Twist of Faith - By S. D. Perry & Weddle David & Jeffery Lang & Keith R. A. DeCandido Page 0,1

his posts on the Internet at various sites devoted to the discussion of Trek literature. I suspect, though, that many readers may not know who Marco is or what he does. As an editor at Pocket Books, a part of Simon & Schuster, he shares the responsibility for managing the Trek publishing line. Marco hires writers, approves and edits stories, and helps mold the overall direction of the books. Included in a list of his numerous accomplishments is the omnibus edition you now hold in your hands, as well as each of the works it comprises.

After Deep Space Nine departed the airwaves in the spring of 1999, Marco, himself a fan of the series, saw a means of keeping it alive by continuing the saga forward in print, picking up where the final episode had ended. Yes, many plotlines had been resolved in DS9’s finale, but others had not: Bajor still had not joined the Federation, Ben Sisko remained in another reality, and Kasidy Yates had yet to give birth, just to identify a few of the loose ends. More than that, “What You Leave Behind” had actually offered up springboards for new tales: for example, Kira Nerys had taken over command of the space station, Odo had finally rejoined the Great Link, and Garak had at last returned to Cardassia Prime, now a devastated world.

So Marco imagined relighting the torch and carrying it onward. He crafted a proposal for an ongoing series of Deep Space Nine books. In the tradition of the show itself, Marco envisioned new characters and further evolution for the existing characters. He foresaw intricate, dramatic storylines, some of which would be introduced, explored, and brought to fruition in one work, while others would stretch across multiple tales. As on television, twists would abound.

One of those would turn out to be a twist of faith.

But first, as the rights holder for Star Trek at that time, Paramount Pictures had to approve Marco’s pitch. (As of this publication, CBS Studios holds those rights.) Paula Block has long functioned as a gatekeeper in this regard, somehow managing to expertly serve the interests of both her employers and the readers of Trek literature. Far from being an obstructionist, Paula appreciates creativity and keeps herself open to new ideas and methods. After working through Marco’s innovative proposal with him, and after offering her own observations and suggestions, she endorsed his plan.

The first of the new books, Marco knew, would have a great deal to accomplish. It would need to reintroduce readers to Deep Space 9 and to the changes that had taken place at the end of the series. Captain Sisko had vanished, apparently to reside with the nonlinear aliens in the Bajoran wormhole—or with the Prophets in the Celestial Temple, depending upon your point of view. Kira Nerys had been given command of the space station, which consequently created an opening for an executive officer. Ezri Dax and Julian Bashir had finally begun a romantic relationship. Miles O’Brien had left the station and gone back with his family to Earth, allowing Nog to be promoted to DS9’s chief of operations. Odo had left as well, going back to the Great Link, and Worf had accepted a position as Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire. Damar, Winn Adami, and the last of the Weyoun clones had each met their demise. The Dominion War had come to a close and the wormhole had once more opened to nonmilitary traffic.

But the tale that resumed the chronicles of Deep Space Nine would also have to do far more than deal with all of the changes wrought during the last episodes of the series. It would have to introduce new characters and launch new adventures, and it would have to do so in ways worthy of DS9. To achieve all of that, Marco wisely turned to S. D. Perry.

As with my watching the superb pilot and finale episodes of Deep Space Nine, I clearly remember reading Avatar, the two-volume set that relaunched the series in book form. At some point, Marco had begun talking with me about the possibility of my contributing to the new line, and so he sent me prepublication copies of those first two books, which I immediately devoured. I was—if you’ll pardon the phrase—transported. Under Marco’s guidance, S. D. Perry had crafted an involved story that stood as an exemplar of what Deep Space Nine had on television given to its audience. Her fine prose revived for me the characters