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Must have been a several years since I posted one of these, but the idea popped into my head again the other day. If you were the editor of the Gallery Books Star Trek line for 2024, what would you publish?
I'll do one "semi-realistic" version, which would be based alot more on the new shows, and one "dream" version, of what I'd really love to see put out but which probably has no chance. As always, no specific story ideas, just vague concepts and series in general.
Realistic:
January- PICARD: Captain Worf's Last Mission
March- DISCOVERY: Book Ten
May- TOS: 5YM Story
July- SNW: Book Two
September- TOS: Enterprise-A Era Story
November- TNG: Series Era Story
I had intended even this semi realistic version to cover all twelve months (which I know isn't going to really happen) but once I started to try to keep things in the realm of possibility, it seemed pretty unlikely I was going to make it to twelve. So I just settled at every other month.
Dream Version-
January- PICARD- Captain Worf's Last Mission
February- DS9: DRGIII Litverse Wrap Up Story
March- VOYAGER: Series Era Story
April- IDW Comics Continuity Tie In
May- DTI: Ebook Trilogy Collection Reprint
June- Anything by KRAD
July- ENTERPRISE: Rise of the Federation, Book 6
August- NEW FRONTIER: Finale Story
September- TOS: Enterprise-A Era Story
October- SEEKERS: Book 5
November- TNG: Movie Era Story
December- LEGACY: Prequel Novel
Not to mention several non-fiction books I'd absolutely love to see but which I'm sure have zero chance of happening.
Star Trek: Picard Technical Manual
Updated Ships of the Line coffee table collection
And selfishly- a standalone updated edition of the Star Trek Timeliners Timeline!
I looked back and the last time I posted this thread idea was way back in 2018! And sadly several of the books I suggested then are still on my list, probably never to be seen.
I would publish some Star Trek books. Normally I wouldn't think I would have to say that, but it really doesn't seem to be happening much this year, so.....
I'll think about it, and post a more serious answer if I come up with anything.
I took a look back at the old threads; it looks like the last time I posted in one of these was your 2017 version (in 2015). I had mentioned that I was hoping we could get a Secret of Vulcan Fury novelization by D. C. Fontana, which she had previously expressed interest in doing. Sadly, Ms. Fontana passed away in 2019, and the book never happened.
FWIW, I've got at least two stories coming up in Star Trek Explorer, with a third awaiting approval by CBS. "You Can't Buy Fate" will be out on my birthday -- 18 April 2023 -- in issue #7, and I'm going to have a story in issue #9 as well, which I'll talk more about closer to it happening. Each of the three stories covers a different show, too -- DS9 for "YCBF," with the other two remaining a secret. For now.
I think there's a lot to mine in the Sulu/Excelsior-era. I've thought the Cardassian War would be interesting as well.
Recently the early 2400s have been intriguing.
Alongside 6 or 8 dead-tree releases a year tying in to the ongoing shows currently in production, I'd introduce a new ebook-first fiction stream.
One stand-alone novella-length release each month (plus an audiobook version), a TV episode's worth of story, based on anything from non-current Star Trek productions - so Enterprise, TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager etc, set in and around those shows. This could also include 'Lost Era' stories. A different era each month. A mix of different authors, with familiar names and new faces - and with the latter, this would be an 'on-ramp' for new writers into the 'mainline' novels. And perhaps, publish a regular "bi-annual" that binds up three or four of the novellas into a single physical omnibus volume.
And also more Kelvin Timeline novels, but only so I could give myself the job of writing one...
Alongside 6 or 8 dead-tree releases a year tying in to the ongoing shows currently in production, I'd introduce a new ebook-first fiction stream.
One stand-alone novella-length release each month (plus an audiobook version), a TV episode's worth of story, based on anything from non-current Star Trek productions - so Enterprise, TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager etc, set in and around those shows. This could also include 'Lost Era' stories. A different era each month. A mix of different authors, with familiar names and new faces - and with the latter, this would be an 'on-ramp' for new writers into the 'mainline' novels. And perhaps, publish a regular "bi-annual" that binds up three or four of the novellas into a single physical omnibus volume.
This is a great idea and something I've wanted them to do for a while now, too. I think in one of the earlier versions of this topic, I wished for an anthology series that could cover any aspect of the Star Trek universe.
This, however, is unfortunately a violation of corporate conflict of interest guidelines, and now HR "requests the pleasure of your company for a free exchange of ideas..."
They did a Jadzia novel, I’d be interested in seeing them turn and explore Ezri - the way I’ve seen a lot of trans/nb people talk about her as a character is that she has a lot of parallels to their early transition experiences, so I think they’d probably have an interesting character piece to write for her, especially after the strength of Revanent and their portrayal of Jadzia and Trill society broadly.
Going with the "dream" version of being the editor for 2024 (barely any realism here):
I'd love another The Lives of Dax anthology! Or maybe even a The Lives of Kahn (to link in with ST canon) or of Cyl (Litverse exclusive symbiont)?
Another Rise of the Federation novel from @Christopher, and while we're at it, another TOS Movie Era novel, too.
One or two Lost Era novels (Ent-B, Saavik, Gillian Taylor and George & Gracie) - @KRAD and @James Swallow, please! Actually, make that three: I'd like another Ent-C novel by Ilsa J. Bick (loved Well of Souls).
A Garak & Bashir novel by @Una McCormack.
Some e-Book novellas from new-to-Trek authors as per James Swallow's suggestion above.
A USS CerritosTechnical Manual (with a BIG section about Cetacean Ops) and/or The Making of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
A Tendi: Mistress of the Winter Constellations epistolary-type book about her life leading up to joining Starfleet.
Another Starship Spotter book.
A Troi and Crusher focused TNG novel.
OK, I have had some time to think about this, so here we go...
First of all, I'd like to say that it's an honour and a privilege to be back here at S&S, after my rather ignominious firing back in 2013. I don't know how exactly I managed to get rehired after all this time, but perhaps those surreptitious recordings I made back during my previous tenure have come in handy somehow. Suffice it to say, though, that I have (mostly) learned my lessons about cost restraints and market oversaturation. (And office supply theft; sorry again about the paperclips!)
On to the books!
First, a no-brainer: a new Strange New Worlds novel. We need to have tie-ins for the current live-action shows. I don't have a set idea for this one, and will let the author pitch some plot suggestions.
And on the subject of current live-action shows: a new Discovery novel. I'm expecting the final season of Discovery will be released in early 2024, so we'll want to have something ready to go for that. Should be something big, and hopefully either act as a prequel to season 5, or some kind of post-season 5 follow-up, depending on where everyone ends up (and how much information Paramount is willing to share beforehand).
(I'm assuming any new shows launching, such as SFA, won't release till 2025, so I'll tentatively pencil in something on the schedule for that year.)
So that's it for the current live-action shows, since Picard ended last year in 2023. So moving on...
Well, we still have animated shows! I want to do a Lower Decks novel, filled with the zany humour that show is known for. I don't entirely know if this will work in prose form, but if we get the right author for it, it could be a surprise hit! No reward without risk, right? Right? (Why am I getting side-eye from Bob from Finance?)
A TOS novel. Bob tells me these ones still sell the best, so I'll throw one in there. See, Bob, I can be fiscally responsible!
Now I have to use a spoiler tag, just in case...
I want to commission this book, as proposed by @James Swallow . Yes, I know it was just an April Fools' joke, but it still needs to happen! Wait, I'm being told by Kate from Legal that those autobiography books are published by Titan, not us, and we can't do one without getting into possible licensing issues. Fine, OK, whatever. Hopefully Titan will make it happen, then.
Kate tells me, however, that we can still do regular novels using those characters. Great! So a Picard season 3 prequel novel set on the Titan with Shaw and Seven? Commissioned!
Next up: A Captain Robau on the Kelvin novel! I am prohibited from mentioning plot details in this thread, but I can say that it would feature Brian Brophy. Not Bruce Maddox; real-life actor Brian Brophy. The resulting tsunami of awesomeness from a Robau/Brophy novel would either cause us to immediately hit our financial goals for the next five years, or cause the universe to implode because it just can't handle their collective transcendence, I don't know which! OK, Bob is saying that causing the end of the universe could be detrimental to our bottom line. Don't worry, then; I'm sure it will be the first one.
I also want to launch a new series, Tales of the First Splinter. This would be a line where we could revisit the First Splinter timeline featured in the pre-Coda novelverse continuity, where, in addition to new adventures, we could follow-up on plot threads left hanging, such as that partwork in that Bajoran moon, or a certain group of Andorian clones. Only one book this year (see, Bob, I can be fiscally responsible!), but I hope to continue the series in subsequent years.
Yes, I know the novels have to tie-in to the on-screen continuity, and that novels not in that continuity would not be allowed. But if we're going to entertain the fantasy that S&S would hire someone as eminently unqualified as myself as editor, then we can further entertain the fantasy that I can somehow bend the tie-in publishing industry to my whim!
And another new series, while I'm on a roll: Untold Treks. The concept for this is that we would do novelizations of cancelled Star Trek projects. For this first year, I'm thinking the fourth Kelvin Timeline movie script where Kirk meets his dad via time-travel. (They might not be able to afford Hemsworth in a movie, but that doesn't affect us in book form!) Future stories could include The Beginning, stories from Phase II, etc. And yes, at some point I'd want to release The Secret of Vulcan Fury in this line. Sadly, D.C. Fontana is no longer with us to write the novelization, but hopefully there are scripts from the game available, and this could still happen. (And hopefully the book could be dedicated to her memory.)
So that's eight novels. I could go on, but Bob is starting to look nervous. That's probably about as good as we can get these days, anyway. I do have more ideas, but will have to hold them for next year. But I would like to also revisit my "Tales of Known Space" eBook line from 2013. I know we ran into trouble with 12 eBook releases per year, so maybe release just 3 or 4 per year total. (But with the decreased frequency, I would like to bump them from novellas to short novels.) I still think this idea has merit, since it could visit anywhere in the Star Trek timeline. This is where you could slot your Berman-era "during the series" adventures, in addition to things never seen before. In this first year, one of the stories I definitely want to do is a Captain Uhura on the Leondegrance story, as featured in that plaque from Picard season 2 episode 1.
And one other thing... I don't know if we do non-fiction, but I'd like to do everything in my power to see that Nana Visitor's A Woman's Trek sees the light of day, after the original company publishing it went bankrupt. I have no idea what's involved in negotiating rights with a company that doesn't exist anymore, but Kate has a large department, so I'm sure they can look into it. And maybe if they're busy with that, it will prevent them from investigating unsubstantiated rumours of surreptitious recordings of employees.
So there we go. Eight hardcopy novels, three or four eBook exclusives, and one non-fiction book. Hopefully that sounds reasonable, because I would still like to be working here this time next year. But I guess that depends on whether all of you buy them or not. If we lose money, I'll probably have to have another "friendly chat" with the bosses. And I don't have a fallback plan this time, because for some reason, no one is willing to say anything scandalous around me any longer.
I agree 100% with the e-book or e-novella originals, as well as with finding a home for Visitor's book.
Also obviously with making sure that the current/recent TV shows are represented. I don't know if they'll move forward past Picard yet, but some novels filling in Worf's and Seven's stories between the end of the Berman era and the beginning of Picard would be very welcome. I would still love to see a Lower Decks novel tête-bêche style, with a standard bridge crew adventure and then the same events from the perspective of the lower books when you start from the other side.
For the Berman-era Treks, I would see what we could do as far as cross-branding. Why not a Worf or O'Brien story that bridges TNG and DS9? Instead of a lives of Dax sequel, why not a single Dax story that unfolds across multiple lives so that we can get TOS, TLE, and TNG/DS9 all represented? Stuff like that.
OK, I have had some time to think about this, so here we go...
First of all, I'd like to say that it's an honour and a privilege to be back here at S&S, after my rather ignominious firing back in 2013. I don't know how exactly I managed to get rehired after all this time, but perhaps those surreptitious recordings I made back during my previous tenure have come in handy somehow. Suffice it to say, though, that I have (mostly) learned my lessons about cost restraints and market oversaturation. (And office supply theft; sorry again about the paperclips!)
On to the books!
First, a no-brainer: a new Strange New Worlds novel. We need to have tie-ins for the current live-action shows. I don't have a set idea for this one, and will let the author pitch some plot suggestions.
And on the subject of current live-action shows: a new Discovery novel. I'm expecting the final season of Discovery will be released in early 2024, so we'll want to have something ready to go for that. Should be something big, and hopefully either act as a prequel to season 5, or some kind of post-season 5 follow-up, depending on where everyone ends up (and how much information Paramount is willing to share beforehand).
(I'm assuming any new shows launching, such as SFA, won't release till 2025, so I'll tentatively pencil in something on the schedule for that year.)
So that's it for the current live-action shows, since Picard ended last year in 2023. So moving on...
Well, we still have animated shows! I want to do a Lower Decks novel, filled with the zany humour that show is known for. I don't entirely know if this will work in prose form, but if we get the right author for it, it could be a surprise hit! No reward without risk, right? Right? (Why am I getting side-eye from Bob from Finance?)
A TOS novel. Bob tells me these ones still sell the best, so I'll throw one in there. See, Bob, I can be fiscally responsible!
Now I have to use a spoiler tag, just in case...
I want to commission this book, as proposed by @James Swallow . Yes, I know it was just an April Fools' joke, but it still needs to happen! Wait, I'm being told by Kate from Legal that those autobiography books are published by Titan, not us, and we can't do one without getting into possible licensing issues. Fine, OK, whatever. Hopefully Titan will make it happen, then.
Kate tells me, however, that we can still do regular novels using those characters. Great! So a Picard season 3 prequel novel set on the Titan with Shaw and Seven? Commissioned!
Next up: A Captain Robau on the Kelvin novel! I am prohibited from mentioning plot details in this thread, but I can say that it would feature Brian Brophy. Not Bruce Maddox; real-life actor Brian Brophy. The resulting tsunami of awesomeness from a Robau/Brophy novel would either cause us to immediately hit our financial goals for the next five years, or cause the universe to implode because it just can't handle their collective transcendence, I don't know which! OK, Bob is saying that causing the end of the universe could be detrimental to our bottom line. Don't worry, then; I'm sure it will be the first one.
I also want to launch a new series, Tales of the First Splinter. This would be a line where we could revisit the First Splinter timeline featured in the pre-Coda novelverse continuity, where, in addition to new adventures, we could follow-up on plot threads left hanging, such as that partwork in that Bajoran moon, or a certain group of Andorian clones. Only one book this year (see, Bob, I can be fiscally responsible!), but I hope to continue the series in subsequent years.
Yes, I know the novels have to tie-in to the on-screen continuity, and that novels not in that continuity would not be allowed. But if we're going to entertain the fantasy that S&S would hire someone as eminently unqualified as myself as editor, then we can further entertain the fantasy that I can somehow bend the tie-in publishing industry to my whim!
And another new series, while I'm on a roll: Untold Treks. The concept for this is that we would do novelizations of cancelled Star Trek projects. For this first year, I'm thinking the fourth Kelvin Timeline movie script where Kirk meets his dad via time-travel. (They might not be able to afford Hemsworth in a movie, but that doesn't affect us in book form!) Future stories could include The Beginning, stories from Phase II, etc. And yes, at some point I'd want to release The Secret of Vulcan Fury in this line. Sadly, D.C. Fontana is no longer with us to write the novelization, but hopefully there are scripts from the game available, and this could still happen. (And hopefully the book could be dedicated to her memory.)
So that's eight novels. I could go on, but Bob is starting to look nervous. That's probably about as good as we can get these days, anyway. I do have more ideas, but will have to hold them for next year. But I would like to also revisit my "Tales of Known Space" eBook line from 2013. I know we ran into trouble with 12 eBook releases per year, so maybe release just 3 or 4 per year total. (But with the decreased frequency, I would like to bump them from novellas to short novels.) I still think this idea has merit, since it could visit anywhere in the Star Trek timeline. This is where you could slot your Berman-era "during the series" adventures, in addition to things never seen before. In this first year, one of the stories I definitely want to do is a Captain Uhura on the Leondegrance story, as featured in that plaque from Picard season 2 episode 1.
And one other thing... I don't know if we do non-fiction, but I'd like to do everything in my power to see that Nana Visitor's A Woman's Trek sees the light of day, after the original company publishing it went bankrupt. I have no idea what's involved in negotiating rights with a company that doesn't exist anymore, but Kate has a large department, so I'm sure they can look into it. And maybe if they're busy with that, it will prevent them from investigating unsubstantiated rumours of surreptitious recordings of employees.
So there we go. Eight hardcopy novels, three or four eBook exclusives, and one non-fiction book. Hopefully that sounds reasonable, because I would still like to be working here this time next year. But I guess that depends on whether all of you buy them or not. If we lose money, I'll probably have to have another "friendly chat" with the bosses. And I don't have a fallback plan this time, because for some reason, no one is willing to say anything scandalous around me any longer.
I don't know if they'll move forward past Picard yet, but some novels filling in Worf's and Seven's stories between the end of the Berman era and the beginning of Picard would be very welcome.
I wouldn't be surprised by the former, especially. When "The Dark Veil" game out, James Swallow said one of the other possibilities for that slot was a Captain Worf of the Enterprise-E book. With the shows having moved on from the supernova, and never getting Countdown to Novels (dammit), maybe we can get a Streaming-Trek equivalent, especially since PIC seems to have lost interest in the whole Romulan situation.
I want to see a new Enterprise rise of the federation book 6 I want to see Trip and T'Pol's characters finally being reunited at long last. And A new Picard novel. By James Swallow or Una McCormack.
I'm gonna do like the thread started with and offer two versions of my list, the "in all realistic expectations" version and the "yeah but this is what I WANT" version.
Realistically:
A Discovery novel, something to tie in with the final season coming, or at least that spans the gap between seasons four and five. I'd like to see it explore some of the changes in the landscape of the Alpha Quadrant over the last several centuries, another story about reconnecting with an old ally of the Federation and better explore the difference between the culture of the two time frames.
A SNW novel. No particular concept going in, but we obviously need to keep with the tie-ins to the ongoing shows.
TOS novel. Probably set in the Enterprise-A era. Because TOS novels are always going to fit in somewhere.
TNG novel. Just going with this on the basis of Picard Season 3 being so centered on the TNG crew, it probably would be expected to draw in some new interest from those coming in, so offer a new story of them all in their prime.
I'd love to add more, but we're still in the lull of production delays and backlog, so we're probably not going to be in the realm of my preference of at least one per month, so at least this is one per quarter.
But what I WANT...
TNG novel, a first season novel that offers some rehab work on the early days of TNG, when the 24th century wasn't well established and uncertain. Preferably with some particular focus on Tasha - since she obviously couldn't feature in Picard, I'd like to see her get her due in the novels.
DS9 novel, preferably (as mentioned in another thread recently) an Alex White novel centered on Ezri - technically, novelization of the final episode and entries in anthologies aside, we don't really have any novels set in the seventh season of DS9, and I'd like to see their take on Ezri, given how many trans people I've heard who relate to her experiences.
Voyager novel, something that features Seven's relationships with Tuvok and Icheb, characters who have been connected to her in Picard, and probably B'Elanna as well, allowing a portrayal of their relationship developing over time.
TOS novel, the same as the above Enterprise-A era novel. Cuz that's still something I'm interested in.
Enterprise novel. Preferably a Mayweather focus, given that the show proper failed to really give him attention, and, while Rise of the Federation gave him more, he still needs the attention and love. Maybe something in the season three timeframe, since there were some points where he should have had more to say and respond to - hell, he doesn't even really get much reaction to the Xindi attack anyway.
AOS novel. Just a reminder that we do actually love and acknowledge this faction of the franchise, since it's been almost seven years since Beyond.
Discovery novel. Again, see above.
SNW novel. Also above.
Picard novel. There are a lot of options here, but I'm leaning towards something that gives Elnor and/or Soji more development and usage, since we honestly did have plenty of story exploration with the Picard cast and TNG cast, but I do understand that the financial issues kicked in and booted out the new characters for the sake of the TNG reunion (we can discuss the validity of that choice elsewhere), but I'd like to at least see them get more time in the sun.
Another Discovery novel, this one set back in the 23rd century, see some of the things the first two seasons didn't get to delve into - things like the people who the characters all left letters for in Such Sweet Sorrow, for instance, some past and history of the characters before the time jump.
Another TOS novel, this as a classic five year mission story.
While it would probably carry the Picard label, I'd like to get something else set in between the time gap of Nemesis and Picard, like a Captain Worf novel, or Seven and the Fenris Rangers, even another story of Riker and Troi on the Titan. Maybe even something of Crusher's time on her own, raising Jack. I don't really think of it as a Picard novel personally, because it's more about the gap time than tying into the show itself, but...
BONUS: Anthology of a "Tales from the First Splinter" style, allowing us to get some last closure on characters or plot points that were bypassed or not given their due in Coda. Just for a more completed final note.
I could do far more than averaging one novel per month, of course, I'd ideally like to take things back into the realm of two books per month (much as my bank account would protest that happening...), but I know that a one per month production schedule is honestly already pushing things on the current model.
Suffice it to say, though, that I have (mostly) learned my lessons about cost restraints and market oversaturation. (And office supply theft; sorry again about the paperclips!)
