sisko, has once again saved the galaxy.
Meanwhile, Alexander Rozhenko is recovering mentally and emotionally from his time as one of Kahless' devout followers. Although his father, Worf, was able to break him away from the Red Path cult, Alexander is haunted by his actions during the bloody coup and is unsure of his ability to atone for the devastation he caused.
Jake and Alexander find their stories intertwined as they're thrust into an alternate universe where they followed their fathers' footsteps into Starfleet stardom. As officers aboard the U.S.S. Avery, Jake and Alexander encounter alternate versions of other children of Starfleet legends who show them they all may have a bit more in common than it would seem.



Variant covers:



Cover B by Hayden Sherman


Retailer Incentive cover by Andy Price



IDW Online Exclusive cover by Liana Kangas




Previous comic release: Star Trek: Defiant #12 & Picard's Academy #6
Next comic release: Star Trek #18





Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Release Day! Star Trek: Day of Blood

Star Trek: Day of Blood

by Christopher Cantwell, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Art by Ramon Rosanas and Angel Unzueta


The next chapter in the ongoing comics saga of Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant is out in hardcover format! Star Trek: Day of Blood features a collection of all of the comics that make up this huge crossover event. Collects Star Trek: Day of Blood, Star Trek: Day of Blood–Shaxs' Best Day, Star Trek 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue, Star Trek issues #11–12, and Star Trek: Defiant issues #6–7.

Check out the cover art and official synopsis below, along with links to purchase the hardcover from Amazon!





Publisher's description:
Blood will flow in this first-ever Federation crossover event which pulls from the ongoing Star Trek space saga and the Defiant spin off graphic novel series!
As emperor of the Klingon Empire, Kahless II has consolidated power, raided ancient tombs and secret bunkers, taken the power of gods for himself, stolen the Bajoran Orb of Destruction, and has begun a slaughter across the stars.
But this genocide of gods was just the beginning. For with the power he has stolen, Kahless is about to declare war on all those who do not follow the Red Path. To prevent genocide unlike any since the ancient days of Qo’noS, the crew of icons led by the emissary known as Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek ongoing series) and the renegades who follow a desperate and violent Worf (Star Trek: Defiant) must unite for a common cause. Only they can hope to stop the DAY OF BLOOD.
Join creators Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly (Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy), Christopher Cantwell (Namor and Star Wars: Obi-Wan), and Ramon Rosanas (Star Trek, Marvel’s Star Wars, and The Astonishing Ant-Man) in this monumental crossover event of epic proportions. Collects Star Trek: Day of Blood, Star Trek: Day of Blood–Shaxs' Best Day, Star Trek 2023 Free Comic Book Day issue, Star Trek issues #11–12, and Star Trek: Defiant issues #6–7.
 
Purchase Day of Blood:

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




Next Release: Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Echoes


 

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Positively Trek Book Club: Did Anyone Have Android Pulaski on Their Bingo Card?

Positively Trek Podcast:

Star Trek Explorer Presents:
"The Mission" and Other Stories
Part 1/2


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


Positively Trek 264: Book Club: Did Anyone Have Android Pulaski on Their Bingo Card?
Star Trek Explorer Presents: “The Mission” and Other Stories - Part 1 of 2

We here at the Positively Trek Book Club pride ourselves on covering every new Star Trek novel that is released. However, the releases are fewer and farther between these days. Thankfully, there are many places for us to go to get our Star Trek fiction fix!

The Star Trek Explorer magazine has been publishing original Star Trek short stories since it started in 2021, showcasing unique corners of the Trek universe and written by some of the biggest names in Star Trek writing. In February of 2024, the most recent hardcover collection of these stories was released: Star Trek Explorer Presents: “The Mission” and Other Stories, featuring 14 of the short stories from recent issues.

In this episode of the Positively Trek Book Club, host Dan Gunther welcomes Bruce Gibson back to the show to discuss the first 7 of the stories featured in this collection. We discuss:

“Control” by John Peel

“The Guardian” by Gary Russell

“The Disavowed” by Christopher Cooper

“Paghabi” by Chris Dows

“Pulaski 2.0” by Greg Cox

“The Expert” by Gary Russell

and “Scramble” by Greg Cox

The remaining 7 stories in the collection will be featured in a future episode.






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Previous episode: Star Trek: The Red Path
Next episode: Picard: Firewall

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

New Comic Day: Defiant #12 & The Conclusion of Picard's Academy!

Two new comics are out today: The latest installment of the ongoing Star Trek: Defiant series and the conclusion of the Star Trek: Picard's Academy miniseries!


Star Trek: Defiant #12
Hell is Only a Word, Part 1


Out today: Star Trek: Defiant #12, the latest issue in IDW's ongoing spinoff of the Star Trek comic series! We have the various covers below for you to take a look at, as well as the publisher's synopsis and links to pick up the digital version from Amazon.


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


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


Official synopsis:

Original Star Trek: Defiant writer-artist duo Christopher Cantwell and Ángel Unzueta delve into the sci-fi horror genre in arc three of the fan-favorite series! Eager to move past the unofficial bounty-hunting mission assigned to them by Starfleet, disgraced former ambassador and Starfleet legend, Worf, and his rogue crew make way for Starbase 99 – a run-down remnant of the Dominion War – to complete their fugitive drop-off. The clandestine assignment has left them disillusioned with Starfleet and with one another, but a surprise awaits the Defiant crew, threatening to tear the crew apart even further – literally.



Variant covers:



Cover B by Rod Reis



Retailer Incentive cover by Ángel Unzueta



IDW Online Exclusive cover by Suspiria Vilchez


Also out today is the final issue in the 6-issue miniseries Star Trek: Picard's Academy! Jean-Luc faces his greatest test yet in the finale of this series from writer Sam Maggs and artist Ornella Greco!


Star Trek: Picard's Academy #6


Written by Sam Maggs
Art by Ornella Greco
Cover by Sweeny Boo


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


Official synopsis:

It's do-or-die for Picard and cadets in the finale of Picard's Academy! Romulans storm the ship while Starfleet remains out of reach and potentially unaware of the threat headed their way, but the cadets have finally come to an agreement, electing Jean-Luc to the captain's chair. They're finally willing to follow Picard's lead, and Picard is finally willing to acknowledge their feedback – now acting as a proper crew. But is it too late? Will Picard fail his crewmates once again and, worse yet, see the start of an interstellar war? So much for graduating early!


Variant covers:


Cover B by Aaron Harvey



Retailer Incentive cover by Megan Huang





Previous comic release: Star Trek #17
Next comic release: Sons of Star Trek #1





Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Cohesion

Star Trek: Voyager
String Theory, Book 1
Cohesion by Jeffrey Lang
Published July 2005
Read May 13th 2020

Previous book: Spirit Walk, Book 2: Enemy of My Enemy
Next book (published order): Distant Shores
Next book (String Theory): String Theory, Book 2: Fusion


Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for
Cohesion!

From the back cover:
Spirits unbroken by the failed promise of the USS Dauntless, Captain Kathryn Janeway’s indefatigable crew continues their odyssey of discovery through an enigmatic region of the Delta Quadrant, encountering a system inhabited by a species that, according to known physical laws, shouldn't exist.

These unusual beings, the Monorhans, hover near the edge of extinction; technology from the USS Voyager promises life. Janeway, compelled by the aliens’ plight, dispatches Seven of Nine and Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres to the Monorhan homeworld. But an unexpected shock wave crashes the shuttle carrying Torres and Seven, catapulting Voyager into a place beyond the fabric of space-time.

As B'Elanna and Seven wage an interpersonal war, Voyager struggles to prevail on an extradimensional battleground against an indefinable enemy. But fate has determined that one is inexorably linked to the other: the insurmountable chasm separating Voyager from her lost crew members must be bridged...or all will perish.

My thoughts:

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager, Pocket Books decided to release a trilogy of novels set during the series' run. The first novel of the String Theory trilogy, Cohesion, establishes that this story is set in the period between seasons four and five. This was an ideal place to set the trilogy, as it was one of the few season breaks of Voyager to not feature a cliffhanger.

The end of season 4 gave us the episode "Hope and Fear," in which the crew was presented with a vessel, seemingly of Starfleet manufacture, equipped with a quantum slipstream drive. The entire thing turned out to be a ruse intended to deliver the Voyager crew to the Borg, leaving our Voyager heroes still stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but with a renewed determination to get home.

The events of the season 4 finale, "Hope and Fear," have taken their toll on the Voyager crew.

This story does a good job of using the situation between seasons 4 and 5 to craft a unique story. There are some nice touchstones to remind us of where we are in Voyager's journey without seeming forced or heavy-handed. For example, in the course of this novel, Tom Paris is working on creating his Captain Proton holo-adventure, which we see on-screen for the first time in the season 5 premiere, "Night."

One of my favorite aspects of this novel is how well Jeffrey Lang captured the voices of the characters. As someone who generally found the character development in the Voyager television series lacking, what little we got in the show was very much welcome. The tempestuous relationship between Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres, for example, was something that rang very true to me. In Cohesion, Lang explores that relationship quite well, giving us situations between the two of them that fit right alongside encounters between the two characters on the show. Adding in a plot contrivance that allows the two of them to see into each other's mind gives each of them a greater understanding of the other's perspective, which was especially interesting given the usual relationship between them.

The antagonism between B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine takes center stage in Cohesion.

The story itself is reminiscent of the Voyager tendency to encounter strange anomalies that push the boundaries of "weird space stuff." It works well for this story, however, and certainly will make Voyager fans feel right at home. The "aliens of the week," the Monorhans, are definitely interesting, and I'm curious to see where the story goes with them in the next two installments. 

Of course, given that this is book one of three, Cohesion leaves off with a cliffhanger ending, which is always a little frustrating. However, the story is well-written enough that I am engaged throughout, and invested to learn what comes next. 

Final thoughts:

An enjoyable start to the String Theory trilogy. At the heart of the story is the antagonistic relationship between Seven of Nine and B'Elanna Torres, which gets some fascinating evolution thanks to the events of this novel. Cohesion definitely grabbed my interest and has me curious to see how the story continues in the next book.



Also by Jeffrey Lang:

My next read:

Next up is the first review of a newly-released novel in a long time: my video review of David Mack's new Star Trek: Picard: Firewall is coming very soon!

Release Day! Picard: Firewall by David Mack, Plus a New Behind-the-Scenes Book for Picard!

Two new releases this week! We have a new novel featuring Seven of Nine, plus an in-depth behind-the-scenes book on the making of Star Trek: Picard


Star Trek: Picard
Firewall

by David Mack


A rarity these days: a new Star Trek novel release! Today, you can pick up the all-new Star Trek: Picard: Firewall by David Mack, chronicling Seven of Nine's journey from the end of her time on Voyager through to becoming a part of the Fenris Rangers.

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




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.
 
Purchase Picard: Firewall:

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



Also out today:

Star Trek: Picard: The Art and Making of the Series

by Joe Fordham




Publisher's description:
An in-depth look at the making of Star Trek: Picard, a three-season spin-off of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a must-have for all Star Trek fans.
Star Trek: Picard stars Patrick Stewart, reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The book explores each of the three separate season-long narratives, which tell the story of Picard in later years, as he is brought out of retirement on his family chateau to face old enemies such as the Borg, take command of a new starship, and ultimately reconcile with his past.
New characters such as Doctor Jurati (Alison Pill), Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera), Soji (Isa Briones) and Elnor (Evan Evagora) feature alongside appearances by old enemies and friends, such as Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching), Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), Data (Brent Spiner), and Q (John de Lancie). Season 3 sees a full-scale Next Generation reunion, featuring Worf (Michael Dorn), Dr. Beverley Crusher (Gates McFadden), and Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton).
Alongside interviews with showrunners, writers, cast, and crew, discussing concepts and character arcs, “Spotlight” features explore makeup, costumes, art, and visual effects. A final section features reflections on the much-beloved character from its original incarnation in Star Trek: Next Generation through to its final satisfying conclusion.
This beautifully illustrated hardback, featuring behind-the-scenes and on-set photography, and a range of production art, is an in-depth exploration of a hugely popular and seminal Star Trek character.
 
Purchase Star Trek: Picard: The Art and Making of the Series:

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