Article contributed by David Allen
Star Trek: Discovery has had a difficult time amongst Trek fans. The CBS All Access exclusive show has completed two seasons and will premiere its third later this year, yet it remains one of the more divisive entries in the franchise that Gene Roddenberry built.
Set 10 years before the original Star Trek series, Discovery has made some bold choices in its storytelling. The show visually reinvented the alien race of Klingons, played with technology never again mentioned in several Trek series set later in the timeline, and introduced a never-before-seen adopted sister for Spock named Michael Burnham. Despite the division among fans, however, the show has managed to build a loyal following.
A good chunk of the first season of Discovery dealt with Burnham’s mutiny against her captain, Philippa Georgiou, and her guilt over her mentor’s subsequent death. When the first season took a detour into the “Mirror Universe”, it introduced an evil version of Georgiou who reigned over the Terran Empire.
Emperor Georgiou was ripped from her universe and used as a weapon against the Klingons, only to end season one stranded on the Klingon homeworld of Qo’noS.
That’s where the novel Die Standing enters the fray. Set between seasons 1 and 2 of Discovery, the novel follows former Emperor Philippa Georgiou as she is recruited into the shadowy Federation spy agency Section 31. Her mission: to travel to the secretive Troika territory and investigate its connection to a deadly space cloud that attacked a Federation ship. Georgiou, however, still dreams of recapturing imperial glory, and plans to use the cloud as a weapon to conquer her enemies.
Author John Jackson Miller has a long history writing both Star Trek and Star Wars. He brings this experience, and a deep knowledge of Trek lore, to Die Standing.
There’s a lot to love about the novel for long-time fans of Star Trek. It practically oozes continuity and effortlessly weaves connective tissue between Discovery, the original series, and Deep Space Nine. Yet these connections never seem overwhelming or superfluous, but instead all serve the story.
Miller also makes a concerted effort to explain and recap information from Discovery’s first season relevant to his plot. He does so without falling victim to the “exposition dump”, and instead weaves background information into the action of the story. This gives Die Standing a sense of forward momentum, even during those moments when it clearly has to look backward.
In essence, Die Standing is accessible to readers not familiar with Discovery. Characters like Emony Dax, an earlier incarnation of a character from Deep Space Nine, for example, never distracts from the story Miller is trying to tell, but instead adds additional layers for those readers in the know.
With a protagonist clearly designed to be evil within the confines of Discovery, the novel faces the challenge of telling a story about Philippa Georgiou without necessarily redeeming her. Tales about anti-heroes are difficult to pull off well, since the readers’ instinct is to connect to, and identify with, the protagonist. An evil protagonist runs the risk of alienating readers.
Miller deftly avoids this trap. In his hands, Georgiou becomes a person of great complexity and, more importantly, unpredictability. Part of what ultimately hooks the reader is simply wanting to know what this loose cannon will do next.
The breakout star of Die Standing, however, is clearly Sean Finnegan, a throwaway character originally introduced in the original series episode Shore Leave as James T. Kirk’s Starfleet Academy bully. Miller takes the one-note portrayal of Finnegan and creates a character who is instantly memorable.
In a lot of ways, Finnegan is his own worst enemy. His bad habits have repeatedly sabotaged his efforts to make something of his life. Accompanying Georgiou on her mission stands as his last chance to do exactly that.
Finnegan’s cheerful demeanour and one-liners, even in the face of great danger, provide Die Standing with some much-needed levity in contrast to its brooding, malicious and unpredictable protagonist.
Miller also takes this opportunity to introduce some new alien cultures, each with its own unique way of life and history. Georgiou’s investigation takes her on a grand tour of Troika space and allows Miller to explore this previously unheard-of region of space.
Ultimately, Die Standing is among the very best tie-in novels of a major franchise. It is accessible to newcomers but holds special rewards for long-time fans. It adds new layers to several characters and spins a tale that can easily stand alongside the best episodes of its source material. It is a fascinating experience.
Die Standing is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Die Standing? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
An all-new novel based upon the explosive Star Trek TV series!
No one in the history of histories has lost more than Philippa Georgiou, ruler of the Terran Empire. Forced to take refuge in the Federation’s universe, she bides her time until Section 31, a rogue spy force within Starfleet, offers her a chance to work as their agent. She has no intention of serving under anyone else, of course; her only interest is escape.
But when a young Trill, Emony Dax, discovers a powerful interstellar menace, Georgiou recognizes it as a superweapon that escaped her grasp in her own universe. Escorted by a team sent by an untrusting Federation to watch over her, the emperor journeys to a region forbidden to travelers. But will what she finds there end the threat—or give “Agent Georgiou” the means to create her old empire anew?
