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The 15 Best Star Trek Books Ever Written

Like all our favorite franchises, "Star Trek" is a multimedia phenomenon. Today's kids grow up in a world full of TV series, movies, comics, games, and, of course, tie-in novels. "Star Trek" novels are notable because they're non-canon by default, and that's allowed their writers to go ham while exploring strange new worlds. Some of these earliest tie-in writers went on to become science fiction titans, and sometimes those titans like to return for more Trekkie fun.

"Trek" books are also a unique part of the fandom experience. "Star Trek: The New Voyages" was a licensed, two-book anthology, printed in the late '70s and curated from fanfiction. Wilder still, in 1985, writer Della Van Hise saw her "Star Trek" novel "Killing Time" published and recalled for an edited reprint as longtime fans realized their beloved slash fiction pairing of Kirk and Spock was no longer hiding in the shadows. It's a goofy testament to how fans helped "Star Trek" thrive in the first place, and today, these tie-in novels are still great comfort food. These are 15 of the best that I've found, read, and loved over the years.

A Stitch in Time by Andrew Robinson

Elim Garak isn't special to "Star Trek" fans alone. He's also part of actor Andrew Robinson in a unique way. The charming-yet-wily Cardassian tailor (and spy) called Deep Space Nine his home, but Garak's too big a personality to be contained by its steel corridors (or with a word from Dr. Bashir, his unlikely best friend.) Robinson grew him that way from the start, creating an in-character diary to guide him through Garak's behavior. Garak's diary, however, took on a life of its own as Robinson made readings from it part of his convention appearances. Eventually, Robinson was coaxed into turning it into a novel.

"A Stitch in Time" is epistolary, presented as a series of letters sent by Garak to Dr. Bashir in the wake of the Dominion War. Contained within are fragments of Garak's childhood, memories of a long-ago love, and preparations for the future. The greatest compliment I can offer is that every word drips with Robinson's genteel drawl. No one else could have written this novel, and it's the perfect love letter from an actor to the character he brought to life.

Imzadi by Peter David

"Imzadi" was rereleased in 2003, packaged with its sequel and listed as "Imzadi Forever." By all accounts, the follow-up is a fine tale, but I haven't read it. My recommendation is for the original 1992 release, which I eagerly bought in hardcover. Like another upcoming Peter David selection, "Imzadi" has a complicated timeline, but the emotional thread and David's clean prose make the plot easy to follow.

The word "imzadi" is first used in "Encounter at Farpoint," telepathically sent to Riker by Troi. However, it's author Peter David who expands on the power of the Betazed term for "beloved." The word refers not to a teen's first love but to something richer and deeper. The novel explores Riker's and Troi's early relationship through the lens of a distant, alternate future in which Troi is dead, and Riker is a bitter old cuss. Obviously, nobody wants a future like this one, but the Guardian of Forever, that magical archway from classic "Star Trek," has our backs. The return of this sentient space rock is always a selling point, but the story also has all the political twists and turns a Trekkie could want.

How Much for Just the Planet? by John M. Ford

John M. Ford was one of the best, most underrated writers of the modern era. Until recently, almost all of his work had fallen out of print with his death in 2006. Most of his catalog is still pretty hard to find and requires trawling used bookstores with an eye for treasure. Unfortunately, that includes 1987's "How Much for Just the Planet?" It's Ford's second "Star Trek" novel, and it's a "Dr. Strangelove" -style artifact of perfect absurdity.

"How Much for Just the Planet?" is a surreal sci-fi mélange: Take the crew of the Enterprise, pit them against opportunistic Klingons, and add a previously undiscovered planet full of untouched dilithium. Then, mix in a troupe of truly incomprehensible, goofball aliens, slap everybody in a hotel (with a golf course — it's a plot point), and make them play in a "Squid Game"-style competition that focuses on heists and ballroom dancing instead of murder. The goal is friendship and having some good laughs along the way.

Spock Must Die! by James Blish

The first original "Star Trek" novel is still a good read and a great place to get some context for the ways "Trek" fiction has evolved. "Spock Must Die!" feels fresher than its 1970 print date in many places, but bear in mind, it plays with some "exotic sexuality" tropes regarding Spock. Yeah, he was definitely the unlikely sex symbol of original "Star Trek," but Blish's prose occasionally takes that to a funky place.

Otherwise, this book does introduce some neat concepts way before later "Star Trek" wore them out. The evil clone plot line is a groaner staple now, but Blish's novel twists it up with some unsettling fridge logic questions about how the transporter room could work with some mad science drive. From there, the science is pretty pulpy, but the high-stakes thrills leading up to the title drop — a Spock does have to die — make for a nice, cozy ride through an earlier science fiction era.

Q-Squared by Peter David

Like most "Star Trek” tie-ins, "Q-Squared" isn't canon, but it's close enough to an assumed truth that fans have kind of adopted it anyway. It's a three-lane timeline pileup, and this time, it is a little confusing. It makes sense for there to be some confusion over what the hell is going on because this book brings in John de Lancie's omnipotent trickster, Q . And it's not a Q story unless everyone (including Picard) asks, "What the hell is going on?" at least once.

In this case, what the hell is going on is a tantrum thrown by a young Q whom "Trek" fans know as Trelane, the Squire of Gothos. A longtime "Star Trek" favorite, Trelane was a quirky, omnipotent brat that futzed around with Kirk and his buddies until his family pulled him in line at the end of the episode . David's novel draws on the fan-inspired retcon that this classic character is actually a Q ( a speculation John de Lancie also shares ) and ties it all together in a messy bow. It doesn't always make sense, especially the semi-metaphorical sword fight finale. Still, it's a great trip through the fringes of the Continuum.

Spock's World by Diane Duane

Author Diane Duane is a modern treasure. Her "Young Wizards" fantasy series remains one of the best ways to hook a kid on the dreams hidden inside books. Still writing and still a part of fandom today, she also wrote 1988's "Spock's World," one of the first and best books to dig into the social intricacies and history of Vulcan.

The framing narrative deals with a fledgling separatist movement working to pull Vulcan out of the Federation, and it provides a chance for Spock and his family to take the spotlight. It's a great political yarn, and it pulls on some threads from classic "Trek" episodes, most notably "Amok Time." However, the real meat here is the intricate world building with lingering glimpses of major moments in Vulcan history. It's a great reminder that what makes "Star Trek" so special are the worlds it explores. Although "Spock's World" is not canon, Duane's graceful creation continues to influence other "Star Trek" creators .

The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack

With the debut of every new "Star Trek" TV series, you can rest assured that a swath of new tie-in novels are in the works. Obviously, the tie-in tradition continued with "Picard." The first novel based on Jean-Luc's solo outing was published within a month of the show's premiere. "The Last Best Hope" is a prequel to " Picard ," and it does a solid job of fleshing out a number of connections that the first season didn't get a chance to work on.

Though a lot of the novel is devoted to Raffi , the troubled intelligence officer we grow to love on the show, it's the glimpses of Romulan culture that stand out. The religious order introduced in the show, the Qowat Milat , are in sharp focus here and help round out the childhood of Elnor , our orphaned Romulan Legolas. "The Last Best Hope" has another trait that may make it attractive to fans of the show: Until "Picard" contradicts it, this book is currently as close to actual canon as a "Star Trek" novel can be.

Star Trek: The Eugenics War by Greg Cox

It's easier to refer to this bulk recommendation as "The Khan Trilogy." The first two novels are formally titled "The Eugenics War: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh" ( volumes one and two , respectively), and the third is "To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh." The trilogy is two parts covert war thriller and one part survivalist nightmare. All together, it pieces together the complete life of one of the mightiest (and bare-chestiest) foes in "Star Trek" history .

"The Eugenics War" is a look inside the doomed effort to prevent that legendary conflict from ever happening. As mentioned in the classic episode "Space Seed," eugenicist science created a social schism the likes of which Marvel's Magneto barely dreamed of. The effort to stop Khan from dominating Earth fails, but infighting eventually drives the tyrant into exile. The events of "Space Seed" happen after the first two books, and the final novel sees Khan struggle to survive on Ceti Alpha V , the sandy death-world we discover in "The Wrath of Khan," surrounded by loyalists and scarce resources. Great stuff.

The Final Reflection by John M. Ford

My prior John M. Ford recommendation may have the spotlight, but don't pass up "The Final Reflection" if you can find it. While not as richly built as Diane Duane's "Spock's World," Ford's book treats Klingons with such detail and complexity that it went on to affect later portrayals of the proud warrior race. It's a book that's occasionally lauded as a "Star Trek" novel that stands on its own as a great work of science fiction, which is a backhanded compliment that ignores the love and passion of "Trek" writers. Nevertheless, that is an accurate assessment here.

The focus of the book is on Klingon Captain Krenn, whose decades-long effort to prevent his own people from destroying the Federation remains a secret until he pens his own chronicle of events. During his career, Krenn flickers in and out of the lives of the characters we know, with special emphasis placed on his encounter with Spock as a child. There's some hefty focus on Klingon stratagems in the early part of the novel, which can be daunting for the reader, but the journey is worth it.

Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh

"Fallen Heroes" is a sentimental choice. It's one of my gruesome comfort food books. Pairing the horrific invasion of DS9 with a time-shifted mystery, the novel puts Quark and Odo together as ad hoc detectives trying to stop the massacre of their friends from happening. It's not a perfect tale, and, coming back to it later, it misses some character tone due to how early in the show's airing it was published. Still, it's a good yarn from a time when we were starved for stories that put our best frenemies together.

Author Dafydd ab Hugh has a gift for crunchy, visceral action sequences, and that got him a pretty decent gig writing "Doom" tie-ins in the '90s. It's best to go in with the reminder that, according to the classic "Star Trek” fiction trope, our heroes will be alright by the end, but there's some gnarly road before this book gets there. "Fallen Heroes," like many older tie-in novels, is easily found used.

Q-In-Law by Peter David

Peter David gets on this list three times because, along with his clean prose and keen understanding of the franchise, he also understands what a fan would kill to see. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great recurring characters, and two fan favorites take the spotlight in "Q-In Law." The omnipotent Q is a guaranteed good time, but adding Deanna Troi's dramatic mother Lwaxana to the mix makes for a salty popcorn festival.

The premise is simple: Noticing that the Enterprise is ready to host a wedding, Q shows up with mischief on his mind. Lwaxana arrives for the diplomatic event, and Q picks up on the Betazed noble's talent for chaos. However, for once in his life, Q gets more than he bargained for when he flirts with Lwaxana. Somewhere in the mayhem, Worf notes the crew might as well sell tickets to watch it all fall apart. I recommend tracking down the audiobook . It's narrated by John de Lancie and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Q and Lwaxana themselves), and they happily go all in on the verbal sparring.

Prime Directive by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

The Prime Directive is one of the few immutable tenets of the "Star Trek” universe. However, Starfleet General Order 1 is not without its flaws. To wit, no Starfleet command or crew is to interfere with the development of an alien society. It's a Cold War product that was designed by minds worried about escalation and accidental destruction. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens' "Prime Directive," published in 1990, digs into what happens when that order is disobeyed.

In both the original series and the movies, Kirk and his crew rarely receive lasting consequences for their actions. This novel sets about dismantling that trope. Kirk, in charge of observing Talin IV, a world on the cusp of first contact, seems to accidentally violate the Prime Directive. Worse, his mistake devastates the developing Talin society. From Kirk to Uhura, the command crew of the Enterprise see their careers ended for their failure. The bulk of the novel is the long process of the crew (who have either resigned, been demoted to ensign, or court-martialed) seeking out what actually went wrong on Talin IV. The answers are complex, and the ethical questions are thought-provoking.

Sarek by A.C. Crispin

Author A.C. Crispin was a key figure in not only helping readers understand that tie-in novels shouldn't be dismissed as "amateur" content but also in protecting other writers from being scammed. Her talents as a writer provided light but intricate stories. "Sarek" (not to be confused with the phenomenal "Next Generation" episode of the same name ) is a rich look at one of "Star Trek's" most complicated figures .

"Sarek" is a political thriller tempered by Sarek's sometimes cold Vulcan discipline. A veiled threat from an unknown alien race aims to unbalance the core of the Federation. Balanced against these high stakes is the famed Vulcan ambassador's wife's illness. Amanda Grayson 's humanity helped both Sarek and Spock bridge their two worlds. However, her impending loss threatens to undo the peace father and son forged years ago. In the book, Amanda's journal provides empathetic glimpses inside Sarek's life. "Sarek" is a novel as crucial as "Spock's World" for fans of the iconic Vulcans.

Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan

Uhura 's popularity was a big deal for television back when "Star Trek" first came on the air. Unfortunately, moments in which she took the lead were all too rare. By 1985, Uhura was still a supporting character on screen, but now, she had a couple of novels that gave her some more in-depth attention. "Uhura's Song" is the best and, frankly, the weirdest slice of fanfic-style glory to make it to the printed page.

Long ago, Uhura made friends with a woman named Sunfall of Ennien, a diplomat from the planet Eaiaou, whose love of dance and song outlived her when a deadly pandemic decimated her world. However, there's a clue in the songs Sunfall taught Uhura that might help end the pandemic before it wipes out the whole planet. This is where I have to warn you that this strange and lovely novel is basically "Warrior Cats” in space. Yes, the people of Eaiaou are cat people — with emphasis on the cat side of that equation. Shut up! It's awesome!

Metamorphosis by Jean Lorrah

This last pick is going to be a divisive one. Jean Lorrah 's "Metamorphosis" is a chunky book that lags in a few places, but it does two things well enough to get a sentimental recommendation: First, though non-canon, the book picks up after "Measure of a Man," the "Next Generation" episode that gave Data legal protection as a sentient lifeform and explores the ethical aftermath in a way that's catnip to me. Second, the novel makes the acerbic Dr. Pulaski somewhat likable and empathetic. Now, that's an achievement!

Although there's a handful of plot threads going on in this large, lumpy novel, the biggest one is Data's temporary tenure as what he's wanted to become all along — a fleshy human (with all that entails). As anyone who rolls out of bed to the symphony of their bones cracking could tell the android, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Still, he persists in a weird kind of hero's journey, and although everything is set back to baseline by the end, the trip is one of a kind.

TOME OF NERD

The 6 Best Star Trek Novels of All-Time

How did it take me this long to write a best Star Trek novels article? Don’t get me wrong, I love things like Warhammer 40 and Star Wars . But Star Trek is my bread and butter. It’s what I grew up adoring and continue to follow closely in adulthood.

So that is why Tome of Nerd felt a little incomplete without at least touching on the work of best Star Trek novels. The list below examines everything out there and tries to identify the best of everything. You will find books from almost every series and also a noteworthy spin-off. These are the best of the best and a great place to dive in for any fan of Star Trek.

And don’t forget to check out my companion articles The 7 Best Star Trek Voyager Novels and The 7 Best Star Trek DS9 Novels .

With that, take a look and enjoy!

Star Trek: Destiny by David Mack – Amazon

Star Trek: Destiny is an epic Star Trek adventure featuring the crews from The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager (with a few others thrown in). The story takes place post-Nemesis and spans the entire galaxy. The Borg have returned. A mysterious new world is discovered. And a long lost starship is found. Starring Picard, Riker, and Ezri, each crew finds themselves solving a different piece of the puzzle.

You will find Destiny on many of the best Star Trek novels lists because it’s the next great chapter after the television/film franchise. The trilogy, now collected together, touches on just about every aspect of the Star Trek universe imaginable. David Mack keeps the pace quick and jumps between the crews with skill. This is a page turner, a mystery, and an action-adventure all rolled into one. If you’re a Star Trek buff and want to start reading the book, this is the place to begin.

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson – Amazon

Plain, simple Garak. The fan favorite character returns in the post-DS9 world to reveal his secret origins. As he works to rebuild his home world, he reflects on his history. Some of the biggest Garak mysteries, such as his exile from Cardassia and how he ended up on Deep Space Nine, are revealed in A Stitch in Time .

The biggest selling point of A Stitch in Time is that it was written by Garak himself, Andrew J. Robinson. It’s no cheap cash-in. The novel is expertly written and provides a wonderful addition to Star Trek lore. This is truly a rich character piece that only adds depth to an already strong character. If something like Destiny sounds too intense, A Stitch In Time might be right up your alley. Filled with mystery and intrigue, it’s easily one of the best Star Trek novels published.

Spock’s World by Diane Duane – Amazon

A crisis on the planet Vulcan has led them to request succession from the Federation. Spock must return home, with the crew of the Enterprise, so help solve the problem. As Vulcan history and rituals are revealed, Spock must try to mend the relationship between his two worlds. Can he find a balance within himself and save the Federation?

Spock’s World might sound like a random addition to a best Star Trek novel list, but this TOS-era book is highly regarded and praised. Diane Duane delves deep into Vulcan lore. Half the book is dedicated to the history of Vulcan culture. This provides many different tales to appreciate while keeping you hooked into the main plot. It is a foundational work, to say the least. If you are a fan of Vulcans, Spock, or really any TOS-era stories, Spock’s World is a must read.

Imzadi Forever by Peter David – Amazon

When Deanna Troi dies unexpectedly, Riker sets out on a time-traveling adventure to save her life. Traveling to the past and the future, Riker is at odds with his love for Troi and his duty to Starfleet. Will he be able to save his “beloved” Imzadi?

This is a shockingly good novel. When you think about the Riker and Troi dynamic, you might not necessarily want to read an entire book (or two, as they are now collected) about their history. But Imzadi will prove you wrong. Peter David masterfully crafts a time traveling tale that spans not only the history of Troi and Riker, but many of The Next Generation crew. This is a story of love between two people, but also one of mystery, science fiction, and adventure. It has all the makings of a classic Star Trek tale. The sequel, included in Forever , throws Worf into the mix as well. There is a reason this is considered one of the best Star Trek novels. Check it out.

Q-Squared by Peter David – Amazon

Q returns, but this time he needs Picard’s help. Q-Squared brings together the worlds of TNG and TOS as Trelane hijacks the Q-Continuum. Can the Squire of Gothos be stopped? Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise must traverse the multiverse and prevent the destruction of all existence.

If there was a Hall of Fame for Trek novelists, Peter David would be a shoe-in. He does it again in Q-Squared , a story that many consider one of the best Star Trek novels ever. If you love Q, then this book is a must read. But even for those of you who are less keen on Q (heresy!), there is a lot to love. Peter David mixes in various parallel universes, some you know and some that are new, to create a fantastic adventure in the world of Star Trek. This is one of the greats that can’t be missed.

New Frontier by Peter David – Amazon

Star Trek: New Frontier introduces us to Mackenzie Calhoun, captain of the U.S.S. Excalibur. Calhoun was handpicked by Captain Picard himself to command the new vessel to address the collapse of the Thallonian Empire. Joined by some TNG favorites, like Dr. Selar and Lt. Robin Lefler, the crew begins the next great Star Trek adventure.

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When Is The Next Star Trek Movie Coming Out?

Star trek’s rest of 2024 is all animation - that’s good (& bad), star trek confirms the true power of the mirror universe’s most devious weapon.

Even though the TV show ran for seven seasons and had four feature films follow it, its devotees still clamored for more of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Luckily for them, the series was accompanied by a plethora of novels that further explored the galaxy in the time of TNG .

RELATED: The Best Character In Each Season Of Star Trek TNG

Whether they were continuations of classic episodes or stories with fan-favorite characters, some of the TNG novels rivaled even the best episodes of the series. With a wealth of books to choose from, users on Goodreads assembled an easy to use list that compiled their favorite novels in the TNG universe.

Masks (1991) - 3.50

Diplomacy is usually at the heart of many Star Trek stories, and the novel Masks put an interesting spin on interplanetary relations. In an attempt to establish diplomatic relations on the planet Lorca, Picard leads an away team that has to assimilate into Lorca's feudal culture. Unbeknownst to the crew of the Enterprise, a madman has designs at taking over the ship and ruling Lorca as its leader.

The most interesting aspect of John Vornholt's Masks is the culture of the planet Lorca. Their mask based culture is used to show their class system and it is fascinating seeing the enlightened Enterprise crew attempt to reconcile their modern beliefs with antiquated ideas.

Power Hungry (1989) - 3.92

The stakes rise to a planetary scale in Power Hungry, and the Enterprise is caught in a battle between doing what is right and what is good. Tasked with delivering important famine relief to the planet Thiopa, Captain Picard struggles to find common ground with the planet's dictatorial government. Knowing that giving the government the supplies will not help the people, Picard must find a way to convince the government to change their ways.

Like the best episodes of The Next Generation , Power Hungry hinges upon a moral dilemma with humongous implications. Captain Picard's resolve is tested greatly, and the scope of the conflict keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as Howard Weinstein elevates the conflict throughout the book.

Strike Zone (1989) - 3.54

Science fiction veteran Peter David penned his first Trek novel with the action packed Strike Zone . The Enterprise finds itself mediating a dispute between the Klingon empire and the Kreel, an alien race that has warred with the Klingons for ages. Unlike the past though, the Kreel have stumbled across mysterious weapons that make them more powerful than anyone could imagine.

Simultaneously introducing the Kreel, and making them one of the most powerful aliens in Star Trek , was a brilliant choice by David that makes the conflict more dangerous. The book weaves its two narratives well, and sees Picard placed in a diplomatic role while also investigating the Kreel's strange weapons.

Survivors (1989) - 3.51

Even though she was written off the show during the first season, Survivors by Jean Lorrah told a compelling Tasha Yar story. The Enterprise is sent to a remote colony to mediate a rebellion that threatens to overthrow the planet. On the mission, Data and Yar get the bottom of the conflict and also take time to reflect on Tasha Yar's own difficult life.

RELATED: The 10 Most Frightening Episodes Of Star Trek TNG

The shocking death of Tasha Yar robbed fans of a chance to learn more about the character, but Survivors does an excellent job of filling in the gaps. Heaping additional tragedy on the story, Yar's backstory adds even more intrigue to her short tenure on the show.

The Children Of Hamlin (1988) - 3.43

Author Carmen Carter delivered one of the darkest Star Trek stories of all time when writing The Children of Hamlin . Fifty years after an outpost full of children was kidnapped, the aliens that committed the crime return to the sector in search of the precious metals they need. Prepared for their arrival, the crew of the Enterprise must stop the Choraii from repeating their evil performance.

Alluding to the ancient fairy tale of the Pied Piper, The Children of Hamlin takes its silly premise seriously. Like the original tale, the story is frightening and the implications are truly sinister. The suspense is kept high as the crew must race against time to stop a repeat of the massacre of half a century previous.

The Peacekeepers (1988) - 3.28

The theme that author Gene DeWeese runs through the novel The Peacekeepers is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Data and La Forge are accidentally transported light years from the Enterprise and onto a space station that rules the planet below it with an iron fist. Unfortunately for the two crew members, their arrival threatens to spark a planet wide conflict.

Much in the same way that the show changed over the years , the novels also grew more complicated as they progressed. The Peacekeepers however, is one of the earliest TNG novels and is rather simple with its approach to the story. While it does feature a lot of action, it lacks a lot of the social commentary that Trek fans are familiar with.

Ghost Ship (1988) - 3.18

For the very first TNG novel, author Diane Carey delivered a frightening tale that spanned centuries. Counselor Troi is tortured by a nightmare in which she witnesses a Russian space crew from the 1990s being absorbed by a mysterious entity. Soon the Enterprise is threatened by the same entity and they must find a way to avoid the same fate as the Russian crew.

Its dated premise aside, Ghost Ship finds an interesting way to utilize Counselor Troi as a character, and her communication skills are integral to the plot. The frightening threat of assimilation keeps the story going, and the entity in the book is one of the most powerful villains that the crew has ever faced .

Imzadi (1992) - 3.92

Peter David explored one of The Next Generation 's most powerful romances in the epic sized novel Imzadi . Drawing from their past experience that forever linked them romantically, Commander Riker goes on an epic, time and space spanning quest to rescue Deanna Troi after she dies in a tragic accident.

RELATED: 10 Star Trek TNG Guest Characters Who Should Have Had A Follow Up Episode, Ranked

Not only does the novel tell an exciting story, but it also provides interesting background for Riker and Troi's notoriously inconsistent relationship in the show. Leaving romance aside, Riker's adventure is on an epic scale and his morals are pushed to their very limit by his love for Troi.

Vendetta (1991) - 3.83

Showing he could tackle any kind of Trek story in yet another epic sized novel, author Peter David reintroduced one of the most fearsome foes from TNG . The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from a planet that is under siege by the Borg. The planet's lone survivor eventually develops a way to eliminate the Borg, but with a terrible price.

With a plot eerily similar to the episode "I,Borg", Vendetta isn't necessarily the most original story in the novel catalogue. What it lacks in originality it makes up for in its great characterization and fast paced plot. Despite being one of the longest Trek books, its length feels earned by great writing.

A Rock And A Hard Place (1990) - 3.63

Author Peter David skillfully balances two great plots in A Rock and a Hard Place , and each thread is strong enough to stand alone as its own story. The terraforming effort on the planet Paradise falls behind schedule and Commander Riker is dispatched to assist. To temporarily replace him as first officer, a volatile commander is reassigned and conflicts arise aboard the ship.

The novel serves Riker's character very well, and shows that he is not only a competent leader, but also irreplaceable on the Enterprise. The mystery that Riker investigates on Paradise is rather boilerplate, but the combination of his plot with the b-plot surrounding his replacement, keeps the book moving. Ultimately, the best compliment that can be paid to any Trek books is that it reads like a great episode of the series, and that is certainly true with A Rock and a Hard Place .

NEXT: 10 Best Borg Episodes Of Star Trek (According To IMDb)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

The Best Sci Fi Books

Find a great science fiction book, 25 best star trek books.

As one of the most popular franchises in movie and TV history, Star Trek is not lacking for extensive and thoughtful source material.

As of November 2019, approximately 850 novels, short story anthologies, novelizations, and omnibus editions have been published.

Star Trek books are often ignored (sometimes rightly so) by review sites like Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly , so you’ll have to decide for yourself if a certain book sounds like your cup of Earl Grey tea (hot).

Section 31, the covert organization which has operated without accountability in the shadows for more than two centuries, has been exposed. Throughout the Federation, the rogue group’s agents and leaders are being taken into custody as the sheer scope of its misdeeds comes to light. Now Starfleet Command must decide the consequences for numerous officers caught up in the scandal—including Admirals William Ross, Edward Jellico, Alynna Nechayev, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard who, along with many others, are implicated in the forced removal of a Federation president.

Meanwhile, deep in the distant, unexplored region of space known as the Odyssean Pass, Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise must put aside personal feelings and political concerns as they investigate a massive mysterious spacecraft. Adrift for centuries in the void, the ship is vital to the survival of an endangered civilization which has spent generations searching for a world to sustain what remains of its people. Complicating matters is a band of marauders who have their own designs on the ancient ship, with only the Enterprise standing in their way….

The ancient Thallonian Empire has collapsed, throwing an entire sector of the galaxy into chaos and unrest. Billions of sentient beings are faced with starvation, warfare, and worse. Faced with a tragedy of interstellar proportions, Starfleet assembles a new, handpicked crew to help where it can and report what it finds.

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, recommended by Jean-Luc Picard himself, takes command of the USS Excalibur , which is manned by Starfleet’s best and brightest (including some familiar faces from the Next Generation series).

They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet’s most feared and cunning adversary. They are the Romulans—and for eight years, Federation Agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst.

Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice—between exposure, escape, maintaining her cover, or saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy.

Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson, is dying. Spock returns to the planet Vulcan where he and Sarek enjoy a rare moment of rapprochement. But just as his wife’s illness grows worse, duty calls Sarek away, once again sowing the seeds of conflict between father and son. Yet soon Sarek and Spock must put aside their differences and work together to foil a far-reaching plot to destroy the Federation, a plot that Sarek has seen in the making for nearly his entire career.

The crew of the USS Enterprise journeys to the heart of the Klingon Empire where Captain Kirk’s last surviving relative has become a pawn in a battle to divide and conquer the Federation. With Sarek’s help, the crew of the starship Enterprise learns that all is not as it seems. But before they can prevent the Federation’s destruction, they must see the face of their hidden enemy, an enemy more insidious and more dangerous than any they have faced before.

The USS Enterprise is on a peaceful mission at Starbase 12 when a bizarre cosmic phenomenon causes a Klingon ship to suddenly vanish—with Spock aboard for the ride. Spock’s last message from the Klingon ship is cryptic and frightening. The Klingons are traveling into the past, searching for the one man who holds the key to the future. If they can kill that man, the course of history will be changed—and the Federation will be destroyed!

“Fifteen years ago…you led us out of the darkness. You commanded the greatest rescue armada in history. Then…the unimaginable. What did that cost you? Your faith. Your faith in us. Your faith in yourself. Tell us, why did you leave Starfleet, Admiral?”

Every end has a beginning…and this novel details the events leading into the Star Trek TV series, introducing brand-new characters featured in the life of Jean-Luc Picard—widely considered to be one of the most popular and recognizable characters in all of science fiction.

Starfleet’s most sacred commandment has been violated. Its most honored captain is in disgrace, its most celebrated starship in pieces, and the crew of that ship scattered among the thousand worlds of the Federation.

Spock, McCoy, and the rest of the former crew of the Starship Enterprise to Talin, the planet where their careers ended. A world once teeming with life now lies ruined, its cities turned to ashes, its surface devastated by a radioactive firestorm, because of their actions. There, they must find out how—and why—this tragedy occurred and discover what has become of their captain.

Trelane is revealed to be a member of the Q Continuum. He taps into the power of the continuum and uses this ability to tamper with time and reality, resulting in the intersection of three different parallel universes, which are also referred to as time “tracks.”

Track A is a universe in which Beverly Crusher’s husband Jack never died, and now serves as captain of the Enterprise with Jean-Luc Picard as his first officer; in this universe, Jack’s son Wesley died as a boy and Jack and Beverly divorced.

Track B is the traditional universe depicted on Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Track C is akin to the more militaristic alternate universe shown in the Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” in which the Federation is at war with the Klingons.

Q, who had been charged with the task of “mentoring” Trelane (a task each “adult” Q must accept at least once for an “adolescent” Q), enlists the help of Picard and the crew of the Enterprise -D in the three different timelines in order to teach Trelane discipline, and eventually, to stop him from destroying the fabric of the universe by collapsing the alternate universes together.

The final frontier erupts into chaos as vast quantities of a rare energy source are discovered beneath the surface of Baldur-3, a remote planet beyond the outer fringes of Federation space. Now, an old-fashioned “gold rush” is underway as a flood of would-be prospectors, from countless worlds and species, races toward the planet to stake their claim.

The galactic stampede threatens the stability of neighboring planets and space stations, as widespread strife and sabotage and all-around pandemonium result in a desperate need for Starfleet assistance. Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are dispatched to deal with the escalating crisis… which lies on the other side of a famously perilous region of space known as the Antares Maelstrom.

Half a decade after the Dominion War and more than a year after the rise and fall of Praetor Shinzon, the galaxy’s greatest scourge returns to wreak havoc upon the Federation—and this time its goal is nothing less than total annihilation.

Elsewhere, deep in the Gamma Quadrant, an ancient mystery is solved. One of Earth’s first generation of starships, lost for centuries, has been found dead and empty on a desolate planet. But its discovery so far from home has raised disturbing questions, and the answers harken back to a struggle for survival that once tested a captain and her crew to the limits of their humanity.

From that terrifying flashpoint begins an apocalyptic odyssey that will reach across time and space to reveal the past, define the future, and show three captains—Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise , William Riker of the USS Titan , and Ezri Dax of the USS Aventine —that some destinies are inescapable.

In this award-winner for cheesiest title, Kirk and McCoy accompany Spock to the Vulcan Academy Hospital seeking experimental treatment for a badly wounded Enterprise crew member. Spock’s mother is also a patient in the hospital, and Kirk soon becomes involved in the complex drama of Spock’s family.

Suddenly, patients are dying, and Kirk suspects the unthinkable—murder on Vulcan! But can he convince the Vulcans that something as illogical as murder is possible? Until the Killer is caught, everyone is in danger!

Five thousand years ago, on the planet Sarpedion, Spock knew a beautiful, primitive woman. When the USS Enterprise is called upon to protect the Guardian of Forever, a mysterious time portal, Spock uses it to journey to the past, and to discover his own son.

A spy for the Typhon Pact—a new political rival of the Federation—steals the plans for Starfleet’s newest technological advance: the slipstream drive. To stop the Typhon Pact from unlocking the drive’s secrets, Starfleet Intelligence recruits a pair of genetically enhanced agents: Dr. Julian Bashir, of station Deep Space 9 , and Sarina Douglas, a woman whose talents Bashir helped bring to fruition, and whom Bashir thinks of as his long-lost true love.

Bashir and Douglas are sent to infiltrate the mysterious species known as the Breen, find the hidden slipstream project, and destroy it. Meanwhile, light-years away, Captain Ezri Dax and her crew on the USS Aventine play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a Typhon Pact fleet that stands between them and the safe retrieval of Bashir and Douglas from hostile territory.

In crystalline form, dilithium is the most valuable mineral in the galaxy. It powers the Federation’s starships and the Klingon Empire’s battlecruisers. Now on a small, out-of-the-way planet named Direidi, the greatest fortune in dilithium crystals ever seen has been found.

Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, the planet will go to the side best able to develop the planet and its resources. Each side will contest the prize with the prime of its fleet. For the Federation, Captain James T. Kirk and the starship Enterprise . For the Klingons, Captain Kaden vestai-Oparai and the Fire Blossom .

Only the Direidians are writing their own script for this contest—a script that propels the crew of the Enterprise into one of their strangest adventures yet.

Aboard the starship Shenzhou , Lieutenant Michael Burnham, a human woman raised and educated among Vulcans, is promoted to acting first officer. But if she wants to keep the job, she must prove to Captain Philippa Georgiou that she deserves to have it.

She gets her chance when the Shenzhou must protect a Federation colony that is under attack by an ancient alien vessel that has surfaced from the deepest fathoms of the planet’s dark, uncharted sea.

As the menace from this mysterious vessel grows stronger, Starfleet declares the colony expendable in the name of halting the threat. To save thousands of innocent lives, Burnham must infiltrate the alien ship. But to do so, she needs to face the truth of her troubled past, and seek the aid of a man she has tried to avoid her entire life.

While Kirk and his crew struggle to free scientist Zefram Cochrane from captors, ninety-nine years in the future Jean-Luc Picard must rescue a mysterious individual who holds the key to the Federation’s ultimate survival.

For nearly a decade, Garak has longed for just one thing—to go home. Exiled on a space station, surrounded by aliens who loathe and distrust him, going back to Cardassia has been Garak’s one dream. Now, finally, he is home.

But home is a world whose landscape is filled with death and destruction. Desperation and dust are constant companions and luxury is a glass of clean water and a warm place to sleep.

Klingon Captain Krenn is a ruthless war strategist. But on a mission to Earth, Krenn learns a lesson in peace. Suddenly he must fight a secret battle of his own. His empire has a covert plan to shatter the Federation. Only Krenn can prevent a war—at the risk of his own life.

When a freak transporter malfunction during a Klingon attack creates an imposter Spock, Captain Kirk must discover how to save his friend from the machinations of his exact replica.

Hearing of the outbreak of hostilities between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, Captain Christopher Pike attempts to bring the USS Enterprise home to join in the fight. But in the hellish nebula known as the Pergamum, the stalwart commander instead finds an epic battle of his own, pitting ancient enemies against one another—with not just the Enterprise, but her crew as the spoils of war.

Lost and out of contact with Earth for an entire year, Pike and his trusted first officer, Number One, struggle to find and reunite the ship’s crew—all while Science Officer Spock confronts a mystery that puts even his exceptional skills to the test, with more than their own survival possibly riding on the outcome.

Returning from its historic first voyage to the edge of the galaxy, the damaged USS Enterprise journeys through the Taurus Reach, a vast and little-known region of space in which a new starbase has been unexpectedly established. Puzzled by the Federation’s interest in an area so far from its borders and so near the xenophobic Tholian Assembly, Captain James T. Kirk orders the Enterprise to put in for repairs at the new space station: Starbase 47, also known as Vanguard .

As Kirk ponders the mystery of the enormous base, he begins to suspect that there is much more to Vanguard than meets the eye. It’s a suspicion shared by the Tholians, the Orions, and the Klingon Empire, each of whom believes that there are less than benign motives behind the Federation’s sudden and unexplained desire to explore and colonize the Taurus Reach.

But when a calamity deep within the Reach threatens to compromise Starfleet’s continued presence in the region, Kirk, Spock, and several key specialists from the Enterprise must assist Vanguard’s crew in investigating the cause of the disaster and containing the damage. In the process, they learn the true purpose behind the creation of Vanguard , and what the outcome of its mission may mean for life throughout that part of the galaxy.

The Enterprise is summoned to transport a dangerous criminal from Starbase prison to a rehabilitation center: brilliant physicist, Dr. Georges Mordreaux, accused of promising to send people back in time and then killing them instead.

But when Mordreaux escapes, bursts onto the bridge and kills Captain Kirk, Spock must journey back in time to avert disaster before it occurs.

Now there’s more at stake than just Kirk’s life. Mordreaux’s experiments have thrown the entire universe into a deadly time warp. Spock is fighting time, and the entire universe is closing in on itself.

On the planet Vulcan, a crisis of unprecedented proportion has caused the convocation of the planet’s ruling council, who summoned the USS Enterprise from halfway across the galaxy, to bring Vulcan’s most famous son home in its hour of need.

As Commander Spock, his father Sarek, and Captain James T. Kirk struggle to preserve Vulcan’s future, the planet’s innermost secrets are laid before the reader, from its beginnings millions of years ago to its savage prehistory, from merciless tribal warfare to medieval court intrigue, from the exploration of space to the development of o’thia—the ruling ethic of logic.

Spock, torn between his duty to Starfleet and the unbreakable ties that bind him to Vulcan, must find a way to reconcile both his own inner conflict and the external dilemma his planet faces, lest the Federation itself be ripped asunder.

Years ago, Lt. Uhura befriended a diplomat from Eeiauo, the land of graceful, cat-like beings. The two women exchanged songs and promised never to reveal their secret.

Now the USS Enterprise is orbiting Eeiauo in a desperate race to save the inhabitants before a deadly plague destroys them. Uhura’s secret songs may hold the key to a cure, but the clues are veiled in layers of mystery. The plague is killing humans, threatening other planets, and Kirk must crack the code before the Starship Enterprise succumbs.

Years before they became crewmates on the USS Enterprise , Commander William Riker and ship’s counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed.

Now, as their passions have cooled, the two serve together as close friends. Yet the memories of what passed between them linger, and Riker and Troi remain Imzadi , a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share.

On a delicate mission involving negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen, Deanna mysteriously falls ill, and dies. But her death marks the start of an incredible adventure for Riker—an adventure that takes him across time, pits him against one of his closest friends, and forces him to choose between Starfleet’s strictest rule and the one he calls Imzadi .

9 thoughts on “ 25 Best Star Trek Books ”

Missing “Strangers from the Sky.”

Imzadi is my favorite read of the Star Trek universe. I don’t really remember how many I read, but it was a lot, mostly in Next Gen and DS9. Around the time Imzadi was published I was obsessed with the Star Trek universe and read nothing else but tie-in novels. Good times.

Would have been very disappointed had The Final Reflection not made the list. Awesome look into the Klingon Empire prior to the advent of the Next Generation

I was so happy to see Ishmael on the list. I still have the original copy I purchased back in 1985. I loved almost all the TOS books from around that time, but Ismael was my favorite. Only one I kept.

How is Destiny not on this list? You’ve got some wonderful titles here, but I think I’ve read the Destiny trilogy at least 5 times!

Zero for 25 here.

I did read the Star Trek Log books by Alan Dean Foster back in the 1970s. https://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Alan-Dean-Foster/dp/0345250427/

Best Destiny should be on here as a great alternative Kirk coming of age story versus the JJ trash. Probe would have been a good book to include, as would Strangers from the Sky as someone else pointed out. I’m also disappointed that Starfleet Year One wasn’t included. Otherwise, I agree with this list mostly.

So glad Federation made the list. It’s my all time favorite Trek novel. The Ashes of Eden is great too and deserved a spot but overall, it’s a solid list.

I am amazed the Uhura’s Song is rated second best book let alone it is on this list at all. That book is awful – probably the worst of all the Star trek books I’ve ever read and that is a lot. I’m glad to see Yesterday’s Son on the list and surprised the First Frontier is not.

The Best Star Trek Novels: A Personal List

Star Trek has always been my fictional comfort food. When times are tough, I can always put on an episode or open a book and things aren’t so bad for a while. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of scientific discovery, the positive vision of humanity’s future, or just the premise of a diverse and competent crew working together to make the galaxy a better place—I almost always end a Star Trek story feeling a little more hopeful than when I began. If, like me, you’ve watched all the Star Trek out there and still want more, here’s a list of books to get you started.

The Rihannsu Series

This series of novels follows the Original Series crew as they become entangled in various Romulan plots to dominate the galaxy, beginning with a secret lab of psychic super soldiers and climaxing with a doomsday weapon aimed at the heart of Federation space. Kirk is initially sent to investigate the hijacking of a Starfleet vessel. There he meets and (eventually) befriends Ael, commander of Bloodwing , a warship full of defectors from Romulus. Together, the two crews work to keep the simmering tensions between the interstellar powers from boiling over into all-out war. The Rihannsu books provide a densely detailed portrait of Romulan history, philosophy, and culture. You will come to understand the origins of their language, and how it shaped the thinking of their people and their quixotic sense of honor. While all of this is technically non-canon, you can definitely see its influence on the show Picard . If you always wanted to know more about this fascinating yet enigmatic people, Rihannsu and Picard make an excellent pairing.

Buy My Enemy, My Ally at Amazon

"Metamorphosis"

The Enterprise-D finds a seemingly magic mountain on the planet Elysia. Commander Data is sent to investigate and ends up literally going on a Hero’s Journey, complete with a quest to help a fair maiden by traveling into the underworld. This adventure tests Data to his limits, for at the end awaits a treasure beyond compare, the android’s only wish: to become human. That would be enough to explore for any novel, but Metamorphosis keeps going past where the credits would normally roll on an episode. We get to follow Data through his awkward first steps of being human, learning how to live with a fragile fleshy body, and coping with his new limitations. My favorite moment is when Data realizes he no longer has all of Starfleet’s databanks in his memory and will have to actually do his homework to prepare for briefings. The story keeps twisting from there, and goes to some pretty ridiculous lengths that I won’t spoil for you. The whole book feels like a metafictional commentary on narrative structure, and I love it just a little bit more every time I read it.

Buy Metamorphosis at Amazon

"Planet X"

Speaking of ridiculous premises, there was a comic in which the crew of the Enterprise-D entered the Marvel Universe and fought Kang the Conqueror with the help of the X-Men. Even more ridiculous, this novel is a sequel to that comic book. This time, the X-Men end up in the Star Trek universe and help Picard and crew resolve the civil upheaval on a world experiencing mutations in its population. People are developing strange and dangerous powers, and the rest of the society hates and fears them for it. The X-Men find this all too familiar, and together with the Enterprise crew, they manage to bring both sides of the conflict together to find a peaceful way forward. There’s lots of fun bits like characters commenting on the uncanny resemblance between Captain Picard and Charles Xavier, years before Sir Patrick Stewart played the latter role. My personal highlight is Worf and Wolverine fighting X-Men villains together on the holodeck. Is it great literature? No. But it is a fun and weird pop cultural artifact worth exploring if you can find a copy.

Buy Planet X at Amazon

The Mirror Universe Series

The Mirror Universe is a dark reflection of the Star Trek universe we know and love, and the source of endless “evil twin” plots. Basically, everything is its opposite. In the Mirror Universe, the tolerant and peace-loving United Federation of Planets is actually the xenophobic and warlike Terran Empire. Instead of the collegiate atmosphere of cooperation, these human supremacists are motivated solely by hatred and self-interest. In the Terran Empire, the quickest way to a promotion is literal backstabbing. The rest of the universe is similarly warped, and these books will take you on a guided tour through it all. You will learn the history of the Terran Empire’s bloody rise and catastrophic fall, follow the adventures of a space pirate named Luc Picard, and witness the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance crushing the galaxy beneath its boot heel. Just a few of the bizarre reflections you will witness as these books take you to all your favorite corners of a familiar galaxy to see just how different things could be. Honestly, it reads like what would happen if they tried to do a “darker and grittier” Star Trek reboot. If you enjoyed Discovery’ s voyage to the Mirror Universe, this series is for you.

Buy Dark Mirror at Amazon

The Cold Equations Series

This series is all about the many different forms of artificial life that exist in the Star Trek galaxy. Doctor Noonien Soong is surprisingly not dead, and leads the crew of the Enterprise-E on a merry chase as he carries out a crazy complicated plan to resurrect his artificial son. On his journey you will learn a great deal about his life and work, as well as the development of Data. Once Soong succeeds in bringing him back, Data proves himself to be a chip off the old block, setting out on a quest to resurrect his departed daughter, Lal. Along the way they discover a secret Fellowship of Artificial Intelligences, from whom they learn the ancient history of artificial life. Of course, it turns out the AIs are scheming to destroy all organic life in the galaxy, but the books take this plot in an unexpected and much more satisfying direction than the more recent Picard . Finally, if you were wondering what the hell happened to Wesley after he vanished from TNG, these books have answers for that, too.

Buy The Persistence of Memory at Amazon

The Department of Temporal Investigations Series

Time travel is a big no-no in Starfleet. Divergent timelines, alternate histories and temporal revisionism are all frowned upon by the members of the Department of Temporal Investigations. It’s their job to keep people from screwing around in the timestream and rewriting history. If you fly your ship back to the past and pick up a whale, you’ll likely get to have an unpleasant chat with Agents Dulmer and Lucsly. The regulation of time travel is a fertile subject for sci-fi, and this series covers every angle from policing abuses to helping victims of temporal displacement cope with their situation. There are complex political machinations between the different states as they try to agree on responsible rules for time travel. It’s fascinating to witness the debates of a governing body composed of people not just from different places, but also different eras. These books are able to cover (nearly) the entirety of Star Trek history, making narrative connections between almost every time travel event in the canon. It’s a real treat for completist fans, and has a ton of fun playing with all the tropes and toys in the time travel box. The second book in the series is both a sequel and its own prequel. They’re honestly some of the best time travel books I’ve ever read, Star Trek or not.

Buy Watching the Clock at Amazon

The Klingon Empire Series

If you’re tired of reading about very polite and pleasant professionals working together in the post-scarcity utopia of the Federation, perhaps you’ll enjoy a rousing adventure with Star Trek’s beloved space vikings: the Klingons. The Empire must expand again, meaning there is battle, honor and glory to be had—a Klingon’s three favorite things. The first three novels of this series embed you with the crew of the IKS Gorkon on a tour of duty. It’s one of few stories that explores Klingon culture beyond the warrior class. The books use multiple point-of-view characters to paint a complete picture of life in the Empire at all levels of their society, from lowly medics to mighty commanders. It’s also a fun way for fans to catch up with all of the Klingon supporting characters from the shows. And of course, no Klingon tale would be complete without an epic battle. At one point, they pause their war of territorial conquest to fight a civil war on the side over the outcome of an honor duel. If you’ve ever been intrigued by Star Trek’s greatest warriors, the Klingon Empire series will show you a good time.

Buy A Burning House at Amazon

The Q Continuum Series

This series focuses on the impish immortal prankster Q. He has once again kidnapped Picard to take him on a wild transcendental trip to learn about the secrets of the universe. They go back in time to see Q’s misspent, troublemaking youth and witness the secret history of the Q Continuum. But on this stroll down memory lane, Picard learns about a terrible threat that awaits them beyond the bounds of their galaxy. The Q Continuum is preparing to face its greatest foe, an utterly malevolent being with the ability to reshape reality at will, more powerful than even the Q. Picard and the Enterprise end up playing referee in a battle between gods for the fate of all existence. This series is another treat for completists—through Q’s life story, the novels manage to tie together the most extensive history of the Star Trek universe I had ever read at the time.

Buy Q Space at Amazon

Star Trek is a fictional universe of unlimited narrative potential, perfectly built to support a never-ending collection of stories. Sometimes I find it hard to believe Star Trek didn’t begin as a novel, as its dense ideas and rich world-building are perfectly suited to the form. These are just a few of my most fondly remembered favorites. It is by no means a complete or ranked list. Any of the listed series will be worth your time, but there’s plenty more where that came from. If there are any great ones I left out, feel free to leave them in the comments.

About the author

BH Shepherd is a writer and a DJ from Texas. He graduated from Skidmore College in 2005 with degrees in English and Demonology after writing a thesis about Doctor Doom. A hardcore sci-fi geek, noir junkie and comic book prophet, BH Shepherd has spent a lot of time studying things that don’t exist. He currently resides in Austin, where he is working on The Greatest Novel Ever.

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There have been Star Trek novels almost as long as there's been a show. The earliest books to take place in the Star Trek universe were released as early as 1967, and the trend continues right up until the present day. Given the popularity of the IP, there might be a new novel every day, and that's not including all the fan fiction.

Related: Star Trek: Saddest Deaths In The Franchise, Ranked

Given the breadth of choices when it comes to Star Trek novels, it's tough to choose only a few that could be the best . The following choices aren't novelizations of movies or shows, but unique stories that don't appear in other mediums. They do include settings or characters that have already been featured on the big and small screen even though most of them are considered non-canon.

7 Imzadi, By Peter David (1992)

The Next Generation fans will recognize Imzadi as a Betazoid term of endearment. Riker's mission to Betazed early in his career is alluded to on the show several times, but it was never really explored in detail like it is in this book. It's primarily an adventure, that involves time travel and the nature of the human soul.

The term "Imzadi" doesn't mean something casual like "honey" or even a more poetic term like "beloved." It's a deeply spiritual expression about the first being to touch your soul. Not to give away any spoilers , but the lesson here isn't one of universal diplomacy or stunning modern technology, just the ancient knowledge that love conquers all.

6 A Stitch In Time, By Andrew Robinson (2000)

Elim Garak is a familiar name to those who know their Star Trek lore, in particular Deep Space Nine . The character has an interesting history; he was intended as a one-off , but viewers and scriptwriters like the character so much that they wrote him in as a recurring plot device instead. In a further twist, the actor that portrayed the character also wrote this book, and since this novel evolved from a series of diary entries that were part of the show, that makes a lot of sense.

Related: Star Trek’s Planet Classes, Explained

Robinson wrote these diary entries, which go back to Garak's childhood and early training, to explore the character for his purposes as an actor. Another Star Trek and sci-fi writer, David R. George III, heard Robinson read part of the diary at a convention and thought it would make a good novel. The rest might not be canon, but it is history.

5 Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages, By Diane Duane & Peter Morwood (2006)

This is a series of four shorter novels, which can be read separately, but this is an anthology that collects all four under one title. One edition was called Star Trek: Rihannsu but this was a version limited to certain book club members, so those looking for the title in modern bookstores are advised to look under Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages .

The word "Rhannsu" is a word that means "Romulan" and the books follow a small group of characters while giving exposition on the lore in general. For viewers that are interested in Romulan lore, this novel is highly recommended reading, and for those who aren't, these books might change your mind about one of Star Trek's most notorious races.

4 Prime Directive, By Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (1990)

Prime Directive is a novel of what could have been a typical The Original Series episode and features the classic team of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Instead of being flippant about the most important rule in Starfleet that nobody follows, this one takes it seriously and gives the reader some real-world consequences as to what happens when it's overlooked.

Related: Best Star Trek Admirals, Ranked

The plot revolves around an incident in which the crew decides to violate the Prime Directive, and the consequences are disastrous on a planetary scale. Spock helps the crew redeem themselves, however, and uncovers a much bigger plot and enemy in the process. The novel has some prescient ideas, like the beings that call themselves the One, who sound suspiciously like the Borg.

3 The Entropy Effect, By Vonda N. McIntyre (1981)

It's not just one of the oldest and best stories that focus on everyone's favorite Vulcan, it's the first original story in what would become an extensive library of Star Trek novels from Pocket Books publishing. Writer Vonda N. McIntyre was also a biologist, making The Entropy Effect higher on the reading list for those with an appreciation for the science fiction side of Star Trek.

The story revolves around two parallel stories that intertwine; one about Spock and his study of a naked singularity and the other about the transport of a dangerous criminal. The singularity, which is similar to a phenomenon like a black hole, was also the subject of study for the prisoner, Dr. Georges Mordreaux. The doctor, convicted of murder and other grisly crimes, is also a source of fascination for Spock, and as the story unfolds he has to confront and defeat a person he admires.

2 Dead Endless, By Dave Galanter (2019)

Dead Endless is one of the more recent additions to the Star Trek reading library, and it's based on one of the more recently released shows, Discovery . The story revolves around characters Hugh Culber and Paul Stamets, the latter of which uses his mind and consciousness to navigate the secret spore drive.

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The story explores the idea of the existence of human consciousness within the mycelial network, and it's not official canon it could fit into the Discovery timeline. For readers who are looking for more Discovery novels, Gallery Books has several others that take place in the same setting.

1 The Eugenics Wars: The Rise And Fall Of Khan Noonien Singh (2001)

This isn't a novelization of The Wrath of Khan movie but one novel in a larger series about the Eugenics Wars overall, and this volume focuses on the rise of Star Trek's most infamous villain. Considering that the movie came out in 1982, and the popularity of the character , it's amazing that it took so long to release a novelization of the same era.

The novel traces the very beginning of the eugenics projects that would eventually give rise to genetically augmented humans and begins on Earth in 1974. The Watchers have a team on earth who have been keeping an eye on the Chrysalis Project; Gary Seven, his human secretary Roberta Lincoln, and the shapeshifter Isis. These characters also appeared on the TOS episode "Assignment Earth" which was intended to be a backdoor pilot for a show featuring Gary Seven.

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The Golden Age

TOS Top 25 Novels

In addition to the Taurus Reach novel series, the following 25 books are rated by DeepSpaceSpines.com as some of the best novels among the vast inventory of published TOS era books.

The Entropy Effect (TOS #2), by Vonda McIntyre
Yesterday’s Son (TOS #11), by Ann Crispin
The Wounded Sky (TOS #13), by Diane Duane
The Final Reflection (TOS #16), by John M. Ford
My Enemy, My Ally (TOS #18), by Diane Duane
The Tears of the Singers (TOS #19), by Melinda Snodgrass
Uhura’s Song (TOS #21), by Janet Kagan
Dwellers in the Crucible (TOS #25), by Margaret Wander Bonanno
Mindshadow (TOS #27), by J.M. Dillard
Enterprise: The First Adventure (TOS event novel), by Vonda McIntyre
Strangers from the Sky (TOS event novel), by Margaret Wander Bonanno
The Romulan Way (TOS #35), by Diane Duane
Time for Yesterday (TOS #39), by Ann Crispin
The Three-Minute Universe (TOS #41), by Barbara Paul
Spock’s World (TOS event novel), by Diane Duane
The Cry of the Onlies (TOS #46), by Judy Klass
The Kobayashi Maru (TOS #47), by Julia Ecklar
Doctor’s Orders (TOS #50), by Diane Duane
Prime Directive (TOS event novel), by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
The Disinherited (TOS #59), by Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, and Robert Greenberger
Sanctuary (TOS #61), by John Vornholt
The Starship Trap (TOS #64), by Mel Gilden
Shadows on the Sun (TOS event novel), by Michael Jan Friedman
Sarek (TOS event novel), by Ann Crispin
Crossroad (TOS #71), by Barbara Hambly
Star Trek Novels

What Is Classic Trek?

Hi, I’m Stan, and I like to read and write about the Golden Age of Star Trek, which (in novels, comics, and games) continues to the present day. If you like The Original Series, and like roleplaying or wargames, follow this blog. Over time I hope to build a community of great fan resources for reading and gaming.

Now Reading: “Reap the Whirlwind” by David Mack

Coming Soon: Classic Trek PDF

Star Trek: Best Book-Only Characters

The Star Trek novels introduce unique characters like Akaar and Treir, adding depth to the expansive Starfleet universe.
Characters like Nick Keller and Elias Vaughn bring new perspectives to the post- DS9 era, facing challenging galactic events.
Mackenzie Calhoun leads the USS Excalibur in a new hero ship series, showcasing tactical genius in the New Frontier books.

Just like the universe itself, the Star Trek franchise is huge and far-reaching, encompassing several television shows, and numerous video games, movies, and books. While many of Star Trek 's most iconic characters appear in various series and films, there are many other great characters who only feature in alternative media sources. For instance, the final frontier has spawned some memorable video game-based characters .

Star Trek: 8 Most Powerful Federation Starships, Ranked

Yet perhaps the richest source of characters is the now questionably canon series of books that take place following The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine . From fresh takes on classic species like the Andorians and Orions, to some of Starfleet's finest officers, the Star Trek novels are a treasure trove of notable figures.

Leonard James Akaar

First appearence: star trek mission gamma book one: twilight.

Author: David R. George III
Publication Date: September 2002

Leonard James Akaar is unique among novel-only characters in that he does, in fact, make a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance on televised Trek . "Friday's Child," an episode of The Original Series , ends with his birth; however, the Capellan royal would not be seriously fleshed out until 2002's Mission Gamma: Twilight . By the time of the Deep Space 9 novels, Akaar had risen through the ranks of Starfleet to become an influential admiral with the ear of the Federation president.

Akaar's strategic mindset and steely resolve proved essential in preserving the Federation through some of its darkest periods, including the Borg invasion depicted in the Star Trek: Destiny series. The Starfleet legend may have been born in The Original Series , but the Star Trek novels were where he made his name.

First Appearence: Star Trek: Demons of Air and Darkness

Author: Keith R. A. DeCandido
Publication Date: September 2001

Star Trek features many inspirational female characters, from Kira Nerys to Katherine Janeway. However, few are as resourceful or as motivated as Treir , an Orion Dabo girl who transformed Quark's Bar into a highly successful business during the post- DS9 novels. Following her escape from Orion servitude, Treir earned her place as Quark's right-hand woman by implementing a series of radical reforms, including hiring a Dabo boy to attract more customers.

Star Trek: The Fates Of Every Live-Action TV Show's Main Character

Treir may not play a significant role in the canon-shattering events depicted in the Deep Space 9 novels, but this ruthless businesswoman helped to make Star Trek 's prose universe feel like a living, breathing place. If anyone is capable of giving Quark a run for his latinum, it's her.

Nick Keller

First appearence: star trek new earth: challenger.

Author: Diane Carey
Publication Date: August 2000

New Earth , a series of six novels that take place between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan , was intended to act as a backdoor pilot for a new narrative focusing on Commander Nick Keller . In the final novel, Keller takes command of a makeshift starship in order to defend the human colony of Belle Terre from alien attack. Keller was conflicted between overthrowing his inept captain and preserving the lives of his comrades, and it's a great shame that a full series based on the space cowboy's adventures never emerged.

Interestingly, author Diane Carey based Keller's appearance on Scott Bakula, who would go on to play Captain Jonathan Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise . Keller, however, would make only two more appearances in the Star Trek universe, with both being part of the multi-series Gateways crossover event.

Elias Vaughn

First appearence: star trek: avatar (book one).

Author: S. D. Perry
Publication Date: July 2001

Elias Vaughn was a Starfleet officer and intelligence operative who joined Deep Space 9's command staff following the end of the Dominion War . Despite only holding the rank of commander, Vaughn's expertise proved a boon to the Federation outpost, and he played a role in several key events, including the USS Defiant 's post-war exploration of the Gamma Quadrant (depicted in the Mission Gamma sub-series).

Star Trek: 8 Impressive Things Kirk Did Before Joining The USS Enterprise

Vaughn was haunted by the death of his wife, Ruriko, and his troubled relationship with his estranged daughter, Prynn. This relationship was complicated by the fact that Prynn was also assigned to Deep Space 9. However, father and daughter were eventually able to reconcile–but not without some bumps along the way.

Christine Vale

First appearence: star trek: the belly of the beast.

Author: Dean Wesley Smith

While William Riker's USS Titan has made notable appearances in Star Trek: Lower Decks , the starship's adventures were originally chronicled in a series of spin-off novels. These books featured Christine Vale , a former detective turned Starfleet officer, as Riker's second-in-command. Vale was initially unwilling to take the post, as she disliked the idea of Riker working so closely with his wife, Deanna Troi.

Luckily, Vale took the post, which allowed her to act as a counterweight to any of Riker's Troi-related biases. During her time aboard the USS Titan , she helped to explore the Beta Quadrant and fend off a Borg invasion. Indeed, her record was so good that, following Riker's promotion to admiral, she took command of the Luna -class starship.

Thirishar ch'Thane

From their initial appearance in 1967's "Journey to Babel" and 2001's "The Andorian Incident," references to Star Trek 's Andorians were true and far between. One important detail was disclosed in The Next Generation , however: Andorians have four sexes , with all four required for successful reproduction.

The character of Thirishar ch'Thane (or "Shar") was a response to this premise. Shar served as Deep Space Nine's science officer following the end of the Dominion War, but was torn between his commitments to Starfleet and to his mating group, who wished him to return to Andor. This dilemma was further complicated by a dangerous decline in Andorian fertility, which threatened to cause the Andorians' extinction in the long term. Shar was eventually able to use his scientific knowledge to help solve the Andorian fertility crisis.

The Jem'Hadar are one of Star Trek 's most iconic creations , a powerful race of warriors motivated by their addiction to the chemical ketracel-white. During the Dominion War of 2373–2375, the Jem'Hadar were central to the Dominion assaults which nearly overwhelmed the Federation Alliance.

8 Best Starfleet Ships During The Dominion War

After the war's conclusion, Taran'atar , a Jem'Hadar without a ketracel-white dependency, was sent to Deep Space Nine as a cultural observer. Taran'atar's struggle to adjust to the Alpha Quadrant during peacetime makes for fascinating reading, as does seeing the fearsome warrior growing closer to his former enemies. Taran'atar's story takes some strange twists and turns, but he remains a fascinating character.

Mackenzie Calhoun

First appearence: star trek new frontier: house of cards.

Author: Peter David
Publication Date: July 1997

In 1997, Pocket Books published the first of Peter David's New Frontier books. While these novels included several characters from TV Trek (mostly notably Commander Shelby from "The Best of Both Worlds" ), they focused on a new hero ship, the USS Excalibur , and a new captain: Mackenzie Calhoun . Calhoun, an alien warrior modeled after Mel Gibson, was depicted as a tactical genius capable of beating Starfleet's toughest challenges–including the infamous Kobayashi Maru test.

Calhoun soon became a fan-favorite, with his New Frontier series including over 20 volumes. The Xenanian captain was even popular enough to be made into an action figure, the only example of this honor being bestowed on a character originating from any of Star Trek 's novels.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek Beyond

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Creation Year 1966

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What to Know About Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s Newly Elected President

Here are five key insights into Mexico’s new president as people wonder whether she will diverge from Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policies or focus on cementing his legacy.

Share full article

A smiling woman is greeting several of her supporters.

By Natalie Kitroeff

Reporting from Mexico City

Claudia Sheinbaum’s list of accolades is long: She has a Ph.D in energy engineering, participated in a United Nations panel of climate scientists awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and governed the capital, one of the largest cities in the hemisphere.

On Sunday, she added another achievement to her résumé: becoming the first woman elected president of Mexico.

Ms. Sheinbaum, 61, captured at least 58 percent of the vote in a landmark election on Sunday that featured two women competing for the nation’s highest office — a groundbreaking contest in a country long known for a culture of machismo and rampant violence against women.

Mexico Election Results: Sheinbaum Wins

See results and maps for Mexico’s 2024 presidential election.

“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, I will become the first female president of Mexico,” she said. “And as I have said on other occasions, I do not arrive alone. We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters.”

Now that she has clinched the presidency, Ms. Sheinbaum’s next hurdle will be stepping out of the shadow of her predecessor and longtime mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the outgoing president.

She and Mr. López Obrador are “different people,” she said in an interview. He’s an oilman who invested in environmentally questionable projects; she’s a climate scientist. Yet Ms. Sheinbaum has appealed to voters mainly by promising to cement his legacy, backing moves like his big bet on the national oil company and proposed constitutional changes that critics call antidemocratic.

Their alliance has also left many Mexicans asking: Can Ms. Sheinbaum be her own leader? Or will she just be his pawn?

“There’s this idea, because a lot of columnists say it, that I don’t have a personality,” Ms. Sheinbaum complained to reporters earlier this year. “That President Andrés Manuel López Obrador tells me what to do.”

She insists she will govern independently from Mr. López Obrador and has some different priorities. But veering too far from his agenda could be very risky.

Here are five things to know about the newly elected president of Mexico that help inform whether she will stray from Mr. López Obrador’s policies or dedicate herself to cementing his legacy.

1. Sheinbaum will inherit a host of challenges.

A former ballet dancer, Ms. Sheinbaum calls herself “obsessive” and “disciplined.” But discipline may not be enough, analysts say.

As president, she already stands to inherit a long list of troubles. The state-owned oil company is buckling under debt, migration through the country has reached historical highs and cartel violence continues to torment the country.

She has said she would continue Mr. López Obrador’s policy of addressing the drivers of violence instead of waging war on the criminal groups, but will also work to lower rates of impunity and build up the national guard.

With a U.S. presidential election just months away, she told The New York Times that she was prepared to work with whichever candidate wins. Publicly, she has echoed Mr. López Obrador’s emphasis on tackling migration by addressing its root causes.

In a hint of potential change, she said in a recent debate that she would seek to reform the c ountry’s migration authority , an agency often accused of corruption.

2. She’s seen as reserved, even aloof.

The Times spoke with two dozen people who have worked with or know Ms. Sheinbaum and also visited campaign events, reviewed her writings and her media appearances and interviewed her, once in 2020 and again this year.

What became clear is that Ms. Sheinbaum, (pronounced SHANE-balm), has long seemed more comfortable quietly getting things done than selling herself or her achievements.

The granddaughter of Jewish immigrants who fled Europe, she rarely discusses being Jewish or almost anything about her personal life, colleagues say. When interviewers ask her about the Nobel Prize she shared with a panel of climate researchers, she notes how many others were involved in the work.

She is known as a tough boss with a quick temper who can inspire in her staff fear and adoration at the same time. Publicly, though, her affect is so controlled it verges on aloof.

Some say her professorial demeanor could pose a challenge in a political landscape defined by Mr. López Obrador, who built his party into a juggernaut by relying on the force of his personality.

“She needs him,” said Carlos Heredia, a Mexican political analyst. “She doesn’t have the charisma, she doesn’t have the popularity, she doesn’t have the political stamina of her own, so she needs to borrow that from López Obrador.”

For some Mexicans, however, a thrills-free woman may be an ideal antidote to an entertaining man who plunged the country into partisan turmoil.

3. She’s long sought to keep Mr. López Obrador happy.

The candidate’s political career began when Mr. López Obrador was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000 and invited her to a meeting at a diner. “What I want is to reduce pollution,” she recalled Mr. López Obrador telling her. “Do you know how to do that?”

Ms. Sheinbaum, who by then had written more than a dozen reports on energy use and carbon emissions, said yes. She became his environment minister. In meetings, she seemed willing to do almost anything to make her boss happy, according to several people who worked with her.

“The phrase she used over and over again was ‘The mayor said to,’” said Mr. Heredia, who worked with her in city government under Mr. López Obrador. What that meant, according to Mr. Heredia: “We are not a cabinet for giving ideas,” he said. “We are a group of people here to execute what he decides.”

In the years that followed, Ms. Sheinbaum straddled academia and politics, but she always stayed close to Mr. López Obrador. When he founded his Morena party in 2014, he asked her to run on the party’s ticket to become mayor of Tlalpan, a borough of Mexico City. With his backing, she won.

4. She is known for being a demanding boss.

In 2018, Mr. López Obrador was swept into the presidency in a landslide and Ms. Sheinbaum became Mexico City’s mayor. She quickly gained a reputation as an exacting boss.

“One doesn’t go to her meetings to tell her, ‘I’m working on it,’” said Soledad Aragón, a former member of Ms. Sheinbaum’s cabinet. When she walked into a room, Ms. Aragón said, everyone sat up straight.

As mayor, she could remember specific numbers mentioned in a meeting weeks after it occurred, Ms. Aragón said, calling her “brilliant” and “demanding,” especially of herself, adding: “It has gotten results.”

Five officials who have worked with Ms. Sheinbaum, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said that she was quick to anger at times and would yell at her subordinates in front of large groups. Through a spokesman, Ms. Sheinbaum declined to comment on the accusation.

Her defenders say some people merely reacted badly to a woman in charge.

“I know that in her government, sometimes people got offended or felt bad because she yelled at them,” said Marta Lamas, a longtime feminist activist who has been close to Ms. Sheinbaum and her team. “But if a man yells, it wouldn’t be an issue because culturally, it’s different.”

“People say it in a critical way: ‘She’s tough,’” Ms. Aragón said. “What do you want, someone soft in charge of the city?”

5. She is a true believer in Mr. López Obrador’s vision.

For years, Ms. Sheinbaum has tried to explain how she can be so in step with Mr. López Obrador while also being herself. The answer, she says, is simple: She genuinely believes in him.

In 2022, a radio host asked her a pointed question from a female listener: “Why don’t you choose to be a woman who governs with her own ideas? Why don’t you get out of AMLO’s circus?” she asked, using Mr. López Obrador’s nickname. “Why have the same rhetoric with the same words?”

Ms. Sheinbaum didn’t hesitate.

“If you think the same as another person, it’s not that you’re copying them; you just agree with the ideas,” she said. “You can’t deny what you believe.”

Emiliano Rodríguez Mega contributed reporting.

Natalie Kitroeff is the Mexico City bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. More about Natalie Kitroeff

COMMENTS

What are your favorite Star Trek novels? Looking for ...
Not my favorite, necessarily, but Spock's World is a classic. More recently, I absolutely love The Crimson Shadow-- it's a novel about Cardassia and Garak, but with Picard, Worf, Crusher, La Forge and others-- in my opinion, the best Star Trek novel ever.. Oh! If you like Voyager-- Full Circle is stunning. TNG-wise-- I love Q&A.Also Greater Than The Sum. ...
What are the best Star Trek novels? : r/startrek
The Final Reflection (TOS Era ish), John M Ford: A tale sort of from the Klingon perspective. Ishmael, Barbara Hambly : Spock gets trapped in 19th century wild west with no amnesia. Spock's World, Diane Duane: Vulcan history lesson set amidst a Vulcan referrendum to leave the Federation. Reply reply.
Have you read any Star Trek books? What are the best ones?
Allen_Of_Gilead. •• Edited. I suggest The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane, How Much for Just the Planet by John Ford, Enterprise: the First Adventure by Vonda McIntyre, Strangers from the Sky by Margaret Bonanno, Face of the Unknown by Christopher Bennett and The Kobayashi Maru by Julia Ecklar.
I really enjoy reading Star Trek Books, but I wish the modern ...
I really enjoy reading Star Trek Books, but I wish the modern ones had better editing. (This isn't meant to spread negativity but start a discussion. I'm aware tie-in novels aren't generally the place to find great literary works, and I'm cool with that ) So. Quite often Trek books have great ideas but are let down by poor pacing, awkward ...
Trek Books: The Star Trek Literature Subreddit
Star Trek: The Brave And The Bold Book 2 by Keith R.A. DeCandido on 2001-11-26. ( Amazon) ( Apple) ( B&N) ( BAM) ( Google) ( Rakuten ) Continuing the all-new adventure spanning all of Start Trek history! In 2250 it is discovered that four deadly artifacts from the Zalkat Union have been scattered in different worlds.
Star Trek novels recommendations : r/startrek
Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism is excellent. It's the what if of the Star Trek universe. Star Trek Mirror Universe Glass Empires is the same thing but mirror universe stories and it's good so far. I'm about halfway though the book There are 3 books in each of these sets.
favorite star trek novels? : r/startrek
My favourites were the movie novelisations from WoK to Undiscovered Country, and The Romulan Way by Diane Duane. The movie novels really expanded the characters a lot more and even included scenes that were filmed for the movies, but cut in the final edits (e.g the bit where Spock and Kirk mention Saavik being half-Romulan in WoK).
Star Trek Novels
There are nearly 800 officially published Star Trek novels and short story collections. As a completist and someone who cares about reading order, I've found that many of the guides online suggesting what order to read Star Trek books online are a bit too complicated for me to use (especially for TNG/DS9/multi-series relaunch novels).
The 15 Best Star Trek Books Ever Written
Simon and Schuster. It's easier to refer to this bulk recommendation as "The Khan Trilogy." The first two novels are formally titled "The Eugenics War: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh ...
The Best Star Trek Novels: A Personal List
The Mirror Universe is a dark reflection of the Star Trek universe we know and love, and the source of endless "evil twin" plots. Basically, everything is its opposite. In the Mirror Universe, the tolerant and peace-loving United Federation of Planets is actually the xenophobic and warlike Terran Empire. Instead of the collegiate atmosphere ...
The 6 Best Star Trek Novels of All-Time
Star Trek: Destiny by David Mack - Amazon. Star Trek: Destiny is an epic Star Trek adventure featuring the crews from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager (with a few others thrown in). The story takes place post-Nemesis and spans the entire galaxy. The Borg have returned. A mysterious new world is discovered.
Which of the Novels in the "Autobiography" Series Are Still Up ...
Which of the Novels in the "Autobiography" Series Are Still Up To Date? Some parts of the Autobiography of Jean Luc Picard are now contradicted by ST: Picard, but what about Spock's, Janeway's and Sisko's? Are they still, idk, canon complaint? Spock's and Sisko's are fine. Janeway's is wobbly.
I think the reason that the Borg are so perfectly terrifying ...
In Star Trek, humans are constantly shown to be second best (or worse) at everything compared to other species in the alpha quadrant. Despite this, other races are constantly giving begrudging respect for the vaulting ambition of humans, and their amazing feat of becoming a major warp-capable power in a extremely short amount of time.
Star Trek Books Coming In The Next 30 Days, as of June 14, 2024
Star Trek Books Coming In The Next 30 Days, as of June 14, 2024. startrekbookclub.com. Open. 1.
[Opinion] ScreenRant: "Star Trek: Discovery All 5 Seasons ...
As the first modern Star Trek series since the end of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005, Discovery began a new era for the franchise, making it possible for other shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds or Star Trek: Picard to even exist. Although Discovery experienced ups and downs, it was able to churn out a creditable five seasons in seven years.
Best Star Trek The Original Series Books (101 books)
Best Star Trek The Original Series Books Stories that contain Star Trek TOS characters. flag All Votes Add Books To This List. 1: Uhura's Song (Star Trek: The Original Series #21) by. Janet Kagan. 4.06 avg rating — 2,608 ratings. score: 2,034, and 21 ...
The 10 Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Novels, According To Goodreads
The Children Of Hamlin (1988) - 3.43. Author Carmen Carter delivered one of the darkest Star Trek stories of all time when writing The Children of Hamlin. Fifty years after an outpost full of children was kidnapped, the aliens that committed the crime return to the sector in search of the precious metals they need.
25 Best Star Trek Books
The Romulan Way. by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood - 1987. The Original Series. They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary.
The Best Star Trek Novels: A Personal List
Even more ridiculous, this novel is a sequel to that comic book. This time, the X-Men end up in the Star Trek universe and help Picard and crew resolve the civil upheaval on a world experiencing mutations in its population. People are developing strange and dangerous powers, and the rest of the society hates and fears them for it.
Best Star Trek Novels
1 The Eugenics Wars: The Rise And Fall Of Khan Noonien Singh (2001) This isn't a novelization of The Wrath of Khan movie but one novel in a larger series about the Eugenics Wars overall, and this ...
TOS Top 25 Novels
In addition to the Taurus Reach novel series, the following 25 books are rated by DeepSpaceSpines.com as some of the best novels among the vast inventory of published TOS era books.. The Entropy Effect (TOS #2), by Vonda McIntyre; Yesterday's Son (TOS #11), by Ann Crispin; The Wounded Sky (TOS #13), by Diane Duane; The Final Reflection (TOS #16), by John M. Ford
Every STAR TREK Series, Ranked from Worst to Best
It's time to evaluate each of the eleven series set in the Final Frontier from the past 55 years . Here's our ranking of every Star Trek series, from worst to best. 11. Star Trek: The Animated ...
Star Trek jaffa are the best. The Deep Space 9, Season 5 ...
All things dedicated to the 1994 Stargate movie and the MGM franchise: SG-1, Atlantis, Universe, Origins, video, RPG games and everything else. Star Trek jaffa are the best. The Deep Space 9, Season 5, episode 7. Nobody's responded to this post yet.
Review: Star Trek The Illustrated Oral History: The Original Cast
Titan Comics has released some of the best books detailing the history of Star Trek, and I've been fortunate to be able to review a good portion of them. So when I was asked if I'd like to review ...
Star Trek: Best Book-Only Characters
Leonard James Akaar is unique among novel-only characters in that he does, in fact, make a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance on televised Trek. "Friday's Child," an episode of The Original ...
What to Know About Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's Newly Elected President
Here are five things to know about the newly elected president of Mexico that help inform whether she will stray from Mr. López Obrador's policies or dedicate herself to cementing his legacy. 1 ...