Third 'Star Trek: Discovery' Novel Gives Saru the Spotlight

The first officer of the USS Discovery will take the spotlight in the next Star Trek: Discovery novel from Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.

Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself is written by longtime Star Trek novel author James Swallow (Star Trek – The Latter Fire), who also wrote the stories for the Star Trek: Voyager episodes “One” and “Memorial.”

The episode will be a prequel to Star Trek: Discovery that focuses on Saru’s early days as the first Kelpien officer in Starfleet serving on board the USS Shenzhou.

Here’s the novel’s official synopsis:

Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a member of a prey species born on a world overrun by monstrous predators…and a being who very intimately understands the nature of fear. Challenged on all sides, he is determined to surpass his origins and succeed as a Starfleet officer aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou. But when Saru breaks protocol in order to prove himself to his crewmates, what begins as a vital rescue mission to save a vessel in distress soon escalates out of control. Forced into a command role he may not be ready for, Saru is caught between his duty and the conflicting agendas of two antagonistic alien races. To survive, he will need to seek a path of peace against all odds, and risk compromising the very ideals he has sworn to uphold….

Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself follows the previous Star Trek: Discovery novels Desperate Hours and Drastic Measures. Desperate Hours tells the story of a mission that saw the USS Shenzhou working alongside the crew of the USS Enterprise, including Michael Burnham’s surrogate brother Spock. Drastic Hours, which releases in February, is another prequel involving both Captain Georgiou of the Shenzhou and then Lt. Commander Gabriel Lorca responding to distress signals from the Federation colony Tarsus IV, the site of one of the bleakest events in the life of James T. Kirk.

In addition to the Pocket Books novels, IDW Publishing just launched its Star Trek: Discovery comic book series, which delves into the Klingon’s side of the ongoing conflict seen in Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself will release on June 5, 2018.

Star Trek: Discovery returns to CBS All Access on January 7, 2018.