Star Trek: The Lost Era

Star Trek: The Lost Era is a series of seven thematically linked novels that explore the period between the film The Undiscovered Country and The Next Generation episode "Encounter at Farpoint". The series was conceived and edited by Mario Palmieri, and published by Pocket Books. The Buried Age (2007), by Christopher L. Bennett, and the Terok Nor (2008) trilogy, were marketed as "Tales of the Lost Era".

Editor Marco Palmieri explained in Voyages of Imagination, "Like the Section 31 [series] two years earlier, The Lost Era was designed to give readers options." The incident was first mentioned in the Next Generation episode "The Neutral Zone". The novel was written as a form of rehabilitation of the reputation of John Harriman, captain of the Enterprise B. According to DeCandido, the period between the Khitomer Massacre and the forced annexation of Bajor was exactly eighteen years. George said the novel explores "the notion of responsibility—to a person's sworn duty, to their loved ones, and to themselves."

"If I have any regrets about [the] Lost Era," said Palmieri in Voyages of Imagination, "it’s that there was less thematic variety among the stories than I was hoping for. In putting together notes about the period to help the authors get started, I realized that most of the things that had been established about those years were military in nature—wars, battles, etc." Darren Mooney noted, "The Lost Era is a collection of Star Trek novels designed to plug various holes in continuity[.]" In his review of Serpents Among the Ruins (2003), Mooney said, "You’d imagine that Serpents Among the Ruins is a mess of references and allusions, a bunch of Star Trek in jokes fashioned into a novel. It is to the credit of writer David George III that it actually does an excellent job of standing on its own two feet." Jason Garza of SFReader. com noted "the action is intense, and the character building is superb" which showcased George's outstanding craft. In her review of The Art of the Impossible, Jacqueline Bundy said, "This book does more than just fill in a bit more of the history of the Star Trek universe (although it does that in spades): it illustrates the 'whys' behind that history with flair, style and more than a few surprises." Lynn Nicole Louis of SFReader. com said, "Although based in the Star Trek world, [The Art of the Impossible] would pretty much appeal to any fan of science fiction." Keith DeCandido said the novel was among his most ambitious, and one "he is still very proud of." Lynn Nicole Louis of SFReader. com agreed, saying the novel trivial, containing "fabricated events designed to illustrate some portion of Will Riker’s personality." Jason Garza of SFReader. com said Catalyst of Sorrows "is not an easy read by any means. But that should not be a deterrent. If anything, it requires the reader to think, and it shows that the author knows how to tell an intelligent, compelling, riveting story[.]" Of the entire series, Bundy said, "The Lost Era titles are individual stories that each stand on their own merits and each should be judged accordingly." And that, "As the final installment, Catalyst of Sorrows is an entirely satisfying way to wrap up this series[.]" In a review of One Constant Star, a staff writer at TrekCore. com said the novel "made me truly care about these characters." And the novel explored "something greater than the vastness of the cosmos: our own human frailties and strengths."

No. (Number)TitleAuthor(s)DateISBN1The SunderedMichael A. Martin and Andy MangelsJuly 29, 20032Serpents Among the RuinsDavid R. George IIIAugust 26, 20033The Art of the ImpossibleKeith DeCandidoSeptember 30, 20034Well of SoulsIlsa J. BickOctober 28, 20035Deny Thy FatherJeff MariotteNovember 25, 20036Catalyst of SorrowsMargaret Wander BonannoDecember 30, 2003—One Constant StarDavid R. George IIIMay 27, 2014

The Buried Age (2007), a Next Generation novel by Christopher L. Bennett, and the Terok Nor (2008) miniseries were marketed as "Tales of the Lost Era". Fansites, such as Memory Alpha, grouped the novels with the Lost Era. In a 2014, StarTrek. com referred to the Lost Era as a "long running" series. It is unclear if long running referred to the novels marketed as "Tales of " published after Catalyst of Sorrows (2003), or to the addition of One Constant Star (2014), by David R. George to the Lost Era series. TitleAuthor(s)DateISBNThe Buried AgeChristopher L. BennettJune 26, 2007Day of the VipersJames SwallowMarch 25, 2008Night of the WolvesS. D. Perry and Britta DennisonApril 29, 2008Dawn of the EaglesMay 20, 2008