Literary Treks: A Star Trek Books and Comics Podcast

Leonard McCoy: Frontier Doctor.

When we first saw Dr. McCoy in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, he was rocking an amazing beard and an awesome medallion that left us wondering what he’d been up to since we last saw him in “Turnabout Intruder.” In this episode of Literary Treks we reel in those missing years as we explore all four issues of John Byrne’s comic series Leonard McCoy: Frontier Doctor.

In our news segment we explore strange new worlds of crafting with the Star Trek Cross-Stitch book, remember our favourite TNG moments with the upcoming Star Trek Classic Quotes: The Next Generation edition, and speculate on HIVE #4. We also delve into Star Trek Ongoing #17 and discuss the newly revealed backstory to the Abramsverse incarnation of Dr. McCoy.

David A. Goodman.

Despite more than 700 hours of television and films, there is still so much we don't know about how the Federation came to be. That's why CBS asked David A. Goodman to write the records that future historians will rely upon when tracing mankind's long road to the stars. In this episode of Literary Treks we're joined by David to talk about the genesis of the project and what went into creating Federation: The First 150 Years. Along the way we also talk about his famous Star Trek episode of Futurama and get an insider's look at the second and third seasons of Enterprise.

In our news segment we look at some new information about David R. George III's Allegiance In Exile, Christopher L. Bennett's upcoming Enterprise book Rise of the Federation, Roberto Orci and Michael Johnson talking to StarTrek.com about Countdown to Darkness, and a bit about Star Trek Ongoing 17's exploration of Dr. McCoy's backstory.

Countdown to Darkness #1 and Star Trek Ongoing.

As with the 2009 film, J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot—together with IDW—are utilizing the comics to deliver the background to what will take place on the big screen. After months of speculation, the first issue of Countdown to Darkness brings us a well-written story that starts to make a small bit of sense out of what we've seen in the trailers. And then it throws a wicked curveball at us. In this episode of Literary Treks we discuss Countdown to Darkness #1 and what it could mean for the movie. We also discuss the first six issues of Star Trek Ongoing—"Where No Man Has Gone Before," "The Galileo Seven," and "Operation: Annihilate"—and speculate on what clues about the movie may be hidden there.

In our news segment we look at the surprising reveal of Klingons on the cover of Countdown to Darkness #4, the special limited edition Enterprise cover for Countdown to Darkness #1, and the Countdown to Darkness Collection that will bring together all four issues in one volume in April. We also talk about the rest of IDW's 2013 comic lineup, which includes the John Byrne collection, back stories for Sulu and Chekov, and the Space-Spanning Treasury.

David Mack.

No one has shaken up the Star Trek universe quite like David Mack. His contributions to the miniseries "A Time to..." helped bridge the gap between Insurrection and Nemesis, his Destiny series revealed the Alpha and the Omega of the Borg, and his latest work—Cold Equations—resurrects Data and sees the continuing transformation of Picard. In this episode of Literary Treks we're joined by David to discuss the evolving nature of the post-television Star Trek universe, the genesis of Destiny, why the Borg had to go, why Picard is no longer the man Beverly remembers, and we learn the real story behind the naming of the upcoming series "The Fall."

In our news segment we look at Greg Cox's upcoming TOS novel The Weight of Worlds, a new book that helps you learn How To Speak Klingon like a warrior, and David R. George III's Allegiance in Exile. We also speculate on what Countdown to Darkness will bring us, share our thoughts on the Mirror Universe of Ongoing #15 and #16, and reveal how a theme from Chris's own life has been stolen and used as a sinister plot device.

James Swallow.

From Terok Nor to the Myriad Universe, from the bridge of the Titan to the aftermath of The Undiscovered Country, author James Swallow has played in many corners of the Star Trek universe. In this episode of Literary Treks we're joined by James to discuss what it's like to tell stories from the lost era of Deep Space Nine, why it's difficult to write Picard, what it takes to redeem Valeris, and many more topics from across Star Trek literature.

In our news segment we look at the five books that will make up the new miniseries "The Fall," Tony Daniel's TOS novel Devil's Bargain, William Leisner's The Shocks of Adversity, the sticker book Stuck On Star Trek, some of the first interior views of The Star Trek Visual Dictionary, Countdown to Darkness #3, Star Trek Ongoing #19, and the Ongoing Volume 4 compendium. We also lament the lack of Star Trek audiobooks at a time when the spoken format is more popular than ever.

Una McCormack.

The complex storylines of Deep Space Nine are the perfect playground for Una McCormack, an author who carries a PhD in sociology into her approach to Star Trek. Beginning with the short story “Face Value” in the collection Prophecy and Change, Una has explored Cardassia, the repurcussions of “In the Pale Moonlight,” and even played with Ezri Dax in the continuing Star Trek universe. In this episode of Literary Treks we’re joined by Una to discuss why Deep Space Nine is her favourite series, how she got involved in writing Star Trek, bringing female characters to the forefront, and the intricacies of freedom and how we are all interconnected.

In our news segment we look at three new omnibuses coming from Pocket Books: Typhon Pact: The Khitomer Accords; The Original Series: The Continuing Missions; and Destiny: The Complete Saga. We also cover IDW’s Star Trek: The Next Generation Omnibus and Star Trek: The Newspaper Strips, Volume 1, the covers for Countdown to Darkness, the Star Trek 100-page Winter Spectacular comic, and we talk in-depth about the first three issues of Brannon Braga’s HIVE.

Keith R. A. DeCandido.

Since the release of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers e-book Fatal Error in 2000, Keith R.A. DeCandido has become one of the most influential authors in the Star Trek literary universe. His hand can especially be seen in the development of the Klingons through the I.K.S Gorkon novels, the bridging of Insurrection and Nemesis in A Time for War, A Time for Peace, and in fleshing out the Federation political system in Articles of the Federation. In this episode of Literary Treks we’re joined by DeCandido to discuss how he got involved in writing the Star Trek expanded universe, his love of Hikaru Sulu, and even how the Klingons got their ridges back.

In our news segment we cover the upcoming Star Trek Visual Dictionary from Dorling Kindersley, Mike and Denise Okuda’s Onboard the Enterprise-D reference book, a new five-book series in development titled The Fall, James Swallow’s The Stuff of Dreams, Dayton Ward’s From History’s Shadow, a complete John Byrne comic collection, and Brannon Braga’s HIVE.

Kirsten Beyer.

After Voyager completed its television run, the story of Captain Janeway and her crew was continued in literary form beginning with Christie Golden’s Homecoming in 2003. The four novels from Golden took Voyager in new directions. But after the Spirit Walk duology, that continuing voyage appeared to have come to an end. Five years later, Kirsten Beyer picked up the baton with Full Circle and brought her own changes to the story. In this episode of Literary Treks we’re joined by Beyer to discuss how her novels have kept Voyager alive, about writing Voyager in general and The Eternal Tide specifically, and why some of the elements that didn’t work so well on-screen are perfect when it comes to the literary universe.

In our news segment we cover books including James Swallow’s The Stuff of Dreams, Dayton Ward’s From History’s Shadow, David A. Goodman’s Federation: The First 150 Years, David R. George III’s Revelations and Dust, and a Star Trek craft book. In comics we cover Countdown to Darkness, Ongoing #16, #17, and #18, and we discuss our thoughts on Ongoing #15, Mirrored, Part I.

Dayton Ward.

The publication of David Mack’s Storming Heaven in March 2012 marked the end of the Vanguard saga—or so we thought. As it turns out there’s a little more to the story. It comes in the form of what author Dayton Ward calls “a coda”—just a little something extra for fans of this series that is set in the TOS time period. In this, the premiere episode of our books and comics show, we’re joined by Dayton to discuss how this novella, “In Tempest’s Wake,” came about. In the process we also find out more about the inspiration of the Vanguard series itself, Dayton’s desire to write Captain Proton stories, and whether or not there’s a smoking jacket in Dayton’s closet.

In our news segment we cover upcoming releases in the literary world including Christopher L. Bennett’s continuation of the Romulan War story for the Enterprise line, David Mack’s second installment in Cold Equations, Silent Weapons, and we look at three upcoming releases from IDW on the comic front: Countdown to Darkness, Star Trek Ongoing #15, and Brannon Braga’s Hive #3.