Vendetta
The world of comics is in mourning over the loss of one of their most prolific voices. Peter David passed away Sunday, May 23, at the age of 68. In the comic book world, David was known for his excellent work, including his run on The Incredible Hulk, which many hold as the greatest creative run for the character.
David also wrote dozens of books like X-Factor, Supergirl, Young Justice, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and more. He was also a prolific novelist, such as in his fantasy parody series Sir Apropos of Nothing.
For Star Trek fans, David is often held up as one of the all-time best writers in the franchise’s history. That runs from 30 issues of the DC Comics series to nearly fifty books (including taking part in novellas and story collections). That outdoes scores of other Trek writers, not just in quantity but quality.
Why David was a great Trek writer
David was a true fan of the franchise and it showed in his work. It wasn’t just how he nailed the characters but also how he honored the franchise’s history. He could pull in long-forgotten characters and make them shine while nicely adjusting stories around Trek canon.
Known for his offbeat and sharp humor, David could poke a bit of fun at Trek tropes, such as the bridge being so exposed to attack. A running gag was how Starfleet assumed reports of meeting Greek gods or Spock’s brain being stolen were a bored Kirk messing with them. However, David could deliver the goods when it came to a dramatic turn and loved his great twists.
While his books are now considered non-canonical (and some early ones obviously clash with Trek lore), David’s writing is still magnificent. With so many great works, it’s hard to narrow down the best, but if you want to know why David was so loved among Trek fans, these works are worth a read!
The Trial of James T. Kirk
This three-part tale from the old 1980s DC Comics series is worth tracking down. Kirk is put on trial for an alien race for supposed violations of the Prime Directive. This leads to a trial packed with familiar TOS faces, starting with Kirk, defended by Samuel Cogley. There’s Leonard James Akaar (“Patterns of Force”), Anan 7 (“A Taste of Armageddon”) and even those aliens who act like gangsters (“A Piece of the Action.”) Watching Kirk react to all this is delightful and a blast for classic TOS fans.
Q-in-Law
This TNG novel has the Enterprise hosting a wedding that could unite two warring planets. So, of course, having Lwaxana Troi on board is going to be tense. What could be worse? Q popping in for a visit. What could be worse than that? Lwaxana falling for Q.
It’s a good comedy romp as Q and Lwaxana have a romance even as things escalate to a possible war. This leads to the priceless moment where Q gives Lwaxana some of his power before revealing he was using her all along. That backfires big time when Lwaxana uses her new powers to let him have it in a beautiful comeuppance for the character. It’s too bad this was never an episode as it’s a great showdown between two popular TNG characters.
Vendetta
This super-sized novel gives more insight into the Borg before TNG got into the evil race. The Enterprise is trying to stop a Borg attack only to find them being assaulted by a woman obsessed with their destruction and a super-weapon ship that can do it. That may sound good, except the price of using that weapon could kill untold innocents besides the Borg.
There’s also a subplot of Geordi trying to help a captured Borg regain her humanity, which leads to tragedy. We get an appearance from Shelby and a rival captain thinking he can be a hero, with Picard facing his trauma over being assimilated. Even if the take on the Borg is outdated, it’s a good read.
Imzadi
Often hailed as one of the best Trek novels ever, this story opens in the future with a bitter, heartbroken Riker still mourning the death of Deanna Troi decades earlier. This leads to an extended flashback detailing how the two met and fell in love and what drove them apart. It’s a beautifully written romance that fills in the blanks for these characters.
The second half of the novel has Riker realizing Deanna was never meant to die and goes back in time to save her. The time travel turns are unique and fun with the two Rikers talking. It comes to a fine conclusion that makes this one Trek novel that still works in continuity and how this classic pair first got together.
Triangle: Imzadi II
This sequel does its best to fix the muddled Riker/Troi/Worf triangle from TNG’s last season. It talks about how that developed while hints are given to Wof joining Deep Space 9. There’s also the return of Riker’s “brother,” Thomas, with the inevitable bit of each being mistaken for the other as part of a complex plot. The real focus is on Worf and Troi, with David doing a better job handling that than the TNG writers did. It’s not as good as the original novel, but still a fine read capturing the characters.
Worf’s First Adventure
While meant for younger readers, this book can still be enjoyed by TNG fans. Part of a Starfleet Academy series, it shows Worf joining the Academy with his foster brother Simon (later renamed Nikolai in TNG). The clever touch is that Worf thinks Simon is the star of the class when it’s clear to everyone else Worf is the real leader.
The book does a fine job showing the prejudice Worf endured as a Klingon in Starfleet and fighting to prove himself. He does when a disaster strikes and while there are two other books by David after this, this initial story is a wonderful insight into Worf’s past.
Q-Squared
Perhaps David’s most ambitious novel, this uses the fan theory that Trelane from “The Squire of Gothos” was an immature member of the Q Continuum. Our Q brings him to the Enterprise, begging Picard for help as the brat’s been driving him nuts. Picard, of course, just gets a kick out of Q getting a taste of his own medicine. That changes when Trelane decides to take his “games” to a dark new level.
Thus, he brings the Enterprise into a clash with two timelines. One is from the classic TNG episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” featuring a more militarized Starfleet. The other is a reality where Picard is the first officer to Jack Crusher while in love with Beverly, Riker is recovering from Klingon captivity, and Data is in a human body. David brilliantly balances these shifts with a good story marked with wicked humor for one of the best Trek alternate reality tales.
The Captain’s Daughter
Star Trek Generations had Kirk openly wondering when Sulu found time to have a daughter. David provides the answer in this story, which opens with Demora seemingly killed after attacking her captain. Seeking answers, Sulu remembers how he and Demora’s mother met in a wild adventure. It’s not hard to imagine the swashbuckling Sulu in a spy thriller while also answering what happened to Demora. It’s a long overdue spotlight on Sulu and giving his daughter more attention as well.
I, Q
David and Jon de Lancie teamed up for this novel told from Q’s perspective. For once, Q is the hero as a deadly force is ready to destroy reality and Q defies the rest of the Continuum to save the universe. Of course, he can’t do it in a straightforward manner, leading to a bizarre trip through time and space that somehow involves Grand Nagus Zek.
The authors bring Q’s voice to life wonderfully and showcase his immense ego as well as inner thoughts on Picard and others. The real fun is that you can never trust Q to tell the truth, meaning it’s hard to figure out which parts of the tale are real or not. Only these two could properly convey Q’s persona to make this a delightful read.
Before Dishonor
This 2007 novel takes a much different view of the Borg. After so many defeats, the Collective has decided it’s no longer enough to assimilate other cultures but destroy them. That this opens with a shocking character death sets the tone for a story where the Borg is deadlier than ever, forcing Picard and Seven of Nine to team up against them.
The humor in the book may be off-putting to some, yet the story still works in thrills. There’s great insight into Seven’s character, which works better after you see her in Picard. Again, much of the story is now outdated by the Picard series yet David restores the Borg to a terrifying threat that makes this book a powerful read.
New Frontier
Now we come to the real meat of David’s trek work. Beginning in 1997, the New Frontier series had David mixing some regular characters like Shelby with a score of original ones into a fantastic adventure set in the little-known Sector 221-G, the former Thallonian empire. The characters are amazing, particularly hero Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, who’s not afraid of breaking some Starfleet rules to get the job done.
The series ran an impressive 21 books, amping up the stakes in storytelling, shocking twists and even characters dying. It captures the essence of Trek in action, adventure, drama and themes as well as better characters than some of the shows. It’s the perfect summation of Peter David’s Star Trek work and why his loss is such a blow to fandom.