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 Trekkiecentral@hotmail.co.uk and put fraudulent magazine in the subject box. Many Thanks
CAPTAINS TABLE: Inquisition MIKE SLAGENWEIT-COFFMAN
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CAPTAINS LOG BY JENNIFER COLE
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IDW COMICS REVIEW BY SEAN PAUL TEELING
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SHELBY AND LEFLER: HIDDEN FRONTIER V NEW FRONTIER BY ALEX MATTHEWS
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HISTORY OF FAN FILMS BY DANNY LEVY
CHARACTER REVIEW MATT McCABE
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BY GERRI DONALDSON AND EUGENIA STOYPRA
DS9 BOOKS REVIEWED BY JOSH EDELGLASS
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IN THIS ISSUE WE CHAT TO MIKE SLAGENWEITCOFFMAN 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
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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)
January 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.
Writer 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)
Hard 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.
The 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 (era: TOS)
IDW 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 (era: TOS)
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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 (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.
In 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 Paperbacks
IDW have release a number of trade paperbacks this year of previous series which are also worth a read.
Alien Spotlight (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)
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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
Beaming 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!
Seรกn 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 demigod. 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 alreadyfamiliar 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, interconnected 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 geneticallyengineered 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 reactivated, 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 goingson 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 "worldbuilding" -- 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 actionpacked 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