Captain's Peril.

Saving the galaxy on a regular basis is pretty tiring work, and for Starfleet's finest, rest and relaxation is important. But when two legendary Starfleet captains decide to take a vacation on Bajor, it isn't long before another crisis arises, and it's up to Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard to once again save the day.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther discuss the Shatnerverse novel Captain's Peril, the first book in the Totality trilogy. We talk about the murder mystery plot, philosophical differences between Kirk, Spock, and Picard, different ideas about risk, the Prime Directive debate, the huge left turn the story takes at the end, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings.

In the news segment, we discuss a poll in our Goodreads group about where our listeners get their Star Trek novels.

News
Goodreads Poll (00:06:11)

Feature: Captain's Peril
More Shatnerverse (00:11:50)
The Prologue (00:14:41)
Murder, He Worte (00:17:39)
Kirk and Picard Dynamic (00:26:45)
A B-Story (00:29:00)
"Risk is Our Business" (00:37:44)
More Than One Murder (00:45:56)
Paternalism (00:50:02)
The Totality (01:01:25)
Ratings (01:04:20)
Final Thoughts (01:10:24)

Hosts
Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)

The Final Reflection.

The Klingons: No other species in Star Trek has gone through so many changes over the years as this race of warriors. In 1984, author John M. Ford set out to write the definitive book about Klingon society, and while Trek canon has gone in a completely different direction since, The Final Reflection still strikes a chord with many Trek fans with its close examination of an alien culture that is the antithesis of the Federation.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson discuss The Final Reflection. We talk about a truly alien culture, the differences between the Klingons in The Final Reflection and Trek canon since, the Perpetual Game, the Federation's duplicity, the novel within the novel, the inspiration that The Final Reflection provided to the creators of Star Trek: Discovery, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings.

In the news segment, we review two new comics: Boldly Go #15 and New Visions #19. We also discuss the apparent lack of new releases from Simon and Schuster in 2018.

News
Boldly Go #15 (00:01:18)
New Visions #19 (00:15:51)
Upcoming Schedule (00:24:43)

Feature: The Final Reflection
Going Way Back (00:30:40)
So Much Packed In (00:33:23)
Truly Alien (00:37:04)
Time and Timeframe (00:47:56)
Admiral Whitetree (00:59:10)
The "Perpetual Game" (01:00:38)
Society is Society; War is War (01:08:21)
Who Killed Who (01:14:28)
A Novel Within a Novel (01:21:36)
Influences (01:22:23)
Ratings (01:35:08)
Final Ratings (01:39:04)

Hosts
Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)

Gold Key Archives Vol. 4, Part 1.

From haunted asteroids to weird cyborg mummies, the Star Trek Gold Key comics are certainly very different from your normal, everyday Trek. However, these oddball comics are loved by many fans, and it can be a lot of fun to take a peek back at the Trek that might have been, as envisioned by comic book writers and artists in the 60s and 70s.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther discuss the first three stories in The Gold Key Archives Volume 4. We talk about troubling behavior by Kirk in "The Haunted Asteroid," a spoiled rotten prince whom everyone wants to murder in "A World Gone MAD," and an ancient mystery that threatens to turn the Enterprise crew into cyborgs in "The Mummies of Heitius VII!"

In the news segment, we welcome Ben Greet, author of one of the contributions to Outside In Makes It So: 174 New Perspectives on 174 Star Trek TNG Stories by 174 Writers.

News
Outside In Makes It So (00:03:34)

Feature: Gold Key Archives Vol. 4
A Little Outside the Norm (00:20:19)
The Haunted Asteroid (00:22:35)
A World Gone Mad (00:44:09)
The Mummies of Heitus VII (01:00:49)
Final Thoughts (01:24:49)

Hosts
Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson

Guest
Ben Greet

Production
Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer) Jeffery Harlan (Associate Producer)