Doctor Bashir’s entanglement with the Federation’s secretive rogue agency has not turned out well for him over the years, and he even sacrificed his career for a chance to infiltrate the group and destroy it from within. Now, in a direct follow-up to the events of The Fall, Section 31 is back to take Bashir on one more ride to save not only the Federation but the entire galaxy. And to do so will mean crossing over into the Mirror Universe.

In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Matthew Rushing and Christopher Jones are joined by author David Mack to discuss his latest entry in the Star Trek saga, Disavowed. We find out how he set up Bashir’s story and moved it forward, how he approaches working in the Mirror Universe, the influences he draws upon in writing the spy game, where he sees Bashir going in the future, and more. We also get a first-hand account of how the cover art came together, and learn about the original cover design that was even a few notches higher on the Scale of Sufficient Excitement.

In our news segment we judge Christopher L. Bennett’s The Collectors by its cover, find out a bit more about Kirsten Beyer’s Atonement, speculate on just how John Byrne is going to bring the Borg to the 23rd century in New Visions, and review the fourth part of The Q Gambit.

News

Judge a Book By Its Cover: The Collectors (00:02:53)

Blurb revealed for Kirsten Beyer’s Atonement (00:07:07)

John Byrne bringing the Borg to TOS in New Visions (00:10:09)

Review: The Q Gambit, Part 4 (00:16:11)

Feature: Section 31: Disavowed

Designing the Cover (00:32:01)

Crafting Disavowed and the Life of Bashir (00:40:03)

Researching and Remembering the Past (00:50:17)

Working in the Mirror Universe (00:57:16)

Charting Bashir’s Future (01:09:28)

Influencing the Spy Game (01:20:12)

Section 31 Didn’t Know WHAT?! (01:23:34)

Principles Betrayed and a More Interesting Conflict (01:29:59)

What’s Next for David? (01:36:59)

Closing (01:43:32)