Burning Dreams. Captain Christopher Pike: until recently, there has not been much canonically revealed about the predecessor of James T. Kirk. That has all changed with season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery. However, years before Anson Mount brought the character back to life, the definitive Christopher Pike novel was written, chronicling the life of the brave Starfleet captain from his earliest years as a boy to his life spent on Talos IV with Vina under the care of the mysterious Talosians.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther discuss the novel Burning Dreams. We talk about Christopher Pike's early years on the colony world Elysium, his relationships with his mother and the father figures in his life, the unique role that fire plays in Pike's history, his embodiment of the ideals of Starfleet and the Federation, how Pike in this novel compares to the Pike of Discovery, the epilogue of the novel, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings.

At the top of the show, we review the first issue of Star Trek: Year Five from IDW, and respond to your feedback from the Babel Conference about Literary Treks 265: The Music of Big Pink. News Star Trek: Year Five #1 Comic Review (00:03:25) Listener Feedback (00:18:35)

Feature: Burning Dreams Pike's Early Years (00:22:22) The Neworlders (00:30:57) Charlie's Relationship with Chris (00:36:40) The Motif of Fire in Pike's Life (00:48:34) "The Best of Us" (00:55:56) Comparing to 'Discovery' (01:00:33) Is Life a Dream? (01:07:27) Vina's Backstory (01:09:38) Pike's Love Interests (01:12:06) The Epilogue with Spock (01:15:15) Ratings (01:19:52) Final Thoughts (01:22:46)

Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson

Production Bruce Gibson (Editor and Producer) Dan Gunther (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)