The Star Trek Lit-verse Reading Guide

[bok2384]

I've been reading through a few of the older TNG novels recently and I've found some additional references if you're open to submissions, I don't want to overstep my bounds. They've potentially been omitted as being too tenuous, but I'll list them here anyway.

Firstly, Fortune's Light (Pocket TNG #15) has been included as it references the Pandrilites from A Call to Darkness (Pocket TNG #9). However, the novel also references Riker's service aboard the USS Yorktown, an Excelsior-class vessel. His service aboard the Yorktown was also referenced in both the Encounter at Farpoint novelization and Ghost Ship (Pocket TNG #1) by Diane Carey.

Additionally, Ghost Ship makes reference to Worf being Klinzhai, which links to The Final Reflection (Pocket TOS #16) and the FASA continuity that spun off from it. I'd also move the Pocket Books Timeline's placement of the story from just after "Where No One Has Gone Before" to any point after "The Battle" as it references Wesley's grey uniform with the multi-coloured shoulder bit which he was first depicted as wearing in that episode.

 

[bdub76]

Is there a list of stand alone novels that don’t depend on reading previous books?

 

[Smiley]

Is there a list of stand alone novels that don’t depend on reading previous books?

That's basically all of the books. References within a story may be to other books or episodes, or they could be to something that happened off-page or off-screen. The authors want you to be able to jump in with whatever book you pick up. If something is explicitly labeled as a trilogy or duology, it does make sense to try to read those in order. Beyond that, just go for what looks interesting.

 

[ryan123450]

I've been reading through a few of the older TNG novels recently and I've found some additional references if you're open to submissions, I don't want to overstep my bounds. They've potentially been omitted as being too tenuous, but I'll list them here anyway.

Yes, please! Many of the links on the site have come from others letting me know things they've noticed over the years.

Firstly, Fortune's Light (Pocket TNG #15) has been included as it references the Pandrilites from A Call to Darkness (Pocket TNG #9). However, the novel also references Riker's service aboard the USS Yorktown, an Excelsior-class vessel. His service aboard the Yorktown was also referenced in both the Encounter at Farpoint novelization and Ghost Ship (Pocket TNG #1) by Diane Carey.

Additionally, Ghost Ship makes reference to Worf being Klinzhai, which links to The Final Reflection (Pocket TOS #16) and the FASA continuity that spun off from it.

This is great! I'll get these two added soon. By the method I've currently been treating references for the "Original Lit-verse', this makes Ghost Ship count as part of that continuity web.

I'd also move the Pocket Books Timeline's placement of the story from just after "Where No One Has Gone Before" to any point after "The Battle" as it references Wesley's grey uniform with the multi-coloured shoulder bit which he was first depicted as wearing in that episode.

Yes, in the currently unpublished, updated version of the Timeline, we've noticed that and moved Ghost Ship down to the later half of the year. Thanks for the references! If you notice anything else as you continue reading, please let me know!

Is there a list of stand alone novels that don’t depend on reading previous books?

I don't have one, as that's basically the opposite of the idea that started my site. But an interesting possible option for the future!

 

[bdub76]

I don't have one, as that's basically the opposite of the idea that started my site. But an interesting possible option for the future!

What I’m thinking about is: what novels can I recommend for folks to read that don’t depend on prior knowledge? It’s a recommended list of one off novels. Maybe do a couple for each series.

 

[bok2384]

What I’m thinking about is: what novels can I recommend for folks to read that don’t depend on prior knowledge? It’s a recommended list of one off novels. Maybe do a couple for each series.

That's a difficult one to answer, really. Presumably, the people you are recommending the novels too would have a good knowledge of the Star Trek television series? If so, there's some excellent recommendations that have been doing the rounds for years, and that's usually for good reason. Here's a couple of suggestions for each series:

The Original Series

• The Captain's Oath by Christopher L. Bennett, set during the early 2260s and documents Kirk's rise to become captain of the Enterprise
• Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan, a novel set during the Enterprise's first five-year mission and puts the focus on Lieutenant Uhura
• Duty, Honor, Redemption by Vonda N. McIntyre, novelizations of The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home, but greatly expanded and improved by the author.

The Next Generation

• Q-in-Law by Peter David, a novel featuring Q and Lwaxana Troi, what other selling point is there.
• Vendetta by Peter David, an excellent novel set during TNG's fourth season and features the Borg, some knowledge of a certain TOS episode would help too.
• Reunion by Michael Jan Friedman, a murder mystery novel featuring Picard's old crew from the Stargazer coming aboard the Enterprise. My very first Star Trek novel and I haven't looked back in 30 years.
• The Buried Age by Christopher L. Bennett, similar to his other novel The Captain's Oath, this documents Picard's career following the loss of the Stargazer and the build-up to his command of the Enterprise

Deep Space Nine

• Twist of Faith, a collection of the first four novels in the post-TV series. No better place to start than at the beginning.
• A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson, Garak's story is finally revealed by the man that knows him the best.
• Tales of the Dominion War, an anthology telling various stories set during DS9's Dominion War arc in the 6th and 7th seasons.

Voyager

• Echoes by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman, a novel where Janeway and the Voyager crew have to deal with alternate versions of themselves.
• Mosaic by Jeri Taylor, a novel examining the life of Captain Janeway, written by one of Voyager's creators.
• Distant Shores, an anthology set throughout the TV series, focusing on different points across the series.

Enterprise

• Last Full Measure by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, set during the very beginning of the show's third season, it examines the MACOs aboard Enterprise and their adaptation into the Starfleet crew.
• The Good That Men Do by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, set at the end of the fourth season, it tells the "true" story of the story that featured in the series finale and expands upon it.

As far as the new iteration of Star Trek goes, I haven't really delved into them much, having not being able to finish the ones I have started.

 

[Thrawn]

^ That's a good list!

 

[ryan123450]

I updated the TNG reading list with the new links mentioned up thread. Thanks again @bok2384! I also added May's new releases to the appropriate lists, except for Celebrations, which I don't know about specific story titles or series for yet.

 

[bdub76]

Good list.

But I do have a question about your DS9 selections: what would you recommend if the viewer only casually watched the show and didn’t see it all?

 

[Avro Arrow]

But I do have a question about your DS9 selections: what would you recommend if the viewer only casually watched the show and didn’t see it all?

I would recommend going back and watching it all!

 

[Thrawn]

Good list.

But I do have a question about your DS9 selections: what would you recommend if the viewer only casually watched the show and didn’t see it all?

For what it's worth, I didn't watch much DS9 and I fell in love with the story when I picked up the beginning of the DS9 relaunch. Twist of Faith is absolutely outstanding. (And I believe it has a timeline of major events in the DS9 show so you can brush up on any you missed before diving in.) That was the experience I had, and it was one of my favorite reading experiences in all of TrekLit, so I can vouch for it.

 

[bok2384]

Good list.

But I do have a question about your DS9 selections: what would you recommend if the viewer only casually watched the show and didn’t see it all?

I didn't really read many of the DS9 novels set during the series to be honest, I mainly focused on TOS and TNG in those days. I remember quite enjoying Objective: Bajor by John Peel and Saratoga by Michael Jan Friedman. Saratoga, as the name suggests sees Sisko reunited from his surviving crew from the USS Saratoga seen at the beginning of "Emissary". It certainly riffs on the same authors Reunion for TNG, but was still an enjoyable read.

 

[bdub76]

I didn't really read many of the DS9 novels set during the series to be honest, I mainly focused on TOS and TNG in those days. I remember quite enjoying Objective: Bajor by John Peel and Saratoga by Michael Jan Friedman. Saratoga, as the name suggests sees Sisko reunited from his surviving crew from the USS Saratoga seen at the beginning of "Emissary". It certainly riffs on the same authors Reunion for TNG, but was still an enjoyable read.

Thanks. I’ve read stuff by John Peel before.

And I’ve seen the whole series. But I know people that like Trek but haven’t.

 

[bok2384]

I've found another Lit-verse reference while reading "Loyalty", a TNG story in the Star Trek: The Manga volume, Boukenshin. The story runs concurrently with "Family" and features Commander Shelby shortly after the events of BoBW. At the end of the story, Shelby states that she has been assigned as first officer aboard the Chekhov. Although the reference might by an allusion to Chekhov, it seems coincidental that she was serving aboard the USS Chekov as first officer in Vendetta, also set in 2367.

 

[ryan123450]

I've found another Lit-verse reference while reading "Loyalty", a TNG story in the Star Trek: The Manga volume, Boukenshin. The story runs concurrently with "Family" and features Commander Shelby shortly after the events of BoBW. At the end of the story, Shelby states that she has been assigned as first officer aboard the Chekhov. Although the reference might by an allusion to Chekhov, it seems coincidental that she was serving aboard the USS Chekov as first officer in Vendetta, also set in 2367.

That’s awesome! Surprised to hear of that one. I’ll get it added to the site! Thanks!

 

[ryan123450]

The link @bok2384 noticed in TNG: Boukenshin necessitated me including all the stories from that volume, which provided another link. This one between the TNG story "Changeling" and "Bandi" from TOS: Uchu. They both take place on the same planet, Cawley IV. So I added all the stories from Uchu to the TOS Reading List and the 5YM Timeline.

I also added the short story Cat and Mouse from Explorer #11 to the TOS Reading List, as it has links to several Star Trek Log stories. Various chronological references in the story inspired some tweaking to that area of the 5YM Timeline. This also made me notice an existing reference between Log Two and Log Three. So I've just begun work on adding Log Two to the TOS Reading List and 5YM timeline, which will also require a few changes in that area of the timeline.

And as usual, I've added the new books and comics released in the last couple of months to their appropriate lists.

 

[ryan123450]

Just wanted to give everyone an update about a few big improvements at the Star Trek Litverse Reading Guide over the last few months.

As always, I've added the new books and comics released each month to their appropriate lists. I created a more mobile friendly version of the SCE Reading List page, in my slow process of creating those types of pages for all the reading lists. I've added the Unification novelization after realizing it was linked to the rest of the Lit-verse continuity web. I've added new pictures of my ever growing scale starship model collection.

And the main project that has consumed tons of time over the last months...A few years ago, my intricate system for making sense of the Klingon Day of Honor had to be scrapped due to realizing I had missed a key piece of evidence. I finally figured out an updated system that matches all the evidence and makes a logical pattern for when the Day of Honor is celebrated. In order to do that I pulled the trigger on creating a spreadsheet that users can input Earth dates to be converted into Klingon dates (or vice versa). That was a monster to figure out, and I finally cracked the code on it with a little logic help from ChatGPT. I've updated all the info on all my Klingon calendar pages, and everything is finally in a complete, working, accurate form. I particularly think the calculator is pretty cool, though it's obviously super niche and nerdy.

Ready to get my main focus back into the regular improvements to the site now that my Klingon side quest is complete!

www.startreklitverse.com

 

[Christopher]

with a little logic help from ChatGPT.

Err, large language models can't even add 2+2 correctly. I wouldn't trust their attempts at logic.

 

[ryan123450]

It just gave me inspiration for a different way of tackling a logic problem, then I did the work myself, and it worked out correctly.

 

[David cgc]

Err, large language models can't even add 2+2 correctly. I wouldn't trust their attempts at logic.

They're surprisingly effective at searching through the examples of programming code in their training data and collating the examples into something functional (the strict "grammar" and limited "vocabulary" of computer code probably helps with their predicted output not being total nonsense). At least, when there's actually an answer, they also have a tendency to invent code that don't exist so they can give an "appropriate" answer to the user's input if they're asking for a function that isn't there.