If you’ve read this site for a while, you know that I love the Star Trek: Titan series of books, chronicling the adventures of Riker and his crew of the USS Titan as they spearhead a new era of exploration for Starfleet. Star Trek: Titan has been describe by former Senior Editor and creator of the series, Marco Palmieri, as “The Original Series in the Next Generation time frame.” While looking through some stats for my site the other day, I noticed that the highest number of hits from Internet searches this month were from people looking for information on “USS Titan”. So, I thought I’d put together a sort of mini-guide, cobbling together information and try to give someone new to the series a decent introduction. I will be updating this page as time goes on.
Synthesis is the latest entry in the popular Star Trek: Titan novel series, with well-regarded British writer James Swallow taking the reins this time around. In Synthesis, Titan encounters a race of sentient machines, whose civilization is losing a conflict against a vast and barely comprehensible enemy known as the Null. If the machines fail, the Null could pose a threat to all life in the galaxy, and beyond.
This is why I love the Titan series; Swallow deftly intermixes high-concept science fiction with compelling drama and action. Swallow raises questions about prejudice and machine / AI’s right to life in a way that is fresh. In doing so, he casts a mirror on the diversity of the crew with a twist, while avoiding any heavy-handedness. The world building Swallow treats us to is on par with Christoper L. Bennett’s work, which is to say, fantastic. The Sentry Coalition are an intriguing species, and specifically their member, SecondGen White-Blue. White-Blue, by necessity, is the most fleshed out of the Sentry, and develops the character with a careful hand that made it one of my favorite in the novel. Swallow also does a wonderful job in capturing the crew members’ voices, who come across and authentic and not merely as ciphers.
The criticisms are few. I did not care for the use of Minuet in the novel (the visual, not the character / AI underneath of it). The AI using that “disguise” could have looked like anyone, really, and very little, if anything, would have been lost. In fact, Titan’s AI could have been very interesting character arc over a number of books; it was a bit of a shame to see it truncated here (though, again, necessary). And (certainly out of the author’s control) the cover was what I like to consider a “cheap pop”; to easily draw in the readers who will recognize Minuet’s face, even though it never conveys an actual scene in the novel. I just didn’t care for it.
The Titan series continues to push ahead with its tenet of being “the Original Series for the Next Generation era,” being about Star Trek’s core purpose of exploration. Swallow does the series justice with Synthesis, continuing the high quality that has been a hallmark since the beginning. Highly recommended.
Rating: A
Review: Star Trek Titan: Over a Torrent Sea
Over a Torrent Sea is the fifth novel in the popular Star Trek: Titan range of books, written by Christopher L. Bennett, and which chronicles the adventures of Captain Riker and his crew after the final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Nemesis. In this novel, set after the cataclysmic events of the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy, Titan resumes its mission of exploration, this time encountering a world whose surface is covered completely with water, with a unique biosphere and species inhabiting it. However, an attempt to help the planet turns into a disaster of global proportions, and while Riker is injured and missing, the crew must struggle to fix a horrible mistake and save the planet.
Bennett, who has written a number of Trek novels and stories (including a previous Titan novel, Orion’s Hounds), is known for grounding his stories in hard science, keeping things plausible while exploring unique concepts within the framework of a Trek story. Over a Torrent Sea is no different, as Bennett’s worldbuilding (something which he excels at in his stories) makes the aquatic world of the novel vividly come to life. The species and mechanics behind them are detailed and impressive; there is no doubt Bennett has put a lot of time and effort into them. The flip side is that it can, at times, be overwhelming. The scientific discussions and descriptions tended to be a bit too much in places, which threw off the pacing of the narrative. However, this may come down to personal preference.
Bennett’s grasp of the crew is perfect. Being no stranger to these characters, Bennett easily slips into their voices and takes his time early on to show us where the crew is at in the post-DestinyTrek universe. In fact, there is a lot of focus on the characters in the first 100+ pages, which to some can come across as too slow paced. I found the opportunity to get into the characters’ heads and see how recent events have affected them and their relationships to make for an absorbing read. Again, this may come down to personal preference; not everyone will enjoy the slower pace. This also affords the opprotunity for Bennett to delve into some of the other characters who have not been at the forefront in recent novels, such as Bralik and Eviku. Titan’s cast is wide and varied, which is one of the series’ strengths, and Over a Torrent Sea uses this to full effect. Characters such as Lavena, Cethente, Ra-Havreii, and Pazlar receive a lot of excellent development here, with Lavena in particular receiving insights that turn a previously-shallow character into a fully-fleshed out, complex figure. Lavena’s character arc in this novel is a strong one, and hopefully she will have a bigger role in future novels.
Bennett also uses humor, which blossoms in the latter half of the novel and works very well. Although where are a few eye-rollers, there are some other downright funny moments, almost as if Peter David were channeled at the height of his Trek abilities. It would be great to see Bennett achieve a better balance of this humor and incorporate it in future novels.
Speaking of balance, one of the caveats of the novel is the structure. While is starts off slow, things pick up, particularly when the “disaster” occurs; however, the subplot with Ree comes out of left-field, and feels like a convoluted way to place drama around the Riker and Troi’s baby. In the end, the subplot works fairly well (with a great moment between Tuvok, Ree, and Troi), but it stretches the suspension of disbelief. In fact, there is a gap between Tuvok leaving and arriving to deal with the situation, and this stretch, interjected with everything else going on, just makes things thrown off track a bit. A minor nitpick, perhaps.
In the end, Over a Torrent Sea is a solid entry into the Titan series. Bennett’s attention to detail and high-concepts stories fit perfectly with Titan’s premise of outward discovery and getting back to the pure wonder of exploration- “the Original Series in the Next Generation timeframe.” Over a Torrent Sea carries with it a note of hope and renewal, which is perfectly timed in the series and for the crew. While the science can be a bit overwhelming at times, it does not detract from the fine story Bennett sets out to tell. Recommended not only for Trek fans but for fans of science fiction, period.
Rating: B
Review: “Star Trek: Destiny - Lost Souls”
At long last, the conclusion to the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy, appropriately titled Lost Souls, arrives. In the face of a relentless assault from an armada of Borg ships, the Federation faces its darkest hour. Worlds are burning, the fleet is being crushed, and the Federation’s only hope for salvation lies in the hands of three starship captains, their brave crews, and one of their own long-thought dead.
Lost Souls is the payoff for the first two novels in the trilogy, and what a payoff it is. Whereas Gods of Night laid the foundation and Mere Mortals built the framework, Lost Souls delivers, fleshing out the story in some exciting and unexpected ways. Lost Souls is an incredibly satisfying conclusion and marks the beginning of a new era in Trek literature.
The circumstances are compelling: over 7,000 Borg ships have begun an invasion of Federation, Klingon, and Romulan space. Their goal is simple: the utter annihilation of the Federation and its allies. The Borg here, as they have been presented throughout the trilogy, are more an unstoppable force of nature than a traditional enemy. Their savagery and single-minded purpose of destruction makes for their most terrifying incarnation yet. David Mack has done an outstanding job on showing, not telling, how fearsome the Borg are, and in short Destiny is really the ultimate Borg story.
The storylines from previous novels converge at last. We are treated to the team-up of Captains Picard, Riker, and Dax. Mack is in top form, proving he is the arguably the best action writer in Trek fiction. Whether it is starship battles or an infiltration mission to a Borg scout ship, Mack perfectly sets the tone and keeps things moving at a suspenseful pace.
Mack also brings the drama like few others can. In between the Borg battles and revelations, as the fate of various worlds unfolds, Mack treats us to some poignant set pieces. Deneva’s fate, and in particular the fate of the son of one one our main characters, and his wife, was beyond beautiful. Told in such a short amount of space, Mack fills in enough emotion and depth that one has to re-read the passages several times to capture their scope. And there’s moments of hope, joy, and determination, which make you just want to jump out of your chair, fist pumping in the air (Riker’s comment to Troi along the lines of “Let’s do what we always do… the impossible,” was one such moment). There has never been a Trek novel to contain such emotional weight. Simply amazing.
If you felt that the first two novels in the trilogy meandered or did not contain enough Borg or action, Lost Souls takes that perception and beats it like it owes it money. Lost Souls is an amazing conclusion to a trilogy that, when read as a whole, displays incredibility ingenuity in its use of foreshadowing (the Aventine plotline from Gods of Night carries great significance upon reading the entire trilogy) and amazing storytelling power. In short, Lost Souls, and Destiny overall, is a huge win, not only for David Mack but for the editors and readers. The potential for the follow-up to the trilogy is huge, and makes 2009 an exciting year in Trek fiction. Bravo.
Rating: A+
Review: Star Trek: Destiny - Mere Mortals
Mere Mortals is the second volume of the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy, which promises to shake up the status quo in Trek literature. As the Borg threaten continues to hang over the Federation and worlds fall, the crews of the starships Enterprise and Aventine pursue some options that could give the Federation an edge in the war. Meanwhile, thousands of light-years away, the crew of the Titan has been captured by the powerful Caeliar, and as they struggle to find a way out with their detained crew members, we learn of Erika Hernandez’s ordeal over the past 800+ years.
David Mack is one of the best Trek writers today, and he delivers a solid character-focused effort that improves at fleshing out Captain Dax and her crew, while doing an outstanding job of maintaining the atmosphere of dread. The Borg are used sparingly in this novel, but when they do appear, they make an impact (and if you already the novel… yeah, you’ll know what I did there). This is probably for the best, as the Borg are more insidious as an enemy when used in this fashion.
The most gripping portions of this book are regarding the fate of the remaining members of the Columbia crew. In particular, Erika’s story is harrowing, as we are shown the consequences of some difficult choices, in a manner that we never really see in Trek fiction: choices that go horribly wrong. Easily the best plot thread of the novel.
The weakest portion of the novel are the segments with the Titan crew. In short, their story does not really go anywhere. We see a few failed attempts at escape, some moments of personal insight regarding Ra-Havreii and Melora, and the away team fails to do much more. As a fan of this particular crew, I found it not to bother me terribly, but to be perfectly impartial, it’s a problem. Some fans will not care for the apparent treading of water here, despite the cliffhanger finale (which in itself does not seem logical, as given the circumstances present at the novel conclusion’s, what can Titan really hope to contribute?).
Some of the more fascinating bits are the brief visits through the subspace tunnels. A race that can travel at warp through space through mere thought? Not to mention they’ve done spectacularly well against the Borg. Or, a distant galaxy where most of the stars have been concealed within shells? What kind of race could have done that? We don’t discover anything close to resembling the answers, but it appears there is hope for that down the road.
And fans of Articles of the Federation will love the scenes with President Bacco. Her efforts to round up support from the other Alpha Quadrant powers to meet the Borg threat were perfectly in line with the tone of that novel. Kudos to David Mack for capturing the character so well.
If Gods of Night laid the foundation, Mere Mortals fleshes out the framework. Some will point out that not a lot happens save for the beginning and the big action sequence near the end. This is a perfectly valid criticism, but thus far the trilogy has been mostly about the “journey,” laying down threads that should pay off in Lost Souls. In short, “Everything has been building to this…” If anything, the year-plus of hype leading up to Destiny has generated an amazing amount of expectations from online fandom, and to be fair it would be impossible for Destiny to match it. Only until after Lost Souls is released can we truly put the trilogy in perspective and judge whether it failed or succeeded. As it stands now, Destiny has the potential to be the Lord of the Rings of the Star Trek books, but it depends on what Lost Souls brings to the table. As such, Mere Mortals is an enjoyable read, and while I may have loved the book, it won’t satisfy everyone.
Rating: B+
Review: Star Trek: Destiny - “Gods of Night”
Gods of Night is the first novel in a blockbuster Star Trek trilogy called Destiny. Written by popular Trek author David Mack, Destiny is being touted as a game-changing series, which will shake up the Star Trek literature universe and have long-lasting consequences. With the hype building for almost a year, how does Gods of Night fair against scrutiny?
Gods of Night presents us with four running threads that give the hint of converging towards the end. One is the story of the Columbia and the fate of one of the earliest ships in Starfleet’s history. Mack does a nice job of fleshing out the characters, and he does an amazing job in developing the Caeliar. The Caeliar are the kind of race that one expects to find in great science fiction: they inspire a sense of awe and wonder. They are just humanoid enough to be easy to somewhat grasp, but they are so different that their abilities make them fascinating to read. They are right up there with the Shedai from Star Trek: Vanguard and Christopher L. Bennett’s work for some of the best “high-concept” science fiction to appear in Trek. I absolutely can’t wait to read more about them.
The second follows the Enterprise as it engages the Borg in the front lines of the dreadful foe’s invasion of the Federation. Make no mistake: this is a war the Federation is fighting against the Borg. The Enterprise storyline picks up several weeks after the conclusion of the previous Next Generation novel, Greater than the Sum, whose epilogue showed us the opening salvos of the conflict. The Borg are laying waste to Federation worlds, no longer with the desire to assimilate, but rather to watch them burn. Within this context, and with the casualties presented in this novel, the Borg return to their elite status as Trek’s most fearsome enemies. Mack does a great job of setting the stage for the epic battle, including a few vignettes from the battle lines. The reader is left with no doubt about the scope of what is at stake, and knowing that there is no reset button at the end of this tale makes it all the more thrilling and disturbing.
The third plot thread involves newly-minted Captain Ezri Dax of the Aventine. Unfortunately, of the threads running through Gods of Night, the Aventine story feels the least satisfying. While we get a good look at Dax’s crew and the nuances of ship’s operations (Bowers’ bridge protocol preference was an interesting take we haven’t seen too often before), the overall story seems a bit flat. We don’t really see inside Dax’s head as to how she is handling her recent promotion. In fact, we don’t seem to get inside her head very much at all, short of her dealing with the current situation. Understandably, the editor and author did not want to delve too much into what has gone on in the Deep Space Nine relaunch and what has lead Dax to move on from the station, considering that series is still set four years prior to this story, but the lack of flexibility there hurts Dax’s representation. Also, the storyline is a bit of a science fiction cliche. It boils down to a mysterious threat that kills a couple of crewmen, then makes it aboard the ship when it kills again, and then the mystery is resolved. It moves by fairly quickly, but disappoints. There just wasn’t a lot interesting here for the Aventine crew to do. Given where they are left at by the end of the novel, their tale should pick up momentum in the next volume, Mere Mortals.
The fourth storyline, involving Titan, matches the Enterprise thread for emotional intensity. Whereas the latter features the horrors of the front line and Picard’s internal struggle and fears for his unborn child, Titan’s tale features some of the most heart-wrenching writing I have read in Trek literature. As a father, reading Riker and Troi’s struggle was hard. This is powerful writing, in particular Troi’s counseling session. While the scientific and exploratory portions of the Titan’s story (and how they begin to tie-in with the wider arc of Destiny) are very well done, the character-focused moments on board Titan carry the biggest punch (train, meet rabbit).
Gods of Night packs a lot into the first book, and takes the right approach by keeping a microscope on the characters and their anxieties and reactions to the current dilemma. The book will leave you wanting, and thankfully we only have to wait four weeks until the second volume. Gods of Night is a solid beginning to the trilogy, and puts the series on course for an epic ride.
Rating: A-
Review: Star Trek: Titan - Sword of Damocles
After nearly a two-year wait, the fourth book in the Star Trek: Titan series, Sword of Damocles, has been released. Written by first-time novelist Geoffrey Thorne (who has previously written short stories for Star Trek anthologies as well as online film and comics), Sword of Damocles picks up three months after the previous novel, Orion’s Hounds. We find the crew exploring a strange new phenomenon they refer to as darklings. During the course of their investigation, they are lead to the world Orisha, where an even stranger phenomenon awaits them- one that threatens the crew, will test their resolve, and leave the them changed.
Sword of Damocles does more than a fine job of continuing the example set by previous authors in the series. We have the interweaving of character dynamics and conflicts coupled with the awe of exploration. While no easy feat, Thorne handles this admirably, giving us insight into characters who were due for it. In particular, Jaza, Ra-Havreii, and Vale get a lot of love here, and fully round out otherwise excellent characters. Jaza is the focus of the novel, and what we learn about him here more than surpasses what we knew from previous novels put together. In a lot of ways, his story reminded me of a Lost episode, as we are presented with flashbacks during moments of insight. This is not a complaint, as Lost is currently my favorite television series. Thorne makes you care about the character, see how deep and complex his motivations are, and one can’t help but have a strong connection to Jaza by the end of the novel.
Thorne has also done an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension in the novel. Whereas previous novels had the crew coming together in a fairly cohesive manner, we see here, six months into Titan’s mission, some cracks are showing. Something is wrong between Riker and Troi; Ra-Havreii is exhibiting more and more eccentric behavior, which is hindering morale in several areas of the crew; and Vale conflicts with Troi and needs to exert her position as first officer. Given the circumstances that evolve from the novel, it makes for great reading and a more realistic approach considering the circumstances of the crew and their mission. Thorne pulls it off very well.
The Orishans make for a fairly original race, not so much in their design but in their culture. The psychological concept behind their development underneath the Eye is brilliant, and was one of the most fascinating portions of the novel. Also impressive was new crew member Modan, who has to be one of the more useful thanks to her ability to shift her body into a battle mode. Another great premise.
Included in the novel is a great fold-out schematics of the Titan with call-outs and some extra information. Also, at the bottom of the fold-out are names and registries of the entire Luna class fleet. The fold-out was a great extra to include in the book, and kudos to Pocket Books for doing this. Thorne also makes great use of the sensor pod in the novel and even includes a great in-joke regarding the Pocket Books competition and its winner, Sean Tourangeau.
There are a few faults, mostly minor. While Thorne’s prose is good the plot moves along well, a few editing mistakes were noticeable, such as a dropped word here and there, an incorrect gender reference, Tuvok being referred to as both Chief Tactical and Security officer, and Keru being referred to as “Lieutenant” (instead of “Lieutenant Commander” or simply “Commander”) on at least two occasions. Nitpicks, true, but I almost always never notice this sort of thing, but here was a different matter. Also, the science behind the Eye and its effect on Orisha can be tricky to grasp. It took a few extra looks to make sure I understood it. That may just be me, however.
In closing, Sword of Damocles is a win for the Titan series as well as Geoffrey Thorne in his debut. Exciting, provacative, and with lots of depth, this novel should appeal to all Star Trek fans. Let’s hope to see more from Mr. Thorne in the future.
Rating: B+
Star Trek: Titan Guide
Last Updated: 07/11/2009
If you’ve read this site for a while, you know that I love the Star Trek: Titan series of books, chronicling the adventures of Riker and his crew of the USS Titan as they spearhead a new era of exploration for Starfleet. Star Trek: Titan has been describe by former Senior Editor and creator of the series, Marco Palmieri, as “The Original Series in the Next Generation time frame.”
While looking through some stats for my site the other day, I noticed that the highest number of hits from Internet searches this month were from people looking for information on “USS Titan”. So, I thought I’d put together a sort of mini-guide, cobbling together information and try to give someone new to the series a decent introduction. I will be updating this page as time goes on.
A Note About Crew Pictures: A number of the main characters in Titan have appeared on television, and in those cases, their character photos have been used. Some characters are new but their species has either appeared on a book cover (e.g. Dr. Rees) or in the series (e.g. Dr. Ra-Havreii). In those cases, I posted pictures that are approximations of those characters. Other characters, however, are original characters from the novels. For them, I have posted pictures based on discussions in various forums (such as TrekBBS) as to what actor is envisioned to play them. I have used either the “popular” opinion (in itself always debatable) or perhaps a comment from an author who may have had someone in mind while writing that novel. So, those pictures aren’t absolute representations, merely interpretations. If you disagree with any, feel free to comment!
USS Titan Mission Shoulder Patch (a la Star Trek: Enterprise)
The Titan is a Luna-class ship. The Luna-class is Starfleet’s newest-generation long-range explorer, a starship not built specifically for combat, but like the Constitution-class of the previous century, a vessel designed for a long-term multipurpose mission into uncharted space. Equipped with conventional tactical systems (deflector shields; phasers; quantum torpedoes), Titan also boasts state-of-the-art propulsion and cutting-edge scientific equipment, as well as being a testbed for experimental science tech not yet available on other classes.
The Luna-Class Development Project was initiated in 2369 in response to the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole, and originally conceived as leading a planned Starfleet wave of deep-space exploration in the Gamma Quadrant. The project was spearheaded by Dr. (Commander) Xin Ra-Havreii, a Starfleet theoretical engineer at Utopia Planitia. Field testing on the prototype U.S.S. Luna was under way by 2372 in the Alpha Quadrant, and construction of the fleet was scheduled to begin the following year. Unfortunately, contact with the Dominion and the subsequent outbreak of hostilities mothballed the project indefinitely, as Starfleet redirected its shipbuilding resources to the production of vessels better suited to combat.
Upon the war’s end in late 2375, Dr. Ra-Havreii correctly judged that the Federation’s cultural psychology would eventually shift back toward its pre-war ideals, and pushed to have the Luna-class revisited as a major step toward resuming Starfleet’s mission of peaceful exploration (even though the class would no longer be assigned exclusively to the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant). Construction of an initial fleet of twelve Luna-class vessels was completed by 2379, and the Titan was offered to William T. Riker, one of many command officers eager to put the strife of the last decade behind him.
The Titan is manned by the most varied multispecies crew in Starfleet history, with humans taking up less than 15% of the 350-member crew. The diversity of the crew is intended to facilitate stories that will explore the ways that beings of different cultures, biologies, psychologies, and physical appearances learn how to work together, or fail to, depending on the circumstances they encounter. Titan has eight shuttlecraft of various sizes.
(Click for larger image) USS Titan Dedication Plaque
(Click for larger image)
USS Titan Wallpapers
(click for larger images)
The bridge has been described as a smaller version of the bridge on the Enterprise-E. Two differences mentioned in the novels thus far have been ramps leading to and from the lower levels of the bridge (as opposed to steps) and a railing separating the upper and lower levels (behind the captain’s chair) of the bridge. Here is an unoffical graphic of the Titan bridge from Titan designer Sean Tourangeau.
Shuttles Titan has 8 Type 11 shuttles, all named after Jazz performers. They are:
Armstrong
Ellington
Gillespie
Holiday
Handy
Beiderbecke
Marsalis
Mance
As of the novel Over a Torrent Sea, Titan has a Flyer-class heavy shuttle, the Horne, as part of its compliment. The Horne is based off of the Delta Flyer from Star Trek: Voyager:
Titan designer Sean Tourangeau has begun a set of unofficial shuttle concepts/designs for the Type 11 shuttles. Here is one of the latest sketches:
Opening Theme
Here is an opening theme I developed for Star Trek: Titan, creating the footage with the game Star Trek: Legacy and the Luna-class add-on.
Human male. William Thomas Riker most famously served as the Federation flagship Enterprise-D’s executive officer under Captain Jean Luc Picard. As the vessel’s first officer, Riker was offered his own command numerous times, but repeatedly turned them down in favor of remaining aboard the flagship, admitting to Picard that he had always hoped he would take command of the Galaxy class starship. Following the destruction of the Enterprise-D, Riker transferred to its successor, the Enterprise-E, with Picard, and continued to serve as first officer for a continuing number of years, helping to defend Earth against the Borg, prevent the illegal relocation of the Ba’ku and destroy the Reman warbird Scimitar. Shortly before the Scimitar’s destruction, Riker married his on-again, off-again lover, Deanna Troi, who thereafter transferred to the Titan with him to serve as the vessel’s counselor and chief diplomatic officer.
First Officer: Commander Christine Vale
Human female. Executive officer of the starship Titan, Vale previously served as the Enterprise-E’s chief tactical officer. Coming from a long line of peace officers, Commander Vale’s family was gravely disappointed in her choice to join Starfleet.
Second Officer/Chief Tactical Officer: Commander Tuvok
Vulcan male. Tuvok shares the cold and logical nature associated with his people. His first Starfleet assignment was aboard the USS Excelsior under Captain Hikaru Sulu. During his service Tuvok become disenchanted with non-Vulcans and resigned from Starfleet, only reenlisting decades later, where he eventually settled aboard the USS Voyager under Captain Kathryn Janeway. In 2371, Tuvok was on an undercover mission infiltrating the Maquis when he became trapped in the Delta Quadrant. He was later re-united with Voyager and served as the vessel’s head of security and second executive officer until its return home. Following his return, Tuvok worked for Starfleet Intelligence within Romulan space at the time of the Shinzon uprising, and was later rescued from imprisonment by the Titan crew, which he joined when their previous tactical officer became comatose as a result of battle.
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Shenti Yisec Eres Ree
Pahkwa-thanh male. Chief Medical Officer of the starship Titan, Dr. Ree’s friendly bedside manner is juxtaposed by his fearsome appearance. Standing over two meters tall, this bi-pedal reptile reminds Captain Will Riker of one of Earth’s extinct, pack hunting dinosaurs.
Chief Engineer: Dr. Xin Ra-Havreii
Efrosian male. Ra-Havreii designed the Luna-class starship, and is haunted by the disaster aboard the USS Luna. After Titan’s chief engineer is killed during its first mission, Ra-Havreii stays aboard as its Chief, perhaps to put some of his ghosts to rest.
Science Officer (through Sword of Damocles): Lieutenant Commander Jaza Najem
Bajoran Lieutenant Commander Jaza Najem was a former member of the Bajoran Militia who joined Starfleet in 2376 after his homeworld of Bajor joined the United Federation of Planets. By the year 2380, Jaza was assigned as Science officer on the USS Titan under Captain William T. Riker on that vessels exploratory mission on the unexplored Gum Nebula.
Science Officer (from Star Trek: Destiny, Book One: Gods of Night on): Lieutenant Melora Pazlar
Elaysian female. Melora graduated from Starfleet Academy as a stellar cartographer. In 2370, she was assigned to Deep Space 9, her first deep-space assignment, to survey a sector in the Gamma Quadrant. Later on, she served aboard the Enterprise-E and subsequently joined Riker’s crew aboard Titan as Head of Stellar Cartography. After Lt. Jaza Najem was lost in Sword of Damocles, Pazlar was promoted to Senior Science Officer.
Half-human, half-Betazoid female. Wife of Captain Riker, Troi serves as the vessel’s chief diplomatic officer as well as ship’s Counselor, a position she previously held on both the Enterprises D and E under Captain Picard, to whom she often served as a moral advisor. Despite being only half Betazed, Troi is a capable empath and has been shown to communicate telepathically with other Betazoids, specifically her mother, Lwaxana Troi.
Chief of Security: Commander Ranul Keru
An unjoined Trill male. Chief of Security and Tactical Officer. Commander Keru was rendered comatose from injuries sustained during a battle between Romulan and Reman forces. Captain Will Riker subsequently offered the post to Commander Tuvok until Commander Keru’s recovery. (Trivia: Keru was modeled after a friend of Andy Mangels; thus, his picture- courtesy of Andy Mangel’s site- has been used here).
Head Nurse: Lieutenant Alyssa Ogawa
Human female. Like Riker and Troi, Alyssa Ogawa served for a number of years on both the Enterprises, having begun her Starfleet service aboard the Enterprise-D as an Ensign and nurse under Dr. Beverly Crusher in 2367. At the recommendation of Crusher, she was promoted to Lieutenant junior grade in 2370 and became a senior sickbay staff member as Head Nurse, and would report to the command staff of the vessel in Crusher’s absence. She also married Lt. Andrew Powell in the same year, and the two had a son. Powell was killed during the last attack on the Enterprise during the Dominion War, and though Ogawa did transfer to the Enterprise-E, she readily took the opportunity to leave the vessel with her son and serve within the Titan’s sickbay.
After almost a decade of strife again foes such as the Borg, the Cardassians, the Klingons, and the Dominion, the United Federation of Planets is at the dawn of a new era. Starfleet is renewing its mission of peaceful exploration, diplomacy, and the expansion of knowledge. Among the starships spearheading that endeavor is the U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William T. Riker and manned by the most biologically varied and culturally diverse crew in Starfleet history.
But their mission does not begin according to plan.
In the wake of Star Trek Nemesis, Praetor Shinzon, slayer of the Romulan Senate, is dead. The power vacuum created by his demise has put the Romulan Star Empire, enemy of the Federation, at the brink of civil war. Competing factions now vie for control of their fragmenting civilization, and if the empire should fall, that entire area of the galaxy could destabilize.
To restore order to the region, Titan’s long-anticipated mission of exploration is delayed as Starfleet assigns Riker to set up power-sharing talks among the Romulan factions. But even as the first tentative steps are taken toward building a new Romulus, the remnants of the Tal Shiar, the dreaded Romulan intelligence service, are regrouping behind the scenes for a power play of their own. With no other help available, Riker and the Titan crew become the last hope to prevent the quadrant from falling into chaos.
The Red King
By Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
(Released: October 2005)
Investigating the disappearance of a secret Romulan fleet, the U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William Riker, is unexpectedly propelled more than 200,000 light-years into the Small Magellanic Cloud. One of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, the Cloud is also home to the Neyel, the long-sundered offshoots of Terran humanity, with whom the Federation has had no contact in over eighty years.
Nearby, Riker’s uncertain ally, Commander Donatra of the Romulan Warbird Valdore, rescues a young Neyel, the survivor of a mysterious cosmic upheaval that seems at times to be both unraveling and reweaving the very fabric of space… the fulfillment of an apocalyptic vision that has already claimed millions of lives. Titan’s science team soon finds evidence that the ravaging of Neyel space is the work of a vast and powerful intelligence: the stirrings of a dormant consciousness that is maintaining the existence of the Small Magellanic Cloud—and all life within it—from one moment to the next. And if it should awaken, the consequences are unimaginable.
As Riker considers his options, his new crew struggles with the scientific and philosophical implications of what they’ve discovered… while the young Neyel in their midst forges a bond with the captain, conjuring old ghosts Riker has yet to lay to rest.
Orion’s Hounds
By Christopher L. Bennett
(Released: January 2006)
As the U.S.S. Titan ventures beyond the outermost reaches of known space, the telepaths in her crew—including Diplomatic Officer Deanna Troi—are overwhelmed by an alien cry of distress, leading the ship to the scene of a shocking act of carnage: a civilization of interstellar “whalers” preying upon and exploiting a familiar species of sentient spaceborne giants.
Appalled but reluctant to rush to judgment, Captain William Riker and his crew investigate, discovering a cosmic spawning ground in a region of active star formation—the ecosystem for a bewildering array of diverse but similarly vast life-forms. While attempting to negotiate an end to the victimization of these creatures, Riker’s crew inadvertently grants them the means to defeat their hunters’ purpose… only to learn that things are not exactly as they seem.
Sword of Damocles
By Geoffrey Thorne
(Released: December 2007)
Fate: It is an idea as old as life itself. Do our choices shape the future, or is it the other way around? And if the path we walk is predestined — if the way we are to meet our end is knowable — what might that knowledge compel us to do?
Titan ‘s travels take it to a world at the edge of reason. Orisha is a planet whose people have lived for centuries beneath an unfathomable celestial body in their sky. From the moment it first appeared, the object was thought to be something unnatural, an ill omen that has made them feel watched, exposed, vulnerable — provoking a primal fear that has steered the course of their civilization. The Orishans call it “the Eye,” and because it has consistently defied every scientific attempt to decode its true nature, many are convinced it represents an intelligence that is studying their world…and perhaps waiting to destroy it.
But the secret behind the Eye threatens Titan as well as Orisha…and it holds a special meaning for one member of Captain Riker’s crew in particular, whose lifelong quest to balance faith and scientific truth is tested against the harsh, unblinking glare of inevitability.
Star Trek: Destiny was a trilogy released in late 2008 that featured the Enterprise-E, Titan, characters from Deep Space Nine, and elements from Trek’s past. This trilogy has had consequences for the future of the Trek Literature line.
Star Trek: Destiny Book One: Gods of Night
By David Mack
(Released: October 2008)
Half a decade after the Dominion War and more than a year after the rise and fall of Praetor Shinzon, the galaxy’s greatest scourge returns to wreak havoc upon the Federation — and this time its goal is nothing less than total annihilation.
Elsewhere, deep in the Gamma Quadrant, an ancient mystery is solved. One of Earth’s first generation of starships, lost for centuries, has been found dead and empty on a desolate planet. But its discovery so far from home has raised disturbing questions, and the answers harken back to a struggle for survival that once tested a captain and her crew to the limits of their humanity.
From that terrifying flashpoint begins an apocalyptic odyssey that will reach across time and space to reveal the past, define the future, and show three captains — Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise, William Riker of the U.S.S. Titan, and Ezri Dax of the U.S.S Aventine — that some destinies are inescapable.
Star Trek: Destiny Book Two: Mere Mortals
By David Mack
(Released: November 2008)
On Earth, Federation President Nanietta Bacco gathers allies and adversaries to form a desperate last line of defense against an impending Borg invasion. In deep space, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax join together to cut off the Collective’s route to the Alpha Quadrant.
Half a galaxy away, Captain William Riker and the crew of the Starship Titan have made contact with the reclusive Caeliar — survivors of a stellar cataclysm that, two hundred years ago, drove fissures through the structure of space and time, creating a loop of inevitability and consigning another captain and crew to a purgatory from which they could never escape.
Now the supremely advanced Caeliar will brook no further intrusion upon their isolation, or against the sanctity of their Great Work. … For the small, finite lives of mere mortals carry little weight in the calculations of gods.
But even gods may come to understand that they underestimate humans at their peril.
Star Trek: Destiny Book Three: Lost Souls
By David Mack
(Released: December 2008)
The soldiers of Armageddon are on the march, laying waste to worlds in their passage. An audacious plan could stop them forever, but it carries risks that one starship captain is unwilling to take. For Captain Jean-Luc Picard, defending the future has never been so important, or so personal - and the wrong choice will cost him everything for which he has struggled and suffered.
For Captain William Riker, that choice has already been made. Haunted by the memories of those he was forced to leave behind, he must jeopardize all that he has left in a desperate bid to save the Federation.
For Captain Ezri Dax, whose impetuous youth is balanced by the wisdom of many lifetimes, the choice is a simple one: there is no going back - only forward to whatever future awaits them.
But for those who, millennia ago, had no choice … this is the hour of their final, inescapable destiny.
Over a Torrent Sea
By Christopher L. Bennett
(Released: March 2009)
As the Federation recovers from the devastating events of Star Trek: Destiny, Captain William T. Riker and the crew of the USS Titan are ordered to resume their deep-space assignment, reaffirming Starfleet’s core principles of peaceful exploration. But even far from home on a mission of hope, the scars of the recent cataclysm remain with them as they slowly rebuild their lives.
The planet Droplet is a world made mostly of water without a speck of solid ground. Life should not exist here, yet it thrives. Aili Lavena, Titan’s aquatic navigator, spearheads the exploration of this mysterious world, facing the dangers of the vast, wild ocean. When one native species proves to be sentient, Lavena finds herself immersed in a delicate contact situation, and Riker is called away from Deanna Troi at a critical moment in their marriage.
But when good intentions bring calamity, Lavena and Riker are cut off from the crew and feared lost. Troi must face a life-changing event without her husband, while the crew must brave the crushing pressures of the deep to undo the global chaos they have triggered. Stranded with her injured captain, Lavena must win the trust of the beings who control their fate – but the price for Riker’s survival may be the loss of everything he holds dear.
Synthesis
By James Swallow
(Due: November 2009)
The Starship Titan continues on her outward voyage of discovery. Ranging farther and farther from Federation space, Captain William Riker and the crew look forward to living Starfleet’s mission: seeking out new life, discovering new civilizations.
Striking a “sandbank”—a spatial distortion—the Titan is knocked out of warp, her crew shaken up but uninjured. Titan has stumbled across a battlefield, and floating in it, shattered and in pieces, are the remains of a ship. Searching for survivors, they discover the ship never had a crew. The away team removes the computer core, looking for answers. Once the device is restored, it becomes clear this is not just a computer, but a thinking, reasoning artificial intelligence.
It identifies itself as SecondGen White-Blue, it comes from a civilization composed entirely of sentient computers. Eons ago these artificial intelligences were charged to be the first line of defense against The Null—a destructive force so all-consuming that generation upon generation have waged unending war trying to find a way to beat back this terror. Captain Riker offers to assist them, but years of war have left the AIs distrustful and suspicious, especially of organics.
The tide of the battle is turning, The Null is winning. Set free, it will destroy everything in this system and then, unchecked, spread its mindless destruction into the heart of the Federation.
Seize the Fire
by Michael A. Martin
(Due: October 2010)
The first novel in the four volume Typhon Pact mini-series. Riker and the crew of the USS Titan face the Gorn.
“Improvisations on the Opal Sea: A Tale of Dubious Credibility” by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels (part of the Tales From the Captain’s Table anthology)
This is the story of the newly-promoted Captain Riker and new bride Deanna Troi during their interesting honeymoon on Pelagia, as well as detailing the events that lead to Riker selecting one of his bridge officers for the Titan.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Q & A
The Titan crew has a cameo in two chapters of Q & A that take place between Orion’s Hounds and Sword of Damocles.
Star Trek: Voyager: Full Circle
There is a flashback scene set aboard Titan where Troi informs Tuvok of Admiral Janeway’s death. This scene takes place between Orion’s Hounds and Sword of Damocles.
Christopher L. Bennett posted a graphic on his site depicting how far Titan was from Federation space as of the end of his novel Orion’s Hounds. He created the graphic using a chart from a foldout in Star Charts by Geoffrey Mandel.
Orion’s Hounds, by Christopher L. Bennett, is the third entry in the Star Trek: Titan series of books, chronicling the adventures of Captain William T. Riker’s first command, the USS Titan. The thrust of the series, beginning with Orion’s Hounds, will be Titan’s exploration of the coreward side of the Gum Nebula, a region of the Orion Arm that has not been explored by the Federation. As they begin their mission of exploration, Titan’s crew encounters a race of hunters (more akin to whalers) attacking a familiar space-faring species. Riker and his crew intervene, attempting to understand and resolve the situation, only to find that it is much more complex than they could have ever imagined.
The premise of the Titan series has been said to be in the spirit of the original Star Trek series, except in the current (post-Next Generation) time frame. The editor and writers are looking to evoke the wonder (and dangers) of exploration, the sense of venturing boldly into the new and unknown. Couple this with a large, varied cast and an emphasis on strong character development, and there is the potential for an interesting and exciting series. The first two Titan books, Taking Wing and The Red King, laid an excellent foundation, deftly introducing Titan’s assortment of unique characters as well as wrapping up various plot lines from the movie Nemesis and Lost Era novel The Sundered, and all the while establishing thematic links to Trek’s past (Excelsior and Titan being ships of exploration, as well as the only ships to the Small Magellanic Cloud; both sharing a crew member, Tuvok, who also served on that other ship in deep space, Voyager, etc.). Whether intentional or unintentional, Bennett continues to establish those thematic links, as Titan’s encounters the “star-jellies” from the Enterprise-D’s first mission in the Star Trek: The Next Generation premiere “Encounter at Farpoint”. Thankfully, Bennett’s novel is a far better story, ambitious in scope and rich in detail.
Throughout Orion’s Hounds, the reader is slowly given the inner workings of how the cosmic ecosystem works for space-faring creatures such as the star-jellies. The amount of detail that went into this is astonishing. One could sense a real passion for the science behind the storytelling, and Bennett makes the small section of the galaxy portrayed in Orion’s Hounds truly come alive. The hunters of the story, the Pa’haquel, make for a complex and interesting race. Their mixture of spiritual and ecological balance worked, being neither preachy nor fanatical- a credit to Bennett’s skill as a writer.
The character work in Orion’s Hounds is top-notch. We see Vale dealing with the continued discomfort of having Riker’s wife on the command staff, and calling Riker on his lack of objectivity during the situation that develops in the novel. Troi’s position as the diplomatic officer on the Titan is put to good use hear, as well as fine use of her empathic abilities. Riker and Troi’s relationship grows (in a lot of ways), and without giving anything away, it was a delightful and unexpected surprise. Even the secondary characters get some development, most noticeably T’Pel, as Tuvok’s wife grows into a role that is a natural fit for her about Titan. Bennett’s handling of the characters is nothing short of superb, and maintains the high quality of the series.
It is hard to find fault with Orion’s Hounds. The “planet is doomed and needs to be evacuated” angle was the only thing that stuck out, being a bit redundant, considering it formed a good part of The Red King (although it did not form a large part of Bennett’s novel by any means).
In conclusion, Christopher L. Bennett’s latest novel does the Titan series justice, serving up a novel that deserves more recognition than being a “media tie-in” novel. Containing an amalgam of high-concept ideas, rich world building, and sharp characterization, Bennett’s offering is the best Titan novel to date, and an excellent beginning to the 2006 Star Trek book lineup.
Rating: 93%
Review of “Star Trek: Titan - The Red King”
The Red King, written by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, picks up where the first Titan novel, Taking Wing, left off. Titan and its crew have wound up over 200,000 light years from known space, in the Small Magellanic Cloud. They are not the only ones. A fleet of Romulan ships have also been catapulted across the vast distance. For some reason, this fleet has begun tearing through this region of space, attacking ships with a purpose. Titan’s crew must work with the sole unaffected Romulan ship to discover what the connection is between an emerging consciousness in this region of space and the attacking ships, and save as many lives as possible.
The Red King continues to lay the foundation for the Titan series, further developing new characters while giving readers greater insight into existing ones. The rift between Akaar and Tuvok is explored. Riker continues to come into his own as captain, confronting some tough decisions regarding the “Red King”. Tuvok comes to an critical decision by the end of the novel. The circumstances around Keru’s condition is resolved, rather surprisingly. Martin and Mangels write a richly detailed story. Every scene plays out vividly in the mind’s eye. The first fifty or so pages have very little action occuring, but rather continuing the story from Taking Wing at a natural pace, considering the circumstances. Riker is shown having the solemn duty of giving Ledrah’s eulogy, in a touching scene aboard the holodeck (including a unique “last wish” from Ledrah). Time is spent on the Romulan crew and their reaction to the situation. It may come across as too slow of a start, but in reality it is to the reader’s benefit, making these characters more three-dimensional and fleshing them out more than would be possible than, say, on a television show. It is definitely never boring.
The Red King switches things up by providing an “antagonist” that isn’t really doing something evil. The entity that is The Red King is simply doing what, by nature, it is meant to do. It makes a nice change from the usual “bad guy” scenario.
The novel is not incredibly action-packed. Titan’s mission to the Neyel Homeworld is an exciting sequence, but for the most part the novel is built character pieces and the occasional intrigue (which can be exciting; see Donatra and Suran’s final scene together). This may put some off.
The Red King is very good follow-up to Taking Wing. If you enjoy character-based novels and intriguing, “high sci-fi” concepts, The Red King is for you.
