Next Picard novel: Second Self by Una McCormack, coming April 2022

[8of5]

New listings for this turning up. It's set post-season one, so the blurb might be considered mildly spoilery in terms of the characters being more than just off on the La Sirena somewhere:

A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame—teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact—a Romulan spy—is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Cristobal Rios and Dr. Agnes Jurati, and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission—and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly….

I loved what Una did with Raffi and the Romulans in The Last Best Hope (I loved everything she did in that book!), so am excited where she takes them next, and intrigued by the presumably inter-season setting.

 

[indianatrekker26]

New listings for this turning up. It's set post-season one, so the blurb might be considered mildly spoilery in terms of the characters being more than just off on the La Sirena somewhere:

I loved what Una did with Raffi and the Romulans in The Last Best Hope (I loved everything she did in that book!), so am excited where she takes them next, and intrigued by the presumably inter-season setting.

Does make me wonder if some time goes by between season 1 and 2. And I'm really surprised we havent gotten a Seven novel filling in how she joined the rangers. That seems perfect for a tie-in book.

 

[JD]

Sounds pretty good to me. It'll be interesting to see what kind of hints this might give for where everybody will be starting off Season 2.

 

[Stevil2001]

Stardust City Rag killed a lot of my interest in the Raffi character, though Una handled the son subplot okay in Last Best Hope.

As always though I find it hard to get excited about a tie in penned by Una because she should be writing original fiction.

 

[The Wormhole]

I know it doesn't really mean anything either way, especially now with a pandemic shaking everything up, but I wonder if this novel's release is meant to sync up with the season's broadcast at all? If the season premieres in the winter, this could be lined up to be released right after it finishes, or if it's premiering in the spring, this could be released around the time it starts.

 

[KRAD]

As always though I find it hard to get excited about a tie in penned by Una because she should be writing original fiction.

"Should"? By whose fucking standard? Who the hell are you to tell Una how she should be making a living and supporting her family?

(Sorry, but that's a serious pet peeve of mine....)

 

[Extrocomp]

As always though I find it hard to get excited about a tie in penned by Una because she should be writing original fiction.

What's wrong with tie-ins? Aren't you Steve Mollmann, a Star Trek tie-in writer?

 

[Jinn]

Very exciting! The Picard novels have been excellent so far, and anything by McCormack is bound to be great anyway.

 

[Stevil2001]

"Should"? By whose fucking standard? Who the hell are you to tell Una how she should be making a living and supporting her family?

(Sorry, but that's a serious pet peeve of mine....)

Hi Keith, purely my own "fucking standard." Which is to say, I wish I was reading original novels by Una because more than any other currently working Star Trek tie-in writer, she has the chops to make them great. It's pretty obvious that I am not "tell[ing]" Una to do anything, and pretty obvious that she needs to do whatever is best for her.

What's wrong with tie-ins? Aren't you Steve Mollmann, a Star Trek tie-in writer?

Sure, I wrote some Star Trek tie-ins. I enjoyed writing them and I enjoy reading them but they're hardly great literature.

 

[Tuskin38]

It's pretty obvious that I am not "tell[ing]" Una to do anything, and pretty obvious that she needs to do whatever is best for her.

"she should be writing original fiction." implies otherwise.

Very poor wording on your part.

 

[Stevil2001]

"she should be writing original fiction." implies otherwise.

Very poor wording on your part.

Sure, if you say so. If I was to say something like "she should be writing more Deep Space Nine novels," though, I'm skeptical anyone would have jumped on me for it and accused me of dictating her life.

 

[Tuskin38]

If I was to say something like "she should be writing more Deep Space Nine novels," though, I'm skeptical anyone would have jumped on me for it and accused me of dictating her life.

No they probably would have.

 

[Christopher]

No they probably would have.

People talking about what writers "should" or "shouldn't" do is kind of a hot button for me too. It would be less easily misconstrued as a judgment if it were phrased as "What I'd like to see her do more" rather than "What she should do."

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

This sounds pretty cool, Raffi is a character I feel like needs to be expanded on since what they did with her on the show was kinda hit and miss for me. I really enjoyed Una's DSC and PIC books so far, she's just so great with characters and that slow burn that you didn't even realize was burning until the last third when everything just falls into place in a mad, hugely-satisfying rush. Love Una, and *reviews phrasing guidelines* I sure wish we could get more DS9 books from her!

 

[Reanok]

I'm glad Raffi will be featured in another Picard novel by Una McCormack. And will expand Raffis' backstory is something I've wanted to see in a book.And the fact the story will be between the first and second seasons of Picard is really intriguing. Una does a fantastic job writing the characters and I'm glad Picard and the other crewmembers from La Sirena are going to be part of the story is a nice bonus to find out what they've been doing since the season one finale.

 

[The Wormhole]

No they probably would have.

I don't know. I suspect if he had specified she should be writing more DS9 Litverse novels, the Revive the Litverse gang would chime in with "Why isn't this happening?!"

 

[KRAD]

It's pretty obvious that I am not "tell[ing]" Una to do anything, and pretty obvious that she needs to do whatever is best for her.

Not that obvious, because you used the word "should." That is absolutely telling her to do something. If you'd said, "I wish she was writing original fiction," I wouldn't have said anything, but saying she "should" be writing original fiction is both an instruction and judgmental, and as a working writer, I resent it.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Stick the word "Romulans" on something and I'll buy it.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

If I was most eager for August's Rios novel, a Raffi novel is a VERY close second. Y'know, as much as I love Jean-Luc himself, the involvement of all these new characters has really been exciting in terms of new stories and people/worlds to explore.

Kinda surprised that Seven isn't being mentioned as part of this, though, considering the handholding between them at the end of the season one finale - I would have liked to see more build of that relationship. Though I can imagine that the arrangement between them is that Seven's got to keep up her work with the Fenris Rangers and such (I do second the surprise that nothing has been done - YET - about her time among them, but I suppose they just don't want to lock anything down on that just yet).

 

[James Swallow]

And I'm really surprised we havent gotten a Seven novel filling in how she joined the rangers. That seems perfect for a tie-in book.

Early in the development of the 2nd Picard novel, we talked about telling that story - I even wrote a basic outline for it - but ultimately it was felt that Seven's Fenris Rangers backstory was something that might be better explored in the TV show. But you never know...