Titan Book One Taking Wing

Titan Book One: Taking Wing (2005) — Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels
ISBN: 0743496272
Condition: Used (lovingly pre-worn) — as sold by Crappy Old Books

Boldly going where quite a few Star Trek novels have gone before, Taking Wing launches the Titan series with all the pomp, circumstance, and diplomatic headaches you’d expect when Captain William T. Riker finally gets his own starship—and realises command involves far fewer trombone solos and far more interstellar HR management. This first instalment takes the reader on a journey of tense negotiations, post-Nemesis political fallout, and the sort of Federation-level admin that makes you deeply grateful you’re not in charge of anything more complicated than a kettle.

Inside these pages (slightly yellowed, in our case), you will find a proud tradition of sci-fi space diplomacy, deeply alien aliens, and the occasional moment where someone tries very hard not to get vaporised. The USS Titan sets off to give the fractured Romulan Star Empire a good talking-to, while Riker juggles a crew packed with enough species, philosophies, and interpersonal baggage to make the average counsellor hide under a desk. Deanna Troi bravely endures her new role as Starfleet’s most patient empath, while the rest of the crew try not to cause an interstellar incident before chapter five.

This copy, sourced from Crappy Old Books—a proud establishment where “mint condition” is a fable told to frighten the interns—has all the charm of a volume that has been previously loved, possibly argued with, and very likely dropped behind a radiator once. Expect pages intact, words still in the correct order, and that unmistakable aroma of “vintage tree”. Corners may be bent; spirits will not be.

Perfect for collectors of Star Trek lore, fans of gloriously over-complicated galactic politics, and anyone who enjoys the strange comfort of knowing even in the 24th century, nothing ever goes according to plan. Strap in, set phasers to “optimistic”, and prepare to watch Riker and crew take wing… preferably without clipping anything important on the way out of spacedock.

Keep browsing: See more Science-Fiction books Other books by Michael A Martin and Andy Mangels