Glad you’re enjoying reading. I also found television was impossible when our kids were little, and what I did watch was their preschool television with them.
Couple of points, then suggestions.
First, the Relaunch Treklit novelverse is a separate continuity from the new television series. I personally prefer a lot of the choices of major political arcs in the Relaunch timeline better than the new shows. Interestingly, the last season of Picard started to bring in some parallels from the books, despite being a very different future for Picard himself.
The Relaunch universe basically branched to be an alternate universe somewhere in the TNG ‘Time to’ book sequence. So you’re quite invested at this point, and I would suggest carrying on if you enjoy it.
Second, where you go next in the Relaunch universe really depends on the kinds of stories you like.
— Una McCormack has a few more Cardassia focused books. If you haven’t read them all yet, I’d suggest those given your preference for her book in the Fall. The book with Dr Pulaski is great and important but should be read after the Bashir S31 sequence if you’re going to do that.
— Mack’s Bashir S31 sequence is dark but very well done. Depends on whether a singular hero against the skulduggery machine is your thing.
— the Titan books are mainly about exploration, but as Riker is an Admiral, they cross back and forth through the political storyline.
— After the Fall, Dayton Ward took on the TNG exploration sequence in the Odesseyus Reach. Mostly classic exploration but the outcomes of the political stuff eventually catches up with Picard. David Mack wrote the book ‘Collateral Damage’ where Picard returns to deal with the fallout of The Fall. It’s just about the end of the Relaunch books.
— I gave up on the DS9 books around where you are. George writes as if he is writing backstory bibles rather than a narrative much of the time and he seemed to be one of the principals for that part of the universe.
— the Voyager books advanced much more slowly through the timeline. I found the Christie Golden books exasperating (mainly due to the constraints out in her by the IP holder). When Kirsten Beyer took over and started the Full Circle sequence she was given freedom to fix many issues. It’s a great set of return to the Delta Quadrant books. Some recommend just starting with ‘Full Circle’ and going forward from there. Beyer takes about the first half of that book catching you up and moving things forward.
In terms of the new shows, you could watch Lower Decks without spoiling anything else as it’s set in the early to mid 2380s. It’s also animated with 22 minute episodes so more likely manageable for your reality.
Before you star Picard the television show, I would suggest two things. 1) watch the Kelvin Universe movie Star Trek 2009 as it sets up a major event in the Prime Universe that really is the major fork between the Prime television and Relaunch Litverse. 2) Read Una McCormack’s excellent prequel book ‘The Last Best Hope’ that sets up the Picard television show. There are a number of new books out that are based on the new television shows. You will want to wait to read most those until after you have seen the relevant seasons of the shows.
Thank you for the detailed and insightful answer. I’ll bookmark it to decide on the next books to read.
First, the Relaunch Treklit novelverse is a separate continuity from the new television series. I personally prefer a lot of the choices of major political arcs in the Relaunch timeline better than the new shows. Interestingly, the last season of Picard started to bring in some parallels from the books, despite being a very different future for Picard himself.
OK good to know. So I can continue forward and not get spoilt. Does it mean that they have stopped writing for this timeline, now that the new shows are out ?
Una McCormack has a few more Cardassia focused books. If you haven’t read them all yet, I’d suggest those given your preference for her book in the Fall. The book with Dr Pulaski is great and important but should be read after the Bashir S31 sequence if you’re going to do that.
You mean Enigma Tales, and Neverending Sacrifice, or are there others ?
the Voyager books advanced much more slowly through the timeline. I found the Christie Golden books exasperating (mainly due to the constraints out in her by the IP holder). When Kirsten Beyer took over and started the Full Circle sequence she was given freedom to fix many issues. It’s a great set of return to the Delta Quadrant books. Some recommend just starting with ‘Full Circle’ and going forward from there. Beyer takes about the first half of that book catching you up and moving things forward.
As a matter of fact, I remember reading some of the earliest of those Voyager books (paper version). But it is so long ago that I could as well reread them now. What’s “IP holder” ?
The Relaunch Litverse continued a bit after the new shows started to wrap up the political storyline and some of the other sequences. A trilogy called Coda concluded that timeline. Most fans have mixed feelings about it.
Una McCormack has one more book ‘The Missing’ which is the Pulaski one I mentioned.
The IP holder is the owner of the intellectual property and franchise rights. This shifted over time with the Viacom breakup then more recent. For a while Paramount had the movie rights and CBS the television rights. Simon & Schuster basically licenses from them to contract tie-in writers for hire. The IP rights from all the books stay with the IP holder. What the writers can do is limited by what the IP holder will allow the licensee.
I found Memory Beta First Splinter novels timeline, but it does not have all the novels. In particular, I can’t find either “Collateral Damage” or “Time To” in the list…
I find this [Relaunch Litverse reading order flowchart ] (thetrekcollective.com/…/trek-lit-reading-order.ht… )super useful. It hasn’t been updated to include the final Coda trilogy that crosscuts pretty much everything.