In an interview for the upcoming issue of TV Guide, J.J. Abrams, producer and possibly director of the upcoming "Star Trek XI" project, refuses to confirm or deny early reports that the next movie will focus on a young Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy, saying only that "we have an incredible story," and that he might wish to start production on the movie sooner than the studio currently plans.

"We're in the middle of breaking the story, and it's coming along great," Abrams said. "We have an incredible beginning of a really dramatic story, and it very much honors the canon of Star Trek. On the other hand, it won't be like anything you've seen before." He adds, "I'd be happy to start sooner than Paramount thinks, but not a moment before it's ready."

Next week's issue of TV Guide features a comprehensive "Sci-Fi Preview" with four different covers, one with Kirk and Spock from the Original Series. A second cover shows Lost's Terry O'Quinn ("Admiral Pressman" in "The Pegasus"), and the others feature Smallville and Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica.

In addition to the Abrams interview, the issue also contains a two-page spread about Christie's Star Trek auction with comments from some of the stars, plus a special article written by Brannon Braga about the directions Threshold would have gone had it not been cancelled.

TV Guide's Shawna Malcom spoke to Abrams from his home, and in leading up to the topic of Star Trek, asked about his major creative influences (The Twilight Zone and The Prisoner, though "I was always a fan of Star Trek"), with some discussion about Lost — such as, is it science fiction or not?

The specific Star Trek conversation is as follows, verbatim:

How exciting is it to find yourself in charge of resuscitating the Trek franchise? It's sort of surreal but wonderful. I'm producing and may direct.

Which of the Star Trek series were you a fan of? The original, and I thought Next Generation was terrific. I didn't really get into Deep Space or Enterprise.

What about Voyager? Not so much.

Do you own Star Trek DVDs? Oh, yeah. [Laughs] I have every DVD of every Star Trek episode from every series. I haven't seen every episode of every series, but I certainly know it well enough to be working on the movie.

When Paramount asked you to be involved in the film, did you immediately say yes? Not exactly. There have been 10 films and all these different series, so it was a question of finding out what they were anticipating. But it became clear pretty quickly that they were in a really open frame of mind. Then it became, "Hell, yeah!"

It's been reported that the film will focus on Kirk and Spock's early days and include their meeting at Starfleet Academy. You've said that was not entirely accurate. What parts are? I think we have an incredible story, but we've sort of promised each other we wouldn't talk about the specifics yet. But I can say that we're actively working on it, we're in the middle of breaking the story, and it's coming along great. I'd be happy to start sooner than Paramount thinks, but not a moment before it's ready.

Why the shroud of secrecy? It's way premature. Anything I say, people will read into it and make assumptions. But we have an incredible beginning of a really dramatic story, and it very much honors the canon of Star Trek. On the other hand, it won't be like anything you've seen before.

Do you feel any pressure taking on such a beloved franchise? I feel respectful of it. Fans of Lost don't compare to fans of Star Trek, but working on Lost gives us a view into how important it is to respect the fans.

Why do you think Star Trek continues to fascinate? It was incredibly smart television. The original series and Next Generation were about something — human nature and the idea of coming up against the unexpected and the often terrifying. It was a good story that happened to be science fiction. When I watch episodes with my 7-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter and see them so vitally respond to a show that was made the year I was born — it's not because it takes place on a spaceship. What endures isn't a genre, it's character and emotional connection.

In a sidebar, Abrams' cohorts from Lost — Damon Lindelof, who will co-produce "Trek XI," and Carlton Cuse — discuss the Emmy-winning show's sci-fi roots, including Star Trek.

"It wasn't just people beaming down to other planets," Cuse says. "Philosophical and moral issues were embedded in the stories." But the article points out that the Lost-Trek connection only goes so far. "The secret to the characters on Lost is they're not static," Cuse continues. Lindelof adds, "Spock was always Spock, Kirk always Kirk. But Locke (O'Quinn) is not the same as when we started."

Another sidebar features quotes from O'Quinn about his "Locke" character. "He's the world's biggest sucker, bless his heart. He just wants to love something and have faith in something, and he keeps getting it wrong," says the TNG veteran.

Several pages later, a feature titled "Bid Me Up, Scotty" highlights items from Christie's October auction of Trek props, costumes and memorabilia, with quotes from some of the stars.

"I worked harder to get into my fake wedding dress than I did to get into my real wedding dress," says Marina Sirtis about the pink number she wore in "Star Trek Nemesis." "Man, did I go on a diet." Not only is that costume up for sale in the auction, so is Deanna Troi's mini-dress from the TNG pilot "Encounter at Farpoint," which Sirtis calls the "cosmic cheerleader outfit."

Michael Dorn says he had fits about the aluminum-and-leather Klingon sash that he had to wear as Worf. "It's freakin' heavy and can wreak havoc with your body posture," Dorn recalls. "It gave me back problems."

Even Kathryn Janeway's captain's chair is on the auction block. Kate Mulgrew recalls, "People didn't actually try to sit in it. It was just an unspoken thing. Even the actors would playfully jump in it but look at me furtively as if to say, 'This is OK, isn't it?'"

On another page in the issue, Brannon Braga, executive producer of Star Trek: Enterprise who subsequently moved on to Threshold, gives a first-person account titled "Threshold's Final Chapter," about the abrupt ending and unrealized plans of that show.

"I admit that the way we ended Threshold was much too hasty," Braga writes. "For a show that was about an alien race's long-range plans to alter human DNA to make us more like them, we had to wrap up quickly."

Twelve episodes were shot, but only eight aired in the U.S. Braga reminds fans that the complete series is now available on DVD.

Further, Braga details the ideas the writers had for future episodes and a second season. For instance, Dr. Nigel Fenway, played by Brent Spiner, finds himself in charge of the team when Molly (Carla Cugino) ends up in a coma — a dilemma for a loner character suddenly thrust in a leadership position. In season two, all hell would break loose when 80 more alien probes arrive.

Braga has been pleasantly surprised by the level of passion fans have for the show internationally, citing in particular a visit to a convention in Iceland. Such responses "let me know we should be proud of the work we did," he concluded.

Look for the July 24-30 issue of TV Guide on newsstands now. The articles were not online last time we checked, but you can visit www.tvguide.com/tv/magazine for updates.