Best place to begin?
- Thread starter Antonovus
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There are a number of good starting points. Some of it depends on what you want to focus on, or how far back you want to go with the books, or if you want to read novels from all the series, or just focus on one. The earliest stuff is Mission to Horatius, which is probably for younger readers (I haven't read it, but would like to try it some time down the road). Do you want to skip novelizations of the episodes? Start with Bantam novels that are original stories...which I think would be Spock Must Die! I guess. If you skip the Bantams and start with the Timescape/Pocketbooks, those get going with The Entropy Effect.
There are more modern starting points, with "relaunches" which tell stories about the characters from the different television shows, after the shows ended.
Wikipedia has a list of many books. It's well organized, and shows many of the different starting points, and even which are the "relaunch" starting points.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Trek_novels
The topic thread in this section of the forum called Charting the Novel-verse has a lot of helpful information, browsing that can suggest ideas for starting points or subject focus that catches your interest.
If there is a specific character you like best, or certain types of stories that are similar but different from episodes you like, there are a lot of readers more familiar than myself that are really good at pointing toward novels that might work for you. Do you like stories that mostly take place mostly on the ship, or planetary exploration, or first contact scenarios, or more combat oriented?
Hope that is helpful!
There are more modern starting points, with "relaunches" which tell stories about the characters from the different television shows, after the shows ended.
Wikipedia has a list of many books. It's well organized, and shows many of the different starting points, and even which are the "relaunch" starting points.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Trek_novels
The topic thread in this section of the forum called Charting the Novel-verse has a lot of helpful information, browsing that can suggest ideas for starting points or subject focus that catches your interest.
If there is a specific character you like best, or certain types of stories that are similar but different from episodes you like, there are a lot of readers more familiar than myself that are really good at pointing toward novels that might work for you. Do you like stories that mostly take place mostly on the ship, or planetary exploration, or first contact scenarios, or more combat oriented?
Hope that is helpful!
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There’s always my site,
https://startreklitverse.yolasite.com/.
Though many of us can give you more specific help, depending on what exactly you are aiming on wanting to read.
https://startreklitverse.yolasite.com/.
Though many of us can give you more specific help, depending on what exactly you are aiming on wanting to read.
Deep Space Nine: Twist of Faith omnibus
TNG: Q&A
Titan: Taking Wing
Voyager: Full Circle
Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock
Destiny trilogy
Really, though, whatever book description makes you sit up and take notice is probably the best place to start.
TNG: Q&A
Titan: Taking Wing
Voyager: Full Circle
Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock
Destiny trilogy
Really, though, whatever book description makes you sit up and take notice is probably the best place to start.
Like others have already said, it depends on what you want. If you are looking to get into the intereconnected, post TV and movie series relaunches there are several different places that serve as good jumping on points. There's no official names, but I like to refer to the inconnected books as the Novelverse.
TOS: Outside of miniseries the TOS books are pretty much all standalone, so you can pretty much start anywhere. There are a few that connect back to the wider relaunch, so we could probably recommend some of those if that's what you want.
DS9 Relaunch: Either the Avatar duology, or Twist of Faith, which is an omnibus that collected the Avatar books, and the next novels and one novella.
TNG: There were several books that came out that are connected to the wider Novelverse before them, but the main story arc for the TNG books really starts with the A Time To... series, which takes place between Insurrection and Nemesis. After Nemesis these books then spun off into the TNG Relaunch and the Titan series, which follows Riker, Troi, and the crew of his new ship the USS Titan. Along with Riker and Troi, there are several other familiar faces, like Tuvok and Melora Pazlar.
Titan: The first Titan novel is Taking Wing.
Destiny: This was a big crossover trilogy involving characters from every series except TOS. It deals with a massive Borg invasion and is a big status quo changer, so it serves as a really good jumping on point.
Along with Titan there are several other series that focused on their own new casts, which are usually made up of original characters, and guest stars from the different series.
Vanguard: A TOS era series focused on a space station out in an barely explored region of space, and it is amazing. The first novel is Harbinger. The most prominent familiar face here is M'Benga, but the Enterprise crew and some other characters from the shows and movies do make appearances.
SCE/Corps of Engineers: Follows the crew of a Corps of Engineers starship, was originally released as a series of e-book novellas, but most of them were later collected in paperback omnibuses. The first novella is The Belly of the Beast, and the first omnibus is Have Tech, Will Travel. Familiar faces include Scotty in a recurring role, Sonya Gomez, Duffy, Stevens, and Lense. Part way through the series the title changed from SCE to Corps of Engineers.
New Frontier: The first series created just for the novels, it starts with four novellas, House of Cards is the first. The novellas were later collected in an omnbius. The familiar faces here are Shelby, Robin Lefler, and Selar.
The Lost Era: This is a series of standalone novels that follow characters from the different series in the time between the TOS movies and TNG. Since they're standalone you can pretty much read any of them at any time.
IKS Gorkon: A series set after DS9 which follows the crew of a Klingon starship, the cast is first introduced in a TNG novel Diplomatic Implausability.
Stargazer: Follows the early years of Picard's first command before the Enterprise. The cast is introduced in the TNG novel Reunion. As far as I know Picard is the only familiar face here.
TOS: Outside of miniseries the TOS books are pretty much all standalone, so you can pretty much start anywhere. There are a few that connect back to the wider relaunch, so we could probably recommend some of those if that's what you want.
DS9 Relaunch: Either the Avatar duology, or Twist of Faith, which is an omnibus that collected the Avatar books, and the next novels and one novella.
TNG: There were several books that came out that are connected to the wider Novelverse before them, but the main story arc for the TNG books really starts with the A Time To... series, which takes place between Insurrection and Nemesis. After Nemesis these books then spun off into the TNG Relaunch and the Titan series, which follows Riker, Troi, and the crew of his new ship the USS Titan. Along with Riker and Troi, there are several other familiar faces, like Tuvok and Melora Pazlar.
Titan: The first Titan novel is Taking Wing.
Destiny: This was a big crossover trilogy involving characters from every series except TOS. It deals with a massive Borg invasion and is a big status quo changer, so it serves as a really good jumping on point.
Along with Titan there are several other series that focused on their own new casts, which are usually made up of original characters, and guest stars from the different series.
Vanguard: A TOS era series focused on a space station out in an barely explored region of space, and it is amazing. The first novel is Harbinger. The most prominent familiar face here is M'Benga, but the Enterprise crew and some other characters from the shows and movies do make appearances.
SCE/Corps of Engineers: Follows the crew of a Corps of Engineers starship, was originally released as a series of e-book novellas, but most of them were later collected in paperback omnibuses. The first novella is The Belly of the Beast, and the first omnibus is Have Tech, Will Travel. Familiar faces include Scotty in a recurring role, Sonya Gomez, Duffy, Stevens, and Lense. Part way through the series the title changed from SCE to Corps of Engineers.
New Frontier: The first series created just for the novels, it starts with four novellas, House of Cards is the first. The novellas were later collected in an omnbius. The familiar faces here are Shelby, Robin Lefler, and Selar.
The Lost Era: This is a series of standalone novels that follow characters from the different series in the time between the TOS movies and TNG. Since they're standalone you can pretty much read any of them at any time.
IKS Gorkon: A series set after DS9 which follows the crew of a Klingon starship, the cast is first introduced in a TNG novel Diplomatic Implausability.
Stargazer: Follows the early years of Picard's first command before the Enterprise. The cast is introduced in the TNG novel Reunion. As far as I know Picard is the only familiar face here.
As @JD already said, most of the TOS novels are standalones. I recommend Cast No Shadow by @James Swallow or the Legacies Trilogy (by David Mack, Greg Cox and Dayton Ward/Kevin Dilmore) or Child of Two Worlds and Foul Deeds will Rise by @Greg Cox.
That said, the Vanguard novels (TOS time period) feature some very interesting new characters.
DS9 standalones: A Stich in Time (Garak novel), The Left Hand of Destiny I + II (Jeffrey Land & 'Martok') and The Neverending Sacrifice (Rugal's fate), The Lives of Dax (short stories about the Dax hosts)
The Destiny Novels explore the fate of the Borg
The Titan novels are a mixed bag.
The Lost Era novels cover historical Trek events from the past. I liked One Constant Star (DRG III) and The Terok Nor Novels (Bajor during the Cardassian Occupation: Day of the Vipers, Night of the Wolves and Dawn of the Eagles).
That said, the Vanguard novels (TOS time period) feature some very interesting new characters.
DS9 standalones: A Stich in Time (Garak novel), The Left Hand of Destiny I + II (Jeffrey Land & 'Martok') and The Neverending Sacrifice (Rugal's fate), The Lives of Dax (short stories about the Dax hosts)
The Destiny Novels explore the fate of the Borg
The Titan novels are a mixed bag.
The Lost Era novels cover historical Trek events from the past. I liked One Constant Star (DRG III) and The Terok Nor Novels (Bajor during the Cardassian Occupation: Day of the Vipers, Night of the Wolves and Dawn of the Eagles).
Man this thread feels like this board did like seven years ago. There were ALOT more just like this back then.
The flowchart in my signature will help if you'd like to see where each storyline leads, but don't let it prevent you from just diving in somewhere. Much more important to flow forward correctly from somewhere than to make sure you have all the backstory; novels are pretty good at filling in backstory.
I recommend Avatar, if you loved DS9, or the last three A Time To... novels (don't worry so much about the first six) if you loved TNG, or Destiny if you just want to see the whole badass everything coming together for a huge amazing story, or Vanguard if you want something more contained and TOS-based. Those are all amazing stories. From there, just follow the arrows.
I recommend Avatar, if you loved DS9, or the last three A Time To... novels (don't worry so much about the first six) if you loved TNG, or Destiny if you just want to see the whole badass everything coming together for a huge amazing story, or Vanguard if you want something more contained and TOS-based. Those are all amazing stories. From there, just follow the arrows.
In a way this is such a hard question to answer. There are soooooo many novels for every TV series (and even movies), well except maybe Discovery that's still early.
First it depends on what series you like. Are you intersted in the relaunches (books series that continue the spin off series after they ended).
Many covered some great books to start with. I figured I'd give you some other possible jumping off points, at least where it seems they formally begin
TNG: The Genesis Wave trilogy + Genesis Force. Now technically this was a bit after Star Trek: Insurrection, but it seems to be the jumping off point for TNG continuing story. This is the earliest books I recall future books referring to (though less and less as the years go by). I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series also (the 3rd and Genesis Force weren't bad, just a step back from the first two).
DS9: The Avatar books were the former beginning, though "A Stitch in Time" was added retroactively to the relaunches and it's a good book that I'd recommend.
Voyager: Homecoming is the formal beginning here.
Enterprise: The Good that Men Do (though the previous novel, "Last Full Measure" could very loosely be considered a prelude)
As for original series books, or older spin off series that aren't part of the relaunches, you could really start anywhere.
Desert Kris has a great thread about some of the older Star Trek books dating back to the early days of Pocketbooks. Some of the authors in the older days referred to events or included characters from previous books they had written. Some others above have also posted flowcharts and other information you can use.
A personal favorite Star Trek novel of mine is "Chain of Attack" by Gene DeWeese from the later 80's (1987 I believe). I couldn't put that book down and I always plug it when I get the chance
.
First it depends on what series you like. Are you intersted in the relaunches (books series that continue the spin off series after they ended).
Many covered some great books to start with. I figured I'd give you some other possible jumping off points, at least where it seems they formally begin
TNG: The Genesis Wave trilogy + Genesis Force. Now technically this was a bit after Star Trek: Insurrection, but it seems to be the jumping off point for TNG continuing story. This is the earliest books I recall future books referring to (though less and less as the years go by). I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series also (the 3rd and Genesis Force weren't bad, just a step back from the first two).
DS9: The Avatar books were the former beginning, though "A Stitch in Time" was added retroactively to the relaunches and it's a good book that I'd recommend.
Voyager: Homecoming is the formal beginning here.
Enterprise: The Good that Men Do (though the previous novel, "Last Full Measure" could very loosely be considered a prelude)
As for original series books, or older spin off series that aren't part of the relaunches, you could really start anywhere.
Desert Kris has a great thread about some of the older Star Trek books dating back to the early days of Pocketbooks. Some of the authors in the older days referred to events or included characters from previous books they had written. Some others above have also posted flowcharts and other information you can use.
A personal favorite Star Trek novel of mine is "Chain of Attack" by Gene DeWeese from the later 80's (1987 I believe). I couldn't put that book down and I always plug it when I get the chance
.
Below is Desert Kris' thread if you want to get an idea about some older 1980's novels if you really want to go back.
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-80s-novel-continuity-read-through.294008/
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-80s-novel-continuity-read-through.294008/
As others have said it depends on what you want.
Do you have a favorite character you want to read more about? Do you dislike the way a major character was killed off and want to read about how they are secretly alive? Was there a mention of some planet, or large event in the Trek Universe that was never explored onscreen? Which alien race do you love most? Or do you love time travel? Want to read a sequel to a movie? Want to read a prequel to a movie? It's really whatever you want. I would start from there.
Do you have a favorite character you want to read more about? Do you dislike the way a major character was killed off and want to read about how they are secretly alive? Was there a mention of some planet, or large event in the Trek Universe that was never explored onscreen? Which alien race do you love most? Or do you love time travel? Want to read a sequel to a movie? Want to read a prequel to a movie? It's really whatever you want. I would start from there.
I started with Takedown of all places. It was interesting, because I got to see a lot of characters I knew already but they were in different places in their lives, and the political status quo was very different from what I knew from the show. The story had a connection to a TNG episode, so it was still 'grounded' and anything I didn't know about I wanted to know about. As a fun story on its own, it touched on a lot of the litverse which was enough for me to get interested in a full dive.
Who is the Typhon Pact?!
When did Ezri become a captain!?
Who is this Commander Vale and why do I like her so much?
Why is Tuvok not on Voyager?
ADMIRAL RIKER??
After getting a taste of the future to come, I went back and worked my way from DS9 relaunch all the way back to Takedown again and am currently up to date in the 24th.
Who is the Typhon Pact?!
When did Ezri become a captain!?
Who is this Commander Vale and why do I like her so much?
Why is Tuvok not on Voyager?
ADMIRAL RIKER??
After getting a taste of the future to come, I went back and worked my way from DS9 relaunch all the way back to Takedown again and am currently up to date in the 24th.
Interesting strategy.....
Honestly, I picked it because the cover looked cool and it said STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION at the top.
To which I was given a wonderful story about the USS Aventine and have been better for it!
To which I was given a wonderful story about the USS Aventine and have been better for it!
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