Star Trek Novels for a new reader

[Timelordsboots]

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could help me with Star Trek novels?

I have almost finished reading the Star Trek Destiny collection which I love and I would like to get into some more. Any advice on where to start for the following would be appreciated:-

Star Trek Voyager
The Next Generation
Deep Space Nine
Enterprise
The Original Series
Spin-off series

Many thanks

Jon

 

[tomswift2002]

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could help me with Star Trek novels?

I have almost finished reading the Star Trek Destiny collection which I love and I would like to get into some more. Any advice on where to start for the following would be appreciated:-

Star Trek Voyager
The Next Generation
Deep Space Nine
Enterprise
The Original Series
Spin-off series

Many thanks

Jon

Star Trek Destiny is in the middle of the 24th century relaunch series that started with Star Trek New Frontier series in 97, that then led to the DS9 Avatar books in 2001, Voyager’s Homecoming & The Farther Shore in 2003 and TNG’s Death In Winter in 2005. One notable series is the A Time To... series from 2004 that takes place between Star Trek Insurrection & Nemesis that sets up events after Star Trek Nemesis in both the TNG line and Star Trek Titan that follows Captain Riker, Commander Troi and Commander Tuvok.


Star Trek TOS/TAS really had no ongoing story arc. Jump in where you want, although Allegiance In Exile does provide some backstory to a few events in the DS9 relaunch.

Enterprise, starting with 2007’s The Good That Men Do picks up after These Are The Voyages and actually rewrites that episode, and the series continues on through the Romulan-Earth war and beyond, into the era between ENT & The Cage.

 

[Timelordsboots]

Star Trek Destiny is in the middle of the 24th century relaunch series that started with Star Trek New Frontier series in 97, that then led to the DS9 Avatar books in 2001, Voyager’s Homecoming & The Farther Shore in 2003 and TNG’s Death In Winter in 2005. One notable series is the A Time To... series from 2004 that takes place between Star Trek Insurrection & Nemesis that sets up events after Star Trek Nemesis in both the TNG line and Star Trek Titan that follows Captain Riker, Commander Troi and Commander Tuvok.


Star Trek TOS/TAS really had no ongoing story arc. Jump in where you want, although Allegiance In Exile does provide some backstory to a few events in the DS9 relaunch.

Enterprise, starting with 2007’s The Good That Men Do picks up after These Are The Voyages and actually rewrites that episode, and the series continues on through the Romulan-Earth war and beyond, into the era between ENT & The Cage.

Thank you Tomswift2002 that is a great help.

 

[JD]

Destiny is actually a really good jumping on point. If you want to continue on the story after that, the next thing to read would be A Singular Destiny, which deals with the aftermath of Destiny and introduces something that goes on to be important in future books.
After that, the books split back off by series, with Losing the Peace for TNG, Over a Torrent Sea for Titan, and Full Circle for Voyager. Just a small note on Full Circle though, it's separated into 2 parts, with the first part set before Destiny and tying up stories from the first batch of books, and then the second setting up their post-Destiny status quo. A lot of people have jumped right into Full Circle without the books before it, so don't worry about having to read the others.
DS9 doesn't start back up until the Typhon Pact miniseries, with Zero Sum Game, which focuses on Bashir and Ezri, and Rough Beasts of Empire, which focuses on Sisko. We don't see the rest of the station's crew until Plagues of Night, which is a two parter concluded in Raise the Dawn.

 

[ryan123450]

If it helps check out my website in my signature!

 

[GaryH]

New Frontier book one is a great jumping on points or a spin-off if you liked The TNG tv run.

 

[Timelordsboots]

Thank you all that is a great help. ryan123450 the website is really useful thank you.

Do any of you know where you can purchase new copies of these novels? I have looked on Amazon and a few are going for large prices due to I assume being released a while ago. I am coming to the end of TheDestiny Trilogy and it is brilliant.

 

[JD]

Yeah, Trek books don't tend to stay in print for very long. If you're open to e-books that's probably the easiest way to get older books.

 

[tomswift2002]

Thank you all that is a great help. ryan123450 the website is really useful thank you.

Do any of you know where you can purchase new copies of these novels? I have looked on Amazon and a few are going for large prices due to I assume being released a while ago. I am coming to the end of TheDestiny Trilogy and it is brilliant.

Have you checked eBay? Sometimes you can get large lots of books on there.

Or have you checked your local used bookstores? Or maybe even take a look or advertise on Facebook marketplace in your area and see if anyone local is selling a collection.

On Amazon, some of the older paperbacks have been printed in trade paperback as print-on-demand books, so they are new but have a higher cost because they are trades.

 

[Timelordsboots]

Thanks JD I will look into that.

tomswift2002 thanks I will check eBay also. I grew up with all the Star Trek TV series and movies but I have never dipped into the books so I am looking forward to reading them.

 

[tomswift2002]

Thanks JD I will look into that.

tomswift2002 thanks I will check eBay also. I grew up with all the Star Trek TV series and movies but I have never dipped into the books so I am looking forward to reading them.

Over the years, I’ve also found books at yard sales. Sometimes I’ve bought a box of books for like $10 at a yard sale.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Alibris can connect you with a large network of used book dealers.

 

[Thrawn]

There's also a flowchart in my signature that might be helpful. Good luck!

 

[Nyotarules]

For TOS start with the Vanguard series - best Trek novels and unproduced TV show ever!

 

[Smiley]

Abebooks is another used book resource.

The library probably carries books from the past 5-10 years.

For recommendations, I suggest Taking Wing, Watching the Clock, and Articles of the Federation. Also, Una McCormack has written some fantastic books.

 

[Timelordsboots]

Thanks all

I managed to find some of the books on eBay and have ordered some.

Nyotarules thanks for the recommendation. I have ordered Vanguard to try.

Thrawn thank you for the link to the flowchart that is really useful.

I am really enjoying Star Trek Destiny. I am halfway through “Lost Souls” and I really don’t want it to end. I feel like putting “First Contact” on tonight!

 

[Reanok]

Star Trek Vanguard is an Excellent series.you'll enjoy reading it.

 

[Timelordsboots]

Star Trek Vanguard is an Excellent series.you'll enjoy reading it.

Looking forward to it. I also ordered the first Titan novel.

 

[historypeats]

I'm so glad to hear you're getting into Trek novels! There are a ton of wonderful Star Trek stories waiting for you.

 

[tomswift2002]

I would also say that if you have kids and want to get them started on Trek novels, the best one’s to have them read are the 1990’s Minstrel Books Line (1993-1998). You had Star Trek: Starfleet Academy that was a trilogy that featured Spock, McCoy and Kirk as Starfleet cadets. Captain Robert April and First Officer Christopher Pike, along with the Enterprise also make cameos in the series (especially the first book Crisis On Vulcan).

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy was actually the series that launched the Minstrel line, and the first 3 books were written by Peter David and feature Cadet Worf and a number of characters who would go on to be main characters in Star Trek: New Frontier. But the TNGSA series also had books aboutJean-Luc Picard, Will Riker, Data, Geordi LaForge, Beverly Howard and Deanna Troi. There were no stories about Wesley Crusher or Tasha Yar.

Then you had Star Trek: Deep Space Nine which, being the second longest after TNG SA, was not set at the Academy, but was set during Seasons 1-4 of DS9 and featured Jake Sisko and Nog as they main characters with Alexander being the main character in a book that crossed over with the Star Trek: Day of Honor mini-series (that might be the only book from the Minstrel line that’s digitally available, as it was reprinted in the DOH omnibus).

Then you have the Star Trek: Voyager: Starfleet Academy trilogy that features Cadet Janeway only, although Cadet Will Riker crosses over in a cameo. (Riker seems to be the one character that has appeared in the most Trek series, either TV or book!)