The New Frontier series is the first original Star Trek fiction concept, not based directly on any of the television shows or films. Developed by John J. Ordover and Peter David, the New Frontier books began with a series of four short chapter books, which tell the story of the origin of the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur and their first mission in a previously unexplored sector of space.
The cover of the first book in the series indicates that the publishers were not entirely confident a series of books not based on one of the television series would be successful. Familiar characters Spock and Captain Picard are prominantly featured, along with the new captain of the Excalibur, Mackenzie Calhoun. Indeed, Spock, Picard, and the crew of the Enterprise-E are prominently featured in the book, and three of the crew of the Excalibur are minor characters who appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
While the characters from other series help to ground things in the established Star Trek universe, their appearance was not necessary to create interest or enthusiasm, as this first book starts off with a compelling flashback sequence, featuring a teenaged freedom fighter, a young alien named M'k'n'zy, in a desperate battle against the aliens who have subjugated his people and who M'k'n'zy has been leading an uprising against. M'k'n'zy emerges triumphant, but not before receiving a disfiguring facial wound, a scar that becomes a distinctive visual characteristic of this fascinating new character. Eventually, this young man would join Starfleet, changing his name to Mackenzie Calhoun (Calhoun is the name of the city he is from), where he would be involved in some as yet unexplained tragedy aboard the starship Grissom before being reassigned as an undercover agent. When Captain Picard finally recruits Calhoun for the Excalibur mission, the fear is that Calhoun may have been undercover for too long, that the shady people he has been dealing with in his secret missions have begun to corrupt him. Mackenzie Calhoun is, in short, a tremendously appealing character, with a rich backstory and dynamic personality, somewhat in the mode of Captain Kirk but with a darker edge. The choice of this character for the captain of the New Frontier series was an inspired one.
Also inspired is the basic premise of the series. Calhoun's ship, the Excalibur, will be the lone Starfleet vessel sent to explore Sector 221-G, a virtually unexplored area of space that had previously been under the control of the powerful Thallonian Empire, an empire which has recently fallen, leaving the planets in that sector in a state of chaos. The Excalibur is authorized to offer aid and assistance whenever the captain deems it appropriate to do so.
While the mission of the Excalibur is laid out in this first book and Calhoun is recruited for the mission, we do not meet all of the New Frontier characters, nor are there any scenes aboard the Excalibur. Other new characters we are introduced to include Si Cwan, a member of the royal family that was head of the former Thallonian Empire who will accompany The Excalibur crew on their mission. We also meet Soleta, a female half-Vulcan, half-Romulan who will serve as the ship's science officer, and the Vulcan doctor Selar, one of the minor charcters from Star Trek: The Next Generation
This first, short novel does not offer an entirely satisfying reading experience in and of itself, nor is it meant to. The book ends on a cliffhanger and continues directly into Book Two: Into the Void, which will continue the origin story of the Excalibur and her crew. What we do have here is an intriguing first chapter in what would go on to become one of the best Star Trek fiction series ever published.
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