Star Trek: New Frontier
Encyclopedia
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
series created by John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover is the founder and CEO of JJO MARKETING and was previously an editor at Pocket Books responsible for overseeing the licensed novels of the Star Trek franchise. He is the co-creator of such spin-off series as Star Trek: New Frontier , Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers and Star...
and Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
and published by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
. The idea behind it was to create a Star Trek book series with its own continuity and not one that is purely a reaction to the television shows. Nearly every story of the series is written by series co-creator Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
. New Frontier centers on the adventures of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun
Mackenzie Calhoun
Mackenzie Calhoun is a fictional character from the Star Trek universe. Created by Peter David, Calhoun is an extraterrestrial from the planet Xenex, and is captain of the Federation starship USS Excalibur....
and his crew aboard the USS Excalibur.
Origins
According to David "The basic concept was John Ordover's, as was the notion of using several already existing characters. I fleshed out the concept and created the original characters."First published in 1997 as a serial consisting of four short novels, New Frontier is set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
universe, but in the wholly unexplored Sector 221-G, home of the recently fallen Thallonian Empire.
Starting the series with a combination of new characters and former Next Generation guest stars, this gave David the opportunity to create his own corner of the Star Trek Universe. Over the years the series has become very popular and critically well-respected to the point that other authors have begun to reference characters and events from the New Frontier continuity, and New Frontier has even been involved in several major crossover events with novels based on the television series (the Gateways, Double Helix, Captain's Table and mirror universe novel series). The series even inspired its own action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
(one of Mackenzie Calhoun), something no Star Trek novel has done before.
Although Peter David has authored nearly all stories in the New Frontier continuity, since he does not own the rights to the series, Pocket Books could theoretically give the series to another author, or even to a rotating series of authors. However, they have shown no indication of doing so, and at last announcement David is scheduled to be the author of any upcoming New Frontier novels.
Main series
Unless otherwise noted, all of the following novels, short stories, and comic books were written by Peter DavidPeter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
.
| # | Title | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Cards | Sector 221-G has been controlled by the Thallonians for centuries, but their empire has collapsed and the sector has fallen into chaos. The Federation must send a starship to help where it can and report what it finds. |
| 2 | Into the Void | The Crew of the Excalibur is assembled including: Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, an unorthodox, decisive captain; Commander Shelby, a woman of strong opinions and strong values; Burgoyne 172, the chief engineer with the decisiveness of Calhoun, the strength of Shelby, and the gender of both. |
| 3 | The Two-Front War | Two mysteries vie for the attention of the crew of the Excalibur. Is the hospitality of the people of Nelkar too good to be true? And does a stranded spaceship truly hold the object of Si Cwan's quest... or is it instead an all-too-deadly trap? |
| 4 | End Game | As the Thallonian homeworld faces catastrophe, Captain Calhoun must confront his own bloody past in a life-or-death struggle for survival and honor. But when the planet's ultimate secret is revealed, only Captain Calhoun and the USS Excalibur can save the last remnants of the Empire from total destruction! |
| * | Star Trek: New Frontier | The first four novels have also been published in a single hardcover omnibus edition by Pocket Books, entitled simply Star Trek: New Frontier |
| 5 | Martyr | When Captain Calhoun is captured, Lieutenant Commander Burgoyne must find him before an alien fleet launches a holy war against the Federation. |
| 6 | Fire on High | Lieutenant Robin Lefler's mother died in a shuttle explosion ten years ago. So is the woman being held prisoner in Thallonian space really her? If it is, what is her connection to the mysterious woman holding a weapon that could doom entire worlds? |
| * | Prometheans | The fifth and sixth books have also been published in a single hardcover omnibus published by the Science Fiction Book Club |
| * | Captain's Table Book 5: Once Burned | Six years ago, long before he took command of the Excalibur, a young Starfleet officer named Mackenzie Calhoun served as first officer aboard the USS Grissom. Then disaster struck, and Calhoun took the blame. A court-martial led to his own angry resignation from Starfleet... or so it appeared. |
| * | Star Trek:TNG Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production... #55: Double Helix Book 5: Double or Nothing |
Captain Jean-Luc Picard joins forces with Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the Excalibur to track down and confront the hidden architects of the plagues—and avenge the deaths of thousands. |
| * | Double Time (graphic novel Graphic novel A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format... ) |
With artists Mike Collins and David Roach. Captain Calhoun takes his ship and crew back in time to prevent a genocide, only to alter the timeline in an unexpected and not entirely welcome way. |
| 7 | The Quiet Place | Ever since the fall of the Thallonian Empire, Si Cwan has been searching for his younger sister, the only other survivor of the royal family. His quest has been a hard one, filled with many disappointments, but now it may be nearing its end... |
| 8 | Dark Allies | Many years ago, a bizarre alien life-form known as the Black Mass consumed and destroyed an entire solar system in what was then the Thallonion Empire. Now the Black Mass has returned and its target is Tulan IV, homeworld of the fearsome Redeemers. |
| 9 | Excalibur Book 1: Requiem | When the USS Excalibur was suddenly and mercilessly destroyed, Starfleet lost one of its finest starships. But the crew members of the Excalibur lost their captain... and their home. Now, in mourning for their ship and Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, First Officer Elizabeth Shelby and the rest of the crew await new assignments. |
| 10 | Excalibur Book 2: Renaissance | Following the birth of her child, the Vulcan doctor returned to her homeworld, determined to raise the child exclusively in the way of logic. But the child's father, the Hermat Lieutenant Commander Burgoyne, has hir own views regarding their offspring's future, and s/he intends to fight for hir paternal rights, even if it means appealing to the highest authorities of two worlds! |
| 11 | Excalibur Book 3: Restoration | The ever resourceful Captain Mackenzie Calhoun abruptly finds himself at a loss—marooned on he primitive outback world of Yakaba after his ship, Excalibur, is destroyed by deadly sabotage. On Yakaba's dry frontier, Calhoun meets and befriends Shula, an extraordinary woman beset by enemies trying to control or destroy her and her gift—summoning rain to her parched homeland. |
| * | Gateways Book 6: Cold Wars | A century ago, the imperial Thallonians separated two feuding alien races, depositing each of them on a new world safely distant from that of their ancestral enemies. Now, however, the Gateways have made it possible for the long dormant blood feud to begin anew. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the USS Excalibur and his partner, Captain Elizabeth Shelby of the USS Trident, find themselves fighting a losing battle. Meanwhile Lieutenants Arex AREX AREX, spelled A'REX as a brand name, is a South Korean railway line that links Seoul with Gimpo Airport and Incheon International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, the extension to Seoul Station opened December 29, 2010... and M'Ress M'Ress Lieutenant M'Ress, voiced by Majel Barrett, was a recurring character on The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, which aired on NBC from 1973 to 1974... take separate time slips from the 23rd century and end up serving together on Shelby's Trident. |
| * | Gateways Book 7: What Lay Beyond (anthology Anthology An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts... ): Death After Life |
Captains Calhoun and Shelby have taken the ultimate gamble: hurling themselves through a Gateway without any knowledge or forewarning of what lies beyond. |
| * | No Limits (anthology) | By various authors, including Peter David. Star Trek authors tell new tales of the Excalibur crew including: Shelby's first experience with the Borg, the origins of "Lefler's Laws", an adventure with Soleta and Ambassador Spock, the tale of Arex's time slip, a chronicle of Selar's encounter with the Q, and the longest day of Zak Kebron's life. Peter David tells the story of Calhoun and Shelby's honeymoon on Calhoun's home planet of Xenex. |
| 12 | Being Human | Mark McHenry, the navigator on the USS Excalibur, has demonstrated abilities beyond those of the somewhat odd human being he appears to be. When the inhabitants of an innocent solar system are confronted by a menace linked to the source of McHenry's powers, his true heritage is revealed at last. |
| 13 | Gods Above | As Captain Kirk did before him, Calhoun has encountered beings of unnatural power and abilities verging on godhood, and who claim to be the very individuals who inspired the Greek, Roman, Norse, and, other pantheons from Earth culture. |
| 14 | Stone and Anvil | A crewman has been murdered aboard the USS Trident, and all evidence points to Ensign Janos of the Excalibur. Calhoun is reluctant to accept that Janos, a powerful non-humanoid whom the captain has known and trusted for years, could be a killer, and immediately launches an investigation into the crime. But this troubling murder mystery soon escalates into a full-fledged diplomatic crisis that threatens to pit Calhoun and Shelby against the entire United Federation of Planets. |
| * | Tales from the Captain's Table (anthology) Pain Management | The USS Trident is being refit after being damaged in an attack during the Selelvian/Tholian war. At the Starbase, Soleta, science officer of the Exalibur is attending a conference and offers Shelby a ride back to Excalibur to see her husband while the Trident is being repaired. |
| 15 | After the Fall | Three years have passed since the events depicted in the novel Stone and Anvil, and for the past and present crew members of the USS Excalibur, life has taken many surprising twists and turns. Captain Elizabeth Shelby has been promoted to admiral and heads Space Station Bravo... while her former ship, the USS Trident, has a new captain. |
| 16 | Missing in Action | Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the USS Excalibur find themselves catapulted headlong into another universe, far from the New Thallonian Protectorate and Sector 221-G... a place where an ancient war rages between two powerful alien races. Calhoun adopts the time-honored philosophy of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," and takes it upon himself to somehow persuade one side or the other to help him and his crew get back home. |
| * | Star Trek: Mirror Universe Book 2: Obsidian Alliances (anthology) Cutting Ties | Following the Terran Empire's collapse, its longtime rival, the Romulan Romulan The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager... Star Empire, has absorbed many of the fringe civilizations spread across that part of the galaxy. One of the Romulans' slaves is M'k'nzy of Calhoun, a savage and unpredictable Xenexian who dreams of death, and who learns the value of freedom from the unlikeliest of teachers, a Romulan named Soleta. |
| * | Star Trek: Mirror Universe Book 3: Shards and Shadows (anthology) Homecoming | The crew of the liberated Excalibur must infiltrate Romulan space to capture a Thalaron Bomb before the Alliance claims it for themselves." |
| * | Turnaround (graphic novel) | a five-part story written by Peter David, with artwork by Stephen Thompson and published by IDW Publishing. A prototype time ship has vanished, and it appears that the man who stole it is none other than Starfleet Admiral Edward Jellico. Only Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the Excalibur have a hope of finding him before the ship, intended purely for scientific exploration, is used to disrupt the space-time continuum. |
| 17 | Treason | In the New Thallonian Protectorate, Robin Lefler is facing growing danger because of her newborn son, the heir to the line of Cwan. Following an assassination attempt, Robin has no choice but to flee New Thallon seeking refuge with Captain Mackenzie Calhoun. Doctor Selar, increasingly desperate over the plight of her son, hatches a highly illegal plan to save him. |
| 18 | Blind Man's Bluff | Captain Calhoun faces simultaneous threats from the D'myurj (with their Brethren allies) and the mind of Morgan Primus, now integrated with the Excalibur's computer. |
| * | Tales of the Dominion War (anthology) Stone Cold Truths | A hundred and fifty years after the Dominion War, a now-retired Zak Kebron tells his son of an experience during the war, and teaches him and his teacher a valuable lesson about viewing conflict. |
Several of these stories have also been reprinted elsewhere.
Additional novels
Other novels have included or even focused on characters that star in the New Frontier universe. Because some of the characters originated in Star Trek: The Next Generation, some of these novels were actually released months or years before the first New Frontier book. Some of these books include:- Star Trek: The Next Generation books:
- VendettaVendetta (Star Trek)Vendetta is a Star Trek: The Next Generation tie-in novel written by Peter David and published by Pocket Books in 1991. The book was a New York Times best-seller, peaking at #4 on the Paperback Best Sellers list in late April 1991....
by Peter David (featuring Shelby under her previous assignment with Captain Korsmo on the USS Chekov) - Triangle: Imzadi II by Peter David (featuring Shelby and Korsmo on the Excalibur)
- #56: Double Helix Book 6: The First Virtue by Michael Jan FriedmanMichael Jan FriedmanMichael Jan Friedman is an author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which are in the Star Trek universe. Ten of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list...
and Christie GoldenChristie GoldenChristie Golden is an award-winning author who lives in Loveland, Colorado, United States. She has written over thirty novels and several short stories in fantasy, horror and science fiction.-Career:...
(happens in Thallonian space) - #61: Diplomatic Implausibility by Keith R. A. DeCandidoKeith R. A. DeCandidoKeith Robert Andreassi DeCandido is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Supernatural,...
(featuring a New Frontier cameo) - Q&A by Keith R. A. DeCandido (Shelby cameo)
- Before Dishonor by Peter David (featuring a Calhoun cameo)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy books (for young readers):
- #1: Worf's First Adventure by Peter David (featuring Soleta, Zak Kebron, and Mark McHenry)
- #2: Line of Fire by Peter David (featuring Soleta, Zak Kebron, and Mark McHenry)
- #3: Survival by Peter David (featuring Soleta, Zak Kebron, and Mark McHenry)
- Other Star Trek books:
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Gateways Book #3: Doors Into Chaos by Robert GreenbergerRobert GreenbergerRobert "Bob" Greenberger known for his work as an editor for Comics Scene, Starlog Press and Weekly World News, as well as holding executive positions at both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. He is also an elected office holder in his home of Fairfield, Connecticut.-Early life:Greenberger was born in...
(features Calhoun and Shelby in another perspective on a sequence shown in Cold Wars) - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Gateways Book #4: Demons of Air and Darkness by Keith R. A. DeCandidoKeith R. A. DeCandidoKeith Robert Andreassi DeCandido is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such as Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Supernatural,...
(features Calhoun and Shelby in another perspective on a sequence shown in Cold Wars and Doors Into Chaos) - Star Trek The Lost Era: Catalyst of Sorrows by Margaret Wander BonannoMargaret Wander BonannoMargaret Wander Bonanno is an American science fiction writer, ghost writer and small press publisher. She was born in New York City.She has written six Star Trek novels, including Strangers from the Sky...
(featuring Dr. Selar)
Comic books
- Star Trek: New Frontier: Double Time by Peter David, Mike Collins and David Roach, Wildstorm, Nov 2000.
- Star Trek: New Frontier: Turnaround, issues #1-5 by Peter David and Stephen Thompson, IDW Publishing, commenced Mar 2008.
Characters
The characters in the New Frontier novels are a combination of characters that had already appeared in Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
: (Elizabeth Shelby, Dr. Selar, Robin Lefler, and Edward Jellico), characters from Peter David's Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy books (Soleta, Zak Kebron, Mark McHenry, and Tania Tobias), characters from Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
(Arex and M'Ress), and newly created characters (such as Mackenzie Calhoun, Burgoyne 172, Si Cwan and Kalinda).
USS Excalibur
The original Excalibur is the ship featured in the silhouette on the New Frontier logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
. It was an Ambassador-class starship. The Excaliburs commander just prior to the start of New Frontier was Captain Morgan Korsmo, an old Academy class mate of Captain Picard, who was killed fighting the Borg. Command of the ship then passed to Captain Calhoun. Captain Calhoun was believed dead for a time when the Excalibur was destroyed, but upon his return he was granted command of another ship of the same name, this one Galaxy-class.