Star Trek: Seekers - Inspired By Fan Art

It’s a tough call deciding which is the bigger news: that Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books is launching a new Star Trek book series called Seekers or that the jacket covers for the books will, for the first time ever, feature art created by a fan. Star Trek: Seekers #1: Second Nature (by David Mack) will be released on July 22 and Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Divergence (by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore) will arrive on August 26, and the covers for both are by Rob Caswell, a western Massachusetts illustrator whose imaginary faux-covers actually inspired the new series – also a first in Trek publishing history.

Here are the synopses of both books, direct from the publisher:

Seekers #1: Second Nature --

A NEW MISSION: The late twenty-third century—Starfleet’s golden age of exploration. Desperate to stay one step ahead of its rivals, the Federation sends two starships, the scout Sagittarius and the cruiser Endeavour, to plumb the secrets of the vast region known as the Taurus Reach.

A DOOMED RACE: Drawn by mysterious energy readings to a lush green world, the crew of the Sagittarius finds the Tomol: a species whose members all commit ritual suicide just as they reach the cusp of adulthood.

AN OLD FOE: The crew of the Sagittarius wants to save the Tomol from their cycle of self-destruction, but first they’ll need to save themselves—from the most nefarious Klingon starship commander in history.

Seekers #2: Point of Divergence --

The Taurus Reach. Once the conquered realm of a powerful alien species, this region remains largely shrouded in mystery even as it brims with potential for exploration and colonization. The Federation has sent in two of its finest starships on a quest to uncover the secrets it may yet hold….

The Tomol are a primitive civilization occupying a lone island on a remote world. Their culture is an enigma, centered on every member’s commitment to a pain­ful, fiery self-sacrifice upon reaching maturity. But one of their clan has shunned this obligation, triggering a transformation into a new, powerful life-form. Answer­ing the distress call of the U.S.S. Sagittarius—crashed and disabled on the planet following a fierce battle with Klingons—Captain Atish Khatami and the crew of the Starship Endeavour must now attempt a rescue mission . . . even as they are locked in battle with the evolving, increasingly malevolent Tomol who, if allowed to escape their homeworld, pose an imminent threat to the entire galaxy!

Star Trek: Seekers #1: Second Nature and Star Trek: Seekers #2: Point of Diversion will both be available as mass market paperbacks and eBooks that will cost $7.99 in the U.S. and $9.99 in Canada. Second Nature will be available on July 22, while Point of Diversion will be available on August 26. Visit amazon.com to pre-order and keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details, including interviews with the authors and cover artist.