New Starfleet Academy books are in the new timeline, and other tie-in news!

As I theorised a few days ago, the new Starfleet Academy books are indeed tie-ins to the new movie timeline, so says TrekMovie. The first two books are expected to be the start of a series, and the listings on Simon and Schuster's website have now been updated so that Rudy Joseph is only down to write the first of the two, no author listed for the second yet.

In the same report TrekMovie has updated the upcoming book list; the Typhon Pact books now come out once a month starting in November (if one assumes the specific date listing of October 26 does as usual mean that is the November book) and carries on into 2011. Curiously there is now also a listing for a second paperback reprinting of Death in Winter for December.

TrekMovie have also posted an interview with CBS Consumer Product's John Van Critters. Van Critters commented on books in the new timeline:

It was decided that the upcoming sequel is best served by having JJ [Abrams] and his team tell the stories of what happens next for these characters. That doesn’t mean we wont have stories taking place in this timeline, and that doesn’t necessarily mean we wont have stories taking place in the alternate timeline before the next movie is released.

There's good new on the reference book front: The Haynes Guide to Enterprise(s) is still in the works, and now has Mike and Denise Okuda working on it. It will apparently cover multiple starships Enterprise; though which hasn't been settled on yet.

There is also a book called Star Trek 365 on the way, which will be written by Paula Block, and have lots of photos. It will be a TOS reference, out in September, and in the vein of similar 365 books by Abrams Books.

Van Critters also commented on a desire for a new edition of the Star Trek Encylopedia, however doesn't see it happening soon.

Beyond books he noted we shouldn't expect to see anything new from Playmates Toys any time soon. But Mattel’s Hot Wheels ship models have been successful, so we should have more of those to look forward too.

In vaguer areas we can look forward to new licensing deals for new video games and toys, more products tying into the new movie, a new Star Trek Experience, and other new unspecified things! (My favourite speculation by TrekMovie is the possibility of Star Trek LEGO, please "make it so"!)