206: Almost Too Much Latitude

David Mack: Desperate Hours. A new Star Trek series is a huge deal to Trek fandom. It's a pretty rare occurrence, and what's even rarer is a first novel that looks and feels anything like the actual show! But thanks to Discovery writer and tie-in guru Kirsten Beyer, the novels and the show are linked together like never before, and we as fans get to read about the adventures of Discovery at almost the same instant the show hits screens! In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther welcome author David Mack to talk about his new Discovery novel, Desperate Hours. We discuss the process of collaboration with Discovery's writers, Captain Pike's devotion to duty, Enterprise vs. Shenzhou, the Shenzhou's bridge crew, comparisons to the Vanguard series, Spock and Burnham, the look and feel of the universe, the book's non-canon status, and finish up with what David Mack has on the horizon. In the news segment, we judge the covers of the upcoming Titan: Fortune of War, and Deep Space Nine: I, the Constable. News Fortune of War Cover (00:04:03) I, Constable Cover (00:06:55) Feature: David Mack Discovery's First Book (00:10:01) Getting Involved (00:12:37) The Two Captains (00:18:20) Saru and Una (00:23:49) Competition (00:30:36) Writing from Scripts (00:33:22) Creative Freedom (00:38:53) Spock and Burnham (00:52:21) Media Tie-ins (01:03:29) Different Styles (01:06:53) The Story (01:18:37) Does Discovery Live Up (01:24:37) Canon (01:29:28) The Midnight Front and What's Next (01:36:13) Final Thoughts (01:42:10) Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson Guest David Mack 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)