Proposed over-all order
 

Hello, everyone. This is my first post on these forums, I thought that here I could find people that could answer to my musings.

I have started to put together a personalized Star Trek experiencing order (both the shows/films and the novel verse), given some desiderata. In the following, I would first give you the list I have written so far and then my arguments.

The List:

1. TOS - selected episodes
2. TAS - selected episodes
3. TOS films
4. TNG - selected episodes
5. Generations, First Contact, Insurrection
6. Vulcan's Heart (Lost Era novel) + Vulcan's Soul trilogy
7. A Time To... series
8. Nemesis
9. Everything related to the 2009 reboot and Star Trek Online
10. Post-Nemesis novels up until and including Destiny (TNG, Titan and Articles of the Federation)
11. DS9 - selected episodes
- Hollow Men novel - after 6x19
- The Battle of Betazed novel - before Season 7
12. Terok Nor trilogy
13. DS9 relaunch novels starting with The Left Hand of Destiny and A Stitch In Time up until and including The Never Ending Sacrifice (or I could use here publication/Palmieri's order as given in the FAQ)
14. VOY - selected episodes
- String Theory - between Seasons 4 and 5
15. VOY relaunch novels up until and including Enemy of My Enemy
16. ENT + ENT novels + ENT relaunch novels (in internal-chronological order)
17. Post-Destiny novels
18. Lost Era novels

Notes (in no particular order):

1. The order I am aiming for is a spoiler-minimal one that would take me quickly to the boundaries of known canon, with less regard to publication or internal-chronological order.

2. By "selected episodes" I mean that I am not going to watch every single episode of these series, just the ones with significant plot momentum (I have made separate lists of those; DS9 is probably going to be watched in its entirety, given its arc-based nature). If I want to experience more I can always go back, so there's no problem.

3. Not sure where ENT should be placed - given that I know there are some connections to the post-Nemesis novels.

4. I am currently beginning to watch the TNG Season 3 episodes.

5. I don't think the Lost Era books have a particular placement - are there connections to other series?

6. Given what I know, DS9 and Voyager aren't really important for the pre-Destiny TNG or Titan novels, so that's why I put them after. I could enjoy Destiny without having watched either or those. Or so I guess. And I also guess (though that's probably wishful thinking) that I won't be spoiled before watching them.

7. Is Vulcan's Forge necessary or could I start that mini-series with Vulcan's Heart? Also, the "Vulcan's ..." series has been put because it sets up A Time To, Nemesis and Titan (or so I've heard).

8. I am not putting here series like New Frontier or Vanguard or Stargazer. I want to make myself familiar with the core continuity at first.

9. Is The Never Ending Sacrifice skippable?

10. I am making a separate post because from what I've searched on this forum, there are no lists which mix show canon and novel verse. Although the FAQ says that I don't "need to read book X before book Y", I am more worried about needing to watch specific episodes from the shows (see Note 6).

That's all I can remember, for now.

I would like to find out some opinions on this and find out where I am doing wrong (the errors should be things like missing pre-requisites or spoileriffic entries). I give my thanks to anyone that has the patience to read this.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Hm. I understand your goal here, but I think you're going to be spoiling a lot for yourself if you read anything in the A Time To... series or later before you watch the DS9 and Voyager TV shows. In particular, the ending of Voyager is crucial in the setup for much of the TNG stories post-Nemesis, including Destiny.

Also, I don't know if you've seen the flowchart linked in my signature, but it's super helpful for lit continuity in general.

A few quick notes, then broader recommendations:

- The Vulcan's... novels aren't essential and could be skipped.

- Star Trek Online isn't in continuity with the LitVerse, and there's only one novel related to it, which nonetheless does spoil/reference some elements of the LitVerse. You probably want to skip that completely.

- Vanguard is fantastic, and more important than you'd think. Read it before you read anything titled "Typhon Pact". I list it below right before Typhon Pact, but if you want to get a taste of how awesome the LitVerse can be early on, these are also fantastic reads just after you've finished TOS.

- Lost Era has some connections to the DS9 Relaunch and to Titan. See the flowchart in my signature for details.

- Never Ending Sacrifice is fantastic. It's skippable, but don't.

- Any Enterprise novel that's not part of the relaunch (ie, any ENT novel before "The Good That Men Do") is likely pretty terrible and also totally irrelevant. Skip those.

- EDIT: one more. The Left Hand Of Destiny isn't important at *all* to the rest of the DS9 relaunch, and you probably only want to read it if you plan on reading the Klingon Empire books, which you can also see detailed in the flowchart. Those books are referenced a few times, but they're more in the category of New Frontier or Stargazer, and aren't essential.

So, I think what you want to do is this:

1. TOS - selected episodes
2. TAS - selected episodes
3. TOS films
4. TNG - selected episodes
5. Generations, First Contact, Insurrection
6. DS9 - selected episodes
- Hollow Men novel - after 6x19
- The Battle of Betazed novel - before Season 7
7. Selected Lost Era novels (see flowchart), including Terok Nor trilogy
8. DS9 relaunch novels starting with The Lives Of Dax and A Stitch In Time up until and including The Never Ending Sacrifice (also with the Mirror Universe novels, probably - see flowchart)
9. VOY - selected episodes
- String Theory - between Seasons 4 and 5
10. VOY relaunch novels up until and including Enemy of My Enemy
11. ENT + ENT novels + ENT relaunch novels (in internal-chronological order)
12. A Time To... series
13. Nemesis
14. Post-Nemesis novels up until and including Destiny (TNG, Titan and Articles of the Federation) and everything between Destiny and the Typhon Pact novels
15. Vanguard (here or at any point previously)
16. Typhon Pact novels and everything that follows them

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Hello, Pellud. Welcome to the board. :) It's always great to see people newly interested in Trek lit.

As Thrawn said, it's not essential - you certainly don't need to have read it in order to read Titan, A Time To..., etc. (it was largely published after they were, for one thing). The Vulcan's Soul trilogy features a few characters who were important in those books, and shows how the Romulan situation post-DS9 became the Romulan situation we have in Nemesis (and from there, Titan). The continuity is rewarding, but it's not essential; it fills in some gaps in a way that should please a reader invested in the continuity details, but you don't need to read it . :)

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Welcome to the boards! I love to see someone who wants to undertake a project like this. I wish you had asked this question in a couple months when my Lit-verse reading lists website is complete, but until then I will offer my thoughts (which agree with everything Thrawn and DerangedNasat have said above.)

Everything Enterprise should be read during of after the series. The books which have elements to Enterprise in them that take place post-Nemesis can be saved until then.

So did you already watch Enterprise, TOS, TAS, and the original movies? If so you've missed alot of books on your list here and there along the way.

The Lost Era books (and the Terok Nor books, which you should read, and which are actually in a way 'Lost Era books') are all sequels to TOS or prequels to DS9 and TNG. They should be read accordingly.

There are massive spoilers for Voyager in the pre-Destiny TNG and Titan novels. And the end of a large storyline of DS9 is spoiled as well. If this is your first experience of these tv series, don't read anything that takes place after them from any series until you watch them.

While I can see skipping NF, Stargazer, IKS Gorkon, and SCE before getting through the basics, I'd say Vanguard and the Mirror Universe books are pretty important to your overall plan. If you've never watched TOS, we can tell you when to read each of the books so as not to spoil any episodes.

Part of my website will be something just like what you're wanting. Also there was a thread some time ago that I think was working to list suggested episodes to watch before reading certain novels.

I always like when people come by asking things like this. For some reason I love to help people get everything organized in the right order for a fun Trek experience.


The List:

• Enterprise
• Enterprise novels in between episodes chronologically
• Four (soon to be five) Post Enterprise novels
• TOS (suggest Vangaurd books interspersed)
• TOS novels in between episodes chronologically (there are a few you may want to read that are part of crossovers that happen later in the Lit-verse)
• TOS films
• The Lost Era, Vulcan's...1 and 2, and Terok Nor (all in rough chronological order)
• TNG/DS9 (If this is your first time watching these, I'd suggest watching seasons in alternating order to keep the chronology of the universe clear in your head.)
• A few TNG and DS9 novels (that relate to the future Lit-verse and crossovers that you might want to read)
• DS9/VOY/TNG Movies (again the second and third TNG movies may slightly spoil a few aspects of DS9. Watch everything in chronological order year by year if this is your first time.)
• String Theory (mixed in with VOY/DS9 above)
• The DS9 Relaunch (this would take place concurrently with season 6 of VOY)
• Mirror Universe(Somewhere in this area and probably intermixed around the DS9 Relaunch)
• Vulcan's Soul trilogy
• 4 original Voyager relaunch novels
• A Time To...
• Nemesis
• TNG/Titan/Destiny/Voyager/Typhon Pact

We can get more specific if you'd like. I was mostly trying to lay out the general plan at first. I'd be interested to know if this is your first time watching Trek though.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

And I also forgot the Star Trek Online/Nu-Trek stuff. Like Thrawn said, if you're going to read The Needs of the Many it may spoil things in the Lit-verse. But Star Trek Online takes place in an alternate continuity from the Lit-verse so things don't line up except for a few backstory details.

As far as the Nu-Trek comics and young adult novels go they are mostly unrelated to anything else. The prequel comic to the first film may or may not end up in continuity with the Lit-verse. If it does it takes place in the future of the current Lit-verse 'present' and could be considered as spoilers for recent novels.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

In terms of "spoiler free" books, I would say that pre-1996 novels tend to fit that, since while they do make the odd reference to maybe an episode or two, for the most part it is a very faint reference, and when TNG and DS9 were starting, neither series was heavy on references from the other, all though if it was something dealing with a historical fact that had been established on-screen in TNG or DS9, then that was usually mentioned. But, you might want to read the Endgame, Homecoming, The Farther Shore, Spirit Walk #1 Old Wounds, Spirit Walk #2 Enemy of my Enemy and the first part of Full Circle prior to Destiny as Chakotay and the crew undergo dramatic changes and a lot of the interactions between the Voyager characters from the TV series and new characters develops in those books.

For TNG season 3, you might want to check out TNG #10 A Rock And A Hard Place, which I believe takes place just prior to Evolution, and then check out #12 Doomsday World. You should also read #7 Masks which is a Season 2 novel.

As for Enterprise novels, By The Book, What Price Honor, Surak's Soul, Daedalus, and Daedalus's Children all take place during the first 2 seasons. Last Full Measure is set just after the first episode of Season 3 (although I don't recommend the book, since it doesn't add anything to your understanding or enjoyment of Season 3), while Rosetta takes place at the same time as In A Mirror Darkly Parts 1 & 2, albeit in the main universe. The Good That Men Do rewrites the ending of Enterprise that we saw in These Are The Voyages..., plus it also contains some spoilers for the post-DS9 series.

The Lost Era books all take place between the first part of Star Trek Generations and Encounter At Farpoint. Another book to add to that section would be The Captain's Daughter, since it takes place after the first part of Generations (but was printed in 1996, about 6 years before the Lost Era was first published), and, as I recall, Serpent's Amongst The Ruins makes reference to the book.

You might want to pick up Jeff Ayer's 2006 book Voyages of Imagination; it contains a timeline placing all the books published from 1966 up to the end of 2006 (that's for Whitman, Bantam, Ballantine and Pocket Star Trek books) in chronological order.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

I can't remember anything in The Good That Men Do that spoils the DS9 Relaunch. It is a 'sequel' of sorts to a DS9 episode though.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Pellud, is this going to be the first time you've watched the shows?

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

The whole Jake/Nog part that takes place in the early 25th century.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Yes but I just don't recall any specific spoilers for the DS9 Relaunch there, unless its the fact that those characters don't die.

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

^Bingo

Re: Proposed over-all order
 

Well we already spoiled that! :lol: