Showing posts with label year in review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label year in review. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Trek Lit 2019: Year in Review

2019: Almost a Return to Form!

As the decade draws to a close, we once again look back on the year that was in Star Trek novels!

2019 was the ninth year that I have done Trek Lit Reviews, and thankfully, the novels keep on coming. 2018 was a scary year that saw a tiny number of releases, but 2019 almost brought us back up to pre-contract renegotiation levels.

There were seven new Trek novels released by Simon & Schuster this year, plus one re-release of a classic novel, all in the trade paperback format favored by the publishing industry in recent years. This is a huge improvement over 2018's paltry three novels from S&S.

The year started off with a Star Trek: Discovery novel from one of my favorite authors, Una McCormack: The Way to the Stars, exploring the backstory of fan-favorite character Sylvia Tilly.

April saw the release of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light by Dayton Ward, continuing the mission of the Enterprise-E and her exploration of the distant Odyssean Pass.

Then in May, we got a new TOS novel: The Captain's Oath by Christopher L. Bennett. This book explored James T. Kirk's first command, the U.S.S. Sacagawea, prior to his taking command of the Enterprise.

At the end of July, we experienced John Jackson Miller's take on the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War, in which we learned what the storied vessel was up to during the first season of Discovery.

In August, we returned to The Original Series for The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox, exploring a 23rd century "gold rush" and a close encounter with a dangerous region of space.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first foray of Trek into the cinemas, Simon & Schuster re-released the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry in October.

Just one week later, the TNG novel Collateral Damage by David Mack was released, tying up a story line which has been wending its way through Trek lit for the better part of two decades, ever since the groundbreaking A Time To... series of novels!

And finally, December saw the release of Dave Galanter's Star Trek: Discovery: Dead Endless, exploring the relationship between Paul Stamets and the mysterious mycelial network, traveled through by the U.S.S. Discovery and her revolutionary spore drive.



As for Star Trek as a whole, 2019 continued to build upon the gains that were made by the franchise in 2018. Season 2 of Discovery was widely praised, and made Captain Christopher Pike a household name thanks to the tremendous performance from Anson Mount. Anticipation for Star Trek: Picard continued to grow as well, and we are on the cusp of its premiere in January of 2020.

Star Trek: Short Treks also continued, with six episodes this season instead of last year's four. The first three featured Captain Pike and various adventures in the 23rd century (including a dubious origin for the tribbles), while the most recent two to have aired marked Star Trek's return to animation for the first time since the 1970s with "The Girl Who Made the Stars" and "Ephraim and Dot." One more episode is to air in early January, "The Children of Mars," which is billed as a sort of prequel to Star Trek: Picard. 2020 will not only see that new take on Sir Patrick Stewart's iconic character, but also a return of Star Trek: Discovery for its third season, and Lower Decks, an animated comedy series from Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahan.


For me personally, 2019 started strong with an increased production both on this website and on my YouTube channel, Kertrats Productions. I made great efforts in getting caught up and keeping up to date on my book reviews, and generally did a good job until, unfortunately, the end of the year.

Early November saw me laid off from my job and, having to search for work, I found my ambition to keep everything updated flagged quite a bit. I once again dropped behind in my book reviews, and the content on this website definitely suffered. Thankfully, however, I was able to find a new teaching position for the new year, and will once again be gainfully employed as of January 6th!

As for next year, I once again have the goal of getting caught up on book reviews on Trek Lit Reviews. As for Kertrats Productions, I have a few ideas for what I want to do with that channel which I will get into more in the new year. Plus, I also have another special project in the works with my Literary Treks co-conspirator, Bruce Gibson. This is the first I have mentioned of this anywhere, so there's not a lot to tell yet, but more to come as the plans get worked out... Stay tuned!


As always, what follows is a list of the Trek novels I reviewed this past year on Trek Lit Reviews sorted by month. New releases are marked in bold and with an asterisk, and the links lead to my reviews. Enjoy!


January

The War of the Prophets by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Millennium, Book II of III)
Ship of the Line by Diane Carey (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
A Good Day to Die by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon, Book One)








February

A Time to Kill by David Mack (Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Time To, Book 7)
Requiem by Michael Jan Friedman and Kevin Ryan (Star Trek: The Next Generation #32)
Inferno by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Millennium, Book III of III)
The Valiant by Michael Jan Friedman (Star Trek: The Next Generation)







March

A Time to Heal by David Mack (Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Time To, Book 8)
Honor Bound by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon, Book Two)
The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes (Star Trek #49)
A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: The Next Generation: A Time To, Book 9)
Mutiny on the Enterprise by Robert E. Vardeman (Star Trek #12)
The Sundered by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels (Star Trek: The Lost Era)




April
Enemy Territory by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon, Book Three)
* In the Heart of Chaos by Bernd Perplies & Christian Humberg (Star Trek: Prometheus)
Wagon Train to the Stars by Diane Carey (Star Trek #89: New Earth, Book One of Six)
Belle Terre by Dean Wesley Smith with Diane Carey (Star Trek #90: New Earth, Book Two of Six)

May

A Burning House by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: Klingon Empire)
Triangle: Imzadi II by Peter David (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Death in Winter by Michael Jan Friedman (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Vulcan's Glory by D.C. Fontana (Star Trek #44)
Old Wounds by Christie Golden (Star Trek: Voyager: Spirit Walk, Book One of Two)






June

Rough Trails by L.A. Graf (Star Trek #91: New Earth, Book Three of Six)
Enemy of My Enemy by Christie Golden (Star Trek: Voyager: Spirit Walk, Book Two of Two)
* The Way to the Stars by Una McCormack (Star Trek: Discovery)
Taking Wing by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Titan)
Articles of the Federation by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
The Flaming Arrow by Kathy Oltion & Jerry Oltion (Star Trek #92: New Earth, Book Four of Six)
Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonanno (Star Trek)





July

The Red King by Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin (Star Trek: Titan)
Thin Air by Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Dean Wesley Smith (Star Trek #93: New Earth, Book Five of Six)
* Available Light by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Resistance by J.M. Dillard (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
* The Captain's Oath by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Orion's Hounds by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: Titan)
Challenger by Diane Carey (Star Trek #94: New Earth, Book Six of Six)




August

Q & A by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
The IDIC Epidemic by Jean Lorrah (Star Trek #38)
Dyson Sphere by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski (Star Trek: The Next Generation #50)
Sword of Damocles by Geoffrey Thorne (Star Trek: Titan)
* The Enterprise War by John Jackson Miller (Star Trek: Discovery)







September
A Flag Full of Stars by Brad Ferguson (Star Trek #54: The Lost Years, Book Two)
Before Dishonor by Peter David (Star Trek: The Next Generation)






October

Greater Than the Sum by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
* The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox (Star Trek: The Original Series)












November

Gods of Night by David Mack (Star Trek: Destiny, Book I)









December

* Star Trek: The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry (40th Anniversary Edition)






2019 was also, as always, a great year for the Literary Treks podcast, thanks to all of the wonderful listeners! I host this podcast with Bruce Gibson over on the Trek.fm network. We covered a great number of Star Trek novels and comics, plus we had some great discussions with Trek authors and creators! Here's a list of the episodes we did in 2019:
Literary Treks Podcast Episodes




Best Trek novel of 2019:

Unfortunately, thanks to the loss of my job in November as well as a bout with the flu towards the end of December, I didn't get the reviews of all of the new releases done before the end of the year. However, I have read them all, and while there were a number of contenders, one novel in particular floated to the top. My favorite read of 2019, and in my opinion, the best Trek novel of 2019 is...

 Star Trek: Discovery: Dead Endless by Dave Galanter!

This novel is one that is really easy to spoil if you haven't read it, so I won't go deep into the particulars of the plot or setting here, but suffice it to say that I completely floored by this novel and where it ended up was completely unexpected. An incredible story with moving character moments that gave me chills. Dave Galanter is one of my favorite Trek authors, and he definitely doesn't disappoint here! Thank you so much for this wonderful story, a moving masterpiece that even Wilson Cruz, Hugh Culber himself, has taken to Twitter to praise. Wonderful stuff!


As per usual, let's wrap up by taking a look ahead at what we can expect from Trek Lit in 2020.

This past summer, at the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention, we got a few announcements for new books coming in 2020. Plus, there have been a few other announcements since then. Let's break them down.

Kicking off the 2020 book year is February's release of The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack, the first Star Trek: Picard novel! This book promises to introduce new characters featured in the life of Jean-Luc Picard, likely providing backstories for characters appearing in the series.

March sees the release of a TOS novel: The Higher Frontier by Christopher L. Bennett. In this novel, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise face an extradimensional threat. This book is said to take place during the TMP time period, a setting with which Bennett has a great deal of experience.

In April, the first of the "Kelvin Timeline" novels is released. Originally written back in 2009/2010, four Kelvin Timeline novels were held from being published, with none of them seeing the light of day until now! The Unsettling Stars by Alan Dean Foster is the first of these.

June features another TOS novel, this one by Dayton Ward: Agents of Influence. Not much is known
about this title yet, but we'll bring you news of it as soon as it is available!

In August, the second Kelvin Timeline novel is released: More Beautiful Than Death by David Mack. I'm very excited to read this one, as the author has mentioned how proud he is of it on a number of occasions.

Also coming sometime in 2020 is Kirsten Beyer's Star Trek: Voyager: To Lose the Earth, a much-delayed followup to her recent Voyager novels. We are also reportedly getting a new Star Trek: Discovery novel from John Jackson Miller, although the title and details have not yet been revealed.


2019 certainly marked a return to a more "normal" schedule of Star Trek novel releases, and we can only hope that 2020 continues the trend. With the Star Trek universe opening up to possibilities never before explored, one can only imagine that the horizon for new Trek fiction is just as limitless. As a well-known Vulcan scientist once said, "There always are... possibilities."

Wishing you and yours the happiest of new years, with all of the success and happiness you can possibly imagine in 2020! Stay safe out there, my friends, and always remember to live long... and read on!
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Monday, December 31, 2018

Trek Lit 2018: Year in Review

2018: A Pause to Catch Our Breath

Well, here we are again. The end of yet another year of Star Trek novels, and the eighth year that Trek Lit Reviews has been providing you with reviews of those novels. How did 2018 compare to other years? Well, in the realm of Star Trek novels as a whole... not good, I'm afraid.

Carrying over from 2017, 2018 saw a huge delay in the finalizing of an agreement between Simon & Schuster and CBS with regards to the contract for Star Trek novels. The exact reason behind this delay has not been revealed, but thankfully, both parties came to an agreement this year, which bodes well for 2019.

However, this has meant that in 2018, we saw very few new Star Trek novel releases. There were only five Trek novels released this year, of which only three came from Simon & Schuster!

In February, we got the second novel in the Star Trek: Discovery series: Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward, dealing with the massacre on Tarsus IV by Kodos the Executioner (see: TOS - "The Conscience of the King").

In late March, the long-awaited next book in Kirsten Beyer's Voyager relaunch was released: Architects of Infinity, in which the Full Circle fleet encounters a strangely engineered artificial world.

And in June, the latest book in the Discovery series was released: Fear Itself by James Swallow, a story featuring the Kelpien Saru played by Doug Jones, in a prequel story set aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou.

From Titan books, we got the final two Prometheus novels, translated from the original German: The Root of All Rage, and the conclusion, In the Heart of Chaos, both by German authors Bernd Perplies and Christian Humberg.


In the Star Trek universe at large, 2018 was a big year. The first season of Discovery finished up early in the year, and by all indications was a rousing success for CBS. So much so that, at the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, Patrick Stewart himself took the stage to announce that a new Star Trek television series featuring Jean-Luc Picard was in development.

A new Star Trek animated series was also announced, spearheaded by Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahan. A comedy series featuring a focus on areas of Starfleet not typically featured in other Trek, Star Trek: Lower Decks will prove to be very different from anything we've seen before.

Star Trek: Discovery season two is gearing up to return to television screens in the new year, but in the meantime Short Treks has made a splash, featuring characters and situations from Discovery to tide us over until then. Unfortunately, Short Treks has not been made available outside of the U.S. and Canada, so many international viewers have not gotten the chance to see them. Hopefully this will change soon!


In my own life, 2018 was a very productive year for this website, and while I am still behind on many of my reviews, I feel like I made great strides in getting caught up! I'm hoping to keep that momentum going in 2019, as it looks like it is going to be a great year for Star Trek novels and the franchise as a whole!



In addition to my output of book reviews on this site, my YouTube channel, Kertrats Productions, made several significant gains this past year. While the subscriber count isn't spectacular, I did gain many new followers to the channel, and I tried my best to put out a video every week. Sometimes I didn't reach that goal, and sometimes I surpassed it. Hopefully my efforts will yield a bit more consistency in 2019!

Here's a list of the Trek novels I reviewed this past year on Trek Lit Reviews sorted by month. New releases are marked in bold and with an asterisk! Links lead to my reviews. Enjoy!


January

Best Destiny by Diane Carey (Star Trek)
* Shield of the Gods by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations)











February

Prime Directive by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek)
* Enigma Tales by Una McCormack (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Spectre by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)











March

* Hidden Universe Guide to The Klingon Empire by Dayton Ward
The Siege by Peter David (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #2)
* Rise of the Federation: Patterns of Interference by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: Enterprise)











April
By the Book by Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Enterprise)
* Desperate Hours by David Mack (Star Trek: Discovery)





May


The Escape by Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Star Trek: Voyager #2)
Dark Victory by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)













June

* Gamma: Original Sin by David R. George III (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Q-Squared by Peter David (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
* The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard: The Story of One of Starfleet's Most Inspirational Captains by David A. Goodman












July

* I, The Constable by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre (Star Trek #2)
* Fortune of War by David Mack (Star Trek: Titan)
Ghost Ship by Diane Carey (Star Trek: The Next Generation #1)
* Fire with Fire by Bernd Perplies & Christian Humberg (Star Trek: Prometheus)








August

Preserver by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)
Mudd in Your Eye by Jerry Oltion (Star Trek #81)
Sarek by A.C. Crispin (Star Trek)
* Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: Discovery)
Echoes by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, & Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Star Trek: Voyager #15)
A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #27)






September
Captain's Peril by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)
* Architects of Infinity by Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Voyager)
The 34th Rule by Armin Shimerman and David R. George III, from a story by Armin Shimerman & David R. George III & Eric A. Stillwell  (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #23)
Captain's Blood by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)
Captain's Glory by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)

October
Academy: Collision Course by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)
* The Root of All Rage by Bernd Perplies & Christian Humberg (Star Trek: Prometheus)
Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #5)
A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Surak's Soul by J.M. Dillard (Enterprise)






November

A Time to Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
The Farther Shore by Christie Golden (Star Trek: Voyager)
A Time to Love by Robert Greenberger (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
* Lost Scenes by David Tilotta & Curt McAloney (Non-fiction reference)
Across the Universe by Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski (Star Trek #88)
Diplomatic Implausibility by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Star Trek: The Next Generation #61)




December


The Peacekeepers by Gene DeWeese (Star Trek: The Next Generation #2)
The Fall of Terok Nor by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Millennium, Book I of III)
A Time to Hate by Robert Greenberger (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
* Fear Itself by James Swallow (Star Trek: Discovery)





2018 was also a great year for the Literary Treks podcast, which I host with Bruce Gibson over on the Trek.fm network. We covered tons of Trek novels and comics, and had some great discussions with Trek authors and creators! Here's a list of the episodes we did in 2018:
Literary Treks Podcast Episodes




Best Trek novel of 2018:

Unfortunately, there were very few new Star Trek novel releases in 2018. In fact, only five novels qualified as new Trek novel releases in this calendar year: Discovery: Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward; Voyager: Architects of Infinity by Kirsten Beyer; Prometheus: The Root of All Rage (English translation) by Bernd Perplies & Christian Humberg; Discovery: Fear Itself by James Swallow; and Prometheus: In the Heart of Chaos (English translation) by Bernd Perplies & Christian Humberg. It was very close, as all of the novels released this year scored high marks with me. The Discovery novels offered us a glimpse into the lives of the characters brought to life in the new show, and the Prometheus series gave us a fresh perspective on the Star Trek universe with a unique cast of characters and a fun, new voice in the litverse. However, one novel edged out the rest in my opinion. The best new Star Trek novel of 2018 is, in this blogger's opinion:

 Star Trek: Voyager: Architects of Infinity by Kirsten Beyer!

The Voyager relaunch novels have consistently been among my favorite Trek novels, and Kirsten Beyer knocked another one out of the part with this story. Tackling some difficult issues, the characters that make up the Full Circle fleet face a new mystery beyond their comprehension. Architects of Infinity ends up being a cautionary tale, an environmental parable, and a fascinating character study all rolled into one terrific novel!


As always, let's finish up by taking a look at next year in Trek Lit.

With the new contract in full force, things are back on track for Trek Lit in 2019! There are already a few novels on the schedule, with news and rumors of other novels coming as well!

Right at the beginning of the year, Discovery is back with a new novel by Una McCormack: The Way to the Stars, with a release date of January 8th. I already have my hands on my review copy, so I'll be sure to bring you a review shortly after that date! The Way to the Stars is backstory for fan-favorite character Sylvia Tilly, the young cadet who bunked with Michael Burnham in season one of Discovery.

In early April, we have a new Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by Dayton Ward: Available Light. Readers who are concerned that the upcoming Picard television series will negatively impact the continuity of the post-Nemesis novels should note that this novel takes place in that continuity, continuing story elements from Section 31: Control, TNG: Hearts and Minds, and the A Time To series!

May sees the release of a new TOS novel by Christopher L. Bennett: The Captain's Oath. According to Bennett, the novel involves Kirk's early Starfleet career, before he took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

And in August, we have TOS: The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox, centering around the region of space referenced by Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Also in August is the latest of David A. Goodman's Star Trek autobiographies: The Autobiography of Mr. Spock: The Life of a Federation Legend. This was originally supposed to come out this year, but was delayed. No official reason has been given, but there is speculation that it was delayed to incorporate Spock's story from Discovery's second season.


2018 was a bit of a sad year for Trek Lit, but it did give readers a chance to take a breath and catch up on older novels. However, with things back in motion for 2019, I can't wait to crack open new Trek novels and catch up with the adventures of old friends in the Trek universe!

Happy new year everyone, and all the best in 2019! Stay safe, make good choices, and don't forget to be awesome!


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Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Trek Lit 2017: Year in Review

2017: A Year of Change for Trek Lit


2017: another year gone! The time is flying by faster and faster each year, it seems. Let's take a quick look at the year that was.

The biggest news in the Trek universe this past year was, of course, the arrival of the newest Star Trek television series: Star Trek: Discovery, and with a new series comes new books! The end of September saw the release of the first book in the Discovery series, Desperate Hours by David Mack.

There were many other novels to choose from this past year besides Discovery, however, and the year started off in a typical manner: with an Original Series novel, The Face of the Unknown by Christopher L. Bennett. Interestingly, this was the only TOS novel this year, a marked changed from previous TOS-heavy release schedules.

Headlong Flight was next, a multiverse-spanning TNG adventure by Dayton Ward. Following that was a continuation of the Deep Space Nine story with The Long Mirage by David R. George III. Then, in March, came a very interesting story: Section 31: Control by David Mack. This story served to change the Trek universe forever, and fan reaction to this story was certainly mixed.

Because of changes to the release schedule thanks to both the shifting premiere date of Star Trek: Discovery and the delays surrounding Kirsten Beyer's Voyager novel, Architects of Infinity, there was an unprecedented gap in the Pocket Books' release schedule at the end of April. Unfortunately, it would not be the last.

Releases resumed at the end of May with another TNG story by Dayton Ward, Hearts and Minds. Enigma Tales was next, another in a series of truly excellent Deep Space Nine stories by Una McCormack. July was yet another gap in the release schedule, followed by Patterns of Interference by Christopher L. Bennett, the latest in his Enterprise: Rise of the Federation series.

September featured what appeared to be the start of a new miniseries: Deep Space Nine: Gamma: Original Sin by David R. George III, showcasing the voyages of the U.S.S. Robinson in the Gamma Quadrant under the command of Ben Sisko. Released on the same day was the aforementioned Discovery: Desperate Hours by David Mack.

October was yet another gap in the release schedule, with Titan: Fortune of War by David Mack rounding out the Pocket Books' schedule at the end of November.

Also released at the end of November, from Titan Books, was the English translation of the first ever original Trek novel to be published in German: Star Trek: Prometheus: Fire with Fire.

A pair of e-book exclusive novellas were also released in 2017, down from three from the previous year. Department of Temporal Investigations: Shield of the Gods by Christopher L. Bennett came out in June, while another DS9 Ferengi adventure by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann featured in November: I, The Constable, which has possibly the best Trek book cover art ever.


Last year, I lamented the fact that other projects had disrupted my productivity with regards to this site. This year, I'll put it in more succinct terms: it kicked my ass! I am quite a bit behind on getting reviews done, but my goal is to get caught up in the next couple of months. For the first time, I have also decided to do video reviews of the new releases, which has put me a bit behind. However, as I get better at the whole video thing, I hope to get them out a lot faster! The new releases promise to be a lot fewer this year, which is unfortunate, but it will allow me to catch up. More on that later.

2017 was a year of big gains for my YouTube channel, Kertrats Productions! While I didn't accomplish all of my goals, I'm quite pleased with the growth I've experienced, and I'm looking forward to more success in 2018.



My involvement with the Literary Treks Podcast on Trek.fm was also a huge part of my year, and along with co-host Bruce Gibson, we have interviewed many Trek authors and covered many different areas in the Star Trek books and comics universe. Click here to take a look at Literary Treks and see what we got up to in the world of podcasts!

Check out below for the list of reviews I did this past year. Again, I am quite a bit behind, but I am working to catch up. The reviews of new releases are marked with an asterisk and link to my video reviews on YouTube. I will be filling out the new release links as I complete them over the next month or two.


January

*The Face of the Unknown by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: The Original Series)










February

The Buried Age: A Tale of the Lost Era by Christopher L. Bennett (Star Trek: The Next Generation)










March

*Headlong Flight by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: The Next Generation)














April
Avenger by William Shatner with Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Shatnerverse)
*The Long Mirage by David R. George III (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Homecoming by Christie Golden (Star Trek: Voyager)





June


Kobayashi Maru by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (Star Trek: Enterprise)
*Control by David Mack (Star Trek: Section 31)













October

The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing by Michael A. Martin (Star Trek: Enterprise)













November

Full Circle by Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Voyager)











December

*Hearts and Minds by Dayton Ward (Star Trek: The Next Generation)




Unfinished New Release Reviews (to be completed soon!)


Best Trek novel of 2017:

While I didn't get every new release reviewed in time for the end of the year, I did read them all. There are some wonderful stories in the selection of Trek novels in 2017, and as always, picking a clear winner is very difficult. Two in particular that rose to the top were Section 31: Control by David Mack and Deep Space Nine: Enigma Tales by Una McCormack. However, in the end, Control edged out the victory due to the sheer audacity of the story it told and the amazing drama that unfolded in its pages. So here it is, officially, the best Star Trek novel of 2017:

 Star Trek: Section 31: Control by David Mack!

The story of the fall of Section 31 is an incredible one, and the effect that the artificial intelligence named Urei has on Star Trek history as a whole has to be read to be believed. This was a page-turner from start to finish, and the story will have reverberating effects throughout the Trek lit-verse for many more books to come!


As always, let's finish up by taking a look at next year in Trek Lit.

Sadly, things are in a bit of a rough state at the moment. At last word, Pocket Books and CBS were still negotiating their new contract, which has left everything in a sort of limbo. The only novels this gives us on the schedule for next year from Pocket Books are two Star Trek: Discovery novels, Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward and Fear Itself by James Swallow, and the Kirsten Beyer Voyager novel Architects of Infinity, which has been delayed a couple of times thanks to Beyer's much busier schedule working in the writers' room on Star Trek: Discovery.

Drastic Measures features the Discovery characters Georgiou and Lorca dealing with the events on Tarsus IV perpetrated by "Kodos the Executioner," first referenced in the TOS episode "The Conscience of the King." It is set to be released on February 6th.

Fear Itself will be released later in the year with a street date of June 5th. The story centers around the Kelpien character Saru and his experiences before joining the crew of Discovery.

Architects of Infinity is set to be released on March 27th. No word yet on whether or not the promised follow-up novel, To Lose the Earth, is still scheduled for release.

In addition to the Pocket Books novels, we will also be getting two other Star Trek novels this year, completing the trilogy of Star Trek: Prometheus novels from Titan Books. Book two, The Root of All Rage, is due for release on May 29th, while book three, In the Heart of Chaos, is slated for November release.


For the most part, 2017 has been a pretty good year for Trek Lit, and an amazing year for Star Trek in general with the release of the newest Trek television show. At last, Star Trek is back on TV where it belongs! I have a plan to get things back on track for Trek Lit Reviews, and I have many plans for the Kertrats Productions YouTube channel. Stay tuned, and as always, live long and prosper!


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