Shatnerverse

{{Infobox book series

| name = Shatnerverse

| books =

| author = {{Ubl

|William Shatner

|Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

}}

| image = Dark Victory (novel).jpg

| image_caption = Cover art of Dark Victory

| country = United States

| language = English

| genre = Science fiction

| publisher = Pocket Books

| pub_date = 1995{{Snd}}2007

| media_type = Print (Hardback)

| number_of_books = 9, 1 tie-in{{cite web |last1=Maddox |first1=James |title=8 Weird Star Trek Novels That Are Enjoyable To Read - The Return - Garfield Reeves-Steven & William Shatner |url=https://gamerant.com/weird-star-trek-novels-enjoyable/ |website=Game Rant |publisher=Valnet |access-date=30 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124094706/https://gamerant.com/weird-star-trek-novels-enjoyable/ |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |date=September 18, 2023 |quote=The resulting Shatnerverse (comprising ten novels by Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Steven) is generally considered non-canon even by novel fans [...] |url-status=live}}

}}

The Shatnerverse is the informal, fannish nickname given to a series of loosely connected Star Trek novels written by William Shatner, with co-writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. The novels were conceived by Shatner during the filming of Star Trek Generations.{{cite web |last1=George |first1=Joe |date=November 29, 2023 |title=The Star Trek Stories That Brought Captain Kirk Back to Life to Fight the Borg |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/books/the-star-trek-stories-that-brought-captain-kirk-back-to-life-to-fight-the-borg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130004835/https://www.denofgeek.com/books/the-star-trek-stories-that-brought-captain-kirk-back-to-life-to-fight-the-borg/ |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |access-date=29 October 2024 |website=Den of Geek |publisher=AABBCC}} Published from 1995 to 2007 by Pocket Books, each novel features Shatner's James T. Kirk in scenarios Den of Geek calls "goofy and self-indulgent", yet Shatner's bluster "is part of his charm".{{cite web |last1=George |first1=Joe |date=17 September 2024 |title=The Star Trek Shatnerverse Still Features the Wildest Version of Captain Kirk Ever |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/books/star-trek-shatnerverse-captain-kirk-william-shatner/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917220932/https://www.denofgeek.com/books/star-trek-shatnerverse-captain-kirk-william-shatner/ |archive-date=17 September 2024 |access-date=28 October 2024 |website=Den of Geek |publisher=DoG Tech LLC}}

Development

The series explores James T. Kirk's life after the events of Generations (1994). Created by William Shatner, the novels were co-written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who were not credited until Captain's Peril (2002).

Simon & Schuster never applied a series brand or name to the novels. The informal title or nickname for the series is "Shatnerverse" which was created by fans and later adopted by unofficial sources.{{cite web |date=February 20, 2023 |title=Shatner, William |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/shatner_william |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420100433/https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/shatner_william |archive-date=April 20, 2024 |access-date=October 28, 2024 |website=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction}}{{cite web |last1=Pascale |first1=Anthony |date=October 16, 2007 |title=The Reeves-Stevens Talk Books With TrekMovie.com |url=https://trekmovie.com/2007/10/16/the-reeves-stevens-talk-books-with-trekmoviecom/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017213730/https://trekmovie.com/2007/10/16/the-reeves-stevens-talk-books-with-trekmoviecom/ |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |access-date=October 28, 2024 |website=TrekMovie.com |publisher=SciFanatic Network}}{{cite web |last1=Vaux |first1=Robert |date=April 6, 2021 |title=Star Trek: The Next Generation - Here's What We Know About the Borg's Bizarre Origins |url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-tng-borg-origin/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914155702/https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-tng-borg-origin/ |archive-date=September 14, 2022 |access-date=October 29, 2024 |website=Comic Book Resources |publisher=Valnet |quote=a series of novels co-written by William Shatner (which fans have dubbed the "Shatnerverse")}} Novels are organized by fans into three trilogies: "Odyssey", "Mirror Universe", and "Totality". The continuity within the series is independent of other Star Trek book lines.

Preserver (2000) was inspired by Shatner's experience following the death of his wife.{{cite magazine |author1=Associated Press |date=September 18, 2000 |title=Grief inspires book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0foaAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Preserver%22+%22shatner%22&pg=PA7&article_id=2470,2291547 |journal=The Daily News (Kentucky) |publisher=Boone Newspapers |location=Radnor, Pennsylvania |page=2-B |issue=260}}{{cite magazine |last1=Spelling |first1=Ian |date=August 26, 2000 |title=Latest 'Trek' novel reflects life events of author |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xlAlAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Preserver%22+%22shatner%22&pg=PA11&article_id=2312,5728821 |journal=Reading Eagle |publisher=MediaNews Group |page=B8}}

The related novel, Collision Course (2007), was the launch title of a proposed Star Trek: Academy series but the planned sequels were canceled following poor sales.{{cite web |last1=Clery |first1=Adam |date=June 3, 2020 |title=10 Scrapped Star Trek Releases You Never Got To See - 8. Star Trek: Academy |url=https://whatculture.com/tv/10-scrapped-star-trek-releases-you-never-got-to-see?page=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241028190346/https://whatculture.com/tv/10-scrapped-star-trek-releases-you-never-got-to-see?page=3 |archive-date=October 28, 2024 |access-date=October 28, 2024 |website=WhatCulture |publisher=Future plc}}{{cite web |last1=Rector |first1=Seth |date=September 8, 2022 |title=Star Trek: 10 Scrapped Projects That Should Be Revived |url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-scrapped-projects-revived/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909073308/https://screenrant.com/star-trek-scrapped-projects-revived/ |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |access-date=October 28, 2024 |website=Screen Rant |publisher=Valnet}}

Novels

The books are organized into three unofficial trilogies. Numbering of the novels varies by language and market.

= Odyssey =

The trilogy's name is taken from an omnibus edition originally planned as Science Fiction Book Club exclusive.{{cite book |author1=William Shatner |title=Star Trek: Odyssey |author2=Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens |date=1998 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=0671025473 |pages=1072}}

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author

!Date

!ISBN

The Ashes of Eden

| rowspan="4" |William Shatner

|June 1995

|{{ISBNT|0-671-52035-0}}

The Return

|April 1996

|{{ISBNT|0-671-52610-3}}

Avenger

|May 1997

|{{ISBNT|0-671-55132-9}}

Odyssey (omnibus)

|September 1998

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02547-3}}

= Mirror Universe =

Novels set primarily in Star Trek{{'s}} Mirror Universe.

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author

!Date

!ISBN

Spectre{{Hsp}}{{cite book |author=Pamela Dear |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780787630959/page/373 |title=Contemporary authors: New revision series |date=1 January 2000 |publisher=Gale / Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-7876-3095-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780787630959/page/373 373] |url-access=registration}}

| rowspan="3" |William Shatner

|May 1998

|{{ISBNT|0-671-00878-1}}

Dark Victory

|April 1999

|{{ISBNT|0-671-00882-X}}

Preserver

|July 2000

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02125-7}}

= Totality =

Also known as the Captain Kirk or Captain's trilogy.

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author(s)

!Date

!ISBN

Captain's Peril

| rowspan="3" |William Shatner,{{Indent|2}}with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

|October 8, 2002

|{{ISBNT|0-7434-4819-7}}

Captain's Blood

|December 9, 2003

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02129-X}}

Captain's Glory

|August 22, 2006

|{{ISBNT|0-7434-5343-3}}

Reception

Den of Geek wrote the "Shatnerverse" novels are "very goofy and self-indulgent", yet they are a fun continuation of The Original Series. Shatner's bluster "is part of his charm. It's exactly what makes James Kirk so fun". Library Journal reviewed Avenger, stating "Shatner's team has created a compelling and satisfying morality play with a wiser Kirk and more emotional Spock".{{cite web |date=1997 |title=Star Trek: Avenger - Editorial Reviews |url=https://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Avenger-William-Shatner/dp/0671551329 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111063050/https://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Avenger-William-Shatner/dp/0671551329 |archive-date=January 11, 2016 |access-date=29 October 2024 |website=Amazon (Library Journal)}} Library Journal also reviewed the audiobook version of Spectre, saying: "Shatner does his usual adequate job, offering a melodious reading with a hint of apathy".{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Charlie |title=Star Trek Mirror Universe Saga #1: Spectre - Editorial Reviews |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-trek-mirror-universe-saga-1-william-shatner/1100308250 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241029005822/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-trek-mirror-universe-saga-1-william-shatner/1100308250 |archive-date=29 October 2024 |access-date=28 October 2024 |website=Barnes & Noble (Library Journal)}}

L.D. Meagher, whilst writing for CNN, said that Dark Victory was not easy for the casual fan to get into as it wasn't intended to be a standalone novel and needed to be read as part of the series. He thought fans of the series would be pleased with it.{{cite web |last1=Meagher |first1=L.D. |title=Reviews - He keeps going, and going ... |url=http://edition.cnn.com/books/reviews/9905/19/Shatner.book/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040104020207/http://edition.cnn.com/books/reviews/9905/19/Shatner.book/ |archive-date=January 4, 2004 |access-date=October 28, 2024 |website=CNN}}

Publishers Weekly reviewed the audiobook version of Captain's Glory, writing: "Shatner ably embodies the voice of Kirk, but his characterizations of Picard, Riker, Worf and several others are mediocre and pale in comparison to the actors who created them".{{cite web |date=2 October 2006 |title=Star Trek: Captain's Glory |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780743539623 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827235913/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780743539623 |archive-date=27 August 2024 |access-date=28 October 2024 |website=Publishers Weekly |publisher=PWxyz, LLC}}

Screen Rant noted that the idea of placing Collision Course within Starfleet Academy is a solid one, but it falters in its execution.

Related novels

= ''The Ashes of Eden'' graphic novel =

Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden is a 100 page, square-bound, graphic novel by Steve Erwin and Jimmy Palmiotti. Unlike the prose novel, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were credited as co-writers. No other Star Trek tie-in novel has been adapted as a graphic novel. Published by DC Comics.

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author(s)

!Pencils

!Inks

!Date

!ISBN

Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden

|William Shatner,{{Indent|2}}with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

|Steve Erwin

|Jimmy Palmiotti

|May 18. 1995

|{{ISBNT|1-56389-235-9}}

= ''Millennium'' (2000) =

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine{{Snd}}Millennium miniseries explores an alternate-timeline accidentally created by the crew of the {{USS|Defiant|3=2}}. The series was partially adapted as The Fallen (2000), a third-person shooter video game developed by The Collective. An omnibus edition was published in 2002. The miniseries is not directly linked to the Odyssey or Mirror Universe trilogies, however the novels include references to Spectre (1998).

class="wikitable"

!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

!Title

!Author(s)

!Date

!ISBN

|The Fall of Terok Nor

| rowspan="3" |Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

| rowspan="2" |{{Dts|2000|3}}

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02401-9}}

|The War of the Prophets

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02402-7}}

|Inferno

|{{Dts|2000|4}}

|{{ISBNT|0-671-02403-5}}

= ''Collision Course'' (2007) =

Star Trek: Academy, originally pitched as a new television series for UPN in 2003, was intended to be a new flagship novel series featuring a young Midshipman Jim Kirk.{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2011 |title=Oh!! That's What Shatner's 2003 STAR TREK TV Pitch Was About?? |url=https://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/49996 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Aint It Cool News |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Pascale |first1=Anthony |date=August 6, 2007 |title=Shatner On 'Collision Course' – His Vision Of Kirk and Spock's Early Years + Preview |url=https://trekmovie.com/2007/08/06/shatner-on-collision-course-his-vision-of-kirk-and-spocks-early-years-preview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021102257/https://trekmovie.com/2007/08/06/shatner-on-collision-course-his-vision-of-kirk-and-spocks-early-years-preview/ |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |access-date=29 October 2024 |website=TrekMovie.com |publisher=SciFanatic Network}} Shatner and the Reeves-Stevenses rewrote the proposed pilot episode as Collision Course. A sequel novel, Trial Run, was announced in 2007 but was never published.{{Cite book |last1=Shatner |first1=William |author-link=William Shatner |url=https://archive.org/details/startrekacademy00shat/page/452 |title=Collision Course |last2=Reeves-Stevens |first2=Judith |author-link2=Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens |last3=Reeves-Stevens |first3=Garfield |author-link3=Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens |date=October 16, 2007 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=9781416503965 |series=Star Trek: Academy |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/startrekacademy00shat/page/452 452]}} In 2019, a new novel, Third Class, briefly appeared in bookseller listings but no official release date was announced. Collision Course ties into The Ashes of Eden (1995).

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author(s)

!Date

!ISBN

Collision Course

|William Shatner,{{Indent|2}}with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

|October 16, 2007

|{{ISBNT|978-1-4165-0397-2}}

= ''Forged in Fire'' (2007) =

Star Trek: Excelsior – Forged in Fire was planned as the introductory novel of a new flagship series set aboard Excelsior (NCC-2000) under the command of Hikaru Sulu. The novel includes references to The Ashes of Eden (1995) and Collision Course (2007).

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Author(s)

!Date

!ISBN

Forged in Fire

|Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels

|December 26, 2007

|{{ISBNT|978-1-4165-4716-7}}