'Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light' Announced

The adventures of the crew of the USS Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation will continue in a new novel from Simon and Schuster releasing in April 2019.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light is written by Dayton Ward and takes place in the Star Trek novel series' post-Star Trek: Nemesis timeline following the events of Ward's previous Next Generation novel Hearts and Minds. The novel will also feature elements from Ward's Star Trek: Section 31 novel Control.

Here's the synopsis for Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light:

"As fallout from the exposure of the 'Control' AI security program and the unchecked crimes of Section 31 spans the entire Alpha Quadrant and ultimately reaches the halls of Starfleet Command, the admiralty must decide what the consequences will be for their own… including Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who helped bring down a Federation president and violated the principles of his oath. Meanwhile, deep in the unexplored section of space known as the Odyssean Pass, Picard and the Enterprise crew must put aside personal feelings on the matter and distant political concerns as they investigate the mystery a centuries-old massive spacecraft adrift in the void and under attack from marauders looking to claim the ship for themselves—and armed with weapons that are evenly matched with Starfleet's finest…"

Ward is a veteran Star Trek novelist best known for penning the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers series. In addition to that series, Ward has written the latest two Next Generation novels, Headlong Flight and Hearts and Minds, and the Star Trek: Discovery prequel novel Drastic Measures.

The announcement of Available Light is welcome news for fans of the long-running Star Trek novel series. There's been an unusually long silence in regards to new novels, reportedly while Simon and Schuster worked out the details of a new licensing contract (it's retaining the license was never really in doubt since CBS owns the publisher). In addition to Available Light, Simon and Schuster also announced the fourth Star Trek: Discovery prequel novel and the next installment of the Star Trek: The Original Series line.

This may not be the only new adventure for Captain Picard in the near future. Rumor has it that CBS has been talking to Patrick Stewart about the actor reprising his role as Picard in a new, in-canon Star Trek television series following the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Are you excited for another Star Trek: The Next Generation novel? Let us know in the comments!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Available Light goes on sale April 2019.