6 Star Trek Tie-In Novels Worth the Voyage

My Enemy, My Ally, by Diane Duane
The Romulans are one of Star Trek’s oldest villains, but their culture isn’t as fleshed out as, say, that of the Klingons. Maybe it’s due to their secretive nature, or maybe it’s because “grumpy Vulcans” aren’t as interesting as bumpy-headed warriors. Either way, Diane Duane helped remedy that situation with My Enemy, My Ally, the first book in her Rihannsu series. The story takes place during the original series’ run and stars Kirk, squaring off with Romulan commander Ael t’Rllallieu. Ael has grown weary of Romulan politics and seeks the captain’s help to restore honor to her people. She tells him of two secret Romulan projects currently under way, one of which involves nabbing Vulcan genetic material to give Romulans enhanced telepathic abilities. Kirk refuses to assist her, but he eventually finds himself pulled into the web of chaos that is the Romulan Empire.

Star Trek: Federation, by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens
The husband and wife team has written and co-written over 20 books in the Star Trek universe, but 1994’s Federation stands as one of the best. The book ties together Trek history, featuring the crews from both the original series and The Next Generation, making it irresistible to anyone with a stake in the Great Kirk vs. Picard Question. Zefram Cochrane, that scruffy guy who invented the warp drive, is taken hostage and forced to build a weapon using the nascent technology. He escapes and is eventually rescued by the original Enterprise. Meanwhile, in the future, the Enterprise D is investigating a mysterious artifact when they encounter an equally mysterious black hole. Wouldn’t you know it, it happens to be the same black hole the original Enterprise is cruising toward in its own time. Three guesses as to what happens next! Despite the use of time travel as a plot device, Federation is one of the best-written, most entertaining books in the shared universe.

Imzadi, by Peter David
Ah, the romance of Commander Riker and Counselor Troi. Even as a kid I could totally appreciate their chemistry (not that I would have admitted it out loud). Their fiery affair had cooled by the time they both served aboard the Enterprise, but we all knew those sparks were still sputtering, didn’t we? Imzadi explores the relationship from Riker’s point of view, pushing the story forward into his 70s, finding him bitter and angry about Troi’s death decades earlier. Flashbacks show us some of their history, but it’s not until a chance to go back and change things arises that Riker springs into action. Imzadi‘s author, Peter David, is prolific in and out of the Star Trek universe. He even wrote a sequel, Imzadi II, that focuses on Troi and her love affair with Worf. As an extra special bonus, the Imzadi audiobook is narrated by Jonathan Frakes. You can almost hear the beard.

A Stitch in Time, by Andrew Robinson
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was packed with awesome characters. They didn’t get to boldly go as many places as the other crews did, but sitting on a space station next to a wormhole isn’t exactly a cushy job. Among those awesome characters is Garak, a Cardassian in exile who insists he’s “just a simple tailor” despite having a history of, you know, being a badass spy. A Stitch in Time, was written byAndrew Robinson, the actor who played Garak (interestingly, it’s the first Star Trek novel by a cast member written without the aid of a ghostwriter). The story takes place after the Dominion War, with Garak writing letters to his old friend Dr. Julian Bashir. Garak recounts stories from his past and discusses the rebuilding efforts on his home world, giving us a firsthand look into post-DS9 events, along with great insights into the character himself. You can almost see Garak’s grin as he gently patronizes the doctor.

Homecoming, by Christie Golden
“Endgame,” the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager, is hugely polarizing. After seven years spent watching the lost, desperate crew bounce around the Delta Quadrant in search of a shortcut back to Earth, the episode ended only seconds after they finally made it home.  Unsatisfying, to say the least. Good thing Christie Golden swooped in to bring things to a satisfying completion. Homecoming takes place on Earth after Voyager‘s return, following the crew as they acclimate to life in the Alpha Quadrant (aka the best quadrant). There’s also the matter of a cybernetic plague attacking citizens of Earth and a new race of Borg appearing as a result. Geez, can’t a crew take one day off to sip some champagne?

Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures, by Christopher L. Bennett
Star Trek: Enterprise always gets overlooked. I won’t go into my theories why (the theme song wasn’t that bad), but I will highlight one of the relaunch books that helped drag the show back into the spotlight. The first in the Rise of the Federation series, A Choice of Futures follows the young Federation as it takes its first steps into existence. It’s a crucial time in humanity’s fictional future-history, one in which we’re struggle to identify ourselves in a galaxy full of sentient species. The story continues where the last episode left off, revealing how the Federation matured and how humans became one of the most important races in the galaxy. Take that, Klingons!
Do you read tie-in novels?