Book bits: The Missing cover and other book updates

Due out in January is Una McCormack's The Missing, a new DS9 novel guest starring Doctors Crusher and Pulaski from TNG. StarTrek.com have posted the cover, which is, incredibly, the first novel to sport the DS9 banner in half a decade, thanks to all the recent DS9 books being parts of crossovers (if you count all prose though, Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann's new ebook, Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) just narrowly beat this book in returning DS9 to the title).

StarTrek.com also posted a shiny new blurb:

The entire sector is waiting to see what the newly reopened Bajoran wormhole will mean for the shifting political landscape in the Alpha Quadrant. On Deep Space 9, Captain Ro Laren is suddenly drawn into the affairs of the People of the Open Sky, who have come to the station in search of sanctuary. Despite the opposition of the station's security officer, Jefferson Blackmer, Ro Laren and Deep Space 9's new CMO, Doctor Beverly Crusher, offer the People aid. But when Dr. Crusher’s highly secure files are accessed without permission—the same files that hold the secrets of the Shedai, a race whose powerful but half-understood scientific secrets solved the Andorian catastrophe—the People seem the likeliest suspects.

As tensions rise on the station, the science vessel Athene Donald arrives as part of its journey of exploration. The brainchild of Doctor Katherine Pulaski, this ship is crewed by different species from the Khitomer Accords and the Typhon Pact. Pulaski’s hope is that science will do what diplomacy has not: help the great powers put aside their hostilities and work together. But when the Athene Donald is summarily stopped in her voyage by the powerful vessel of a hitherto unknown species, Pulaski begins to wonder—will this first contact bring her crew together or tear them all apart?

Pre-order: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp.

The book's cover is by Doug Drexler, who some months ago released the title-free artwork, and then promptly removed it at request from Pocket. I guess now the cover is released it's now safe to re-reveal that ship-tastic image:

Continue after the jump for more books news, including the latest excerpt, news of two new novels from Dayton Ward, and more:

Out right about now, is Kirsten Beyer's latest Voyager novel, Acts of Contrition, which is the second part in a trilogy begun earlier in the year with Protectors. Amazon.com now have an excerpt up, if you head there you'll find chapter one, which starts like this:

Commander Liam O’Donnell had never served on a ship the size of the Vesta. He estimated it could hold twenty Demeters, the special mission ship attached to the Full Circle Fleet that was his responsibility. He lost his way three times between the shuttlebay and Admiral Kathryn Janeway’s quarters.

It was possible he wasn’t lost, so much as dreading making his request of the fleet’s new commanding officer. He paused for almost a full minute once he reached her door before activating the chime and announcing himself.

“Enter,” the admiral said.

No turning back now.

“Commander O’Donnell,” Janeway greeted him as he stepped over the threshold to her private office and residence aboard the Vesta. He had seen her once before, at the memorial service on New Talax, and they hadn’t spoken that evening. She was shorter than he remembered—diminutive, in fact—but her stature was the only small thing about her. A genuine smile of welcome radiated over her fair face as she moved toward him, extending her right hand and grasping his firmly. Her presence easily filled the room, giving the space a warm, homey feel. She even made the incredibly restrictive full-dress uniform she wore look comfortable.

“Your reputation precedes you, Commander,” Janeway said as she shook his hand. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, and eager to hear more from you about the last few weeks you’ve spent with the Confederacy. It goes without saying that your work thus far with the fleet, your efforts to communicate with the Children of the Storm and to aid the wave forms recently discovered, has been exemplary. I trust I can count on more of the same from you.”

O’Donnell sighed as he released her hand. No one who knew him had ever been this happy to see him.

Now for something I'm very excited about: 2013' From History's Shadow, the TOS book from Dayton Ward which was set mostly in the 20th century, looking at the secret history of alien contact with Earth and tying it all in with UFOology and the like, instantly became one of my all time favourite Star Trek novels. So I was delighted when Ward recently suggested he was pondering a sequel, and am now even more pleased to see that is going ahead. In a recent blog post Ward gave a progress report on the book:

I’ve had preliminary discussions with my editor about this, and we are a go. Contracts are on the way and as things stand now, this likely will be the novel I work on after I finish the as yet unnamed tie-in novel and Seekers #4. I’ve got a slew of notes, I’ve ordered a couple of new books to use for research, and so on. I still need to flesh things out and get everything ordered the way I want it for the outline, of course, which likely won’t be until later this fall.

Ward also revealed he has contracts on the way for another Star Trek book after that, but didn't didn't divulge any information on who, what, where, or when, might be featured.

Finally, if you've ever wondered what the voice of 8of5 might sound like, you can now satisfy your curiosity by listening to the latest episode of Literary Treks on TrekFM, which had me on as a guest to discuss Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann's Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found). By way of a micro-review here: I found it an enjoyable and funny book (though maybe a little less hilarious than I had anticipated), with a good farcical adventure, and some interesting gender politics - Recommended.