Star Trek: The Lost Era

Production

Editor Marco Palmieri explained in Voyages of Imagination that The Lost Era was designed to give readers options, with thematically linked but not narratively linked novels that each stand alone. Palmieri hoped the series would move Star Trek fiction through an unknown and unexplored period. The era is framed by two key historical moments: the death of James T. Kirk aboard the Enterprise-B and the maiden voyage of the Enterprise-D. Palmieri noted that far less was known about discoveries, first contacts, and scientific breakthroughs from that time.

He had already committed to two military stories, the Tomed Incident and the Betreka Nebula Incident, but wanted variety. For The Sundered, Michael A. Martin presented the concept of a companion race to humans during a phone call with Palmieri; Martin and co-writer Andy Mangels explored that premise while plotting the novel. The human-descended Neyel species created for The Sundered later appeared in Martin and Mangels' novel The Red King.

While completing Twilight, David R. George III was approached by Palmieri to write a novel about the Tomed Incident, which led to the Treaty of Algeron and the Federation's ban on military cloaking technology. The novel was written partly to rehabilitate the reputation of John Harriman, and included elements from Peter David's The Captain's Daughter. George noted that additional scenes in Twilight later made his life difficult while completing Serpents.

Reception

Palmieri expressed regret that the Lost Era had less thematic variety than he had hoped, as most established events from the period were military in nature. Jacqueline Bundy of TrekToday praised The Sundered for cleverly explaining previous inconsistencies while adhering to continuity. Darren Mooney described the series as a collection of novels designed to plug holes in continuity. In reviewing Serpents Among the Ruins, Mooney noted that despite being full of references and allusions, the novel stands on its own, crediting writer David George III.

Jason Garza of SFReader.com said the action is intense and the character building superb, showcasing George's craft. Jacqueline Bundy wrote that The Art of the Impossible fills in history with flair and surprises. Lynn Nicole Louis of SFReader.com said the novel would appeal to any science fiction fan.

Keith DeCandido called the novel among his most ambitious and one he is still proud of. Reception of Deny Thy Father was less enthusiastic; Darren Mooney said it does not make the father-son relationship from The Icarus Factor more exciting, and Lynn Nicole Louis called it trivial with fabricated events. Jason Garza said Catalyst of Sorrows is not an easy read but requires thought and shows intelligent storytelling. Bundy stated that each Lost Era title stands on its own merits and that Catalyst of Sorrows is a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Novels

The Lost Era series includes novels like The Buried Age and the Terok Nor miniseries, which were sold under the "Tales of the Lost Era" banner. Fan sites such as Memory Alpha grouped these works with the Lost Era. In 2014, StarTrek.com called the Lost Era a long-running series, but it is unclear if that label applied to the "Tales of..." novels published after Catalyst of Sorrows or to the later addition of One Constant Star by David R. George.