David Mack: Ring of Fire. With fewer Star Trek series currently on TV, it's the novels that keep us boldly going. These stories bridge the gaps between episodes and explore what happens when the cameras aren't rolling — deepening our connection to the characters and giving us new adventures to imagine. It's an exciting time to see how writers expand the universe we know and love.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan chat with author David Mack about his Strange New Worlds novel, Ring of Fire. They dive into the book's ensemble of characters, high-action set pieces, Spock delivering a memorable beatdown, and Pike's continued growth as a captain.

In the news segment, the hosts judge a book by its cover and share their thoughts on two new-ish comics. News Judge a Book by its Cover (03:15) Omega Comic (10:19) Section 31 Comic (12:52)

Feature: David Mack Remembering Margaret (18:30) Within the Confines (28:06) Project Azorian (31:13) An Ensemble Story (36:10) Crafting the Mystery (42:35) Pike's Lesson (48:50) Set Pieces (53:51) Spock Gives a Beatdown (1:01:26) Pelia and Scotty (1:04:26) Ortegas as Number One (1:10:05) Wrapping Up with David (1:14:55) Closing (1:19:12)

Hosts Casey Pettitt and Jonathan Koan

Guest David Mack

Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Casey Pettitt (Associate Producer)