Star Trek Expanded Universe
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Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' franchise has produced a large number of novels, comic books, video games, and other materials, which are generally considered
non-canon In fiction, canon is the material accepted as officially part of the story in an individual universe of that story by its fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction. The alternative terms mythology, tim ...
.


Continuity

''Star Trek'' spin-off fiction frequently fills in "gaps" within the televised show, often making use of backstage information or popular fan belief. Although officially licensed spin-off material will often maintain continuity within itself (particularly within books by the same authors), elements often contradict each other irreconcilably. For example, the end of Kirk's five-year mission has been depicted in several different incompatible ways. Much fiction is set in a second five-year mission of Kirk's ''Enterprise'', which the Okuda chronology dates after '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (although novels often placed it before). Backstories and fates of characters are often elaborated on, an example being
Leonard McCoy Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anim ...
's divorced status, and his daughter, Joanna, originally intended to appear in what became the ''TOS'' episode "
The Way to Eden "The Way to Eden" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. The episode was written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Heinemann and D. C. Fontana (using the pen name "M ...
". Several original series characters are established as still being alive in the ''TNG'' era, including McCoy, Spock, and Scotty. In the books written by
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
, these are joined by a revived Captain Kirk. Several novels depict the careers of the younger members of the ''Enterprise'' crew after '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''. Captain Sulu and his daughter Demora Sulu appear in
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
's novel ''
The Captain's Daughter ''The Captain's Daughter'' (russian: «Капитанская дочка», Kapitanskaya dochka) is a historical novel by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It was first published in 1836 in the fourth issue of the literary journal ''Sovremen ...
''. In the novel '' The Sundered'', Chekov serves as Sulu's first officer on . The novel ''
Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
'' has Chekov eventually becoming an admiral. Uhura is shown, in the novel '' Catalyst of Sorrows'', to be Chief of Starfleet Intelligence in 2360. The 2006 novel ''Vulcan's Soul:
Exiles Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
'' has an Admiral Pavel Chekov, and Uhura is still serving as head of Starfleet Intelligence in 2377, at the age of 138.
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
's novel ''
Imzadi ''Imzadi'' is a non-canon ''Star Trek'' novel by Peter David, primarily exploring William Riker's assignment to Betazed and his early relationship with Deanna Troi. ''Imzadi'' has a complex structure, involving time travel through the Guardian ...
'' explores the backstory between Riker and Troi, and its sequel '' Triangle: Imzadi II'' covers the cooling of the Worf/Troi relationship, which was left unexplained on screen. Spin-off fiction will often use re-use characters who appeared only once or twice in the actual show. Dr. Selar has appeared in more ''TNG'' novels than television episodes, and she and Elizabeth Shelby, who appeared in the two-part episode " The Best of Both Worlds" are major characters in the '' Star Trek: New Frontier'' series. The cast of the ''
Starfleet Corps of Engineers The ''Star Trek'' franchise has a history of tie-in fiction which began with the 1967 publication of James Blish ''Star Trek 1''. More than 850 original novels, short story collections, episode and film novelizations, and omnibus editions have ...
'' series largely comes from such guest parts. Similarly, the ''
IKS Gorkon ''Star Trek: Klingon Empire'' is series of interlinked Klingon-centric ''Star Trek'' novels written by Keith DeCandido. The series was published by Pocket Books from 2003 to 2008. Originally published as ''Star Trek:'' I.K.S. ''Gorkon''. Produc ...
'' series features Klingon characters drawn from a variety of ''TNG'' and ''DS9'' episodes. The spin-off fiction has also engaged in
world building Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task fo ...
. Novels in the 1980s by Diane Duane and
John M. Ford John Milo "Mike" Ford (April 10, 1957 – September 25, 2006) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, game designer, and poet. A contributor to several online discussions, Ford composed poems, often improvised, in both complicated ...
established a complex backstory and culture for the Romulans (Rihannsu) and
Klingons The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' ('' ...
respectively, which were later not taken up by ''TNG''.


Technical and reference manuals

A large range of fictional reference books have been produced over the years. More recent books of this sort have been by production staff and, whilst not binding on the series, nonetheless reflect the thinking of the production office, and are used as sourcebooks by writers. *''
The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual The ''Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual'' (, Ballantine Books 1975, reprinted 1986, 1996, 2006) is a fiction reference book by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt, about the workings of Starfleet, a military, exploratory, and diplomatic organization f ...
'' ( Franz Joseph, 1975) *'' Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology'' (Fred & Stan Goldstein, with
Rick Sternbach Richard Michael Sternbach (born 1951 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is an illustrator who is best known for his space illustrations and his work on the ''Star Trek'' television series. Early years Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1969 Sternbac ...
, 1980) *'' The Klingon Dictionary'' (
Marc Okrand Marc Okrand (; born July 3, 1948) is an American linguist. His professional work is in Native American languages, and he is well known as the creator of the Klingon language in the ''Star Trek'' science fiction franchise. Linguistics As a ling ...
, 1985 (1st ed.), 1992 (2nd ed.)) *'' Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise'' ( Shane Johnson, 1987) *'' Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual'' ( Michael Okuda and Rick Sternbach, 1991) *'' Star Trek Chronology'' (Michael & Denise Okuda, 1993, 1996) *''
Star Trek Encyclopedia ''The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future'' is a 1994 encyclopedia of in-universe information from the ''Star Trek'' television series and films. It was written by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda, who were production staff on ...
'' (Michael & Denise Okuda, Debbie Mirek, 1994, 1996, 1999) *'' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual'' (Rick Sternbach, Herman Zimmerman,
Doug Drexler Doug Drexler (born in New York City) is a visual effects artist, designer, sculptor, illustrator, and a makeup artist who has collaborated with such talents as Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Meryl Streep, and Warren Beatty. He began hi ...
, 1998) *'' Star Trek Star Charts'' ( Geoffrey Mandel, 2002) Similar material has also been published in the
Star Trek Fact Files A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth mak ...
and the ''
Star Trek Magazine ''Star Trek Magazine'' is an authorized periodical, published quarterly by Titan UK in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand devoted to the ''Star Trek'' franchise; a separate North American version is also published, differ ...
''.


Prose fiction

Since 1967, hundreds of original novels, short stories, and television and movie adaptations have been published. The first original ''Star Trek'' novel to be published was ''
Mission to Horatius ''Mission to Horatius'' is a novel based on the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Original Series''. It was published in 1968 by Whitman, and was the first original novel based on the series; the first novel for adult au ...
'' by Mack Reynolds, which was published in hardcover by Whitman Books in 1968. Geared for younger readers, the novel became a collectible and in the 1990s, Pocket Books issued a
facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, Old master print, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from ...
edition. The first publisher of ''Star Trek'' fiction aimed at adult readers was
Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
, which initially produced a bestselling series of novelizations of the original 79 episodes by James Blish that began in 1967. Later adaptations were done by Blish's wife,
J. A. Lawrence Judith Ann Blish (née Lawrence; born December 14, 1934) is an American sketch artist and short fiction writer, known professionally as Judith L. Blish, Judy Blish, and J. A. Lawrence. From 1967 to 1978, she co-wrote a sequence of short story adap ...
, some of these were credited to Blish with others appearing under Lawrence's name. In 1970, Blish wrote the first original novel published by Bantam, ''
Spock Must Die! ''Spock Must Die!'' is an American science fiction novel written by James Blish, published February 1970 by Bantam Books. It was the first original novel based on the ''Star Trek'' television series intended for adult readers. It was preceded ...
'', although subsequent novels did not appear until 1976. From 1974,
Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...
published a 10-volume series of novelizations based upon episodes of ''
Star Trek: The Animated Series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'' (''TAS''), is an American animated science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired under the title simply as ''Star Trek'', subtitled ''Created by Gene Roddenberry'', on Satu ...
'', all written by
Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghos ...
. Bantam also published a number of fotonovels based on episodes. In the late 1970s, Bantam published a number of original ''Star Trek'' novels, including two written by noted science fiction author
Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
, and one by original series scriptwriter David Gerrold.
Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
began publishing ''Star Trek'' fiction in 1979, starting with a novelization of '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' by
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
himself, although the company's second ''Trek'' novel did not appear until 1981 due to Bantam being allowed to complete its publishing contract first. Eventually, Pocket Books would publish novels based upon every ''Trek'' series. From around 1987 and with the debut of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Paramount took a closer role in supervising the books, disallowing story elements that were said to conflict with
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
's idea of ''Star Trek''. In particular, recurring characters between books were discouraged, as was the use of concepts introduced in ''The Animated Series''. This era saw disputes between authors and the ''Star Trek'' production office – specifically Roddenberry's "assistant", Richard Arnold – with many novels being rejected for not focusing directly on the main TOS cast. Some novels were, in lieu of rejection, heavily edited, resulting in being disowned publicly by their authors, such as with the novel '' Probe'' by
Margaret Wander Bonanno Margaret Wander Bonanno (February 7, 1950 – April 6, 2021) was an American science fiction writer, ghost writer, and small press publisher. She wrote seven '' Star Trek'' novels, science fiction novels (including ''The Others'' series and the ' ...
. A change of personnel at the ''Star Trek'' offices in the early 1990s – specifically the firing of Arnold immediately following the death of Gene Roddenberry in 1991 – led to a relaxation of policies regarding tie-in novels. Under editor
John J. Ordover John J. Ordover Is a New York Area stand-up comic, and is the American founder and chief executive officer of JJO Marketing, a digital art gallery owner, and is best known for being an editor at Pocket Books from 1992 to 2003 overseeing the ''Star ...
, many authors including Bonanno returned as ''Star Trek'' novelists in the 2000s after encouragement from fans, which continued under later editor Marco Palmieri, who has admitted being unaware of any prior blacklisting of authors resulting from the period of interference from Richard Arnold. Prolific ''Star Trek'' novelists include
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
, Diane Carey,
Keith R.A. DeCandido Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido (born April 18, 1969) 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 ...
, J.M. Dillard, Diane Duane,
Michael Jan Friedman Michael Jan Friedman (born March 7, 1955) is a New York City born American author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which are in licensed tie-in products of the '' Star Trek'' franchise. Ten of his titles have a ...
, and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Several actors and writers from the television series have written books:
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
has written a series with the Reeves-Stevenses featuring a revived
Captain Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in '' Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk lea ...
in the 24th century, and John de Lancie, Andrew J. Robinson,
J. G. Hertzler John Garman Hertzler Jr. (born March 18, 1950) is an American actor, author, screenwriter, and activist best known for his role on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' as the Klingon General (later Chancellor) Martok, whom he portrayed from 1995 unt ...
, and
Armin Shimerman Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor and author. Early life Shimerman was born into a Jewish family in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Lakewood, New Jersey, on November 5, 1949, the son of accountant Susan and house painte ...
have written or co-written books featuring their respective characters. ''Voyager'' producer Jeri Taylor wrote two novels featuring backstory for ''Voyager'' characters, and screen authors David Gerrold,
D. C. Fontana Dorothy Catherine Fontana (March 25, 1939 – December 2, 2019) was an American television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original '' Star Trek'' franchise and several Western television series. After a shor ...
, and
Melinda Snodgrass Melinda M. Snodgrass is a science fiction writer for print and television. In February 2021 Melinda was the Screenwriting Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the 39th annual Life, the Universe, & Everything professional science fiction and fan ...
have also penned books. The Reeves-Stevenses were later hired as writers for ''Enterprise''. None of the ''Star Trek'' novels are considered "canon", meaning that producers of the television series feel free to contradict events and facts from the novels (although Pocket Books coordinates with the ''Star Trek'' offices to minimize the chances of this happening). Paula Block, director of CBS Consumer Products, is quoted in ''Voyages of the Imagination'' as saying, "Jeri Taylor's books were considered quasi-canon for a while because our licensees really wanted some sort of background structure".


New series

Starting from the mid-1990s, several ranges of books were created based upon original continuing characters and situations set in the ''Star Trek'' universe. The first of these, '' Star Trek: New Frontier'' by
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
, focuses on the crew of the starship ''Excalibur''. Some characters in this series were guest stars from episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', while others were from previous ''Star Trek'' titles by the same author, and still others were created originally for the series. ''New Frontier'' takes place in Sector 221-G, where the ''Excalibur'' is dispatched to help with the chaos created by the crumbling Thallonian Empire.
Michael Jan Friedman Michael Jan Friedman (born March 7, 1955) is a New York City born American author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which are in licensed tie-in products of the '' Star Trek'' franchise. Ten of his titles have a ...
's ''
Stargazer Stargazer may refer to: * an observational astronomer, particularly an amateur Aerospace * Stargazer (aircraft), a Lockheed L-1011 airliner used to launch the Pegasus rocket * Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2, nicknamed Stargazer, the first s ...
'' series features the adventures of Captain Picard on the ''Stargazer'', and reuses characters he established in his 1992 ''TNG'' novel ''
Reunion Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, U ...
''. Another series, '' Star Trek: Challenger'', created by Pocket editor
John J. Ordover John J. Ordover Is a New York Area stand-up comic, and is the American founder and chief executive officer of JJO Marketing, a digital art gallery owner, and is best known for being an editor at Pocket Books from 1992 to 2003 overseeing the ''Star ...
and writer Diane Carey, was planned as a continuation of the six-book storyline '' Star Trek: New Earth''. Thus far only one book in the series has been published, ''Chainmail'', part of the ''Gateways'' crossover series. The ''
Starfleet Corps of Engineers The ''Star Trek'' franchise has a history of tie-in fiction which began with the 1967 publication of James Blish ''Star Trek 1''. More than 850 original novels, short story collections, episode and film novelizations, and omnibus editions have ...
'' series is a series of
eBooks An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
by various authors, set in the same general time frame as the ''Next Generation'' series. This series features a group of highly trained engineers stationed aboard and their adventures on various planets. The eBooks are eventually released in paperback collections. No new ''Corps of Engineers'' novels have been published since 2007. From 2005 to 2012, a '' Star Trek: Vanguard'' series ran, set on Starbase 47, known as "Vanguard". It is set during ''The Original Series'', and attempts to flesh out that particular period of fictional ''Star Trek'' history. '' I.K.S. Gorkon'' was a brief series of novels by
Keith R. A. DeCandido Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido (born April 18, 1969) 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 ...
, the first ''Star Trek'' novel series to feature the
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
s instead of Starfleet. This series tells of the adventures of an all-new ''Qang'' (''Chancellor'')-class war cruiser, on a mission to conquer new
planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
s for the Klingon Empire. The series grew from DeCandido's TNG Ambassador Worf-focused novel '' Diplomatic Implausibility''.


Relaunch series

Pocket Books has also depicted events after the end of television series, allowing greater freedom in storytelling. The ''Deep Space Nine'' relaunch takes place after the end of the series. New characters have been added to compensate for the loss of those who left at the end of the show. (Some books published after the end of the series, but before the official relaunch stories began, have been retroactively added to the relaunch, including the anthology ''
The Lives of Dax List of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' novels based on the American science fiction television series of the same name. The book line was published by Simon & Schuster imprints Pocket Books, Pocket Star, Gallery, and Atria. More recent ''Deep ...
'' and the novel '' A Stitch in Time''. The ''Star Trek: Voyager'' relaunch series, written by
Christie Golden Christie Golden (born November 21, 1963) is an American author. She has written many novels and several short stories in fantasy, horror and science fiction. Career Golden has written many novels and several short stories in the fields of science ...
, is set after the end of the ''Voyager'' series. In the final episode of the series, "
Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
", the characters return home, and the books deal with their homecoming and further adventures. After the release of the movie '' Star Trek Nemesis'', which sees
William Riker William Thomas "Will" Riker is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' universe appearing primarily as a main character in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Throughout the series and its accompanying films, he is the ''Enterprise''s first ...
about to take command of a new ship, , the '' Star Trek: Titan'' series was launched, depicting these adventures. As of 2014, several books have been set post-''Nemesis'', including several books dealing with
the Borg The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the ''Star Trek'' fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "the Collective". The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge ...
. The ''Enterprise'' series was also relaunched (see Star Trek: Enterprise relaunch), starting with the novel ''
The Good That Men Do List of ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' novels based on the American science fiction television series of the same name. The book line was published by Simon & Schuster imprints Pocket Books, Pocket Star, Gallery, and Atria. From 2001 to 2003, the bo ...
''. The ''Enterprise'' novel '' Last Full Measure'' retcons the death of Trip, recounted in " These Are the Voyages...". Trip's death is shown in a holodeck program in the time frame of the ''TNG'' episode " The Pegasus", and ''The Good That Men Do'' establishes that the historical record has been altered. Nine ''Star Trek'' novels, in the form of three thematic trilogies, have been written by
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. These novels, starting with the second book, feature a Captain Kirk revived after '' Star Trek Generations''. However, these novels are set in a different continuity to the rest of the ''Star Trek'' novels, receiving the nickname the Shatnerverse. A fourth Shatner/Reeves-Stevens trilogy, focusing on Kirk's time at Starfleet Academy and based on an idea pitched to Paramount for a TV series was launched in October 2007.


Crossover events

The ''Star Trek'' book ranges have since the mid-1990s featured various crossover events, with books published in multiple series. The first of these was the ''Invasion!'' series, published in 1996, featuring entries from ''The Original Series'', ''The Next Generation'', ''Deep Space Nine'', and ''Voyager'' series. 1997's event was the '' Day of Honor'', with novels in all four series. In a rare example of a novel concept being adopted into the TV series, the ''Voyager'' episode " Day of Honor" tied into this. 1998 saw six books published in the '' Star Trek: The Captain's Table'' crossover, including the four regular series, as well as one from '' Star Trek: New Frontier'' and another based on Christopher Pike (Star Trek), Captain Pike, the captain from the original ''Star Trek'' pilot episode, "The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series), The Cage". An anthology, entitled ''Tales from the Captain's Table'', was published in 2005 following up the concept, with tales from new captains. 1999's ''List of Star Trek novels#The Next Generation, Double Helix'' was a six-book series, nominally part of the numbered ''TNG'' book range, featuring characters from ''TNG'', ''DS9'', TOS, ''Voyager'', ''New Frontier'', and ''Stargazer''. The ''Star Trek: Gateways'' crossover was published in 2001, featuring entries from ''TOS'', ''Challenger'', ''TNG'', ''DS9'', ''Voyager'', and ''New Frontier''. These stories all end in a single finale anthology, ''What Lay Beyond''. 2001's ''Star Trek: Section 31'' was a thematic crossover, with each of the four books (''TOS'', ''TNG'', ''DS9'', and ''Voyager'') featuring Section 31 (Star Trek), Section 31. Later in 2014, ''Section 31'' became a standalone DS9 spinoff series of its own with the novel ''Disavowed''. In 2003, ''Star Trek: The Lost Era'' began exploring the underutilized part of the ''Star Trek'' timeline between Kirk's death in '' Star Trek Generations'' and the start of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''.


Short story collections

Various collections of ''Star Trek'' short stories have been published by Pocket Books. The ''Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (short story collection), Strange New Worlds'' competition, open to entries from the public, runs annually, and results in the publication of an anthology featuring the winning short stories. Pocket has also published themed original short story anthologies, including: *''
The Lives of Dax List of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' novels based on the American science fiction television series of the same name. The book line was published by Simon & Schuster imprints Pocket Books, Pocket Star, Gallery, and Atria. More recent ''Deep ...
'' (1999, stories for each incarnation of Dax (Star Trek), Dax) *''Enterprise Logs'' (2000, a collection of stories about various captains of ships named ''Enterprise'') *''No Limits (Star Trek), No Limits'' (2002, a ''Star Trek: New Frontier, New Frontier'' anthology, featuring the first stories to focus on NF characters that were not written by Peter David) *''Prophecy and Change'' (2003, a 10th anniversary ''DS9'' anthology) *''Tales of the Dominion War'' (2004, featuring various characters and the Dominion War) *''Tales from The Captain's Table'' (2005, featuring stories by new captains from the ''Star Trek: The Captain's Table, Captain's Table'') *''Distant Shores (Star Trek), Distant Shores'' (2005, a 10th anniversary ''Voyager'' anthology) *''Constellations (Star Trek), Constellations'' (2006, a 40th anniversary ''TOS'' anthology) *''The Sky's the Limit (Star Trek), The Sky's the Limit'', (2007, a 20th anniversary ''TNG'' anthology)


Status

A small but vocal minority of fans consider the novels to be fan fiction, although, being publications authorized by Paramount Pictures, they do not fit the general definition. A number of novels have been written or co-written by series actors, such as John de Lancie,
J. G. Hertzler John Garman Hertzler Jr. (born March 18, 1950) is an American actor, author, screenwriter, and activist best known for his role on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' as the Klingon General (later Chancellor) Martok, whom he portrayed from 1995 unt ...
, Andrew J. Robinson,
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
, and
Armin Shimerman Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor and author. Early life Shimerman was born into a Jewish family in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Lakewood, New Jersey, on November 5, 1949, the son of accountant Susan and house painte ...
. There have also been many unlicensed, privately published works which ''do'' fit the definition of fan fiction, such as ''The Doctor and the Enterprise'' by Jean Airey which merged the universes of ''Star Trek'' and ''Doctor Who'', or writings referred to as "Mary Sue" stories featuring the author and their personal acquaintances as major characters in the plot of their stories. Collectively, licensed fiction has been called the ''Star Trek'' expanded universe. The same name has also been applied to fan productions, often with reference to the ''Star Trek Expanded Universe'' website, a wiki designed to collect in-universe facts from fan-created content.


Comics

Almost continuously since 1967, a number of companies have published comic book series based on ''Star Trek'' and its spin-off series.


Whitman 1967–1979


Gold Key

The initial publisher of ''Star Trek'' comic adaptations and tie-in comics was Gold Key Comics, Gold Key, part of Whitman Publishing. The series ran for 61 issues between July 1967 until March 1979, and is noted for the first nine issues of the series being published with photo covers, made up from promotional photographs supplied by Paramount, some of which were taken from various episodes of the original series. Although Gold Key never gave creative credits in the pages of their comics, Len Wein, Arnold Drake, George Kashdan, Marty Pasko and
Doug Drexler Doug Drexler (born in New York City) is a visual effects artist, designer, sculptor, illustrator, and a makeup artist who has collaborated with such talents as Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Meryl Streep, and Warren Beatty. He began hi ...
are known to have worked on numerous issues of the books, and have since come forth and identified which issues they specifically worked on. The first two issues of the Gold Key run was illustrated by Italian artist Nevio Zaccara, and the first half of the series was drawn by Alberto Giolitti, who being based in Rome did not see any of the ''Star Trek'' TV episodes until several years after he retired. The remainder of the series was illustrated by Alden McWilliams, with a few fill-ins by George Kashdan. Gold Key and Whitman ceased publishing in 1979, with ''Star Trek'' No. 61 being one of the last comics produced by the company, and one issue in pre-production that never saw print.


Enterprise Log Series

Golden Press, another division of Western Publishing, reprinted several of the Gold Key ''Star Trek'' comics in four volumes. Entitled ''Enterprise Logs'', these four books reprinted the first 35 issues between 1976 and 1977, and included some new material as part of a ''Psycho-Files'' feature in the first and third volumes.


Dan Curtis

In 1974, Dan Curtis produced a set of nine , 22-page color miniature comics. These were intended to be sold with bubble gum, like baseball cards, and each comic reprinted a story from one of the Gold Key comics. The set has been listed since 1977 as "Dan Curtis Reprints" in the "Giveaway Comics" section of Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.


Dynabrite

Whitman also produced a series of 16 different comic reprints between 1978 and 1979 under the ''Dynabrite'' banner. These were 10" x 7-1/8" reprints of several of the Gold Key issues, with cardboard covers with blank inside covers.


Gold Key Reprints

In 2004, Checker Book Publishing Group was granted license from Paramount to reprint the Gold Key ''Star Trek'' comics in volumes under the name ''Star Trek: The Key Collection''. Note that these new reprint editions do not contain the new material that was created especially for the previous ''Enterprise Log'' reprint editions, such as the ''Psycho-Files'' or ''Scotty's Diary''. As of May 2007, seven editions have been printed, with the eighth edition expected in 2010 but as of this writing had not been scheduled.


UK newspaper strip

A weekly strip ran in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1973 in the pages of TV Century 21, TV21. Added as part of a revamp of the popular British magazine by City Publications, the strip ran for 118 issues, ending with the December 29, 1973 issue. Creators for this strip included numerous artists who worked on other TV Century 21, TV21 and Valiant (comics), Valiant Magazine strips, such as Harry Lindfield, Mike Noble, Roland Turner, Carlos Pino, and Jim Baikie.


Marvel 1979–1982

In 1979, with the launch of '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', Marvel started publishing ''Star Trek'' comics, starting with an adaptation of that movie by Marv Wolfman and Dave Cockrum. Through a misunderstanding between Paramount and Marvel, the writers had been misinformed that they could not use any previously used characters from the TV series or the movie except for the main crew of the Enterprise. The series only lasted a total of 18 issues, ending in 1981 with Marvel choosing not to renew the license.


Newspaper strip 1979–1983

A newspaper strip, initially written and illustrated by Thomas Warkentin also ran from 1979 to 1983, and was syndicated by the ''Los Angeles Times Mirror Syndicate''. Warkentin stayed with the series until April 1981, penning a total of eight tales. During his tenure, Warkentin was aided by artists Mark Rice, Dan Spiegle, and Ron Harris (artist), Ron Harris. Among the highlights of Wartenkin's strips was his final story, a Harry Mudd adventure featuring his view of a rare glimpse at the news media of the ''Star Trek'' universe. During the series remaining fifteen months, creative teams changed twice, beginning with writer Marty Pasko and artist Padraic Shigetani, with Bob Myers replacing Shigetani. The strip concluded with Gerry Conway and Dick Kulpa sharing writing credit, with Ernie Colón handling the art.


DC Comics 1984–1996

After the release of ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', DC Comics became the ''Star Trek'' comic licensee, publishing stories from 1984 set in the movie era (see ''Star Trek DC comics''). In 1988, the series ended when Paramount withdrew its license at the advice of Richard Arnold following a series of disputes between Arnold and DC Comics, specifically with the comic's main author,
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
. After a year's hiatus DC's second ''Star Trek'' series was launched with an adaptation of ''Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek V''. Original stories took place in the large gap between ''Star Trek V'' and ''Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek VI'', but did not continue from the previous series, so storylines from that series were either ignored or rewritten. Although more limited in scope than the first series due to restrictions from Paramount – which included a prohibition by Richard Arnold against the creation and use of original and non-series-related ongoing characters in the comic stories – and the controversial removal of Peter David as head writer, the series still lasted 80 issues. Howard Weinstein, who like David was also a ''Star Trek'' novelist, took over writing the comic with issue No. 20, and used the opportunity to flesh-out some of the changes between ''Star Trek V'' and ''VI'', such as Hikaru Sulu, Sulu's promotion to captain of the ''Excelsior''. DC also published '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' Star Trek: the Next Generation DC comics, comics, starting with a mini-series in 1988. An ongoing monthly series was launched from October 1989, and was mainly written by ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' novelist Michael Jan Friedman. The series would run until 1996, when DC chose not to renew the license due to declining sales and an increase in licensing fees from Paramount.


Malibu 1993–1995

Beginning in 1993, Malibu Comics published an ongoing series based upon ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Before DC Comics' relinquishing the license, Malibu and DC worked together to publish a DS9/TNG crossover comic. In addition, Malibu also published an annual and several one-shot special issues of the ''DS9'' comic, and reportedly was preparing a ''Star Trek: Voyager'' comic that later saw print after the merger with Marvel Comics in 1996.


Marvel 1996–1998

As part of the merger with Malibu Comics in 1996, Marvel obtained the ''Star Trek'' license, publishing comics under the "Marvel Paramount Comics" banner. Helping to launch the franchise were the comic adaptation of the film ''Star Trek: First Contact'' and the one-shot crossover ''Star Trek/X-Men''. The quarterly ''Star Trek Unlimited'' series covered ''TOS'' and ''TNG''. Marvel published monthly comics based upon ''Deep Space Nine'' and ''Star Trek: Voyager, Voyager''. They also introduced two new series, ''Star Trek: Early Voyages'' which dealt with Christopher Pike (Star Trek), Captain Pike's adventures as captain of the ''Enterprise'' (as depicted in the rejected ''TOS'' pilot "The Cage") and ''Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (comics), Star Trek: Starfleet Academy'' which dealt with a group of cadets, including ''Deep Space Nine's'' Ferengi, Nog. Finally, a five-issue limited series, ''Star Trek: Untold Voyages'', followed Kirk on his second five-year mission following the events of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (similarly to the first Marvel series, but ignoring the original comics' stories). The ongoing series were canceled in 1998 due to sales being below expectations, with ''Early Voyages'' leaving an unresolved story by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.


Wildstorm 1999–2002

Wildstorm were the next licensee. Wildstorm decided to not do an ongoing series, but instead a series of miniseries and Trade paperback (comics), trade paperback graphic novels from 1999 onwards. Writers included Nathan Archer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith,
Keith R.A. DeCandido Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido (born April 18, 1969) 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 ...
. Scott Ciencin, Kevin J. Anderson, K. W. Jeter, John J. Ordover, John Ordover and David Alan Mack, David Mack. Due to poor sales and issues involving Wildstorm's merger with DC Comics, the license was allowed to expire in 2002 without renewal.


Tokyopop 2004–

In October 2004, Tokyopop announced plans to publish an anthology of ''Next Generation''-based stories presented in the style of Japanese manga. Since then, the company has produced several anthologies of Star Trek manga stories starting in 2006 with ''Shinsei Shinsei''. The first two books contained five manga stories and a prose short story from a recently released anthology by
Pocket Books Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books. History Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
, with Pocket printing a manga story in the respective anthology to cross promote both companies products. The third book featured four, slightly longer, manga stories and an extra from a recent Pocket anthology of short novels. Tokyopop originally planned their first book to be a collection of tales in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era but at the bequest of Paramount they chose to develop a Star Trek: The Original Series book instead, to be released for The Original Series' 40th Anniversary. After publishing their third TOS manga book the company announced plans for two TNG anthologies in late 2008 and early 2009. The first TNG book was delayed and saw publication in April 2009.


IDW Publishing

On November 9, 2006, IDW Publishing announced that they had secured the publishing rights to Star Trek from CBS Consumer Products. IDW's first title was the six-issue miniseries, ''The Space Between'', written by David Tischman and drawn by Casey Maloney. IDW followed up with the series ''Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell'', along with other mini-series and one-shots, and is still regularly publishing new ''Star Trek''-based material.


Games


Star Fleet Universe

Developed over the last two decades and more as an expansive development of the background as supplied in the ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Original Series'' as well as in ''
The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual The ''Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual'' (, Ballantine Books 1975, reprinted 1986, 1996, 2006) is a fiction reference book by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt, about the workings of Starfleet, a military, exploratory, and diplomatic organization f ...
'', the Star Fleet Universe introduces a range of new races and storylines (such as the Interstellar Concordium and the General War) as well as drawing from the Star Trek: The Animated Series, Animated Series for inspiration – a modified version of the Kzinti are a major part of the SFU, for example – unlike the Paramount Pictures, Paramount universe. This universe lives and thrives in the range of works from Amarillo Design Bureau Inc. and (formerly) Task Force Games, as well as providing a fount for the unique merging of ''Star Trek'' continuities seen in the Star Fleet Command series of PC games. SFU games include: * Federation and Empire (1986) * Federation Commander (2005) * Prime Directive (role-playing game), Prime Directive, 1993, * GURPS Prime Directive, 2002,
Based on Prime Directive, but with the GURPS ruleset. * Prime Directive (role-playing game)#D20 Prime Directive and D20M Prime Directive, D20 Prime Directive, 2005
Based on Prime Directive, but with the d20 System, D20 ruleset. * Star Fleet Battles (1979) * Star Fleet Battle Force The following computer games used elements from both the Paramount and ADB universes: * ''Star Trek: Starfleet Command, Starfleet Command'' (1999) * ''Starfleet Command II: Empires at War'' * ''Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates''


Other games

Other ''Star Trek'' games include role-playing games, board games, card games, computer games, arcade games, and pinball games: ;Board game, Board and card games: * ''Star Trek Customizable Card Game'' (1994) * ''Star Trek III: Struggle for the Throne'', 1984, FASA Corporation, FASA: a struggle inside the
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
empire for the emperor's throne. * ''Star Trek III (game), Star Trek III'', 1985: three ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
''-themed solitaire games: ''The Sherwood Syndrome'', ''The Kobayashi Maru'' and ''Free Enterpri$e''. * ''Three-dimensional chess, Tri-Dimensional Chess'' (Franklin Mint) ;Role-playing games * ''Star Trek: The Role Playing Game'', 1982, FASA Corporation, FASA * ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Role-playing Game'', 1998, Last Unicorn Games * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Role-playing Game, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Role-Playing Game'', 1999, Last Unicorn Games * ''Star Trek role-playing game (Last Unicorn), Star Trek: The Original Series Role-playing Game'', 1999, Last Unicorn Games * ''Star Trek Roleplaying Game'', 2002, Decipher, Inc.


Computer or video games

;Arcade games * ''Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator'' (1982, SEGA) * ''Star Trek: Invasion'' * ''Star Trek: Encounters'' ;University Mainframe computer, Mainframe Computer Games * ''Star Trek (text game)'' (1971), on PDP-10 computers * ''Star Trek (Script Game)'' (1972), on PDP-10 computers ;Computer games * ''Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator'' (SEGA) (home computer/console conversion of arcade game) * '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1982, Vectrex Arcade System) * ''Star Trek: The Promethean Prophecy'' (Simon & Schuster Interactive) (1986) * ''Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative'' (Simon & Schuster Interactive) (1987) * ''Star Trek: First Contact (video game)'' (Simon & Schuster Interactive) (1988) * ''Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (computer game), Star Trek: 25th Anniversary'' (Interplay Entertainment, Interplay) (1991) * ''Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (NES video game), Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (video game) (Konami, 1991) * ''Star Trek: Judgment Rites'' (1994) * ''Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (computer game), Starfleet Academy'' (Interplay Entertainment, Interplay, 1994/1995) * ''Star Trek: The Next Generation, A Final Unity'' (Spectrum Holobyte) (1995) * ''Star Trek: Klingon'' (1996) * ''Star Trek: Borg'' (1996) * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Harbinger'' (1996) * ''Star Trek Generations (game), Star Trek Generations'' (1997) * ''Star Trek: The Next Generation: Birth of the Federation'' (1999) * ''Star Trek: Hidden Evil'' (1999) * ''Star Trek: Klingon Academy'' (2000) * ''Star Trek: Away Team'' (2001) * ''Star Trek: Federation Compilation'' * ''Star Trek: Armada'' (Activision) (2000) * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen'' (2000) * ''Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force'' (2000) * ''Star Trek: Armada II'' (Activision) (2001) * ''Starfleet Command III'' (2002) * ''Star Trek: Bridge Commander'' (2002) * ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dominion Wars'' (2001) * ''Star Trek: Elite Force II'' (2003) * ''Star Trek: Shattered Universe'' (2004) * ''Star Trek: Legacy'' (2006) * ''Star Trek Online'' (2010) ;Pinball machines * ''Star Trek (1978 pinball), Star Trek'' (Bally Technologies, Bally, 1978) * ''Star Trek (1991 pinball), Star Trek'' (Data East, 1991) * ''Star Trek: The Next Generation (pinball), Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (Williams (Midway Games), 1993)


Theme parks

* Star Trek: The Experience Star Trek Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood, 1988 : The Universal Studios Theme Parks, Universal Studios Hollywood theme park featured a ''Star Trek''-themed attraction. The attraction regularly selected 10 volunteers from the audience and placed them into a ''Star Trek'' story line. The participants were dressed in ''Star Trek'' costumes and placed on sets, and coached to deliver scripted dialogue in several scenes. The scenes, which were recorded on video by Lilly, were quickly edited into a short film, the storyline of which was loosely based around material from the ''Star Trek'' films. The finished video was then shown to the audience, and the "actors" had the opportunity to purchase a copy of their video. This attraction closed after several years of operation. Several copies of these videos had been seen om YouTube. Great American Adventure Amusement Park, Santa Clara near San Jose, Calif. : In the '80's Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures Inc. bought the theme park operating company, Great American Theme Parks. After this corporate owner's change, the San Jose property added many major ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' elements to entertain the park's patrons. There were several costumed ''Star Trek'' characters entertaining patrons near the large ''Star Trek'' transplanted movie sets brought up from the studio. A
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
starship command bridge and other interior set elements along with other ''Star Trek'' sets were delivered and installed in this property. There were costumed ''Star Trek'' characters 'meeting and greeting' the parks visitors.


Fan productions

Several fan-made or unofficial films have been produced, using ''Star Trek'' characters or settings. Notable examples include: *''Starship Exeter'', made in the style of the 1960s original series and set on a sister ship of the ''Enterprise''. *''Star Trek: Phase II (fan series), Star Trek: Phase II'', formerly known as ''Star Trek: New Voyages'', which depicts the fourth year of Kirk's five-year mission. George Takei and Walter Koenig have made guest appearances, and
D. C. Fontana Dorothy Catherine Fontana (March 25, 1939 – December 2, 2019) was an American television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original '' Star Trek'' franchise and several Western television series. After a shor ...
, original series script editor and writer, has written an episode. *''Star Trek: Of Gods and Men'', directed by Tim Russ and featuring many ''Star Trek'' actors, produced as a "gift" to the fans.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Star Trek Spin-Off Fiction Star Fleet Universe Books based on Star Trek Star Trek fandom Star Trek reference books Comics based on Star Trek Games based on Star Trek Star Trek television series