Literary Treks: A Star Trek Books And Comics Podcast

The Khitomer Conflict Begins. Star Trek Into Darkness was built around the belief that war with the Klingons was inevitable—at least in the eyes of Admiral Marcus. The prospect itself served a plot focused on the inner workings of Starfleet. And while the film didn't deliver this galactic conflict, IDW's Star Trek Ongoing series will. The big-screen story was continued in the uninspiring After Darkness and now, with that out of the way, a new four-part story titled "The Khitomer Conflict" begins in Ongoing #25. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones dive into the first part of this war story to find out just what is going on between the Klingons and Romulans, how the Federation and Section 31 are involved, and why this story should have been After Darkness in the first place. In our news segment we look at a flood of books and comics news including John Jackson Miller's upcoming Titan novella Absent Enemies, Michael A. Martin's Seasons of Light and Darkness, Scott Harris

Assignment Earth Comics. At the end of its second season, the return of The Original Series was in doubt and creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to find something to replace his imperilled show. In 1966 he pitched a pilot script to Desilu studios entitled “Assignment: Earth,” hoping that this would be his next project. But the studio passed, and so he slipped lead characters Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln—along with their cat Isis—into an episode of TOS in hopes that Kirk and Spock would give the extra push needed to get the new series on the air. It failed, but nearly 40 years later comic legend John Byrne resurrected the idea. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones take a close look at Byrne's five-part series that delivers (mostly) all-new adventures for Seven, Lincoln, and Isis, and how these stories do more justice to Roddenberry's concept than "Assignment: Earth" ever did. In our news segment we take cover as Kor wields his bat'leth in new art from Keith R. A. DeCandid

Mission's End. The Original Series tells the story of the Enterprise's first five-year mission under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. But where did that mission really begin and where did it really end? In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones find out as they overcome a case of arachnophobia to join Kirk's crew on a trip to Archernar IV. Filling in many of the blanks left by the premature end of TOS, IDW's Mission's End comic series sets Kirk, Spock, and McCoy on the paths that lead to where we see them in The Motion Picture In our news segment we learn about The Klingon Art of War, tell you what you need to read in order to jump into Revelation and Dust and the start of The Fall, and take a look at Madefire's Star Trek motion comic in action. Plus, we play a game of Klingonity, drink up the autumn beers, and recount the history of targ fighting.

Dayton Ward: From History's Shadow. The various crews of Star Trek have taken more than their fair share of journeys through time. Kirk, Spock, Archer, Quark, Janeway... the list goes on and on. But if you look very closely, you might just find that they're all part of a bigger puzzle that is intertwined with our own history—the one we're familar with from outside of Star Trek that is. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones are joined by author Dayton Ward to discuss his new book From History's Shadow and how even recent revelations about the Roswell incident may not be the true story after all. In our news segment we check in on TrekCore's interview with Kirsten Beyer, look at some new preview pages from Volume 2 of Star Trek: The Newspaper Comics, take a peek at IDW's Khan #2, Star Trek Ongoing #27, and the After Darkness omnibus, plus we reveal the identity of the traitor aboard J.J.'s Enterprise—and it's someone you'd never expect. 

Nero Comics. Following the release of the first J.J. Abrams Star Trek film in 2009, IDW released a four-part series that told the backstory of the movie's villain, Nero. Comprised of bits cut from the film along with original elements, the series provides motivation to the actions Nero takes in the film and fills in some of the technological blanks as well. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones take a flight from Rura Penthe to the edge of the Delta Quadrant and back to Delta Vega to find out why Nero is so hellbent on destroying Spock and the Federation—and how he gains the ability to do it. In our news segment we give you our review of Star Trek Ongoing #24, which marks the return of the Gorn and builds upon 2013's Star Trek video game as the Enterprise crew continues their post adventures. Plus, we solve the financial crisis that has stumped the galaxy for ages—how to differentiate Breen currency. 

Star Trek Reference Books. When faced with an overwhelming number of Star Trek stories, sometimes we need to step back and look at the nuts and bolts of the universe. What we need is a reference book. Fortunately, many studious and brave men and women have toiled over the years to provide us with just that—resources that offer details of the Star Trek world that are far too vast for our limited human brains to store. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones are joined by Trek.fm feature writer Phillip Gilfus to explore some of our favourite reference books and to dream about those we hope to one day find on our shelves. Did we include your go-to sources of Trek goodness? In our news segment we learn that Rob Caswell's once-imaginary Trek series "Seekers" will become books for real, thank to the Vanguard team of David Mack, Dayton Ward, and Kevin Dilmore, and we glimpse the newly revealed cover of A Very Klingon Khristmas to find out just what happens to naughty little Kli

Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures. The premature cancellation of Enterprise left fans in the dark about two key events in Star Trek history. The first was the Romulan War, which has since had light shone upon it by Michael A. Martin. The second is the founding of the Federation, a pivotal time that we still know almost nothing about. Until now that is. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones dive into the first book in Christopher L. Bennett's Rise of the Federation series, A Choice of Futures. We explore the early struggles faced by the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites as they work to establish the United Federation of Planets, the combined Starfleet, and the very identity of what these organizations will be. The challenges are many as external threats work to undermine the fledgling union, incompatible technologies are pushed together, internal political debates rage, and old rivalries linger. Even Section 31 gets in on the act as our old friend T

The Next Generation: Ghosts. Picard and the Enterprise crew spent a lot of time mediating disputes, conducting diplomatic missions, and responding to distress calls during the seven-year run of TNG. Those three pastimes come together in Zander Cannon's five-part comic series Ghosts. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones join the crew of the 1701-D as they explore a political and scientific mystery on Allios IV that almost results in the loss of Picard and Worf. They even get to play TNG's favourite game, "Narrow Down." In our news segment we take a first look at the cover art for David Mack's A Ceremony of Losses, part of the upcoming series "The Fall," find out about Scott Harrison's Shadow of the Machine—a follow-up to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, jump into action with IDW and Madefire as they put Comics in Motion, and are share our thought on the conclusion of the After Darkness series. 

Deep Space Nine: Fool's Gold. Some comics read like, well, comics. Short reads that leave you wanting more. On the other hand, some comics read like episodes and make you wish the story had been put on the screen. Such is the case with IDW's first DS9 miniseries "Fool's Gold." This story of Cardassian deceit, hidden treasure, and a map the size of the station itself pulls you into the world of fourth-season Deep Space Nine and takes you on a fascinating adventure. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones go along for the ride as Sisko and his crew try to unravel the mystery of a station overrun with "sightseers" and get help from unlikely sources. In our news segment we learn that Star Wars author John Jackson Miller plans to cross over to the Trek Side for some Titan-sized fun, get details about Una McCormack's entry in The Fall series, The Crimson Shadow, scream "KHAAAN!!!" with IDW, find out what is Ongoing for the Romulans and Klingons, and explore a new collection

Larry Nemecek's Stellar Cartography. It's been more than a decade since the last update to the Star Charts reference book, but thanks to Larry Nemecek and 47North fans will soon be able to get around the galaxy more efficiently than ever. In this episode of Literary Treks, Christopher Jones is joined by Larry to learn about the genesis of his new book Star Trek: Stellar Cartography, the process of creating it, and how Larry's career in mapping stars dates back to the 1980s. We also make sense of the Delphic Expanse and choreograph the Dominion War. In our news segment we find out what Jeff Mariotte has to say about his forthcoming TOS novel Serpents In the Garden, what hints Greg Cox has dropped about No Time Like the Past, and IDW's latest Ongoing omnibus, Star Trek Volume 5, which collects Ongoing 17 through 20. 

Before and After Darkness. The four-part Countdown to Darkness comic set up the big screen story of Star Trek Into Darkness, and now the comics are continuing the adventure in a four-part sequel. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones dig into the first two issues of After Darkness as well as look back at the prequel series, how well it set up the film, and how the various pieces of the Abramsverse are working together to create a bigger story. In our news segment we examine Christopher L. Bennett's uniform concept that bridges the Enterprise and TOS time periods, find out about Larry Nemecek's new stellar cartography book, learn the name of Kirsten Beyer's next Voyager novel, and take a peek at a unique new comic concept from John Byrne.  

William Leisner and The Shocks of Adversity. The Federation is usually in the position of "good" pitted against clear foes such as the Klingons, the Romulans, or the Dominion. But what if it encountered a group that looked very much like itself? How would the Federation react and how far can you trust someone after glimpsing only the surface? In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones are joined by author William Leisner to talk about his new TOS novel The Shocks of Adversity, the inspiration for the Federation's seeming reflection in the Goeg Domain, and the issue of cultural tolerance. We also find out how William original got into Star Trek and how he found himself writing for the franchise. In our news segment we check in on Star Trek Ongoing #22 and #25 and the progress on Volume Two of the collected newspaper strips, which will cover October 1981 through December 1983.

The Enterprise Experiment. As series finales go "Turnabout Intruder" wasn't much of one. But that's because it wasn't at all the end of the journey. Sadly the five-year mission of the Enterprise got cut short for those of us watching on the tube. But certainly there were more missions that followed Kirk's little body-switching adventure. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones explore the five-part comic series Star Trek: Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment and one such mission. Penned by TOS writer D.C. Fontana, The Enterprise Experiment pulls together elements from three famous Original Series episodes and mixes it with more modern Star Trek legends to create a story worthy of the big screen. In our news segment we check in on Christopher L. Bennett's Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures, Star Trek Ongoing #22, and IDW's plans for a second release of the Black, Blue, and Red Label editions of Ongoing. 

Captain's Log Comics. There are those captains about whom we know so much that they’re like members of our family. Then there are those captains with whom we spent only a short time, leaving their command shrouded in mystery. In 2010 IDW set out to shed light on those leaders, and while the original project got trimmed down we still got a look at four of Starfleet’s leaders. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones examine this four-part comic series in which we find untold chapters from the lives of Hikaru Sulu, John Harriman, Christopher Pike, and Edward Jellico. In our news segment we look at one fan's challenge to read every Star Trek book every written—in chronological order—as well as the release of The Shocks of Adversity, IDW's Star Trek-Legion of Super-Heroes crossover omnibus, Jordan Hoffman's list of ten awesome things about the Ongoing comics, and an update on Chris's journey to see Star Trek Into August... we mean Darkness. 

Shadows On the Sun. When the Enterprise set course for the second star to the right and sailed straight on 'til morning at the end of The Undiscovered Country, it may have been the end of TOS voyages on the big screen; but it wasn't the end of the story for our characters. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones discuss Michael Jan Friedman's 1993 novel Shadows On the Sun, which tells the story of Dr. McCoy's reunion with his ex-wife Jocelyn and his struggle to balance his ethics as a physician with the realities of an alien culture. In our news segment we look at the Abrams ComicArts Original Topps Star Trek Trading Cards book, hear what Doug Drexler has to say about The Fall and the new Starfleet-built Deep Space 9, also hear from Andy Probert and Douglas E. Graves about the new DS9, discuss EMPIRE Magazine's list of the top Star Trek novel series (and why Star Trek: Titan would make a perfect animated series), see what IDW has in store for collectors in the Red, Blu

Abyss. "For every Julian Bashir that can be created, there's a Khan Singh waiting in the wings." Those are the words of Starfleet Rear Admiral Bennett, and they highlight why the Federation is skiddish on genetic enhancement. But not everyone is so concerned about the risks—including Section 31. In this episode of Literary Treks hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones continue their look at the Deep Space Nine relaunch with the third book in the series, Abyss. A worthy continuation of Avatar's aftermath, Abyss challenges Bashir's ideas of who he is as well as our ideas of right, wrong, and strength of faith. In our news segment we get our first look at the new Deep Space 9 station with the new cover art for Revelation and Dust, find a few new clues about the McCoy-centric Seasons of Light and Darkness, hear Alan Dean Foster's thought on novelising Star Trek Into Darkness, find out what Mike Johnson has planned for After Darkness, see The Best of Klingons, and learn about a John Harrison miniseries. 

Khan Ruling In Hell. When Khan failed to take over the Enterprise in "Space Seed," he and his people were left behind to start a new life on Ceti Alpha V. The next time we met Khan he was out for vengeance against Kirk, angry over the death of his wife and the hardships he had endured on a world gone wrong. What happened in between has been left a mystery—at least on screen. In this episode of Literary Treks we're joined by John Tenuto, the foremost expert on "Space Seed" and The Wrath of Khan, for a look at the IDW Khan Ruling In Hell comics. We explore how the story ties into the movie, how it relates to various drafts of the scripts for the TV and movie installments, and how a docile, defeated Khan comes to be the irrational, vengeful man we see in Star Trek II. In our news segment we look at Spock In a Box—a quirky new book-bust combo from Chronicle Books—along with the Star Trek Into Darkness audiobook and A Very Klingon Christmas. Plus we share our favourite traditions for celebrating the holidays li

Emmett Plant. Planning a trip to Qo’noS? Marrying into a warrior family? If so, you won’t want to miss this episode of Literary Treks in which we’re joined by Emmett Plant to learn how to speak Klingon. Alright, we won’t actually be learning many Klingon phrases—that’s what the book is for—but we will be learning how this new book, How to Speak Klingon: Essential Phrases for the Intergalactic Traveler, came to be and about the production of the audio elements. Along the way Emmett also talks about the state of Star Trek audiobooks in general, the challenges in producing them, and whether or not we might expect more audible Trek in our future. In our news segment we look at updates on two novels: Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures by Christopher L. Bennett and From History’s Shadow by Dayton Ward. Cover art for both books has been unveiled along with extended synopses that give us a better picture of what to expect.

Voyager Comics. It’s Kirk, Spock, and Uhura—of the Abrams variety—who get all the Star Trek comic attention these days. But there is a wealth of material out there for fans of other parts of the franchise. If you’re looking for some illustrated adventures of Captain Janeway and her crew, IDW’s collection of four past Wildstorm Voyager titles is a good place to start. In this episode of Literary Treks we’re joined by Tristan Riddell to discuss four adventures—“False Colors,” “Avalon Rising,” “Elite Force,” and “Planet Killer.” From a Borg Cube to a medieval village, get set for a fun romp through the Delta Quadrant. In our news segment we cover the nominations of David Mack and Greg Cox for the IAMTW Scribe Award, Michael A. Martin’s next TOS novel Seasons of Light and Darkness, IDW’s July slate which includes Star Trek Ongoing #23 and the Ongoing Volume 5 omnibus, a special Klingon omnibus, and the Library of American Comics’ search for Star Trek newspaper strips from February 1982 through January 1983. 

Greg Cox. A lifelong Star Trek fan and prolific author of franchise tie-in fiction, Greg Cox penned his first Star Trek novel in 1995. Devil In the Sky, a numbered DS9 book written together with John Gregory Betancourt, marked the beginning of a long stream of fan-favourites spanning nearly two decades. In this episode of Literary Treks we're joined by Greg to talk about his new TOS novel The Weight of Worlds, as well as many of his other works including The Q Continuum trilogy, The Eugenics Wars, and some of his non-Trek books, too. In our news segment we discuss new teasers about "The Fall" from Una McCormack, David R. George III, and David Mack, tell you which books you need to read to prepare for the series, look at a second part to Rise of the Federation titled "Tower of Babel" along with the Star Trek Space-Spanning Treasury Edition from IDW, and we review Countdown to Darkness #4.