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Review — STAR TREK: PICARD — “No Man’s Land”

Alex Perry
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Review — STAR TREK: PICARD — “No Man’s Land”

Simon & Schuster have made an exciting foray back into the realm of Star Trek audio dramas with Star Trek: Picard — No Man’s Land, a new audio adventure from Picard co-creator Kirsten Beyer and longtime Trek comics writer Mike Johnston

Audio dramas are type of storytelling distinct from audio books, in that they are original audio creations which feature a full cast — rather than a single narrator for the audiobook versions of prose novels.

The medium is one Simon & Schuster have dabbled with in decades gone by; who remembers the incredible Spock vs. Q, for example?! But this is the first real full cast audio drama directly tied into an active Star Trek series, which holds the potential of more to come.

I really hope there are more on the way, because No Man’s Land is a tight character piece featuring some great performances from Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) as the two find themselves embroiled in Romulan shenanigans following the end of Picard’s first season — exploring their burgeoning attraction for each other along the way.

“Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2” strongly hinted at the possibility of a relationship between Seven and Raffi in its final moments; how much that gets picked up on in the upcoming Picard season is unknown — the trailers certainly imply it has not been forgotten — but in No Man’s Land, the question of whether Seven and Raffi should pursue their underlying attraction for each other is front and center.

Seven (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi (Michelle Hurd) in “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2.” (Paramount+)

Even though it’s certainly improved in recent years, the Star Trek franchise still has a lot of catch-up work to do so in telling stories about queer characters in authentic ways. Queer Star Trek fans have been burned before, by shows hinting that some of their favorite characters might be LGBTQIA+ without leaning into it, and it’s understandable why many fans hold the same fear when it comes to a potential relationship between Raffi and Seven.

But I am pleased to report that in addition to being a fun science fiction story filed with action, Romulans, a sinister warlord, an ancient device, and a mysterious archeologist, No Man’s Land is also about Seven and Raffi exploring their feelings for each other. It’s not a throwaway at the beginning of the story or the end of the story; it is the heart and soul of the character arc for both women in this drama.

That is not to say that a relationship between the two characters is either guaranteed or going to be easy (and no, I won’t spoil whether there is any smooching in this story). But in all the same ways that heterosexual relationships are frequently portrayed in popular media in all their forms — including the complicated ones — the Seven/Raffi relationship takes center stage here.

Raffi and Seven in STAR TREK: PICARD Season 2. (Paramount+)

Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd both turn in really great performances here, and neither actor is phoning in their performance, even though it’s “just” for audio. These are the lively, realized characters of Seven and Raffi, played with the same authenticity that we’ve come to expect from the actors, and really brings the scripted material to life.

I won’t delve too deeply into the rest of the story so as not to spoil it, but Star Trek: Lower Decks fans will also appreciate the appearance of another familiar voice: Fred Tatasciore, who plays Shax on the animated series, turning in a suitably scenery-chewing performance as a Romulan here.

Overall, the audio drama is well-produced; it includes not just a musical score that has the appropriate Star Trek feel to it, but as all the right sound effects for transporters, phasers, and more as well. When you combine the voices of your favorite actors playing your favorite characters with a decent score and good sound effects, you almost have a new episode of Star Trek… though I’ll leave it to you to decide whether this story fits in your personal Star Trek canon or not!

2399-era Romulan warbirds, seen in STAR TREK: PICARD. (Paramount+)

As we count down the days to the return of Star Trek: Picard, make sure to give No Man’s Land 90 minutes of your time. It’s a great story featuring great performances, and even has a few hints about where Season 2 might pick up when it lands back on our screens!

Given all the possibilities Simon & Shuster could mine for stories — and legacy Star Trek actors who might be willing to lend their voice talents to reprise their roles — let’s hope “No Man’s Land” is successful enough to convince Simon & Schuster to make more of them!

Star Trek: Picard — No Man’s Land is available for download and on CD now.

An eBook edition is planned, TrekCore has learned, but at this time neither a release date nor any other details have been announced. We’ll bring you more information when available.

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Review — “The Galactic Barrier”

Alex Perry
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STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Review — “The Galactic Barrier”

In “The Galactic Barrier,” Star Trek: Discovery serves up the third episode in a row where great character work and exciting action sequences are entirely undermined by the plodding and conventional structure to this season’s overarching story. Episodes should not feel like they are marking time on the way to a grand finale, but “The Galactic Barrier” feels exactly that way — and it’s not yet clear to me that the finale it is building towards will be all that grand.

After the events of “Rubicon,” in which Book and Tarka’s successful attempt to destroy the DMA was immediately reversed by the appearance of a new one in its place, Starfleet and the Federation have fast tracked the need to pursue their original plan: to make first contact with the mysterious Species 10-C. Meanwhile, Book and Tarka are not entirely dissuaded from their mission, and like Discovery, they realize the key to their mission lies outside the galaxy.

Maybe it could have been just a LITTLE pink, for old time’s sake. (Paramount+)

The new DMA is immensely more powerful than the original, and after Stamets (Anthony Rapp) calculates that their week of prep time has been shortened to a mere 12 hours, Federation leadership cuts their planning time orders Discovery to the Galactic Barrier as quickly as possible.

The starship jumps through the mycelial network and lands a few light years from the edge of the Milky Way, with a plan to venture through the powerful energy field with newly-installed shielding upgrades to hopefully prevent any Gary Mitchell situations.

The visual effects of the Galactic Barrier were terrific, giving it a much more complex and lifelike appearance than the cloudy pink look seen in previous appearances. And the sequences of Discovery working to make its way through the Galactic Barrier were technically adept.

I was a little disappointed though, that there wasn’t more than a glancing reference to the reason why Discovery’s mission was so dangerous (a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention of brain damage)? It was a lot of fun to see the wide variety of old-school Starfleet translation devices during the opening conference scene, but if “The Galactic Barrier” was really going to go all-in on a canon connection… why not spend that energy on making viewers understand why the titular galactic boundary is so difficult to pass through, beyond a little lighting and some occasional desaturation?

Maybe detached nacelles aren’t great for this kind of trip? Pull those things in! (Paramount+)

While all that extra-galactic stuff is going on, Booker (David Ajala) and Tarka (Shawn Doyle) head back to the site of the scientist’s Emerald Chain captivity to find a secret stash of programmable antimatter left behind at the abandoned research facility.

The exploration of Tarka’s past — and the introduction of his cell mate turned friend-turned-partner, Oros (Supernatural’s Osric Chau) — was a touching one, with some great performances from both Doyle and Chau. It was nice to get a more rounded exploration of the character beyond being very arrogant, and to see more of his partner’s quest to travel to another universe and what drives Tarka.

The decision to reveal that Tarka does not even know for sure whether his partner even made it to the alternate universe adds even more emotional complexity to the character, and is well received.

But it’s tough to look at the two main plots of this week’s episode without being focused on where it stands in the wider season arc for Discovery — and it’s at that point I can’t help but feel like everything that’s good and great about “The Galactic Barrier” (and the two previous episodes, in my opinion) is being completely undermined by a year-long story arc that too closely mirrors Seasons 2 and 3.

Book shows Tarka his cool space gun. (Paramount+)

Discovery does not seem to remember how to tell a season-long story outside the structural box it has used for the last three seasons. Another year, another big mystery-box question. Who is the Red Angel? What caused the Burn? Who created the DMA?

There is nothing inherently wrong with basing a whole season’s arc around a single question, and slowly feeding information throughout the season that builds towards a big reveal at the season’s end. Personally, I really enjoyed the third season and the whole arc right through to the end — but at this point, as we go through these motions for yet another year, there’s no drama or surprises left about when the relevant story beats will hit.

It’s been clear for the last five episodes that the reveal of the identity of Species 10-C would be held for the season’s final act, and every passing week feels like the show dragging its feet until the last two or three hours finally get here. Just as the Red Angel and Burn mysteries weren’t answered until the end of each year, Discovery’s writers seem to think we’ll lose interest in the story if they answer the Big Question too early.

We know the structure, and we know we have to wait until the end of the season — so why does any of this really matter? I mean, it should matter! It’s exciting to see Discovery pass through the Galactic Barrier, and it’s touching to learn about Tarka’s backstory, but this season also feels like it’s reverse-engineered out of a “How do we fill time until it’s finally time to make the big reveal?”

Tarka and Oros in “happier” times. (Paramount+)

But with this looming DMA story, even the ratcheting up of the stakes at the end and the reveal that Earth, Titan and Ni’Var are now threatened feels pretty rote at this point. For all its flaws and foibles, Discovery’s first season at least gave us its most novel structure yet, with two distinct but interweaving narratives playing out through the season: the Klingon War and the Mirror Universe.

But for three years now, this show’s structure has been the same. Sure, the question changes and the way the characters reach the answer is different, but the fact that there is a question and that the answer will be revealed in the season’s final act is a forgone conclusion.

I want to care about this show’s characters and events solely for the purpose of caring about the characters and events, and not because they form more obligatory pieces to a puzzle Discovery wants us to put together each season, and then take apart, and then rebuild the next season. I’ve built this puzzle before, and I’m ready for something new.

Oros and Tarka make a break for it — using an interdimensional transporter. (Paramount+)

At this stage – more acutely than I think for even Seasons 2 and 3 where this structurally felt more novel for Star Trek – the success or failure of Season 4 is entirely riding on its ending. As stated, I really enjoyed Season 3, and I also enjoyed how they subverted the expectation that the cause of The Burn was going to be something huge — and instead told an intimate tale of loss and grief. But having just done that, the only way not to avoid completely rehashing Season 3 in both tone and structure is to go big.

Showrunner Michelle Paradise has said that Species 10-C is something entirely new to Star Trek. I hope they are as impressively weird and alien as they have been teased throughout this whole season, because the entire story arc is riding on it. If the ending pays off, the journey along the way feels less tiresome. If it does not, then much of this season will feel lifeless.

That’s a sad thing to say about Discovery, which has had so many groundbreaking and exciting moments as it shepherded this new era of Star Trek back to TV. But with some of the newer shows forging more interesting ground and playing with different formulas, Discovery is at risk of losing its place in the conversation – especially since it will need to compete with the opening weeks of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 going forward.

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

  • Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) notes that Vulcans observed Earth for “nearly a century before First Contact,” referring to survey missions like the one seen in “Carbon Creek.”
     
  • Kovich implies that he’s managing something that’s an even bigger threat to the Federation than the DMA, but won’t share with the council. A hint towards Season 5’s story, or just more oh-isn’t-Kovich-mysterious business?
     
  • Adira (Blu del Barrio) returns for the first time since December, after traveling to Trill with Gray in “But to Connect.”
     
  • Saru (Doug Jones) confesses his “more than friends” feelings to President T’Rina (Tara Rosling)… just before she’s called away on urgent business, an awkward moment only compounded by her sudden reappearance aboard Discovery during the mission. Despite the Vulcan’s emotionally-suppressed worry about her homeworld, hopefully these two crazy kids will get this thing sorted out by the finale!
“I find your presence calming.” (Paramount+)
  • Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and President Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) work together which much less friction this mission, though the pair do debate whether or not to share that Earth, Titan, and Ni’Var are in the new DMA’s path of destruction.
     
    With such a big decision — to keep the truth from the Discovery crew, or to rock everyone with the disastrous news during a critical moment in the mission — wouldn’t it have been prudent to bring ship’s counselor Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz) into the conversation?
     
  • The mycelial network was described as “veins and muscles that hold our galaxies together” in Season 1, said to span the entire universe and all multiverses as well — but apparently there’s no reception near the Galactic Barrier.
     
  • It certainly seems like this episode may mark the last time we’ll Lt. Commander Bryce (Ronnie Rowe, Jr.), as Saru spends a few moments wishing the officer well as he transfers to Kovich’s service at Starfleet Command.
     
    Rowe joined the new BET+ series The Porter in 2021, leading to the actor’s minimal screen time in Season 4.
Lt. Commander Bryce says goodbye. (Paramount+)
Fun stuff here, but nothing past 2400-era technology? (Paramount+)

There was a lot to like about “The Galactic Barrier.” But I can’t shake how bored I feel with the overall season long arc, and how Discovery has chosen to structure this narrative. It is doing a huge disservice to the great performances, dazzling effects, and engaging relationships that this show should embrace more just for the sake of it.

As Discovery begins to spin up writing and production on its recently-announced, ten-episode fifth season, I hope they look very seriously at mixing up the show’s narrative structure — with three fewer episodes to drag its feet, it’s time for a new approach.

Star Trek: Discovery returns March 2 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. Outside of North America, the series is available on Paramount+ and on Pluto TV in select international locations.

Looking Ahead to STAR TREK Publishing in 2022

TrekCore Staff
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Looking Ahead to STAR TREK Publishing in 2022

While the Star Trek fiction publishing world seems to be a bit barren these days — with the next new tie-in novel delayed until September — but that’s not the only thing coming down in print form from the final frontier!

In April, Titan Publishing and author Joe Fordham will debut an in-depth look back at the making of Star Trek: First Contact, complete with interviews with the cast and production team behind the second Next Generation film.

Star Trek: First Contact — The Making of the Classic Film

Twenty-five years ago, Star Trek: First Contact saw Picard, Data, and the Enterprise crew go back in time to stop the Borg before they could prevent Earth’s first contact with an alien species and assimilate the entire planet.

Celebrate this landmark anniversary by taking a deep dive into the stories behind this beloved film. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim of archival material, behind-the-scenes photography, concept art, production designs, and much more.

The book also includes new and exclusive interviews with cast and crew, including Jonathan Frakes, Alice Krige, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore, Marina Sirtis, Herman Zimmerman, and Michael Westmore.

This new behind-the-scenes hardcover is set to debut on April 5 — First Contact Day, get it? — and is available for preorder now.

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Hero Collector continues its Star Trek Shipyards series in late April, as the publisher delves into the wide number of alien races found in the Alpha Quadrant.

Star Trek Shipyards: Alpha Quadrant and Major Species Volume 1: Acamarian to Ktarian

Boldly go and explore the ally and enemy ships encountered by the Federation in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants in the newest Star Trek Shipyards book.

Hero Collector’s popular Star Trek Shipyards series continues with detailed looks at ships from the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Original Series, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. First up? Ships of the Breen, Cardassians, and those pesky Ferengi.

Each featured ship is profiled with technical details, in-universe operational history, and illustrated with plan-view CG renders, wherever possible utilizing the original VFX models created for the Star Trek shows and features from across the franchise’s remarkable 55 years.

This volume includes more than 40 ships, including the Anaxar cargo vessel, the Breen Warship, the Cardassian Bok’Nor, Cardassian military freighter, the Ferengi shuttle, the Gorn warship, the Husnok warship and the Jem’Hadar battlecruiser.

Star Trek Shipyards: Alpha Quadrant Volume 1 is due for release April 26, and is available for preorder now.

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In May, authors Robb Pearlman and Jordan Hoffman bring some springtime cheer with a new book celebrating the friendships of this futuristic franchise.

The Star Trek Book of Friendship: You Have Been, and Always Shall Be, My Friend

Star Trek has energized friendships for over 50 years. Whether it’s exploring a convention, beaming into a movie theater, or joining in on a landing party watch party, generations have been as united in their love of the franchise’s bold storytelling and stunning action as they are in the honest fully realized relationships of their favorite characters.

Created by fans for fans, with a foreword from Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips, this is a first-of- its-kind, fully authorized celebration of Star Trek’s most enduring and endearing friendships, including Kirk and Spock, Picard and Data, Janeway and Seven of Nine, Bashir and Garak, and more!

Whether you and your pals think of yourselves as a Sulu and Chekov, a Burnham and Tilly, or even an Archer and Porthos, this is the perfect book to gift to your best Trek friend or keep for yourself! A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book goes to benefit The Planetary Society, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration.

The Star Trek Book of Friendship is due out on May 10, and is available for preorder now.

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Titan Magazines will release the first series of Star Trek fiction from the new Star Trek Explorer magazine in a hardcover collection this July, containing 19 new stories from established and new Trek authors, and one exclusive Star Trek Online story.

Star Trek Explorer Fiction Collection Vol. 1

Collecting the exclusive short story fiction from Star Trek Magazine tying into the Star Trek online game.

This incredible collecton features 19 illustrated stories exclusively written for the Star Trek Magazine. It features action-packed tales starring iconic characters such as Data, Seven of Nine, and Scotty, plus alien enemies including the Klingons and the Jem’Hadar.

The collection features tales by Christine Thompson, Jesse Heinig, Tyler Nagata, Katherine Bankson, Jaddua Ross, Sean McCann, and Paul Reed.

The first Star Trek Explorer fiction collection is due out on July 5, and is available for preorder now.

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July also brings the first of several new books aimed towards very young readers, as Insight Kids and illustrator Ilaria Vescovo introduce the Klingon Empire to a new generation of warriors.

Star Trek: Baby’s First Klingon Words

The first board book to teach your littlest warriors Klingon. Qapla’! Help your little one learn first words and a new language with this out-of-this-world first words book! A mix of classic and unique first words are presented in English and Klingon with bright, child-friendly illustrations to help with language comprehension.

Learn how to greet an enemy, or jagh, to count from wa’ to wa’maH, and more. Soon enough your little one will speak with batlh, or honor, with the help of this adorable guide.

SCI-FI BONDING: Parents, grandparents, and Trek aunts and uncles can introduce young readers to their favorite series! QAPLA’!: Learn over 40 Klingon words along with their English translations.

BUILD EARLY LITERACY SKILLS: Increase your child’s vocabulary by associating words in Klingon and English with adorable pictures. THE PERFECT GIFT: Be the talk of the baby shower, birthday party, or Captain Picard Day celebration with this truly unique baby book.

This cute Klingon introduction is coming July 12, and is available for preorder now.

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Star Trek: Short Treks enters the print world as author Robb Pearlman adapts Brandon Schultz’s The Girl Who Made the Stars as a kids’ picture book this August.

Star Trek Discovery — The Girl Who Made the Stars

A brave girl brings light to her dark world in this empowering and inspiring story officially licensed with Star Trek Discovery.

A long, long time ago, a young girl (based on the character of Michael Burnham) found the courage to brave the darkness and to give her people the stars so they would no longer be afraid of the night.

Adapted from the Short Trek “The Girl Who Made the Stars,” this picture book adapted by New York Times bestselling author Robb Pearlman encourages young readers to be brave, to face their fears and accept challenges, and to always be true to who they are.

This youngsters’ picture book arrives on August 2 and is available for preorder now.

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This September’s Star Trek Day brings another pair of books aimed at the youngest of Trek fans, as current franchise science advisor Dr. Erin McDonald and author Robb Pearlman expand the kids’ book lineup.

Star Trek — My First Book of Space

Illustrations of some of Star Trek’s most iconic space-faring vessels, including the Enterprise, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, a Klingon Bird of Prey, and the Kataan probe are paired with real photographs of a nebula, the planets, Pluto, the Sun, and even a nebula!

And because this pop culture primer is filled with more visual Easter Eggs and jokes than there are stars, it makes the perfect gift for the adult collector, too!

When enjoyed along with Star Trek: My First Book of Colors, Star Trek: My First Book of Space offers readers and fans of all ages an age-appropriate, entertaining, and energizing first contact with a comprehensive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education.

My First Book of Space is set to arrive September 6 and is available for preorder now.

Star Trek — My First Book of Colors

Enjoy illustrations of a SHINY SILVER space station, a GORN GREEN captain wearing a GOLD lame tunic and BROWN gauntlets, and of course Starfleet officers wearing BLUE, YELLOW, and RED shirts!

And because this pop culture primer is filled with more visual Easter Eggs and jokes than there are tribbles, it makes the perfect gift for the adult collector, too!

When enjoyed along with Star Trek: My First Book of Space, Star Trek: My First Book of Colors offers readers and fans of all ages an age-appropriate, entertaining, and energizing first contact with a comprehensive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education.

My First Book of Colors is coming September 6 and is available for preorder now.

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Una McCormack’s next Star Trek: Picard novel, focused on Raffi Musiker and the series’ cast in the days between Season 1 and 2, has been rescheduled for a mid-September debut.

Star Trek: Picard — Second Self

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame—teaching at the Academy, perhaps.

The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact—a Romulan spy—is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Elnor and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission—and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried.

Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly…

Second Self continues the Picard story on September 13, and is available for preorder now.

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Neelix had his turn in the 90’s, and now writer Chelsea Monroe-Cassel returns to the kitchen with a new collection of Star Trek recipes for the modern fan.

The Star Trek Cookbook

Learn how to make meals that are out of this world with this indispensable guide to the food of the stars! Perfect for every fan, this updated edition of The Star Trek Cookbook from the New York Times bestselling author comes with brand-new and delicious recipes, tantalizing visuals, and easy-to-follow instructions and advice to make the best foods from the future.

With all-new recipes right beside timeless classics, food stylist and New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Monroe-Cassel’s reimagining of The Star Trek Cookbook presents a visual feast along with complete guides on favorite foods from across Star Trek, adapted for easy use in 21st-century kitchens.

Themed as a Starfleet-sponsored collection of recipes from across multiple quadrants and cultures, and intended to foster better understanding of different species from a human perspective with its Earth-centric ingredients, this must-have cookbook embraces the best of Star Trek and its core message of hope, acceptance, and exploration in the spirit of gastrodiplomacy.

Originally scheduled for a spring release, The Star Trek Cookbook is now set for release on September 20; the book is available for preorder now.

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Robb Pearlman delivers one more family-friendly entry this October, as the author brings the final frontier home for the holidays with help from illustrator Luke Flowers.

Star Trek — Trek the Halls

A delightfully quirky twist on “Deck the Halls” that will be a holiday must-have for Trek fans of all generations! This lighthearted holiday picture book features beloved Star Trek characters and locales from The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, and Discovery.

With playful, pithy text parodying the beloved holiday carol, this book features characters from across the Star Trek Universe and is illustrated in a fresh style that is sure to appeal to children and adult fans alike.

Readers young and old will find themselves transported into the Federation alongside Captains Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and more as they celebrate with their respective crews while sporting their best “ugly” sweaters.

This ultimate seasonal gift has page after page of Easter-egg filled scenes that include nods to the Gorn, Guinan, Grudge, and more. Resistance to the holiday spirit is futile!

Trek the Halls comes in for the season on October 11, and is available for preorder now.

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Finally, rounding out the year is a surprising return to the world of Star Trek: Vanguard, as author David Mack has a new Original Series novel set to arrive in December. Aside from a brief description, little is known about the book at this time — however Star Trek: The Original Series — Harm’s Way is said to be set during the events of the Vanguard novel Precipice.

Star Trek: The Original Series — Harm’s Way

Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise go in search of a missing Federation scientist—only to become trapped between a Klingon warship and Starfleet’s mysterious Operation: Vanguard.

We’ll keep watch for news on this new classic Trek novel as its December 13 release date draws closer — in the meantime, you can preorder Mack’s next book today.

Which of these new Star Trek books rises to the top of your must-read list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

La-La Land Unveils New STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Remastered Sountrack, Official Tie-In to THE DIRECTOR’S EDITION

Ken Reilly
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25
La-La Land Unveils New STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Remastered Sountrack, Official Tie-In to THE DIRECTOR’S EDITION

Our musical friends at La-La Land Records today have announced a new Star Trek: The Motion Picture soundtrack collection, in anticipation of the forthcoming 4K remastering of the film’s Director’s Edition later this year!

The new 2-CD Star Trek: The Motion Picture — Remastered and Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was unveiled today with a 44-track, 2.5-hour running time, fully restored, remixed and mastered from the first generation multi-track masters.

Original album co-producer and composer Jerry Goldsmith’s long time scoring engineer Bruce Botnick oversaw this new edition, along with Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Edition post-production supervisor / associate producer Mike Matessino, making this new release the official tie-in soundtrack to The Director’s Edition.

Many of us have purchased the previous Motion Picture soundtracks in the past, including La-La Land’s lavish 3-CD collection from 2012 (now out of print) — so what makes this new 2-CD edition any different from what might already be in your collection?

Fans have already created an impressively-detailed comparison of the many TMP score collections here, but Matessino addressed the question — and more — by way of the Film Score Monthly forums over the last week.

“[We] actually tried to stop the [1999 “20th Anniversary” Sony soundtrack] release because we already knew “The Director’s Edition” was happening, but the actions of certain parties caused Paramount to cave — not only to let the release come out, but also led to us being prevented from including an isolated score track as well the alternate score synced to picture on the DVD that finally came out in 2001.

[La-La Land’s 2012 3-CD set] was from the original masters, as you know, and was done as an ultimate collection of music for this title. Subsequently there was a vinyl release of the main score. Both projects were a great success. But something you may not have noticed is that ALL references to Sony Music were GONE from the vinyl release.

Why?? Because it turned out that the original 1979 Columbia Records soundtrack agreement was only for a 15-year term….which means the rights expired in 1994. Therefore… Sony Music had NO RIGHTS TO PUT OUT THE 1999 VERSION, which, by the way, used the incorrect performance for every single track that was added to it, with one small exception.

Paramount Music now controls the soundtrack rights to ‘Star Trek — The Motion Picture’ and they have since 1994. (They simply didn’t know it and they’ve had to work with Sony Music to settle things up from the past 22 years.)

This is now THEIR “Expanded and Remastered Edition,” and as far as I’m concerned it is the album that we had wanted to do in 2000, but of course with far superior audio quality that benefited from the involvement of Bruce Botnick and the first generation multi-track transfers, which were run in anticipation of the updated “Director’s Edition” that’s currently in the works.

The 3-CD set is a glorious collectors item to be treasured, but this 2-CD version will now be THE soundtrack album, from Paramount, for ‘Star Trek — The Motion Picture.'”

He also added some additional details about the difference between the sound quality on the 2012 and this new 2022 edition, along with some other information throughout that same discussion thread.

“The multi-track transfers in 2011 for 2012 LLL release were done in expectation of [a remastered] Director’s Edition happening shortly after. We didn’t think it would be a 10 year wait, but the material sat around ready to go and Atmos fortuitously came on the scene in the interim.

For the soundtrack, the mixes are the same as last time, but it was an opportunity to fix anything remaining that was at all bothersome to my ear. Upgrades are esoteric in character and likely wouldn’t be noticeable on an average listen.”

“All of [the] alternate incorrect takes that we included [in the 2012 release] for no reason other than because they were on the 1999 release…. wrong takes expanded by a company that didn’t have the rights to the album at the time and who basically told off the director of the movie.

But at least it padded out a third CD and allowed us to include the beam and synth material, false starts with chit-chat and the two cover recordings. We made lemonade and the set certainly remains collectable for those tracks.”

The now-out-of-print 2012 La-La Land 3-CD collection.

“The original album track, “Ilia’s Theme,” which features Ian Fraser on piano, is not the same as the Overture. The 1999 release moved it to the start of the CD because they didn’t know the difference. It’s 100% a track recorded for album.

The long version of the “Overture” features a French horn rather than piano. The second half of it is identical to the short version, which they used in 1979 to keep the reel running time down, yes. The 2012 LLL set had both but started with the short version; now we start with the long one.

As for “Ilia’s Theme” — it has ONLY been heard sourced from the live stereo mix off the 1630 digital master. Until now.”

“It was a collaboration [between Botnick and myself]. I did all the editing and cleanup, Bruce did the mix and mastering.

We then had to revisit it a few times, first for the modified “Inner Workings” track, then for the vinyl, with high resolution outputs and appropriate adjustments made for that, then for the new 2-CD version this year so that I could recreate the original album tracks (“The Enterprise” is the only track that is exactly the same in the film), and then again for the new film mix, for which I conformed the multi-track to the picture and then Bruce mixed. We’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of that transferred data from 2011.”

“For the main score and the early alternates, the audio is the same as the 2012 edition, except for going back to 192k 24bit outputs and applying some very minor esoteric fixes here and there. I had Bruce Botnick mix out the other takes that were needed to recreate the album performances and then that was put together. For the 2012 release the OST came from the 1979 44k 16bit digital stereo 1630 tape.

This was a completely separate operation from my conforming the multi-track music to the Director’s Edition, which Bruce then remixed.”

Finally, Matessino made his personal case for why this new edition of the Motion Picture score is important to him:

“Sometimes showing love for a score and support for the labels are factors in purchasing a new version.

In this case, yes, from a sonic standpoint there may not be a reason to upgrade — although there are some fixes, a few title and track break changes, and the original album program recreated from the newer mixes — but for the most part the intent is to now have the definitive soundtrack that will exist physically so that it can reach new listeners as they hopefully revisit the movie or discover it for the first time.

Add to that the administrative aspect that it’s now fully a Paramount Music title, so there were multiple great reasons to have this come out. This is the one that will be around from now on. I personally feel that if you love this score and there’s no financial hardship in buying it, it’s something you will enjoy having.”

The new Star Trek: The Motion Picture — Remastered and Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack collection is available for purchase now at La-La Land Records for $29.98; you can find more details about this new collection and a full track listing at their site as well.

New STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Photos: “The Galactic Barrier”

TrekCore Staff
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39
New STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Photos: “The Galactic Barrier”

Star Trek: Discovery’s fourth season continues this week, and we’ve got a new collection of photos from “The Galactic Barrier” to share with you today!

After Tarka (Shawn Doyle) failed to end the DMA threat with his superweapon last week, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the Discovery crew prepare to leave the Milky Way to make first contact with the mysterious and powerful Species 10-C — with Federation President Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) along for the ride — making their way through the dangerous galactic barrier surrounding our part of the universe.

Here are 18 new photos from this week’s episode, which also feature Canadian actor Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Hirai, a guest star who will be in the final four episodes of the season.

Of note in the photos above is what appears to be a Star Trek: Picard-era combadge on the table in front of Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg), as well as what may be Voyager-era and Next Gen-era badges in front of Captain Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) of Earth.

And in case you haven’t seen it, here’s a preview clip for “The Galactic Barrier” which debuted during last week’s The Ready Room, as well as the official Paramount+ trailer.

THE GALACTIC BARRIER —

Captain Burnham and her crew must go where few have gone before: beyond the Galactic Barrier. Meanwhile, Book learns the truth of what drives Ruon Tarka.

Written by Anne Cofell Saunders. Directed by Deborah Kampmeier.

Star Trek: Discovery returns with “The Galactic Barrier” on February 24 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. Outside of North America, the series is available on Paramount+ and on Pluto TV in select international locations.

WeeklyTrek Podcast #171 — The STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Trailer that Was… and then Wasn’t

Alex Perry
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0
WeeklyTrek Podcast #171 — The STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Trailer that Was… and then Wasn’t

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 I Quit Star Trek Podcast co-host Jack Concagh to discuss all the latest Star Trek news.

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

In addition, stick around to listen to Jack’s wish to see Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Alex’s theory about how Star Trek: Picard might end!

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!

First STAR TREK: PRODIGY Action Figures Arrive from Playmates Toys in October, Rok-Tahk to Follow in 2023

Ken Reilly
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29
First STAR TREK: PRODIGY Action Figures Arrive from Playmates Toys in October, Rok-Tahk to Follow in 2023

Just weeks after Playmates Toys revealed their first new Star Trek action figures in years, the company today has unveiled their initial lineup of Star Trek: Prodigy toys, based upon the new Nickelodeon animated series.

Debuting on StarTrek.com today, the first five Star Trek: Prodigy action figure releases from Playmates Toys will be hitting store shelves this October — a Dal + Murf two-pack, Gwyn, Jankom Pog, Zero, and Hologram Janeway — with a sixth release (Rok-Tahk) slated to follow in early 2023.

Images of Hologram Janeway or the 2023 Rok-Tahk figure have not yet been released; nor have any word on character figures like The Diviner or Dreadnok been announced.

From the announcement on StarTrek.com today, the Playmates Toys team shared the following details about the new action figures:

These five-inch, 1:14 scale figures will feature 14 points of articulation and come packaged in a brand-new blister pack style designed exclusively for the Star Trek: Prodigy toy line.

“We are excited to be bringing Star Trek: Prodigy toys and accessories home to families for the first time. This new lineup we are unveiling is highly focused on playability — we want kids to take the toys out of the packaging and engage in imaginative play as if they were part of the Star Trek world themselves,” said Karl Aaronian, senior vice president, Playmates Toys.

The action figures will be available at online retailers beginning in October 2022 and on store shelves in spring 2023. New Star Trek: Prodigy ships, vehicles, and role play toys will be available later in 2023.

We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more news on this exciting first entry into Star Trek: Prodigy collectables, and as soon as more details and information is released, you’ll find it here at TrekCore.

Star Trek: Prodigy will return for ten more Season 1 episodes later in 2022; the series has already been renewed for Season 2, expected in 2023.

FIRST LOOK — Bring Home STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Season 3 Vinyl Soundtrack from Lakeshore Records this Spring

Ken Reilly
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9
FIRST LOOK — Bring Home STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Season 3 Vinyl Soundtrack from Lakeshore Records this Spring

Composer Jeff Russo’s score for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 arrived in digital form back last April, and now we’ve learned that Lakeshore Records is getting ready to send out the show’s most recent soundtrack in a collectible vinyl release this spring!

In an exclusive reveal here at TrekCore, we now have all the details for this limited-edition release — which follows the Discovery Season 1 vinyl release, the Season 2 release, and the Picard Season 1 vinyl — which will be produced as a two-album product in a unique blue and white marbled design.

Due to the size limitations of the product, the vinyl release will contain 28 of the full 40-track Season 3 soundtrack collection, with these selections included:

Included will be these tracks from Season 3:

Side A – 21:36
01. Burnham Crash Lands
02. Book’s Ship / Hello Grudge
03. Federation Is Gone
04. Meeting Zareh
05. Georgiou and Zareh
06. It’s You, Saru
07. Starfleet Academy
08. Adira Accepted

Side B – 21:07
09. Federation HQ
10. Cryo Tombs / Attis Attacks
11. Leaving Nhan
12. Reunited With Book
13. The Escape
14. Work Together
15. Terran Stories

Side C – 18:00
16. The Charon
17. Fireflies
18. Killing Traitors
19. Georgiou Goodbye
20. Meeting Survivor
21. Michael’s Win

Side D – 22:10
22. Andorian Opera
23. Michael To The Rescue
24. Sending Stamets to HQ
25. Deliver The Bomb
26. Resetting The Datacore
27. Reuniting The Federation
28. Captain Burnham

Like their Star Trek: Discovery soundtracks before it, this special vinyl release is available for preorder now at Lakeshore Records’ web shop, priced at $34.98 and expected for delivery to collectors by May 2022.

Have you picked up previous Star Trek soundtrack vinyl releases — and will you be adding this new Discovery release set to your collection? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts!

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Review — “Rubicon”

Claire Little, Executive Officer (In Charge of Radishes)
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71
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Review — “Rubicon”

To cross the Rubicon is to reach a point of no return; to make such significant forward progress toward an outcome that it can’t be reversed. A strange choice of title, then, for a Star Trek: Discovery episode which brings the season-long quest to avert the DMA to a standstill — and when action does occur, takes the story two steps forward… and then two steps right on back again.

Very little actually happens in “Rubicon,” as far as Season 4’s overarching plot is concerned, and what does happen doesn’t seem to warrant an entire episode. Chasing after Book (David Ajala) and Tarka (Shawn Doyle) and their dangerous isolynium acquired last week, Discovery first attempts to stop the pair at a rogue planet, sneaking up using the new cloaking device installed last season.

After that fails, the ship follows them inside the DMA itself, accompanied by a returning Commander Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) — yay! — and after another failed plan, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Book continue their wistful attempts to talk each other down. Understandably annoyed, Tarka sends his weapon into the heart of the DMA, seemingly setting the Federation’s course of action all by himself — there’s that Rubicon — but just moments later, a replacement DMA appears where the first collapsed.

Oh well, never mind.

All of this is fine, but did this really need to take up an entire episode? My first thought upon finishing “Rubicon” was that the whole thing could have been easily compressed into 15 minutes. Or, even better, could it have served as the last act to last week’s “All In,” where this could have been a lot more fun as a cat-and-mouse chase sequence following the Burnham/Booker hustle and poker showdown on the Karma Barge?

Attached to “All In,” the events of “Rubicon” would have retained the former episode’s sense of fast-paced fun and become invigorating, the failure to stop the DMA becoming a taunt with a promise of payback. Detached, “Rubicon” simply feels meaningless and ultimately futile.

Slow pacing is something that I quite enjoy when it gives viewers the chance to contemplate a story that needs the time and space to present itself, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. “Rubicon” doesn’t add any new dimension to the dynamic between Book and Burnham, or to Tarka’s motivations — and how they both differ and align with Book’s.

Aside from Tarka’s defeat as he realizes the DMA is powered from the “other side” of Species 10C’s connection to the Milky Way, we learn nothing new about the mysterious aliens (other than the fact that for them, replacing a DMA is as much of a hassle as replacing a burned out lightbulb), and we know nothing more about the specifics of Starfleet’s strategy to find and communicate with them.

Lingering on a mystery is fine, but at this point in the season it’s hard not to be frustrated by the continuing lack of answers instead of intrigued.

The strange pacing of “Rubicon” doesn’t just exist externally as a ‘chapter’ within the season, but internally as well. We learn this week that the DMA, which is currently churning along in an uninhabited sector of space, won’t be moving on for another week as it continues to eat up boronite during its ‘mining operation.’

Earlier in the season many tens of billions of people were at risk of being annihilated in an instant, but now that Stamets (Anthony Rapp) can calculate how long the anomaly will stay in one place, the stakes are now essentially nonexistent. Yes, Book and Tarka’s actions would upset the plan for peaceful first contact, but with the continuing lack of any progress on that front, it’s difficult to mind too much about that… because at this point, I just want to see something happen.

Everything in “Rubicon” either stops before it’s started — or is immediately rendered irrelevant. We hear about the plans for a boarding team to get aboard Book’s ship to talk the Kwejian down, but we never actually get to see it happen. Upon docking with Book’s ship, the shuttle manned by Saru (Doug Jones), Culber (Wilson Cruz), Bryce (Ronnie Rowe, Jr.) and Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) is attacked and eventually crushed by a swarm of programmable matter — a defense system that Tarka secretly installed and which, unbelievably, doesn’t have an off switch.

(Why Tarka decided to design it this way, I have no idea. Pretty dumb for a smart guy.)

Similarly, Nhan’s entire purpose in the episode is to serve as an emergency “backup” command officer in case Burnham’s closeness with Book becomes a problem. After her time going rogue last season, it’s understandable that despite her growth as a captain, Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) still wants to keep a hand on the wheel for such a critical situation where Burnham’s emotions are involved.

It’s heavily foreshadowed that Nhan is going to have to take charge at some point, but though she walks up to that line several times — or should I say river — she never actually crosses it. Even with Book’s ship repeatedly firing on Discovery, including an unquestionably aggressive full-spread volley of quantum torpedoes (!), Nhan accepts Burnham’s insistence that Book doesn’t really mean it and that this time will be the time she can reason with him.

It’s not so much that I wanted Nhan to take over, but again, I wanted something, anything that the writers set up to actually pay off. Even what should be the biggest moment of the episode — Tarka’s unilateral choice to use the weapon and destroy the DMA’s controller — means nothing. A new controller is in place within minutes, and the only consequence Tarka faces is the terrible realization that the power source he so coveted was never in this galaxy to begin with.

It’s been on the other side of the wormhole this entire time, out of reach. At least for now, his “home” remains out of reach. Does Tarka’s use of “home” mean that he hails from another universe? Or is he using “home” in a more figurative manner, saying that home is wherever his other person is? (As a secret romantic, I’m choosing the go with the latter.)

This isn’t to say there aren’t good elements in “Rubicon.” The inside of the DMA is beautiful, both the rainbow-colored dust clouds and the jagged glowing shards of space around the core. The spore drive jump chase is also a lot of fun, though it had to be at least a little unpleasant for Book and Stamets, right? (And what must the Jah’Sepp think about it?!)

Plus, as a devout T’Rina/Saru shipper — I bestow upon them the ship name Tru — I was extremely happy to see Ni’Var’s Vulcan president T’Rina (Tara Rosling) pop into Saru’s quarters via hologram, her first return since the Kelpien gave her a potted plant. With all the plantlife in Saru’s lovely quarters, it’s an immediately calming set and a welcome respite from the clean sterility of the rest of the ship’s interiors. (Someone, please, just put a little potted cactus or something in the corner of your bridge station!)

Anyway, when the president of an entire planet drops everything to call you back when you send her a text message, you know things are getting serious! After a brief meditation session, T’Rina asks Saru to lunch, which he is adorably flustered about. Later on, Saru seeks out Culber’s advice on how to gracefully decline T’Rina’s offer (nooo!) because he feels he is simply too busy to allow himself something nice — despite the fact that he does have feelings for her (whew, okay).

Culber’s professional opinion is that Saru is “an idiot” so it seems that that lunch will be happening at some point in the future.

And of course, the return of Nhan, now a member of Starfleet security, is entirely welcomed. Admiral Vance notes that many Barzan officers fill the security-division ranks, as they pay heed to the notion of “duty, above all.” In fact, the one drawback I can see to my assertion that “Rubicon” should have been condensed and added to “All In” is that we would have likely lost out on seeing Nhan again.

When we last left her, she had chosen to stay aboard the USS Tikhov to shepherd its seed vault back into Federation hands. We learn that once that mission was completed, she returned to Barzan and attempted to connect with her family but was unable to overcome the sense of separation created by her need to keep certain things — like her origin — a secret.

This notion of meeting very distant descendants with the expectation of creating familial connections with them has been mentioned a few times since Discovery made its way to the 32nd century, and it’s something that certainly seems odd and unsettling — but still, you’d think some more of the Discovery crew would have explored their family’s legacy after such a long journey from the 23rd century.

Finally, the writing for the bridge officers thankfully continues to improve, as the quite natural-sounding debate between Nilsson (Sara Mitich) and Rhys (and later Rhys and Bryce) over the Book/Tarka situation is a marked step up from the “Hi, I work here too!” statements that made some of the early-episode scenes screech to a grinding halt.

“Rubicon” ends right back where it started, with the Federation finishing up its plans for finding and contacting Species 10C, and Discovery ready to embark on the mission as soon as everything is in place. And despite the destruction of the DMA, even the tone of that mission feels unchanged. Given how quickly and calmly they replaced the destroyed DMA controller, one must wonder if Species 10C is so incredibly powerful that they may not have even noticed.

So I suppose the question is — peaceful or not — why should Species 10C even care about the Federation’s concerns for its own self-preservation? A technological response seems out the window, so I’m not sure how this season’s main story could possibly get resolved other than through an impassioned speech about the value of all life. A perfectly good philosophy and one that I, as an inhabitant of the galaxy being ravaged by the DMA, have stake in of course, but not one I’m sure is going to justify this level of prolonged buildup.

With four more episodes to go, I’m not sure what else the season has to offer. The longer this mystery about the identity of Species 10C is drawn out, the more amazing the reveal is going to have to be to justify it. Unfortunately, the more amazing they are, the more ant-like our Alpha Quadrant friends are going to feel in comparison — and now I’m back to wondering why they’d even bother to listen to us.

Four episodes is either way too much time to resolve all this… or not nearly enough, and I’m not sure which it’ll turn out to be.

Star Trek: Discovery returns February 24 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. Outside of North America, the series is available on Paramount+ and on Pluto TV in select international locations.

Review — STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE — “Revenant”

Alex Perry
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4
Review — STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE — “Revenant”

Newcomer Star Trek author Alex White makes a stunningly confident franchise debut with their new novel Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Revenant, a Jadzia Dax story that dives deeper into the mythos and backstory of the Dax symbiont and Trill society.

White has crafted an exciting and touching murder mystery, which makes great use of the Dax character(s) and Deep Space Nine staples like Kira, Bashir, and Worf.

I’ll be honest: after my deeply mixed and emotional reaction to the Star Trek: Coda trilogy, I was hesitant about jumping into a new Star Trek novel without a little time away — which is why this review is coming much later than it normally would.

That was a huge mistake on my part, though, and I am ready to hype Alex White’s work from the rooftops!

Published back in December 2021, Revenant is set during the early part of Deep Space Nine’s fourth season, and involves Jadzia Dax being pulled into a murder mystery plot involving Trill symbionts and the secrets of the Symbiosis Commission.

This is exactly what I want from an “episodic” novel set during the series’ run: it doesn’t feel like a throwaway adventure; there’s meaningful character growth that ties directly into what was seen during the series; it’s a fun adventure with your favorite characters at the height of their abilities.

Unlike some previous newcomers’ work — where the characterization of established Star Trek characters felt pretty shaky — White totally nails the voices and personas of the Deep Space Nine characters used in this book. At the heart of that is Jadzia Dax, as vibrant and tenacious of a character as Terry Farrell’s memorable on-screen performance.

Revenant is far and away a Dax book; not an intimate character study just of Jadzia, but also Joran and Curzon as well. To say more about the Joran angle would spoil some of the book’s biggest moments, but suffice to say it is great to get a deeper exploration of Joran — his history, his motivations, and his experiences with the Dax symbiont — which includes a few welcome flashbacks to Curzon as well.

White does a terrific job of weaving together the different hosts’ experiences, giving spotlight moments for at least five Dax hosts along the way.

That’s part of the reason why I really enjoy Star Trek literature as a supplement to what’s on screen. On screen, the internal dynamics of host and symbiont can only be shown in the one actors’ performance — while on the page, the constant swirl of thoughts and experiences that make up the seven lifetimes of experience of the Dax symbiont can play out in much more intimate and interesting ways. It’s one thing to see it on an actor’s face; it’s another thing to get completely inside a character’s head.

Getting inside Dax’s head also allows for a much deeper exploration of Trill society, and how joined living functions. Deep Space Nine was ahead of its time and deserves a lot of credit for its exploration of gender issues in the 90s, but… it was still only the 90s, and we’ve come a long way in the last three decades. Alex White does a very commendable job of exploring some of the ideas of what hosts experience with past hosts of multiple genders, and the kind of experiences and broader understanding of life that affords a joined Trill.

Revenant is by no means a novel about gender – it’s an exciting murder mystery that you can’t put down, with more than few genuinely scary moments! – but White finds appropriate moments in which to unpack some of the deeper ideas behind Trill society Oof which Deep Space Nine only scratched the surface.

And while this is a Dax novel and a big exploration of the Trill, there are supporting roles for Kira, Bashir, and Worf throughout this book. Since this is early Season 4 — just a short time after Worf joined the DS9 station crew — the romance between Dax and Worf has not yet begun to blossom, though White carefully lays some of the seeds of the romance that would later follow in the events of this book.

They also do a great job of realizing the character of Kira too; any time those two characters share the stage is a real joy.

In conclusion, if you have been sleeping on Revenant because it was published right around the busy holidays, now is the time to get yourself a copy. I really hope that we see more Star Trek novels from Alex White in the future; they are a welcome addition to the already strong lineup of Star Trek authors!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Revenant is in stores now.

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