Star Trek attractions updates

There are currently several attractions around the world in development, that are set to include Star Trek rides and exhibitions. Theme parks in Jordan, Spain, and the UK were all announced some time ago, and while news has been limited as they go through planning stages, they are gradually getting closer to realisation.

Paramount's Mike Bartok, who deals with the licensing of Paramount properties at visitor attractions, recently spoke to Blooloop about the various Paramount attractions in the works, and highlighted how Star Trek in particular is a rewarding challenge for Paramount to develop:

The Star Trek universe has been created on both film and TV, so for the attractions that we’ve done every inch has been viewed and has to be authentic. Some of the other IPs can be a little lighter but for the Star Trek World, it really requires full commitment creatively and financially to pull it off.

Construction is due to start later this year on the Red Sea Astrarium in Jordan (so says the Khaleej Times). The attraction seems to be presented almost like a history, with rides and architecture based on the regional cultural influences from ancient and colonial periods, right through to the Star Trek world of the future. Talking about the Astrarium, Bartok revealed work has already begun on the Star Trek elements:

...we’re fairly far along in terms of completing the film for the project in Jordan with Bad Robot which should be very exciting. That’s going to be a centrepiece attraction with incredible, state-of-the-art technology. It’s more than just a film, it will be the first attraction ever made to be 4D with actual freefall mechanisms in there. It should be fantastic and with Bad Robot involved we will have that authenticity.

Continue after the jump for a promo video for the entire Astrarium project, and updates from other Star Trek attractions:

Resistance if futile, ThinkGeek make the Borg cool again

ThinkGeek have brought us some weird and wonderful Star Trek creations over the past few years; everything from the iconic USS Enterprise pizza cutter to tribble slippers. As a Borg fan, they might have just achieved a new high for me though, with their brilliant Borg Cube fridge.

Of course Borg normally like to keep their cubes at precisely 39.1 °C, but perhaps in an effort to regain their cool, they've made this mini-cube, which can comfortably accommodate nine cans of drink, a bit chillier. The Borg fridge of course glows green, both inside, and through lighted sections of the hull on the exterior.

This is ThinkGeek's second Borg chilling product in as many months, following their metal Borg whiskey chiller cubes last month. Borg ice-cubes next?

Ships of the Line competition launched

Ever dreamed your artwork could become a part of the Star Trek universe? Well for thirteen people that could be happening soon, thanks to the Ships of the Line competition, announced at the San Diego Comic Con. CBS are looking for art for the 2016 Ships of the Line calendar -The fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek year no less! Thirteen competition winners will get their designs in the calendar, and five-hundred dollars each as well.

Designs can be entered from a variety of media; paint, pencils, ink, markers, pastels, charcoal, and computer-generated images are all acceptable. You'll have to get to work soon though, as the closing date for entries is the 2nd of September. A panel of judges will select winners based on appearance/quality of image, appropriateness to contest theme, composition/layout, and attention to detail.

I asked the man behind Ships of the Line, Doug Drexler, to tell me a little about the competition, this is what he told me:

I presume you will be one of the judges? Do you know who will be making up the rest of the panel?

I am one of the judges. An official list of judges has not been named yet, but I would assume Mike Okuda, Andy Probert, John Eaves, John Goodson, Greg Jein. Remember, not official.

And will you be looking for anything in particular?

Heart.

Do you expect this competition to deliver a different flavour to Ships of the Line?

I think it will invigorate the calendar. I have been using fans in the calendar for years now. That's not unusual. It's the competition that is new. I expect it will be exciting.

Given this is for the 2016 calendar, will the occasion of the 50th anniversary be an influence in the sort of images selected?

It hasn't been decided if there will be a theme, at least not that I know of.

The rules suggests there will be thirteen images chosen, can we take that to mean the aim is for the entire 2016 calendar to be based on the competition?

I believe so.

Will established Ships of the Line contributors be encouraged to submit? I’m sure we all have favourite artists we don’t want to miss out on.

Personally, I don't think that past participants should be included. We're looking to spread the love around a little.

Might you be able to clarify what the competition is looking for? The website and rules seem to be inconsistently requesting an original design for a starship, but also an image which utilised established ships from the series.

I'm waiting to hear more from CBS. They will confer with me, but ultimately it's their decision.

To enter, just visit the competition website, fill in your details, and upload your images. The competition is open to those of us in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany. You can enter as often as an image a day up until the closing date.

In more Ships of the Line news from Comic Con, on display on the Simon and Schuster booth was a mock-up of the new Ships of the Line book, due out later this year, giving us the first look at Doug's new cover art. Image via Doug himself:

Continue after the jump for even more, with a look at the Ships of the Line panel at the Comic Con:

Complete Into Darkness soundtrack available now!

It is now possible to listen to the every minute of music from every single Star Trek movie, as Varèse Sarabande has just released the final soundtrack in the complete Star Trek movie soundtrack collection, the long awaited complete score from Star Trek Into Darkness. A limited edition of six-thousand, the two-disc set includes two hours of Michael Giacchino's beautiful music from the film.

Here's the track list. Emboldened entries are new to this release:

Disc One:
1. Logos / Pranking The Natives (2:58)
2. Spock Drops, Kirk Jumps (1:43)
3. Undersea Enterprises Inc. (1:33)
4. On The Bridge And On The Rocks (1:42)
5. Sub Prime Directive (2:23)
6. London Calling (2:11)
7. Demotion Emotion (:53)
8. London Falling (2:33)
9. The Pride Of Iowa (:43)
10. Astronomical Manhunt (2:12)
11. Man vs Blaster (1:55)
12. Meld-Merized (2:41)
13. Admiral Exposition (3:23)
14. Personal Space (:45)
15. So Long Scotty (:57)
16. Chief Concern / The Moral Mission (2:15)
17. Covert Carol (:38)
18. Galactic Road Trip (1:16)
19. Torpedo Diplomacy (2:19)
20. Spock And Uhura (1:05)
21. Klingon Chase / Meeting (5:03)
22. Harrison Attack (2:46)
23. Harrison Brought Onboard (2:00)
24. Harjugal Visit (2:04)
25. Damage Control (1:18)
26. Scotty’s Floored (1:36)
27. Torpedo Tango (1:08)
28. Cryo Your Heart Out (:17)
29. Harrison's Heart / Enter The Vengeance (3:44)
30. Mom’s Calling (2:19)
31. You’re Not Safe At Warp (:35)

Disc Two:
1. Kirk’s Last Stand (2:24)
2. Guns Down (1:07)
3. Chair Of Command (:57)
4. You Wanna Do What? (1:58)
5. Pull The Trigger (:27)
6. Ship To Ship (2:53)
7. Hallway Fight (1:33)
8. Head Games (1:48)
9. I’m Gonna Make This Simple (2:47)
10. Human Popsicles (1:18)
11. Earthbound And Down (4:19)
12. Warp Core Values (2:57)
13. Max Thrusters (:57)
14. Buying The Space Farm (3:20)
15. Go Get ’Em (1:13)
16. The San Fran Hustle (5:05)
17. Kirk Enterprises (2:57)
18. End Credits (8:43)
19. Ode To Harrison (6:36)
20. Ode To Vengeance (6:29)

And here are some sample tracks:



Star Trek Into Darkness, The Deluxe Edition is available now, directly from Varèse Sarabande.

Trekwear: Her Universe's Geek Couture, and more

This week at the San Diego Comic Con, Her Universe showed off "Geek Couture" at their fashion show, with fandom fashion on the catwalk. Lots of popular sci-fi series were referenced in designs for the show, including, of course, Star Trek. The mirror universe was the inspiration for Laura E. Desch's design "Starfleet's Finest", a take on mirror-Kirk, modelled by Michele Morrow. Here's StarTrek.com's photo of the outfit:

Michele Morrow also posted this image on her Facebook page, showing her with Laura Desch, and highlighting the beehive hairdo, and golden make-up, by Anissa Emily.

You can see much more from the Geek Couture show thanks to Popsugar's coverage, where you'll find designs based on various comic-book super-heroes, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and many more geeky inspirations. My favourite is this fantastic Doctor Who scarf dress:

Continue after the jump for more of the latest Trekwear:

Star Trek to visit the Planet of the Apes!

I was anticipating IDW might announced a new Star Trek comic series soon, but I certainly wasn't anticipating this delightful news: IDW are teaming up with Boom Studios to bring us a Star Trek/The Planet of the Apes crossover, which appears to be titled The Primate Directive. The series will bring together the characters from classic 1960s versions of both series.

The series will be written by IDW Trek regulars, Scott and David Tiption, who have course are well versed in crossovers too, having already brought us the TNG/Doctor Who series Assimilation², and the zombie-full Infestation. StarTrek.com gave a few teasing words from writer David Tipon:

With the Klingons secretly backing a renegade gorilla general in a coup for control of Ape City, Captain Kirk finds himself in the uncomfortable position of having to help out Dr. Zaius' orangutans. Taylor won't be happy with that!”

Art will come from Star Trek newbie, Rachael Stott - You can see some of her other work, on her website, and her Tumblr, where you'll find she's no stranger to drawing Trek; here (after the jump) are a couple of examples:

Starbase 11, the Lego version

Well, sort of. As you might recall from the Drex Files in Exile article on the Star Trek influences born out of the New York World's Fair, the flying-saucer-esque observation towers known as the Astro-View were the inspiration for part of Starbase 11, in Albert Whitlock Jr.'s iconic matte painting.

Well it seems talking to Doug has given me a bit of the World's Fair bug, as when I was fiddling about with my Lego the other day I found myself starting to build the Astro-View. A little while later I had created the model you see here.

My model includes a working elevator (in so much as you can clip it to any point on the rails it would have glided between back in it's operational days), and a row of luminaires (the distinctive street lights that could be seen throughout the fair).

Pleased with my little model I also decided to submit it to Lego Ideas, where, if ten-thousand people support the project, Lego might consider producing it as an actual Lego set. So if you'd like an almost-Starbase 11 set, please do go and add your support to the project.

PS, my Lego King Kong project is also still seeking support on Ideas, I'd be delighted if you could support and share that project too!

Hallmark's 2015 Star Trek Keepsakes revealed

The line-up for the 2015 Hallmark Keepsake range has been revealed at Comic Con, and StarTrek.com have posted the art for the three Star Trek christmas ornaments. Following the pattern of the last few years, there will be three decorations:

A ship, this time the USS Enterprise-C, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Yesterday's Enterprise.As ever, this will also light up.

A scene, which will be "The Needs of the Many", the death of Spock from The Wrath of Khan. With a sound function.

And a figurine in the Star Trek Legends series, with Uhura being the sixth member of the TOS crew in this collection.

These are all either work-in-progress, or mock-ups, so we can look forward to seeing the finished artefacts next year some time. Meanwhile this year's collection, which includes the USS Vengeance, Spock and the Horta, Star Trek Legends Sulu, and a limited edition Vina, have just gone on sale in the last few weeks. You'll find images of these in my previous report.

New non-fiction book series coming from Insight Editions

In the lead up to the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek, Insight Editions will be producing a series of books celebrating different aspects of Trek. As StarTrek.com report, that will start with a look at the costume design from across the franchise in Star Trek: Dressing the Final Frontier, which is set for publication in the autumn of 2015. Here's the blurb:

This deluxe book will showcase the unique costumes featured in the Star Trek franchise, from Mr. Spock’s staid Starfleet uniform to Uhura’s alluring mirror universe outfit. The book will feature a dazzling gallery of wardrobe designs, which explores the beautiful and innovative fashions that appeared in the various different versions of Star Trek, in both film and television, including the many different iterations of the iconic Starfleet uniforms, exquisitely designed alien garb, and much, much more. Every costume will be examined in intimate detail, tracing the design process from preproduction sketches to the stunning realization of the final outfit. Exclusive interviews with costume designers and experts will put the images into context. This unique visual treat will delight Star Trek fans and fashionistas alike.

Sounds interesting, and looking at Insight Editions other books, they seem to do a pretty good job at presenting richly illustrated volumes. StarTrek.com also posted a sample spread:

StarTrek.com also announced the next books Insight Editions are planning follow this release: Star Trek Travel Guide: Vulcan and Star Trek: Travel Guide: The Klingon Empire.

Mini Spock joins an all-star sci-fi line-up.

Due in September from Funko will be a new series of Mystery Mini figurines. While most of Funko's Mystery Mini series focus on a single property, this time they've gone for a theme, "classic sci-fi", with characters plucked from cinema classics like Forbidden Planet through to modern marvels such as Firefly. Representing Star Trek in the mix will be Spock, armed with his lirpa (presumably to fend off Aliens, Predators, and other dangerous beings in this assortment).

Spock wont be entirely alone in the Mystery Mini universe, last year four Star Trek uniformed figurines appeared as part of The Big Bang Theory collection.

Via Big Kev's Geek Stuff and Pop Vinyls.

City on the Edge of Forever #2 preview

Out this week is the second issue of comic book adaptation of Harlan Ellison's original teleplay for The City on the Edge of Forever. Continue on after the jump for the rest of a five-page preview, in which the Enterprise landing team quickly learn the perils of time travel.

Books Bits: Takedown blurb and Cross Cult updates

NOT the cover of Takedown

Due out next February is John Jackson Miller's first Star Trek novel, the TNG/Aventine story, Takedown. Amazon have now added a blurb for the book to their listings. Spoilers ahoy:

An all-new novel of Star Trek: The Next Generation—one of the most popular Star Trek series of all-time, featuring the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise!

When renegade starships wreak destruction across the quadrant, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are shocked to discover the mastermind behind this sudden threat: none other than Picard’s protégé and friend, Admiral William T. Riker. The newly minted admiral is on special assignment aboard the U.S.S. Aventine, helmed by Captain Ezri Dax—someone who is no stranger to breaking Starfleet regulations. Her starship is by far the faster vessel…and Riker cannot yield, even to his former mentor. It’s a battle of tactical geniuses and a race against time as Picard struggles to find answers before the quadrant’s great powers violently plunge into total war…

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

Other books news today comes from German publisher Cross Cult, continue after the jump for all the latest from them:

Figures: Funko gets a goatee, and elementary bobble-heads

It appears Funko will be expanding their Star Trek Pop! vinyl range, by one at the very least: Entertainment Earth have added a listing for a mirror universe Spock figure, which is due this September as a Previews exclusive:

This new Spock follow's last year's release of six TOS figures (including a regular Spock), and four The Big Bang Theory crossover designs. No news yet whether there will be any other new Trek characters this year.

There is an update for another stylised Trek figurine though: Entertainment Earth have also posted a video preview of the Comic Con exclusive Sherlock Holmes themed Data and Geordi bobble-head two-pack:

Ships bits: SDCC event, DST Enterprise-A, and more

Here's some starships news, starting with details of a ship-centric event at the San Diego Comic Con next week. Licensing.biz report there will be a Ships of the Line panel on Thursday July 24th, which will see:

...a team of Star Trek designers showcase the art and inspiration of Star Trek’s most famous Ships of the Line and explore why starships have fascinated and inspired fans for nearly 50 years.

Panelists include John Eaves, Andrew Probert, Doug Drexler, John Goodson, Greg Jein and Mike Okuda and every fan who attends the panel will be given a starship collectible from Eaglemoss.

Sounds like a ship-lovers dream! I know Doug Drexler has been working on the new covers for the forthcoming expanded edition of the Ships of the Line book; I wonder if they might also reveal that at the event?

Now to more tangible ships: DST have formally announced they will be reissuing their USS Enterprise-A electronic starship. The new version will be based on the Enterprise as seen in The Undiscovered Country, and promises a new paint-job, lighting, and sounds.

Entertainment Earth already have a pre-order up, and are expecting to be shipping her from January next year. Meanwhile StarTrek.com posted details of all the sounds, promising it will include alert, impulse engines, phasers, photon torpedoes, warp drive engaging and transporters, as well as dialogue from all three films to feature the A, specifically:

Kirk: "My friends, we've come home."
McCoy: "What's the matter Jim?"
Kirk: "I miss my old chair."
Kirk: "Engine room, we'll need all the power you can muster, mister."
Kirk: "Let's see what she's got."
Kirk: "Kirk to Scotty, lower shields."
Sulu: "We stand ready to assist you."
Uhura: "Mr. Spock, Starfleet is screaming."
Chekov: "We must respond personally."
Scotty: "Captain, she's packing quiet a wallop."
Kirk: "Where's that damned torpedo!"
McCoy: "She's ready Jim, lock and load!"
Kirk: "FIRE!"
Kirk: "Once again we've saved civilization as we know it."
Spock: "If I were human, I believe my response would be "Go to hell.""
Kirk: "Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning. "

Pre-order: Entertainment Earth, Forbidden Planet.

Continue after the jump for even more ships, including QMx's Enterprise refit, the latest from Eaglemoss, and more Ships of the Line:

Comic panels: Q Gambit, Flesh and Stone, City on the Edge, and New Visions previews!

Here's a smorgasbord of Star Trek comics updates and previews, something from all the current titles from IDW in fact. First up, via Tumblr, IDW editor Chris Ryall, posted this exciting two-page spread from the second issue of the The Q Gambit, the DS9 crossover story in the nuTrek ongoing series, which started this month. No text on this yet, just pure Tony Shasteen artwork:

Also posted by Ryall was this page of art, pre and post colouring, by The Sharp Brothers, from this week's medical crossover one-shot, Flesh and Stone (see a five-page preview in my previous report):

Continue after the jump for the latest updates from The City on the Edge of Forever and New Visions:

Starships Collection's Valdore and runabout

Listings for two more ships in The Official Starships Collections have appeared on Entertainment Earth, giving us the first look at issue thrirty-one, the Romulan warbird Valdore, and issue thirty-two, the Danube class runabout (which I believe will specifically be the USS Orinoco). Entertainment Earth posted a photo of the Valdore model, but only the magazine cover for the runabout:

These two will be be arriving first in the UK, this October, with the US to follow in December, and other parts of the world following on in 2015.

IDW's October Star Trek comics

IDW have released their October solicitations, and it's another bummer month for Star Trek releases, with three new issues, and an omnibus on the way:

Star Trek (nuTrek ongoing) #38: The Q Gambit, Part 4
Written by Mike Johnson, with art and cover by Tony Shasteen, or a subscription variant photo-cover

The STAR TREK event of 2014 continues in Part 4 of “The Q Gambit!” Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves in a true no-win scenario thanks to the mischievous Q! Trapped in a dark future, at the mercy of the mighty Dominion, this adventure might prove to be their last! Don't miss this all-new story produced in association with STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci!

Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever, The Original Teleplay, Part 5
Written by Harlan Ellison, Scott Tipton, and David Tipton, with art by J.K. Woodward. Cover by Juan Ortiz, or subscription variant cover by Paul Shipper.

The final act of Harlan Ellison’s Hugo and WGA Award-winning Star Trek teleplay! Is James T. Kirk willing to sacrifice the woman he loves, to save the universe as he knows it?! You may have seen the episode, but you only think you know how it ends! From the mind of literary legend Harlan Ellison!

New Visions #3: Cry Vengeance
Written, photo-manipulated, and cover by John Byrne.

John Byrne continues his new Star Trek photonovel adventures with two tales for the price of one, as the crew of the Starship: Enterprise faces a menace three millions years in the making, plus something more recent but no less deadly. Presenting a follow-up to the classic episode "The Doomsday Machine," as well as “Robot,” a brand-new tale of murder and mystery.

New Visions omnibus
Written, photo-manipulated, and cover by John Byrne.

John Byrne presents all-new TOS episodes like you've never seen them before! Including the 2013 photonovel Annual, “Strange New Worlds,” as well as the feature-length stories “The Mirror Cracked,” and "Time’s Echo"–done in all-new fumetti style by one of the greatest living comic book artists!

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

Note the alien face among the many heads on this omnibus, perhaps a look at something to come in Time's Echo next month.

Set phasers to channel hop

The Wand Company, who have previously brought to the world Harry Potter magic wand, and Doctor Who sonic screwdriver, remote controls, have announced a new TOS phaser remote control. The gesture control universal remote works from both the detachable type-1 phaser, and the larger type-2 phaser pistol, adding extra functions once the type-1 is redocked, allowing you to control your infra-red remote controlled devices with a simple wave of your phaser.

As well as the fun of phasering your TV, this also sounds like it will also be a really good prop reproduction, with the remote being built using laser scans of one of the original props, and then constructed from die-cast metal, nickel and brass plated, plastic, rubber, painted and lacquered components. It also has light and sound effects, with the dial on the top of the phaser used to select the sound, and other moving and functional components, such as the raising targeting scope on top of the type-1. It all comes in a pretty snazzy case, and when not in the case, sits on a magnetic stand.

ThinkGeek expect to be shipping them in November, and it will also be available from Forbidden Planet in the UK. Continue after the jump for (lots) more photos, and more information about the prop reproduction.

A mirror universe summer holiday

Just in time to head off to the beach this summer, ThinkGeek have released their new mirror universe beach towel, using Juan Ortiz's retro poster design for the episode Mirror, Mirror:

This is the latest in an ever growing range of stuff based on Ortiz's designs, which includes posters, T-shorts, glasses, coasters, trading cards, a diary, and a book. What will be next I wonder.

Locutus bobble-head

Entertainment Earth and Bif Bang Pow have announced another San Diego Comic Con exclusive bobble-head, Locutus of Borg. As with their other exclusives, this assimilated Picard will be available first at Comic Con, but Entertainment Earth are also taking pre-orders, so those not attending have a chance to get any left over bobble-heads, which will be shipped after the event.

You can get a closer look in this video Entertainment Earth posted:



Locutus is the third exclusive bobble-heading announced for Comic Con, joining Seven of Nine in a red dress, and Holmesian versions of Date and Geordi. Continue after the jump for a reminder of those other releases:

Flesh and Stone preview

Out this week is IDW's first ever Star Trek Special, the one-shot comic Flesh and Stone, which will also be their first ever crossover featuring characters from all five TV series, with the story focusing on The Doctor (from Voyager), and Doctors Bashir, Crusher, Pulaski, McCoy, and Phlox. Doctor M'Benga and Nurse Chapel even show up briefly too. This medical crossover is brought to us by the Qualcomm Tricorder Xprize, so you can expect a certain piece of technology to play a key role in the story.

This story is significant in Star Trek publishing history for a few reasons: Phlox's appearance here marks the first time an Enterprise character has made a significant appearance in comics - There have been a few nods and references, and indeed Phlox himself appeared in a single panel as part of a flashback in one of IDW's earliest series, Klingons: Blood Will Tell, but this is the first time he's had any serious story time in Star Trek comics.

This might also seem to suggest something going on with IDW's Star Trek licensing arrangement. Previously they have only published TOS, TNG, and nuTrek comics, plus very briefly they had a go at a couple of DS9 stories. Now we have all the series involved in this crossover, and DS9 returning in the nuTrek crossover story, The Q Gambit. Of course characters from Voyager, DS9, and the aforementioned Phlox flashback have shown up in IDW comics before, so it remains to be seen if this is actually an indication of IDW broadening their licensing arrangements, or just some one-off atypically-significant cameos.

This is also significant in crossover history. To the best of my recollections there has only been one other story to feature characters from all five TV series (managing four is relatively common, but five seems to have been a stretch too far for most other crossovers). That was Keith R.A. DeCandido's The Brave and the Bold, which not only featured the main five crews, but a whole host of guest ship crews too! Also comparable is the short story Mirror Eyes, by Jeffrey Lang and Heather Jarman,  from the anthology Tales of the Dominion War: Another medical mystery, with similar ambition to this new comic story, bringing together Bashir, Crusher, McCoy, an EMH (but not The Doctor), and making use of Phlox's logs.

But now, onwards with this new story, written by the Scott and David Tipton, with art by Rob and Joe Sharp. The five-page preview below continues after the jump:

Books bits: Lust's blurb, pop-ups, and latest book updates. UPDATE: Titan news too!

Paula Block's suggested temp cover

Books news! Starting with a new blurb for Paula Block and Terry Erdmann's Quark ebook, Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found), which was added to Amazon's listing. The novella is due out September, and this is what we have to look forward to:

Business is down at Quark’s Public House, Café, Gaming Emporium, Holosuite Arcade, and Ferengi Embassy to Bajor. Way down. Lower level of hell down. The station is bustling, but residents and visitors are spending more time (and latinum) at the new Deep Space 9's park, sports fields, theater, swimming complex, and who knows what else, than they are at Quark’s establishment. All of Quark's misfortunes just could be reversed, however, when he finds out that one of the steamiest holonovels to hit the Alpha Quadrant in years is up for grabs. And he has an inroad to acquiring it before anyone else. Or does he?

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

The image above was tweeted by Paula Block as a suggested temp cover, until the real one is revealed. The image itself is from 16bit.com's surprisingly thorough review of Playmate's Quark action figure.

Amazon have also updated their listing for another of the forthcoming ebooks. They now suggest Scott Harrison's post-The Motion Picture novella, Shadow of the Machine, will be coming in March 2015. This is the fourth change in publication date for this one, but at least this time it's been brought forward (the most recent previous change had it coming in October 2015), hopefully this time the date will stick!

Back with Block on Erdmann, also coming from them later this year is Star Trek Pop-Ups. Amazon have updated their listing for this as well, now showing the following good pictures of four of the pop-up spreads, created by paper-artist Courtney Watson McCarthy.

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

Continue after the jump for the latest snippets from recent author interviews, including details of the next Titan novel, and news of a possible new DS9 novel: