TCM Issue 10

Welcome to the tenth issue of Trekkie Central Magazine,

In this issue we have something different for you, first off we have an article by Sean Paul Teeling on

the IDW comic books that were released in 2008.

Following this is an article by Alex Matthews in which he compares two major characters in Star Trek

Hidden Frontier with their more official alter-egos in Star Trek New Frontier, what choices the

different production companies made whilst developing these two characters, and these two

characters are Captain Shelby and Commander Lefler.

Then we have an article on The History of Star Trek Fan Films by Danny Levy, this delves into the

formation of some groups as well as showing us some groups that no longer exist. Then finally we

take a look at the Star Trek Deep Space Nine series of books written by Josh Edelglass.

Hope you enjoy this issue

Live Long and Prosper

Richard

Trekkie Central Staff:

Writers:

Heather Ashleigh; Jennifer Cole; Gerri Donaldson; Josh Edelglass; Beo Fraser; Danny Levy; Gustavo Leao; Alex Matthews;

Richard Miles; Eugenia Stoypra; Michael Struck; Sean-Paul Teeling; Tim Vining and John Whiting.

Head Writers:

Gerri Donaldson; Alex Matthews; Richard Miles and Eugenia Stoypra.

Graphics Artist and Front Cover:

Richard Miles

Creative Consultants:

Michael Hudson and Rick Pike.

Assistant Editors:

Heather Ashleigh and Alex Matthews

Editor: Richard Miles

Special Thanks:

Contributors:

Gerri Donaldson; Josh Edelglass; Danny Levy; Alex Matthews; Richard Miles; Eugenia Stoypra and Sean Paul Teeling.

Production Companies:

Hidden Frontier Productions,.

All comic pictures copyright IDW; all DS9 book pictures copyright CBS; Shelby and Lefler pictures copyright Hidden

Frontier Productions. Trekkie Central Magazine and Supplemental is produced for fans by fans. This is a free to download and view online magazine, from which no profit is made in anyway. If you see this magazine

on sale anywhere please do not purchase it as this will jeopardise feature issue of this magazine. If you do find it on sale please inform us immediately by emailing us at Trekkie-

[email protected] and put

fraudulent magazine in the subject box. Many Thanks

CAPTAINS TABLE: Inquisition MIKE SLAGENWEIT-COFFMAN 6

CAPTAINS LOG BY JENNIFER COLE 37

IDW COMICS REVIEW BY SEAN PAUL TEELING 8

SHELBY AND LEFLER: HIDDEN FRONTIER

V NEW FRONTIER BY ALEX MATTHEWS 19

HISTORY OF FAN FILMS BY DANNY LEVY 25

CHARACTER REVIEW

MATT McCABE 28

BY GERRI DONALDSON AND EUGENIA STOYPRA

DS9 BOOKS REVIEWED BY JOSH EDELGLASS 29

IN THIS ISSUE WE CHAT TO MIKE SLAGENWEIT-

COFFMAN AUTHOR OF FAN FICTION SERIES STAR

TREK: EAGLE STAR AND THE UNOFFICIAL STAR

TREK TIMELINE

1. What is your name?

Mike Slagenweit-Coffman

2. What was the last book you read?

Coming Out Within: Stages of Spiritual Awakening for Lesbians and Gay Men, by Craig O'Neill &

Kathleen Ritter

3. Is the glass half full or half empty?

Too dang big.

4. What is your favourite colour?

Blue

5. Scifi or Chick Flicks?

Sci-fi preferably, but there are a couple Chick Flicks I like.

6. Picard or Kirk and why?

Kirk, kick-ass.

7. What question have you always wanted to be asked?

Will you marry me?

8. When was the last time you were star struck?

EBIII.

9. Who was it that made you star struck?

Everybody.

10. What is the natural colour of water?

That's easy, natural.

11. Family Guy or The Simpsons?

Either have some good lines, though I watch neither.

12. Quark or Odo?

Odo. Hate to meet him in a dark alley on a bad day.

13. The original Enterprise or The Enterprise D?

The original, but there are times I like the D too.

14. Football or Baseball?

Baseball. More fun to watch in real-life than TV.

15. Who would you most like to meet and why?

God and Jesus. We could have a heck of a conversation.

WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE…

As a long time comic collector of over 30 years and a Star Trek

fan, it has been a real adventure to follow the continuing

adventures of the crews of the various Star Trek series across the

years. The real thrill I felt when I picked up the ‘First Star Spanning

Issue’ of the continuity faithful DC comics series in February 1984

and the rush home to read it, still remain a very fond memory

today. Before reviewing anything Star Trek related in the comics

medium, it is first important to look at the context and the time in

which the comic is released. Back in 1984, the DC comic was the

only way you were going to get a regular, monthly dose of Trek

action. The Wrath of Khan was over, a next picture was awaited,

and yet here you could meet Kirk and the gang (sans Spock)

monthly. So, sales of the DC title were always going to be good,

given that there was no sign of STNG just yet and no other way to

have ‘visual’ Trek on your menu on a monthly basis

I could bore you to death with the various Trek incarnations (that’s

another article or two!) and the good, the bad and the downright

ugly. IDW Comics (Idea & Design Works) relaunched Trek in 2007 with

the next generation era ‘The Space Between’, and they now have

several series up and running. Again this is a time when we have a

Star Trek deficit for mainstream fans, with no Trek series on television

for the first time in an age. Given, we have the excellence of the fan

based productions which I myself confess to be addicted to.

However, for mainstream fans who want to see the familiar ‘TV crews’

and who await with bated breath the new Trek movie, comics are

once again giving access to the ‘continuing voyages’. Perhaps, this is

why Trek comics are enjoying resurgence at the moment. What

follows is a review of the comics we have seen so far in 2008, as part

of IDW’s ‘Second Stage’. Please note, due to the amount of comics to

review, I comment on story and art only, colour and lettering largely

go unreported unless outstanding or dire!! Future articles will

encompass the entire production team on a comic, so bear with me as we

undertake a warp speed glance at this years Star Trek comics phenomenon.

Star Trek: Year Four (era: TOS)Star Trek: Year Four (era: TOS)Star Trek: Year Four (era: TOS)Star Trek: Year Four (era: TOS)

JJJJanuary saw the release of the 6th and final issue of the Star Trek Year Four miniseries, set effectively in the

era which is chronicled so well on New Voyages/Star Trek Phase II. The issue is, according to the stardate, set

sometime around the time of the original series episode ‘All our Yesterdays’. The first thing to note is that the

entire comic is visually stunning, from the covers (there are 2 options one by Steve Conely and an alternate by

Joe Corroney) to the interior art, by the ever excellent Gordon Purcell, who has previous fine form from

collaborating on the DC comics series with fan favourite Peter David.

WWWWriter David Tischman weaves a tale of a nursery planet which is to be honest ‘harmless’ giving us nothing

new we haven’t seen in sci-fi in one form or another before. Tischman was the author of the 2007 ‘Space

Between’ STNG series, which is not reviewed here. However, main story aside, Tischman does give us good

interaction between the big three of Kirk, McCoy and Spock, par example:

Kirk: “He’s a doctor not a linguist” (referring to McCoy)

Spock: “That would be ironic”

Tischman evidences a good understanding of the crew of the Enterprise and what makes them tick, so despite

the poor story, I look forward to his further Star Trek work.

Buy it for: Fabulous visuals and nostalgia

Miss it for: Rudimentary story

Marks out of 10: 6

Star Trek: Turnaround (era: New Frontier)Star Trek: Turnaround (era: New Frontier)Star Trek: Turnaround (era: New Frontier)Star Trek: Turnaround (era: New Frontier)

HHHHard not to be impressed by anything that comes from the pen of Peter David. As an avid follower of his comics work

(The Incredible Hulk, She-Hulk, X-Factor for Marvel; Supergirl for DC, to name a few) and his excellent New Frontier

books series, I approach anything he touches with a sense of anticipation usually reserved for an anticipated sequel of

Empire Strikes Back like proportions. David also has had fantastic form on both volumes of the 1980s DC comic book

series.

TTTThe action is this 5 issue mini-series takes place after the events of the New Frontier: Missing in Action Novel. The

first issue came with 4 covers which come together to form a crew dynamic. Art on the series is handled by the

artist Stephen Thompson, who earned his stripes on Dark Horse’s Star Wars Republic comic series. In fact, the art is

probably the best I have seen in a STNG era comic in quite some time.

The plot David weaves basically centres around to a story of a ‘mad’ admiral stealing a starship, chaotically mixed

up with a cast playing out on a stage of 5 starships, with a starbase and some planet based action thrown in for

good measure. You also get the mirror universe as a bonus. This, unlike other IDW series, is a 5 issue

interconnected arc. I actually held onto the comics and read them all in one go, which gave for a very good read. It

will read very well as a Trade Paperback collection. The arc makes the story much more satisfying and gives time for

character development. The problem with the series is that you are required to have knowledge of the previous

16(!) New Frontier novels, so if you haven’t read these, you will probably only recognise Shelby and Lefler. And if

you are coming to the series never having read these, but direct from Rob Caves ‘Hidden Frontier’, then you will

wonder what the hell is going on and when did Shelby marry Mac!! However, if you are a fan of New Frontier, this

series continues the ongoing arc (a pregnancy is announced!) and it is all pulled off with David’s usual comic wit. It

does suffer from a build up to a great….anticlimax.

Buy it for:

Fabulous visuals

If you are a New Frontier Aficionado

You are a Peter David fan

Miss it for: If you have no knowledge of New Frontier

Marks out of 10: 8

Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment Star Trek Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment (era: TOS)(era: TOS)(era: TOS)(era: TOS)

IIIIDW really hit their stride with this follow up mini-series to the 2007 ‘Year Four’. Firstly, they secured the

venerable DC Fontana to co-write the series. Fontana is famed as being one of the few people to have worked on

Star Trek: The Original Series, as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek:

Deep Space Nine. She is joined by her partner from the Activision game scripting chores, Derek Chester. Artwise,

IDW again strike gold. The Pencils are by previous Year Four series artist Gordon Purcell, meaning you are

guaranteed stunning artwork, ably supported in the main, by his collaborator on the previous Malibu comics DS9

series, Terry Pallot. Finally, the series boasts fantastic covers by the Sharp Brothers. The series therefore is both a

joy to read and view, and certainly one of the best TOS comics in a long while.

Storywise have you ever wondered what happened to the cloaking device immediately following the classic

episode ‘The Enterprise Incident’? Well the mini-series is a direct sequel to "The Enterprise Incident", elaborating on

the Federation's experiments with the cloaking device captured from the Romulans in that classic episode. It is true

TOS Trek, with something in every issue to bring a smile to fans of the original series.

Buy it for:

Fabulous visuals, fantastic covers

Cracking story

You are a real fan of TOS

Miss it for: No reason whatsoever!!

Marks out of 10: 10

Star Trek: Assignment: Earth Star Trek: Assignment: Earth Star Trek: Assignment: Earth Star Trek: Assignment: Earth (era: TOS)(era: TOS)(era: TOS)(era: TOS)

I will be the first to admit that I absolutely idolise John Byrne, the writer artist responsible for this

mini-series. His amazing work on Uncanny X-Men, Fantastic Four, She-Hulk, Superman, Spider-man,

Wonder Woman, Next Men; to name but a small part of his extensive repertoire, is renowned in the

annals of comicdom. Personally, my favourite is his 28 seminal run on the original Alpha Flight,

breaking all the norms for team books. Hearing that Byrne was going to do Trek left me in a state of

high anticipation for the first issue of ‘Star Trek: Assignment Earth’.

The series is in effect a sequel to TOS episode ‘Assignment Earth’. It features the characters of Gary

Seven, Roberta Lincoln and of course his black cat Isis. Each issue covers a year, starting in 1968(the

year of the Assignment Earth Episode).

Issue 1: "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns"(1968). Excellent introduction to the series. Unusual that

Byrne doesn’t do his own lettering, he has done this frequently. The story recaps the television

episode Assignment Earth, and establishes that Roberta has been working with Gary Seven for about

3 months.

Issue 2: “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” The story takes place approximately a year after the

events of the "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns"(1969) telling the story of Gary Seven's involvement in

the events of TOS episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday".

Issue 3: “My Name is Legion” (1970). Byrne does it again, bringing the action forward a year and tantalising the reader to want to know more about what goes on between issues. The dynamic between Gary and Roberta is akin to Dr.Who and a 1970s Sarah Jane Smith. Issue 4: “We Have Met The Enemy” (1971). Byrne addresses what happened to Agents 347 and 201. Also, Isis gets a 2 page solo story. Issue 5: It was the headline of its day, but back in the 70s, people were told "Only Nixon could go to China." Byrne takes Nixons visit to China as his last adventure of the series (hopefully not the last ever!) as his launch pad for more fun and games with Gary, Roberta and Isis. In an entertaining tale of doppelgangers and mayhem, Gary must ensure that the right Nixon returns from China! This series is a joy from start to finish and will be a worthy addition to any Trek fans comics collection. The premise of looking at characters other than the original crew from TOS is handled well, and you have a sense of Trek continuity throughout.

Buy it for: Byrne’s story will grab you and pull you along You are a real fan of TOS character Gary Seven John Byrne’s art Miss it for: You are not a fan of TOS or John Byrne

Marks out of 10: 9

Star Trek: Mirror Images Star Trek: Mirror Images Star Trek: Mirror Images Star Trek: Mirror Images (era: TOS/TNG)(era: TOS/TNG)(era: TOS/TNG)(era: TOS/TNG)

IDW continue their successful run with the latest mini-series, Mirror Images. Scott and David Tipton, fresh from

success on 2007s Klingon mini-series ‘Blood will tell’, they once again team up with Italian art tutor and artist

David Medina for this tale of the Mirror Universe. Medina gets a hand out from Sara Pichelli, who manages to

merge nicely.

IDW have succumbed to the old Marvel comics 1990s format of multiple covers on most of their series. This can

be viewed as a cynical sales pitch or a way to gather beautiful art. The first 3 issues of Mirror Images are already

available, with issues 4 and 5 due out in October and November respectively. Now, although I don’t subscribe to

the multiple covers sales pitch, the variant covers on this series are quite wonderful.

IIIIn the 'Mirror, Mirror' in TOS, an evil doppelganger of Kirk commanded the I.S.S. Enterprise for the Terran

Empire. This series starts with an investigative look at his climb to power. We also get to meet the mirror

version of Christopher Pike. In issue 2, the plot continues as Kirk sets in motion a plan to dispose of Pike and

claim that most wanted of prizes…the Captain’s chair!!

By issue 3 we leap ahead to look at the mirror version of a certain young navigator Jean Luc Picard, as he and

his comrades aboard the ISS Starbreaker take part in combat against the Klingon-Cardassians Alliance.

At time of print, only issues 1-3 have been released, but they certainly prove an entertaining tale.

Buy it for:

The Mirror Universe

A ripping good yarn

Medina’s art

Great covers

Miss it for: Budgetary reasons (the multiple covers!)

Marks out of 10: 8(so far)

2008 Trade Paperbacks2008 Trade Paperbacks2008 Trade Paperbacks2008 Trade Paperbacks

IIIIDW have release a number of trade paperbacks

this year of previous series which are also worth

a read.

Alien Spotlight Alien Spotlight Alien Spotlight Alien Spotlight

(multiple eras)(multiple eras)(multiple eras)(multiple eras)

First up is era spanning ‘Alien Spotlight’ which features

tales of the alien races within the Star Trek Universe,

brought to you by creators including comics legend

John Byrne. Alien races featured in the 6 chapters

(originally 6 issues) include Gorn, Vulcans, Andorians,

Orions, Borg, and Romulans. Along the way we get to

meet Star Trek fan favourites including Katherine

Janeway, Christopher Pike and Captain Terrell from The

Wrath of Khan.

Buy it for: John Byrne You like to know about your Trek Aliens! Miss it for: No interest in the aliens themselves (are you mad??)

Marks out of 10: 8

Intelligence Gathering (TNG era)

A neat idea here from the creative team that brought you 2007s Klingon mini-series ‘Blood will tell’ and are

currently delivering on ‘Mirror Images’, where they basically treat you to 6 episodes of the adventures of the

Enterprise D crew, which we just never saw. The episodes are set in the fifth season of TNG. Stories include Worf's

early command, Riker and Data's relationship, a La Forge story and a solo Troi story.

Highlight of the book is the episode with La Forge and O’Brien, detailing the relationship between Geordi and Myles

just before his transfer to DS9, which happens shortly hereafter.

Buy it for:

You are a TNG fan

You like the idea of extra episodes that are in continuity

Miss it for: You are not a TNG fan or don’t like the enterprise D era. Marks out of 10: 7

COMING SOON ON STAR TREK COMING SOON ON STAR TREK COMING SOON ON STAR TREK COMING SOON ON STAR TREK

BBBBeaming into a comic shop near you in the near future, you can look for the following:

The continuation of the hit series ‘Mirror Images’

More John Byrne on Trek with a Romulan 2 part series

Releases of the New Frontier and Assignment Earth mini-series as good value trade paperbacks

Star Trek - The Last Generation (November 2008)

Written by Andrew Steven Harris, illustrated by Gordon Purcell

A five issue ‘Myriad Universe’ comics, following a ‘what if’ premise.

Alien Spotlight II (Early 2009)

A six issue series like the previous IDW Alien Spotlight, with each issue focusing on a different Star Trek alien

race. Rumoured to feature a Q continuum story.

An as yet undetermined John Byrne project.

I have to say that the presence of Byrne is something which is keeping me glued to Star Trek in comics at the

moment, he is a master storyteller. His previous sojourn into movies with 2 wonderful issues of ‘The further

adventures of Indiana Jones’ illustrate his craftsmanship.

Look out for future reviews of upcoming Star Trek comic book releases, as well as a tour through the Star Trek

series of the past. The best and worst of Star Trek comics from the 1960s to the noughties are now available

on DVD ROM. I hope to take you through these issues and point out what is must see and must not see!

One thing is for sure, with the release of the new Star Trek movie imminent, you can be sure that the interest in Star Trek

comics is only going to grow.

Live long, and prosper!

Seán Paul Teeling, Star Trek comics archivist.

A Divergence In Time... The “New Frontier” versus

“Hidden Frontier”

Since “Hidden Frontier” decided to use two well-liked

characters introduced in The Next Generation as part

of their main cast, many people have debated the

differences between how Rob Caves and his staff

depicted them, versus the direction Peter David took

them.

Elizabeth Paula 'Eppy' Shelby was introduced in the

TNG two parter, “Best of Both Worlds”, where she

butted heads with Will Riker, became acting XO of the

Enterprise, before heading back to Earth to rebuild the

fleet, and was never heard from again.. at least

officially. Peter David brought the character back in his

novel “Vendetta”, where she had made her way to the

XO position of the Starship Chekov, an Excelsior-class

starship under the command of an Academy rival of

Picard's, Morgan Korsmo. Taking a liking to writing the

character, he also including her as a regular in Star

Trek: New Frontier, his new novel-form Trek series.

In this series, Shelby finds herself denied the position

of commanding officer of the USS Excalibur, despite

being next in line, as the ship's First Officer when it's

commanding officer was killed. Even more worse for

her, she is informed her ex-fiancé, Mackenzie Calhoun,

is being given command, and she is being nominated

as First Officer, once again, in order to keep an eye on

him. She spends most of the first 'season' at odds with

him, while continuing to deny that she still loves him.

At the beginning of the second 'season', and the

destruction of the Excalibur, she finally gains the

command she has wanted for years, but at the

seeming expense of her former captain's life, after

they finally admitted how they felt. While trying to

deal with his death, she also realises her time aboard

the Excalibur has changed her attitudes towards her

career, and she is taking on aspects of Mac's more

maverick command style. When Mac is revealed to be

alive, Shelby throws caution to the wind, and accepts

his marriage proposal, and the two continue on with

their separate command assignments. When the

'third' season begins, after an unspecified time jump

of several years, Shelby is now an Admiral, in

command of a starbase, acting as her husband's

immediate superior, and is dealing with the fallout of a

brief but serious state of conflict with the Tholians and

their allies, but when it comes down to it, she puts

him before her duties, and disobeys orders to help

him.

Robin Lefler was first briefly seen in the TNG episode

“Darmok”, but came back for an expanded and

starring role in the episode “The Game”, acting not

only as a love interest to Wesley Crusher, but as his

cohort in uncovering a conspiracy to take over the

Enterprise crew. Again, Peter David drafted her into

his New Frontier series, bringing her in as the Ops

Officer on the Excalibur, where over the course of

the first season, she realises a growing attraction to

the mysterious character of Si Cwan, and reunited

with her long-though-dead mother. The second

season has Lefler meeting the famous Montgomery

Scott, dealing with her mother's physical death, but

continued existence as part of the Excalibur's

computer, and continued feelings for Si Cwan. In the

third season, after the jump in time, Lefler is now

married to Si Cwan, and acting as a Starfleet liaison

to his new government, but after Si Cwan's murder,

she resigns her position and assumes his position as

leader of the government alongside his sister.

In the world of “Hidden Frontier”, the characters

went a very different way. The point where the

divergence occurs is not clear, but when “Hidden

Frontier” premieres, set after the Dominion War, the

original Ambassador-class Excalibur was not

destroyed, and so the crew did not go their different

ways but Calhoun and Shelby still came to recognise

that fact they still loved each other, and reignited

their relationship. Lefler has earned the rank of Lt.

Commander, and been assigned as the chief

engineer of the Galaxy-class dreadnought, USS

Excelsior, while Shelby is still serving as XO on the

Excalibur, until she transfers to Excelsior, due to her

relationship with Calhoun causing issues between

their work and private lives.

When both characters make their first appearances,

their behaviour is very much modelled on the way

they were portrayed in their first episodes, Lefler

being quirky and recited her laws, while Shelby feels

that she is being denied advancement in her career.

But over the course of time, the actress playing the

roles bring more into their characters, as do the

writers, and the writing is what makes the difference

between fan-film and novel so obvious.

Shelby spend most of her time in the NF series

worrying about Mac and her feelings for him, and

worrying what the crew think of her, and generally

being very straight-laced, reminding everyone

about rules and regulations. But her counterpart, as

portrayed by Risha Denney, harkens back more to

her original appearance, butting heads with her

commanding officer, but also realising she can learn

a lot from him, and developing a fierce loyalty to

him. Like her novel counterpart, she eventually earns

her place in the center seat, and takes to it well, but

her command style does not change, and she

becomes a firm commander, but keeps distance

from her crew, except for Robin, who becomes her

best friend among the senior staff. She develops a

truly lasting friendship with the engineer, even

wanting the engineer to take over as XO for a while

before that plan is vetoed by the sector commander.

Her relationship with Mac is left alone for the

majority of the series run, occasionally referenced,

but only re-examined in one episode of the sixth

season, which has Mac lending assistance on a

mission, and although the passion is still there,

Shelby ultimately pulls back from him.

Both Shelbys became respected commanders in

their own right, but in NF, we barely see much of

what Shelby could put her mind to, as a starship

captain, instead focusing more on her relationship

with Mac, before she is promoted to Admiral. In HF,

without Mac to hold her back, Shelby forges a path

that puts her in command of the forces assembled to

defend the Briar Patch from invasion and

exploitation, and then later, command of a taskforce

assigned to defend Romulan space. She is shown as

tenacious, dedicated, and more on par with the likes

of Sisko and Janeway, whereas her counterpart

comes across more as a character from a soap

opera.

The same could be said for Robin Lefler – instead of

the competent chief engineer and eventual first

officer of the Excelsior, we see a young woman who

spends more time chatting with her mother and

worrying about her feelings for Si Cwan then doing

her job. It is not until she assumes her dead

husbands place in government that we get a glimpse

of the woman Robin Lefler could have been. In HF,

Robin was involved in a storyline that forced her to

grown up when she was abducted by pirates and

one of her dear friends was murdered in front of her.

It was an event that stayed with her for years, and

prevented her to getting close to another man for a

long while. She also grew very attached to her

position as Chief Engineer, and had trouble handing

over to her successor, despite being the one that

prepared him for the job, when

she moved onto the position of XO. This Robin

went through the full gamete of experiences

during her time on the Excelsior, but maintained a

quirkiness about her that kept her in good stead

throughout the ordeals she has endured, be it

personal, like her abduction, or situational, such

as the extended conflicts in and around the Patch.

It was this quirkiness that makes her stand out

from her counterpart, who never really seemed

to grow up, especially since she spent most of

her time being embarrassed by her mother's

constant presence(and later omnipresence).

Each person who compares the characterisations

and how they differ may develop their own

opinion on who did the characters the most

justice. I was a huge fan of NF to begin with, but

as the series developed, I found myself

disappointed with the books as a whole,

especially after the storylines began to go beyond

the normal 'sci-fi' stuff, and stretch more into

comic-book areas, such as the inclusion of one

character being, for lack of a better term, a demi-

god. The eccentric nature of the crew became

more ridiculous over time, losing the original

humour, and instead laughable. Characters

turned into caricatures, and I soon lost interest.

When I discovered the world of HF, I saw two

characters much better realised in general,

allowed proper storylines in order to develop and

grow, and actually mature as a whole. NF became

about making an impact, whereas HF was about

telling a story, not at the expense of the

characters, but to highlight them.

So, it is up to whoever may be comparing to

decide just who does the characters justice, but if

you want my opinion...

The Hidden Frontier should get come into the

light, while the New Frontier needs to hide itself

away...

In 2005, many fans around the world

were shocked when Star Trek:

Enterprise was cancelled by UPN. This

would be the first time in 18 years

Star Trek would be off the air, with only

a movie entitled THE BEGINNING

in development. However, fans eager

for new adventures had always had

alternative mediums to search for new

adventures – books, comics… but my

favourite

of all these mediums exists mainly on

the internet.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Fan films being fan films, no one knows

when the first one was. It could

emerge in 5, 10, 20 years time. But

earlier efforts are known.

One of those early efforts is YORKTOWN

II: A TIME TO HEAL (c. 1986). Set

shortly before The Motion Picture, this

saw the crew of the Yorktown

facing terrorists hired by Klingons.

Written and produced by Stan Woo,

this is significant because one of the

stars Is George Takei, on

assignment while the Enterprise is being

refitted. Apparently passersby

thought they were shooting scenes for

the next Star Trek movie!

Flash forward to 1994. In Germany, an

ambitious director named Rene von

Bodisco directed a trilogy of movies

entitled BORG WAR. I have acquired

movies 2&3 from the composer of the

third, and they are in German, but the

films both look incredibly ambitious, and

if I knew the dialogue then I’d

probably enjoy them that tad more. The

third movie was shown in German

cinemas. It’s notable that for the final

movie which is 115 minutes long,

changed its production design slightly to

avoid conflict with Paramount, but it

is still very Star Trek.

A NEW MILLENNIUM – A NEW ERA

In the year 2000, with the dawn of

the internet, a group of fans in Los

Angeles, CA started making short

episodes and airing them on the

internet.

Within a few years they were

producing at least 6 episodes a year,

maybe more, and stories were

beginning to develop along with, of

course, the characters. Hidden

Frontier has now spawned spin-offs

Odyssey, The Helena Chronicles and

Federation One on screen and in

audio Diplomatic Relations and

Starfleet Renegades are very much

set in the same universe. Other fan

projects such as The Section 31 Files

and Intrepid have chosen to set their

shows in the HF universe – even

having their actors reprise their roles

in it, and in Intrepids case have two

full-blown crossover specials.

This shows a unity with the projects.

Fans from as far as America to the

UK to Germany to Australia getting

together purely for a labour of love.

There are some which aren’t affiliated

with HF. These independents are

just that – everyone I’ve seen has full

heart and soul. Each one has a

different feel, but has created a rich

tapestry of characters. And of

course the gay storyline in HF has

caused A LOT of talk, some bad but

mostly good. I have enjoyed it

immensely as it adds a new dimension

to Trek.

People still like using characters we

know and love however. Shelby,

Robin Lefler and Nechayev all

originated in The Next Generation,

but all three actresses have made the

roles their own; Captain Calhoun

appears alongside these characters in

the Hidden Frontier episode “Vigil.”

Captain Jean-Luc Picard will appear in

Star Trek: Intrepid as a guest star.

Animation is a rare form of fan film. This

is because it takes a lot of

time to make, however there are quite a

few.

One notable film released for the

anniversary is Borg War: The Movie. Not

related to the aforementioned German

films, this is a ‘machinima’, meaning it is

controlled modification of 2 games,

including the voices of Patrick Stewart

and Tim Russ, giving more authenticity.

Borg War has had over 3 million

downloads and counting. One

uncompleted project so far is The Way

Back, an ambitious project which,

although the characters look slightly

wrong, the sets are brilliant showing the

advantage of the animated medium.

This shows Spock and the crew of the

Enterprise-E going to collect the remains

of Captain Kirk and restore Data, and

then something happens. (Obviously) I

should also mention Star Trek: Das

Vermachtnis (The Legacy). I call it a

comic book movie, because it contains a

plot which you’d only usually see

in print – Q nips Captain Kirk on to the

Enterprise-D and chaos erupts.

Only a couple of the cast are lookalikes –

apparently Picard’s been

de-aged thanks to Q, but the sets are

great and I look forward to it

greatly.

IN THE 23RD CENTURY…

Despite many fan films being set after

Star Trek: Nemesis, the 23rd

Century is also very popular. In

December 2002, a pair of brothers from

Austin, TX released Starship Exeter: The

Savage Empire. This film

impressed many with its authentic 60s

feel, and was reportedly a pilot

proposal to a new TV series.

The second episode is released in

segments, so we won’t know the end

maybe for a while, but in 2003 an

undoubtedly bigger project debuted that

would arguably change the face of

fanfilms.

Star Trek: New Voyages as it was

called then started as a test piece

featuring much of the original

crew, beginning as is it were the

fourth season. No other ongoing

project consists mainly of already-

familiar characters. The second

episode was almost like a movie

with flashbacks and time travel,

but the quality was very

impressive. So impressive in fact,

that veterans such as Walter

Koenig, George Takei and DC

Fontana have given up more than

enough of their time to

participate.

In early 2008 New Voyages

announced a relaunch, renaming

as STAR TREK:

PHASE II. This is essentially the

aborted 1978 series but only set the

other side of The Motion Picture. New

Voyages have had their Sulu and

Chekov episodes, but now the focus is

going back to Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

Also unused costumes are being used

and even the Enterprise is due an

update.

Most of all, Jon Povil has joined as a

consultant. This makes the project

feel we are getting the series we

didn’t get over 30 years ago.

Another notable 23rd Century project

is Starship Farragut, which filmed

its first two episodes on the Phase II

sets. It shows that film

communities aren’t competing – but

willingly supporting each other.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Fan films are a whole new medium for

Star Trek. As we await the new movie,

at least every couple of months it

seems we are getting a new fan made

episode of Star Trek. Let alone the

books and comics. Unlike before

however, all the groups are

independents so you get varied plots,

from dozens of imaginations, all over

the world.

When we first meet Matt McCabe he is the Chief Tactical Officer on the USS

Independence. Well respected by his peers and good at his job. A fine athlete,

dominating Parizee Squares during his Academy days, he trains in Aikido and is

fluent in Japanese.

During an attack on the Independence by Tzenhthi pirates McCabe, who likes

to follow his hunches works out that the Redlands ship that was sending a

distress call did not exist. With the help of Sytac a Vulcan Starfleet officer

they work out that the signal originated in the Ishmar System. Further

investigation sees the Independence on the trail of Tzenhthi pirates that are

working for the Orion Syndicate and they discover on their ship two Patch (as

per The Briar Patch, from Insurrection fame) artefacts.

McCabe joins the USS Excelsior as Security Chief to continue his work on the

artefacts. On the ship he meets up with past Academy graduates Ro Nevin

and Andrew Barrett. They are amazed at how fast he has gone up the

Starfleet ladder as they are still ensigns while he is a Lieutenant. He is

certainly ambitious, and at times can let ego get in the way of his talent, like

wanting to apply for the First Officer position that was open on the Excelsior

even though he had only been there a short time.

McCabe is also brave. During an away mission his group is ambushed by an

Orion named Vorina, McCabe without hesitation follows orders to flank and

surround them. Even though they managed to transport, McCabe had both of

them under phaser fire.

On the planet Vreijheid IV the first chink in McCabe’s armour is struck as Mira

Sulvan a local law enforcement officer he falls in love with is gunned down in

front of his eyes due to his involvement in wanting justice for the citizens of

Vreijheid. He is then captured by terrorists and tortured. After his rescue by

Shelby he becomes very guilty at the consequences of his actions and throws

himself into his martial arts exercises. His passion and ingenuity had given him

an unrealistic look at life with him thinking that he could solve all problems. It

takes time but eventually he works through his feelings.

Due to McCabe playing detective and discovering Starfleet’s new Grey

Research Facility on DS12 he is assigned as a ‘punishment duty’ to the

Excelsior to continue his research into the Grey.

Whilst on a mission to the Orion home world McCabe’s armour is

struck with a mighty blow when he has to decide to leave a tortured

Barrett behind. He knows that getting the artefact was more

important overall but the decision to leave his friend to possibly die

begins to sit heavy with the once high flying Starfleet officer. McCabe

becomes a broken man, seeking help from the counsellor, and the

bottle. Wallowing in self pity, wanting to be whole again his work begins

to suffer. He wants to forgive himself but can’t.

As part of a terrorist plot Barrett is returned to the Excelsior. This does not

make McCabe any happier as he does not trust Barrett and feels he may be in

league with the Orions. It is not until McCabe works again with Barrett to

complete a rescue operation, he releases that Barrett’s loyalties lie with

Starfleet.

It is from here that McCabe begins to forgive himself and continues to become

the officer he started out to be with him reaching the rank of Lieutenant

Commander

THIS MONTHS CHARACTER REVIEW IS OF

MATT McCABE FROM STAR TREK HIDDEN

FRONTIER AND STAR TREK FEDERATION

ONE.

It’s been a bit of time since we’ve had a regular dose

of new Star Trek to enjoy…and, arguably, even longer

since we’ve had a regular does of really GOOD new

Star Trek to enjoy! On TV, that is. Because, over the

past few years, Pocket Book has put together a

terrific line of Star Trek fiction. And if you haven’t

been following, you’ve been missing out on the

highest-quality new Star Trek adventures in a decade.

Creating quality novels based on sci-fi TV shows or

movies is quite a challenge. Most are saddled with

the restrictions of having to adhere to the continuity

of the show or movie being written about. In other

words, nothing of great significance can happen to

any of the characters, because they need to be in the

exact same place at the end of the book as they were

in the beginning. For many years, most Star Trek

novels published by Pocket Books followed the same

basic framework: the Enterprise (either Kirk's or

Picard's) visits a new planet, has an adventure, and

then our heroes head back out on their merry way.

There were certainly authors who spun some terrific

Star Trek tales within that framework (such as the

prolific Peter David), but for many the appeal of these

novels were limited.

However, over the past few years, with no new Star

Trek TV series or movies on the horizon (and J.J.

Abrams' new Star Trek movie looking to be either a

prequel or a reboot in its own continuity), Pocket

Books' editors and authors have been free to move

the 24th century Star Trek characters forward in

exciting and unexpected ways. Suddenly, characters

from the different series can interact... old familiar

characters head in dramatically different directions

(some are even -- gasp! -- killed off!)... new characters

are introduced and developed... in short, lots of

exciting things happen, and the over-all Star Trek

story is moved forward. Even more exciting is the

continuity that now exists between the Star Trek

novels. Each book has significance, with one novel

leading into the next, and with plot twists having weight and repercussions. If something happens in

one novel, that is reflected in the storyline of the next

novel. All of this makes each book feel like one piece

of a larger, epic story. And I've found myself waiting

for the publication dates of upcoming novels the way

I count the days until the opening weekend of an

anticipated movie.

I would argue that this trend of quality, inter-

connected novels began (or at least crystallized)

with Pocket Books’ re-launch of Star Trek: Deep

Space Nine, and it is that series that we’ll be

focusing our attention on here.

Avatar Books I and II, by S.D. Perry -- This duology

launched Pocket Books’ DS9 "season eight," and

it is a magnificent reintroduction to the series.

The book begins some months after the events

of the DS9 series finale, "What You Leave

Behind," and picks up many of the interesting

character threads left by the series finale. Kira is

in command of the station... Jake is struggling

with the loss of his father... Kassidy Yates is about

to give birth to a child... Odo is in the Gamma

Quadrant, trying to curb his people's hatred of all

solids... the controversial Lieutenant Ro (a

character very familiar to Next Generation fans)

has taken over as head of station security... and

Bajor has finally become a member of the

Federation. The story begins when Jake

discovers a prophecy that he believes predicts

the return of his father from the Celestial

Temple, DS9 is brutally attacked by a Jem Hadar

warship, and Captain Picard (yes, as you can see

Next Gen characters play a large part in this DS9

book, the first indication of the wonderful

increasing interconnectivity of the Pocket Book

Star Trek novels) and the crew of the USS

Enterprise discover a new Orb of the Prophets...

These are two marvellous novels, filled with all

the things that made Deep Space Nine so great --

action, a focus on the ever-changing political

landscape between all the great powers in the

Alpha Quadrant (the corner of the galaxy in

which most Star Trek stories are set), and great,

great characters. Attention is paid to all of the

major DS9 characters (at least, all those left alive

at the end of the TV series), and a whole host of

interesting new characters are introduced. Its a

neat trick to make a bunch of new characters as

engaging and worthy of the reader's attention as

the familiar ones from the show who viewers got

to know over seven seasons. But S.D. Perry

accomplishes that here, and one of the really

surprising things about the series of DS9 novels

that would follow Avatar is the way these

characters developed and changed.

A Stitch in Time, by Andrew Robinson – This novel was actually

released before Avatar, but it is the only DS9 novel pre-Avatar that is

considered to be a part of the DS9 relaunch continuity. Mr. Robinson

played the enigmatic Cardassian Garak on the show, and this

wonderful novel provides an enormous amount of background on the

"plain, simple" tailor. There have been other Star Trek novels written

by actors (William Shatner's series featuring Kirk is a most notable

example), and most have been marked by uneven quality, to put it

lightly. Also of concern to me, before I started reading: I found Garak

to be an interesting character on DS9 precisely because of his

mysterious background, and I didn't have much interest in finding out

all about his true life story. And so it was that I was very dubious about

this novel -- and therefore I was stunned to find this to be my favorite

of all the DS9 novels. The narrative is very sophisticated -- Robinson

interweaves multiple stories set at several different points in Garak's

life: his youth spent in a Cardassian military school like something out

of Ender's Game; various experiences during his years as an operative

in the Obsidian Order (Cardassia's secret intelligence unit), including

the much-hinted at but never revealed tale of Garak's involvement in

the fate of Gul Dukat's father; Garak's struggles on DS9 during the

Dominion War; and the sad circumstances of the ruined Cardassia, left

devastated after the DS9 finale, "What You Leave Behind." Each one of

these stories is powerful and affecting -- the book as a whole is rather

melancholy (not surprising, since the end of DS9 showed us the terrible

fate that befell Cardassia)...and yet also uplifting. A marvellous piece

of writing.

Section 31: Abyss, by David Weddle and Jeffrey Lang – In

2001 Pocket Books released a loosely-connected series

of Section 31 novels, with one set in each of the main

“series” – Classic Trek, Next Gen, Voyager, and, of

course, DS9. While the novels all dealt with various

shady activities undertaken by Section 31 (the rogue

“black ops” section of Starfleet uncovered in the DS9

episode “Inquisition”), each novel stands on its own. In

this one, Section 31 solicits Dr. Bashir’s help in defeating

a renegade section 31 agent. This agent, Dr. Ethan

Locken, is genetically enhanced, and seeks to follow in

the empire-ruling footsteps of Khan Noonien Singh. Dr.

Bashir must confront his own issues with his genetically-

engineered background while he attempts to defeat this

renegade superman. Abyss is an interesting story, and its

great to see Dr. Bashir get some time in the spotlight.

However, I didn’t find the narrower focus of this novel as

compelling as the epic tale of Avatar.

Gateways: Demons of Air and Darkness, by Keith

R.A. DeCandido – This novel is also a part of a

Pocket Books series-wide crossover. However,

this is a much tighter crossover than the Section

31 series. The Iconian Gateways (a series of

incredible “doors” capable of transporting one

across entire worlds, first discovered in the early

Next Gen episode “Contagion”) have all re-

activated, and all of our Star Trek heroes must

work together to quell the intergalactic chaos

that this causes – as well as solve the mystery of

how and why these gateways have come back

alive. In this DS9 instalment, Colonel Kira and

the crew of DS9 must spearhead a massive

rescue effort to help a dying planet, and

Lieutenant Nog & Enisgn Thirishar ch’Thane (a

young Andorian, one of the many new

characters introduced in Avatar) spearhead an

effort to shut down the gateways. Mr.

DeCandido is a talented author, and he is able to

weave a number of storylines together in an

exciting tale -- this book really moves along!

DeCandido adds a number of little asides and

references to various other Star Trek stories and

characters, which brings a lot of depth and

cohesion to the world of DS9 being explored

here. And its great to see characters like Nog,

Quark, Ro, and Shar further explored. Shar, in

particular, is a marvellous character, and it is the

way that we as readers can’t help but get

interested and involved in his story – as well as

the stories of all the new DS9 characters being

introduced by this series of novels – that makes

the re-launch so successful. We don’t resent

these new characters, wishing that the authors

would just get back to the old characters we

know and love. Rather, these new characters

are interesting, three-dimensional creations.

If there’s a flaw to this book its that it leaves a

lot of questions hanging – questions that you’d

need to read all the other books in the

“Gateways” series to have answered. Also, the

actual main plot of this novel (as was the case

with ALL the “Gateways” novels) ends on a

cliffhanger. You need to read the Gateways

finale novel, What Lay Beyond, to find out what

happens. That is frustrating. Frankly, one

wonders if it was the best decision to have the

second and third books in the DS9 relaunch (if

one counts Avatar as one novel) both be

involved in larger crossovers. However, since

Demons of Air and Darkness is of such high

quality, I can’t complain overmuch.

Mission Gamma – The next four novels fall under the

umbrella of Mission Gamma, in which the crew of DS9

decides to return to what they see as their primary mission

– that of exploration. Commander Elias Vaughn (DS9’s

second-in-command, introduced in Avatar) leads the

Defiant on a months-long journey into the Gamma

Quadrant, to seek out new life and new civilizations. The

story begins with Twilight, by David R. George III, and

continues in This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman, Cathedral

by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels, and Lesser Evil by

Robert Simpson. I was worried that a series focusing on

adventures in the Gamma Quadrant would abandon many

of the great storylines begun by the first four DS9 novels,

but that was not the case at all. In these novels we

continue to explore, for example, the growing connection

between Ro and Quark, a relationship tested as all of the

ramifications of Bajor’s joining the Federation begin to

become clear, such as Bajor’s militia being folded into

Starfleet and the transition to a money-less economy. (The

DS9 series’ explorations of these sorts of questions – how

exactly is the Federation organized and run, and what does

it mean for a new world to join that system – is a lot of fun,

and something that never happened within the confines of

any of the television series.) We also delve more deeply

into the troubled relationship between Commander

Vaughn and his daughter Ensign Prynn Tenmei; learn more

about the problems faced by the Andorian people and how

that connects to the pressures put upon young Shar; follow

the developing relationship between Dax and Dr. Bashir,

established in the DS9 series finale, and how they deal with

his serving under her command; Kira’s ex-communication

from the Bajoran faith and a growing schism within the

Bajoran people…and lots more. Familiar characters return,

such as First Minister Shakaar and the Cardassian Natima

Lang, and it all ends in a shocking assassination of a beloved

DS9 character and a momentous revelation about the Trill’s

secret ties to the race of parasites introduced all the way

back in the first season of Next Gen.

All four Mission Gamma novels are strong, although I

occasionally found myself growing bored with the stories

dealing with the new races of aliens being discovered and

far more interested in getting back to the political goings-

on in the Alpha Quadrant or the personal stories of the

Defiant’s crew (some of which were just described above).

But I guess being involved in all those character-driven

stories isn’t such a bad thing! David R. George III’s very

lengthy novel Twilight is my favorite of the series, while

Robert Simpson’s Lesser Evil is my least favorite. On the

one hand, the story in Lesser Evil is, in many ways, the most

exciting of the four novels, as all the storylines are finally

coming together. But it’s a very short novel, and there

were a number of scenes I would’ve loved to have seen

fleshed out at greater length.

The Left Hand of Destiny (Books I & II), by J. G. Hertzler &

Jeffrey Lang – This duology is something of an aside in the

DS9 relaunch, as it cuts away from the continuing DS9

storyline to focus exclusively on Klingon matters – newly

established Klingon chancellor Martok and Federation

Ambassador Worf. J. G. Hertlzer, the co-author of this

book, played Martok on DS9. And while these two novels

are a rousing Klingon adventure, they can’t compare to

Andrew Robinson’s masterful novel A Stitch in Time. We

don’t get anywhere near as much new insight into

Martok as Robinson gave us into Garak.

Rising Son, By S. D. Perry – The woman who started the

DS9 relaunch with Avatar returns to the series, and to the

story of Jake Sisko (begun in Avatar but left hanging since

then). Lost in the Gamma Quadrant, Jake falls in with a

gang of alien pirates. Perry crafts a fun story, but

throughout the novel I was impatient to get back to the

many, many storylines left unresolved at the end of

Mission Gamma. However, its nice to see some focus on

Jake, a character who often gets the short shrift. And a

great many storylines that will come into focus a few

novels down the line are begun in this book, so it turns

out that this is a key novel in the series.

Unity, by S.D. Perry – This novel, also written by Perry,

serves in many ways as the "finale" of the "Season

Eight" series of novels, and it is magnificent. A great

number of the myriad storylines built up in the

preceding eleven DS9 novels come to a head. Jake

Sisko returns from the Gamma Quadrant, bringing with

him a familiar DS9 character thought long-lost... but its

not Benjamin Sisko! DS9 is rocked by the revelation of

the return of the alien parasites. The Defiant returns to

the station to find the Bajoran system in the hands of

Cardassian warships. Kasidy Yates goes into labor. And

almost every major character find him/her-self at a

turning point: Will Shar return to his people as is

expected of him? Will Quark and Ro leave the station,

or will they find a way to fit in to the new Bajor that is

now a Federation member? Unity is a true highlight of

the DS9 relaunch, one of the most successful and

engrossing novels of the bunch. It is everything I want a

Star Trek story to be – epic, filled with interstellar

intrigue and action, but also deeply personal. A terrific

novel, and a terrific cap to this initial batch of new DS9

adventures.

But the adventure continued.

Worlds of Deep Space Nine -- If the novels from Avatar to Unity represent "season eight" of DS9, then this three-book

series launched "season nine." Each book contains two novellas, focusing on different worlds important to the DS9 saga:

Cardassia, Andor, Trill, Bajor, Ferenginar, and The Dominion. At first I was concerned that, after the engrossing climax of

the storylines in Unity, these books would be something of a "digression" (as I felt that The Left Hand of Destiny and Rising

Son were). But there's not a loser in the bunch. Each novella is an engrossing tale with an enormous amount of "world-

building" -- giving the reader a lot of insight into these different, fascinating alien cultures. But, as noted above, these

stories aren't just interesting asides, there to add some depth to various alien species. Rather, each one moves our

characters' stories forward in dramatic ways.

In The Lotus Flower, a tale of Cardassia by Una McCormack, we return to the world of post-war Cardassia established by

Andrew Robinson in A Stitch in Time. In Paradigm, a tale of Andor by Heather Jarman, two of the new characters created in

the DS9 novels -- the Andorian Shar and the Starfleet Ensign Prynn Tenmei -- must navigate the complex structure of

Andorian society as Shar returns home to bury his beloved. It is a powerful, romantic, sweet and sad story that I have

subsequently re-read several times. Great stuff – It is my favorite story in the Worlds of Deep Space Nine series. In

Unjoined, a tale of Trill by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin, the secrets revealed in Unity come to a head, causing

tremendous upheaval to Trill society, and putting Ezri Dax to a dramatic test. In Fragments and Omens, a tale of Bajor by J.

Noah Kym, the Bajoran village of Sidau (seen in the first-season DS9 episode "The Storyteller") is massacred; a character

not seen since season two of DS9 is named the new Bajoran representative to the Federation; Jake Sisko gets engaged; and

a mole is discovered on the station. In Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed, a tale of Ferenginar by Keith R.A. DeCandido, Quark

and Ro travel to Ferenginar to assist the new Grand Nagus Rom, and Qurak must choose whether to support his brother’s

reforms or to take steps to return Ferenginar to the greed-obsessed world he always loved. Finally, in Olympus Rising, a

tale of the Dominion by David R. George III, the shape-shifter Laas (from the seventh season DS9 episode "Chimera")

rejoins the Great Link, setting in motion a chain of events that causes the Changelings to make a desperate decision, and

the Jem Hadar Taran'atar stabs Kira Nerys in the heart (not a dream, a hoax, or an illusion!).

Warpath, by David Mack -- The most action-

packed of all the DS9 novels, and one of my

favorites, this book takes place over the course of

about two days, as the crew of the Defiant races

in pursuit Taran'atar; a mysterious Cardassian

woman makes her way to a fateful rendezvous;

and we witness the brutal demise of yet another

Kira -- the Indendant, from the Mirror Universe.

This book ends with a cliffhanger of the most

brutal kind, and unfortunately it took Pocket

Books TWO YEARS to release the next DS9 novel!!

Fearful Symmetry, by Olivia Woods – A flip-book, with “side

one” dealing with the fallout from Warpath for the crew of

DS9, and “side two” giving us the background on the

mysterious Cardassian woman who played such a critical

role in that novel (and whose true identity I will not reveal

here). It is a solid story, but it was undercut by the

looooong wait for it as well as its short length. The novel is

one of the shortest DS9 novels (comparable in length to

Lesser Evil from the Mission: Gamma series), and because

half the book is the story of the Cardassian Woman, there’s

only 137 pages to continue all of the myriad stories left

hanging by Warpath. After such a long wait, many fans –

myself included – wanted more.

And that’s where things stand now! We’ll see two new DS9 novels released in 2009: The Soul Key, by Olivia Woods

(scheduled for August ’09) will continue the story begun in Warpath and Fearful Symmetry; and The Never Ending Sacrifice

(which true DS9 fans will remember is the title of one of the greatest Cardassian novels, at least according to Garak), by

Una McCormack (scheduled for September ’09) will reportedly focus on Cardassia.

Like many of you, I eagerly look forward to J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek feature film, and to the day that regular Star Trek

adventures return to TV. But in the meantime, there is an incredible world of new Star Trek adventures out there to

explore. If DS9 isn’t your cup of tea, Pocket Books has published an array of other great Trek novels over the past few

years. But if you enjoyed DS9 – and to me, DS9 was the highest quality of all the Trek TV series – then I encourage you to

take the plunge into Pocket’s series of DS9 novels. There are some great adventures at the edge of the Final Frontier

waiting to be had.

If you’ve read this issue, then you’ve read about new Trek fiction coming out from Pocket Books, the difference

between New Frontier’s Shelby & Lefler to Hidden Frontier’s Shelby & Lefler, and about Star Trek comic books – new and

old.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most over the last several years has been the novel’s coming out of Pocket

Books. While there have been some that I barely could get through, there have been so many that I have just LOVED! If

you are a Star Trek fan (ha!) than I definitely would recommend you at least check out some of those novels

recommended in the articles. For DS9 fans, I do recommend those novels / stories mentioned. If you are a fan of TNG,

VOY or Enterprise – they too have their own “relaunch” novels, such as TNG’s The Buried Age, Resistance, Q & A and

Before Dishonor – the latter three are all related and should be read in that order. VOY has Distant Shores, The Farther

Shore, and Homecoming. Enterprise has had a few good reads: Last Full Measure, Surak’s Soul and The Good That Men

Do are just a couple that I can recall off the top of my head.

For the TOS fans out there, I heartily recommend a three book series - Crucible: McCoy Provenance of Shadows;

Crucible: Spock The Fire & The Rose; and Crucible: Kirk The Star to Every Wandering, all three written by David R. George,

III, and I also recommend Margaret Wander Bonano’s Burning Dreams, which is a Captain Christopher Pike story, and is

really good. Also in the “Original Series” time frame is the new series, “Vanguard”. While is set in the TOS era, Kirk and

Co only appear in the first book, as the story is about the Space station Vanguard in the Taurus Reach. It has so far

produced three or four novels, but all that I have read so far have been excellent reads.

I’ve never really gotten into the Trek comic books, but I just recently picked up one the new Manga comic books,

though I have yet to read it. From reading Sean-Paul’s article however, I just might find myself getting more in to the

comics! ☺

Okay, I think that’s all I can write about this issue. Remember, keep on Trekkin’ and for sure, keep on watchin’!

Jennifer Cole

Issue 11 Featuring reviews of all Star Trek Odyssey, Star Trek Helena and Star Trek Federation One episodes Interviews with: - JT Tepnapa

Barbara Clifford Beau Williams David O’Neill

Aaron Leddick

COMING SOON STAR TREK THE SECTION 31 FILES AND MORE INTERVIEW WITH ERIC BUSBY