Star Trek: Lower Decks ― Warp Your Own Way by Ryan North & Chris Fenoglio

As a bad Trekker with little time for TV, I have yet to watch a single episode of Lower Decks, tho it was certainly top of list for me even before I read this astonishing book. I figured that this graphic novel would be a great introduction to the series but was thoroughly unprepared for exactly how mind-bending — and heart-wrenching — this story would turn out to be.

And you have to understand, I adore fiction that plays with the conventions of storytelling. If you’re not into that, this might not be for you. But if you are, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys when Star Trek plays with time and space, if you don’t mind a lot of non-linear narrative, and especially if you love a little good fan service, then you absolutely need a copy of this book.

Another note: I read this via the Hugo 2025 packet, so my copy was a hyperlinked pdf that I read on my PC, which is pretty much the only format I would recommend reading this in aside from physical. It might work on some tablets too, but the hyperlinks are crucial to the story flow, so make sure that any digital copy you get is something you can interact with in that fashion.

So to the story! This is essentially a Choose Your Own Adventure format revolving around the crew of the USS Cerritos, and particularly Lieutenant Junior Grade Beckett Mariner. After a night of hard partying, she’s not particularly enthused about having to get out of bed on her day off. Readers help her figure out what caffeinated beverage she wants from the replicator and then who she wants to bother/spend time with. Things start going haywire shortly after.

Another confession: after circling through the (hilarious) plot threads several times and running into the same brick wall, I finally broke and took a linear approach. Ryan North is prepared for that, but I ignored his good-natured scolding and persisted. And oh readers. This is probably the best Star Trek-related fiction — and undoubtedly the best Star Trek-related graphic novel — that I’ve ever had the privilege of encountering. It’s clever and moving and embodies everything that’s great about science fiction, as it raises questions about choice and personality, resilience and persistence. I’m getting teary-eyed again just thinking about it.

Chris Fenoglio’s illustrations are perfection, hewing closely to the animated style, which I double checked by watching the first episode while I write this, lol. And while I had no doubt that the personalities on display in the book were faithful to the characters, it was nice to have that confirmed. Wow, this is a good show, and an even greater book to accompany it.

This was, perhaps obviously, my top choice for the Hugo 2025 Best Graphic Story category. I 100% plan on getting a copy for every Trekker I know.

Star Trek: Lower Decks ― Warp Your Own Way by Ryan North & Chris Fenoglio was published October 22 2024 by IDW Publishing and is available from all good booksellers, including