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DISCOVERY, SHORT TREKS Writer Kalinda Vazquez to Script New STAR TREK Film for JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot

TrekCore Staff
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DISCOVERY, SHORT TREKS Writer Kalinda Vazquez to Script New STAR TREK Film for JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot

Let’s face it: Star Trek movies have been, well, unreliable investments of hope since Star Trek Beyond left theaters in 2016, with several rounds of well-maybe-this-time news stories bubbling up — only to have each bubble burst along the road.

From the early announcement of a Chris Pine-helmed Star Trek 4 that fell apart due to financial negotiations, to a never-really-embraced-by-fans Quentin Tarantino take that was rumored to be based upon “A Piece of the Action,” to Fargo and Legion writer Noah Hawley’s own take on a new film that ran out of gas last year.

But we’ve got a new one for you today, about a new ‘original story’ for a Trek film — this time coming out of the Star Trek: Discovery writer roster.

The Kelvin Timeline version of the USS Enterprise. (‘Star Trek Beyond’)

Revealed today by Deadline, Star Trek: Short Treks and Star Trek: Discovery writer Kalinda Vazquez has been tapped by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production team to script an original movie set in the Star Trek universe.

Per Deadline:

Vazquez has written on Star Trek: Discovery, and insiders said this is a blind deal for an original movie that she hatched, one that expands her role in the Trek Universe.

Little — well, nothing — is known about Vazquez’ story, which if produced would make her the first female writer credited on a Star Trek film in the franchise’s 40+ years of big-screen adventures.

If Abrams is involved, may be set in the Kelvin Timeline — the home of Chris Pine’s Kirk, Zachary Quinto’s Spock, and so forth — but as an “original movie,” it honestly could take place in any time, place, or dimension around the United Federation of Planets.

Cadet Thira Sidhu (Amrit Kuar) in the SHORT TREK tale ‘Ask Not.’ (Paramount+)

As for Vazquez, she made her first contribution to the Star Trek universe as the writer of the Captain Pike Short Trek “Ask Not” in 2019, and later worked as a consulting producer on the third season of Star Trek: Discovery (with a teleplay credit on “Terra Firma, Part 2”).

She’s also served on the writing staff at The CW’s Nikita, ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Hulu’s Runaways, AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, and has just started a run on Marvel Comics’ latest America Chavez comic, America Chavez: Made in the USA.

Back in 2008, during the last big Writers Guild of America strike, Vazquez authored an essay about her chosen career where she described growing up in a home where Star Trek aired during her childhood, how that — along with other shows and films — influenced her life choices.

My father named me after a Star Trek character. Kalinda appeared in only one episode of the Original Series, in which my namesake, a member of an alien posse, attempted to overtake the Enterprise and her crew. Needless to say my intimate relationship with television was damn near a birthright.

I remember watching Star Trek as a child — in awe of the fictional universe that so inspired my father, he was compelled to name his first born after one of it’s characters. (That’s one hell of an influential fictional universe.)

My father’s love for TV and film – and good story telling in general — was either contagious, genetic or both. I loved these mediums for their entertainment value – but I also loved them because they made me think about things I might not have thought about before.

The really good bits –say the ending of Close Encounters of a Third Kind or a particularly salient argument between Archie and Meathead on All in the Family— even challenged the way I looked at the world. It didn’t take long for me to realize the more stories I consumed, the more my imagination grew, and the more I wanted to create some stories of my own.

Discovery executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise offered her best wishes on Twitter shortly after the news broke.

While some Discovery-era Star Trek naysayers may still believe (or wish) that the modern show are part of the Kelvin Timeline — the alternate universe setting of Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond — the latest season of Discovery for the first time mentioned the existence of that separate timeline, one where Chris Pine captains the Enterprise instead of William Shatner.

So if Vazquez is writing a script for that side of the Star Trek divide, it may maintain a wide berth from all of the ongoing Star Trek television production — including the cast. (But who knows, multiversal storytelling is all the rage these days if all the rumors about the next Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and The Flash movies are true.)

Either way, we’re a long way from knowing exactly what this Trek will be about.

We’ll continue to bring you all the latest news on Star Trek film development — or whatever tidbits seem to make their way to the public, at least — as it breaks!

Thinking Third-Dimensionally: The Noble Collection’s Classic STAR TREK Tridimensional Chess Set

Alex Perry
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Thinking Third-Dimensionally: The Noble Collection’s Classic STAR TREK Tridimensional Chess Set

Since its earliest appearances in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and “Charlie X,” tridimensional chess has captured the imagination of many Star Trek fans, continues to appear as a staple of the Trek universe through the Discovery and Picard era.

For fans of tridimensional chess who want their own set to play, The Noble Collection has released a new version of tridimensional chess that is quite accurate to the design featured in The Original Series.

The Noble Collection’s tridimensional chess set is not the first set that has been available to fans, of course; The Franklin Mint released two editions of the game in the 1990s (a TOS edition in 1993 and a Next Generation version in 1995). While these sets were highly sought after by fans — the TOS version even got a 50th anniversery re-issue in 2016 — neither of The Franklin Mint’s releases came close to matching the look of the on-screen editions.

New for 2021, The Noble Collection has gone back to the 1960s for their new edition, closely replicating the version of tridimensional chess seen in “Charlie X,” right down to the red-and-clear color scheme — the TFM versions had blue boards — and black-and-white retro-styled game pieces.

This is an impressive set that will be appealing to fans both to play with — and for those of you just looking for a neat Star Trek display piece. The set features three main playing boards at three different heights, as well as moveable “attack boards” that feature one of the biggest innovation of chess’s three dimensional counterpart.

If you have a piece on one of the attack boards, you can move it a nearby peg and relocate your piece around the game board — making every move a chance to physically restructure the shape of the playing field.

When tridimensional chess was included in Star Trek for the first time, it did not have a set of rules attached to it, throughout the franchise, characters have moved game pieces around the boards in all sorts of different ways.

In reality, artist Franz Joseph — best known for his classic blueprints of the original Enterprise and the Star Fleet Technical Manual — actually developed rules for the game, and helpfully they’re included in this set.

The instructions explain how tridimensional chess functions, and the guidesheet can be used as a handy cheat sheet mid-game with any Vulcan science officers. The thoughtful inclusion of the instructions ensures that the game can be played as well as displayed, adding value to the set overall.

The set itself is an impressive size – the game board measures approximately 13 inches tall, and will display extremely well as a centerpiece for any Star Trek collection. The game boards themselves are acrylic, but appear sturdy and not liable to break easily.

The game pieces are presented in an impressive black padded case. Each of the 32 game pieces have a nice heft to them and the case will ensure they remain safe between uses. The game pieces are impressive just on their own, and have a cool 1960’s aesthetic to them that is sure to appeal to any fan of the Original Series.

At $145, the Noble Collection’s tridimensional chess set is not a small investment. However, it’s a great set that closely matches the set as it appears in the Original Series and should appeal to fans of classic Trek, budding tridimensional chess players, and prop replica collectors alike.

And next time you have board game night, who is ever going to expect you to whip out a game of 3D chess? If you’re up for the challenge, you can get your own set at The Noble Collection’s website.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Season 1 Heads to Blu-ray on May 18, Plus Special Steelbook Packaging Edition

TrekCore Staff
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16
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Season 1 Heads to Blu-ray on May 18, Plus Special Steelbook Packaging Edition

Good news from the USS Cerritos, everyone: the complete first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks is heading to Blu-ray and DVD in just a few months!

Announced today, Star Trek: Lower Decks — Season One is set to head to Blu-ray on May 18, bringing the freshman year of the animated series home in a two-disc collection set to include all ten episodes along with a number of behind-the-scenes bonus features.

The original animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season One beams onto Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition steelbook on May 18 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

The must-have collection is packed with hours of exclusive special features, the highlight of which is “Lower Decktionary,” a multi-part exploration of the series’ music, art design, animation process and more. Plus, the collection features exclusive interviews with the voice cast, deleted and extended scenes, and a fan-forward exploration of the series’ many Easter eggs.

In addition to the standard Blu-ray and DVD set, there will be — following in the tradition of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard — a special Steelbook release of the Blu-ray edition, featuring custom artwork in the metal packaging.

Here’s the full breakdown of all the features in the upcoming release:

  • CRISIS POINT: THE RISE OF VINDICTA TRAILER – An exclusive, over-the-top action trailer based on the in-episode movie from “Crisis Point.”
     
  • FACES OF THE FLEET – A deep dive into the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos, alongside producers, writers and the cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Highlighting character backstories and the behind-the-scenes development of their hilarious on-screen personalities, this exclusive featurette takes a look at Ensigns Beckett Mariner, Ensign Brad Boimler, Ensign Samanthan Rutherford, Ensign D’Vana Tendi and more.
     
  • HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT – An inside look at canon and hidden Easter eggs throughout the series, including freeze frame images and insightful commentary from producers, creatives and cast.
     
  • LOWER DECKTIONARY:
     

    • JOINING STARFLEET (Episode 101) – Producers and crew discuss the development of season one from storyline to visual artistry.
       
    • ALIENS AMONG US (Episode 102) – Dives into the different aliens Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner encounter as they escort K’orin to the Tulgana 4 planet.
       
    • THE ANIMATION PROCESS (Episode 103) – A look at the efficiency and creativity needed to put together an episode of Lower Decks in this other-worldly look at the animation process.
       
    • THE MAIN TITLES (Episode 104) – Immersed in the creation of the episode’s title sequence, the featurette explores the graphic design and thematic music developed for Lower Decks.
       
    • ART DESIGN (Episode 105) – A look at characters’ style and the sets that elevate the animated on-screen adventures of the U.S.S. Cerritos.
       
    • THE HOLODECK (Episode 106) – Including interviews with cast and creatives, the featurette highlights what Holodeck experience they would like, how characters use it, and how it’s not only used for skills training, but sanity
       
    • DIVISION 14 (Episode 107) – Not everything goes right for Starfleet – catch up with Division 14 who is tasked with dealing with all the unexpected mishaps.
       
    • DECK DYNAMICS (Episode 108) – A dive into the upper and lower deck dynamics, and how their comedic interactions contribute to the storyline throughout season one.
       
    • THE MUSIC OF LOWER DECKS (Episode 109) – Star Trek music is iconic. Explore how traditional themes have been integrated into Lower Decks and the episode’s in-story movie in this deep dive into the differences of scoring for animation versus live action, and comedy versus drama.
       
    • ALL IN THE FAMILY (Episode 110) – As the debut comes to a close, fans can take a look at evolution of the crew and their relationships over the last year, and how Lower Decks fits into the Star Trek family as a few legacy characters appear.
  • FULL LENGTH ANIMATIC 
     
  • DELETED AND EXTENDED ANIMATICS

You can preorder Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season One on Blu-ray today, or preorder the special Blu-ray Steelbook edition if that’s your preference.

Watch for our review of this new release closer to its debut in May — and let us know in the comments below if you plan to pick up Star Trek: Lower Decks for your own media collection!

WeeklyTrek Podcast #130 — First Look at the STAR TREK: PRODIGY Alien Cast

Alex Perry
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0
WeeklyTrek Podcast #130 — First Look at the STAR TREK: PRODIGY Alien Cast

On this week’s episode of WeeklyTrek, brought to you in partnership between The Tricorder Transmissions Podcast Network and TrekCore, host Alex Perry is joined by Patrick Escudero to discuss all the latest Star Trek news.

This week, Alex and his guest discuss the following stories from around the web:

In addition, stick around to listen to Patrick and Alex’s theorizing about the 2021 schedule in light of the news that Prodigy, Lower Decks, and Discovery are all expected this year.

WeeklyTrek is available to subscribe and download each week on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify — and we’ll be sharing the details of each new episode right here on TrekCore each week if you’re simply just looking to listen in from the web.

Do you have a wish or theory you’d like to share on the show? Tweet to Alex at @WeeklyTrek, or email us with your thoughts about wishes, theories, or anything else about the latest in Star Trek news!

STAR TREK: VOYAGER Documentary Fundraiser Launches, Warps Past $400,000 in First-Day Donations

TrekCore Staff
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STAR TREK: VOYAGER Documentary Fundraiser Launches, Warps Past $400,000 in First-Day Donations

While it’s been in the works for a while, the official crowdfunding push for the Star Trek: Voyager documentary project finally launched today — and has already blasted past its initial target goal.

Produced by the same team as the well-received What We Left Behind – Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine documentary which raised nearly $650,000, the Voyager edition is still far from complete, as additional footage needs to be filmed, licensing requirements need to be arranged with CBS for series footage, and plenty of production tasks have yet to be accomplished.

In their official Indigogo fundraiser campaign launched today, the team behind the project notes that the initial round of fundraising — which was targeted at $150,000, a goal hit and surpassed within just four hours — notes that they have a series of basic production needs:

We are still in the early stages of production with more interviews and support footage yet to be filmed. Once that is complete, Post-Production expenses will need to be covered such as editing, music, animation, color-correction, sound mixing and CBS/Star Trek footage licensing.

The more we raise on this Indiegogo campaign, the more creative ways we have of making this documentary unique.

Like the Deep Space Nine fundraiser, the Voyager documentary campaign has several tiers of donation levels, from a basic $5 tier (with no reward) to many levels of digital and physical rewards that can be earned through monetary contribution.

The $35 level is the minimum to get a the Blu-ray/DVD release of the finished documentary when ready for its projected 2022 debut (where we imagine many will set their sights) — but fans can also donate higher amounts for a set of lapel pins of the Voyager crew, private video chats with Star Trek stars and production staff, T-shirts and Delta Quadrant-themed postcards, tours of the Los Angeles area where many Star Trek location shoots took place, and even dinner with a select group of Trek actors.

One of the “add-on” perks is a replica of Captain Janeway’s famous steel coffee mug, which is available starting with the $50 “Bragging Rights” tier.

Additional stretch goals added so far including additional 3D graphics and animation at the $225,000 level, and a filmed Voyager cast reunion if $300,000 is raised — along with larger goals like extending the film’s running time and composing an original score.

(If we’re lucky, with further stretches, perhaps the project will be able to even remaster some original Voyager footage into high-definition, like the DS9 project was able to do.)

If you want to contribute to the campaign, head to Indigogo and check out all the details.

Keep your eye on TrekCore for all the latest news on the Star Trek: Voyager documentary project as it happens!

Paramount+ Still Having “Conversations” About SECTION 31, No Additional STAR TREK Series Expected Until Current Shows End

Ken Reilly
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Paramount+ Still Having “Conversations” About SECTION 31, No Additional STAR TREK Series Expected Until Current Shows End

Since the first inklings of follow-ups to 2017’s debut of Star Trek: Discovery, the franchise expansion under the watch of Alex Kurtzman has always been explained as a careful, planned rollout, scheduled years ahead of time — and while shows like Picard, Strange New Worlds, and the two animated series are rolling well along, another show still has a long runway towards takeoff.

First announced in January 2019, the Michelle Yeoh-led spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery — centered around former Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou’s exploits in the ranks of Section 31 — has been discussed now for two years, with occasional updates about story development over that time.

In addition, Yeoh finally departed Discovery this past season in the two-part “Terra Firma” tale, sending the secret agent back through to the past by way of the Guardian of Forever — to a time and place unknown.

Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou. (Paramount+)

In an interview today with Variety, franchise boss Alex Kurtzman and Paramount+ head of original programming Julie McNamara discussed where the Section 31 show stands, and how additional expansion of the franchise are likely not to hit screens for some time — including at least one of those ‘secret’ shows that Alex Kurtzman first teased us about last January.

Kurtzman and McNamara say there are still “conversations” about a new “Star Trek” series around Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou and the mysterious Section 31, and there are other “Trek” shows in development that haven’t been previously announced. But they emphasized that the current five-series slate will likely not expand further until at least one of the shows runs its course.

“We’re very careful about curating the pacing — the number of shows at any given time — and what those shows are, so that we make sure that it’s always exciting when there’s a new track show coming out,” says McNamara. The rough schedule, she says, is to debut “a new ‘Trek’ a quarter” on Paramount Plus.

“Whether there’s a show that comes up that feels additive and we should add that into the mix, or waiting for attrition of another ‘Trek’ show, we feel good about where we are,” she says. McNamara said that by “attrition,” she means either a “Trek” show “aging out” naturally, or — in an allusion to 80-year-old “Picard” star Patrick Steward, “perhaps an older lead is only committed to a certain number of seasons and and therefore we move on from that.”

While there were some expectations that the Section 31 series may have been headed into pre-production in early 2020 before COVID-19 hit, combinations of pandemic delays, Michelle Yeoh’s commitment to star in Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and potentially-greater fan interest in the Captain Pike-led Strange New Worlds has seemed to move it off the slate for some time.

This shouldn’t be a major surprise, as back in 2019 McNamara had already been hedging how fast the Yeoh-led spin-off may hit screens, indicating at that time that it may not even come to viewers until after Star Trek: Discovery completed its run.

Kurtzman also spoke with The Hollywood Reporter today, explaining about about his thoughts on future expansion plans and how to dial in just the right way to move forward.

Despite all appearances, we’re not interested in being in the quantity business. I don’t think that serves the Star Trek universe. We are interested in being in the quality business.

It takes upwards of two years from inception to postproduction. Yes, we’ve thought beyond the five [shows]. Yes, we’re having conversations about what happens beyond the five. But we have to make sure we’re staying true to the way we’ve built the first five.

Each show is incredibly different, offers a specific thing, they’re not all targeted at the same audiences — but interestingly enough, they tend to bring in the same audience. It’s difficult to make something for everyone. You end up making something for no one when you take that approach.

Do I see something on BET? Yes, because there may be a niche Star Trek show that’s perfect for that. I want to make sure as we build this out that we’re being thoughtful about creating a really interesting rainbow of colors, that each show feels different and you don’t think, “I can watch Picard and not watch the others.” Because they’re all very different.

That to us is more important — staying true to that approach.

Finally, Paramount+ debuted this tribute to the past, present, and future of the Star Trek franchise, though it doesn’t include any new footage of in-production or upcoming projects.

We’ll bring you all the latest news on the Star Trek: Section 31 series if and when it breaks; Star Trek: Discovery‘s fourth season is in production now and projected to debut in late 2021.

STAR TREK: PRODIGY to Debut on Paramount+ Before Nickelodeon Run, First Look at Character Designs Revealed

Ken Reilly
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60
STAR TREK: PRODIGY to Debut on Paramount+ Before Nickelodeon Run, First Look at Character Designs Revealed

First announced almost two years ago, the next Star Trek animated series aimed at younger viewers, was initially planned to debut on the Nickelodeon cable channel — and while the show will eventually warp over to that outlet, the show is now set for a berth at the Paramount+ spacedock.

Revealed today during the ViacomCBS investors streaming event, Star Trek: Prodigy — which will feature the return of Kate Mulgrew as Kathryn Janeway — is set to debut its first 10-episode season on Paramount+ for first run release. (The show will debut in second-run airings on Nickelodeon some time afterwards.)

The alien cast of ‘Star Trek: Prodigy.’ (Paramount Plus)

A first look at the show’s cast was revealed in Variety’s report on the series, which highlights the fact that none of the show’s primary cast will be a human character, a first for a Trek series — indicating that Mulgrew’s role will be a secondary one, at best.

So far, no character names, voice casting, or species information on these alien explorers have been released by Paramount+, but we’ll be sure to update you with those additional details as soon as they’re available.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount+ head of original programming shared more details about the decision to launch the show on the streaming service:

[‘Prodigy’] reflects exactly what we’re looking to do at Paramount+. In the early going for the new platform, franchises are incredibly valuable in driving people across the paywall and we know this.

The addition of ‘Prodigy’ is huge in that it’s taking this franchise and expanding possibility of this hungry new demographic for ‘Star Trek.’ It does speak to the highest execution of the kind of things we’re looking to do at Paramount+. Part of what we’ve seen is our ‘Star Trek’ fans on CBS All Access, it’s interesting what they’ll go to.

They’ll go to ‘The Legend of Korr’a and pop around and find things that fit that particular — and I say this lovingly — nerd demo. Our hope and thought, in concert with [Nickelodeon president] Brian Robbins, is that by bringing those Trek fans and their children into Prodigy on the platform is great way of hitting those hardcore Trek fans.

On the other hand, on the linear side, is hitting kids that may not be interested in ‘Star Trek’ but do watch Nickelodeon and would be interested in trying something new on the network.

We’ll bring you more info on Star Trek: Prodigy, including when the 10-episode first season will debut in 2021, when it breaks.

WeeklyTrek Podcast #129 — Production Begins on PICARD and STRANGE NEW WORLDS

Alex Perry
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1
WeeklyTrek Podcast #129 — Production Begins on PICARD and STRANGE NEW WORLDS

On this week’s episode of WeeklyTrek, brought to you in partnership between The Tricorder Transmissions Podcast Network and TrekCore, host Alex Perry is joined by Thad Hait to discuss all the latest Star Trek news.

This week, Alex and his guest discuss the following stories from around the web:

In addition, stick around to listen to Thad’s theory about whether Jason Isaacs (Gabriel Lorca) might be poised for a Star Trek return, and more of Alex’s hopes and wishes for Wednesday’s Paramount+ investor event.

WeeklyTrek is available to subscribe and download each week on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify — and we’ll be sharing the details of each new episode right here on TrekCore each week if you’re simply just looking to listen in from the web.

Do you have a wish or theory you’d like to share on the show? Tweet to Alex at @WeeklyTrek, or email us with your thoughts about wishes, theories, or anything else about the latest in Star Trek news!

STAR TREK: PICARD Heads Into Season 2 Production

TrekCore Staff
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59
STAR TREK: PICARD Heads Into Season 2 Production

After more than half-a-year’s delay — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic — the cast of Star Trek: Picard have returned to the 24th century as production began this week on the second season of the CBS All Access series.

Effectively one month after series lead Patrick Stewart received his vaccine to protect from against the novel coronavirus, the Star Trek: Picard cast is back in their California-based studio — as revealed by several of the cast on social media.

Michelle Hurd shared this photo on her Instagram on Wednesday evening, showing off her well-marked script after completing a table read of the new episode (as denoted by her ‘Raffi’ table placard).

On his Instagram Stories Friday night, Elnor actor Evan Evagora showcased a photo of his on-set chair, indicating his own return to the studio.

In addition, actor Brian DeRozan — who appeared as a Romulan officer in the two-part “Et in Arcadia Ego” season finale — shared a photo putting him back in those pointed ears as part of Picard once more, meaning last year’s Romulan storyline isn’t over yet.

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It’s still going to be several months — if not into 2022 — before Star Trek: Picard returns to television screens, but this new development into active production is just one of now five ongoing Star Trek shows which are creating new episodes now.

Star Trek: Discovery began work on its fourth season back in November, while Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 and the first season of Star Trek: Prodigy have been in active animation production for months getting their anticipated 2021 releases.

Ethan Peck, Anson Mount, and Rebecca Romijn lead the ‘Strange New Worlds’ crew. (CBS)

In addition, the Captain Pike-led Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is just on the cusp of filming, as several Canada-based production sources have the series kicking off work in late February.

While there have been a few leaked set photos (which we’re not able to publish) indicating production on the new Enterprise is well underway, the social media accounts of all three lead actors — Anson Mount (Pike), Ethan Peck (Spock), and Rebecca Romijn (Number One) — have placed them each in Toronto for the last few weeks, in preparation for their return to Starfleet.

While all of these shows are in (or just about to be) in active production, firm air dates for all of them have yet to be announced.

ViacomCBS’s big “investor day” streaming event scheduled for February 24 may have more news on that front — we’ll be watching with interest and will of course report back any new Star Trek details which might be revealed.

2021 STAR TREK Publishing Slate Includes New DISCOVERY, PICARD, Classic Movie-era Tales and More

Ken Reilly
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18
2021 STAR TREK Publishing Slate Includes New DISCOVERY, PICARD, Classic Movie-era Tales and More

The upcoming year may be devoid of televised Star Trek for a while as the next round of episodes go before cameras, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any new stories for fans to enjoy in the meantime!

The year’s slate of Trek published fiction is starting to shape up already, with a wide range of new novels from all across the franchise — stretching all the way from the late 23rd century era of the classic Star Trek films, to the distant 32nd century-era of Star Trek: Discovery.

Coming in May is the first far-future tale in the Star Trek: Discovery novel series, Una McCormack’s Star Trek: Discovery – Wonderlands, set during the year between Michael Burnham’s arrival in 3188 (“That Hope is You, Part 1”) and the subsequent crash-landing of the USS Discovery in 3189 (“Far From Home”).

In a desperate attempt to prevent the artificial intelligence known as Control from seizing crucial information that could destroy all sentient life, Commander Michael Burnham donned the ‘Red Angel’ time-travel suit and guided the USS Discovery into the future and out of harm’s way.

But something has gone terribly wrong, and Burnham has somehow arrived in a place far different from anything she could have imagined—more than nine hundred years out of her time, with Discovery nowhere to be found, and where the mysterious and cataclysmic event known as “the Burn” has utterly decimated Starfleet and, with it, the United Federation of Planets.

How then can she possibly exist day-to-day in this strange place? What worlds are out there waiting to be discovered? Do any remnants of Starfleet and the Federation possibly endure?

With more questions than answers, Burnham must nevertheless forge new friendships and new alliances if she hopes to survive this future long enough for the Discovery crew to find her….

With the confirmation that David Ajala’s role aboard Discovery will be continuing in the now-filming fourth season of the series, this “lost era” of Michael Burnham’s time in the future will surely help fill in the blanks for her burgeoning relationship with Cleveland Booker.

Due for arrival on May 18, Star Trek: Discovery – Wonderlands can be preordered now.

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June takes us back to the pre-Wrath of Khan days of Admiral Kirk, Captain Spock, and the Original Series crew with Star Trek: The Original Series — Living Memory from Christopher L. Bennett,  the author’s next entry in his post-The Motion Picture storyline (and a follow-up to last year’s The Higher Frontier).

While attempting to settle in as commandant of Starfleet Academy, Admiral James T. Kirk must suddenly contend with the controversial, turbulent integration of an alien warrior caste into the student body — and quickly becomes embroiled in conflict when the Academy controversy escalates to murder.

Meanwhile, Captain Spock of the USS Enterprise and Commander Pavel Chekov of the USS Reliant are investigating a series of powerful cosmic storms seemingly targeting Federation worlds — unstoppable outbursts emitting from the very fabric of space.

Endeavoring to predict where the lethal storms will strike next, Spock and Chekov make the shocking discovery that the answer lies in Commander Nyota Uhura’s past — one that she no longer remembers….

The reference to Uhura’s lost memories may be a tie-in to her encounter with the Nomad probe in “The Changeling,” where the Enterprise communication officer had her mind erased during the events of that episode.

While final cover art for the novel is not yet available, Star Trek: The Original Series – Living Memory is available for preorder now ahead of its June 16 release.

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July beams us back to the Enterprise-D for Cassandra Rose Clark’s Star Trek: The Next Generation — Shadows Have Offended, a Deanna Troi / Beverly Crusher novel set during the final year of the television series.

The USS Enterprise has been granted the simple but unavoidable honor of ferrying key guests to Betazed for a cultural ceremony.

En route, sudden tragedy strikes a Federation science station on the isolated planet Kota, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard has no qualms sending William Riker, Data, and Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher to investigate.

But what begins as routine assignments for the two parties soon descends into chaos: Picard, Worf, and Deanna Troi must grapple with a dangerous diplomatic crisis as historic artifacts are stolen in the middle of a high-profile ceremony… while nothing is as it seems on Kota.

A mounting medical emergency coupled with the science station’s failing technology — and no hope of rescue — has Doctor Crusher racing against time to solve a disturbing mystery threatening the lives of all her colleagues….

This is the first Star Trek novel from Clark, whose book was first announced last September; cover artwork for this tale has not yet been released.

Due for release on July 13, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Shadows Have Offended is available for preorder.

*   *   *   *

Cristobal Rios gets his own feature in August’s Star Trek: Picard — Rogue Elements, a just-revealed third novel in the Picard line (following January’s The Dark Veil) from John Jackson Miller, set “years” before the events of the Picard television series.

Starfleet was everything for Cristóbal Rios — until one horrible, inexplicable day when it all went wrong. Aimless and adrift, he grasps at a chance for a future as an independent freighter captain in an area betrayed by the Federation, the border region with the former Romulan Empire.

His greatest desire: to be left alone. But solitude isn’t in the cards for the captain of La Sirena, who falls into debt to a roving gang of hoodlums from a planet whose society is based on Prohibition-era Earth.

Teamed against his will with Ledger, his conniving overseer, Rios begins an odyssey that brings him into conflict with outlaws and fortune seekers, with power brokers and relic hunters across the stars.

Exotic loves and locales await — as well as dangers galore — and Rios learns the hard way that good crewmembers are hard to find, even when you can create your own.

And while his meeting with Jean-Luc Picard is years away, Rios finds himself drawing on the Starfleet legend’s experiences when he discovers a mystery that began on one of the galaxy’s most important days.

On his blog, Miller says that he specifically requested the chance to write about Rios, and that his “lockdown novel” is the longest book he’s ever written.

Beaming down on August 17, Star Trek: Picard — Rogue Elements can be preordered today.

*   *   *   *

The year’s fiction slate also includes the still-mysterious Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Revenant (announced last year) and a year-ending trilogy Star Trek: Coda which will “push forward” the long-running novel continuity, which to date has remained independent of the Star Trek: Picard storyline.

Book 1 is Moments Asunder by Dayton Ward, Book 2 is The Ashes of Tomorrow by James Swallow, and the final Book 3 is Oblivion’s Gate by David Mack — the trilogy will arrive in September, October, and November of this year. (Details uncovered by The Trek Collective.)

Dayton Ward shared some more details on his Facebook page last night:

On top of all that, it also looks like there’s another non-fiction publication also headed to print this summer.

On the way from architectural photographer Dan Chavkin is Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier — The Untold Story of How Midcentury Modern Decor Shaped Our View of the Future, a 160-page hardcover coffee table book from Simon & Schuster label Weldon Owen.

(COVER ART NOT FINAL)

Celebrate Star Trek: The Original Series and the show’s distinctive Mid-Century modern design that would change design– and television– forever.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) was the first installment of one of the most successful and longest-running television franchises of all time.

Today, “Trekkers” champion its writing, progressive social consciousness, and aesthetic. Designing the Final Frontier is a unique, expert look at the mid-century modern design that created and inspired that aesthetic.

From Eames chairs to amorphous sculptures, from bright colors to futuristic frames, Star Trek: TOS is bursting with mid-century modern furniture, art, and design elements—many of them bought directly from famous design showrooms.

Author and mid-century modern design expert Dan Chavkin has created an insider’s guide to the interior of original starship Enterprise and beyond, that is sure to attract Star Trek’s thriving global fan base.

While a final design of the book’s cover has yet to be revealed, Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier is available to preorder today ahead of its August 3 debut.

Do you expect to add any of these upcoming Star Trek books to your own collection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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