The news hit me hard this past week, as it did countless others around the world. As I settled in with Stones and Anvil, the 14th installment of the epic Star Trek: New Frontier series, my phone lit up with the devastating announcement: Peter David, the brilliant and prolific author who shaped so much of Star Trek‘s literary landscape and beyond, has passed. For those of us who’ve reveled in his stories, particularly the twenty-plus entries of New Frontier, it feels only right to honor his memory by celebrating this spectacular series. If you haven’t yet explored the charming, diverse, and often wonderfully wacky cast of characters within its pages, you’re truly missing out. My hope is this piece will inspire you to dive in.
While New Frontier stands as Peter David’s most prolific Star Trek contribution, his impact on the franchise’s literary universe extends far wider. He authored or co-authored fan-favorite novels like the insightful Q-centric trilogy (including I, Q, co-written with John de Lancie) and the beloved Imzadi, an outstanding Riker and Troi story. Add to this dozens of other Star Trek literary projects, and it’s clear Peter David was a monumental force in Star Trek storytelling. The franchise is unequivocally richer for his copious efforts.
New Frontier was the first Star Trek tie-in fiction property not to be based on a television series – although make no mistake, familiar characters either have starring roles in this series, or pop in and out as needed. The series generally centers on Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the USS Excalibur as they operate in Sector 221-G, a volatile region of space formerly controlled by the collapsed Thallonian Empire. Starting in 1997 with House of Cards, and ending in 2015 with The Returned arc, Peter dedicated thousands of pages to exploring the lives and missions of the Excalibur crew.
The New Frontier series is notable for a few key elements that separate these books from others in the Star Trek literature realm. Notably, there isn’t much restraint needed when it comes to addressing established Star Trek canon. Even though Star Trek novels aren’t considered canon anyway, many authors pay close attention to canon nevertheless and try not to mess it up too much out of respect for what has come before. The New Frontier series is set in a region of space never visited in canon, and deals with characters that are either completely new to the franchise, or were only secondary or tertiary characters on screen. This freedom allowed David unprecedented freedom to tell serialized stories with lasting consequences. Characters could evolve, suffer, and even die, without the need to return to a “status quo” for an upcoming TV episode. This sense of genuine risk and character progression is a major draw.
For me, the true heart of New Frontier lies in its uniquely fleshed-out, diverse, and wonderfully eccentric characters. At the helm is Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, a fascinating protagonist perhaps best described as a blend of James Kirk’s daring rule-breaking and William Riker’s charming charisma. A former warlord from the troubled planet Xenex, his unconventional past infuses his leadership with a willingness to bend rules, yet he remains fiercely devoted to Starfleet ideals.
His first officer, Commander Elizabeth Shelby, is a familiar face from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Best of Both Worlds.” While still ambitious and highly competent, her time under Calhoun’s command subtly mellows her, enabling her to appreciate (or at least tolerate) his unorthodox methods and the delightful oddities of her new crew. Beyond Calhoun and Shelby, the Excalibur‘s bridge hums with distinct personalities: the philosophical Hermat engineer Burgoyne 172, the conflicted Vulcan-Romulan hybrid Soleta, the sharp-witted operations officer Robin Lefler, and the mountain-of-a-man Briker known as Kebron, just to name a few.
I couldn’t possibly detail every beloved character here, but suffice it to say, New Frontier delivers a full spectrum of compelling personalities. From unexpected inter-ship romances and surprising backstories to deep moral quandaries and essential comic relief, these eccentric folks ensure the series remains consistently fresh, even amidst the larger regional conflicts they face. This vibrant ensemble, blending familiar faces with intriguing new ones, allowed David to explore profound themes of leadership, duty, family, and identity, all while upholding Star Trek‘s core optimistic spirit.
Beyond its compelling crew, New Frontier also benefits immensely from its setting: Sector 221-G. Peter David masterfully crafted this volatile region into a fertile ground for fresh Star Trek storytelling. Here, the vacuum left by the collapsed Thallonian Empire creates a complex tapestry of political intrigue and burgeoning civil wars. The series introduces a wealth of new alien races and cultures, each with unique characteristics and challenges, expanding the Star Trek universe in fascinating ways. Figures like Si Cwan, a former Thallonian noble, embody this intrigue as he navigates the shifting balance of power. Through Sector 221-G, David offered a more grounded and nuanced exploration of the Federation’s role in a fractured galaxy.
Finally, all these elements couldn’t be tied together without an adroit author behind it all. Peter David’s style is key to the success of the New Frontier series. The man can frequently be hilarious, with clever dialogue, wordplay, and levity interspersed in his work. Characters frequently engage in quick dialogue with sarcastic undertones. Their interactions feel natural and lived-in, like real people who know each other well enough to tease and challenge one another.
This style blends perfectly with some of the more unusual situations in which the crew find themselves. For example, the novel Gods Above sees our heroes face near god-like beings who take the form of various mythological figures from Earth cultures. So, you can imagine someone on the bridge of the Excalibur cracks a joke when the ship is suddenly faced with battling a bunch of Greek-style space-going triremes. Some humor was also found when, in the first book in the series, Calhoun and his crew witness the destructive birth of the Great Bird of the Galaxy – a real creature in the New Frontier series, and the famous nickname for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. These are just some of the novel experiences these heroes face. You never know what wacky situation Peter David will throw these characters in, or what cliffhanger awaits you as you end one book and pick up the next.
The New Frontier series stands as a truly awesome and enduring contribution to Star Trek literature, a testament to what can be achieved when creative freedom meets a beloved universe. By boldly venturing beyond the confines of established television continuity, Peter David crafted a vibrant new corner of the galaxy, populated by original, deeply developed characters. His serialized storytelling allowed for genuine character growth, profound consequences, and a rich, evolving narrative that kept readers invested for years. David’s unique blend of high-stakes adventure, thoughtful exploration of complex themes, and signature wit infused the series with a distinctive charm and humanity. For daring to build a new frontier from the ground up and delivering consistently engaging, funny, and heartfelt tales, Peter David deserves immense praise for this truly wonderful addition to the Star Trek canon. His contributions to this fandom we know and love will be deeply missed.
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