Hi!! I’m wanting to get into the Star Trek ds9 novels, especially the Garak stuff. Do you think there is a good reading order or should I just start wherever? Sorry if this is random you just seemed to be into them so I thought it wouldn’t hurt :) Thank you!
Hello! my goodness, this is such a lovely question!
there is a 'correct' linear reading order if you wish to follow the post canon events without spoiling anything for yourself! (Please note im probably going to get something wrong as there are SO many ds9 books and i have not read them all yet.)
An uncommon starting point would be 'Hollow Men' by the incredible Una McCormack, which takes place during the DS9 series. Sisko and Garak go to Earth together to do Starfleet errands. It's referenced several times in the following Garak novels.
right after watching the ds9 series, most garak fans (myself included) will run right to Andrew J. Robinson's 'A StItch In Time'. It takes place right after Garak begins making a life for himself on Cardassia post Dominion war and its a perfectly wonderful place to start your beta canon journey! Andy himself even did a recorded reading so you can have him read it to you with his pretty Garak voice!! I highly reccomend it.
I think around here we have 'Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume One' By Una McCormack and Heather Jarman!! Does more fabulous Cardassian world building!
Next in the line following Garak's story is actually a play written by Andy and Siddig together! They performed this play called 'The Nexus' at conventions and to my knowledge there are no recordings of this performance, only a dictated script that is available online. The play was heart breaking.
After the play, I read 'The Calling' which is again by Andy himself, as part of an anthology series called 'Prophecy and Change'. The Calling is very important reading.
Next I believe is 'The Fall' series, but most people just read the 3rd book, 'The Crimson Shadow' by Una McCormack. I've yet to read this one myself, I'm dragging my feet a bit by reading the full series.
If you like Julian Bashir there are also novels about him and what he gets up to that tie heavily into Garak's story, but I personally have only read 'Section 31: Control' by David Mack. Garak makes two appearances in this novel and both are devastating. In my opinion this is essential reading for following the beta canon Garak story line.
Finally, we have 'Enigma Tales', again by Una McCormack. Another one I am yet to read. As it is the last in the line following this particular series of events, I've been avoiding it so that Garak's story doesn't end the way I know Enigma Tales ends. It was intended to have a sequel to round things out, but alas.... ;)
FINALLY FINALLY we have 'The End of This Day's Business' by Una McCormack Eleta_Preloc on Archive of Our Own. It is actively still being published there and it is the official unofficial sequel we've been dying for the last 9 years.
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I know I already wrote a bunch but there is one more novel in this timeline/reality that I would be remiss for excluding. 'The Never Ending Sacrifice' by Una McCormack. It features Garak towards the end, and takes place from season 2 DS9 and runs into the beta canon. It really builds on Cardassian culture and takes a lot of reference points from A Stitch in Time. It may very well be my favourite betacanon novel so far.
One last thing, there is another novel by Una McCormack called 'Second Self' that is based on a different reality altogether, following the Picard tv series' canon, I believe!
Thank you for reading, I hope this helped you figure out a starting point <3 Garak appears in many more novels than these but the books I've named follow the most fascinating (to me) parts of his extended story. Have a great day!
